Feb. 12, 2015
CONTACT: Dr. Neil Terry, 806-651-2528, nterry@mail.wtamu.edu
WTAMU College of Business Announces New Appointments and Professorship
CANYON, Texas—The College of Business at West Texas A&M University is pleased to announce the appointment of four new endowed professorship for the spring of 2015 and the establishment of a new professorship to be filled in the fall.
The University will honor its faculty and donors of endowed professorships and chairs at a convocation ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Feb.16 in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, Legacy Hall.
Dr. Sharon Burnett, associate professor of accounting, has been named the Gene Edwards Professor of Accounting. The Edwards Professorship was established in 2015 by friends of Gene Edwards to provide an endowment for funding the Edwards Professorship of Accounting. The professorship honors of Gene Edwards, a distinguished Texas Banker who enhanced both business and community development through his leadership at the First National Bank of Amarillo. Burnett earned her doctoral degree in accounting from Oklahoma State University in 1998 before joining the faculty at West Texas A&M University in 2000. Her recent research highlights include journal publications in Practical Tax Strategies, Journal of Accountancy and Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly. She teaches courses in managerial accounting, cost accounting and accounting information systems.
Dr. Leigh Browning, professor of business communication and marketing, has been named the Jerry Miller Professor of Entrepreneurship. The Miller Professorship was established in 2010 by Dr. Jerry Miller, a distinguished scholar, dedicated professor, entrepreneur, community leader and innovative former dean of the College of Business at WTAMU. The professorship was created to support the continued student, faculty and community entrepreneurship activities at West Texas A&M University. Browning, who earned her doctoral degree in mass communication and advertising from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1999, has served on the West Texas A&M University faculty since 1991. Her recent research highlights include journal publications in Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice and Southwestern Economic Review. Browning teaches courses in business communication, emerging media in advertising and emerging media law.
Dr. Jeffry Babb, assistant professor of computer information systems, has been named the Phil Gensler Professor of Computer Information Systems. The professorship was established in 2007 by friends and former students in honor of Dr. Phil Gensler, a distinguished computer information systems professor who, through 20 years of professional leadership and dedication to students, provided exceptional opportunities for graduates in computer information systems. Babb earned his doctoral degree in computer information systems from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009 and joined the faculty at West Texas A&M University that same year. His recent research highlights include journal publications in IEEE Software, International Journal of E-Services and Mobile Applications and Journal of Information Systems Applied Research. Babb teaches courses in mobile application development, software systems development and web development.
Dr. Bin Shao, associate professor of decision management, is the Terry Professor of Business. The Terry Professorship of Business was established in 2013 by Drs. Neil and Anne Macy Terry to support continuous improvement efforts that advance the business program at West Texas A&M University. Shao earned her doctoral degree in operations management from the University of Illinois in 2007 and joined the faculty at WTAMU that same year. Her recent research highlights include journal publications in Academy of Information and Management Sciences Journal, International Journal of Business Research and Research in Business and Economics Journal. She teaches courses in operations management, supply chain management and project management.
Hassan and Jill Dana established the Dana Professorship of Business in 2015. The professorship was created to support academic excellence, discovery and innovation for the faculty, students and regional community supported by West Texas A&M University and the College of Business. The first Dana Professor of Business will be appointed in September 2015.
The announcement of the new professorship appointments brings the total to 16 endowed professorships in the College of Business. The continuing professor appointments are as follows:
• Dr. Barbara Wang—Gene Edwards Professor of Banking;
• Dr. De’Arno De’Armond—Gene Edwards Professor of Financial Planning;
• Dr. Anne Macy—Gene Edwards Professor of Finance;
• Dr. Nick Gerlich—J. Pat Hickman Professor of Marketing;
• Dr. James Owens—Don Hodges Professor of Corporate Governance;
• Dr. Darlene Pulliam—James and Mogie McCray Professor of Business;
• Dr. Robin Patterson—Don Patterson Professor of Business Law;
• Dr. Sean Humpherys—T. Boone Pickens Professor of Business;
• Dr. Jonathan Shaffer—T. Boone Pickens Professor of Management;
• Dr. Karyn Friske—Stanley Schaeffer Professor of Business Ethics; and
• Dr. Andrew Li—Don Williams Professor of Management.
—WTAMU—