MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences recognizes faculty with spring awards

Contact: Sarah Nicholas

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences recently honored seven faculty members for accomplishments in teaching, research and distinguished service at its annual spring awards ceremony.

“I am proud to lead a college whose faculty consistently make a difference in and beyond the classroom,” said Dean Rick Travis. “Their dedication to scholarship, mentorship and service enriches the lives of our students, colleagues and the broader community. Recognizing their accomplishments is one of the highlights of the year.”

Created to honor faculty who demonstrate exemplary institutional service, the College of Arts and Sciences’ service award recognizes meritorious service contributions that have had a consistent impact fulfilling the core vision of the college. The 2026 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Ben Crider, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Given to faculty whose work contributes significantly to increasing awareness of the university’s research programs and capabilities, the annual research awardees include:

—Kameshia R. Swanson, assistant professor in the Department of English: humanities.

—Dustin C. Brown, associate professor in the Department of Sociology: social and behavioral sciences.

—Amy L. Dapper, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences: natural and physical sciences.

For faculty who have demonstrated exemplary performance in the classroom, in out-of-class settings, or in leading the department and college in identifying more effective ways to improve overall pedagogy, outstanding teaching service awardees include:

—Julia Chancellor, instructor in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures: humanities.

—Ashley Vancil-Leap, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Sociology: social and behavior sciences.

—Danielle Young, Instructor II in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics: natural and physical sciences.

MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,000 students, 325 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs, 14 master’s programs, and 27 undergraduate academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities. Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences may be found at www.cas.msstate.edu.  

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