Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—There may be thousands of miles between Mississippi State and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, but the university’s newest Online Teaching Award recipient said he can feel the Bulldog connection even from the Mediterranean Sea.

Christopher “Chris” Little, a lecturer in the university’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, recently accepted the honor from MSU’s Center for Distance Education for his efforts in engaging, inspiring and supporting students in an online environment. Little currently resides in Spain’s Balearic Islands, where he has been teaching online since 2015.

“As a Spanish language instructor, my job is to constantly open windows to other cultures, viewpoints and ways of living to which my students might not have had previous exposure,” Little said in a virtual acceptance speech.

Susan Seal, executive director of MSU’s Center for Distance Education, said well-designed, engaging courses—and dedicated faculty to teach them—are key to online student success.

“We are so fortunate at Mississippi State to have instructors, like Christopher Little, who take our world-class academics to our online campus. He is an excellent example of how we can engage our students in the academic rigor that prepares them for the future, regardless of physical location,” Seal said.

Originally from Greenwood Springs in Monroe County, Little earned his bachelor’s in Spanish and Iberian studies in 2011 from Marlboro College in Vermont. He later returned to the Magnolia State and earned a master’s in Spanish and minor in history from Mississippi State. He is currently pursuing a master’s in general linguistics and advanced Catalan language and literature studies from the University of the Balearic Islands, with plans this fall to begin a doctoral program in theoretical and applied linguistics.

Little has taught Spanish I-IV and advanced conversation practicum courses since joining the MSU faculty in fall 2014. Since fall 2015, he has been teaching Spanish I-IV exclusively online and helping coordinate several MSU Summer Study Abroad trips to Alcalá de Henares, Spain, where he has taught both Hispanic civilization and linguistic diversity in the Iberian Peninsula.

Speaking Spanish and Catalan, Little aspires to learn at least nine languages and is currently studying Portuguese and Basque. He expressed gratitude for those at MSU who share his commitment to providing students with a quality online education.

“I want to thank Dr. Seal and the entire team at the Center for Distance Education for the incredible work they do and support they provide; all of my colleagues in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, especially our department head Dr. Peter Corrigan; and all of my students through the years without whose constant patience and guidance none of this would have been possible,” he said.

Learn more about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures at www.cas.msstate.edu and www.cmll.msstate.edu.

For more information on MSU’s online programs, visit online.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.