Instructor of Psychology Shelly Stolp has been recognized as Humanities Instructor of the Year for 2026 at Pearl River Community College. Stolp recently presented “The Mind-Body Loop: How Psychology Shapes Health More Than We Realize” to faculty, staff, and students on the Poplarville Campus.
Trained in industrial-organizational psychology, Stolp worked in human resources for New Orleans Civil Service, Jefferson Parish personnel, and New Orleans Police. While employed by the City of New Orleans, she accepted an adjunct instructor position at Delgado Community College. The experience ignited a passion for teaching in the field she already loved.
When the opportunity to teach at PRCC opened up, Stolp was thrilled to join the Wildcat family. Stolp teaches general psychology, child psychology, and human growth and development.
Her presentation covered the important mind-body connection and included audience participation in activating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Stolp explained why she begins her classes with this information: attending college can be stressful, and the earlier you have tools to manage the stress, the better the outcome. If left unchecked, chronic stress can lead to poor health and an earlier death. She then moved into three main ways we can approach stress in our lives: resolve, rethink, or relate.
“It's wonderful to know, after all my years of teaching, that I've been recognized,” said Stolp. “It's a huge honor. And I love Pearl River Community College. People here are just wonderful. But ultimately, I think what this award means is that my students are benefiting.”
Mimi Baker, a program officer from the Mississippi Humanities Council, presented Stolp with a certificate signed by their Executive Director, Dr. Stuart Rockoff.
“Professors are on the front lines of those who expose students to these broader concepts that they may not have gotten on a high school level or in their community,” said Baker. “We recognize that their work is sometimes unseen, undervalued, and underrepresented. We want to acknowledge them in a way that is honorable.”
