University Celebrates Community, Employee Service

“Each year, I am always taken aback by the commitment to community demonstrated by awardees in all areas of campus” said Castel Sweet, director of community engagement. “These awards allow us to celebrate their contributions and efforts to fulfilling the university’s mission of transforms lives, communities and the world by providing opportunities for the people of Mississippi and beyond through excellence in learning, discovery, health care and engagement.”

The UM Division of Diversity and Community Engagement presented several honors, including the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, given for excellence of character and service to humanity; the Excellence in Community Engagement Award; and the Community Engaged Development Partnership Fund awards at a ceremony in the Johnson Commons ballroom.

Sullivan Awards recipients are Bre’Anna Coleman, a senior political science major from Drew, and Kaleb Henry, a junior biochemistry major from Waynesboro, and Reham Helal, pre-college programs coordinator in the Office of Pre-College Programs.

Provost Noel Wilkin (left) presents Bre’Anna Coleman with her Algernon Sydney Sullivan Student Award during the annual Celebration of Service Awards. Photo by Edwin Smith/UM Marketing and Communications

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation established the Sullivan Award, the university’s highest for outstanding community service, in 1890. It recognizes individuals who provide service to others and the community and who embody the qualities of honesty, morality, ethics, integrity, responsibility, determination, courage and compassion.

Coleman’s nomination letter for the award praised her selfless service, noting that she volunteers at the Oxford Animal Resource Center and teaches art to children in the Mississippi Delta, along with helping them find ways to express themselves, which is another of her passions.

“She is the vice president of the Black Student Union and the University of Mississippi Coalition, as well as being an employee for Mississippi Votes, in which she combines her passions and her love of service to make lives better for all,” the nominator wrote. “She truly sees and believes in the best of people and does whatever she can to help people realize it themselves.”

An Ole Miss First Scholar, Henry was praised as one who exemplifies the epitome of a humble servant.

“Since his freshman year of college, Kaleb has been an enthusiastic volunteer for several community organizations, including the Leap Frog Afterschool Tutoring and Mentoring Program and the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church youth program, which require weekly commitments throughout the semester,” the nominator wrote.

“Kaleb has also volunteered as youth basketball coach for 7- and 8-year -olds with the Oxford Park Commission during his winter break. Kaleb has a positive, upbeat and kind spirit plus a willingness to contribute in a meaningful way.”

Helal’s nomination cited the array of organizations she assists and leads, noting that her impact is felt both locally and around the world.

Provost Noel Wilkin (left) presents Kaleb Henry with his Algernon Sydney Sullivan Student Award during the annual Celebration of Service Awards. Photo by Edwin Smith/UM Marketing and Communications

“Through her multifaceted approach to community service, Reham embodies the values of compassion, empathy and dedication, leaving an enduring impact on those she serves,” the nomination noted. “Whether it’s organizing volunteer teams, leading community events or advocating for policy reforms, Reham’s efforts are driven by a genuine desire to uplift and empower those around her.

“Reham served as a volunteer teacher and an assistant principal in the Sunday School, as she embodied the qualities of patience, empathy and devotion. She recognizes the importance of creating a supportive and engaging learning environment where children feel valued, respected and encouraged to explore their faith and beliefs.”

Leigh Ann Reynolds, director of early childhood education for the Sunflower County Consolidated School District, received the Outstanding Community Partner Award. Her nomination cited her compassion, integrity and courage.

“During the past four years we have had a multitude of conversations with the Rosser (Early Learning Center) teachers and Leigh Ann Reynolds in which we have harnessed their insights into what they need as a community, what’s working with GHMBC, what’s not, and what we can do to better support them in any capacity,” the nominator wrote.

“Out of those conversations have come several community needs-based programs including a lending library program for families, an at-home family engagement program, family engagement nights at Rosser, a meal kit family program, and most recently a school community garden.”

Elijah Murdyk, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, received the Newman Civic Fellowship. This yearlong national program recognizes and supports students who tackle societal issues at Campus Compact member institutions.

Provost Noel Wilkin (left) presents Reham Halel, with her Algernon Sydney Sullivan Staff Award during the annual Celebration of Service Awards. Photo by Edwin Smith/UM Marketing and Communications

“Down in the Delta,” a visual archive documenting the life and legacy of former sharecropper Roosevelt Davenport and his family, won the overall Excellence in Community Engagement Award, which includes a $5,000 cash prize. The archive was created by Vanessa Charlot, a photographer and assistant professor of media and communication.

John Rash, professor of film production and Southern Studies, and Melanie Ho, producer-director at the Southern Documentary Project, earned the Excellence in Community Engagement Award with Distinction for “The Movement Starts Here,” a documentary film focusing on Warren County, North Carolina, and its role in the launch of the environmental justice movement in 1982. The project was awarded $2,500.

Three projects got Excellence in Community Partnership Development Fund Awards, each worth $2,500. They are:

• OxfordUnity Nurturing Community and Exploration of Law Students, which creates a supportive community for law students studying in Oxford, led by second-year law student Lauren Gay
• Magnolia Minds: Statewide Community Engagement Through Evidence-Based Digital Mental Health, an effort to ensure that evidence-based therapy is available to more people across Mississippi who need it, organized by Elijah Murdyk and Danielle Maack, assistant professor of clinical psychology
• Astronomy Outreach: Learning About Universe is Fun, a series of events to teach young people about the wonders of astronomy and the possibilities of STEM careers. led by Anuradha Gupta, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, and UM physics students Akshay Khadse, Amitesh Singh, Aniket Khairna, Arindam Sharma, Cody McCammon, Dipika Barman, Elizabeth Goreth, Purnima Narayan, Subhayu Bagchi, Sumeet Kulkarni, Nathan Johnson-McDaniel, Karoly Csukas, Bin Xiao, Jennifer Meyer, Leo Stein, James Bonifacio, Gavin Davies, Raymond Siedlecki, Thomas Jamerson and Quinn Campagna.

The Community Engaged Partnership Development Fund supports partnerships between Ole Miss faculty, staff or students working with a community. Projects awarded funding this year are:

• Engaging Mississippi’s Soul Through Art and Psychology, led by Elijah Murdryk
• Classics for All in Tutwiler, led by Molly Pasco-Pranger, chair and professor of classics
• Entrepreneurship and Empowerment: Latinx Artists in New Southern Destinations of Migration, led by Simone Delerme, associate professor of anthropology and Southern studies
• A Path to Reading Proficiency, led by Kristina Livingston, assistant professor of elementary education
• Mississippi Creates: Visual Art, led by John Rash.