Honoring the Leaders of Emory and Goizueta

The Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award is presented to faculty members from each of Emory’s four undergraduate schools during commencement every year. “The award celebrates the pinnacle of teaching excellence, honoring faculty who have profoundly impacted their students’ academic journeys,” says Wei Jiang, vice dean for faculty and research and Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Finance. The award was established by Emory Williams, a 1932 Emory College alumnus and longtime trustee, to recognize a record of excellence in undergraduate teaching.

Emory College of Arts and Sciences selects three award recipients, drawn from the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Each of the other undergraduate schools—Goizueta Business School, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, and Oxford College—selects one award recipient.

The 2024 honoree from Goizueta Business School is Richard Berlin, associate professor in the practice of organization and management.

The remaining 2024 honorees are:

• – Christopher Eagle, associate teaching professor in the Center for the Study of Human Health, Emory College of Arts and Sciences
• – Sarah Fankhauser, associate professor of biology, Oxford College
• – Gillian Hue, assistant teaching professor, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology program and senior faculty fellow, Center for Ethics, Emory College of Arts and Sciences
• – Brajesh Samarth, teaching professor, Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory College of Arts and Sciences
• – LisaMarie Wands, associate clinical professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

The Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award

The Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education recognizes outstanding scholars who excel as teachers within formal and informal educational settings. “This award honors exceptional teaching and recognizes those who guide their students with passion and expertise,” says Alicia Sierra, director of human resources and diversity.

One faculty member in each of Emory’s seven graduate and professional schools receives the award in recognition of the important role of exceptional teaching in graduate and professional education. 

The 2024 honoree from Goizueta Business School is J.B. Kurish, professor in the practice of finance.

The remaining 2024 honorees are:

• – Lauren Christiansen-Lindquist, assistant teaching professor, Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health
• – Thomas W. Elliott Jr., professor in the practice of practical theology and Methodist studies, Candler School of Theology
• – George S. Georgiev, associate professor of law, Emory School of Law
• – Adriana P. Hermida, professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine
• – Lori A. Modly, assistant clinical professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
• – David A. Steinhauer, faculty, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program in the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and associate professor, School of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies

The Keough Awards

The Keough Awards for Service are named after Don Keough, the legendary President of The Coca-Cola Company and a symbol of business excellence. This award is the business school’s highest service award and is awarded to one faculty member and one staff member. Each recipient receives a $2,000 award. “The recipient is a long-term contributor to the school and makes a significant impact or contribution to Goizueta,” says Jiang.

Keough Faculty Award

The recipient of the 2024 Keough Faculty Award is Professor Kristy Towry. Towry has served in many roles within Goizueta over many years. She has served as vice dean and significantly impacted the culture and comradery at the school. Towry also served as the chair of the executive committee, where she initiated a governance structure that has enhanced decision-making and evaluation. She served as a mentor to numerous junior faculty and doctoral students. In addition, Towry has shown true leadership by appealing to others’ values in helping and supporting the school.

Towry is a top researcher and has trained numerous influential students. She is a favorite teacher of hundreds of MBA graduates and has made a lasting contribution to the school.

Keough Staff Award

The 2024 Keough staff recipient is Krystle Arnold-Moore, administrative assistant, BBA program office. She has consistently made an impact since she started at Goizueta in the summer of 2019. Faculty and staff across the school quickly noticed her creativity, as she served as an active division student advisory council member and on the committee to build morale after the pandemic. She has helped other units with programmatic support during staff vacancies, all while continuing to grow her expertise in the BBA program office.

Staff Excellence Award: Collaboration

The staff excellence awards recognize staff who have “gone above and beyond in collaborating with others, managing resources, and overall influence at the school,” says Sierra. Each recipient receives a $1,000 award.

The 2024 recipient of the Staff Excellence Award for Collaboration is Brandi Baker, director of registrar services. Baker has worked tirelessly to accommodate Goizueta’s exponential growth as a school. She collaborates with program offices to meet the needs of faculty, students, and administrators and proactively finds solutions that create a more positive learning environment. Baker is in a position where she has to answer to colleagues across numerous academic programs. She is limited in terms of building capacity, and yet she manages to fit all the pieces together. In her work, she maintains a positive attitude and a “get to yes” philosophy.

