MTSU associate professor to receive prestigious John Pleas Faculty Award on March 31

Samuel Haruna, associate professor of soil science in the School of Agriculture at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., stands in his lab at the Stark Agribusiness and Agriscience Center on campus. Haruna has been named the 2026 recipient of the prestigious John Pleas Faculty Award, recognizing his excellence in teaching, research and service. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University associate professor of soil science Samuel Haruna has been named the 2026 recipient of the prestigious John Pleas Faculty Award, recognizing his excellence in teaching, research and service.

Haruna will be honored at a presentation ceremony set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building, 516 Alma Mater Drive. The public is invited to attend this free event.

“I am so pleased that Dr. Haruna was selected as this year’s recipient because his passion for his work is infectious and makes him effective in teaching and mentoring students,” said College of Liberal Arts Dean Leah Tolbert Lyons, the 2020 recipient of the award. “Receiving the John Pleas Faculty Award is a tremendous honor because it represents the highest standards of teaching, research and service.”

Known for his enthusiasm in the classroom and beyond, Haruna has built a reputation for making complex environmental concepts both accessible and meaningful.

Samuel Haruna, right, associate professor of soil science in the School of Agriculture at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., works with graduate research assistant Ben Shults of Murfreesboro in the Stark Agribusiness and Agriscience Center on campus. Haruna has been named the 2026 recipient of the prestigious John Pleas Faculty Award, recognizing his excellence in teaching, research and service. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Contagious enthusiasm

“Somebody once told me that the worst thing that a professor can do is to walk into class assuming that the students care about what you’re about to talk about.If you want to reach the students, show them why you are interested in what you do,” said Haruna, who lights up when he talks about his work.

His academic journey began with a geology degree from Kogi State University in his home country of Nigeria. Motivated to pursue a career in higher education, he moved to the United States and earned a master’s degree in environmental science at Lincoln University in Missouri.

His connection to MTSU began in 2016 while he was still a doctoral student, serving as a Minority Dissertation Fellow on campus. After completing his doctorate in Soils, Environmental and Atmosphere Sciences at the University of Missouri, he joined the MTSU School of Agriculture in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, or CBAS, as an assistant professor in 2017.

Since joining MTSU, Haruna has earned multiple teaching honors, including the 2022 CBAS Teaching Excellence Award and the 2025 MTSU Outstanding Teaching Award. His research portfolio includes more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, has been part of more than $6 million in external funding and continues to impact the local community by assisting numerous Middle Tennessee farmers.

Samuel Haruna, associate professor of soil science in the School of Agriculture at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., works on a project in the Stark Agribusiness and Agriscience Center on campus. Haruna has been named the 2026 recipient of the prestigious John Pleas Faculty Award, recognizing his excellence in teaching, research and service. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Beyond the classroom and lab, Haruna has served as associate dean for academic programs in CBAS for the past two years and plays a key role in strengthening curriculum and supporting academic initiatives.

For Haruna, recognition always comes back to students.

“If you want to get students engaged, show them why you’re passionate. That passion becomes contagious,” Haruna said.

The faculty award was established in 1997 to honor MTSU psychology Professor Emeritus John Pleas, who received the Outstanding Teaching Award in 1999 and is the author of the exercise guide “Walking,” published in 1981 by W.W. Norton & Company.

To see the list of previous award winners, visit bit.ly/40LalVO.

Parking is free for the evening program. A searchable campus parking map is available at https://bit.ly/2026parkingmap.

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