Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award
Sponsored by: The family of Elsie M. Hood, the Alumni Association, and the Chancellor's Office
Nominations due: March 1st
Eligibility: Assistant, associate, and full professors, except for previous recipients.
Selection Criteria: Nominations may be submitted by faculty, students, and alumni to the Chancellor's Office. The selection committee is comprised of eight previous recipients, along with the director of Alumni Affairs and a student representative. Criteria include nominating letters that describe examples of exceptional teaching and letters that have been submitted for the nominees in previous years.
Recognition: In addition to the monetary prize of $10,000, the recipient receives a personal plaque and his or her name is engraved on a permanent plaque in the chancellor's office.
About the Award: In 1965, the Faculty Senate of the University of Mississippi proposed to Chancellor J. D. Williams a program of recognition and awards for superior teaching. The Chancellor agreed, and a selection committee of faculty representing the various Schools and Colleges was elected by the University faculty in the fall of 1965. In the spring of 1966, the committee solicited nominations for an Outstanding Teacher Award from faculty, students, and alumni, requesting from nominators "a supporting statement not to exceed 500 words." Vice Chancellor W. Alton Bryant suggested that the award be presented on Honors Days and announced during Commencement exercises, and this has remained the policy to this day.
If you would like to nominate an individual for this award, please select the following link to submit your nomination via our online web form:
Nomination for Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award
If you prefer, you may send or email your nomination to the following:
Office of the Chancellor
Lyceum 123
University, MS 38677
Recipients of The Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award:
For a more complete list of award winners (including ones prior to 1992), please reference this listing.
- 1992 Daniell Mattern - Chemistry*
- 1993 Raymond Liebau - Music
- 1994 Robert Weems - Law
- 1995 Billy Barrios - Psychology
- 1996 Kenneth Sufka - Psychology*
- 1997 Colby Kullman - English
- 1998 Morris H. Stocks - Accountancy*
- 1999 Mary Stuckey - Political Science
- 2000 Faye Gilbert - Business Administration
- 2001 Ronald A. Schroeder - English
- 2002 Ron G. Dale - Art
- 2003 Tonya Flesher - Accountancy
- 2004 Wade Waters - Pharmacology
- 2005 W. Mark Wilder - Accountancy*
- 2006 Laurdella Foulkes-Levy - Music
- 2007 David E. Willson - Music
- 2008 Gregory A. Schirmer - English
- 2009 John R. Neff - History
- 2010 Kelly G. Wilson - Psychology
- 2011 Ethel Young-Minor - English*
- 2012 John O'Haver - Chemical Engineering
- 2013 William Berry - Law Center*
- 2014 Ann Fisher-Wirth - English
- 2015 Bob Brown - Political Science*
- 2016 John Czarnetzky - Law Center
- 2017 John Rimoldi - BioMolecular Sciences*
- 2018 Ann Monroe - Teacher Education*
- 2019 John Young - Psychology*
- 2020 Matthew Reysen - Psychology*
- 2021 Patrick Alexander - English/African American Studies*
- 2022 John Bentley - Pharmacy Administration*
- 2023 Jason Ritchie - Chemistry & Biochemistry*
*Current UM faculty member