From College Street – Fall 2025

Mortyakova Receives MAC
Fellowship

Julia Mortyakova, chair of the Department of Music at The W, has been awarded a $5,000 Performing Arts Fellowship award from the Mississippi Arts Commission. The fellowship is a portion of the more than $1.7 million in grants and fellowships MAC awarded in Fiscal Year 2026 and will support travel for international and domestic piano performances, as well as to record a new solo piano album featuring music written by women composers.

Most Creative Marketing Strategy

The W’s Career Services and Professional Development Center and Student Success Center were recognized for their innovative marketing strategy encouraging career readiness for students. The award was presented at the 2025 Pathway Student Success Conference, held July 23–25 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ali Glasgow, internship coordinator for Career Services and Professional Development Center, and Dr. Clear Moore, director of the Student Success Center, were recognized for their rollout strategy in fall 2023 and for incorporating custom digital badges, created in partnership with the Office of University Relations.

‘Best of The Triangle’

The W received three separate nominations in The Commercial Dispatch’s “Best of the Triangle” for 2025. Dr. Hope Durst, assistant professor of education, was named among the best college professors. Durst has been nominated for Best Professor every year since 2023. She was named Best Professor in 2024. Dr. Brandy Larmon, dean of the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences at The W, also was named among the best college professors for 2025. Larmon received nominations in 2017, 2021 and 2022. Rounding out this year’s accolades, the MUW Federal Credit Union (MUWFCU )was named among the best credit unions. MUWFCU was chartered in 1965 and has been serving employees of The W since then. The “Best of the Triangle” is a yearly competition where the public decides who is the best at what they do by voting. The contest encompasses the entire Golden Triangle.

Burrows Named Interim Assistant A.D.

Dean Burrows, The W men’s basketball head coach, will take on the duties of interim assistant athletics director for the 2025-26 year, Director of Athletics Buddy Foster has announced. Burrows will, concurrently, continue leading the Owls’ men’s basketball program, and will serve as the primary point person for much of the Owls’ athletics fundraising and donor cultivation efforts. Burrows will also assist Foster with departmental needs.

Smith Celebrates the Release of New Book

Dr. Melissa Smith, professor of Communication, Gibbons Chair of Journalism and director of the Kossen Center for Teaching and Learning at Mississippi University for Women added a fourth book to her publication history with the release of “Political Marketing on Social and Mobile Media: Remaking the Paradigm?” on Sept. 10. The book, “Explores how social and mobile media have been used in political campaigns since 2008, examining how social media are already being implemented as well as how these types of messaging platforms might be used in the future,” according to the description from the publisher. Smith is credited as editor of the book, as well as author of multiple chapters. Other chapter authors include: The W’s Dr. Barry P. Smith, Nune Grigoryan, Dr. Danielle R. Mehlman- Brightwell, Dr. Mark J. Piwinsky, Dr. Lacey Fulton, Dr. Sarah Everett, Dr. William F. Harlow and Umisha KC, graduate of The W’s Department of Communication and doctoral student at the University of Maryland.

Art Exhibits

Thomas Nawrocki, emeritus art professor, had prints in the following art exhibitions this year: Ninth International Abstract Art Exhibition, Art Room Gallery (two merit awards); First International Red Art Exhibition, Artist Space Gallery; Eighth Colors International Art Exhibition, Art Room Gallery (two merit awards); Fourth Abstract International Juried Art Exhibition, Artist Space Gallery; 51st Annual Bi-State Art Competition, Meridian Museum of Art, Meridian, Mississippi; Red Art Show, Grey Cube Gallery (two merit awards); Green Art Show, Grey Cube Gallery (two merit awards); Colors Art Show, Grey Cube Gallery (two merit awards); GREEN International Art Exhibition, Artist Space Gallery (two winners); Abstract Art Exhibition, Grey Cube Gallery (two awards); and Yellow International Art Competition, Art Room Gallery, (two awards).

Milam Wins

The W assistant golf coach Scott Milam won the 2025 Gulf States Assistant PGA Professional Championship on August 11-12, contested at the Money Hill Golf & Country Club. Milam is in his fourth season as a member of Owls’ head coach Benji Williams’ staff.