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Doctor of Medicine graduate Boris Kuyeb.

Photos: UMMC Commencement 2025

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

A new class of health care professionals congratulated fellow graduates from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and beamed with pride at family and friends during the May 23 commencement ceremony. For many, it marked the culmination of years of training—and beginning of a lifelong commitment to care. Read More

Graduates from the schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences, Population Health and Health Related Professions were applauded by friends and family during ceremonies at the Mississippi Coliseum.

UMMC celebrates the graduating class of 2025

Friday, May 23, 2025

UMMC celebrated nearly 1,000 graduates Friday during its 69th annual commencement ceremony. The event, held at the Mississippi Coliseum, honored students from all six of the Medical Center’s health sciences schools. Read More

Taylor Lefler enjoyed working closely with other graduates during her School of Population Health PhD biostatistics and data science studies as seen in this 2022 photo during a student body meeting.

#2025UMMCGrad: Love of games, puzzles lead to student’s future career

Biostatistics and data science research is like running a race, solving a problem or playing games for UMMC School of Population graduate student Taylor Ward Lefler – a steady pace, an interesting challenge and a winning outcome.

Published on Monday, May 19, 2025

 A $1 million federal grant for UMMC will fund a multi-step initiative aimed at reducing Mississippi’s high rate of congenital syphilis.

UMMC receives $1M in federal funds to combat syphilis in Mississippi

Mississippi’s growing number of syphilis cases the past several years is the target of a new initiative to bring it down through education and awareness.

Published on Monday, August 5, 2024

 Dr. Thomas Dobbs, SOPH dean, wears the medal representing his new appointment as endowed Chair for the Study of Health Disparities.

Dobbs named endowed Chair for the Study of Health Disparities

Created 19 years ago by the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, the endowment will aid SOPH in hiring new staff and better addressing health-related social needs in Jackson not funded by grants.

Published on Monday, January 22, 2024

 From left, Dr. Mauda Monger, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Dr. Victoria Gholar and Liz Foster are investigators on the $2.5 million grant, Enhancing STI and Sexual Health Clinic Infrastructure.

SOPH advances research agenda with ‘explosive growth’

In just the last six months, SOPH researchers have been awarded 18 grants totaling more than $16.7 million. The funding boosts projects aimed at improving public health issues in Mississippi.

Published on Monday, October 23, 2023

 Medical Center staff reap honors

Medical Center staff reap honors

Published on Monday, August 21, 2023

 Dobbs serves on national committee making recommendations on health equity

Dobbs serves on national committee making recommendations on health equity

Published on Monday, August 7, 2023

 Master of biomedical sciences graduate Cara Irby spots a loved one in the crowd and cheers as her mother, Melanie Irby, prepares to enter the coliseum for commencement.

Photos: Capturing memories of the Class of 2023

Published on Tuesday, May 30, 2023

 Brian Christman is keeping his talents at UMMC. Come fall, he will begin working on a PhD in biostatistics and data science in his journey to becoming a professor/researcher.

#UMMCGrad2023: Late bloomer finds his way following three loves

Published on Monday, May 22, 2023

 Dobbs said the SOPH's Inaugural Research Day was designed to highlight the work the school is doing to help Mississippians lead healthier lives and inspire others to engage meaningfully in improving health outcomes.

SOPH holds Inaugural Research Day

Published on Monday, April 17, 2023

 School of Nursing student Maya Anderson inserts a peripheral IV into a manikin arm as part of the school’s skills relay exercise, held in August at UMMC’s Simulation and Interprofessional Education Center in the Medical Education Building. The school recorded an enrollment rise of 4 percent for the fall, second-highest rate among campus schools.

Serial numbers: Enrollment pattern is unbroken, thanks to another bounce

Published on Monday, November 7, 2022

 School of Medicine graduates Hunter Altman, left, and Adam Goodman fist bump prior to commencement.

Photo Gallery: Graduates smile after reaching educational milestone

Published on Tuesday, May 31, 2022

 Wearing the colors of their fields of study, UMMC graduates await the start of ceremonies Friday.

UMMC celebrates 959 May 2022 graduates across six health sciences schools

Published on Friday, May 27, 2022

 Rachel Tyrone, left, and Jenna Zhu are two of the School of Population Health's first PhD graduates. They studied how to improve the health of and health care for Mississippians through data and child development.

UMMCGrad2022: SOPH’s first PhD recipients shine

Published on Monday, May 23, 2022

 The SOPH's Health Policy Fellowship trains students, residents and faculty about Mississippi's legislative process and how to affect policy in the state. Shown during a March visit to the Mississippi Capitol in March, the 2022 fellows included Dr. Ali Dehghani Firouzabadi, Dr. Ravi Janumpally and Dr. Nusrat Kabir, preventive medicine residents; Mitchell Adcock, executive director of the Center for Mississippi Health Policy; and Kelli Irby, master's student in population health science.

Schoolhouse docs: Health policy fellows learn legislative process

Published on Monday, May 9, 2022

 Nena Hawkins uses a dental light curing unit to activate a dual-cured resin cement through an all-ceramic sample that later will be laser irradiated and tested to determine bond strength.

The size is right: Campus enrollment climbs

Published on Monday, November 15, 2021

 Dr. Lee Brown, assistant professor, talks with incoming radiological science students during orientation Thursday.

Seven schools and six ways from Sunday: Students, faculty brazen out COVID surge

Published on Monday, August 16, 2021

 Quest Whalen, a 2021 graduate of the John D. Bower School of Population Health, is committed to serving her community and using math as a force for good. She is now pursuing a PhD in biostatistics and data science at UMMC.

#UMMCGrad2021: Biostatistics student on Quest for excellence

Published on Monday, May 17, 2021

 Taking part in research to promote better health outcomes for patients with diabetes are, from left, Natalie Wilson, a physiology and biophysics researcher; Osvaldo Gonzalez, a student in the School for Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences; and Laura Coats, a physiology and biophysics postdoctoral research fellow,

Study: Diabetes, COVID-19 combo riskier for Blacks, Hispanics

Published on Monday, January 25, 2021

 Dr. Caroline Compretta, assistant professor of preventive medicine, received a $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study community engagement, trust and clinical trial participation in regards to COVID-19.

UMMC begins NIH study on COVID-19, community engagement

Published on Monday, October 12, 2020

 Courtney Sanders, nurse practitioner, visits via telehealth with a patient who lives with HIV.

As Mississippians with HIV age, their health risks increase

Published on Monday, July 13, 2020

 Erika Webster, a clinical pharmacist in the anticoagulation clinic at the Jackson Medical Mall, just received her master of science in population health management.

#UMMCGrad2020: New SOPH grad to tackle social health disparities

Published on Friday, May 22, 2020

 Heidi Margulis, right, Humana advisor and John D. Bower School of Population Health executive in residence, speaks at a fireside chat facilitated by Dr. Michelle Owens, UMMC professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

SOPH executive in residence shares population health expertise

Published on Monday, February 17, 2020

 Cutting the ribbon during the John D. Bower School of Population Health's open house include, from left, Dawn McLendon, SOPH student; Anne Travis, Bower Foundation CEO; Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs; Dr. John Bower, professor emeritus of medicine and first leader of the Bower Foundation; Dr. Bettina Beech, founding dean of the SOPH; Dr. Ralph Didlake, UMMC associate vice chancellor for academic affairs; and Courtney Gomilia, SOPH student.

SOPH moves into new home, affirms commitment to healthier state

Published on Thursday, November 7, 2019