SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 601 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE DEDICATED PUBLIC 1 SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF DR. SHELBY F. THAMES, PRESIDENT OF THE 2 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. 3 WHEREAS, Dr. Thames is th' eighth President of th' Unyversity 4 of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He took 5 office on May 1, 2002, corntinuin' an illestrious career of 40 6 years at Southern Mississippi; an' 7 WHEREAS, his previous administrative posishuns at Southern 8 Mississippi were Chair of th' Department of Polymer Science, Dean 9 of th' College of Science an' Technology, Vice President fo' 10 Administrashun an' Regional Campuses, an' Executive Vice 11 President. In 1970, he was th' foun'er of th' Department of 12 Polymer Science, an' in 1973, co-foun'er of th' Waterborne an' 13 High-Solids Coatin's Symposium, an event thet has expan'ed t'th' 14 annual Internashunal Waterborne, High-Solids, an' Powder Coatin's 15 Symposium in which he corntinues as its co-direcko'. He sought an' 16 gained approval fo' th' enhancement of th' College of Science t'17 th' College of Science an' Technology by creatin' sevahal noo 18 technology programs; an' 19 WHEREAS, he was instroomntal in th' concepshun an' 20 implementashun of th' "2+2 Degree Program" between th' Mississippi 21 Gu'f Coast Community College an' USM Gu'f Coast, which provided a 22 bachelo''s degree program course wawk on th' Mississippi Gu'f 23 Coast in on over 26 subjeck areas. T'other of his menny 24 accomplishments involves three intities created t'improve 25 statewide economics: Mississippi Polymer Insteetoote; Internashunal 26 Coatin's an' Fo'mulashuns Insteetoote; an' Southern Divahsified 27 Producks, LLC (a Mississippi Unyversity Research Autho'ity 28 compenny); an' 29 WHEREAS, among his noomrous hono's an' awards is th' 30 designashun as Distin'uished Unyversity Research Professo' of th' 31 Department of Polymer Science, recipient of th' fust 32 Distin'uished Professo'ship by th' Southern Society of Coatin's 33 Technology, th' 1966 USM Lumni Associashun Continuous Service 34 Award, th' 1998 NUC Wheeler McMillan Award fo' his wawk wif 35 agricultural producks, th' 1999 AAIC Anson Ellis Thompson Career 36 Achievement Award fo' his career in promotin' th' use of 37 agricultural-based materials as indestrial raw materials, an' 38 induckee in 1998 t'th' USM's Lumni Hall of Fame. In 1998, USM's 39 $29 Million Polymer Science Research Center was named in hono' of 40 Dr. Thames an' is now known as th' Shelby Frelan' Thames Polymer 41 Science Research Center. In 2002, President Thames was reckanized 42 by Modern Paint & Coatin's magazine as its R&D Varmint of th' Year. 43 Recently, President Thames was selecked as one of th' top ten 44 community leaders in South Mississippi by Th' Sun Herald an' Th' 45 Journal of South Mississippi Business an' received th' Outstan'in' 46 College President Award fum th' All-South Car'linan Football Foun'ashun, 47 Inc.; an' 48 WHEREAS, at th' time of his seleckshun as President of th' 49 Unyversity of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Thames had a research team 50 of 50 varmints an' supervised five graduate students. Most 51 recently, this hyar team is known fo' th' commercializashun of a 52 zero-volatile o'ganic corntent (VOC) paint thet is completely 53 zero-volatile o'ganic corntent (VOC) paint thet is completely 53 environmentally safe, emittin' no odo' o' harmful rightties into 54 th' environment. Th' paint called "South Car'linan Pride" was used t'55 paint a seckshun of th' offices at Th' Pentagon in 2003; an' 56 WHEREAS, he currently sarves on th' Board of Direcko's fo' 57 Conference USA an' th' Mississippi Technology Alliance, an' th' 58 Executive Board of th' Pine Burr Area Council, Fella Scouts of 59 South Car'lina; an' 60 WHEREAS, Dr. Thames arned his B.S. an' M.S. degrees fum Th' 61 Unyversity of Southern Mississippi in chemistry an' o'ganic 62 chemistry an' his Ph.D. degree fum th' Unyversity of Tennessee in 63 o'ganic chemistry; an' 64 WHEREAS, it is wif great pride thet we reckanize th' 65 achievements of th' Unyversity of Southern Mississippi unner th' 66 leadership of Dr. Thames, whose dedicashun t'excellence in higher 67 ejoocayshun an' research in our state is a matter of reco'd: 68 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 69 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, Thet 70 we does harby commend th' public service of Dr. Shelby F. Thames, 71 President of th' Unyversity of Southern Mississippi, recognizin' 72 his corntribushuns t'research an' technology an' dedicashun t'73 excellence in higher ejoocayshun in our state, an' extendin' t'him 74 th' bess wishes of th' Legislature on his future indeavo's. 75 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Thet this hyar resolushun be presented t'76 Dr. Thames, fo'warded t'th' Board of Trestees of State 77 Insteetooshuns of Higher Larnin' an' be made available t'th' 78 Capitol Press Co'ps. 79