{"id":157681,"date":"2026-04-13T11:42:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=157681"},"modified":"2026-04-13T11:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:42:36","slug":"celebration-of-service-to-spotlight-community-impact-at-ole-miss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/celebration-of-service-to-spotlight-community-impact-at-ole-miss\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebration of Service to Spotlight Community Impact at Ole Miss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Annual awards recognize service, partnerships across Mississippi<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The University of Mississippi<\/strong> will recognize the accomplishments of students, faculty, staff and campus partners in community engagement on Tuesday, April 14, during the 11th annual Celebration of Service Awards.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony, set for 2 p.m. in the Johnson Commons Ballroom<\/strong>, recognizes those whose work advances community-engaged research, learning, service and scholarship across Mississippi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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University of Mississippi student, faculty and staff volunteers spread pine straw at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.during this spring’s Big Event, the university’s annual day for community service. The university will honor several projects and individuals April 14 as part of the annual Celebration of Service. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“The Celebration of Service highlights how the\u00a0University of Mississippi<\/a>\u00a0defines community engagement as a core part of its mission,” said Castel Sweet<\/strong>, director of the\u00a0Center for Community Engagement<\/strong><\/a>. “One that is collaborative, reciprocal and rooted in real community impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Castel Sweet. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“It also reflects the university’s commitment to supporting this work across all levels, from students to faculty and staff, and ensuring it is recognized as meaningful and essential to who we are as an institution.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university’s top honor, the Excellence in Community Engagement Award<\/strong>, will go to the project “Co-Producing Evidence for Maternal Health Policy Change in Mississippi: A Community-Engaged Group Concept Mapping Initiative<\/strong>.” The team members for that project are: Sabrina Alam<\/strong>, Abigail Gamble<\/strong>, associate professor at the\u00a0University of Mississippi Medical Center<\/strong><\/a>; Zainab Jah<\/strong>; Hannah Sheridan<\/strong>; Nakeitra Burse<\/strong>; Janice Hall<\/strong>, UMMC faculty affiliate; Niketa Pechan<\/strong>; and Amy Winter<\/strong>, Ole Miss community assistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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University of Mississippi doctoral student Savannah Draud conducts research in the Department of Biology. Draud launched the Growing Middle School and High School STEM Outreach Program in Mississippi in 2022 by working with Oxford-area high school students to increase their science literacy. The program will receive the university’s Excellence in Community Engaged Service Award on April 14. Submitted photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Growing Middle School and High School STEM Outreach Program in Mississippi<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0will receive the Excellence in Community Engaged Service Award.\u00a0LEARN Science<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0will receive the Excellence in Community Engagement Research Award.\u00a0LOU Second Responders<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>will receive the\u00a0Excellence in Community Engagement with Distinction Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recipients of the Community Partnership Development Fund<\/strong> include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n