Alumni Awards
2024 CLA Hall of Fame Award
Dr. Donald Cole (Ph.D. Mathematics ’85)
Dr. Cole is a retired administrator and faculty member at the University of Mississippi. In his capacities as Assistant Provost, Assistant to the Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs and Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Cole played an active leadership role in policy making, teaching, research, and diversification at the University. His work at the University has been rewarded with his induction into the Alumni Hall of Fame, Student scholarships named and endowed in his honor, School of Education Hall of Fame and the renaming of Martindale Student Services Center to include his name.
2024 CLA Hall of Fame Award
Johnny McRight (B.S. Biology ’73 and M.C.S. Biology ’75)
Mr. McRight grew up in Greenville, Mississippi, and attended the University of Mississippi for his undergrad and graduate degrees. After completion of his Masters, Johnny and his wife, Renee, moved home to Greenville where they still reside. McRight owns and operates DeltaAg which formulates and manufactures a complete line of crop biostimulants and micronutrients for agriculture. These formulations are sold throughout the world.
2024 CLA Hall of Fame Award
Renvy Pittman (B.A. Classical Civilization ’77)
Ms. Pittman was the co-founder of Grove Scholars in 2013 and currently serves as the Chair of the Grove Scholars Advisory Council. She is an advocate for underserved students pursuing STEM and healthcare degrees nationwide. Originally from Jackson, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilization from the University of Mississippi. After graduation, she worked as an executive recruiter specializing in computer programming and software development. She has served as a Board Member of Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The University of Mississippi Foundation, and she serves as a Trustee for the Center for Early Education in Los Angeles.
Early Impact Awards
The Early Impact Award is given to a College of Liberal Arts graduate for exceptional accomplishments and service to community within 20 years of graduation from the University of Mississippi. The award distinguishes performance in early career through advancement in one’s profession, community engagement, and/or civic participation.
2024 Recipients
Eleanor C. Anthony (B.A. Philosophy and Mathematics ’06)
Ms. Anthony earned her law degree from Stanford University and entered the field of technology law. She serves as Senior Product Counsel at Snowflake where she acts as a legal advisor and business partner to product, engineering, operations, sales, finance, and business development stakeholders, counseling on legal issues spanning artificial intelligence, platform immunity, intellectual property, privacy, money transmission, and marketplaces.
Charlie Buckley (B.F.A. Art ’04)
Mr. Buckley is an artist and owner of Buckley Studios. After completing his BFA at UM and MFA at Miami University, Buckley taught drawing and painting at Miami, Mississippi State, and the University of Mississippi. Since 2011 he has been working exclusively as a painter, and is represented by Fischer Galleries in Jackson and Southside Gallery in Oxford.
Twuan Samuel (International Studies ’06; Juris Doctorate ’08)
Mr. Samuel is Senior Vice President in Moody’s Government, Public, and Regulatory Affairs where he leads the firm’s engagement and advocacy strategy in the United States, focusing on Congress, the White House, all federal agencies, and third-party organizations that create opportunities for Moody’s to advance the firm’s core public policy objectives. Prior to his position with Moody’s Twaun served as Chief of Staff for House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters.
Dr. Marc Walker, M.D. (B.S. Biology ’06)
Dr. Walker, MD, MBA, FACS, is a double board-certified plastic surgeon and fellowship-trained hand surgeon at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Walker serves as the Songcharoen Endowed Chair of Hand Surgery, the Fellowship Program Director for Surgery of the Hand, and the Founding Director of the recently named Jabaley-Songcharoen Center for Hand, Upper Extremity, and Nerve Surgery at UMMC.
CLA Alumni Award Recipients
The Early Impact Award is given to a College of Liberal Arts graduate for exceptional accomplishments and service to community within 20 years of graduation from the University of Mississippi. The award distinguishes performance in early career through advancement in one’s profession, community engagement, and/or civic participation.
2024
Eleanor C. Anthony (B.A. Philosophy and Mathematics ’06)
Ms. Anthony earned her law degree from Stanford University and entered the field of technology law. She serves as Senior Product Counsel at Snowflake where she acts as a legal advisor and business partner to product, engineering, operations, sales, finance, and business development stakeholders, counseling on legal issues spanning artificial intelligence, platform immunity, intellectual property, privacy, money transmission, and marketplaces.
Charlie Buckley (B.F.A. Art ’04)
Mr. Buckley is an artist and owner of Buckley Studios. After completing his BFA at UM and MFA at Miami University, Buckley taught drawing and painting at Miami, Mississippi State, and the University of Mississippi. Since 2011 he has been working exclusively as a painter, and is represented by Fischer Galleries in Jackson and Southside Gallery in Oxford.
Twuan Samuel (International Studies ’06; Juris Doctorate ’08)
Mr. Samuel is Senior Vice President in Moody’s Government, Public, and Regulatory Affairs where he leads the firm’s engagement and advocacy strategy in the United States, focusing on Congress, the White House, all federal agencies, and third-party organizations that create opportunities for Moody’s to advance the firm’s core public policy objectives. Prior to his position with Moody’s Twaun served as Chief of Staff for House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters.
