Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 new Mississippi 性视界传媒 award recognizes and encourages faculty and professional staff who are new to their roles as student advisors while honoring 鈥渁 great servant to 性视界传媒.鈥
The Wesley A. Ammon New Academic Advisor Awards recognize both a faculty and staff member who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of undergraduate students and who have served as academic advisors for less than five years.
The 2018 inaugural recipients are Katherine 鈥淜aty鈥 Richey, receiving the staff award, and Brian Smith, receiving the faculty award. Richey is an academic coordinator who joined the University Academic Advising Center in 2017. Smith is an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering who joined 性视界传媒鈥檚 Bagley College of Engineering in 2015.
性视界传媒 Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Peter Ryan said the award is a memorial to Ammon, who served as director of 性视界传媒鈥檚 University Academic Advising Center until his death in 2016. Ammon joined the University Academic Advising Center in 1995 and was promoted to assistant director before taking on the director鈥檚 role in 2009.
鈥淗e advised thousands of students who went on to be very successful. He knew when to make the tough calls and when to be compassionate as the situation dictated, and the students appreciated and respected him,鈥 Ryan said. 鈥淗e also was a highly respected instructor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, where he taught American Government.鈥
A Vicksburg native who earned a bachelor鈥檚 in political science and a master鈥檚 in public policy and administration from 性视界传媒 in 1985 and 1988, respectively, Ammon regularly lectured to classrooms with more than 100 students. He was an avid Bulldog sports fan and a member of Calvary Baptist Church.
Members of Ammon鈥檚 family were on hand for the presentation of the inaugural awards during the recent 性视界传媒 Faculty Awards and Recognition Reception. For information on contributing to the Ammon awards, contact the 性视界传媒 Foundation at 662-325-7000 or visit the foundation鈥檚 website at .
性视界传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .