Carroll named 2023 Screagle Pride Award recipient

I love first days! They are so full of possibilities!

Those words graced the whiteboard of the classroom of Dr. Rob Carroll, Assistant Professor of Education, on the first day of the 2024 Spring Semester. It perfectly sums up his view not only on first days, but on the potential of USI students.

During the annual University Spring Meeting, held January 3, Carroll was named the 2023-24 Screagle Pride Award winner by President Ronald S. Rochon. Award nominees are submitted by USI employees, who are asked to submit the names of colleagues they feel embody excellence and dedication, as well as those who make a difference in the lives of others. Among the finalists submitted for the award, Carroll was selected as the recipient.

“It was surprising (when I was announced the winner),” he says. “I didn’t have any idea. I was kind of dumbfounded.”

Around campus, Carroll is known as a social media guy—his Facebook page is filled with photos of him with students, sharing not only their successes but the pride he feels for them. In their nominations for Carroll, colleagues wrote that he demonstrates unwavering commitment to student success and a drive to ensure students reach their full potential. They added that he actively engages with students both inside and outside of the classroom and provides strong support and extracurricular activities all across campus.

There’s much more—Carroll also was recognized in the comments for organizing campus gatherings to foster student connections, and for his efforts to help alleviate stress in the lives of students. The nominator even touted Carroll’s efforts as contributing to long-term enrollment growth for the University, as his students actively recruit others to join USI just from being a part of his classes.

Hearing the comments from the nominators was a great feeling, says Carroll. To him, it was meaningful to know a colleague had taken the time to intentionally write about his work at USI. “That was a powerful piece,” he says. “And as the Screagle Pride Award is about serving students, that is a big deal for me.”

In his comments after receiving the award, Carroll stated his purpose every day is to do for USI students what he would want for his own daughters, who are 24 and 28. That has always been the bar for him during his career in education—don’t do anything for students that you wouldn’t want done for your own children. It’s a motto he’s kept in mind during his time at USI. “After the meeting, I immediately called both my daughters. They are proud; they know why I do this. My oldest is a teacher and they both attended the elementary school I was a principal at, so they know,” he says.

Carroll adds he heartedly agrees with the comments from David Bower, Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement, at the Spring Meeting as well—relationships and education cannot be separate. For Carroll, being an educator, whether at the elementary level or in higher education, begins and ends with a relationship. “When I retire from USI, I don’t want to look back and say, ‘There’s a student I could have helped, but I didn’t.’ I don’t want to have any regrets,” he explains.

“I completely believe it is an honor to serve our students,” Carroll adds. “If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Congratulations to Dr. Rob Carroll! Thank you for your dedication to USI students and our campus.