The MUW Alumni Association (MUWAA) recently recognized four distinguished individuals for contributions to their respective professions and Mississippi University for Women.
Dr. Doris A. Taylor of Houston, Texas, was presented with the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. Chris Jenkins of Columbus was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award that honors a friend of MUW. Elysa Harvey MacLellan of Swaziland, Africa, received the Alumni Service Award. Joey Barnes, of Ethelsville, Alabama, is this year’s Outstanding Recent Graduate Award recipient. The four awards were presented by the MUWAA during the university’s annual Homecoming Convocation in April.
“Our Alumni Award recipients have taken great strides in their respective career fields and given back to their community and university. We are thrilled to honor these very deserving individuals during this year’s homecoming festivities,” said Amy Strickland Tate, MUWAA president for 2015-2016.
Dr. Doris A. Taylor
Taylor is the 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, given to MUW alumni who have achieved professional distinction and made significant contributions to the community at the local, national or international level, bringing awareness to the university.
She graduated in 1976 from MUW and in 1987 received her doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and in 2015 was awarded The W’s highest honor, an honorary doctorate of science, for her scientific achievements.
“When your peers and your hometown bless your efforts, it’s a whole different level. I am deeply honored to return to The W for this award,” said Taylor. “This school holds a special place in my heart, as it is here where I was first inspired to embark on this challenging journey.
“The road to scientific discovery can be a long one, with hours spent in a laboratory researching and testing what you hope will ultimately make a difference in the lives of others. While I believe that the work my team and I are undertaking will in fact save human lives, it is encouraging when others recognize these efforts as well.”
Taylor currently serves as director of both Regenerative Medicine Research and the Center for Cell and Organ Biotechnology at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas. She also holds graduate faculty appointments at Texas A&M University and Rice University. She is a globally recognized researcher credited with a number of important scientific breakthroughs related to cell therapy, stem cell biology, and tissue-engineering-based therapies. She holds a number of invention disclosures, patent applications and patents and is the founder of multiple companies dedicated to cardiovascular repair technologies. She is also a strong advocate for social justice, a livable wage and affordable housing legislation.
Chris Jenkins
Jenkins is the recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Achievement Award. The award is presented to friends of the university who have achieved professional distinction and impact to the community, while bringing distinction to the university.
Well known around campus as the school’s photographer/videographer, Jenkins has nearly 25 years of service at The W. His first university job was as a WMUW broadcast engineer, and university staff quickly recognized his talent for capturing campus still life and video. After various positions around campus, Jenkins settled into Public Affairs, now University Relations office, capturing pivotal moments such as tornado damage for FEMA. He has been recognized by the Columbus United Way as Volunteer of the Year and married W alumna Dana LeBlanc this past March. Jenkins has two children, Jennifer and Caleb, and a grandson, Joseph.
“MUW has played a tremendous role in my life,” said Jenkins. “I can’t think of any place I would rather be or any job I would rather do. I am very grateful and very fortunate to do a job that I absolutely love for a university that I also love.”
Eliza Harvey MacLellan
MacLellan, class of 1988, was presented with the 2016 Alumni Service Award for consistently demonstrating outstanding commitment, dedication, leadership and service to the advancement of the university and alumni association. MacLellan is a missionary with We Will Go Ministries and lives in Swaziland with her husband of 25 years and four younger children, while her three eldest live in the United States with one attending The W.
She has served in various ministries while as a student and now supports the national and international community providing teacher training, curriculum enhancements, youth advocacy and as an inner city residential missionary. For the past two years, along with her husband, MacLellan has led a Swaziland home group and coordinates her church’s preschool ministry. They are also first-line pastors for their international group comprised of Swazi, American, Congolese, Zimbabwean and South African members. MacLellan also works with Hosea’s Heart, a ministry working to rescue young women considered at-risk of prostitution and empowers girls by providing shelter, teaching life skills and introducing spiritual disciplines.
“I am forever grateful for the emphasis placed on service and philanthropy at MUW,” said MacLellan. “We might not all can do much, but whatever we do, if we do it with love, that action becomes something profound. Something beautiful. Something miraculous.”
Joey Barnes
Barnes is the recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award, which recognizes alumni for outstanding contributions in their careers and to the university within 15 years of graduation from The W.
Barnes is lead anchor and managing editor at WCBI in Columbus and a Severe Storm Spotter for the National Weather Service in Jackson. Barnes is a seven-time award winner by the Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters Association that includes two first place finishes in “Best Newscast” and “Best Spot News Story.” During his time at The W, he was elected president of The Brotherhood of the Beta Kappa Tau and participated in the Hearin Leadership program. Barnes serves the community in multiple capacities as a Columbus-Lowndes Economic Development LINK Ambassador, member of LinkedIn Young Professionals and volunteering for Main Street Columbus’ annual events.
“Being selected as the MUW Outstanding Recent Graduate Award recipient is truly an honor, because ‘W’ alumni around the globe are making an impact in their profession and their community every day,” said Barnes. “For 15 years MUW continues to impact, mold and guide my life. Thank you to the MUW Alumni Association and to the person who nominated me. Again, this award is truly an honor I will cherish the rest of my life. ”
The MUWAA exists to support and promote the mission of The W while providing alumni engagement opportunities. Any person who has been officially enrolled for at least 12 semester hours and has met donation requirements is considered a general member. A minimum $40 donation to the Foundation constitutes active membership and voting rights for the next calendar year. For more information, visit the Alumni Association at longblueline.muw.edu.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.