Contact: Maridith Geuder
Nancy McCarley of MSU, new honors program director
An associate professor of psychology who is an award-winning classroom instructor is the new head of the Mississippi State University Honors Program.
Nancy G. McCarley succeeds Jack H. White, the long-time UHP head who retired in June. In 1996, she was honored with the Outstanding Honors Faculty Member Award.
Like White, she also will lead the university's Distinguished Scholarship Program that helps interested students prepare for national competitive scholarships such as the Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater, and Mitchell.
MSU has been recognized as a Truman Scholar Honor Foundation, and the university has produced eight Goldwater Scholars since 1999.
Founded in 1968, MSU's honors program is a charter member of the Southern Regional Honors Council. Offered in every academic discipline, UHP classes typically seat fewer than 20 students and provide more rigorous and individualized instruction.
McCarley, who received a doctorate from Mississippi State in 1993, is a John Grisham Master Teacher at the university. She also has earned teaching honors from the MSU Alumni Association, as well as academic advising honors from the College of Arts and Sciences.
"Mississippi produces a substantial number of very bright high school graduates, and we are fortunate that a high percentage of these students elect to attend college in their home state," said Peter Rabideau, MSU provost and vice president for academic affairs.
"We want MSU to be a leader in attracting such students and this requires, among other things, a strong honors program," he added.
Rabideau, who also praised White for his many years of UHP leadership, said McCarley "has a strong record of scholarship and teaching, including a number of teaching awards. She brings tremendous enthusiasm to the position and has lots of ideas to move the program forward. We are very pleased to have her in this role."
In addition to teaching honors psychology courses, McCarley often has collaborated with undergraduate students on research projects relating to human personality.
"I am thrilled to have the responsibility and opportunity to lead this program that has been nationally recognized under the leadership of Jack White," McCarley said. "I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence he established."
Senior communication major Holli C. Hitt of Knoxville, Ala., a UHP member who also is a student representative on the National Collegiate Honors Council, said the MSU program has provided "outstanding leadership and academic experiences" during her four years at the university.
As a member of the search committee who had recommended McCarley to replace White, Hitt said the psychology instructor "is known for her outstanding teaching style. Students are excited about the energy and enthusiasm Dr. McCarley brings to this position."