From a courtroom to a classroom, David Miller, a full-time attorney for the Forrest County Board
of Supervisors, is teaching adjunct history classes for Jones this semester.
“We are excited that David Miller has been able to join us this semester,” said Julie Atwood, dean
of the school of humanities and social sciences. “He has embedded some real life, hands-on experiences
within his classes that are very valuable for his students.”
When Sarah Ishee was named Dean of Students, students questioned who would take over her
history classes for the spring semester. That answer was Miller, who is now teaching American History I
and II.
“I’ve known Professor John Burks for several years, and I had expressed an interest in teaching at
Jones if an opportunity ever came up,” Miller said. “He let me know there was an opening, and I jumped
at the opportunity.”
Miller said that he was very excited for the opportunity, and also a little nervous. He had not
taught American History before, despite it being his master’s degree field. However, he has taught world
history at William Carey University since 2013, as well as various courses in the legal studies program at
the University of Southern Mississippi since 2020.
Miller has been an attorney for 23 years, and for the last 16 years he has been a full time attorney
for the Forrest County Board of Supervisors.
“Law school seemed like a good opportunity to keep my future options open,” Miller said.
He graduated from Hattiesburg High School, earned his bachelor’s degree in history and religious
studies at University of Virginia, his law degree at Yale and his master’s degree in history at the
University of Southern Mississippi.
Miller said what he enjoys most about being an attorney is helping people solve problems, so he
experiences many rewarding moments.
“My job with the county makes me feel like I’m giving back to my hometown, while taking care
of my family,” Miller said. “I pretty much spend my early mornings at Jones College, the rest of the day
at the courthouse, and my evenings preparing the next day’s lecture,” he said.
Miller said he is enjoying being an instructor at Jones College, that the classroom facilities are top
notch, and Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Tessa Flowers and Dean Atwood
helped make his classes an easy adjustment.
“The transition has been seamless thanks to the administrators,” Miller said. “The challenging
part has been preparing four lectures each week in classes I’m teaching for the first time.”
His students at Jones seem to be happy with him.
“As a new teacher here at Jones, I applaud him for working so well with us college students,” said student
Sophia Bowden. “It is very clear he only wants to see students succeed in his class.”
Miller said being an attorney helped prepare him to be an adjunct instructor because being able
to identify and distill key concepts and communicate them orally are crucial to both jobs. He said what he
enjoys most about being an instructor is the look on a student’s face when they have an “aha” moment.
“I hope my classes will help students become history-literate citizens with empathy for the
Americans who came before them,” Miller said.