Dr. Mandy Truman

Director of The Delta Center for Culture and Learning

Dr. Mandy Truman is the Director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University. As a cultural geographer, she is deeply committed to place-based education, regional identity, and community engagement in the Mississippi Delta.

Her connection to the region began during an impactful undergraduate field course at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, led by the geographer Dr. John Strait. This course immersed students in the cultural and historical landscape of the Delta, exploring its food, music, people, and stories. This transformative experience ignited Dr. Truman's lasting interest in the Delta and shaped her academic and professional path.

She continued her education at Texas State University, where her graduate research examined the geography of the Mississippi Delta from cultural, historical, and physical perspectives. Her work focuses on how memory, identity, and heritage are connected to place, and how geographic inquiry can shed light on complex social and historical narratives. Dr. Truman is particularly passionate about place-based learning as a means of connecting individuals with their surroundings in meaningful and transformative ways.

During her doctoral studies, Dr. Truman received a prestigious fellowship from the Society of Women Geographers, which recognized her research and commitment to advancing women's contributions to the field. Additionally, she was awarded the Study the South Fellowship through the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, where she further explored Southern landscapes, identities, and cultural narratives.

At the Delta Center, Dr. Truman is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation for the region's rich cultural heritage. Through community engagement, educational programming, and collaborative partnerships, she aims to elevate the stories, voices, and traditions that make the Delta a uniquely significant part of the American experience.

Driven by the belief that geography encompasses not just maps and spaces but also relationships, stories, and meaning, Dr. Truman approaches her work with scholarly insight and a profound personal commitment to the people and places of the Mississippi Delta.