The William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing

Understanding Student Mental Health and Substance Misuse Through Research

Named for William Magee, an Ole Miss honors student and athlete who died of an accidental drug overdose shortly after his graduation, The William Magee Institute’s mission is to transform and save lives around addiction and substance misuse. A stand-alone institute of the University of Mississippi, The William Magee Institute works to better understand student mental health and substance misuse, then share that information with the public.

Currently, The William Magee Institute houses two sub-organizations. The Triplett Research Center focuses on community-oriented research, while The Mayo Lab, which operates within the Triplett Research Center, focuses on content creation and education. 

The William Magee Institute aims to:

• Research substance misuse, addiction, mental health, and wellness.
• Educate parents, educators, and students on new knowledge, approaches, techniques, and ideas for how to help students make necessary behavioral changes to be successful in prevention of addiction and recovery, as part of overall wellness.
• Support parents, educators, and students with information and resources.
• Empower students and their families to find lasting joy and mental wellbeing. 
• Scale and spread The William Magee Institute’s work, resources, and research infrastructure nationally in the next five years.

Who is William Magee? 

William Magee was an exceptional student at the University of Mississippi who lost his life to an accidental drug overdose in 2013. In 2019, The William Magee Institute was established at the university, dedicated to preventing similar tragedies by supporting education and research in the mental health and wellness space.

The purpose of The William Magee Institute is to generate knowledge on how we can prevent substance misuse, treat it when and where it is needed, and create communities that are safe for people who are in recovery—to set them up to be successful. 
— Dr. Meagen Rosenthal, Interim Director