Hattiesburg, MS -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/27/2017 -- In a newly announced multi-year sponsored research agreement with Perciformes Group, the University of Southern Mississippi will develop methods to culture and breed Tripletail (scientific name Lobotes surinamensis) for commercial production in land-based aquaculture facilities.

Perciformes Group, a Texas-based company, focuses on developing facilities and protocols for breeding and supplying premium finfish for the seafood and restaurant markets. The company is planning to expand its diverse product offerings with Tripletail in an effort to meet demand in specific markets.

"We are very excited about our collaboration with USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab. This hits close to home for me as it is my alma mater, so I know first-hand the quality of research that occurs there," said Chris Manley, Director of Research and Development at Perciformes. "We are focused on our commitment to create a profitable, sustainable, and socially responsible aquaculture entity."

The research program will be led by Dr. Eric Saillant, Associate Professor in the School of Ocean Science and Technology at USM's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Specifically, Saillant and his team will work toward the development of hatchery protocols for the control of captive reproduction and the culture of Tripletail to market size alongside developing genetic and genomic tools for domestication and breeding.

Saillant has previously worked with genetic programs and hatchery technologies for a variety of marine species including the Red Snapper, the Atlantic Croaker, the hybrid striped bass, and the European seabass.

"We are poised to partner with the industry to address research that will advance sustainable aquaculture on land and in coastal and marine environments," said Dr. Kelly Lucas, Director of USM's Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center. "With over 100,000 square feet of facility space dedicated to recirculating aquaculture and a schedule to double this space in 2018, our research faculty and staff are well positioned to help the industry continue to develop sustainable aquaculture products and practices."

Perciformes Group has already established itself in creating economical and sustainable aquaculture practices. Its sister company, Global Blue Technologies, has developed a massive recirculating shrimp farm in south Texas that utilizes a zero-discharge system. Currently, Perciformes is experiencing tremendous success in culturing sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), a highly sought after fish that commands a high market price.

The company's R&D facility, located on the GBT campus in Texas, also utilizes recirculating aquaculture technology and has shown higher than expected survival rates and around 30 percent faster growth when compared to net pen culture. More importantly, Perciformes cultures fish the right way by being environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially responsible.

"Due to our success with sablefish, Perciformes has secured a site in Eureka, California where we will build the first commercial facility which will produce 200,000 pounds of sablefish per year," said Dr. Timothy T. Aberson, President and CEO of Perciformes.

This facility will utilize the same zero-discharge recirculating design used in Texas. Dr. Aberson, who also serves as Investment Director for Perciformes and all its affiliates, stated Perciformes is currently seeking a joint venture partner by vetting interested parties that share our vision to create a sustainable, high quality product to fulfill market needs year round.

"This is another excellent example of USM's collaborative efforts with industry partners to leverage the University's research expertise and infrastructure to enhance products and services that will be launched into the market and made available for the public benefit," said Chase Kasper, Assistant Vice President for Research, technology Transfer and Corporate Relations at USM. "We are excited by Perciformes' commitment to advance sustainable aquaculture technologies."

USM's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) is a part of USM's School of Ocean Science and Technology that focuses on marine and coastal research. Located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, GCRL has approximately 200 faculty, researchers, graduate students, and support staff.

GCRL's Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center has worked with a variety of finfish and shellfish species including, but not limited to, shrimp, blue crab, red snapper, Atlantic croaker, speckled trout, cobia, and oysters.

For more information about the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, visit http://gcrl.usm.edu.

For more information about Perciformes Group, visit http://www.perciformesgroup.com/

For more information about USM research, visit http://home.usm.edu/research.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The USM Nursing Program has Produced More Than 8,000 Graduates

Hattiesburg, MS -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/30/2017 -- What began 50 years ago with just a handful of hopeful students has blossomed into a premier program at The University of Southern Mississippi, and one that has decisively transformed nursing in the Gulf States region.

"Having a 50th anniversary is significant for the College of Nursing as it symbolizes the consistent positive impact that the thousands of graduates of this program have made on health care and the well-being of Mississippians," said Dr. Katherine Nugent, Dean of the USM College of Nursing. "Fifty years is a milestone and provides an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of the nursing program and to project future impact."

Since the inaugural class of 1967, the USM nursing program has produced more than 8,000 graduates, while evolving into a national leader in health care research, community service, and innovative best practices. In 2016, the College of Nursing produced 223 graduates from all programs.

Today the College of Nursing features three comprehensive units: Department of Collaborative Nursing Care; Department of Advanced Practice; and Department of Systems Leadership & Health Outcomes. Undergraduate nursing students have the option of taking classes on the Hattiesburg or Gulf Park (Long Beach) campuses. Online classes are also offered on the graduate level.

