Carson College of Business honored its outstanding faculty, staff and graduate students during an annual awards event May 1 at Washington State University in Pullman.
Outstanding Online MBA Faculty of the Year Award and Outstanding Faculty Service Award:
Darrel Muehling
Department of Marketing and International Business
Muehling makes class fun and interesting with real-world examples and lecture videos in addition to his live sessions. Colleagues say he leads by example, making time for faculty, staff and students, not because he “has to,” but because he wants to. Over the past 20‑plus years, he has chaired the department, served on search committees and chaired the online redesign committee while maintaining excellence in teaching and research.
Outstanding Executive MBA Faculty of the Year Award:
Velle Kolde
Director of the online Executive MBA program
Kolde uses his background of 30‑plus years in the tech industry to liven up class discussions, including incorporating topics from current news. He’s genuinely invested in his students’ success.
Outstanding Doctoral Student Research Award:
Yoonsoo Nam
Department of Finance and Management Science
Nam is working on multiple research projects and has been published four times. His top‑notch work ethic means he’s often the first person in the office and the last to leave, and he’s known for his positive interactions with other students.
Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching Assistant Award:
Mycah Harrold
Department of Marketing and International Business
Harrold’s dedication has brought positive changes to the Center for Behavioral Business Research, resulting in higher quality data and fewer errors.
Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching Award:
Pavan Munaganti
Department of Marketing and International Business
Munaganti knows all his students’ names, and is helpful and fun in class. He’s excelled in his teaching duties, even prepping several classes to address the department’s teaching needs.
Outstanding Faculty Research Award:
Christina Chi
Department of Hospitality Business Management
Chi has a robust research record and an international reputation as a scholar in the field of hospitality and tourism. In 2018, she had 12 papers published or accepted. Her research is widely cited. Her Google Scholar Citation count is over 5,200, with nearly 1,000 citations from 2018.
Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award:
Kunter Gunasti
Department of Marketing and International Business
Gunasti’s high teaching evaluations put him in the top 10 percent of the college. His positive and engaging teaching style extends to helping undergrads in and out of the classroom. Students describe him as “amazing” in teaching evaluations.
Outstanding Staff Student Engagement Award:
Mary Stender
Academic coordinator in the Carson College of Business at WSU Vancouver
Stender, whom colleagues describe as a quiet and self‑effacing leader, is focused on students, skilled at finding solutions, reliable and honest. She was honored by the Administrative Professional Advisory Council with the AP Contribution Award in 2018.
Outstanding Staff Faculty Engagement:
Alex Larson
Department of Finance and Management Science
Larson is a go‑to person in her own department and also stepped up to help the Department of Marketing and International Business when it was without an administrative assistant. She also played an important role in the implementation of the reserve capacity system, a main enrollment management tool used by all departments.
Outstanding Staff College Engagement:
Stacey Smith‑Colon
Assistant director of academic advising in the Carson Center for Student Success
Smith‑Colon developed the Carson EDGE program and partnered with CougsRise to help prepare first generation students for college. She is also involved with the launch of the college’s Next Carson Coug undergraduate curriculum initiative, serving as team lead on several workgroups in the Carson Center for Student Success. She is known for caring deeply about students.
