Each Spring the faculty is invited to nominate colleagues for Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards. These are offered for the three pillars of academic life (Instructional Responsibilities, Intellectual Contributions, and Professional Service, as well as Staff Excellence Awards for both within the COB, and the broader University.
This year the faculty winners were Marisa Crisostomo for Instructional Responsibilities, Barbara Wang for Intellectual Contributions, and Rahul Chauhan for Professional Service. Staff Excellence winners were Mckayla Robinson in the COB, and Melissa White at the University level.
Crisostomo is Clinical Assistant Professor of Decision Management, and joined the faculty in 2017. She earned her PhD in Cognitive Psychology and Quantitative Methods from the University of Oklahoma in 2017, and teaches introductory courses in quantitative methods and statistics. She is highly regarded by her students, with whom she maintains a high level of engagement in her courses. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing and powerlifting.
Wang, who is Professor of Finance and the Gene Edwards Professor of Banking, is proud of her recognition for Intellectual Contributions. “I am deeply honored to receive the award. The nuanced and sometimes unintended role of information disclosure in the capital market has always intrigued me, and I feel fortunate to be able to explore and delve into these issues,” she said. She joined the faculty in 2007 after completing her PhD at the University of Alabama.
The Excellence Award in Professional Service was awarded to Rahul Chauhan, Associate Professor of Management & McCray Professor of Business. He is pleased to have been this year’s honoree. “This is an award that I have long sought to achieve for quite some time. I firmly believe that service is a critical element of our role as faculty members, and that going above and beyond our stereotypical responsibilities of teaching and service is critical for our overall success as a College,” he said. “Service in part allows faculty to transition from stakeholders to shareholders, and further enhances our direct relationships with the students that we interact with in each of our courses.” Chauhan joined the faculty in 2015, after completing his PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology with a Management concentration at the University of Oklahoma.
Robinson joined the College of Business in June 2022, working in the Dean’s office. She quickly earned the respect and admiration of everyone in the College. She graduated from WT in December 2021. “I am very honored and excited that the faculty and staff of the college picked me for this award. I feel very grateful for each individual in this college and I love working with each person as well. I couldn’t think of better people to work with,” she reflected.
White is currently an Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, a position she started over three years ago. She specializes in SACSCOC accreditation standards, Texas Administration Code regulations, and working with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, as well as other state and federal regulatory agencies. In addition, she has the opportunity to work with and help facilitate curriculum initiatives with colleges and departments. She earned her undergraduate and MBA degrees at WT. “The College of Business has many interactions with various departments across campus, so I was very surprised that my name was even considered for a nomination. I value the relationship I have with the College of Business and thoroughly enjoy the partnership opportunities to help further the goals and initiatives of the college. This is such a thoughtful recognition from the College of Business and I am honored to be selected.”
Lastly, Leslie Ramos Salazar was recognized for her promotion to Full Professor, thereby joining the group of other elite professors who have reached the highest rank among the faculty.