Gulf South Center

08/20/2025

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN USM STUDENTS! 💛🖤
Recruiting Community Outreach Interns for the Fall Semester!

Are you looking to earn community service hours AND gain real outreach experience? We've got the perfect opportunity for you!

📢 Now accepting applications for our Fall 2025 Community Outreach Internship (COI)!

✨ This is a voluntary, semester-based internship designed to help you get involved at community events, build your resume, and make an impact!

📝 Requirements:
✔ Must be a USM student 💛🖤
✔ Reliable transportation 🚗🛵🚲
✔ Available to attend at least 2 events per month 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫

🗓 Deadline to apply: Friday, August 29, 2025
📲 Scan the QR code or tap the link to apply now:
🔗 https://usmuw.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7PcA62wIrJXXj4a

Let’s make a difference together! 💪

08/14/2025

How awesome is this! Our Center Director is a speaker for TEDx Southern Miss. This event will take place on October 30 from 1-5 p.m. at the Fleming Education Center Auditorium on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss!

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗘𝗗𝘅𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀
𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 & 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯, 𝘜𝘚𝘔

Dr. Jennifer Lemacks leads impactful research in cardiometabolic health and health disparities in the Gulf South. As a dietitian and public health scholar, she designs community-based programs that improve outcomes across underserved populations.

Learn more at https://www.usm.edu/tedx

08/12/2025

DON'T FORGET TOMORROW'S EVENT!!

Be sure to join us for this exciting workshop!

📣 Join Us for the CETC Workshop!

You're invited to a powerful conversation on Strengthening Community Health Through Engagement, Leadership & Innovation—featuring leaders from across Mississippi.

🗓️ August 13, 2025
🕜 1:30 – 4:00 PM
📍 Asbury Hall Room 116, The University of Southern Mississippi
🎤 Free and Open to the Public

🔍 Topics include:
- Navigating funding in uncertain times
- Centering community strengths in research
- Volunteer leadership and long-term engagement
- Culturally grounded public health outreach

Let’s build healthier communities together.

07/30/2025

📣 Join Us for the CETC Workshop!

You're invited to a powerful conversation on Strengthening Community Health Through Engagement, Leadership & Innovation—featuring leaders from across Mississippi.

🗓️ August 13, 2025
🕜 1:30 – 4:00 PM
📍 Asbury Hall Room 116, The University of Southern Mississippi
🎤 Free and Open to the Public

🔍 Topics include:
- Navigating funding in uncertain times
- Centering community strengths in research
- Volunteer leadership and long-term engagement
- Culturally grounded public health outreach

Let’s build healthier communities together.

07/22/2025

👋 Meet the Team: Willie McKennis 💼📊

Willie McKennis is the Research Budget and Personnel Coordinator at the Gulf South Center for Community Engaged Health Research and Innovation. With a sharp eye for detail and a strong background in financial and administrative operations, Willie plays a vital role in keeping the Center’s work running smoothly behind the scenes.

From managing complex research budgets to supporting personnel logistics, his work ensures that every project is backed by sound planning, compliance, and efficiency. Willie is known for his reliability, professionalism, and ability to bring structure and clarity to even the most fast-paced projects.

His contributions may be behind the scenes—but they’re essential to the success of every initiative we launch. 💡🤝

07/15/2025

👋 Meet the Team: Lanena Grace John, MS ✨📣
Lanena Grace John is the Community Engaged Research Coordinator at the Gulf South Center for Community Engaged Health Research and Innovation and a proud enrolled tribal member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. She also served as the 2013–2014 Choctaw Indian Princess, representing her Tribe with pride, strength, and cultural dignity in Native country.

Lanena holds a Master of Science in Mass Communications and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in American Indian Studies. She brings a powerful combination of cultural perspective, communication expertise, and community commitment to her role.

At the Center, Lanena leads outreach and engagement efforts that ensure research is inclusive, accessible, and rooted in the voices of the communities it serves. She also manages social media, photography, and media relations—amplifying stories, building connections, and expanding our reach across the Gulf South to make research real, relevant, and responsive.

