PULLMAN, Wash. — Nearly 50 faculty, graduate students and staff in the College of Business and Economics at Washington State University were heralded for their achievements in the 2004-05 academic year at an April 27 awards ceremony in Pullman.
Dean Len Jessup applauded awardees and said that their levels of teaching, research and service represented some of the highest quality he has seen.
“The caliber of accomplishments this year reflects commitment to our goal to become a top 25 business school among public universities,” he said. “Everyone worked hard as individuals and as a team, helping to elevate both the college and university. Our students are the ultimate benefactors of these outstanding efforts.”
Jessup also gave a monetary frame of reference to the awards. He said the cash gifts presented to the awardees, plus the funds and endowments supporting some of the announced professorships, chairs and fellowships, total $6 million. In 2003, at his first awards presentation as dean, Jessup said only $100,000 stood behind the awards. The increase in just three years, he said, validates that alumni and donors support the concerted efforts of faculty, staff and graduate students to raise the college to the next level in terms of overall quality, leadership and impact.
Named the year’s outstanding faculty members in the college are Tom Tripp, from management and operations at WSU Vancouver, for accomplishments in teaching; Dogan Gursoy, hospitality business management, in research; Tim Baker, management and operations at WSU Tri-Cities, in research; John Cullen, management and operations, in service external to the college; and Stergios Fotopoulos, management and operations, in service internal to the college.
Outstanding staff member is Sandra Boyce of the Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate.
CBE’s outstanding graduate students are Emily Huang, from finance, in teaching; Brian Kulik, management and operations, in research; and Manjula Salimath, management and operations, in research.
A new Dean’s Special Contribution Award was given to Joe Harris of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.
Professors receiving CBE Teaching Innovation Grants from departments throughout the college are Sung Ahn, Joe Cote, Mauricio Featherman, Kristine Kuhn, Mike McNamara, John Nofsinger, Richard Toolson, Len Trevino, Suprateek Sarker and Robby Rosenman.
Newly-named Dean’s Excellence Fellows include Ken Butterfield, John Cullen, Stergios Fotopoulos, Mark Fuller, Joan Giese, Traci Hess, Jean Johnson, Ken Kendall, Gene Lai, Dave Lemak, Darrel Muehling, Dennis Reynolds, Debra Sanders, David Sprott, Nancy Swanger, Patriya Tansuhaj, Richard Toolson, Joe Valacich and John Wells.
And, CBE International Business Research Award recipients are Joe Cote, Jerry Goodstein, Donna Paul, Dennis Reynolds, Robby Rosenman, Saonee Sarker and Len Trevino.
At the annual ceremonies, Jessup announced the awarding of several endowed chair positions as well as distinguished professorships. They are Richard Reed, holder of the James Huber Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies; Harry Turtle, the Omer L. Carey Endowed Chair in Financial Education; Eric Spangenberg, the Maughmer Freedom Philosophy Endowed Chair; David Sprott, the Gardner O. Hart Faculty Excellence Distinguished Professorship; and Terry Umbreit, the Taco Bell Distinguished Professorship in Hospitality Business Management. Jessup said that an additional position will soon be awarded to John Sweeney.
CBE faculty receiving new fellowships were also announced at the event. They include John Nofsinger, holder of the Nihoul Fellowship; Traci Hess, the Furman Fellowship; and Joan Giese, the Redmond Fellowship. Additional fellowships will soon be awarded to Jerman Rose and David Whidbee.