Staff Excellence Award: Influence

The 2024 recipient of the Staff Excellence Award for Influence is Ron Harris, director of research computing. Harris has been the backbone of faculty research projects for decades. He helps faculty as a thought partner, sharing the work and thinking through choices. This ability requires a deep understanding of the datasets and faculty research challenges. He uses his data manipulation skills to clean data and make it serviceable for research. He also trains the next generation of scholars, our PhD students, in the use of statistical software. It would be fair to claim that the considerable pace of our research is due to Harris’s support.

Staff Excellence Award: Resources

The 2024 recipient of the Staff Excellence Award for Resources is Robin Dittmann, chief business, analytics, and operations officer. Dittmann has been instrumental in helping strengthen school finances. She has worked toward more efficient staffing levels, streamlined processes, and new policies to facilitate efficient resources by faculty and staff. She does so with expertise and transparency that instills confidence in the community.

Department Distinguished Teaching Awards

Emory and Goizueta also award those of exceptional academic excellence in each department. These awards go to individuals who represent their departments with outstanding education and lead the professionals of tomorrow. We would like to recognize them here.

• – BBA Distinguished Educator: Emily Bianchi, Goizueta Foundation term associate professor of organization and management.
• – Evening MBA Distinguished Core Educator: Omar Rodríguez-Vilá, professor in the practice of marketing.
• – Evening MBA Distinguished Elective Educator: Kevin Crowley, associate professor in the practice of finance.
• – Full-Time MBA Distinguished Educator: JB Kurish, professor in the practice of finance.
• – Full-Time MBA Distinguished Educator: Marina Cooley, assistant professor in the practice of marketing.
• – MS in Business Analytics Distinguished Core Educator: Rajiv Garg, associate professor of information systems and operations management.
• – MS in Business Analytics Distinguished Elective Educator: Emma Zhang, associate professor of information systems and operations management.
• – Master of Finance Distinguished Educator: Kevin Crowley, associate professor in the practice of finance.

We are immensely proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our faculty. Through their transformational work, they push industries forward, prepare the next generation of business leaders, and solve today’s toughest business problems.

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We asked, “From the Goizueta perspective, what are you thankful for?”

Here’s what they had to say.

I’m thankful to be in an environment filled with lifelong learners who are continually striving to better themselves and the world around them. My mentors and classmates have done so many great things during their time at Goizueta and I can’t wait to see what impact they have in the future.

Kegan Baird 22MBA, managing director for the 2022 John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for all the successes, all the failures, all the growths that I’ve been fortunate to have at Goizueta – they all have made me become a better version of myself!

Octavius “O.C.” Chen 22BBA, senior director of strategic initiatives, Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management

I’m grateful for your positive spirit and dedication to making the Goizueta experience so special. I appreciate your creativity and resilience in addressing our community’s needs. I’m thankful for the unique contributions and perspectives that each of you brings to make Goizueta a wonderful place to learn and work.

Karen Sedatole, interim John H. Harland Dean

I’m thankful for a warm welcome this year. I started at Goizueta in February and staff, faculty, and students have generously given their time and support to acclimate me, share their unique perspectives, and discuss innovative ways we can serve students even better. Looking forward to a wonderful 2022!

Melanie Buckmaster, director of communications

This Thanksgiving, I want to say how grateful I am for you. The members of the Emory community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters—have provided me with so much inspiration. I am deeply thankful for your hard work and dedication during a year when you faced tremendous adversity. I also appreciate how fortunate we are to have come this far in the pandemic, where—because of your commitment and the scientific breakthroughs needed for vaccines and therapeutics (some of which were tested and discovered at Emory)—we can gather this week with less anxiety and more hope for what the future will bring.

Gregory L. Fenves, Emory University president

This Thanksgiving, I am blessed to be celebrating 30 years at Emory University and spending most of that time at Goizueta. I am grateful for the strong community of colleagues that I get a chance to work with and the impact that we continue to make on the lives of so many students.

