The 2018 College of Business Celebration of Achievement recognized the standout faculty and staff of the 2017-18 academic year as well paid tribute to our retiring faculty, Tom Dowling. For achievements ranging from excellence in the classroom and community to acknowledging excellence in research, more than 24 awards were conveyed to honor our faculty and staff with their service to the college and community at the June 12 event at Reser Stadium’s Toyota Club.
Byron L. Newton Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, established in 1976, recognizes excellence in the classroom, and all instructional faculty who have taught full-time or part-time during the past three quarters are eligible for consideration of the award. This year’s winners for outstanding undergraduate teaching are assistant professor of accounting Kara Obermire and assistant professor of international business Xiaohui Chang. Student reviews contribute significant weight to these awards.
Betty and Forrest Simmons Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award honors the standout among instructional faculty who have taught in the graduate business program during the past three quarters, either full-time or part-time. The 2018 winners, on the tenth anniversary of the award’s foundation, are Jeewon Cho, associate professor of management, and Keith Leavitt, associate professor of management and Betty S. Henry Amundson Faculty Scholar in Ethics.
The Outstanding Professional Faculty and Staff Award
has marked the standard for excellence in job performance among professional faculty and classified staff. The 2018 winner is office specialist Vaerine Bauder, lauded for her efficiency, excellence and resourcefulness in supporting the activities of the student engagement team in both Weatherford and Austin Halls. Bauder received a standing ovation for her award.
College of Business Internal Service Award is an award for any faculty and staff that demonstrates excellent contributions within the college that go beyond the requirements of the nominee’s daily job duties. Established in 2010, this year’s winners are Colleen Bee and Tracy Speelhoffer.
Speelhoffer is the manager of facilities, operations and academic services, and she was recognized for her great leadership, humility and selflessness and customer-focused service as the college expanded its student engagement activities. Bee, an associate professor of marketing specialized in sports marketing, served as the OSU representative for the University Coalition of Intercollegiate Athletics, and two new MBA programs to be delivered in Corvallis, online, and in Portland and four undergraduate specializations as program lead for marketing.
College of Business External Service Award is an award for any faculty and staff that demonstrates excellent contributions outside the college that go beyond the requirements of the nominee’s daily job duties. This year’s winner is Chris Akroyd, assistant professor in accounting, whose career development efforts on behalf of the accounting students, ranging from network building to travel logistics, brought together students and potential employers throughout the year.
College of Business teaching faculty who displays exemplary work developing, growing and stewarding relationships with alumni, donors and businesses to advance student success or achieve distinction is honored with the College Faculty Award for External Engagement Excellence. The 2018 winner is Zhaohui Wu. Professor Wu notably built a diverse yet cohesive advisory board – made up of business owners, executives, purchasing managers and advisors for the Supply Chain and Operations Management program.
Prominent Scholars receive an $8,000 award in recognition for their scholarly and creative activities, such as publications in premier journals or significant grants from prestigious funding agencies that are singular and salient events which have a significant impact upon the College’s reputation, rankings, and accreditation. The Prominent Scholar Award recognizes faculty who have either published in premier journals, or received significant grants from prestigious funding agencies in past 12 months. The College of Business 2018 honorees are Jeewon Cho, Sam Yul Cho, Violetta Gerasymenko, Jay Hardy III, Lawrence Houston III, Yusoon Kim, Anthony Klotz, Keith Leavitt, Guanyi Lu, Ted Paterson, Dina Ribbink, Pauline Schilpzand, Inara Scott and Zhaohui Wu.
The Scholarly Impact Award recognizes faculty achievements in several areas of significance, including multiple publications in high-quality journals, significant research grants, editorial responsibilities for prestigious journals and awards from prestigious conferences. Award winners receive $4,000 for their efforts that are considered to have advanced the College’s reputation in these broader academic communities. The 2018 winners are assistant professor of management Inara Scott and assistant professor of management Lawrence Houston III.
The Gilley Family Excellence in Student Experience celebrates faculty or staff who have engaged with College of Business students in the pursuit of innovation and excellence. The 2018 winners of this award, recognized for their exceptional support for College of Business student success strategic initiatives are academic advisor Lindsey Andrews, events manager Brianna Beene, entrepreneurship instructor Tom Dowling, assistant professor of management Anthony Klotz and InnovationX program manager Dale McCauley. The award celebrates the support commitment of R. Stevens Gilley, ’56, whose has grandchildren currently enrolled at the college, and enthusiastically invested in the college’s student success programs.
