Excellence in university teaching, advising awards honor ��Ƶ faculty, staff

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Exceptional Mississippi State faculty and staff are being honored with annual awards recognizing their outstanding teaching, mentoring and advising at the university.

“Mississippi State’s outstanding award winners exemplify excellence, and they understand that the highest quality teaching is core to our university’s mission,” said ��Ƶ Executive Vice Provost Peter Ryan. “The faculty and staff dedicated to teaching, advising and mentoring are critical to ensuring student success and helping students achieve their academic and career goals.”

This year’s honorees include:

Alumni Association Graduate and Professional Teaching Excellence Award

—Barrett Gutter, meteorology assistant clinical professor in the Department of Geosciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Alumni Association Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award

—Eric T. Stafne, horticulture extension/research professor at ��Ƶ’s Coastal Research and Extension Center, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, and Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Alumni Association Executive Director Jeff Davis, middle, is pictured with Teaching Excellence Award recipient Barrett Gutter, left, and Darrin Dodds, right, accepting the Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award on behalf of Eric T. Stafne. (Photo by Megan Bean)

Donald Zacharias Early Career Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award

—Danielle Young, instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Center for Distance Education Online Teaching Excellence Award

—Rebecca “Beca” Spencer, instructor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations in the College of Education.

Center for Distance Education Executive Director Susan Seal presents Rebecca Spencer with the CDE Online Teaching Excellence Award. — Center for Distance Education Executive Director Susan Seal presents Rebecca "Beca" Spencer with the CDE Online Teaching Excellence Award. (Photo by Megan Bean)

Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising Award, Staff

—Jonathan Evan Hawkins, coordinator with the Center for Distance Education.

Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising Award, Faculty

—Ksenia Zhbanova, elementary education assistant professor in ��Ƶ-Meridian’s Division of Education.

Wesley Ammon Outstanding New Staff Advisor Award

—Bailey Berry, academic coordinator with the University Academic Advising Center.

Advising award recipients (l-r) Ksenia Zhbanova, Lynda Moore accepting on behalf of Bailey Berry, and Jonathan Evan Hawkins, are pictured with Executive Vice Provost Peter Ryan. (Photo by Megan Bean)

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