Bailey named Among the Best Professors of 2026
Haley Bailey, instructor of nursing at Mississippi University for Women, was named among the best college professors in The Commercial Dispatch’s “Best of the Triangle” for 2026.
The “Best of the Triangle” is a yearly competition where the public decides who is the best at what they do by voting. The contest encompasses the entire Golden Triangle.
“This recognition means so much because it comes from the community and the students I have the privilege of serving,” Bailey said. “Teaching has never been just a job for me, it’s an opportunity to encourage, challenge and help shape future nurses. Knowing that I’ve made a positive impact on my students’ lives and careers is so meaningful!”
A 2013 graduate of The W’s ASN program, Bailey began a career in nursing in the Progressive Care Step Down Unit at Baptist Memorial hospital – Golden Triangle before moving to Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi. Her career brought her back to where it all started when she joined The W’s faculty in 2021 as an instructor of baccalaureate nursing.
“The W has been part of my story for many years,” she said. “I earned my nursing degree here, met lifelong friends here and even married my husband in Carrier Chapel. Now, I have the incredible opportunity to teach in the same program that helped shape me into the nurse and educator I am today. Returning as faculty feels a little like coming home. It’s a privilege to invest in future nurses and give back to a place that has given me so much, both professionally and personally.”
Beginning this academic year, she will transition to the ASN program, which to her, is like coming home.
“It’s the program that started my nursing career, so being able to teach there is really special,” Bailey said. “I’m excited to work alongside the instructors who taught me years ago and are now my colleagues. It’s a full circle moment, and I’m excited for Fall 2026!”