Southern Miss Celebrates Innovation and Discovery at Annual Research Day

Mon, 11/17/2025 - 09:33am | By: Gabriela Shinskie

The University of Southern Mississippi showcased the scope of its research, scholarship and creative activity during its annual Research Day, held Friday, Nov. 7, in the Thad Cochran Center on the Hattiesburg campus. The event, hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Research, highlighted the university’s role as one of the nation’s leading research institutions.

Faculty, staff and students presented projects spanning artificial intelligence, ocean engineering, local tourism and more through engaging talks and poster sessions. The event culminated with the presentation of the Research Showcase Awards, recognizing outstanding university-wide research contributions.

Dr. Kelly Lucas, vice president for research at Southern Miss, emphasized the importance of fostering innovative breakthroughs and impactful thinking across the university community.

“Research Day highlights the vibrant research culture at The University of Southern Mississippi. By uniting scholars from diverse disciplines, we foster meaningful collaborations that extend beyond traditional boundaries. Events like this are essential to sustaining our research enterprise and advancing our continued success as an R1 institution,” said Lucas.

The winners of the Research Showcase Awards included: 

• First Place - James Thompson, hydrographic instrumentation specialist, Ocean Enterprise, "Evolution in Uncrewed Hypoxia Data Collection" 
• Second Place - Brent Hale, assistant professor, School of Media and Communication, "Examining Social Media Usage and Adverse Psychoemotional Outcomes Among Emerging Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Young Adults' Social Media Behaviors, Addiction and Emotional Affect"
• Third Place - Jeffrey Parr, associate professor, School of Health Professions, "Brains Don't Lie: Baseline Clues to Football Injury Risk"

The event promoted the university’s commitment to fostering continual learning, collaboration and creative problem-solving—all hallmarks of Southern Miss research excellence.

Click here to learn more about how Southern Miss research prepares graduates for the workforce and drives Mississippi’s economic advancement.