A highly skilled faculty steers degree programs at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. USM offers the state's only Department of Systems Leadership & Health Outcomes Nurse Anesthesia Program, and recently added the Military/Veterans Bachelor of Science in Nursing pathway program with a curriculum adapted for former and active-duty service members with training as Army or Air Force medics or Navy corpsmen.

Earlier this year the College of Nursing reached another significant milestone with the official opening and dedication of Asbury Hall. The nursing program's new $31-million building allows for an increase in nursing enrollment from the current 550 students to more than 800 and expands new programs in the College of Nursing through student interactive areas, an enlarged and enhanced clinical simulation lab, computer labs, and classrooms that will promote the acquisition of knowledge in a positive and interactive learning environment.

In 1966, Sister Elizabeth C. Harkins, a registered nurse and member of the Sisters of Mercy Order, lobbied the State College Board and state legislature for funding to support a new nursing program in Mississippi. She found a willing advocate in USM President William McCain. Soon thereafter USM introduced the state's second baccalaureate program with Harkins as the founding dean.

Dr. Lola Case (Col. U.S. Army, ret.) was a member of the first nursing cohort and received her undergraduate degree in 1969. Following 24 years of active duty, she joined the faculty at Alcorn State University as a nursing instructor. She recalls the meager accommodations that greeted the inaugural USM nursing class in 1967.

"When our first class of seven arrived on campus, there was no room in the dorms, so Sister Harkins created a temporary room, with two bunk beds and one desk for us to stay in the old military barracks that served as the nursing building," said Case. "I drove down in my 1941 Ford and found myself the only student with a car. That old Ford covered many miles, picking up my nursing student colleagues to conduct clinicals at Forrest General Hospital and other community health sites."

Case retired from Alcorn State four years ago, but continues to work crisscrossing the country as a family nurse practitioner. She has never once second-guessed the decision to enroll in a fledgling academic/health program.

"We were met with open arms by USM and felt very special on campus as nursing students," said Case. "Becoming a nurse was the best decision I ever made."

Nursing represents the nation's largest health care profession, with more than 3.1 million Registered Nurses (RN) nationwide, per The American Association of Colleges of Nursing. With more than four times as many RNs in the United States as physicians, nursing delivers an extended array of health care services, including primary and preventive care by advanced nurse practitioners in such areas as pediatrics, family health, women's heath, anesthesia, midwifery and gerontological care.

Mary Stainton, retired president and part-owner of South Mississippi Home Health, credits Southern Miss and its renowned nursing program for helping to establish a much-needed pipeline of well-trained graduates.

"The College of Nursing has been at the forefront of leadership, paving the way for innovative nursing education and thus transforming health care in our state," said Stainton. "The upcoming 50th anniversary gala offers an opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievements of the College of Nursing."

Professor Emeritus Dr. Karen Saucier Lundy, a 1975 graduate of the program, served on the USM faculty for more than 25 years. Lundy watched first-hand as the program grew in stature and relevance. She called it an immense honor "to have been in one of the early graduating classes and later as a colleague of Sister Harkins."

"In 1966, nursing schools lacked diversity; however, Sister Harkins helped change that by increasing the number of minority and male nursing students, which continues to the present," said Lundy. "She was a nationally recognized leader in nursing, receiving the highest honors possible, including being selected as a fellow in the first American Academy of Nursing's class. She was also the first Catholic nun to head a non-Catholic School of Nursing in the United State, thus giving our program national historical importance."

Since its inception, the USM nursing program has been the state's largest producer of nurses. A renowned center of excellence, the College of Nursing continues to receive national recognition from esteemed publications such as U.S. News & World Report which recently the University's graduate nursing program as the state's best for 2016. In its 2017 rankings edition, U.S. News places the College of Nursing at No. 57 nationally for online graduate programs – the highest spot for any Mississippi college or university.

For Nugent, who has served as the College of Nursing's Dean since 2012, the mission is clear and unchanged. "Southern Miss nursing is committed to building a future as great as our past by meeting the demands of an ever-changing healthcare landscape and by graduating nurses prepared to transform healthcare," she said.

For more information about the College of Nursing, call 601-266-5454 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/nursing

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The University’s graduate and undergraduate business and accounting programs are all accredited by AACSB International.

Hattiesburg, MS -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/08/2017 -- The College of Business at The University of Southern Mississippi has maintained elite status internationally with re-accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The accreditation covers a five-year period.

