Dr. Beverly Dale Honored as College of Arts and Sciences Alumna of the Year

Tue, 08/19/2025 - 10:02am

Dr. Beverly Dale’s passion for lifelong learning is matched only by her enduring commitment to her alma mater, The University of Southern Mississippi, where she has championed educational excellence and institutional advancement across disciplines for decades.

In recognition of her transformative contributions, Dale was honored as the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumna of the Year in April during the college’s annual spring awards ceremony.

A 1968 Southern Miss graduate, Dale has supported a broad array of university initiatives, most notably the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society. Named in honor of her family and late father, Lt. Col. John H. Dale Sr.—a World War II and Korean War veteran and former Southern Miss ROTC leader—the center has become a nationally respected leader in its field thanks, in part, to her vision and support.

Her involvement at Southern Miss, however, reaches far beyond a single program. Dale’s legacy as an engaged alumna, advocate and philanthropist spans the full breadth of the university. She has served multiple terms on the USM Foundation Board of Directors (2004-10, 2012-15, 2021-24) and is currently serving a term that extends through 2027. She has also served on the Foundation’s Resource Development Committee since 2016 and played a vital leadership role on the Give Wing Campaign from 2017-24.

Southern Miss College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Chris Winstead emphasized Dale’s dedication to the university.

“Bev is as engaged as she is generous,” said Winstead. “She’s not only a major donor but also a dedicated partner, serving on boards, mentoring students, and championing initiatives that make Southern Miss a better place for both students and faculty.”

“I’ve never met anyone quite like her,” Winstead continued. “She is truly one-of-a-kind. Her drive, leadership and support make her an indispensable part of the Southern Miss community.”

Dale’s philanthropy at Southern Miss includes establishing and supporting numerous scholarships, endowments and academic initiatives. These include the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society Endowment; the Sharing Mississippi National Guard Stories Endowment; the Pat and Jean Welsh Dale Center Graduate Fellowship Endowment; and the Lt. Col. John H. Dale, Sr. Distinguished Lecture Series. In honor of her mother, she created the Margaret Boone Dale “Women and War” Support Endowment. Her advocacy also helped establish the Alvin J. Williams Endowed Professorship in Minority Entrepreneurship, the Maj. Gen. Buford "Buff" Blount Endowed Professorship in Military History, and the Julie and John Arender Hattiesburg High School Scholarship Endowment.

She credits her Southern Miss experience for setting the foundation of her life and career. “I am perfectly thrilled to be giving back to a school, a city, and a state that prepared me for a fulfilling career and a full life,” she said. “I want to help The University of Southern Mississippi continue to give that gift to others like me who chose this institution as their home for higher education.”

As an undergraduate, Dale was active in numerous campus activities, particularly student government and her sorority, Delta Delta Delta. In 1968, she received the Sarah Ida Shaw Award, Tri Delta’s highest annual national honor for Outstanding Collegiate Member.

She later served as a member of the faculty in the Department of Microbiology from 1972-74. In 2010, she was inducted into the Southern Miss Alumni Hall of Fame.

Dale earned her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas (Southwestern Medical School) in 1983. She enjoyed a distinguished career in biotechnology and diagnostics, culminating in her work at Roche Molecular Systems, where she played a critical role in developing and commercializing the first FDA-approved HIV viral load assay—a milestone in monitoring HIV treatment during the 1990s. She also served as a founding board member of Salix Pharmaceuticals, which grew into a publicly traded company valued at $15 billion.

Since retiring from the health care industry in 2005, Dale has continued to apply her leadership and energy to philanthropic efforts. She has served on the boards of San Francisco's ODC Dance and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin, Texas. She currently serves on the boards of the Austin Film Society, the Ogden Museum for Southern Art in New Orleans, and the Science Mill Museum in Johnson City, Texas. She supports health care research through endowments at Vanderbilt University, the University of California at San Diego and the University of Virginia. She has also been actively involved with the Clinton Foundation and supports the Hillary Rodham Clinton Oral History Project at Georgetown University.

Dr. Andrew Wiest, founding director of the Dale Center and a distinguished professor of history at Southern Miss, reflected on the profound impact of her involvement.

“If there’s anyone in the world who bleeds black and gold, it is Beverly Dale,” said Wiest. “She works harder in retirement for Southern Miss than most do while working. She is a constant force at the Foundation—an unstoppable ball of energy pushing for the good of our university in every way.”

“To the Dale Center faculty, Bev is our patron saint! Her generosity has helped us become one of the leading programs in the field, but her involvement goes far beyond that,” he added, noting that she attends events, helps secure top speakers, joins them for study abroad programs, and even opens her home to the team.

“She’s an invaluable part of what we do at every level. And that’s beyond special.”

Dale is a Life Member of the Southern Miss Alumni Association and holds distinction as a Gallery of Benefactors Bronze-level member of the Honor Club. She is also a member of the McCarty Legacy, Aubrey K. Lucas Society and Circle of Champions.

For Dr. Beverly Dale, service to Southern Miss isn’t just about giving back—it’s about staying connected to a place and purpose that shaped her life. And in doing so, she continues to shape the lives of generations to come.