The fine faculty at Southern have a two-fold mission: to be excellent educators and to conduct scholarly research in their fields. In every academic discipline from the humanities to the sciences, our professors are making important contributions to their fields of knowledge. They are sharing their methods, their expertise, and their enthusiasm with undergraduate as well as graduate students, and in doing so are having a profound impact on students, the region, and all of society.

Excellence Is Everywhere
A Southern biochemist/molecular biologist was awarded a grant from the American Cancer Society and the National Institutes of Health to study the genetic underpinnings of cancer. A nationally-known expert on legal and constitutional history in our law school recently received an award for the best paper published in the Supreme Court Historical Society’s journal. The ecological effects of antibiotics and pesticides on watersheds are being studied by one of our zoology professors because of USDA and EPA funding. An English professor has published five collections of award-winning poetry.

Southern’s scholars and artists inspire and shape the lives of students and enhance Southern’s reputation every day. They deserve a dynamic and stimulating intellectual environment, professional development opportunities and resources, endowed chairs and professorships, and a steady stream of new and talented faculty members.

Students: The Opportunity of a Lifetime
At Southern, both graduate and undergraduate students have opportunities to engage in research and scholarly activities. The McNair Scholars Program, for example, provides outstanding collaborative experiences for undergraduates from underrepresented groups, mainly minorities and first-generation/low-income students. Other scholarships, grants, and fellowships make it possible for students to attend Southern, work with faculty mentors, present at scholarly conferences, publish papers, and garner awards for their work.

We provide the people and the environment that allow students to see and achieve beyond their own expectations. A Southern education is not reserved solely for the student with high SATs or substantial financial resources. We are committed to providing—now and in the future—exceptional opportunities for students of diverse ability levels and backgrounds.

Opportunity Through Excellence will provide critical funding to support students and faculty alike. It will allow us to offer grants, assistantships, fellowships, need- and merit-based scholarships, professorships, and endowed chairs, thus permitting Southern to properly serve our constituencies as we build leaders, scholars, and exemplary citizens.