Contact: Mary Pollitz

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State is celebrating four faculty members today [Aug. 29] with two of the university’s most prestigious teaching honors.

Wes Schilling received the William L. Giles Distinguished Professor distinction, and John E. Ball, Amber Robinson and Rosângela Yazbec Sebba are the newest Grisham Master Teachers.

“Mississippi State University is blessed to have world-class faculty who are leaders in their fields and dedicated to their students. Today’s honorees exemplify the very best of what it means to be a teacher, mentor and scholar, and I am grateful for their many contributions to our campus community,” MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. “Students want to be here because of the exceptional classroom instruction, research opportunities and service opportunities they and their colleagues provide.”

The William L. Giles Distinguished Professor honor is one of the highest awards the university can bestow upon a faculty member in recognition of outstanding research, teaching and service. This honorary distinction is conferred only on an MSU faculty member who has attained national or international recognition.

—Schilling is a professor of meat science, sensory science and food chemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion. He is internationally recognized for his research, publishing 186 peer reviewed articles, 162 scientific abstracts and 73 invited articles. Colleagues and supervisors praise him as a “trailblazing researcher,” with nearly 6,000 Google Scholar citations, who has garnered nearly $9 million in research funding for his program.

First presented in 1993, the Grisham Master Teacher honor is a tribute to classroom and instruction excellence and is named for the MSU accounting alumnus and internationally recognized best-selling author who provided funds to endow the award.

—Ball is an associate professor and Robert D. Guyton Chair in the Bagley College of Engineering's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is highly respected by colleagues and students alike because of his enthusiasm and approachability in the classroom. Student survey feedback praises Ball for his lectures, passion, engagement with students and real-world applicability of his teaching.

—Robinson is an instructor of mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in the College of Arts and Sciences. As a Calculus II instructor, Robinson teaches what many describe as their “most challenging mathematics course.” Since she began her career at MSU, the student success rate in this course has improved substantially. Former students credit this success to her ability to “cater to every learning style.”

—Sebba is a professor in the Department of Music in the College of Education. She is internationally recognized as a successful pianist and helped initiate MSU as an All-Steinway School, which included acquiring millions of dollars’ worth of Steinway pianos. Colleagues describe Sebba as a musical professional who “meets students where they are and helps them absolutely thrive.”

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.