Dr. Marty Perry, a chemistry instructor at Mount St. Mary Academy, has been named a recipient of the 2021 Stephens Award by The City Education Trust. Dr. Perry is one of just six teachers in Little Rock selected to receive a $6,600 cash award recognizing his outstanding and inspirational teaching. Over the past six years, 10 MSM faculty members have earned this prestigious honor.
This is Dr. Perry’s second year at Mount St. Mary Academy, where he teaches chemistry classes including Honors Chemistry and AP Chemistry. An active member of the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) Project, Dr. Perry actively engages his students in the learning process through collaborative teamwork using guided-inquiry materials. He believes they not only effectively learn content through this student-centered instructional approach, but they also develop skills valuable for lifelong learning.
“College admission committees and future employers routinely identify the most important student attributes as the ability to effectively communicate (oral and written), think critically, solve complex problems, collaborate with a team, process new information, and manage time and resources,” Dr. Perry stated in the essay that accompanied his award application. “Students in POGIL and other active learning settings intentionally work on the development of these skills every day in the classroom.”
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Perry also coaches the Belles’ golf team and serves on the team of students, faculty and staff that is drafting Mount St. Mary Academy’s new Honor Code. He previously taught at St. Louis College of Pharmacy for three years and at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia for 18 years.
“I am honored to be recognized among all the other outstanding faculty we have at MSM,” Dr. Perry said. “It is a privilege to work in an environment that actively engages students in learning and is supported by colleagues and administration.”
Congratulations, Dr. Perry!
Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.