Priddy’s mentoring helps MSU engineering students see what’s possible
November 3, 2026
By Camille Carskadon
“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable” is advice Matthew Priddy wants Bagley College of Engineering students to take to heart.
In his experience, growth is limited inside your comfort zone. Whether he’s teaching in the classroom, leading undergraduate researchers, or talking with students about their futures, Priddy sees mentorship as helping students develop the confidence to pursue opportunities they may not have imagined for themselves.
For Priddy, the 2026 recipient of the Tau Beta Pi–McDonald Mentor Award, mentorship is about more than helping students master engineering concepts. It is about helping them find clarity when the path ahead is uncertain. That philosophy shapes the way Priddy works with students across the Bagley College of Engineering. Rather than approaching mentorship with a one-size-fits-all formula, he focuses on understanding where each student is and what they need.
“This is what makes it so fun, meeting the students where they are and tailoring your message to their needs,” Priddy said.
Matthew Priddy (Photo submitted)
As an associate professor in the Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering and additive manufacturing lead for the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Priddy works with students through courses and research. He has mentored more than 100 undergraduate researchers and countless graduate students.
His commitment to Mississippi State students is rooted in something personal. Priddy grew up in a small town in Mississippi and did not have any engineers in his immediate family. In fact, he said, he was not even sure what engineers did when he arrived at college.
“One of the primary reasons I was interested in a faculty position at MSU was because I wanted to make a positive impact on MSU students and this university,” Priddy said. “We have students capable of being world leaders in engineering, and they need to know they are competent and worthy of pursuing such positions.”
Priddy recognizes that many MSU students are charting their own paths without the networks or experiences that can make navigating college and a professional career easier. He believes mentors play an important role in helping students develop the confidence to see themselves as engineers.
“Engineering is difficult — it requires vision, confidence and persistence in addition to technical expertise,” Priddy said. “Vision to see what you can become and where the journey might lead, confidence that you are capable of being successful when you arrive at your professional destination and persistence to ensure you stay the course when adversity inevitably shows up.”
Priddy encourages students to understand not only what they are learning, but why it matters. Understanding the motivation behind an engineering task, he said, helps students retain knowledge, make decisions and determine their next steps.
His own approach to mentorship was influenced by faculty members who guided him as a student at MSU. Philip Gullett, associate professor from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, introduced Priddy to undergraduate research during his junior year and ultimately guided him toward a master’s degree.
“Dr. Gullett taught me the fundamentals of research, how to be critical of our findings and how to communicate science to a diverse audience,” he said. “Looking back, he treated me like an equal from day one, pushing me to find the answers to my questions, while gently guiding me in the right direction.”
Today, Priddy tries to create the same environment for his students, and his impact is evident in the paths they have taken. One student came to Priddy as a rising junior interested in undergraduate research and hoping to work in the biomedical field in Memphis. She spent two years working on an industry-sponsored project in his research group, stayed at MSU to earn her master’s degree and ultimately received a job offer from the Memphis company whose project had first brought her to Priddy.
For Priddy, that is what mentorship is ultimately about: helping students find purpose in the careers they choose.
“I hope my students know that I genuinely care about their professional success, meaning I want their choices to lead to finding purpose, fulfillment and happiness with their chosen profession,” he said.
He also hopes students know the relationship does not have to end at graduation.
“I also hope they remember that they can still reach out to me for advice. The mentor-mentee relationship doesn’t have to end simply because the student graduated. Sure, they should find new mentors, but former mentors can still be relied upon.”