Three faculty members recognized for outstanding contributions to teaching and research
The School of Business Administration presented awards to three members of the faculty at the spring academic assembly on May 13. Drs. Jia Hao, Amanuel Tekleab and Attila Yaprak each received one of the School’s annual awards for dedication to student advancement and business research.
Jia Hao, assistant professor of finance, received the Distinguished Teaching Award. This is awarded to a faculty member who has made consistent and successful strides to improve management education in the School of Business.
“This individual has gone above and beyond the call when it comes to allowing students opportunities for independent study and opportunities for extra honors work,” said Associate Dean Margaret Smoller before announcing Hao as the award recipient.
Smoller added that Hao dedicated her time to ensure that the curriculum is practical within the discipline and that classes flow together logically. Hao also assisted students preparing for the Association for Corporate Growth Cup competition and aided the engineering school with wind energy projects.
Amanuel Tekleab, associate professor of management, received the Distinguished Research Award. This award recognizes those who have demonstrated exemplary intellectual contributions through publication in refereed journals.
“The recipient of this award has accomplished quite a record in a very short amount of time,” explained Associate Dean Jeff Stoltman, while presenting the honor.
Tekleab published four peer reviewed journal articles in the past two years including one in a top journal in his discipline. He also served with distinction on the editorial review board of the Journal of Organizational Behavior and was the 2007-2008 Wayne State University Academy of Scholars Award recipient as a member of the junior faculty.
Attila Yaprak, professor of marketing and international business, received this year’s Board of Visitors Faculty Fellow Award. The School’s Board of Visitors selects this honor for an individual who has achieved research prominence in his or her academic field. This award grants Yaprak a $5,000 stipend per year for three years to be used for various projects at his discretion.
Before announcing him as the award recipient, Dean David Williams summarized Yaprak as someone who has made “a wide variety of accomplishments over a very, very distinguished career.”
Yaprak has published 33 refereed journal articles including two in top marketing journals, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences and the Journal of International Business Studies. He also has obtained nine external grants – a record for Wayne State – and received the Academy of Marketing Science’s Outstanding Marketing Teacher’s Award in 2007. He served as the associate editor of the Journal of Business Research and was the executive director of the Academy of International Business.
Learn more about School of Business Administration faculty at their faculty profile pages.