The University's graduate and undergraduate business and accounting programs are all accredited by AACSB International. Southern Miss offers the only on-campus AACSB-accredited business programs in South Mississippi with classes offered at the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses. The business programs at Southern Miss have been accredited by AACSB since 1976 and have held separate accreditation in accounting since 1982, among the first programs nationwide to achieve that distinction.

"The new accreditation standards ask business programs to show engagement, innovation and impact. Our faculty members connect our students with the business community and organizations to deliver distinctive experiences for our students," said Dr. Faye Gilbert, Dean of the USM College of Business. "Achieving AACSB accreditation reinforces our best practices with a commendation of excellence."

The USM College of Business includes five degree-granting areas of study: School of Accountancy; Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Sport Management; Department of Finance, Real Estate & Business Law; Department of Management & International Business; Department of Marketing and Merchandising.

AACSB-accredited schools have the highest-quality faculty, deliver relevant and challenging curriculum, and provide educational and career opportunities that are not found at other business schools. AACSB Accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Less than five percent of the more than 16,000 schools worldwide granting business degrees have earned AACSB Accreditation.

Dr. Gwen Pate, Director of the USM School of Accountancy, notes that reaffirmation of AACSB accreditation represents the culmination of hard work on the part of faculty and staff in the school.

"We strive to provide our students with a strong foundation in accounting as well as opportunities for engaging with accounting professionals throughout their time here," said Pate. "We are extremely pleased that our efforts have been recognized by our peers through the accreditation process."

To learn more about the USM College of Business, call 601-266-4659 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/business

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Hattiesburg, MS -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/22/2017 -- University of Southern Mississippi students will have an opportunity to study issues and create solutions facing the country's national security as part of a Hacking for Defense (H4D) course being offered for the first time during the Summer 2017 semester.

The new course is administered through the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies for undergraduate and graduate students.

H4D gives students hands-on experience in understanding and working with the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Intelligence Community (IC) on actual problems they currently confront. Students learn how to innovate at speed and how to deploy solutions using lean methods to solve national security problems.

"We are excited about the launch of this course as it reflects another example of how The University of Southern Mississippi is placing more emphasis on fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship," said Chase Kasper, Assistant Vice President for Research, Technology Transfer, and Corporate Relations. "We are committed to providing opportunities for transformative engagement for our students to help create solutions for stakeholders' real-world problems."

The Office of Technology Development was instrumental in identifying the correct directors, deans, instructors, and private sector partners to ensure Hacking for Defense could be delivered and successful at USM.

The class combines that same rapid problem sourcing process developed in military context with the Lean LaunchPad Methodology for rapid customer learning and product development. The course was first taught at Stanford as the Lean LaunchPad course.

The focus of the H4D class at other institutions has been on solving DOD and IC problems; USM will be adding the DHS in hope of finding dual-purpose solutions. However, initial indications are that the approach is generalizable and can embrace the challenges faced by a range of organizations that measure their success, not in terms of revenue and profit, like most private sector companies, but rather by goal achievement and creating public value for their constituents.

Problems USM-H4D Student Teams may tackle:

- Augmented Reality for Facial Recognition: US personnel have difficulty identifying and tracking individuals in unstructured crowd environments. Although centralized surveillance systems can scan crowds, mobile individuals and teams lack wearable technical means for autonomous surveillance. Personnel using Augmented Reality (AR) technology could scan crowds for individuals on a known list (of limited size) while the individual wearing a technical device is focused on another function or task.

- UAS Defeat Challenge: The ability to defeat small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is an ever-increasing need for the US forces in both military and civilian scenarios. Small UAS are often quick and agile in addition to presenting a small target. How can we defeat the UAS, can we control it, can we land it, can we do this without the use of energetic methods?

- Big Crypto for Little Things: Create transparent sensor-to-cloud encryption suitable for common microcontrollers used by makers. Little computers have a big future. It won't be long before everything that can have a processor will have a processor that connects sensors to analytics in the cloud over a wireless network. This connected future is being built by a generation of "makers" who need big crypto suitable for little things like Arduino without having to offload the cryptography to a more expensive piece of hardware.

- USN, Distributed, Disposable, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance: On any typical day the Navy's 7th fleet has 50-70 ships, 140 aircraft and 40,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Its area of responsibility covers more than 48 million square miles from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south, and from the International Date Line to the India-Pakistan border. Maintaining awareness of all submarine, surface ship, and aircraft activity through the 7th Fleet's 48 million square miles is a daunting challenge even during peacetime. In wartime adversaries, can destroy their existing intelligence collection platforms in denied areas. Developing a distributed and disposable air, land, and sea sensor strategy is a key element to operating in a denied environment.

