The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has selected North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Meeshay Williams-Wheeler to receive a 2023 Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The board annually chooses outstanding faculty members at each University of North Carolina System institution for the prestigious honor.
“This award is great recognition that hard work pays off,” Wheeler said. “I’m honored and excited. After 20 years, it’s still a joy to get up and teach. This award will propel me forward into the next part of my teaching journey.”
A member of the N.C. A&T faculty since 2004, Williams-Wheeler is an associate professor of child development and family studies and the program director for the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, housed in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, where she also coordinates the minor in child development and family relations. She is a Certified Family Life Educator and serves as co-advisor of the nationally approved Certified Family Life Education Program – the only one at a state-supported historically Black college or university.
Williams-Wheeler (center) received the award during the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony. Pictured: UNC Board of Governors member Joel Ford '91, Williams-Wheeler, and senior vice provost of academic affairs Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D.
Additionally, Williams Wheeler serves as advisor for the Family and Consumer Sciences Club and 252 Aggies Club and is a former state advisor for the North Carolina Association of Family and Consumer Sciences student unit.
Williams-Wheeler respects the diverse learning styles of her students and constantly encourages them to be and to do their best. She genuinely cares about her students’ learning and well-being, demonstrating passion and concern for them inside and outside of the classroom. With a strong focus on classroom management, her teaching style is engaging and cooperative – encouraging students to participate in thought-provoking, content-driven discussions.
A former student noted, “Dr. Wheeler had an aura that was welcoming and nurturing. I looked forward to attending her class every week due to her innovative, creative and interesting teaching style. There never was a dry moment; the course was filled with meaningful discussions and projects which enhanced students’ learning ability.”
"Good teachers yield good students, and our program is committed to teaching,” Williams-Wheeler said. “We press hard to teach well and our expectations are very high. That leads to good students.”
“Dr. Williams-Wheeler’s dynamic and impactful teaching is evident in her course planning, her classroom techniques, her engagement with students, and the relationships she establishes with students as well as junior faculty,” wrote Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. in her nomination letter. “Dr. Williams-Wheeler is a model for teaching, not only in methods but in her disposition, empathy and respect for students … She is a fitting example of the exemplary teaching that we strive to achieve at North Carolina A&T State University.”
Established by the board in 1993 to highlight the importance of teaching, the awards recognize the extraordinary contributions of faculty members system-wide. Each of the winners will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. Williams-Wheeler for more than 10 years,” said Valerie Jarvis McMillan, Ph.D., interim chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and a 2019 Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. “She has a strong mastery of content and invites students into a learning process of discourse, discovery, and thought-provoking engagement. I applaud and congratulate Dr. Williams-Wheeler.”
