USM receives $3 million federal grant

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The University of Southern Miss received a $3 million federal grant from the United States Department of Defense's office of Economic Adjustment.

The grant will allow for the creation of pilot programs to help the Department of Defense put new products and technologies into the marketplace.

The university was chosen due to its expertise in economic development.

Dr. Shannon Campbell, Director of Economic Development and Entrepreneurship said, “It also allows us to work with communities that have need for identifying what other markets are. If they're heavily dependent on the defense sector in their business market and their jobs in the area, helps us to work with them to come up with plans for diversifying their economies."

Campbell said this a two-year grant where they will be working with the community to find out its strengths and opportunities in effort to diversify its economies.