MGA’s Heather Ness-Maddox Selected as Governor’s Teaching Fellow

Author: News Bureau
Posted: Thursday, February 13, 2025 8:35 AM
Categories: Pressroom | School of Education and Behavioral Sciences | Honors/Awards | Faculty/Staff

Macon, GA

A picture of Dr. Heather Ness-Maddox in the lobby of the Jones Building

Middle Georgia State University faculty member Dr. Heather Ness-Maddox has been selected as a Governor’s Teaching Fellow for the 2025-26 academic year. An assistant professor of psychology and director of MGA’s Honors Program, Ness-Maddox is one of 16 faculty members chosen for the highly competitive program from institutions across Georgia.

Established in 1995 by then-Gov. Zell Miller, the Governor's Teaching Fellows program provides faculty with opportunities to develop innovative instructional methods and incorporate emerging technologies. Since its inception, the program has supported more than 600 fellows from over 70 public and private institutions, representing more than 80 disciplines statewide.

An MGA alumna, Ness-Maddox earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the university before completing a master’s in clinical psychology at Clayton State University and a doctorate in educational psychology at Georgia State University. She also holds certifications in quantitative research in education and language and literacy science. Her research focuses on narrative media comprehension, including comics, film and video games. In her research lab, she encourages students to explore their own interests in these and related areas.

Ness-Maddox emphasizes critical thinking, effective learning strategies and psychology as a scientific discipline in her courses and mentorship. As a Governor’s Teaching Fellow, she plans to redesign her cross-cultural psychology course to be more accessible to students.