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Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement

WHAT WE DO

The Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement empowers campus and community partners to fight poverty through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

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Our Signature Initiatives

Chancellor Glenn Boyce and Mayor Robyn Tannehill of Oxford sign the M Partner Agreement. They are seated at a table with a blue tablecloth in front of a photo backdrop that has the University of Mississippi logo printed on it.

M Partner and Place-based Partnerships

M Partner is a community engagement initiative improving quality of life by connecting university and community leaders to advance priority projects across the state. It supports credit-bearing courses, community service, research, internships, and technical assistance. A signature initiative of the Grisham-McLean Institute, M Partner empowers campus and community partners to fight poverty through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

M Partner
A group of 24 CEED Scholars pose for a photo on the front steps of the Lyceum. Those pictured are dressed in business professional attire.

CEED and Student Engagement

The Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Initiative works with students and faculty to build actionable partnerships with Mississippi communities. These partnerships inspire a sense of entrepreneurship in our scholars while promoting economic development in rural Mississippi communities. The CEED Initiative is funded with generous support from the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation.

Student Scholarships & Engagement
An AmeriCorps member and a community member stand behind two laptops discussing a business plan. There is a colorful quilt and yarn on the table in front of the laptops. The background is a red brick wall with sunlight shining through the window.

AmeriCorps and National Service

The North Mississippi VISTA Project (NMVP) is an AmeriCorps VISTA program where members serve full-time for a year, building capacity to fight poverty across 28 counties. NMVP supports community development through indirect service. The Grisham-McLean Institute has also received a planning grant from Volunteer Mississippi to expand educational excellence through direct service, aligning with its mission to fight poverty through education and AmeriCorps’ goal of strengthening communities.

National Service Programs

Faculty and Staff

Laura Martin

Laura Martin

  • Associate Director, McLean Institute
Emily Echols

Emily Echols

  • Project Manager
Tracee Brooks

Tracee Brooks

  • Project Manager
Angie Chapman Benson

Angie Chapman Benson

  • Operations Coordinator II
Jacee Palmer

Jacee Palmer

  • Project Coordinator
Jalon Young

Jalon Young

  • Volunteer

In the News

A woman and two men stand in a lobby in front of a wall sign reading 'CREATE Foundation.'
Industry Engagement

Program Celebrates 10 Years of Mississippi Community Partnerships

OXFORD, Miss. – Over the last decade, more than 100 University of Mississippi students have interned in communities across the state, thanks to a Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement program.

A Research Institute

The Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement is proud to be a research institute in the College of Liberal Arts within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Department of Sociology & Anthropology

We study social behavior, institutions, and structures within human societies and examine the cultural, social, and biological aspects of human life across different societies and historical periods.