Alicia Sierra, Goizueta director of human resources and diversity

I would never be where I am today without my time at Goizueta. The network, mentorship, and opportunities I received there fundamentally changed my trajectory for the better. To pick one thing I am thankful for would be too hard so I will simply say that I am thankful for the honor of being called an alumna. 

Ashley Freeman 18EvMBA, Founder, Facilitator, and Coach at Flourishing Work, author of forthcoming book The Path to Your Career Purpose: Find and Live the Life of Fulfilling Work You Were Meant to Do

I am most thankful this holiday season to work with colleagues that I consider friends at one of the top business schools in the country.

Dillon Boggs, managing director of development, Emory University Advancement and Alumni Engagement

I’m grateful for so many things this year. I’m thankful for the COVID vaccine which allows my family to gather safely (including with my 95-year-old father) for the Thanksgiving holidays. I’m grateful for the scientists who created the vaccine and for all the healthcare and essential workers who have sacrificed so much over past 20 months to keep people alive and safe. I’m thankful for faculty and staff colleagues who have worked tirelessly over the past 20 months to support our students. I have marveled at their determination, compassion and commitment to serving our students under difficult circumstances. And on a personal note, I’m thankful for my good health, a loving family and caring friends, and of course, for my favorite Thanksgiving dishes: cornbread dressing with cranberry relish, sweet potato casserole and apple pie a la mode!

Julie Barefoot, associate dean of engagement & partnerships and interim chief of staff for Goizueta Business School

We appreciate you, our readers and friends. Happy holidays, everyone!

Check out Goizueta’s Instagram account for more warm wishes, fun photo memories, and stories from our global community.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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The program marks an increased commitment on Goizueta’s part to draw from the skill set of current employees to fill positions. In the few months of implementation, four staff members have been promoted—Jackie Conner, formerly director of academic affairs and instructional design, is now associate dean of Executive MBA Programs; Corey Dortch, formerly senior director of Full-Time MBA Programs, is now associate dean of the Evening MBA Program; Nicole Hitpas, formerly director of program marketing, is now chief marketing and communications officer; and Marvell Nesmith, formerly head of the registrar’s office, is now director of academic affairs and instructional design. 

“This initiative is already showing outstanding gains,” said Alicia Sierra, director of human resources and diversity at Goizueta. “Although we are in the first phase of this important project, it is already showing positive results by allowing us to maximize the talent and skills of employees who are already here and contributing to Emory. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

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During the fifth annual Young African Leaders Institute, or YALI, 25 professionals from 19 countries stepped foot inside the Delta Leadership Hub at Goizueta to learn more about the school’s curriculum and culture.

“This is one of the most exciting days for us at Goizueta because not too often do we have so many professionals from Africa,” Director of Human Resources and Diversity Alicia Sierra said welcoming the group. “You all are sitting in the Delta Leadership Hub, and you all are leaders. You’ve been selected for the Young African Leadership Initiative, and it is fitting that you’re here today.”

The 25 individuals are recipients of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Launched by former President Barack Obama in 2014, the program selects 500 fellows from an applicant pool of more than 50,000. The fellows are divided among 20 academic institutions in the United States to study one of three tracks: business and entrepreneurship, public administration and civic engagement.

The program provides opportunities for young Africans to enhance their leadership skills and create meaningful ties with American citizens, businesses and organizations, as well as each other.

The trip is part of a program at Clark Atlanta University, and the fellows will continue to visit Atlanta universities and corporations for six weeks.

“I’m always so happy to be hosted on your continent because of that sense of personal renewal I get,” Vice Dean of Faculty and Research Kristy Towry said in her opening remarks. “It’s really wonderful now for us to be hosting you here. We hope that you touch our soil and feel a sense of personal renewal here.”

The day was full of learning, meaningful discussions and key networking opportunities. Alex Chanson, senior account manager with sales at Google, kicked off the day’s events with a brief overview of Google and key technologies the company is working on.

“When [Google] designs technology, we try to think about how can we improve the lives of people around us,” Chanson said.

Chanson proceeded to show examples of Google Assistant, Google Home and Google’s self-driving car company called Waymo.

“The important lesson is to be able to be agile and think where we’re going and change the way that we design things for where you want to go,” he said.

