US Education Secretary Visits University
UM leaders share contributions to literacy, early learning, child nutrition and workforce development
OXFORD, Miss. – U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon toured the University of Mississippi and met with campus leaders to discuss literacy, early learning, workforce development, and health and wellness during a visit to Mississippi.
The visit included a conversation with Chancellor Glenn Boyce and other campus leaders, including Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; Steven Holley, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer; John Higginbotham, vice chancellor for research and economic development; and William Kneip, UM chief of staff and director of external relations.
Among the topics of discussion were evidence-based literacy instruction, early childhood development, teacher training and child nutrition.
Provost Noel Wilkin (center) explains to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon (right) how a lab in the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation incorporates technology and group learning to help students master STEM topics. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services
The tour of campus began with a stop at the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation. Opened in fall 2025, the Duff Center is the university's flagship STEM teaching hub built for active learning and hands-on discovery.
Its interdisciplinary classrooms and teaching labs connect students to research and prepare them to meet Mississippi's workforce needs.
The visit also included the National Center for Natural Products Research, housed in the Thad Cochran Research Center. Researchers in the center work with federal agencies and industry to advance botanicals and dietary supplements through discovery, education and innovation.
Researchers in the center work with federal agencies and industry to advance botanicals and dietary supplements through discovery, education and innovation.
Next was the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence, which blends engineering, business and accountancy education and experience in a facility that includes an on-site factory floor, machine shop and assembly line. Students design, cost and build in teams with industry partners, moving from classroom concepts to real production through co-ops and internships.
The final stop tour featured the university's football facilities, including the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center, one of college athletics' most advanced team training facilities, and the historic Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the largest stadium in the state. Topics included a comprehensive approach to student-athlete health care, including concussion safety, supplement monitoring and mental health.
Top: Chancellor Glenn Boyce (left) and Provost Noel Wilkin (right) take U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon for a tour of the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence. McMahon toured the Ole Miss campus and learned about the university's work to improve literacy, early learning, workforce development, and health and wellness in the state. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services