Her leadership and dedication are shaping the way we connect, listen, and lead meaningful change across the Gulf South. 💡🤝

07/10/2025

👋 Meet the Team: Sermin Aras, MS, RD, LD 💼✨

Sermin Aras is the Assistant Director for Research Operations at the Gulf South Center for Community Engaged Health Research and Innovation—and truly, the glue that holds us together.

A Registered Dietitian with a Master of Science in Dietetics Practice, Sermin leverages her strong academic foundation and expertise in nutrition to support research initiatives addressing health disparities. Originally from Türkiye, she is deeply committed to culturally responsive, community-centered work.

At the Center, she oversees research operations, supports grant management, and ensures that our day-to-day efforts stay organized, efficient, and aligned with our mission. Her steady leadership, attention to detail, and heart for service help transform ideas into action—and keep our team connected every step of the way.

We’re grateful for her dedication, insight, and the calm strength she brings to our work. 💡🤝

07/08/2025

👋 Meet the Team: Dr. Jennifer L. Lemacks 👩‍⚕️✨

Dr. Jennifer L. Lemacks serves as the Director of the Gulf South Center for Community Engaged Health Research and Innovation, a licensed and Registered Dietitian (RD) by trade, and Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Nursing and Health Professions at The University of Southern Mississippi.

When asked, Dr. Lemacks attributes her ability to walk across communities to her Puerto Rican roots and being raised by public health nurses and strong women who fought to raise the next generation above poverty. With a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition and over a decade of leadership on externally-funded projects, her research focuses on chronic disease prevention, community-based participatory methods, and inclusive, solutions-oriented science. Her work bridges research and real-world impact by engaging communities in every step of the scientific process—from idea to implementation.

Dr. Lemacks is not only a nationally recognized scholar and mentor, but also a fierce advocate for building healthier, more connected communities across Mississippi and the Gulf South.

We’re proud to have her leadership guiding our mission! 💡🤝

07/07/2025

🌊✨ Introducing the Gulf South Center for Community Engaged Health Research and Innovation ✨🌊

At the Gulf South Center, we stand as a powerful partnership hub—anchored at The University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Nursing and Health Professions—dedicated to transdisciplinary science, multi‑stakeholder collaboration, and workforce development.

🎯 Our Mission
To champion community‑engaged, solutions‑oriented research in disease prevention and healthy aging—delivered through collaborative training, technical support, and innovative interventions—addressing regional health disparities.

🌟 Our Vision
A future where every Mississippian and Gulf South resident enjoys a longer, healthier life.

🤝 Our Values
☑️ Community Engagement
☑️ Innovative Solutions
☑️ Multidisciplinary Collaboration
☑️ Professional Preparedness
☑️ Tailored Solutions
☑️ Community Outreach

🔍 What We Do
Our work spans a range of active, high-impact research projects.

🎓 Training & Careers
We offer internship, graduate assistant, and student-worker opportunities—providing hands-on outreach, research, web development, and content creation—preparing students for future careers in community health.

Together, through collaborative research, capacity building, and real-world solutions, the Gulf South Center is forging healthier futures—with and for the communities we serve.

Join our journey. Let’s make healthier Gulf South communities—together. 💡🤝

07/04/2025

🎆 Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸

Today we celebrate freedom, unity, and the spirit of independence. Wishing everyone a safe and joyful holiday filled with fireworks, fun, and time with loved ones! 💥🗽

07/03/2025

Who says we can’t have fun? 🤩 🎉 a special highlight of our team members who were all smiles at the 2025 Healthy MS Conference back in June! From powerful sessions to meaningful connections, our team soaked it all in with representation of our mission. 💙

06/28/2025

Did you think we only did sugar shockers? Of course not! We hosted Career Quest back in May for Sumrall Elementary 5th grade students and a great success it was! Of course, SMTTT 💛🖤

Fifth-grade students from Sumrall Elementary School recently participated in Career Quest, an engaging and hands-on learning event hosted by the College of Nursing and Health Professions at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Supported by the Gulf South Center for Community-Engaged Health Research and Innovation, the event aimed to introduce students to various academic fields and career paths through an immersive campus experience. Read more: https://bit.ly/4kdVQkd