Before his death in 2009, Charles Lynn Costner found himself posing the question: "How do you leave something behind to make the world better than you found it?" His widow, Sara, has answered that question by donating $50,000 to benefit the University of Mississippi School of Engineering. Half her donation is designated for an endowment…

Judith and Jay Travis III of Jackson found each other, grew intellectually, became leaders and nurtured many friendships during their student days at the University of Mississippi. Now the couple is continuing a tradition of giving back to strengthen their alma mater.    The Travises have joined the Chancellor's Trust with a $25,000 gift to…

  Since his early days in the 1960s as a teacher, coach and elementary school principal, University of Mississippi alumnus Hobson Waits has always believed in – and staunchly supported – America's youth.   Even after he left the education field in 1969 to become a lobbyist for the Electric Power Associations of Mississippi (EPAM),…

University of Mississippi alumni Larry and Emily (Caldwell) Furlong spent much of their adult lives helping students in Florida's Seminole County pursue college education through academic scholarships. Now, with the establishment of the Furlong Family Scholarship Endowment at Ole Miss, the Furlongs of Maitland, Fla., have widened their reach, providing an opportunity for undergraduate students…

An educator, prominent hydroscience and engineering researcher, and administrator whose work has brought international attention to the University of Mississippi for more than four decades has contributed $100,000 to create an endowment encouraging other university professionals in their work. Sam S.Y. Wang – the founding director of UM's National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering…

Jim H. Eley is not a graduate of the University of Mississippi, but as a Mississippi businessman, the principal of Eley Guild Hardy Architects understands the responsibility to give back to his home state. To this end, Eley Guild Hardy Architects has created a $25,000 unrestricted endowment for the university's Gertrude C. Ford Center for…

Charity is the only scam that makes me richer than I am. By Poetry Bob with Elvis and the Einstein All Stars Most poets don't drive Porsches, but Oxford resident D.C. Berry, a retired University of Southern Mississippi professor and acclaimed author of hundreds of poems and several volumes, could if he wanted to. He…

Okra has long been the quintessential Southern food, a vegetable so versatile that it can be deep-fried in batter, boiled with tomatoes, pickled in brine or tossed into a big pot of simmering gumbo, bringing a unique and unmistakable flavor to every dish. Now it has a new role in Southern culinary culture – a…

Mississippi's 58th governor and first lady, community builders William and Elise Winter, will receive the third annual Legacy Award from the Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy April 21 at the University of Mississippi.  The Legacy Award recognizes the contributions of individuals who epitomize the council's goals of philanthropy, leadership and mentorship. The Winters will…