The W to fill two key director positions
Mississippi University for Women will fill two key director positions this summer and in the fall.
Dr. Melissa Smith, Gibbons Chair of Journalism, will assume the role of Kossen Center for Teaching and Learning director July 1, and Dr. Jill Drouillard, assistant professor of philosophy and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, will be the director of the Women’s College, effective, Aug. 1.
The KCTL promotes teaching excellence and opens up dialogue about ways faculty and staff can help students learn. The center values evidence-based practices that promote learning in and out of the classroom with the ultimate goal of creating opportunities for engaged and enthusiastic learning.
The fairly new Women’s College, continues The W’s historic focus as the first state-supported public university for women in the United States. The Women’s College offers all students, regardless of major, highly personalized, high-impact experiences that showcase women’s excellence and leadership in the past and present while providing skills and professional experience to empower paths.
Dr. Smith joined The W’s communication department in 2011 as Gibbons Chair and has taught online and face-to-face courses and managed the department’s internship courses. She also serves as adviser for the campus newspaper, The Spectator. She has taught courses for Mississippi Governor’s School, and she was the 2024 Humanities Teacher of the Year for The W. Smith has published numerous scholarly articles and authored books on political marketing, social and mobile media, presidential elections, political action committees and campaign finance reform.
Her educational background includes The University of Alabama, a doctorate degree in Mass Communication with a concentration in political communication. She earned her master’s degree in Telecommunication and Film from Alabama. Smith also earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism, with minors in English and psychology, from Auburn University.
“We are pleased to announce Dr. Melissa Smith as the new director for the Connie and Tom Kossen Center for Teaching and Learning,” said Dr. Marty Brock, associate vice president of academic affairs. “Dr. Smith brings a wealth of experience and a passion for teaching to the position as well as a dedication to research and scholarship. We look forward to her leadership in advancing the KCTL’s mission of continuous professional growth and academic excellence.”
Dr. Drouillard has served The W since 2020 and was named The W’s 2025 Humanities Teacher of the Year. She recently celebrated the publication of her new book published by SUNY Press. Drouillard has published many scholarly articles on feminist philosophy, and she is an active member of philoSOPHIA, The American PhilosophicalAssociation and the Mississippi Philosophical Association, of which she is the current president. She also founded Medusa: An Undergraduate Journal of Feminist Philosophy last year, which has involved student contributors.
Drouillard’s educational background includes a doctorate from the Université Paris Sorbonne IV in philosophy and a master’s degree in practical philosophy (medical and political ethics) from the Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée. She also earned a master of science degree in gender studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her bachelor’s degree was earned from Goucher College in philosophy and women studies.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Drouillard as director of the Women’s College,” said Kim Whitehead, senior associate vice president for Academic Affairs, who served as founding director of the college in its first year. “Dr. Drouillard’s entire career speaks to the mission of the Women’s College, and her work at The W to date—teaching popular Women’s College-related courses, creating innovative co-curricular programming and helping build a foundation for the college as a Faculty Fellow this year—makes her a great fit to lead the college’s continued growth.”