Spears Business faculty, staff honored for teaching, research and outstanding service

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Media Contact: Terry Tush | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2703 | terry.tush@okstate.edu

Several faculty and staff members of the Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business were recognized by Dean Ken Eastman for outstanding teaching, research and service during the 2020-21 school year at the annual faculty/staff meeting Aug. 13.

Silvio Ceschini, Mark Cochran and Willie Tao with the food service team in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management were honored with the Engagement with Practice Award, granted for new or extended engagement activities with practice (e.g., businesses, business people, recruiters, etc.).

Andy Luse, associate professor, Department of Management Science and Information Systems, was honored with the Innovation in Pedagogy Award, presented to a full-time faculty member who applies a new pedagogy or one already in use in a new way.

For the Power of Personal Awards, they were given to: Cochran, instructor of professional practice and executive chef, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management; Ceschini, teaching instructor and dining room manager, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management; and Jennifer Coonce, assistant professor of professional practice, Department of Management. The award recognizes those who most exemplify the Spears Business brand statement, The Power of Personal, through their attention and care for students, faculty and external constituents.

The Best Paper Awards went to Sherry Fu, Lindsey Greco, Anna Lennard and Nikos Dimotakis, Department of Management, and Justin Lawrence, assistant professor, School of Marketing and International Business. The award is presented to the faculty who has the best paper accepted or published during the academic year. Fu, Greco, Lennard and Dimotakis' paper, “Anxiety Responses to the Unfolding COVID-19 Crisis: Patterns of Change in the Experience of Prolonged Exposure to Stressors,” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Lawrence's paper, “Salesperson Dual Agency in Price Negotiations,” published in the Journal of Marketing.

The Online Teaching Award had two categories, undergraduate and graduate. In undergraduate, Maribeth Kuzmeski, assistant professor of professional practice, School of Marketing and International Business, was honored. In graduate, Kinda Wilson, instructor, School of Marketing and International Business, was recognized. The award is presented to a faculty member who has developed an outstanding online course, with high quality teaching, student experiences and support.

Raj Basu, associate professor, Department of Management, earned the Richard W. Poole Faculty Outreach Excellence Award. The award recognizes contributions made by faculty through the outreach mission of Spears Business. In the past three years, he has presented 49 non-credit programs to more than 1,800 participants. His areas of expertise range from team building and conflict resolution to leading employees virtually and coaching and mentoring.

Outstanding Staff Awards went to Stacia Enns, administrative support specialist II, Department of Management, and Shannon Ramsey, assistant director of prospective students, Chesapeake Energy Business Student Success Center.

Enns, a Spears Business employee for the past four and a half years, is the receipient in the classified employee category. “Stacia fixes problems before they happen, coordinates schedules, provides timely and important communications and manages to do it all with a humble spirit,” one of her nominees wrote.

Ramsey, who has worked in the Chesapeake Energy Business Student Success Center since 2014, was in the Administrative and Professional category. “Shannon is the embodiment of our Power of Personal motto when it comes to connecting with others and making them feel like Spears Business could truly be their home,” one nomination said.

The Richard W. Poole Research Excellence Award was presented to: Frederico Aime, Dimotakis, Greco and Lawrence.

“The pandemic forced us to alter the educational experience we offer, but our staff and faculty stepped up in a big way to ensure that we could still deliver on our mission,” Eastman said. “We are very proud of them and grateful that we could recognize some of them for their exemplary efforts.”