Political Science Professor Joseph Weinberg to Speak on Gene Taylor Exhibition at USM

Thu, 02/22/2024 - 09:26am | By: David Tisdale

In conjunction with the exhibition, “Gene Taylor: South Mississippi’s Choice for U.S. Congress, 1989-2011”, University of Southern Mississippi (USM) political science professor Dr. Joseph Weinberg will discuss the issues and events defining the era in which Rep. Taylor served in a lecture set for Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. in McCain Library and Archives, room 203 on the Hattiesburg campus.

The exhibition highlights major themes of Rep. Taylor’s tenure with select documents and artifacts. A listening center and research table are also installed in the gallery allowing visitors to spend more time learning about the congressman’s perspective on the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.

As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Taylor exercised Congressional oversight for conflicts from Kosovo-Bosnia to Iraq and Afghanistan. He is widely known for his support of servicemen and domestic military bases, championing shipbuilding and defense-related industries in the state. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he worked tirelessly to bring federal emergency relief to his devastated district and continued to lobby on behalf of his constituents who had lost their homes and businesses.

Dr. Weinberg is a faculty member in USM’s School of School of Social Science and Global Studies. He earned a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree from North Carolina State University at Raleigh, and an undergraduate degree from American University. He served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Charles H. Taylor from 1998-2001. His lifelong interest in Congressional policy has led to his extensive research at the intersection of agriculture, federal policy, and economics. He has been awarded three grants from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to host joint economic-political conferences fostering scholarly research of agriculture policy.

The gallery will remain open for additional viewing of the exhibition following the lecture. For more information, contact Lorraine Stuart at 601.266.4117.