JACKSON, Miss.鈥Outstanding students and faculty members from 34 Mississippi public and private universities and colleges were recently honored Monday, March 2, at the state capitol during the annual Higher Education Appreciation Day鈥擶orking for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) program.
HEADWAE was established by legislative resolution to honor individual academic achievement and the overall contribution of the state鈥檚 public and private institutions of higher learning.听
Among the honorees were 91快播 鈥榮 English department chair and professor, Dr. John Zheng and student Derica Pitters, an English major.听
Dr. Zheng expressed how great it felt to be recognized and how proud he is of Pitters as well.听听
鈥淚t was a great honor to be recognized as a HEADWAE honoree. I deeply appreciate MVSU President Dr. (Jerryl) Briggs and Provost Dr. (Kathie) Golden for their appreciation of my academic contributions to the university. I surely feel proud to be an MVSU team member,鈥 Zheng said.
鈥淚鈥檓 also proud of our student honoree, an English graduating senior from New York by way of听Jamaica who is also a student-athlete on the women鈥檚 track and field team. She has also published a short essay in听The Right Words听magazine from Missouri Baptist University,鈥 he added.听
Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, the program鈥檚 chair, spoke during the event along听with Senator Rita Parks, chair of the senate鈥檚 Universities and Colleges Committee; Representative Mac Huddleston, chair of the House of Representatives鈥 Universities and Colleges Committee; Holly Spivey, education policy advisor for Governor Tate Reeves; Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr., commissioner of higher education; and Dr. Andrea Mayfield, executive director of the Mississippi Community College Board.
听鈥淲e are so pleased that our state elected officials addressed the honorees and their guests at the State Capitol,鈥 said Rankins. 鈥淭he Legislature established this program in recognition of the difference that post-secondary institutions, their students and faculty, make for our state. It is wonderful to have their contributions recognized through this program each year.鈥澨
Following the remarks, honorees enjoyed a tour of the Capitol and were recognized by the Senate and House of Representatives.听
颁濒颈肠办听听to view a video highlighting this year鈥檚 HEADWAE event.