- Wearable Sensors and Apps for Divers: Navy divers work in extreme conditions, performing various underwater tasks ranging from underwater ship repair, underwater salvage, and special operations/special warfare type diving. Because their area of operations is so varied, they can be required to utilize any type of diving equipment for use in any depth or temperature in any part of the world. Certain diving qualification allows these divers to live and work at extreme depths for days or weeks at a time, a discipline known as saturation diving.

"It's important that graduate education includes opportunities for students to develop professional skills that transcend disciplinary boundaries and set them apart in a competitive job market. Therefore, I am very excited that our students will have the opportunity to participate in H4D beginning this summer. This course will provide a unique training experience that requires students to address contemporary, real-world challenges in partnership with government agencies while building skills in cross-disciplinary, collaborative teamwork, strategic planning and efficient project management, and adept communication," said Dr. Karen Coats, Dean of USM's Graduate School.

About The University of Southern Mississippi
Founded in 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive doctoral and research-driven university with a proud history and an eye on the future. A dual-campus university, Southern Miss serves students on campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, in addition to five teaching and research sites in Mississippi and through Online at Southern Miss. Since 2006, Southern Miss students have collected seven Goldwater Scholarships, three Truman Scholarships and 16 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Our Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research affords our students meaningful research opportunities, and as a proven leader in innovation, we conduct transformative research that translates into real-world solutions. As one of only 36 institutions in the nation accredited in art, dance, music and theatre, we are a haven for creativity and artistic expression. In the classroom or lab, on the playing field, or in the performance hall, we strive to have a positive impact not only on our students, but also the world around us.

Further information is found at http://www.usm.edu.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Hattiesburg, MS -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/22/2015 -- The University of Southern Mississippi and Corn Board Manufacturing, Inc. (CBMI), a Texas-based company, announced today they have started plans to work together to leverage assets and capabilities of USM's research enterprise into CBMI's core business.

CBMI has joined the growing list of tenants in The University of Southern Mississippi's Accelerator, the 60,000 square-foot facility that supports technology innovation and commercialization for established businesses and start-up companies.

Lane Segerstrom, CEO of Corn Board Manufacturing, Inc., said the company specializes in engineering and manufacturing non-wood pressed board materials engineered for specific uses. The company can produce material for thousands of consumer product applications.

"We recognize the importance of having established a presence in Mississippi with progressive technology partners like The University of Southern Mississippi," Segerstrom said. "CBMI is eager to expand our relationship with the University even further."

"We are excited about the long-term relationship prospects that CBMI brings," said Chase Kasper, Assistant Vice President for Research at USM. "USM, as a result of its research expertise and infrastructure, is uniquely positioned to help CBMI enhance the products that are currently under development and being launched into the marketplace."

Segerstrom and Kasper agree that CBMI and USM have common goals at the core of their respective organizations, including responsible and sustainable stewardship of natural resources. By way of example, a large part of its research efforts are directly tied to Mississippi's natural resources. USM's collective marine sciences efforts at its various locations along the Gulf Coast and NASA Stennis Space Center and the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials all have their initial roots in sustaining various components of Mississippi's natural resources.

"When we introduced CornBoard™ into the market, the request for specific applications and the use of other bio mass was amazing, and to see the eagerness to collaborate and innovate in bringing new technologies and products to the market has led us to search out partners like USM that we can align ourselves with to achieve these sustainable goals with our natural resources, creating good stewardship for all involved."

Robbie Ingram, director of The Accelerator, continues to add dimension and diversity to the tenants at the facility.

"CBMI is an innovative company making sustainable products across a broad range of markets. I'm excited to welcome them as a tenant in The Accelerator and look forward to collaborating with them to ramp up development of their next-generation products."

For more information about The Accelerator, contact Robbie Ingram at 601-266-5130 or visit http://theaccelerator.ms.

For more information about Corn Board Manufacturing, Inc., visit http://www.cornboard.com.

For more information about USM research, visit http://www.usm.edu/research.

About The University of Southern Mississippi
Founded in 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive doctoral and research-driven university with a proud history and an eye on the future. A dual-campus university, Southern Miss serves students on campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, in addition to five teaching and research sites in Mississippi and through Online at Southern Miss. Since 2006, Southern Miss students have collected seven Goldwater Scholarships, three Truman Scholarships and 14 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Our Center for Undergraduate Research affords our students meaningful research opportunities, and as a proven leader in innovation, we conduct transformative research that translates into real-world solutions. As one of a select number of institutions in the nation accredited in art, dance, music and theatre, we are a haven for creativity and artistic expression. In the classroom or lab, on the playing field, or in the performance hall, we strive to have a positive impact not only on our students, but also the world around us.

Further information is found at www.usm.edu.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm