Faculty Fellowships (WOW) for Online Instructors at the University of Mississippi

The WOW! Faculty Fellow program highlights the innovative achievements and sound instructional practices of online instructors at UM, promoting peer-to-peer learning and collaboration.

Originally launched as a summer grant to foster exploration and innovation in online education at the University of Mississippi, the WOW! Grant first provided online instructors with the time and resources to integrate new techniques or technologies into their courses to create exceptional online learning experiences.

With the growth of online education, many innovations from the WOW! Grant are now standard practices at UM, ensuring student engagement with the course, instructor, and peers.

Apply to be a WOW! Fellow

Our Current WOW! Fellow

Dr. M. Franny Zawadzki

Dr. M. Franny Zawadzki holds a Master’s Degree in 19th century European Art from Hunter College and a Ph.D. in 19th century American Art from The Graduate Center. She specializes in the history of illustration and the printed image, printing technology, and art and aesthetic education. Her research focuses on alternative methods of art and aesthetic education like drawing books, illustrated monthly magazines, art textbooks and art packs, and a variety of other printed material.

Dr. Zawadzki is deeply committed to innovative, high-impact pedagogy that is immersive, experiential, and student-driven, including game-based learning and flipped classroom models. Throughout her career as a professor, she has been an advocate for online and blended learning models because they enhance traditional learning through expanded access to a vast array of tools and information, and because these models provide access to non-traditional learners and learners with disabilities, thereby, democratizing education. She has published essays and presented papers on virtual learning pedagogy, educational technology, game-based learning, and 508 compliance and Universal Design Standards.

She is currently co-editing a book on Generative AI in the art and design classroom, which she hopes will be under contract soon.

Her workshops will take place Oct. 9, Oct 23, and Nov 13. You can register in myOleMiss by selecting WOW! Faculty Fellow.

How to Apply for a WOW! Faculty Fellowship

Eligibility

Any online instructor (full-time, part-time, or adjunct) endorsed in online teaching by Academic Outreach is eligible to apply for the WOW! Program.

Application Requirements

Obtain letter of support from the Chair.
Complete an online application form in one of three emphasis areas.
Submit a narrative highlighting your innovative approach to online teaching and learning, proposed topics/ideas for presentations, and how your fellowship would benefit the UM community. Focusing on practical application of skills, more than theory, the hope is for you to share concrete examples for your courses.

Selection Process

The selection committee will review applicants and will contact potential candidates for an interview to determine the fellowship recipient(s).

Fellowship Details

WOW! Faculty Fellows receive a $6,000 stipend released over the course of the academic year.
Fellowship activities can be included in annual Faculty Activity Reports.
Fellows host 2 workshops per semester through Academic Outreach related to their application topic. These events can be in-person or virtual.
Fellows will facilitate 2 learning roundtables per semester that can be focused on their topic but emphasize opportunities for community and idea exchange.

Timeline

Application Window: February 4 - March 4 2026
Fellowship Interviews: April 2026
WOW! Faculty Fellow Selected: May 2026