Carolyn Ellis Staton Undergraduate Travel Fund

Join the University of Mississippi family to build the Carolyn Ellis Staton Undergraduate Travel Fund to assist students in maximizing their time on campus — by occasionally leaving campus. The fund has been created to pay tribute to the life of Staton, the university’s first female provost remembered by many as a trailblazer, mentor and friend.

We believe Staton would appreciate people coming together to bolster travel opportunities for UM undergraduate students. Limited personal finances on the part of students should not keep them from having access to life-enriching Study USA, Study Abroad, internship experiences and academic conference participation.

By subsidizing travel costs, we can increase the number of Ole Miss students expanding their horizons — literally and figuratively.

Staton was long an admired and respected Ole Miss leader, first joining the Ole Miss faculty in 1977 and retiring in 2009. During this long tenure, she served as a professor and interim dean in the School of Law, associate provost and then provost, which is the chief academic officer of the university. Staton passed away in May 2017.

“She was truly remarkable in every way,” Chancellor Emeritus Robert Khayat said. “She was straightforward, but always kind and treated people with respect. I will always remember her for her intellect, creativity, kindness, tolerance and strong value system.”

Gloria Kellum, vice chancellor emeritus of university relations, remembers Staton as a “dear friend and transitional leader who helped change the face of Ole Miss.”

“Dr. Staton definitely strengthened the academic community here,” said Kellum, recalling the professional camaraderie and abiding friendship the two shared. “As the first two women on UM’s executive management team at one point, we worked together on various university projects.

“I have always had an immense respect for how much she loved the university and its students. She was truly a champion who created many educational opportunities for them.”

The exceptional opportunities she helped facilitate included establishment of the university’s residential college and the Croft Institute for International Studies. She also expanded on the ideas of others in building the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. 

Staton found great joy in her own travels overseas and was proud that she and her husband, William, enabled their own three sons to travel.

Gifts of all sizes can combine to continue her incredible legacy and help Ole Miss students experience travel or study abroad, transforming their lives. If we want students, our future leaders, to help change the world, we must first make sure they see the world.