Poets&Quants recently named Troy Smith, Professor of Business Ethics and associate professor of management, as one of the Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors of 2022. The first University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business professor to earn a spot on the list, Smith joins accomplished and renowned faculty from across the world.

“It is extremely humbling and a sincere privilege to receive this recognition from Poets&Quants. Although I may be the teacher of record for my classes, I hope my department chair, the office assistants and the college’s Teaching and Learning Center know that this recognition is for them too. I could never do what I do in class without their ongoing training and support,” Smith said.

Before joining the college in 2016, Smith earned his Ph.D. in management from Texas A&M University. His research has been published in multiple premier academic journals, including Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology and Journal of Management.

Currently teaching Managing Behavior in Organizations (MNGT 360) and Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (MNGT 412), Smith enjoys watching his students push each other to higher levels of performance. He views his personal teaching success as a result of the relationships he forms with students and the learning environment he creates.

“I develop personalized relationships with my students by memorizing their names and learning about their lives to foster better educational experiences inside and outside of the classroom. I also try to avoid lecturing and instead use participative exercises to encourage my students to learn the course material through experiential learning, reflection, and conversation,” he said.

Emily Faltys, a junior management major from Norfolk, Nebraska, explained how Smith created a welcoming and supportive classroom atmosphere in his MNGT 360 course.

“Coming from a small high school in Nebraska, it was hard to transition my academic motivation. I can confidently say that Troy made the biggest impact on me academically because he wants his students to succeed and took the time to get to know each of my classmates and me personally,” said Faltys. “I can fully be myself and engage in class discussions freely without judgment.”

Smith shared how the Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador program offered through the Center of Executive and Professional Development at the College of Business impacted him.

“The diversity and inclusion training I received from the Center for Executive and Professional Development has aided me in being more inclusive and sensitive to the unique experiences and perspectives of the students I am privileged to interact with inside and outside of the classroom,” Smith said.

In the past six years Smith has received three university Family & Friends Recognition Awards (formerly known as the Parents' Recognition Award) for making an exceptional difference in students’ lives. He has also received the Distinguished Teaching Award twice at the College of Business for positively impacting business students.

“Having a department chair that has allowed me to teach all my classes in one semester each year, has enabled me to focus more on my students when I teach and focus on my research the rest of the year. In addition, the consultants in the Teaching and Learning Center have given me invaluable trainings and regular support on how to integrate new teaching approaches and technologies into my classes,” he said.

Faltys credits Smith for providing motivation and expanding her Nebraska Business community.

“Troy is hands down the best professor I've had at Nebraska. He makes his students want to succeed in class and makes us excited about learning. I know all of my classmates by name and have become friends with many of them outside of class because of the friendly environment he created,” she said.

To view the list from Poets&Quants, visit: https://poetsandquants.com/2022/12/12/poetsquants-top-50-undergraduate-professors-of-2022/2/. For a full look at Smith’s profile, visit: https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/news/2022-best-undergraduate-professors-troy-a-smith-university-of-nebraska-lincoln/.