Mississippi College confers emeritus status upon accomplished former faculty members
Eleven of Mississippi College’s most influential former faculty members received emeritus status from the institution during its 2025 Faculty and Staff Convocation on August 11.
Dr. Michael J. Highfield, MC provost and executive vice president, introduced the emeritus recipients while MC President Blake Thompson presented each with a plaque to mark their accomplishment.
Emeritus status is bestowed upon retired Mississippi College faculty or staff members who have made significant contributions to the Christian University. It is given in recognition of a long and distinguished record of scholarship, teaching, research, and service.
Highfield thanked the recipients “for your unwavering commitment and dedication to Mississippi College, your colleagues, your scholarship and our students. You remain an important part of our University.”
Emerita or emeritus status was conferred on the following:
Dr. Lisa Eichelberger, Dean and Professor Emerita of Nursing
Eichelberger served as Dean of the MC School of Nursing from 1987 to 1995, and laid a strong foundation upon which the school continues to thrive. In December 2023, during a pivotal period of transition for the school, she graciously returned as interim dean, her steady leadership reinforcing the school’s mission with clarity and conviction.
Dr. Melinda Gann, Professor Emerita of Mathematics
During her 35-year tenure at MC, Gann held nearly every rank in the Department of Mathematics, from instructor to tenured professor, and consistently modeled excellence in teaching, service and Christian character. Her long list of awards includes the 2015 Tribesman yearbook dedication, the 2023 Distinguished Faculty of the Year award and the 2024 Carol C. West Faculty Advocate award.
Dr. Roger Greene, Professor Emeritus of Christian Studies
Greene retired this spring as the longest-serving professor in the Department of Christian Studies. During his 46 years at MC, his “Teachings of Jesus” course and his four Greek language classes came to be considered “Rites of Passage” for Christian Studies majors. An expert in Pauline literature, Greene authored his own Greek grammar textbook and four additional books.
Jill Mayo, Assistant Professor Emerita of Nursing
Mayo’s tenure at MC was marked by her service on several university committees, including the Distinguished Professor Committee, which she chaired, the Core Curriculum Assessment Committee, the Academic Advising Action Team-Retention Subcommittee, and the SACS Self-Study Committee. She also published numerous papers and presentations, including international engagements.
Tamara Ford, Instructor Emerita in Nursing
Ford served in the School of Nursing for 28 years. Her leadership as Chair of the Admissions and Progressions Committee was instrumental in maintaining the quality and integrity of the program. A talented and popular instructor, she was nominated by her students several times to be honored as a Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers selection.
Susan Lassiter, Assistant Professor Emerita of English
Known for embodying the “Spirit of the Humanities,” Lassiter taught graduate and undergraduate classes in short fiction, “The Lost Generation,” detective and mystery fiction, and history of the English language. Named Civitan Professor of the Year and Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year, she received the MHC Educator of the Year award for her work in the “Prison to Pipeline” program.
Dr. John Meadors, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy
Across his 32-year career at MC, Meadors taught in the Department of Christian Studies and chaired the Department of English and Philosophy for five years. The sole philosopher on faculty, he was named the Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year and the Distinguished Lecturer for the College of Arts and Sciences. The HEADWAE and SGA Faculty honoree was named MC’s Distinguished Professor in 1999.
Dr. J.B. Potts, Professor Emeritus of English
Potts was known for his graduate seminars in contemporary American Literature and his undergraduate classes in American Ethnic Literature and Mississippi Writers. A longtime sponsor of the Sigma Tau Delta English honorary society and a faculty sponsor of MC’s student literary art magazine, “The Arrowhead,” he was past president of the Mississippi Philological Association and served as editor of its publication.
Dr. Glenn Wiggins, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science
The “Father of the Computer Science Program” at MC, Wiggins’ career spans 44 years, from teaching the first computer science class on campus to teaching about the arrival of AI. He developed the first computer science curriculum, which he taught exclusively for two years, and brought the Internet to campus. The architect of the campus MCNet, he established the “mc.edu” domain name.
Mary Miller, Assistant Dean Emerita of IT and Legal Research, MC School of Law
During her 26 years of service to MC Law, Miller built the Law Library into one of the most admired and esteemed in the Southeast. Her writing seminar was one of the most popular courses in the school. She authored, edited and published numerous Mississippi secondary legal sources, and chaired three Law School Committees, including MC Law’s Strategic Planning Committee.
Tom Williams, Professor Emeritus, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership (posthumous)
A longtime department chair for teacher education, Williams launched the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program. As graduate program coordinator, he was instrumental in recruiting, advising, and supporting graduate students, and as MC’s first energy education director, he implemented cost-saving strategies and oversaw critical functions that kept the University running smoothly and efficiently.
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