MSSU professors Curtis, Marion receive outstanding teacher awards

(From Southern News Service)

Dr. Charles Curtis, a mathematics professor, and Terry Marion, professor of business administration and management, were presented the Outstanding Teacher awards during the Fall 2015 faculty meeting on Aug. 14 at Missouri Southern State University.

Students, faculty and alumni submit nominations for the awards, which recognize teachers who have made a positive impact at Missouri Southern.

Curtis, who has been with Missouri Southern since 1992, received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Washington. One of the submitted nominations praised Curtis as someone who “really knows what he is teaching. He is a real model for how a math professor should be.”

Marion has taught at Missouri Southern since 1976. He received a degree in business from Missouri State University, his master’s from Pittsburg State University and did doctoral work at the University of Arkansas.

“Mr. Marion uses material from today’s business environment for examples and comparisons during his lectures and homework assignments,” a student said in nominating him for the award. “His coursework is relevant, and he allows students to work at their own pace.”

Curtis and Marion each received an engraved plaque and a $1,000 award from the Missouri Southern Foundation.

Also honored during the meeting was JJ Spurlin, Jr., who received the Outstanding Advisor award.

Spurlin, an associate professor of criminal justice, has been with Missouri Southern since 1998. He received his bachelor’s degree from Missouri Southern and his master’s and teaching specialist degrees from Pittsburg State University.

In a nomination letter, a student praised Spurlin for “checking up on me almost weekly my whole four years here, asking how my grades were and if I was doing OK and needed anything at all. JJ also has a serious side where he will be brutally honest about a criminal justice future and he won't sugarcoat it. That's how our major is though; we want to help people but things won't always be easy. He has distilled that in my head that helping people is what truly matters.”