Unlocking The Infinite Potential of the South Oxford Center
A new culinary and dining complex at the South Oxford Center will prepare students for careers in nutrition and hospitality and serve as a community hub. Your support helps make it possible.
The South Oxford Center
The School of Applied Sciences is leading an ambitious effort to create a world-class kitchen and dining complex at the South Oxford Center that will shape the future of nutrition, hospitality management, and culinary sciences.
By renovating the former Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi building, this initiative will provide unmatched, career-building experiences for students, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and create a dynamic space that brings together the Oxford community. However, private support is essential to realizing the full potential of this groundbreaking project.
A Vision for the Future
The School of Applied Sciences is committed to shaping the future of nutrition, hospitality, and food innovation at the state, regional, and national levels. This initiative will:
- Establish a new minor in culinary sciences, providing students with the expertise to excel in the rapidly growing food and hospitality industries.
- Expand experiential learning opportunities, ensuring that students gain real-world, hands-on training in nutrition, food preparation, and hospitality management.
- Create new interdisciplinary collaborations, bringing together health sciences, athletics, business, and food innovation to drive research and industry advancements.
- Strengthen community engagement, making the Innovation Kitchen and dining complex a vibrant gathering place for students, faculty, and the public.
Transformative Spaces & Impactful Programs
The new South Oxford Center will be home to a variety of groundbreaking initiatives that will enhance learning, research, and community interaction:
- Early Childhood Learning: When the Willie Price Lab School relocates here, students will gain hands-on experience in child nutrition services, working alongside the National Institute on Child Nutrition, headquartered on campus.
- Sports Nutrition: In collaboration with Ole Miss Athletics, this program will allow students to work directly with elite athletes, providing critical sports nutrition support while conducting cutting-edge research.
- Nutrition Clinic: Developed with health and fitness researchers, this clinic will provide nutrition assessments to both the campus and broader community, offering hands-on training for students in clinical nutrition and wellness.
Experiential Learning & Career Development
The Innovation Kitchen will give Ole Miss students real-world culinary and hospitality experience, from operating a curbside kitchen that supports local food trucks to managing a grab-and-go café serving pastries, sandwiches, and coffee. It will double as a community destination, hosting dining events, cooking classes, and exclusive experiences featuring celebrated alumni chefs, while its outdoor patio provides a welcoming venue for concerts, corporate gatherings, weddings, and private celebrations.