SECAC celebrates Dr. Kerry Mills for redefining engagement in the virtual and real-world classroom
Reflecting on her prowess as a teacher, Dr. Kerry Mills’ nomination described her as having “a genius for establishing a virtual classroom that embodies presence, availability, flexibility, and real-time communication.”
That approach recently earned Mills, assistant professor of art history at Mary Baldwin University, one of the nation’s top honors for visual arts educators: the 2025 SECAC Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Presented at the 81st annual SECAC Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, the award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates an exceptional command of their discipline and inspires students through innovative and effective teaching. SECAC — originally the Southeastern College Art Conference — is now a national organization promoting dialogue, scholarship, and creativity in the visual arts, making this recognition both competitive and prestigious.
“I am committed to the idea that my courses should engage with the time in which we live,” Mills said. “The climate of learning is always evolving and depends on the students and their lived experiences. My teaching should not live in a silo, leaving out the real-world implications of the study of art history. Art is not created in a vacuum.”
Recognizing Impact in the Classroom and Beyond
The SECAC committee praised Mills’ thoughtful teaching philosophy and record of student engagement. Her courses invite students to connect the past to the present — to consider how art intersects with social movements, identity, and culture. That emphasis on context and critical thinking aligns closely with Mary Baldwin’s commitment to empowering students through personalized, relevant learning experiences.
Mills’ teaching often extends beyond the classroom. At the Cincinnati conference where the award was presented, she also shared her own research with peers across the country. Her paper, “To and From: A Discussion of Mail Art, Fluxus, Modernism, and Davi Det Hompson’s Correspondence,” explores the creative practice of using correspondence — letters, postcards, and packages — as both art form and connection.
The project reflects her ongoing interest in how artists use everyday communication to blur the boundaries between art, audience, and life.