For their contributions to the Terry College’s teaching, research and public service missions, five professors were honored with Outstanding Faculty Awards. The awards will be presented during a ceremony in March.
Elena Karahanna, the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Distinguished Chair of Business Administration and UGA Distinguished Research Professor, received the 2021 Distinguished Research Award. The award is given to tenure-track faculty members for research that displays a history of excellence, longevity and impact within its field.
Karahanna’s research has made outstanding contributions in understanding the impact of information systems on how people work, coordinate and interact. Her recent work has focused on the use of digital technologies in healthcare, technology-mediated interruptions, and the use of bots in social media and public health. Her body of work was recognized twice in the last two years by international information system societies for its significant long-term impact.
Marie Mitchell, a professor of management and the I.W. Cousins Professor of Business Ethics, received the 2021 Research Excellence Award. The award recognizes tenure-track faculty for superior research conducted or published in the last five years.
Mitchell is a leader in the research of behavioral ethics in the workplace and the effects of exclusionary and destructive workplace behavior. Mitchell has been prolific in the past five years, publishing 10 papers with five in top-tier journals. In addition to her publication record, Mitchell is an excellent mentor to doctoral and undergraduate students.
Margaret Christ, a professor in the J.M. Tull School of Accounting and PWC faculty fellow, received the 2021 Teaching Excellence Award. The award recognizes tenure-track faculty for demonstrating excellence in the classroom.
Christ uses a variety of active learning techniques and hands-on projects to make what could be dry material engaging. She designs her teaching activities to develop critical thinking skills, build inclusive communities and teach effective collaboration. She is a leader in advancing the accounting analytics curriculum in the Tull School and has been a valuable mentor to doctoral students and junior faculty.
Charles Lyons received the 2021 Instructional Excellence Award as a senior lecturer in the Department of Management.
Lyons teaches Principles of Management (MGMT 3000), a requirement for all Terry students. He took over the class in 2014, and his redesign and improvements to the course have led to a better undergraduate experience for his students. He has continued to make the course more personally engaging and active. Since revamping the course, he has taught more than 10,000 Terry students and earned a reputation as an approachable and engaging instructor who has mentored at-risk students, helping them regain their footing at UGA.
Jennifer Osbon, a senior lecturer in the Department of Marketing, received the 2021 Outstanding Faculty Service Award.
Osbon created the Digital Marketing Area of Emphasis in the Department of Marketing and has overseen its growth from three to more than 100 students annually. In support of the college’s growing digital marketing community, she created UGA’s Digital Marketing Case Competition and SPARKSouth — an academic and professional symposium for digital marketing students across the Southeast. Her commitment to helping students shape the future of marketing led her to create the annual career development trip to New York City. She serves as advisor to the UGA student chapter of the American Marketing Association.