Campus forestry efforts earn ICC national recognition Itawamba Community College has been named a 2026 Tree Campus Higher Education institution by the Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of its commitment to campus tree care and environmental stewardship. The national designation honors colleges and universities that meet five core standards, including maintaining a campus tree advisory committee, implementing a tree care plan, investing dedicated funds in tree management, observing Arbor Day and engaging students in service-learning projects focused on trees. The effort was spearheaded by Emily Loden Jones, Forestry Technology Program director, with assistance from John Wayne Harris, director of Physical Plant Operations; Jerry Hodge, Fulton Campus grounds supervisor; the Office of the President; Clay Hinds, forestry technology student; and Michael Crab, outreach officer for the Mississippi Forestry Commission. President Dr. Jay Allen said the recognition reflects ICC’s commitment to preserving and enhancing the natural spaces that make the institutions locations so special. By earning the designation, ICC joins institutions nationwide that prioritize sustainable campus forestry and hands-on environmental education. February 13, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W General 0 Comment Read More >>
ICC to host 2026 Most Beautiful Pageant Feb. 18 on Fulton Campus Itawamba Community College will host the 2026 ICC Most Beautiful Pageant at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center on the Fulton Campus. The annual pageant will feature 45 contestants representing communities across Mississippi and the region. The reigning Most Beautiful is Emma Hill of New Albany. Contestants include Addison Williams, Bri’yan Riddle and Zoe Valsamakis, all of Aberdeen; Lauryn Gillon of Amory; Amelia Tooley of Belmont; Natalie Ositis of Blue Springs; Emma Katherine Pratt and Olivia Snellings, both of Bruce; Jacey Haynes and Leila Kane Musselwhite, both of Columbus; Anna Hardin of Corinth; Eliza Boatman of Eupora; Hadley Kate Wiygul of Fulton; Abigail Gill, Elizabeth Kathryn Knotts, Kaylee Faith Joslin, Laney Elise Harrington and Madison Nevins, all of Hamilton; D’aiysa Gordon of Houlka; Ava Stanley and Kailey Pannell, both of Mantachie; Chloe Wright of Memphis, Tennessee; Adrianna Dyan Ruth, Kylie Hargroue and Rylie Williams, all of Mooreville; Sydney Analauryn Millis of Nettleton; Charlie Strevel, Jayonna Anderson, Landry Adele Kent and Madison Nicole Coltharp, all of New Albany; Cora Carter of Okolona; Rebecca Ann Walker of Olive Branch; ... February 10, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W General 0 Comment Read More >>
ICC President Dr. Jay Allen Named Finalist for National CEO of the Year Award Itawamba Community College President Dr. Jay Allen has been named a finalist for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) CEO of the Year Award, a national honor recognizing exceptional leadership among community college presidents across the United States. The AACC CEO of the Year Award honors leaders whose work has made a significant and lasting impact on their institutions, students and the communities they serve. Dr. Allen will be formally recognized as a finalist during the AACC annual convention, the nation’s premier convening of community college leaders, to be held in April in Seattle, Washington. Since assuming the presidency at ICC, Dr. Allen has emphasized student success, workforce alignment and community engagement while maintaining a strong focus on institutional culture and excellence. Under his leadership, the college has continued to strengthen academic programs, expand workforce and industry partnerships and enhance the overall student experience across all ICC locations. “I am deeply honored by this recognition, but it truly belongs to our outstanding employees,” Allen said. “Every day, our faculty and staff go above and beyond to serve students and positively impact our communities. Their commitment, professionalism and ... February 10, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W Career Center, General 0 Comment Read More >>
Food Management Certification class to begin Feb. 9 Itawamba Community College has scheduled a Food Management Certification class at the Belden Center (3200 Adams Farm Rd.) beginning Feb. 9. Classes will meet Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. through March 6. The program includes Serve Safe® Food Manager Certification, Serve Safe® Alcohol Certification, CPR, certificate of completion, proper food handling standards, kitchen safety practices, culinary techniques, interview skills and résumé building, money handling and front of the house and back of the house operations. The cost is $1,000, and financial assistance is available for qualified applicants. For more information or to register, contact program director Christy Scheuer at acscheuer@iccms.edu or (662) 407-1505. February 4, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W Career Center, General 0 Comment Read More >>
ICC CDL Program offers fast track to trucking careers A career on the open road can begin in just four weeks through Itawamba Community College’s Commercial Truck Driving Program, which continues to train Class A commercial drivers and will soon expand to include public Class B and Hazmat Endorsement courses. The Commercial Truck Driving Program prepares individuals to operate Class A trucks and other commercial vehicles through hands-on, industry-focused instruction. Training covers operating diesel-powered vehicles, loading and unloading cargo, reporting delays or accidents, verifying loads against shipping records and maintaining required documentation. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of log books, trip records and motor carrier safety regulations set by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The Class A Commercial Driver’s License course is a four-week program totaling 160 hours. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $3,200, and financial assistance is available for qualified applicants. Upcoming Class A training dates include Feb. 9–March 6, March 16–April 10, April 20–May 15 and May 26–June 19. To further support workforce needs across the region, ICC will soon offer a public Class B ... February 3, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W Career Center, General 0 Comment Read More >>
