2012 Award Winners

Innovation in Teaching Award

The Innovation in Teaching Award is designed to encourage faculty to implement new ideas in the classroom.  In a community of learning, we all learn from each other—from teaching mentors and from fellow faculty who reflect on and continually seek teaching strategies that promote deeper and more engaged learning.  

We have 2 winners for this award…

Elizabeth Harrison, Ph.D., Associate Professor
School of Nursing, The University of Southern Mississippi
An Innovative Teaching Strategy in NSG 331: Nursing Care of the Older Adult
 

Bio:  Dr. Elizabeth (Sybil) Harrison, a Wisconsin native, has served as associate professor for the College of Health and School of Nursing for more than six years. Harrison currently teaches undergraduate courses in adult health, gerontology and leadership. She is also a member of the Mississippi Nurses Association, National Academic Advising Association, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nurses, and Western Institute of Nursing, Southern Nursing Research Society. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time knitting, reading, traveling, baking, or with her two cats, Jane Austen and Emily Dickinson. 

Excerpt from proposal: The purpose of the assignment was to give students an opportunity to evaluate the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the individual (client/patient).  While a variety of teaching strategies have been developed to teach information about the disease process and its treatment, teaching and learning should not end with the biophysical aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. This assignment was created to enable students to recognize and develop an awareness of the suffering that often attends chronic debilitating conditions like Alzheimer’s disease by evaluating nine self-portraits.

Marsha Lay, J.D., Visiting Instructor
Nominated by: Catherine H. Price, Ph.D., Interim Chair and Professor
Department of Casino, Hospitality and Tourism, The University of Southern Mississippi
Use of Think Center Model Paired with TM 494 Strategic Destination Analysis
 

Bio: Marsha Lay joined the Department of Tourism Management, College of Business, The University of Southern Mississippi as a Visiting Instructor in August, 2008.  Her academic background includes a B.S. in Hospitality Management from Southern Miss; a J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law and a Post Doctoral Bridge to Business Program at University of Florida.  Dr. Lay is an active member of the Mississippi Bar Association, where she has served as a member of the Women in the Profession Committee.  In 2006, she was a speaker on the Evelyn Gandy lecture series, a program for continuing legal education.  Prior to completing her J.D., Marsha formed and operated Marsh Company, a food and floral catering business.  She has studied various cooking techniques at the Viking Cooking Schools in Franklin, TN and Greenwood, MS; and completed a course in service excellence at the Caesar Ritz Institute Holtelier’, LeBouveret, Switzerland.

Excerpt from proposal: This coursework fosters business and tourism industry knowledge, experiences, and opportunities that will enable the student to develop and utilize critical and creative thinking processes, to practice team-building and leadership skills, to experience traditional business environments and professional behaviors necessary to be competitive in the global marketplace. Emphasis is placed on strengthening oral and written communication along with performing individually and in team leadership roles.

Exemplary Online Course Award

This award recognizes faculty who use online learning technology effectively by exhibiting best practices for designing engaging online coursework. 

Evelyn Green, M.S., Instructor
Department of Casino, Hospitality and Tourism, The University of Southern Mississippi
TM 472 Casino and Resort Marketing

 Bio: Originally, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Evelyn Kwan Green has almost twenty-four years work experience in higher learning with degrees ranging from a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, to two master’s degrees (Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Instructional Technology), and she is currently a doctoral candidate in Human Capital Development. Evelyn was named the 2011-2012 recipient of the College of Business, BAC Teaching Service Award.  She was the College of Business nominee for the 2010 University Innovation Award, and 2010 Finalist for the College of Business, Joseph A. Greene Teaching Award.  Evelyn is spearheading the development and launch of the Southern Miss’ online undergraduate casino management certification in Fall 2012.

Description of winning course: TM 472: Casino and Resort Marketing exemplifies what a high quality online course should include. The coursework includes a variety of different learning opportunities including live sessions with industry professionals, team projects, presentations, multimedia and course reflection, many opportunities to connect with the instructor and other students within the course. Green developed the Industry Professionals Assistance in Students Success (iPASS™) instructional method for the casino, hospitality and tourism online courses. Industry executives provide input during course development to ensure an industry- and a 21st century competencies-focused curriculum in which students gain first-hand information.