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MC mathematics professor, ‘consummate faculty advocate,’ receives Carol C. West Award

John Travis, MC mathematics professor, received the 2025 Carol C. West Faculty Advocate Award during MC’s Honors Convocation.

Mississippi College Mathematics Professor John Travis lives for that “Aha!” moment, the instant a student realizes the “why” and not just the “how” of a given equation.

“I have been surrounded by Mississippi Baptist higher education all of my life and can appreciate the value of an education based upon eternal principles,” Travis said. “The best part of any day for me is spent in front of students, trying to challenge them to think more deeply and to become problem-solvers.

“I believe that all truth is God’s truth. To be able to see that out at a place that allows me to consider a faith perspective as well is worth the price.”

The former chair of the Department of Mathematics also thrives on helping his fellow faculty members by representing their perspectives in several ways. Travis’ efforts have earned him the 2025 Carol C. West Faculty Advocate Award, which he received on April 24 during MC’s Honors Convocation.

The award is named for the late MC Law professor, Carol C. West, a distinguished and beloved faculty member on the campus in downtown Jackson. The award is presented annually to a Mississippi College faculty member who best exemplifies the qualities and character of the late professor, including integrity, collegiality and commitment to service.

“Of course it is nice to be recognized,” Travis said, “but I would continue to advocate for the faculty, regardless of the award.”

His commitment to ensuring faculty are engaged and represented appropriately in institutional matters stems from Travis’ upbringing in north Mississippi. His father was a long-time Biblical Studies professor at Blue Mountain College; his mother also worked at Blue Mountain as a librarian and taught classes.

As a high school senior, Travis earned a presidential scholarship to attend Mississippi College, where he was elected president of the freshman class. He obtained his undergraduate degree in mathematics from MC and earned his master’s in the subject at the University of Tennessee. Travis joined the MC faculty in 1988 and commuted to Mississippi State University, where he earned his doctorate.

Chair of MC’s Math Department from 2004 to 2022, Travis doesn’t put much thought into his accomplishments – although there are many. In 2018, he received MC’s Distinguished Professor of the Year Award. In 2019, the Mississippi State Legislature, leaders of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher learning and the state’s Community College Board honored him at the 32nd Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence awards luncheon. Later that summer, he was one of seven math educators nationwide to receive the Mathematical Association of America’s Meritorious Service Award.

Travis’ approach to mathematics instruction was heavily influenced by James Burnside, a longtime MC faculty member.

“Dr. Burnside was the department chair when I was a student and was the chair when I came back to MC as a faculty member,” Travis said. “He was well-known as a servant leader.

“I have also enjoyed arguing with Dr. Melinda Gann on subjects on which we both were in agreement. Iron sharpens iron, but only when the two are allowed to meet. I have benefited from her wisdom and camaraderie.”

Gann, a prior recipient of the Carol C. West Faculty Advocate Award, describes her friend as “a brilliant man, a Christ follower and a fierce advocate who is always ready for a debate on any topic.

“He always does what he believes to be the right thing, not the popular thing nor the personally advantageous thing. That is what makes him the consummate faculty advocate.”

Daniel Watson, Travis’ successor as chair of mathematics at MC, credits his predecessor’s leadership for laying a strong foundation for the department.

“His wisdom, support and direct counsel have been invaluable to me in navigating the responsibilities of the position,” said Watson, a former student of Travis’ at MC. “His clarity of instruction, passion for the subject and encouragement played a major role in shaping my path, not only as a mathematician, but as an educator and leader. I would not be where I am today without his influence.

“In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Travis brings energy and clarity to faculty governance. As Parliamentarian for the Faculty Senate, he has played a leading role in reviewing and refining our bylaws and helping guide thoughtful discussion about the Senate’s purpose and structure.”

Those who know Travis best relish the opportunity to engage him in lively conversation.

“John does not advocate with gentle nudging or mild suggestions, but with a fire-in-the-belly and a bullhorn approach. His desire for his students to learn how to think logically is second only to his passion for them to know Christ,” said Stacey Hight, director of the MAC Center for Education Abroad at MC and a friend of Travis’ for more than three decades.

A nationally recognized leader in online learning, Travis served as chair of the Mathematical Association of America’s Committee on Technology in Mathematics Education from 2013-16. Author of the online text, “Essentials of Mathematical Probability and Statistics,” he has served as president of the MC Faculty Club and Faculty Senate and leader of the University’s Federal Employees Credit Union. An accomplished musician, Travis and his wife, Ruth, a registered nurse and teacher, are active at Parkway Baptist Church in Clinton. They are the proud parents of three children: Anna Kate, Sarah Grace Zetterholm and Laura Joy.