VCU Business School professors garner national teaching, research awards

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley and Frances Altman

RICHMOND, Va. – Four faculty members at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business received national recognition this semester from prestigious marketing, economics and business communications associations for excellence in teaching and research. 

“These awards are just one indication of the quality of the faculty at the VCU School of Business,” said Michael L. Sesnowitz, Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Business.  “Our faculty are dedicated teacher-scholars who excel in the classroom and in their contributions to knowledge.” 

Randolph T. Barker, Ph.D., professor of management, received the Association for Business Communication’s 2003 Outstanding Researcher Award.  An international judging committee selected Barker for the award, which honors a scholar who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the business communication discipline.  He was cited for the overall contribution of his cumulative publications in referred journals and scholarly books, and the overall quality and significance of his research. Much of Barker’s research has focused on the interdisciplinary aspects of organizational communication including team leadership, listening behavior and strategy.  Barker also has received other regional and national awards, including the VCU School of Business Research award and the VCU Distinguished Teaching award.

Suzanne Gallagher, director of the VCU Center for Economic Education, was awarded the Bessie B. Moore Service Award by the National Association of Economic Educators and the National Council on Economic Education.  The award recognizes her outstanding and innovative programs during her more than 25 years as an economic educator.  As a mentor to teachers and fellow economic educators, Gallagher has encouraged the creation and coordination of economics programs for both children and adults.  Activities have included a variety of presentations for Virginia teachers such as the “Entrepreneurs in a Market Economy,” “Richmond and the Global Economy,” “LifeSmarts” and “Mini-Economy.”  Gallagher also has coauthored curriculum guides to help elementary and middle school teachers in Virginia meet economics Standards of Learning, including “Adventures in Economics and U.S. History” and “Spotting Economics: From Africa to Ice Cream.”

Dennis M. O’Toole, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, received the Kenneth G. Elzinga Distinguished Teaching Award from the Southern Economics Association for excellence in teaching.  The association stated in its citation that “Dennis O’Toole is an outstanding classroom educator who asks students to reflect, write and integrate to make economics become part of their lives, in courses ranging from the Principles of Economics to Money and Banking for undergraduate and master’s level students.”  O’Toole has served as executive vice president for the Virginia Council on Economic Education and as the director of the Virginia Commonwealth Center for Economic Education.  He has been director of the Economic Literacy Project for the California State University and College System.  O’Toole also is the coauthor of a series of provocative papers on “Teaching and Learning Styles” in the Journal of Economic Education.

David J. Urban, Ph.D., professor of marketing, received the American Marketing Association award for Innovative Excellence in Marketing Education.  This is Urban’s eighth national teaching award since 1992.  Urban has been innovative in his approach to using the Internet to enrich his classes.  In addition to providing course information via his class web sites, Urban uses the Web to conduct ongoing discussions with his students about key issues in marketing and conducts Internet-based research projects in which students use the Web as the delivery medium for the finished work.  He is well known for the development of interactive instruction materials used by universities across the country that stimulate discussions even in large lecture classes.  Urban’s students also can find interactive drill-and-practice quizzes on the Web sites that help them to prepare for course examinations. 

“It is wonderful to have these VCU School of Business professors recognized by their peers,” Sesnowitz said.  “These awards reflect well on the VCU School of Business, and the recipients are representative of the many talented faculty throughout the school.”