<p align="center"><font face="Arial" color="#FF0000" size="5">
Is this honestly who we want to pick OUR next President?
Thomas Meredith Honored as Education Alumnus of the Year</font></p>
04/15/2008</p> <p align="left"></p>
<font size="-1">OXFORD, Miss. The University of Mississippi School of Education has named Thomas C. Meredith, commissioner of higher education for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, as its 2008 Alumnus of the Year.</font></p>
<font size="-1">Thomas Burnham, dean of the UM education school, presented Meredith with the honor Saturday during a ceremony on the steps of Guyton Hall. The ceremony was part of School of Education Alumni Weekend activities.</font></p>
<font size="-1">Burnham described Meredith as a colleague, leader, mentor and boss, but praised him as much more.</font></p>
<font size="-1">"Dr. Meredith supports, encourages, motivates and is a model for education across Mississippi," Burnham said. "His successes and accomplishments are tremendous."</font></p>
<font size="-1">Meredith was nominated for the distinction by faculty members in the education school. UM's education faculty's selection as the school's alumnus of the year reflects on the achievements of past and current faculty members, Burnham said.</font></p>
<font size="-1">"I can't tell you how much this means," Meredith said. "I am deeply grateful and deeply honored. This touches me in the bottom of my heart."</font></p>
<font size="-1">A native of Owensboro, Ky., Meredith is responsible for administering the board's policies at the state's eight public universities, which enroll more than 70,000 students and have budgets totaling more than $2.9 billion.</font></p>
<font size="-1">During his brief acceptance remarks, Meredith reflected on how UM has affected his life.</font></p>
<font size="-1">"Coming to Ole Miss was an outstanding experience, and I have developed a strong love affair with this place," Meredith said. "Not only did I receive a first-class education, I also met my future wife here, which resulted in our two sons. Ole Miss has helped provide me with a lifetime of opportunities."</font></p>
<font size="-1">Meredith received his doctoral degree from UM in 1971. He holds a bachelor's degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College and a master's degree from Western Kentucky University. He started his career in education as a high school teacher and later became a high school principal.</font></p>
<font size="-1">Before becoming commissioner of the IHL, Meredith served as chancellor for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and chancellor of the University of Alabama System. He also served as president and professor of education at Western Kentucky University; vice chancellor for executive affairs, adjunct professor of higher education and executive assistant to the chancellor at UM; and academic programs officer and associate director for programs and planning for the Mississippi IHL.</font></p>
<font size="-1">The UM School of Education Alumni Weekend also included presentations of faculty awards for the 2007-08 academic year. The outstanding teacher honor went to Jerilou Moore, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction; the outstanding researcher award was presented to K. B. Melear, assistant professor of leadership and counselor education; and the grant writer of the year award went to Angela Barlow, associate professor of curriculum and instruction. Each recipient, all of whom were nominated by their peers, received a $2,000 honorarium.</font></p>
<font size="-1">The event also included a pinning ceremony for teachers who completed UM's World Class Teacher Program, a mentoring service to help them become national board certified. Of the 159 teachers across Mississippi to become nationally certified, more than half sought assistance from the WCTP. Mississippi ranks third per capita in the nation to have national board-certified teachers.</font></p>
Is this honestly who we want to pick OUR next President?
Thomas Meredith Honored as Education Alumnus of the Year</font></p>
04/15/2008</p> <p align="left"></p>
<font size="-1">OXFORD, Miss. The University of Mississippi School of Education has named Thomas C. Meredith, commissioner of higher education for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, as its 2008 Alumnus of the Year.</font></p>
<font size="-1">Thomas Burnham, dean of the UM education school, presented Meredith with the honor Saturday during a ceremony on the steps of Guyton Hall. The ceremony was part of School of Education Alumni Weekend activities.</font></p>
<font size="-1">Burnham described Meredith as a colleague, leader, mentor and boss, but praised him as much more.</font></p>
<font size="-1">"Dr. Meredith supports, encourages, motivates and is a model for education across Mississippi," Burnham said. "His successes and accomplishments are tremendous."</font></p>
<font size="-1">Meredith was nominated for the distinction by faculty members in the education school. UM's education faculty's selection as the school's alumnus of the year reflects on the achievements of past and current faculty members, Burnham said.</font></p>
<font size="-1">"I can't tell you how much this means," Meredith said. "I am deeply grateful and deeply honored. This touches me in the bottom of my heart."</font></p>
<font size="-1">A native of Owensboro, Ky., Meredith is responsible for administering the board's policies at the state's eight public universities, which enroll more than 70,000 students and have budgets totaling more than $2.9 billion.</font></p>
<font size="-1">During his brief acceptance remarks, Meredith reflected on how UM has affected his life.</font></p>
<font size="-1">"Coming to Ole Miss was an outstanding experience, and I have developed a strong love affair with this place," Meredith said. "Not only did I receive a first-class education, I also met my future wife here, which resulted in our two sons. Ole Miss has helped provide me with a lifetime of opportunities."</font></p>
<font size="-1">Meredith received his doctoral degree from UM in 1971. He holds a bachelor's degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College and a master's degree from Western Kentucky University. He started his career in education as a high school teacher and later became a high school principal.</font></p>
<font size="-1">Before becoming commissioner of the IHL, Meredith served as chancellor for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and chancellor of the University of Alabama System. He also served as president and professor of education at Western Kentucky University; vice chancellor for executive affairs, adjunct professor of higher education and executive assistant to the chancellor at UM; and academic programs officer and associate director for programs and planning for the Mississippi IHL.</font></p>
<font size="-1">The UM School of Education Alumni Weekend also included presentations of faculty awards for the 2007-08 academic year. The outstanding teacher honor went to Jerilou Moore, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction; the outstanding researcher award was presented to K. B. Melear, assistant professor of leadership and counselor education; and the grant writer of the year award went to Angela Barlow, associate professor of curriculum and instruction. Each recipient, all of whom were nominated by their peers, received a $2,000 honorarium.</font></p>
<font size="-1">The event also included a pinning ceremony for teachers who completed UM's World Class Teacher Program, a mentoring service to help them become national board certified. Of the 159 teachers across Mississippi to become nationally certified, more than half sought assistance from the WCTP. Mississippi ranks third per capita in the nation to have national board-certified teachers.</font></p>
