Carskadon wins prestigious Outstanding Freshman Advocate award

A Mississippi State psychology professor is one of 10 educators in the nation selected as an Outstanding Freshman Advocate.

Dr. Thomas G. Carskadon was among 189 nominees for the honor, which recognizes educators who have developed and implemented special programs to enhance the academic experiences of first-year students.

The competition is sponsored by the University of South Carolina's National Resource Center for the Freshman Year Experience and Houghton Mifflin Publishers. Carskadon received the award during recent ceremonies at the National Conference on the Freshman Year Experience in Columbia, S.C.

He was cited for his 25 years of research, teaching, and service on behalf of first-year students, including the development of freshman seminar courses and an Honors residence hall for freshmen and his 17 presentations at the national freshman conference since 1988.

Carskadon also is a world authority on psychological type and has edited the Journal of Psychological Type for 20 years. He is one of four persons ever to receive the prestigious Mary H. McCaulley Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Areas of Individual Differences and Recognition and Respect for Human Diversity.

In 1985, Carskadon was recognized by the Mississippi State Alumni Association with its Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching. In 1993, he was among the first group of five Mississippi State faculty to win a Master Teacher Award.

"The Outstanding Freshman Advocate Award demonstrates that Mississippi State University is a national leader in quality freshman programs," Carskadon said. "Given resources, the award-winning programs can be substantially increased, and that is an exciting prospect indeed."