Mississippi State University Scholar Honored for Innovation in Distance Learning Teaching Methods

Athena Owen Nagel, an assistant clinical professor in the department of geosciences at Mississippi State University, has been selected to receive the Excellence in Teaching Association Award from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. The award recognizes innovative and dedicated distance learning teaching methods.

UPCEA is a leading association for professional, continuing, and online education. It serves 400 leading public and private colleges and universities in North America, offering innovative conferences and seminars, research and benchmarking information, and professional networking opportunities.

“Many of the students in my courses have a variety of professional or life experiences, as well as being geographically diverse. That is an amazing wealth of knowledge and information. I try to build my classes by creating assignments and discussion prompts, to have students share that knowledge to enrich the class and create student connections,” Dr. Owen Nagel said. “I also especially enjoy knowing that teaching in this style allows our military students and their families to stay with their education while moving around and supporting our country. That wouldn’t be as possible in a more traditional classroom setting.”

Dr. Owen Nagel joined the faculty at Mississippi State in 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri, where she majored in geology. Dr. Owen Nagel holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in geosciences from Mississippi State University.