USM Center for STEMed

03/06/2026

Calling all high school- and college-aged students seeking a fun way to earn volunteer hours this summer! We have two-hour, one-day, and full-week timeslots available to work at our summer camps in Biloxi. Bonus points if you have experience with robotics and/or working with kids! Two camp weeks available: June 29-July 2 & July 20-24. Sign up at https://stembythesea.org/s3-volunteer-signup.

02/06/2026

Family, friends, colleagues, and students of Dr. Maria Ferris-Greene Wallace met near dawn at the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune this weekend to memorialize Maria’s wildflower spirit by sharing stories about her life, love, and accomplishments. The celebration of life ceremony concluded with a butterfly release as a reminder for all to follow her lead and always find ways to flourish. Visitors to the park can donate to the upkeep of the bench installed in her memory by her family.

30/05/2026

You never know where you’ll find a teacher, counselor, or parent using a STEMonDemand lesson! Check out all of our free, standards-aligned, activity-based K12 math and science lessons at https://stem-ondemand.org/.

29/05/2026

Teachers—don’t miss another opportunity to earn free CEUs as a volunteer counselor for the S3 program! Space is limited—apply here: https://stembythesea.org/s3-volunteer-signup

· Date: July 20-24, plus a mandatory 2-hour orientation prior (TBD—multiple times will be available).
· Place: MSU CREC, 1815 Popps Ferry Rd, Biloxi, MS 39532
· Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
· CEU credits: 4, paid for by S3.
· Perks: Volunteers will also receive free breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as a field day offsite.

26/05/2026

USM Polymer Science PhD candidate Alyssa Shaw spent two days sharing STEMonDemand activities from the free lessons “Gumdrop Engineering” and “What is a Nanometer?” to 100+ elementary and middle school students at the Simpson County Mathematics Tournament. Ms. Shaw, who developed and debuted her own STEMonDemand lesson “Ready Set Recycle Relay!” recently, is funded by a NASA MS Space Grant fellowship to bring in-person experiences to K12 groups during the regular school year. Contact the Center at [email protected] to request a visit!

You can find the full list of requestable, virtual lessons at https://stem-ondemand.org

Simpson County School District Southern Miss College of Arts and Sciences

25/05/2026

23/05/2026

Team Mississippi had only 10 students at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) but still won two special awards and one 4th place category award against 2,000 of the brightest students from around the world. They also had a great time in and around Phoenix, AZ.

STEM competitions bring Mississippi kids to the rest of the world—the Center brings STEM competitions to Mississippi kids!

21/05/2026

Last week the University officially recognized the retirement of Center Professor Ken Rhinehart, who taught environmental science to more than 20,000 Southern Miss students in his decades-long career. In addition to being everyone’s favorite professor, he spearheaded the campaigns to get a Tree Campus USA designation at USM and restore our rose garden. His career is nothing short of legendary, and we wish him sunny days and cool breezes as he embarks on his next adventure.

19/05/2026

USM students in any field of study who think they might professionally share their work in informal settings should consider signing up for SME 650. Attendees of this summer class will build a collection of outreach activities in their area of expertise, walking away with useful materials after they earn their A.

18/05/2026

Three cheers for Dr Edith 'Edie' Flores, who made it official at USM’s Gulf Park graduation ceremony on Saturday, with Dr. Kendrick Buford there to hood her and cheer her on. Dr. Flores has finished her journey !