SPRINGFIELD, Mo., September 17, 2020 — Two Drury University educators have been recognized for excellence in teaching and mentoring students in the university’s evening and online program, now called Drury GO. David Mercer is honored for excellence in online teaching, while Joel Thomas is recognized for teaching seated or blended courses.
Online education: David Mercer
Mercer is the recipient of the 2020 Steve Hynds Online Educator of the Year Award. He began teaching for Drury in 1999 and helped design the university’s nationally recognized associate degree program in paralegal studies. He continues to teach the bulk of the courses in the program.
“David has created a crop of paralegals who are employed all over Missouri,” says Dr. Leah Blakey, director of online education. “His firm but fair way of teaching forces them to think critically, and when they graduate, they are ready for the workplace. In fact, he has grown such a reputation that lawyers frequently call Drury and ask specifically for a paralegal graduate who has studied under David.”
In nominating him, students cited Mercer’s ability to motivate them to excel with positive yet constructive feedback and to recognize students’ individual strengths and help build upon them.
“David Mercer is one of the best teachers I have had,” one student wrote. “I’ve had the pleasure of him being my teacher for most of my legal classes and I remember how he would grade my assignments based on the comparison to the rest of my work; if it wasn’t consistent I would get graded down because I did not work to my fullest potential.”
Mercer graduated from Drury in 1984 with degrees in biology and philosophy. He earned a master’s in education from Drury and a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Following judicial clerkships in Missouri and federal appeals courts, he took a hiatus from law and worked in the nonprofit industry. For the last two decades, he has been an attorney for the Federal Public Defenders Office for the Western District of Missouri where he has devoted his legal practice to defending indigent clients in federal court.
Seated/blended education: Joel Thomas
Thomas has been selected as the Drury GO 2019-20 Sue Rollins Educator of the Year. This award is given to aninstructor who is great at bringing a subject to life in an engaging, relevant and challenging way. For the past nine years, Thomas has spent evenings on the Monett campus teaching subjects including marketing, communication, advertising, leadership and business ethics. Known for being approachable and charismatic, Thomas often connects Drury students to the Monett community through hands-on projects at local businesses.
As one student reflected in the nomination: “It was a great experience to actually deal with a business establishment, and then come up with different ads to choose from and do an actual radio commercial and make an actual press release for the business. Great class, great teacher.”
Thomas is senior manager of special projects at Monett-based banking software firm Jack Henry & Associates. He holds a bachelor’s in marketing and quantitative analysis from Missouri State University and a master’s in integrated marketing from Drury.
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