Jim Crozier awarded 2026 Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence

March 18, 2026
Contact: Eric Stann, [email protected]

Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Missouri; Steve Sowers, chief executive officer of Commerce Bank's Missouri community markets; and Sarah Dubbert, president of the Columbia market for Commerce Bank, awarded a 2026 William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence to Jim Crozier today. Crozier is an associate teaching professor of classical studies in the Department of Classics, Archaeology, and Religion in the College of Arts and Science.

Cooper Drury, dean of the College of Arts and Science, joined other leaders in surprising Crozier by honoring him with the fellowship, which includes a $15,000 stipend. Kemper Fellowships are awarded to five outstanding teachers at the University of Missouri each year.

The William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence were established in 1991 with a $500,000 gift. Kemper, a 1926 Mizzou graduate, was a well-known civic leader in Kansas City until his death in 1989. His 52-year career in banking included top positions at banks in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Commerce Bank manages the trust fund.

Jim Crozier biography

It's ironic that an expert in classical studies became a driving force behind bringing Mizzou into the modern age of online education.

Yet, that's exactly what Jim Crozier did at the Department of Classics, Archaeology, and Religion.

Over a decade ago, he developed more than a dozen courses that preserved the discipline's integrity through carefully designed online materials while also demonstrating that online courses could reach more students and generate significant revenue. His expertise has benefited students and made him a trusted resource for colleagues navigating technical challenges.

"Jim threw his heart and soul into developing interactive and demanding courses, spending countless hours both in creating the courses and in constantly revising and updating them," David J. Schenker, an associate professor of classical studies, wrote in a letter supporting Crozier's nomination.

Crozier eventually received certification in Excellence in Online Teaching and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Teaching Practices.

Nicole Monnier, teaching professor of Russian, noted in her letter of support for his nomination that Crozier's foresight in developing online courses aligned with student needs.

"These courses are foundational for supporting students who, for a variety of reasons, need online coursework to meet campus and college requirements," she wrote.

While Crozier has made his mark in developing a plethora of online courses, he continues to teach an impressive range of in-person courses, where he's known for his engaging lectures. Those offerings include Classical Mythology, Ancient Authors: The Romans, Achilles in Vietnam, and Greek and Latin in English.

Edward McKinley, BJ, BA '19, who double-majored in classics and journalism, first studied with Crozier as a freshman. Captivated by the instructor's enthusiasm, he soon added classics as a major.

"He'd open lectures showing clips from TV shows like 'The Wire' or 'True Detective,' explaining how their ideas connected to a rich, classical lineage of ideas and literature," McKinley wrote in a letter supporting Crozier's nomination. "It made the subject feel alive, contemporary and exciting."

He also took several online courses from Crozier and was equally captivated by the material. Outside the classroom, Crozier became a valued mentor to McKinley, now a first-year student at the University of Michigan Law School.

"He became an essential part of my community at Mizzou that made me feel supported," McKinley wrote. "He constantly encouraged me to think outside the box and to follow my instincts when I got excited about a big idea, a mindset that was invaluable to me in my journalism career and now again as a law student."

Crozier currently serves as director of undergraduate studies for his department. He's a member of the university's Faculty Council and serves on the Provost's General Education Task Force and the Campus Writing Program High Enrollment Task Force. He co-chairs Mizzou's Academic Affairs Committee and the Campus Space Committee. In addition, he is the faculty advisor to Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

What ultimately sets Crozier apart is his ability to make the ancient world feel immediate, even as it grows more distant with time.

"This idea that old ideas can continuously be reinterpreted in fresh and interesting ways is, to me, the central promise of studying classics," McKinley wrote in his letter, "and no one understands that better than Professor Crozier."

MU College of Arts & Science