Jeremy Marshall: 2025 K-State Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award Recipient

Each year, the president's office recognizes four professors from different colleges across the university for their outstanding teaching. This year, the College of Agriculture was on the list for recognition. Dr. Jeremy Marshall from the Department of Entomology received the award and recognition for his hard work and dedication to his students.

Marshall has been with the Department of Entomology for nearly 20 years and now serves as professor and the director of undergraduate programs. He teaches many undergraduate classes, focusing on building courses he hopes his students will remember for years.

“I occasionally have students reach out to me years later and say, ‘I was in your class years ago, and look at this cool insect I found,’” Marshall says. “It always means a lot to me when students reach out because I try to make my classes different and engaging so they will actually remember the things I was saying and take it with them into their future careers.”

Marshall takes an open-door policy with his students very seriously and wants them to know that he is a relatable resource for them.

“I am shocked, but excited and grateful to have been chosen for this award,” Marshall says. “Before winning this award, I often told my students, ‘I have never won anything, ever.’ I wanted them to understand that being successful in life doesn’t mean having a bunch of awards. Success can be anything you want, with or without awards.”

Marshall was shocked to be recognized as one of the Undergraduate Teaching Award recipients, not just because he had never had the honor of winning an award.

“President Linton actually came into my class just before handing out donuts to students as part of his promotion for K-State’s Day of Giving,” Marshall says. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Am I going to be able to teach my classes today?’ but then I saw my department head and the balloons and realized this was something else.”

In the last three years, the entomology department has reintroduced a bachelor's degree in entomology for undergraduate students. Before, the department was primarily focused on graduate students, but did offer a minor for students interested in learning more about entomology during their undergraduate studies. Marshall plays a significant role in the courses for the undergraduate degree, teaching many courses, including General Entomology, Art and Insects and Entomology Foundations.

“I teach a variety of courses, but I try to tailor them to each student every semester,” Marshall says. “I offer my students multiple options for completing assignments based on their skills—multiple choice, short answer, drawing, etc. My teaching philosophy is ‘productive failure.’ If a student has difficulty passing an exam or an assignment, they have the opportunity to retake it but must choose a different method of completion.”

Marshall comments that he greatly appreciates the recognition for his hard work and dedication to his job, the department and most importantly, his students. He hopes this will continue to bring attention to the department and encourage students to pursue a degree in entomology.

“I am putting the winnings from this award straight back into my students, and I will continue to dedicate my time and energy to helping them succeed,” Marshall says. “We have fantastic faculty and staff in our department and a degree program that is very much a build-your-own, and while those two things are great when it comes to recruitment, we can now add ‘Award-winning faculty and staff,’ and I am excited to see what the future holds for us.”