McCoy Earns MUW Faculty Award

Mississippi University for Women alumna Connie Kossen, left, presents the Kossen Faculty Excellence Award to Dr. Tammie McCoy, department chair of the bachelor of science in nursing program, at The W. (Photo by Chris Jenkins/MUW Office of University Relations)

Mississippi University for Women alumna Connie Kossen, left, presents the Kossen Faculty Excellence Award to Dr. Tammie McCoy, department chair of the bachelor of science in nursing program, at The W. (Photo by Chris Jenkins/MUW Office of University Relations)

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Dr. Tammie McCoy, department chair of the bachelor of science in nursing program at Mississippi University for Women, was honored with the 2014 Kossen Faculty Excellence Award at the university’s commencement activities Saturday.

The award, which includes a $5,000 stipend, recognizes the role of faculty as the heart of the university. It was established in 2004 by Connie Kossen, a 1964 alumna of MUW, and her husband Tom.

The award is based on three fundamentals: excellence in teaching, excellence in scholarly or artistic achievement and excellence in service, preferably both on campus and in communities throughout MUW’s service area. Further, to be considered for this award, a faculty member must exhibit a commitment to student success in each of these three areas of responsibility.

Dr. Sheila Adams, dean of the College of Nursing and Speech-Language Pathology, said, “Dr. McCoy is a meritorious tenured professor of nursing at The W who has consistently exhibited excellence in teaching and advising, in scholarly achievement, and in service both on campus and in communities throughout The W’s service area.”

In 2013, McCoy, was named one of the top 20 medical and nursing professors in Mississippi by Online Schools Mississippi. She was honored for as Mississippi Community Service Nurse of the Year for her breast cancer awareness outreach and community literacy campaigns through the Nightingale Awards in Jackson. She also helps nursing students prepare for their own community engagements as head of the BSN department.

Sally-Anne Tiernan, senior BSN student, said, “Dr. Tammie McCoy has shown great compassion and care for the students in the BSN program. Personally, she showed sympathy and understanding when my husband underwent heart surgery in my junior year, working with my fellow faculty members to ensure I did not fall behind…

“She was always available to talk to and meet with regard to both nursing and personal issues, and remained positive and encouraging when I needed support.”

McCoy was the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award last year as well. The award is presented to alumni and friends of the university who have achieved professional distinction and made significant community service contributions at the local, national and/or international level, bringing distinction and honor to the university.

She has been involved with community service during her entire nursing career. In 2012, she served as president of the Mississippi Federation of Women’s Clubs, an organization that helps to improve communities through volunteer service.

Some of the other projects McCoy has been involved with in Mississippi include breast cancer awareness and prevention, raising funds for mammograms, teaching students to read, promoting summer reading programs, proper utilization of seatbelts and providing immunizations for students. Internationally she has worked to provide immunizations for children in third world countries.

McCoy and her fellow club members worked across the state to implement Dr. McCoy’s Presidents Special Project, “Feeding Fellow Mississippians,” which focused on ways to help individuals across the life span have adequate food. As part of this project she worked with food banks in canned food drives, with local church organizations in feeding initiatives, with schools and weekend backpack programs and with ways to identify and help Mississippian’s with basic food needs.

During her tenure as state president she supported her fellow club women in their volunteer work with more than 10,745 programs and projects, 637,221 volunteer hours and $1,576,802 raised with $1,001,198 raised with in-kind donations.

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