OXFORD, Miss. A University of Mississippi graduate
instructor in English has received an award recognizing him
as an outstanding teacher of freshmen.
Travis Montgomery, a native of Tecumseh, Okla., is the
fourth recipient of the annual Lawrence “Shaky” Yates Award
for Best Teacher of Freshman English. The honor includes a
$600 prize.
“When you’re a freshman, you’re trying to get used to the
university environment, the new requirements, learning the
new expectations, and this requires taking a new attitude
toward revising papers,” said Montgomery. “I try to help
students write clear thesis statements and organize
paragraphs effectively. I feel that if students can leave
my class and revise papers well, then I have succeeded.”
Patrick Quinn, chair of the English department, said that
Montgomery is a young man who has a love and dedication for
the English language.
“He really cares about the language and realizes how
important it is in today’s world,” Quinn said. “He wants
his students to have a firm grasp of the language, giving
them the confidence to go forward in whatever section of
the world they choose. I think it is rare to find someone
this strongly dedicated to his students, and this is why
Travis won this year’s award. ”
Yates, who taught English at Ole Miss from 1946 to 1953,
was notorious for his strict teaching principles. The award
was created in 2004 by UM alumnus Carl Odom of Hattiesburg
and his wife, Jeanine Sheats Odom. Yates taught Odom
freshman English in 1949. Odom graduated in 1953 with a
bachelor’s degree in psychology.
“We listen to a great deal of student feedback before we
make any decision about the award,” said Quinn. “Last
year, I had several students tell me Travis had many good
ideas which excited them about writing, and comments like
this aid in the decision-making process.”
“It’s nice to receive awards like this, but I don’t deserve
one more than other instructors here,” Montgomery said. “We
all help each other devise assignments or classroom
strategies, and we often ask each other for advice. So I
guess if we receive awards like these, then we should
acknowledge our colleagues.”
Montgomery received a bachelor’s degree in English from
Oklahoma Christian University in 2002. He then received a
master’s from the University of Mississippi in 2004 before
enrolling in the graduate program. He has taught freshman
composition courses, as well as several advanced English
courses. His dissertation discusses Edgar Allan Poe and
Orientalism, examining the Middle Eastern influence on
Poe’s writings.
For more information about the Department of English, call
662-915-7439 or visit