Faculty Spotlight: Oregon Excellence in Teaching Award to SOU’s Perrow

Margaret Perrow, a professor of English at Southern Oregon University, recently was recognized with the 2022 Oregon Excellence Award in Teaching English and Language Arts from the Oregon Council of Teachers of English.

The Oregon Council of Teachers of English is a non-profit organization whose goals are to provide access, share educational methods, provide opportunities and contribute materials to English teachers in Oregon. The organization brings a sense of community to educators in the field and recognizes educators throughout the state who have made an impact on the English education community. The annual Excellence in Teaching award is open to all English teachers statewide, from elementary school to college level.

Perrow began teaching at SOU in the Education Program in 2006 and shifted to the English Department faculty in 2011, but her career spans far beyond her time at the university. She had a passion for words and language from a young age and found as she went through college that she had a passion for helping people learn and develop new skills.

“Language reflects who we are, but also shapes who we are,” she said in a podcast interview with SOU News.

Perrow spent time working as a literacy development teacher for all ages after college, helping people improve their reading skills and use writing as a way to tell stories. In 1998, she went to South Africa to conduct her doctoral research, studying how educational experiences can affect a person’s understanding of the world. She later continued her research in education, but knew she wanted to teach. The drive to share her knowledge eventually led her to SOU, securing a faculty position in education and then English.

Perrow is the director of the Oregon Writing Project at SOU – one of the main accomplishments that led to her award recognition. The Oregon Writing Project is a program in which teachers of all levels and backgrounds can share and learn new educational skills for writing and language arts. It offers regular workshops, seminars and writing groups.

I sat down with Dr. Perrow in a brand-new podcast interview; discussing her background, her passion for language arts and being honored with the OCTE award.

The SOU News Podcast is moderated by SOU Marketing and Communication student employee Nash Bennett. Listeners can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms. This is the first installment of our new podcast series, “Faculty Spotlight,” in which we interview SOU faculty members who have made a special impact on students and the campus community.

Enjoy this month’s episode:
Faculty Spotlight – Episode #1