Hattiesburg -- The University of Southern Mississippi ranks on this years Diverse Education magazines Top 100 Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Producers lists for minority students.

Southern Miss is in the top 40 as a producer of African-American students who earn baccalaureate degrees in health, education, psychology and biological and biomedical sciences and African-American students who earn doctoral degrees in education, according to the magazine.

Southern Miss officials say the lists represent years of hard work.

I think this is something we worked hard for, for years, said Vrita Delaine, assistant vice president for student affairs. Weve created an environment that lets all students know they are welcomed and appreciated. They realize that all of their needs will be met regardless of race, creed or color.

Diverse Education: Issues in Higher Education magazine ranks universities from around the country based on data from the United States Department of Education, said Diverse Education editor Hilary Hurd. This years data came from 2005-06.

The rankings are based on graduation numbers schools self-report to the Department of Education, Hurd said. No other factors are taken into consideration, purely graduation numbers for African-American, Hispanic, Asian and American Indian students. Colleges and universities on the list are succeeding at graduating students of color.

Dr. Joe Whitehead, associate dean for academic affairs at Southern Miss College of Science of Technology, said his college has worked hard toward this goal.

Weve worked for many years to increase minorities in the program, and we are seeing results, he said, adding that the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program has helped enhance the number of minorities in science in general.

We want students to be ambassadors for other students. Success breeds more success. That is whats happening. We have more minority students attending Southern Miss and they are finding that this is the place to be and they are passing the word on.

Read about the undergraduate rankings online at this link:

www.diverseeducation.com/Top100DegreeProducers2007Undergraduate.asp

See the graduate rankings online at this link:
www.diverseeducation.com/Top100GraduateDegreeProducers2007.as