Dr. Marc Walker, M.D. (B.S. Biology ’06)
Dr. Walker, MD, MBA, FACS, is a double board-certified plastic surgeon and fellowship-trained hand surgeon at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Walker serves as the Songcharoen Endowed Chair of Hand Surgery, the Fellowship Program Director for Surgery of the Hand, and the Founding Director of the recently named Jabaley-Songcharoen Center for Hand, Upper Extremity, and Nerve Surgery at UMMC.
2023
Dr. Adrian Cartier (BA Mathematics ’02, PhD Mathematics ’06)
Dr. Cartier is a data scientist, co-founder, and Chief Data Officer for Freight Science, Inc., a data and analytics SaaS product for use by the transportation industry, and has been awarded patents for his innovations in data science.
Christin Gates - Calloway (BA Psychology ’11)
Ms. Gates-Calloway currently serves as a remote Policy Analyst with One Voice Mississippi in Jackson, MS. In this role, she supports a team of advocates to promote a data-driven approach to political and civic advocacy through policy research and analysis.
Patrick Woodyard (BA International Studies and Spanish ’10)
Mr. Woodyard graduated summa cum laude from Croft and the SMBHC and was part of the UM Student Hall of Fame before founding Nisolo after a year of microfinance in Peru. Patrick founded Nisolo as one of the first fashion brands to exist with a holistic commitment to the Planet and People within supply chains. Among other accolades, Patrick is a Top 30 Impact CEO in the U.S. and Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient.
The College of Liberal Arts Hall of Fame Award is the highest honor the College bestows upon a graduate or friend of the College of Liberal Arts. The award is given in recognition of the individuals’ achievements in their respective professional career and their commitment to the College through service, leadership, and giving across a broad spectrum. Recipients have managed or directed organizations that have made noteworthy national or international contributions to their field and have meritorious service and leadership in a professional capacity, in the broader community, and to the College of Liberal Arts.
2024
Dr. Donald Cole (Ph.D. Mathematics ’85)
Dr. Cole is a retired administrator and faculty member at the University of Mississippi. In his capacities as Assistant Provost, Assistant to the Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs and Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Cole played an active leadership role in policy making, teaching, research, and diversification at the University. His work at the University has been rewarded with his induction into the Alumni Hall of Fame, Student scholarships named and endowed in his honor, School of Education Hall of Fame and the renaming of Martindale Student Services Center to include his name.
Johnny McRight (B.S. Biology ’73 and M.C.S. Biology ’75)
Mr. McRight grew up in Greenville, Mississippi, and attended the University of Mississippi for his undergrad and graduate degrees. After completion of his Masters, Johnny and his wife, Renee, moved home to Greenville where they still reside. McRight owns and operates DeltaAg which formulates and manufactures a complete line of crop biostimulants and micronutrients for agriculture. These formulations are sold throughout the world.
Renvy Pittman (B.A. Classical Civilization ’77)
Ms. Pittman was the co-founder of Grove Scholars in 2013 and currently serves as the Chair of the Grove Scholars Advisory Council. She is an advocate for underserved students pursuing STEM and healthcare degrees nationwide. Originally from Jackson, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilization from the University of Mississippi. After graduation, she worked as an executive recruiter specializing in computer programming and software development. She has served as a Board Member of Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The University of Mississippi Foundation, and she serves as a Trustee for the Center for Early Education in Los Angeles.
2023
Dr. Mike. L Edmonds (BA Speech and Theatre ’84; MEd Education ’85; PhD Education ’90)
Dr. Edmonds served as the Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at Colorado College, where he has been since 1991. He served as Acting Co-President for the 2020-2021 academic year, and as the Dean of Students/Vice President for Student Life from 1991-2020.
James Meredith (BA Political Science ’63)
Mr. Meredith has many notable accomplishments. James Howard Meredith was born on June 25, 1933, in Kosciusko, Miss., and raised on his family’s 84-acre farm in Attala County. After graduation from Gibbs High in St. Petersburg, Fla., in June 1951, he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1960, including a three-year tour of duty at Tachikawa Air Base in Japan. He attended Jackson State College from 1960 to 1961 and applied for admission to the University of Mississippi in January 1961. However, the state took several measures to prevent his admission. Meredith, after a series of historically noted events, some violent and life ending, was finally allowed to register for courses on Oct. 1, 1962. James Meredith was the first Black student to attend the University of Mississippi. He is the author of numerous publications, including Three Years in Mississippi, which describes his experience integrating the University of Mississippi, and A Mission from God: A Memoir and Challenge for America.
Frances Permenter Smith (BA Sociology ’74)
Ms. Permenter Smith grew up in Greenville and Gulfport, Mississippi. She received a BA in sociology in 1974 and her first job after college was an admissions counselor at UM. Mrs. Smith has had a varied career, from public information positions at the Central MS Planning District and Pearl River Basin Development District to the Lt. Governor’s office. She retired in 2013 after 31 years in the telecommunications industry.