Dr. Justin Wise, assistant professor of psychology, received the 2014 Lu Thomasson Garrett Award for Meritorious Teaching.

The award was established in 1994 through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. David (Lu Thomasson) Garrett. The late Mrs. Garrett was a 1952 Oglethorpe graduate, an honorary degree recipient, and member emerita of the Board of Trustees. The prize is awarded annually to an outstanding faculty member selected by a committee of his or her peers.

Dr. Wise earned a B.S. at Southwest Texas State University, his M.S. at The University of Texas at San Antonio, and his Ph.D. at Georgia State University.  He joined the faculty at Oglethorpe University in 2010.

A developmental psychologist by training, Dr. Wise is interested in how organic and environmental insults to the brain effect cognitive and linguistic development, with a particular interest in atypically developing populations, sub-typing, the effects of early traumatic brain injury, and the relationship between language and literacy development. His research focuses on identifying the underlying mechanisms that drive the development of key cognitive and linguistic skills necessary for successful academic achievement.

“Dr. Wise’s students know him as a tireless contributor to their lives and to the life of the university, his engagement reaching far beyond the classroom,” said the previous year’s winner, Dr. Devon Belcher, who presented the award. “Despite the fact that he routinely teaches some of the most difficult classes, his students love him for it. All the students I spoke with leveled that highest of praises, that these courses are the hardest and most challenging they have taken, but the best and most educational – and even the most enjoyable.”