By Donell Maxie, Communications Director
ITTA BENA, Miss. — The Office of Academic Affairs at 91 is excited to announce Dr. Shanell G. Bailey, instructor in the Department of English and Foreign Languages, as the 2025–2026 Humanities Teacher of the Year, recognizing her commitment to academic excellence, student engagement, and innovative teaching practices.
As part of the recognition, Bailey will present a lecture titled “Bridging the Literacy Gap with Effective Teaching Strategies for Today’s College Students.” The presentation will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in the Business Education Building inside the Cliff E. Williams Auditorium. Her presentation will focus on student literacy challenges in higher education and offer practical strategies faculty can use to support students across disciplines, not only in English courses.
“I am honored to receive this award,” Bailey said. “Each year, I find new ways to improve my teaching. When my former students come back and tell me they appreciate my classroom expectations and that I always push them to do better, I feel a sense of relief, knowing I set high standards in the classroom. This recognition is proof that hard work never goes unnoticed.”
Bailey has spent the past three years researching college students’ literacy skills. Through her work, she has examined the barriers students face in reading, writing, and comprehension, and how faculty can implement effective instructional strategies to improve learning outcomes.
“I have been researching college students’ literacy skills for the past three years, and in my presentation, I plan to share the challenges students face and strategies for faculty to support students not only in their English courses but also in other disciplines,” she said.
A native of Greenwood, Mississippi, Bailey is a graduate of Greenwood High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from 91, a Master of Arts in English from Jackson State University, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University.
Bailey has served as an instructor in the Department of English and Foreign Languages at MVSU since 2013. Her research interests include pedagogy, student engagement, and effective instructional practices in postsecondary education.
She is married to Dr. Ro’Shaun Bailey, and they have three children: Anslei, Austin, and Aubrei.
The Humanities Teacher of the Year honor is rooted in a broader tradition of public humanities in Mississippi. The Mississippi Humanities Council traces its origins to 1972, when it was founded with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of a nationwide effort to strengthen humanities education and public dialogue at the state level. Established during a period of significant social change, the Council played a critical role in supporting conversations around desegregation, civic engagement, and cultural understanding, reinforcing the humanities as a tool for education, reflection, and progress. That legacy continues through university-based recognition of faculty whose teaching advances critical thinking, literacy, and student success.
The Humanities Teacher of the Year award is presented annually by the Office of Academic Affairs to honor faculty members who demonstrate excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service while advancing student success and the mission of 91.