2018-19 Annual Report
The 2018-19 Annual Report, published by the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, tells stories of outstanding achievements made by our faculty, students, staff, donors, and alumni over the course of the academic year.
The 2018-19 Annual Report, published by the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, tells stories of outstanding achievements made by our faculty, students, staff, donors, and alumni over the course of the academic year.
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MISSISSIPPI DEFENSE<br />
DIVERSIFICATION INITIATIVE<br />
The United States Department of Defense (DoD), Office of Economic<br />
Adjustment awarded The University of Southern Mississippi (USM)<br />
a Phase I grant in 2016 to support national security technology<br />
acceleration and economic diversification efforts for defense<br />
contractor communities in Mississippi. Over the last three years, this<br />
Mississippi Defense Diversification Initiative (MDDI), made up of the<br />
College of Business and Economic Development and Trent Lott National<br />
Center, developed three pilot models to aid regions whose economic<br />
health is dependent on defense programs.<br />
1. Goal: Incorporate defense community topics into the Master of<br />
Science in Economic Development (MSED) program at Southern Miss.<br />
Accomplishment: Launched in summer 2017, the Economic Development<br />
for Defense Communities (ED 711) course educates economic developers<br />
on how to help communities adapt to DoD program changes. The same<br />
year, the MDDI supported USM efforts to launch a Hacking for Defense<br />
(H4D) course that allows student groups to work on Department of<br />
Defense (DoD)-provided problem sets. The current DoD provided problem<br />
sets that are matched to the state’s military footprint, and the student<br />
groups are interacting with military personnel stationed in Mississippi.<br />
2. Goal: Provide economic diversification technical assistance for<br />
Mississippi-based defense companies and communities.<br />
Accomplishment: The MDDI team identified and targeted companies<br />
likely to be innovative and technology-focused and built a network<br />
of interrelated companies. The network is growing into a business<br />
ecosystem capable of short- and long-term economic strategies that<br />
advance the state’s opportunities. The network has now been expanded<br />
to include supply chain companies, defense-dependent communities,<br />
military installations and assets, and other defense stakeholders.<br />
In addition, Governor Phil Bryant signed Executive Order 1401, recognizing<br />
the need for the state to become more strategic and proactive with the<br />
defense economy to protect, grow and diversify defense and national<br />
security assets as an economic driver for the state. The Executive Order<br />
created a task force to develop a statewide defense plan.<br />
3. Goal: Create an online platform to build defense-related businessto-business<br />
relationships and assist technology transfer and<br />
commercialization of defense intellectual property.<br />
Accomplishment: The team developed the MDDI website, launched<br />
two social media platforms, and produced three videos for descriptive<br />
communication in advancements of technology transfer and to provide<br />
examples of partnership efforts that will continue after the OEA grant is<br />
complete. Housed on the MDDI website are many resources to support<br />
defense business, such as an entrepreneurial “playbook.”<br />
Fall <strong>2018</strong>, Southern Miss secured continued funding for Phase II,<br />
outlining the following objectives:<br />
• Objective 1 - Continue to incorporate defense diversification<br />
assistance into the business development ecosystem and create<br />
defense industry networks in Mississippi.<br />
• Objective 2 - Continue to incorporate defense diversification into<br />
the academic curriculum.<br />
• Objective 3 - Develop a strategic plan for Mississippi’s Defense and<br />
Homeland Security Economy to synchronize Mississippi’s existing<br />
defense-related economic assets and programs in support of a<br />
statewide defense plan for the governor.<br />
• Objective 4 - Lead Mississippi’s MEP network in building a DFARS<br />
Cybersecurity Requirement assistance tool for Mississippi companies.<br />
MDDI continues to be recognized statewide as a champion for defense<br />
diversification. The network of private sector companies, non-profits<br />
and public-sector partners is continuing to grow.<br />
At the 20<strong>19</strong> International Homeland Defense and Security Summit in<br />
March 20<strong>19</strong>, Governor Phil Bryant announced the Mississippi Defense<br />
Strategic Plan.<br />
Dr. Chad Miller, along with fellow<br />
members of the Mississippi Defense<br />
Initiative Task Force and the Governor,<br />
at the Homeland Defense and Security<br />
Summit in Biloxi as they unveiled the<br />
state’s defense strategic plan.<br />
22 | C O L L E G E O F B U S I N E S S A N D E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T
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