The group also got to hear from Scott McNabb with the Rollins School of Public Health on the Google Loon in Africa, a project of using large balloons to bring internet access to rural and remote areas.

Dale Tuck, head of strategy, planning and channel development at Atlanta Applied Artificial Intelligence, discussed AI and block chain, and Assistant Professor of Organization & Management Demetrius Lewis gave a talk on social networks.

The day concluded with primary faculty organizer for the event Professor Benn Konsynski discussing technology and commerce futures. Konsynski brought a variety of technologies, such as a Raspberry Pi, virtual reality headsets and drones, for the group to look at and test.

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Goizueta’s long history of exposing young scholars to business education got a boost this summer when it embarked on a partnership with LEAD (LEADership, Education and Development), an international, cross-sector collaborative of top U.S. corporations, government agencies, higher education and non-profit partnerships focused on developing high potential, diverse youth into high achievers and responsible leaders.

Its track record is stellar. Launched in 1980, 99.9 percent of LEAD graduates have completed college.

So when Larry Drake, President & CEO, LEAD, reached out to Goizueta Business School Dean Erika James about teaming up to launch LEAD’s first global institute, she jumped at the chance. James, who taught in the LEAD Program while at the University of Virginia and at Michigan, was “eager to move forward with the initiative,” said Alicia Sierra, Sr. Manager of HR and Diversity, Goizueta Business School.

The LEAD Global Institute was spearheaded by Manish Tripathi, assistant professor in the practice of marketing, and Earl Hill, senior lecturer in organization and management. Various Goizueta faculty created the curriculum, and a number of Goizueta staff and faculty volunteers also participated. Designed to give students academic and practical exposure to business and opportunities for critical thinking, the two-week program also gave students the chance to build relationships with fellow students, faculty and executives.

The majority of the 24 students were Hispanic and African American and based in the U.S. Four students were from Finland and two were from Puerto Rico.

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“I was blown away by the students in the LEAD program. Their ability to think critically, their confidence, and their work ethic was top notch for students at any level, let alone high school. I was also really happy to see how eager the entire Goizueta community was to work with the LEAD program.” – Manish Tripathi, Goizueta Business School[/pullquote]

As part of the program, students visited The Coca-Cola Company, where they engaged in group discussions with Lauventria Robinson, Coca-Cola’s Vice President of Multicultural Marketing. They also visited Delta Airlines, where they met with Maurese Jenkins, Program Manager, Global Diversity. They also toured the Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Georgia Aquarium, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, and Turner Field, where they watched the Atlanta Braves take on the Chicago Cubs.

But the majority of the student’s time was spent in the classroom.

“Our faculty was very generous in volunteering their time to conduct seminars with the students,” said Tripathi. In addition to the curriculum, over the course of the two-week period, students prepared business plans, which they presented on the final day of the program.

Drake was on hand for the presentation.

Tripathi considers the inaugural year a success and fully expects the partnership to continue.

“I was blown away by the students in the LEAD program,” he said. “Their ability to think critically, their confidence, and their work ethic was top notch for students at any level, let alone high school. I was also really happy to see how eager the entire Goizueta community was to work with the LEAD program.”

– Allison Shirreffs

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Allison Burdette, Assistant Professor in the Practice of Business Law, received The Marc F. Adler Prize for Excellence in Teaching. This award honors outstanding teaching quality, course innovation and relevance to real-world problem solving in all Goizueta Business School programs.

This spring, J.B. Kurish, Associate Professor in the Practice of Finance, received the Emory Williams Teaching Award. This is the oldest teaching award at the university. Nominations are made by a committee, reviewed by the Dean’s Office and submitted to the Provost for approval.

Crystal Apple Teaching Awards honor Emory faculty members for outstanding achievements in teaching. Faculty members are nominated and selected by students. This year, two of the seven 2014 Emory-wide awards were given to GBS faculty:

• Elliot Bendoly was selected in the Undergraduate Business Category
• Emily Bianchi was selected in the Emerging Excellence Category

Additional awards from student nominations:

• BBA Distinguished Educator Award: Emily Bianchi
• MBA Teaching Excellence Award — Classic Faculty: Ray Hill 
• MBA Teaching Excellence Award — Junior Faculty: David Schweidel
• Evening MBA Distinguished Core Educator Award: Kathryn Kadous
• Evening MBA Distinguished Elective Educator Award: Patrick Noonan 
• MEMBA Distinguished Educator Award: Jeffrey Rummel 
• WEMBA Distinguished Educator Awards: Shehzad Mian 

Finally, two members of the community were recognized for their service.

