The American Cancer Society will mark its 100th birthday on May 22, 2013. The Society is the nation’s largest voluntary healthcare non-profit organization and the country’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.8 billion. Nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will have the chance to celebrate a birthday this year thanks in part to the Society’s efforts.

Lhay Browning Thriffiley has been chosen as the new director-liaison for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

Thriffiley is a graduate of the Master of Science in Economic Development program at Southern Miss, where she excelled in graduate level classes in grant writing, nonprofit leadership and administration studies. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in arts-based program development, creating a children’s summer camp program as her senior capstone.

Dr. Tommy King, president of William Carey University, introducing Geroldean McSwain Dyse, CEO of the Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative, Inc., before presenting her with The Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters during one of the university’s four commencement ceremonies in Smith Auditorium.

A native of New Augusta, she was the second nurse ever hired by SeMRHI in 1980, and she rose through the ranks from licensed practical nurse and health educator to chief operating officer to CEO by 2011.