University of Mississippi Faculty Laureates showcase excellence in academic inquiry, creative endeavor, and communication.

This new program, developed and managed by the Mississippi Lab, leverages award stipends, travel stipends, course releases, and project development funds to empower the creativity of faculty from all disciplines who work on the Oxford campus of the University of Mississippi. Their dynamic work makes possible new alliances, projects, and knowledge. Laureates amplify the impact of higher education in Mississippi and beyond.

Laureate terms began August 15, 2024.

Underwritten by the Dr. Daniel W. Jones Endowment for Faculty Support.

Faculty Laureates, 2024-2026

  • Fafulas Communicating

    Stephen Fafulas, Ph.D.

    ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MODERN LANGUAGES

    Learn More
  • Winburn Faculty Laureate

    Amanda Winburn, Ph.D.

    PROFESSOR OF COUNSELOR EDUCATION

    Learn More

Faculty Laureates, 2024-2026

Stephen Fafulus, associate professor of Spanish and linguistics.

Amanda Winburn, associate professor of leadership and counselor education, plans to instruct teachers and counselors across the state about play therapy and its long-term benefits.

Read more about the new faculty laureates.

Faculty Laureate Program Guidelines

    • Introduce Mississippi to UM faculty

    • Showcase the impact of higher education in Mississippi

    • Retain and grow creative faculty

    • Encourage and enable creative work

    • Build new alliances, projects, and knowledge

  • Faculty with 5 years minimum experience at UM at time of application

    • ALL fields and disciplines are eligible

    • Lecturer, Instructional Associate Professor, Associate Professor, or higher  

    • 50 percent course release (2 class release per semester if class load is 3-3)

    • $ to departments to cover classes, arrangements made via department chairs and Provost

    • $7.5k yearly Laureate stipend

    • $10k yearly Laureate travel budget, rollover possible

    • $5k initial Laureate project funds

    • At 6 months, Laureates propose full projects and apply for additional project funds

  • 7 jurors make the selection

    • 3 meetings per year

    • Narrows field to finalists (edited)

    • Each finalist gets one interview with jury (edited)

    2-3 Laureates selected after finalist interviews

    • Actual number based on strength of field

    • Faculty Laureates serve a 2-year term

  • Thomas Andre, Exercise Science

    Nancy Maria Balach, Institute for the Arts

    Shawnboda Mead, Vice Chancellor Diversity and Community Engagement

    John T Edge, Mississippi Lab

    Vanessa Gregory, Journalism and New Media

    Cecille Labuda, Physics and Astronomy

    Andre Liebenberg, Business and Insurance

*Logo by students in Tyler Barnes’s graphic design class at the University of Mississippi.

Faculty Laureate Photo Credit: Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services.