The Donald R. Keough Award for Excellence, named for and endowed by former Coca Cola President and COO Donald Keough, is the school’s highest service award, and recognizes extraordinary contributions by faculty and staff.  In 2014 the award for staff went to Alicia Sierra and for faculty to Rick Gilkey.

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“Our alums are our advocates,” Larry Benveniste, Dean of Goizueta Business School, told a group of alumni and guests gathered for the 2012 Alumni Awards Celebration, held Feb. 9 at Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Prior to the event, Steven Greenfeld 04EvMBA, VP of Business Development, AutoTrader.com, the evening’s master of ceremonies, and President of the Goizueta Alumni Board, explained he gives back to the school because of “the value” he has derived from his Goizueta education.

“If I can do my little part to keep the network connected, I can provide value to the individuals and the school as a whole,” Greenfeld said.

The first award of the evening went to Nsombi Ricketts 06MBA, Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. Ricketts is an alumna of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an organization that awards scholarships to assist underrepresented minority students in earning their MBAs and advancing their careers. For her efforts on behalf of diversity and inclusion, Peter Aranda, Executive Director and CEO of the organization and Alicia Sierra, Director of Diversity and Community Initiatives at Goizueta presented Ricketts with the Consortium Anniversary Award.

Ricketts served as the President of Goizueta’s Black MBA Association and helped launch the school’s Diverse Leadership Conference (now in its seventh year).

“It’s always important to make a difference,” she said. “Figure out what you’re passionate about and use that to make an impact.”

David Tuder 06BBA and Associate—Leveraged Finance at Citigroup was the recipient of the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award for his role in establishing a strong relationship between Goizueta and Citigroup. Tuder explained he’s doing what makes sense: If Citigroup makes great hires, it does well.

That reflects well on Goizueta, and alumni find value in that.

“It’s win-win,” he said.

When Tuder was hired by Citigroup in 2006, Matthew “Matt” Vandivort, a Goizueta alum then working at Citigroup, took Tuder under his wing.

“I’ve tried to do the same type of thing,” said Tuder.

During his tenure as captain of Citigroup’s Emory University campus’ recruiting team, more than 20 Emory students have received internships or full-time positions at Citigroup. For his efforts, the company recently honored Tuder with its Institutional Clients Group Citizenship Award.

Barry Silbert 98BBA and Founder and CEO of SecondMarket, the largest secondary market for alternative investments, can now add Goizueta Alumni Entrepreneurship Award to his list of honors. Named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2011 and one of the “Ten Most Innovative Companies in Finance” by Fast Company, Silbert also made Fortune Magazine’s 2011 “40 Under 40” list.

Via video, Silbert expressed his gratitude for being honored with the award, saying, “the resources the school provided” him have been invaluable.

“It’s wonderful to see the school embracing entrepreneurship,” he said. “I look forward to helping the faculty help create some game-changing businesses.”

The Alumni Service Award went to William “Bill” Brosius 85BBA, who served on the Goizueta Alumni Board from 1998 through 2006 and as President of the board for two years. Brosius, CFO at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston’s Texas Medical Center, also served on the Emory Alumni Board (EAB). Brosius introduced the EAB to alumni engagement metrics and he’s been a Goizueta mentor since 2005.

“I really love giving back to Goizueta,” Brosius told the audience. “For those of you who think you don’t have time, some very small gestures go a long way.”

The evening’s final award went to William Westbrook 61BBA, 63MBA. Westbrook also holds a JD degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law. His distinguished career with Georgia Power and then Southern Company culminated with his appointment to Southern Company’s CFO in 1986. He retired in 2001. He also served on the Goizueta Advisory Board.

Westbrook attributed the “nuts and bolts” of his Emory University education for helping him in his career.

– Allison Shirreffs

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