Education

Hancock County is participating in a comprehensive workforce program to develop a “pipeline” of skilled workers who meet the needs of local businesses and industries. Hancock County is among the newest to join the ACT Work Ready Communities initiative which is used throughout the nation to develop a more productive workforce and encourage economic growth. The ACT initiative “is a ...

By LISA MONTI Future farmers of oysters in Mississippi will be getting some lessons and hands-on training this summer on the fundamentals of oyster farming in neighboring Alabama. What they bring back and put into practice in coastal waters is designed to give Mississippi’s lagging oyster industry “a jumpstart,” said Jason Rider, oyster extension agent for the state Department of ...

By BECKY GILLETTE Big, fat, juicy oysters have been a part of the Gulf Coast’s culinary traditions ever since the area was discovered more than 300 years ago by French explorers. At one time, Biloxi was known as the shrimp and oyster capital of the world. In recent years, there has been a steep decline in oyster production on Mississippi ...

NASA has selected 399 research and technology proposals from 277 American small businesses and 44 research institutions that will enable NASA’s future missions into deep space, and advancements in aviation and science, while also benefiting the U.S. economy. The awards have a total value of approximately $49.9 million. These include 13 projects tied to Stennis Space Center. The agency received 1,621 proposals in response ...

By BECKY GILLETTE A groundbreaking is planned soon for a school of pharmacy at William Carey University Tradition campus, which will bring pharmacy education closer to residents of South Mississippi while helping meet a shortage of pharmacists in rural areas of the region. Dr. Michael Malloy, who has been named dean of the new pharmacy school, said the closest pharmacy ...

Pearl River Community College President William Lewis is set to retire this summer. News outlets report that school officials in a news release that Lewis notified the college’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday that he will retire June 30. He has been president of PRCC since 2000. Adam Breerwood, vice president for the Poplarville campus and Hancock Center, will take ...

Dr. Kelly Lucas The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Ocean Science and Technology has named Dr. Kelly Lucas director of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory’s Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center. Lucas joins USM after serving as the chief scientific officer at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources since 2013. A South Mississippi native, Lucas holds a doctorate degree in coastal sciences ...