The College of Business at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln recognized several faculty and staff members for their dedication to furthering research and developing future business leaders. They received honors at the 2019 Awards and Retirement Reception Friday, April 19, in Howard L. Hawks Hall.

Dr. Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business, presented the awards, which recognize individual accomplishments that support the mission of the college to drive discovery, create opportunity and empower individuals to lead the future of business.

“I am awed at the support for and talent of this college. In conversations with our community partners, I share the wonderful things driving our transformation into a premier business college. I take great pride in knowing it is our people fueling the change and making great things happen,” Farrell said.
 
Retiring Faculty Member Dr. James Gentry, professor and Maurice J. and Alice Hollman College Professor of Marketing, plans to retire after his 32 years with the College of Business. Before joining the faculty at Nebraska, he taught at Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Wisconsin and University of Western Australia. 

“Jim is well-known for his dedication and support for the Mittelstaedt Symposium, the three-day symposium featuring marketing doctoral dissertation research. He helped create a unique atmosphere allowing students to engage with fellow Ph.D. peers, share research and get real-time feedback. Under his guidance, the symposium experienced continued growth and drew participants from across the nation and Canada. I am excited to share beginning in 2020, the symposium will be known as the Mittelstaedt & Gentry Symposium,” Farrell said at the reception.
 
Staff Distinguished Service Awards
This award recognizes staff who show consistently outstanding job performance; provide service or support above and beyond the call of duty; exemplify or inspire a “teamwork” attitude; make innovative or creative contributions.

Michelle Jacobs, administrative coordinator in the Department of Marketing, joined the college in 1984 and oversees daily operation of the department. She also works closely with agribusiness majors and students enrolled in the Certificate in Professional Selling program. Her nominators call her the “institutional memory of the department who sacrifices her personal time for the benefit of faculty and students” and say “the entire department leans heavily on Michelle, and she has never failed to support us. She takes on things beyond the scope of her assigned duties because she cares.”
Kathy Mellick, administrative coordinator in the Department of Finance, joined the college in 1990 and works with the Actuarial Science program. Her nominators call out her willingness to help and responsiveness to questions with kindness and patience. “The day-to-day functioning of the department runs as smoothly as it does in large part because of her. Her caring and concern for the faculty comes through in everything that she does.”
  Excellence in Teaching Award (Non-Tenure Track)
Kathryn Maresh, J.D., assistant professor of practice and executive in residence in the School of Accountancy, received the Excellence in Teaching honor. It goes to a professor of practice, lecturer or adjunct faculty member who makes a positive impact on his or her students’ educational experience.

“She did a phenomenal job this semester in her first time as a tax professor. This is not an easy topic to teach, and she did a great job,” her nominator wrote.
  MBA Distance Teaching Award
Dr. Emre Unlu, Paul C. Burmeister Professor of Investments, executive director of Executive Education and associate professor of finance, received the MBA Distance Teaching Award for the sixth time since joining the college in 2007. The honor goes to a faculty member making the most positive impact on the online MBA students’educational experience. Online students vote for their favorite professor for the award.

One nominator shared, “I am not a finance person – I am not even a numbers person. And yet, I can say that Dr. Unlu’s finance course has been one of my favorites in this program.”
  Distinguished Teaching Award (Tenure-Track)
Dr. Blake Runnalls, assistant professor of marketing, received the Distinguished Teaching Award. The honor recognizes the professor who makes the most positive impact on their student’s educational experience.

A nominator said Runnalls, who joined the college in 2017, demonstrates unwavering integrity and dedication to students. “He’s passionate about seeing his students succeed and always makes himself available to help.”
  Faculty Service Award
Dr. Scott Swenseth, associate professor in supply chain management and analytics, joined the college in 1987 and teaches courses in planning and control systems, logistics, sourcing and distribution and supply chain strategies. He received the Faculty Service Award, which recognizes those who make a distinguished contribution with a record of sustained performance that significantly contributes to the college's service mission. 
  Emerging Scholar Research Award
Dr. Andre Maciel, assistant professor in marketing, received the Emerging Scholar Research Award. It recognizes a tenure-track assistant professor in the first three years of their career who makes an outstanding contribution to academic literature. Since joining the college in 2016, he published several research articles with more in the pipeline, focusing on gender, social class, consumer agency and mechanisms of market growth.

“His works explore how consumers develop new preferences and how the acquired preferences affect their relationship with other consumers and firms. This work is highly important, particularly for businesses devising marketing strategies based on innovations,” Farrell said.
  Distinguished Research Awards 
Dr. Erkut Sönmez, assistant professor in supply chain management and analytics, received the Distinguished Research Award for his continued high level of research over a sustained period. With the college since 2017, his research considers complex management problems that arise with development of new business models and technologies as they apply to food and energy supply chains. 
Dr. Julie Wu, assistant professor in finance, also received the Distinguished Research Award. Since joining the Department of Finance in 2016, she publishes high-quality research articles in elite journals, with work in progress in the areas of securities markets, empirical asset pricing and corporate finance.
  Graduate Student Teaching
Abigail Nappier Cherup, Ph.D. student in marketing, received the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, which goes to a graduate student with teaching responsibilities. Studying in the college since 2015, she encourages discussion and growth in and outside of the classroom.

“Abby brings students out of the textbook and into the real world when it comes to learning. Teaching courses with some students who have never taken a marketing course, she works to help them see the role of marketing outside the classroom,” Farrell said.
  Graduate Research Assistant Awards
Abigail Nappier Cherup also received the Graduate Research Assistant Award, which is presented to students with the most impressive research record. Her research addresses the challenges faced by non-mainstream consumer segments, such as those with limited economic and social resources. Her nominator said, “Her scholarly mind is increasingly rare in the field of marketing, although it is arguably vital for the development of research that can have a broad impact. It allows her to engage with different research approaches to answer relevant research questions.”

Bektemir Ysmailov, a Ph.D. student in finance, also received the Graduate Research Assistant Award. He builds a portfolio of high-quality research papers gaining traction in elite journals. He also received the 2019 Travel Grant Award from the American Finance Association, the most prestigious conference in finance. “His achievements are unusual even for graduate students at top Big Ten schools,” his nominator said.
 
Faculty Achieving Tenure
Farrell also recognized those faculty members achieving tenure: Dr. Demet Batur, assistant professor in supply chain management and analytics; Dr. Nikos Dimotakis, assistant professor of management; Dr. Jenna Pieper, assistant professor of management; and Dr. Stas Nikolova, assistant professor of finance.

To view past winners or nominate someone for a future award, visit the Nebraska Business Recognitions webpage: https://business.unl.edu/faculty-and-research/recognitions/. Published: April 23, 2019