MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Amazing, phenomenal, invaluable, creative — all words used to describe Middle Tennessee State University assistant professor and Bachelor of Social Work program coordinator Carmelita Dotson, who was honored Thursday, March 27, as recipient of the 2025 John Pleas Faculty Award.

“It is surreal, like winning an Academy Award or Grammy. To be in same category with my colleagues who are previous recipients is unbelievable,” Dotson, the 28^th recipient of the faculty award, told a crowd assembled at the awards ceremony held in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building on campus.

The faculty award was established in 1997 to honor MTSU psychology Professor Emeritus John Pleas, who was on hand at this year’s ceremony to present the award. The ceremony, typically held each February during Black History Month, honors a faculty member at MTSU who best embodies the respect for diversity. This year’s event was rescheduled due to inclement weather.

The crowd included the 2023 award recipient, public health professor Chandra Story, who orchestrated the event and served as emcee. In addition to other previous winners, there were a number of MTSU administrators, including University Provost Mark Byrnes, and supporters of Dotson at the event, including former students and fellow faculty who spoke on her behalf.

“She lives and embodies social work,” said Scott Coble, MTSU alumnus and social work faculty member. “She loves those students, she loves her colleagues, and she has not met anybody that she is not willing to truly help.”

Although eager to help others, Dotson is no stranger to struggles, including familial and personal health challenges. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Dotson is the youngest of 10 children, born to parents who had not earned a degree but knew the importance of education. She lost her parents by age 18.

“Education and social justice and doing community work was the core in our family,” Dotson said. “We were always helping those in the community.”

Care and concern for others were embedded in her soul. She moved to Nashville where she attended Tennessee State University to fulfill a promise to her late father, later graduating with a master’s in social work. She then launched her career at the Bethlehem Center, serving low-income children and families in Nashville.

During the early years of her career, she met her future mentor Sharon Shaw-McEwen, who is now professor emeritus in the Department of Social Work at MTSU. The two formed a tight bond as they navigated the world of social work, forging a friendship of four decades and counting.

“Almost every position in which I have served over the last 30 years, I sought to bring Dr. Dotson along because of the attributes like dependability, flexibility, her attention to detail, her creativity, her desire for excellence, and especially her excitement about teaching and training students,” Shaw-McEwen explained to the crowd.

Former social work undergraduate Shaneeka Scott was eager to extoll the virtues and vitality of Dotson.

“Dr. Dotson, your impact stretches far beyond the classroom and your research,” Scott told the audience. “You’ve proven that our voices, perspectives and contributions have a rightful place in spaces we’ve often been overlooked.”

Although MTSU social work alumna Tiffany Bell was not able to be there in person, she recorded a video message that was shown to the crowd.

“She was real with us, she was authentic, she was honest with us, and she created a space where we were able to trust her,” Bell said. “She wasn’t just a professor that was teaching us things, but she actually provided what we did through real-life situations.”

Those real-life situations were ones that often cause others to crumble, such as battles with cancer and loss of loved ones. But she stood by her mantra of R.I.S.E: resilience, impact, service and excellence.

“My journey has been shaped by resilience, service and unwavering commitment to uplifting others,” Dotson said. “My work is not academic, it’s a humanitarian mission, fostering success for those often overlooked.”

Along with the Pleas Award, Dotson has received numerous honors, including the 2022 Social Work Educator of the Year (National Association of Social Workers, Middle Tennessee Branch) and 2019-2020 MTSU Outstanding Teaching Award, among others.

She credits all her success to God and walks out her faith through service to others.

To see the list of previous award winners, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/john-pleas-award/.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)