Broad faculty recognized for excellence in scholarship, service and teaching

The Broad College is recognized for its excellence, innovation and leadership. At the heart of these efforts, you’ll find dedicated, passionate faculty who strive for student success and who improve our community through scholarship, service and teaching.

At the 2023 Faculty Recognition Dinner and Investiture Ceremony, held on Oct. 30, faculty were honored for their academic achievements, including endowments, promotions and excellence in teaching awards. Endowed positions, which are made possible by the significant contributions from our alumni and donors, are a highlight of the Investiture Ceremony.

“The Broad College earns its recognition through the creativity and invention that our people demonstrate every day and the entrepreneurial and global mindsets they embrace and act upon,” Judith Whipple, interim dean of the Broad College, said to kick off the event. “Those efforts make for a better world, and that better world is where the purpose of a Broad Spartan is defined.”

2023 Endowed Faculty

Finance

Hao Jiang received the Philip J. May Endowed Professorship in Finance. The endowed faculty position was formed by Philip J. May as part of his estate; he was MSU’s vice president of finance for 20 years.

Andrei Simonov was awarded the Frederick S. Addy Distinguished Chair. Fred and Marilyn Addy both received their undergraduate degrees from MSU in 1953. Fred went on to receive a master’s in marketing from the Broad College in 1957. Fred believed that the best professors help attract the best students and that creating a community of talented teachers and students helps create a strong college.

Hospitality Business

Adam Roy was awarded the Dr. Lewis J. and Mrs. Ruth E. Minor Professor of Culinary Business. Lewis and Ruth Minor established this fund in 1989 to support a chef position in the School of Hospitality Business (which was Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management at the time), in recognition of the outstanding leadership provided by Robert Nelson, the current chef at that time. The goal of the endowment is to support chefs who provide direction and focus to the culinary arts education at MSU.

Management

Nicholas Hays was awarded the Main Street Capital Endowed Faculty in Business. Vincent D. Foster has served as chair of the board of directors of Main Street Capital Corporation in Houston, Texas; the firm and its predecessor entities have founded and invested in numerous privately and publicly held companies. Prior to these ventures, Foster was a partner and Southwest U.S. director of mergers and acquisitions for Arthur Andersen and earned his degree from the Department of Accounting and Information Systems in 1978. The goal of the endowment is to support and recognize excellence in undergraduate education.

Supply Chain Management

Jason Miller and Sriram Narayanan received the Eli Broad Professorship in Supply Chain Management. Funded by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the Eli Broad Professorships were created to attract prestigious faculty and top students to MSU. The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation works to advance entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science and the arts.  Mr. Broad was renowned for his tireless philanthropic efforts and lifelong commitment to giving back, and Mrs. Broad continues this legacy.

Outstanding faculty service

At the Investiture Ceremony, the John D. and Dortha J. Withrow Awards were also presented to three deserving faculty members. These awards have been made possible through substantial contributions from the Withrow Foundation since 1992.

The Withrow Distinguished Teaching Award, given annually, recognizes faculty who have achieved the highest level of distinction for service to MSU through excellence in teaching and scholarship. The 2023 award was presented to Stephen Schiestel, Frederick S. Addy Professor of Practice in the Department of Finance.

“Steve’s teaching journey has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Whipple said. “He has dedicated himself to educating students across various levels — from undergraduate to master’s, MBA and Executive MBA students. His commitment to excellence is evident in the above-average teaching scores received from his students, and through his innovative approaches, he is consistently ranked as one of the top five teachers in the finance department.”

Second, the Withrow Emerging Scholar Award, also given annually, celebrates the next generation of academic leaders. This award recognizes research that advances the frontiers of knowledge, teaching that shapes the minds of our students and outreach and service that enriches the broader community.

Hays and Lu Zhang, associate professor of hospitality business, were both honored with the award.

Hays has consistently published in top-tier management and psychology journals. He is an asset to the Broad academic community by bringing his best to the classroom at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Whipple also noted how his strengths extend beyond the classroom.

“He has served as the faculty director for the Broad Behavioral Lab, demonstrating his dedication to providing cutting-edge research opportunities for our students,” she said. “Additionally, he has taken on the role of faculty adviser to student organizations, contributing to the holistic development of our aspiring leaders and, in particular, students interested in careers in consulting.”

Zhang is an outstanding researcher and wonderful teacher, striking a balance between these two cores of our mission. Her research has been published in leading hospitality and marketing journals and was recognized with the Robert Johnston Award for highly commended paper of the year in 2019. Whipple highlighted that what sets Zhang apart is her commitment to her students.

“The feedback from her students consistently praises her ability to go above and beyond to help them succeed,” she said. “Her dedication to their growth and development is a testament to her passion for teaching. Beyond the classroom, Lu serves her department as the honors adviser and mentor to many undergraduate students.”

Other announcements at the ceremony included faculty promotions and 30 faculty teaching awards for undergraduate required and elective courses, hospitality business–specific courses and MBA and Executive MBA courses in the 2022–23 academic year.

With each of these endowments, awards and recognitions, we are proud to honor and recognize our faculty who strive to make a difference through their exceptional scholarship, service and teaching.