ICC opens Connection Center, welcomes first Chick-fil-A in Fulton Itawamba Community College marked a major milestone Monday morning with the grand opening of the Connection Center on the Fulton Campus, a new student- and community-focused facility that includes a Chick-fil-A, the first location in Fulton and the first Chick-fil-A along Interstate 22 when entering Mississippi from Alabama. More than 150 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which featured remarks from Michael Taylor of PryorMorrow Architects, Steven Staub of JESCO Construction and Paul Butler of Sodexo. The Connection Center includes approximately 10,000 square feet of flexible, technology-equipped meeting space that can be configured as one large venue or divided into two smaller spaces. The remaining 3,000 square feet houses Chick-fil-A, operated through Sodexo, ICC’s food service provider. The restaurant is open to students, employees and the public and operates Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. ICC President Dr. Jay Allen said the opening represents another significant step in the College’s ongoing growth and community engagement. “This facility is exactly what we envisioned, a place that connects our students, our employees and our communities,” Allen said. ... February 2, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W Career Center, General 0 Comment Read More >>
ICC to offer online Google Career Certificates through Continuing Education Itawamba Community College is expanding its workforce training portfolio by launching a suite of online career certificate programs through its Continuing Education division, offered in partnership with Google. ICC now offers the following Google Career Certificates: Google IT Support, Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Google Data Analytics, Google Project Management, Google UX Design and Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce. “These certificates are a practical on-ramp into high-demand careers,” said Josh Gammill, director of continuing education and career services at ICC. “They allow individuals to gain marketable skills quickly, on their own schedule, and without the time or financial commitment of a traditional degree program.” The certificate opportunities are designed to provide job-ready training in high-demand fields in under six months, with no prior experience required. They are widely recognized by employers and have gained popularity for their flexibility, affordability and relevance in today’s workforce. All programs are 100 percent online and self-paced, making them accessible to working adults, career switchers, and individuals seeking to upskill or reskill. The curriculum is developed by Google experts and emphasizes practical, hands-on experience aligned with real-world job expectations in ... January 30, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W Career Center, General 0 Comment Read More >>
ICC’s Morgan to Present “Swiftly Romantic: The Parallel Lives of Clara Schumann and Taylor Swift” Feb. 3 Itawamba Community College will host a public presentation by Dr. Anna Morgan titled “Swiftly Romantic: The Parallel Lives of Clara Schumann and Taylor Swift” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center on the ICC Fulton Campus. The event is free and open to the public. Morgan’s presentation examines the surprising parallels between 19th-century pianist and composer Clara Schumann and modern singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Though separated by more than a century, both women reshaped expectations for composers and performers in their respective eras. Morgan is the 2026 recipient of Itawamba Community College’s Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award. Morgan will be recognized at the Mississippi Humanities Council Public Humanities Awards Ceremony on March 20, 2026, in Jackson. The annual event honors exceptional faculty in traditional humanities disciplines across Mississippi’s colleges and universities. January 28, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W General 0 Comment Read More >>
ICC Opens 2026 Gallery Season With “Soul Red Wawa” by Artist Lilian You Itawamba Community College opened its 2026 exhibition season with Soul Red Wawa, a cut-paper and mixed media installation by Tupelo artist Lilian You. The exhibition will be on view through Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Gallery on the Fulton Campus. The term “wawa” in Chinese culture refers to a doll or figurine rooted in folk art traditions. When created through paper-cut techniques, wawas are commonly used in traditional ceremonies as symbols of good fortune, happiness and prosperity. Drawing from these cultural origins, Soul Red Wawa explores the place of tradition within a technology- and meme-driven modern world. Through hundreds of red paper-cut wawas, You examines the merging of culture and ritual, art and contemporary themes, inviting viewers to consider how inherited traditions evolve and persist in present-day life. Born in northern China, You has lived, taught and worked across China, Japan and the United States. Her artistic practice integrates traditional Chinese folk art, embodied experience and contemporary installation. Her work centers on themes of women, the body, memory, trauma and spiritual restoration, expressed through paper-cut installations, spatial interventions and cross-media ... January 28, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W General 0 Comment Read More >>
Masha Laney of Nettleton named ICC William Winter Scholar for 2026 Masha Laney of Nettleton, a history instructor at Itawamba Community College, has been selected as the college’s William Winter Scholar for 2026. Laney will be among educators from across the state recognized at the 37th Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, scheduled for February 26-28. Laney has served as a history instructor at ICC since fall 2022, bringing nearly three decades of classroom experience to the college. Prior to joining ICC, she taught at Amory High School for 24 years, where she earned a reputation for academic rigor, student engagement and exceptional outcomes in history instruction. Her professional recognitions include National Board Certification in social studies from 2006-2016 and again from 2016-2026, multiple selections as Amory High School Teacher of the Year and Amory School District Teacher of the Year, and designation as Mississippi’s Outstanding Teacher of American History by the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 2019, her students achieved the highest proficiency scores on the U.S. History state assessment. In addition to her classroom work, Laney has contributed at the state level, serving on the Mississippi Teacher Council from 2017-2022 and collaborating ... January 9, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W General 0 Comment Read More >>