Mentzer Award for Inspirational Teaching

The Mentzer Award for Inspirational Teaching was created by alumna Susan Mentzer-Blair and her husband, William “Bill” Blair to honor a full-time professor recognized by Shepherd students for being particularly inspiring and having a profound effect on his or her students. According to Mentzer-Blair, her brother, Dr. John Thomas “Tom” Mentzer, served as inspiration for the award because he received a similar accolade from his Ph.D. candidate students at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he held the Bruce Chair of Excellence in the business department.

MAIT honors Mentzer-Blair’s brother, who passed away in 2010, as well as her mother, who followed in 2014. A portion of each of their estates was used to create this recognition through the Shepherd University Foundation. Mentzer-Blair is a retired school counselor with Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland and her husband is also a retired educator, having taught history and worked as a school counselor with Jefferson County Public Schools.

2023 Mentzer Award for Inspirational Teaching:  Dr. Matthew Kushin

Dr. Matthew Kushin, professor of communications, was selected as the recipient of the 2023 Mentzer Award for Inspirational Teaching (MAIT). All Shepherd students are invited to nominate a professor for this award and briefly describe how this professor has made a difference in their life or the life of a classmate.

Student Nominations:

I have had the pleasure of taking three classes under Dr. Kushin’s instruction, including Writing Across Platforms, Social Media, and Happiness: Media v. Reality. In short, he has consistently gone above and beyond in his lectures, which are actually much greater than just lectures. His ability to make the class interesting, interacting with students and encouraging group discussions, is truly unique among my professors over the last three years.

Dr. Kushin has personally had a huge influence on me during my time at Shepherd. Before taking his classes, I felt lost and couldn’t figure out what interested me. His classes sparked my interest and truly made me feel passionate about learning again. He is the reason that I chose to change my minor to Communication and New Media. He always shows up for his students and goes above and beyond for us. He provides us with many resources to assist us in learning and growing as students and people. He is the advisor for the National Millennial and Gen Z Council, which I am now a part of because of him. I have had the opportunity to network with many new people and have been presented with tremendous opportunities through this club. I give all of my thanks to Dr. Kushin for helping me figure out my place in the professional world.

Previous Winners