Lerner College honors
Lerner College honors its faculty
4:11 p.m., May 20, 2011--The University of Delaware's Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics announced its 2011 faculty award winners during the annual spring meeting of all college faculty and staff, held last Friday, May 13, in Purnell Hall.
The awards celebrated outstanding teaching, research and service, as well as professional excellence.
Honors Stories
National Medal of Science
Warren Award
Teaching, research and service Awards
Three faculty members won the Lerner College awards for outstanding teaching, research and service, which are based primarily on nominations by students, alumni and faculty colleagues. Each of the winners will receive a monetary award and an award plaque for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the college.
Michael Arnold, associate professor of economics and director of the University Honors Program, received the Lerner College Outstanding Teacher Award for his leadership in the classroom and his active role in course development. Specifically, he has been a primary driver in the development of two new courses at the undergraduate level and one new course at the graduate level -- both of which have become popular among students.
“Michael’s dynamic participation has led to top-notch student evaluations and places him in the top 10 percent of the economics department,” said Bobby Gempesaw, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at Miami University of Ohio and former dean of the Lerner College, who returned to campus to present the annual awards to the faculty.
“Michael is active in all levels of teaching, from undergraduate and honors students to doctoral candidates, and passes his knowledge downstream as he supervises the work of department TAs.
“His recent appointment as director of the Honors Program is further evidence of the impact he has had and will continue to have on the highest quality of undergraduate education at UD,” said Gempesaw.
Stewart Shapiro, associate professor of marketing, received the Lerner College Outstanding Scholar Award for his commitment to quality and research.
In presenting the award, Gempesaw highlighted some of Shapiro’s many scholarly contributions to the field of marketing.
“Stewart’s commitment to quality and research has been a strong influence on many,” he said. “Throughout his time at Lerner, Stewart has published close to 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals, half of which are at the very top journals in the field of marketing. Two of these papers have been cited in other professional sources over 100 times, placing Stewart among the most widely cited authors in the field.
“Stewart’s work reaches beyond the area of marketing; scholars focusing on consumer behavior, psychology and advertising are also influenced by his research. Stewart frequently speaks at prestigious universities and institutions, and is a mentor to several faculty members within the Department of Business Administration. His work has been a motivating factor for faculty to choose to come to UD and he continually offers up his knowledge and expertise to help further the work of others.”
Andrea Everard, associate professor of accounting and MIS, and Dan Freeman, professor of business administration and director of the Entrepreneurial Studies Program, received the 2011 Lerner College Outstanding Outreach/Service Award.
Everard received the award for her devotion to community volunteering and service as faculty adviser to multiple student groups at UD.
“Andrea’s volunteerism includes weekly visits to a homeless shelter in Wilmington, tax preparation assistance for the Earned Income Tax Credit Program and service to a Lutheran community food pantry in Wilmington to help the hungry in our community,” said Gempesaw.
“She was also instrumental in the founding of the Association for Information Systems chapter here at UD and is faculty adviser to the service sorority, Gamma Sigma Sigma. Andrea also teams up several times a year with faculty member Mark Bambach to conduct food drives, averaging 600 cans per collection.”
Freeman received the award for his dedication to making a better educational experience for students.
“Dan reshaped the MBA Case Competition in 2003 and helped attract the participation of Endo Pharmaceuticals as well as encourages the involvement of alumni and corporate partners in the area,” said Gempesaw. “He has continued to advise and coach students as they go through the competition process and also sponsors a team for the GWU International MBA Case Competition.
“Dan also serves as a faculty adviser to UD’s American Marketing Association chapter and developed a combined teaching effort for online courses that provides resources for the marketing area.”
Professional Excellence Award
The Leon and Margaret Slocomb Professional Excellence Award is presented each year to a full-time faculty or professional staff member in the Lerner College who exhibits a caring attitude for the interest of students and clients, and demonstrates an exemplary commitment to public service, community involvement and innovative activity. The winner receives a monetary award and a plaque of recognition.
Kim Wilson, an adviser in the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Services, received the 2011 award.
“Kim is a role model for what an academic adviser should be,” said Gempesaw. “She was a key organizer in creating a campus advising network, bringing together academic advisers across the University to share ideas and enhance student experiences at UD.
“Kim’s innovation in the office has led to the creation of more efficient academic planning sheets and an increase of degree completion in four years as a result of sophomore and senior audits. Kim is dependable and students recognize that value by their continual recommendation of her to others.”
MBA Teaching Award
The MBA Teaching Award was instituted to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching in the UD MBA program. All full-time and adjunct faculty members who teach in the program are eligible to receive the award. Nominations are solicited from the graduating class each spring semester. The winners receive a plaque of recognition.
This year, John Wragge, associate professor of accounting and MIS, and John Stocker, assistant professor of finance, received the award.
“Dr. Stocker’s focus during the entire semester was on all students grasping the material,” wrote one student in a nomination letter for Stocker. “I have never seen a teacher work so hard to make a subject fun and interesting. He really focused on every student being able to fully grasp the concepts and balance those with practical application.”
Of Wragge, another student wrote, “Dr. Wragge is an excellent facilitator who is able to deliver the material for the lectures while keeping the students engaged. This is especially important for us working professionals in class after a full day of work. I have also been able to apply things I learned in class the very next day!”
Wragge, who received his doctorate in accounting and MIS from the University of Houston, also received the MBA Teaching Award in 2008 and 2010.
Lerner College Student Choice Teaching Award
Each year, the Lerner College Student Advisory Board sponsors and organizes the Lerner College Student Choice Teaching Award. This year, the award went to Rich Jakotowicz, director of the Exelon Trading Center and instructor in finance, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Daniel Gerber and Laura Stimson, co-presidents of the student advisory board, presented the award to Jakotowicz, noting that his dedication to students, leadership in the classroom and support of students’ interests earned him the honor. Some of the remarks Stimson shared from the student nominations included "Rich is the most relatable and informative teacher I have ever had," "He made the subject of investments easy to learn" and "He explains information when you need extra help with the material and helps you on his own time, excluding office hours -- he wants you to succeed."
University awards
At the University level, Paul Larson, who is completing his doctorate in economics, received the UD Excellence in Teaching Award for graduate students. The award is based primarily on nominations from current and past students, and Larsen will receive a monetary award of $1,500.
“Our TAs consistently do a wonderful job, and Paul brings an enthusiasm and simpatico to the classroom,” said Saul Hoffman, chair of the Department of Economics.
Larson continues a tradition of excellence in the department; in 2008, economics graduate student Stela Stefanova won an Excellence in Teaching Award.
Article by Kathryn A. Marrone
Photos by Evan Krape