MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Although Middle Tennessee State University Honors College Associate Dean Philip E. Phillips was presented with the highest faculty honor, he was quick to spotlight a long list of those who helped shape his journey — family, colleagues, mentors, and most of all, his students.

“Except for being recognized by students, there’s no greater honor for a professor than to be recognized in this way by his peers,” said Phillips, who was honored with MTSU’s 2025 Career Achievement Award. “I’m deeply grateful to all of them.”

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Brian F. Kidd, president of the MTSU Foundation, presented Phillips with the honor in front of hundreds of faculty, staff, administrators and distinguished guests gathered for the annual State of the University Address and Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting held Thursday, Aug. 21, in Tucker Theatre on campus.

In addition to the foundation’s Career Achievement presentation, 17 other faculty and staff were recognized with special awards and stipends for their contributions and accomplishments in teaching, research and service.

A lifelong educator

Phillips began his 33-year career in education as an English lecturer at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and spent time teaching French and English in various capacities before joining the faculty at MTSU in 1999. Since his tenure, he has been a three-time recipient of the MTSU Foundation Distinguished Research Award (2008, 2015 and 2021).

Building on the legacy of educators who paved the pathway for him, Phillips works closely with students from across disciplines, “encouraging them to discover their passions, to undertake research and creative projects and to apply for competitive fellowships.”

“I try to give my students the same encouragement and attention my best professors gave to me,” said Phillips, who chairs nearly half of all honors thesis committees and mentors Undergraduate Research Experience and Creativity Activity projects.

His encouragement as an educator goes beyond the classroom.

Phillips also chaired MTSU’s 2015–2025 Academic Master Plan Committee and served on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation leadership team at the university. He recently chaired The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi’s first Strategic Planning Taskforce (2022–24) and is now the president-elect of the national organization.

With the support of the College of Liberal Arts and the Honors College, he founded and served for 10 years as the director of the Great Books in Middle Tennessee Prisons program.

He also offers support for his peers.

“I’ve also enjoyed working and collaborating with our Honors faculty, showcasing their talents in our Honors Lecture Series, and supporting their teaching and their research,” said Phillips, who has also “had the freedom to pursue intellectual interest beyond my original specialization in the Honors College.”

President’s Silver Column Awards

Before the presentation of the Foundation Awards, McPhee presented the annual President’s Silver Column Awards, with five “outstanding individuals” chosen from 18 nominations.

Winners included:

• Jeff Gibson, professor and associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

• Meredith Kerr, development director in the College of Liberal Arts.

• Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs.

• Hanna Terletska, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

• Brenda Wunder, manager of Facilities Services.

Each winner received a commemorative pin and plaque, along with a monetary award.

Faculty service awards

MTSU honored 12 additional professors during the Aug. 21 meeting.

Recipients of the MTSU Foundation’s 2024 Outstanding Teaching Awards are:

• Kate Goodwin, associate professor, Department of Theatre and Dance.

• Samuel Haruna, associate professor, School of Agriculture.

• C. Rebecca Oldham, assistant professor, Human Development and Family Science program.

• Ashley Valanzola, assistant professor, Department of History, was honored with Outstanding Teaching in True Blue Core.

Eight additional Foundation Award recipients are:

• Outstanding Public Service Award — Jessica Arbour, assistant professor, Department of Biology.

• Outstanding Public Service Award — Emily Baran, professor, Department of History.

• Outstanding Public Service Award — Maria Edlin King, director of the Center for Financial Literacy.

• Distinguished Early Career Research Award — Gaia Rancati, assistant professor, Department of Marketing and director of the Neuromarketing and AI Lab.

• Distinguished Early Career Research Award — Souvik Banerjee, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry.

• Distinguished Senior Research Award — Gregory T. Rushton, professor, Department of Chemistry and director of the Tennessee STEM Education Center.

• Distinguished Early Career Creative Activity Award — Joyce Anne Finch, assistant professor, School of Nursing.

• Distinguished Senior Career Creative Activity Award — Fred Arroyo, associate professor, Department of English.

During the gathering, MTSU also honored 26 new faculty emeriti, including two posthumously, and 60 newly promoted and/or tenured faculty across campus.

You can access a full pdf veresion of the faculty awards.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)