Double Eagle Donna Wiggins, Ph.D., receives Award for Excellence in Teaching

May 5, 2017

In March, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) alumna and Double Eagle, Donna Gwyn Wiggins, Ph.D., (79’,85’), received Winston-Salem State University’s (WSSU) 2017 University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The award was created by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 1994 to identify and reward teachers at each of its campuses every year. In addition to receiving the award at the WSSU commencement ceremony on May 19, Wiggins will also receive a $12,500 stipend.

“I am extremely humbled to have been named a recipient of this prestigious award,” said Wiggins. “I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with students both in and out of the classroom. This award is a reminder that the important work we do on the 17 constituent campuses of the UNC system does not go unnoticed.“

Wiggins, an associate professor in the Department of Music at WSSU, earned her bachelor’s degree in music theory and composition and her masters in music education from Georgia Southern. The Savannah, Georgia, native is also a graduate of Windsor Forest High School.

She is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the North Carolina Music Educators Association and the Winston-Salem Piano Teachers Association. Wiggins is a published author in several peer-reviewed journals and books and often presents at conferences across the nation with lectures on music and urban education and music education curriculum development.

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is the largest of the eight colleges that make up Georgia Southern University, and it plays a central role in every student’s core of knowledge. CLASS, also described as the University’s College of the Creative Mind, prepares students to achieve academic excellence, develop their analytical skills, enhance their creativity and embrace their responsibilities as citizens of their communities, their nations and the world. CLASS offers more than 20 undergraduate degrees and several interdisciplinary minors from its 11 departments and five academic centers. CLASS offers eight master’s degrees, two graduate certificates and one doctoral degree. For more information, visit class.georgiasouthern.edu.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 119 degree programs serving 20,673 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.