College of Arts and Science

For more than 20 years, Miller has helped shape thousands of students’ lives at Mizzou, including more than 8,000 students in the last five years. For many of them, Miller’s introductory level psychology course (PSYCH-1000), taught in a large lecture setting, is their only academic experience with psychological science.

And it proves to be life changing.

“Dr. Miller is a teacher of not only psychology, but also critical thinking,” former student Bradley Cook wrote in a letter supporting the nomination. “In his classes, he heavily emphasized the importance of critical thinking to challenge his students and expand their horizons, even beyond the realm of psychology.”

In his nomination packet, Miller outlined a teaching philosophy that emphasizes curiosity, growth and the power of psychological science to improve lives. He encourages multiple perspectives in understanding ourselves and others, viewing knowledge as ever-evolving rather than fixed. He believes that meaningful learning happens through small, consistent efforts and that optimism, like any skill, can be strengthened with practice.

“Dr. Miller has made students excited about psychology, has brought new students to the major and minor, and has helped non-majors truly understand what we do as psychologists,” Debora Bell, professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences, wrote in her nomination letter.

Miller’s efforts have earned him several accolades, including the College of Arts and Science’s Purple Chalk Award, the David McDonald Contributions to Undergraduate Education Award and the 2017 Psi Chi Professor of the Year designation. He’s also received dozens of emails and notes from students over the years expressing their appreciation for his teaching style.

Outside of the classroom, Miller supports his first-year students by meeting with them one-on-one as they navigate college life.

“First-year students come to college at a time in their lives that is filled with uncertainty, personal issues, points of confusion, areas in which they still lack confidence, and with not-yet-fully-formed attitudes and interests,” Bell wrote. “Dr. Miller helps these students learn skills for success, recognize how psychological science can improve their lives and be optimistic about their personal and professional lives.”

As the PSYCH-1000 instructor, Miller is responsible for getting to know more than 1,000 students at a time. And he makes an effort to know as much as possible about all of them.

“Even with the significant number of students in his class, Dr. Miller had little to no difficulty remembering names or the intricate details his students shared with him,” Cook wrote. “I vividly remember him asking me, by name, how my favorite soccer team had played the week before.”

In addition to teaching duties, Miller serves as faculty mentor for PsiChi and Psychology Club and is a regular reviewer for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowships Program.

“In and outside of the classroom, Dr. Miller has made critical contributions to undergraduate teaching and to the intellectual and professional development of our students,” Denis McCarthy, professor of psychological sciences, wrote in a letter of support.

Miller received a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Kentucky in 1993. He also earned a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in psychology from Texas A&M University in 1997 and 1999, respectively.