MUW Trio to Look at University’s Future

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Three faculty members at The W have been named provost fellows to help with future planning and address areas critical to the university, including global engagement, scholarly and creative engagement and teaching innovation and engaged learning.

They are Erinn Holloway, instructor of Spanish; Dr. Beverly Joyce, professor of art history; and Dr. Amy Pardo, associate professor of English.

Dr. Dan Heimmermann, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said, “The provost fellowships in global engagement, scholarly and creative engagement, and teaching and engaged learning are intended to support important and exciting activities already taking place on campus and to develop the leadership potential of our faculty.”

“The provost fellows will be asked to work with and encourage communication and collaboration among faculty, staff, and administrators in order to help inform future planning and decision making related to these areas,” he added.

Holloway will examine the current status of global initiatives on campus (study abroad programs, student and faculty exchanges, academic and non-academic international programing). She will work with faculty, staff and student groups to explore opportunities to expand global exchange and educational opportunities and will seek out national and international partner institutions to help achieve these goals. Holloway has taught at The W since August of 2005. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in Spanish. Holloway also earned her juris doctorate degree from California Western College of Law.

Dr. Joyce has been selected to serve as the provost fellow for scholarly and creative engagement. She will assist the Office of Academic Affairs in devising strategies to encourage and support faculty scholarly and creative activities. Joyce will organize and lead research symposia to promote and exhibit the work The W’s community of scholars, artists and performers. Additionally, she will work with the Faculty Research Committee and other groups to identify ways and means to support the scholarly and creative activities of faculty. Dr. Joyce joined The W in August of 2003. She earned her bachelor of fine arts degree from the Memphis College of Art and also earned her master’s from the University of Memphis. She earned her doctorate from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Pardo will serve as the provost fellow for teaching innovation and engaged learning. She will work with campus groups and offices to devise strategies to encourage and promote the development of learner-centered teaching pedagogies and other innovative teaching modalities, including experiential learning, flipped classrooms, competency-based instruction, online and hybrid classes/programs, interdisciplinary classes and team-taught courses. She will organize and lead teaching symposia to exhibit and promote teaching innovation on campus. Dr. Pardo also will work with the faculty and administration to identify ways and means to encourage and support teaching innovation at The W. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from The W in 1987. She also earned her master’s degree and doctorate in English from The University of Alabama.