School of Construction & Design

Another successful academic year has come to an end, and we could not be more of our students and everything they have accomplished. 🖤💛

Today was a truly and way to close out the academic year at the School of Construction and Design as we celebrated our graduating students following commencement. 🎓🎉

It was wonderful to meet so many family members, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and loved ones who came together to support and celebrate this important milestone. The joy, pride, and emotion throughout the day made the celebration even more meaningful.

We are incredibly proud of our graduating students and all they have accomplished during their time at Southern Miss. Their hard work, resilience, leadership, creativity, and growth have been inspiring to witness, and we are excited to see the impact they will make in the construction and design industry and beyond.

A special thank you to our outstanding faculty and staff for their dedication, mentorship, and continuous support of our students throughout the year. Their commitment plays a tremendous role in the success of our School and in preparing our students to be truly ReadyForLife.

Congratulations once again to the Class of 2026. We cannot wait to see all that you accomplish next. 🎓

What happens when graduating students present the culmination of years of hard work to industry leaders? Future professionals rise to the and just how ready they are for the next step in their careers.👏

We were proud to welcome an group of industry professionals who joined us this past Monday as guest critics and judges for the Architectural Engineering Technology Studio IV Capstone presentations, providing valuable and real-world to our graduating students:

• Eddie Rivers, VP of Construction Tech at Roy Anderson Corp.
• Ethan Hartfield, Director at VERB Architecture
• Dan Eckenrode, Executive Director at PCI Gulf South
• Bill Wedgeworth, Construction Administrator at EGH Architects

Their time, expertise, and thoughtful feedback created an invaluable learning experience for our students as they presented the culmination of years of hard work, creativity, and technical growth. 🚧🏗️

A special thank you to our Studio IV instructors, Shelsea Perez and Seth Willison, for their dedication, mentorship, and leadership throughout the semester.

Most importantly, congratulations to our graduating AET students for the truly exceptional projects and presentations. Their professionalism, creativity, technical talent, confidence, and growth were remarkable and a true reflection of the bright future ahead of them. The level of work presented was incredibly impressive, and we could not be more proud of what they have accomplished. 🎓

Southern Miss To The TOP! 🖤💛

At the heart of every great university are its people. 🖤💛

Last week, Southern Miss celebrated faculty and staff from across the University at the 2026 Service Pin and Retirement Ceremony. During the event, Dean Chris Winstead recognized two outstanding members of the School of Construction and Design for their service and contributions to the University.

Please join us in celebrating Leffi Cewe-Malloy on her retirement and congratulating Carlos Sterling on receiving his 20-Year Service Pin.

Leffi has made a lasting on our School through her professionalism, kindness, dedication, and years of service to Southern Miss. Her support of our students, faculty, and programs has truly made a , and she will always remain part of the School of Construction and Design family.

At the same time, we are proud to recognize Carlos for two decades of and to Southern Miss. Through his leadership and support, Carlos has played an important role in the growth, outreach, student support, and continued success of our School. His dedication and positive energy have impacted countless students, faculty, alumni, and industry partners over the years.

again to both Leffi and Carlos on these well-deserved recognitions and milestones. Thank you for everything you have done for Southern Miss and the School of Construction and Design. 🖤💛

🏗️ Where every great project begins with a strong foundation, so does every successful life.

Behind every strong foundation, every thoughtful design, and every structure built to last, there is care, dedication, patience, and support. In many ways, those same qualities are what bring into our lives every day. 💛

Today, we celebrate the women who help shape futures, build strong families, inspire resilience, and support the next generation of builders, designers, and leaders. 👷‍♀️✨

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and women in the School of Construction and Design family, the USM community, our alumni, and our industry partners. Thank you for everything you do to help build lives, careers, and communities. 🖤💛

Congratulations to our newest inductees into the Sigma Lambda Chi International Construction Honor Society at the Southern Miss School of Construction and Design! 🖤💛

Tonight, we celebrated the induction ceremony of the Alpha II Chapter, recognizing students who have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership potential, and commitment to the construction and design professions. 🚧 🏗️

Founded in 1975 at Southern Miss, the Alpha II Chapter is part of an internationally recognized honor society dedicated to honoring in construction education and leadership. 🎓

Please join us in congratulating our students:

💫 Andrew Smith, CM
💫 Andrew Varnado, AET
💫 Anna Vickrey, CM
💫 Brynn Botkin, AET
💫 Jonathan Harper, AET
💫 Stephen Treadaway, CM

We also extend our appreciation and congratulations to faculty advisor Mirsalar Kamari for his leadership and support of our students and chapter.

We are of these students for earning membership in this prestigious international honor society and representing the future of the construction industry with excellence.

🎓 We’re ready to celebrate , Class of 2026! 🖤💛

Join us for the School of Construction and Design Graduation Party following as we recognize your hard work, achievements, and everything you’ve accomplished during your time at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Bring your and and come celebrate this special milestone together. 🎉

📅 Friday, May 15
⏰ 11:30 AM (following commencement)
📍 TEC 236
🍰 Food and drinks provided

We look forward to celebrating with our incredible graduates who are truly !

We were excited to host Stone High School CTE program students from , MS at the Southern Miss School of Construction and Design! Their enthusiasm, curiosity, and engagement throughout the visit truly stood out.

This visit was a wonderful to introduce these students to the exciting career possibilities in construction and design. 🖤💛

During their visit, students had the chance to:
✨ Engage with our faculty and learn about our programs
✨ Explore exciting opportunities, including our summer camp
✨ Experience student life by enjoying lunch at the campus cafeteria
✨ Tour our facilities and explore the vibrant USM campus

These visits are part of many more high school experiences planned for 2026, and we are excited to continue meeting the Future Builders of Mississippi in the months ahead.

Thank you to the Stone High School CTE students, along with their advisors and teachers, for spending your day with us! 🙏

🔊 students, career coaches, and teachers! 🔊
If you’re interested in touring our facilities, learning more about construction and design programs, and connecting with our faculty, staff, and students, we would love to host you. Thanks to a generous grant, we are able to cover all costs for your visit.

📩 Contact Carlos Sterling at [email protected] to schedule a tour.

CTE CareerReady FutureBuilders MississippiCTE

How do we better prepare students for the construction industry? 🚧🏗️

Dr. Emre Bayraktar will share practical insights, proven approaches, and lessons from the Southern Miss experience in an upcoming seminar with his alma mater, Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue, focusing on leadership, industry alignment, and experiential learning.

Full house for our Junior Preview Day today! 35 amazing prospective students registered, with parents joining them for the experience. 🖤💛

During our session at the School of Construction and Design, we were proud to welcome these future leaders as they begin thinking about life after high school. Students with our faculty and staff, our facilities, and how our programs are designed to prepare them for real-world success. 🚧

From hands-on learning to industry-focused training, everything we do is centered on getting students , both in construction and design careers and beyond. 🎓

The energy, curiosity, and excitement we saw today made one thing clear—the future of construction and design is in great hands here in Mississippi. 🙌

FutureLeaders StudentSuccess HigherEd