The Fox School of Business and the School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management (STHM) honored faculty and staff members at the second-annual IMPACT Awards ceremony, held in Alter Hall May 8, 2018.
The IMPACT Awards celebrate Fox and STHM faculty and staff for their ability to collaborate effectively as groups to deliver impactful service, teaching, and research contributions.
“As our two schools continue to grow, it is increasingly more important to identify opportunities where our faculty, staff, and leaders can collaborate cross-functionally to achieve truly special outcomes,” says Dean M. Moshe Porat. “In essence, that is the function of the IMPACT Awards, and this year’s honorees met these criteria.”
Applying a peer-review approach, the IMPACT Awards call upon the Fox and STHM communities for review and evaluations of all nominees. Prizes included glass trophies, customized merchandise to commemorate the achievement, a special group experience, and financial rewards. This year, 16 groups representing the accomplishments of 70 faculty and 86 staff members earned nominations.
The winners were: The Fox Global Immersion program, the Temple University Entrepreneurship Academy (TUEA), and the Fox Center for Undergraduate Advising. Here is more on each of these exceptional groups and their achievements:
GLOBAL IMMERSION PROGRAM
Global immersions are short study trips embedded into an international business-oriented course that allow students a chance to experience global business in person rather than simply learning about it in the classroom. These Immersions expose students to the environment of business by taking them to targeted destinations that offer a robust and profound practical experience. Students engage in a number of learning opportunities, including meeting with business executives, touring factories, interacting with government officials and learning about the business environment from locals. After an immersion, students return to their coursework with a unique international perspective. The experience also allows students to develop valuable job skills—such as cultural understanding, tolerance for ambiguity, respect for diversity, adaptability, and self-confidence. Perhaps even more important, students learn about themselves—their values and ideals, limits and aspirations. This heightened self-awareness can unlock passion and creativity, inspiring a more independent, self-reliant, and self-confident student.
Representatives of the Global Immersion program include: Jeffrey Conradi, Kevin Fandl, Christine Kiely, Amy Kumpf, Lauren Letko, and Phyllis Tutora.
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY
The Temple University Entrepreneurship Academy (TUEA), embedded within Temple’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, formed in 2015 as an initiative created in partnership with the President’s office as one of Temple University’s Six Pillars of Success. TUEA has now reached more than 2,000 students campus-wide, implemented more than a dozen programs covering entrepreneurship topics, and has awarded 12 Conwell Fellowships to faculty who are champions of entrepreneurship. TUEA has leveraged partnerships with the Intellectual Heritage GenEd program and the College of Engineering, creating customized programming for each that has led to outreach to more than 700 students. Additionally, TUEA has supported the Tyler School of Art in launching a BFA with Entrepreneurial Studies, giving Tyler students the opportunity to complement their degrees with an entrepreneurial skillset to widen their career options. TUEA has been integral to spreading the entrepreneurial spirit across campus and creating a culture in which Temple University students are empowered to be creative thinkers, problem solvers, and seekers of success.
Representatives of the Temple University Entrepreneurship Academy include: Lindsay Clark, Alan Kerzner, Robert McNamee, Erin McShea, and Ellen Weber.
CENTER FOR UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING
The Fox Center for Undergraduate Advising represents the gold standard for advising at Temple. Servicing almost 8,000 undergraduate students, Fox advisors represent both the front end of students’ introductions and orientations to campus, and the culmination of their academic experiences and clearance for graduation. Students work collaboratively with advisors to develop individual plans for academic success, fully utilize campus resources, and engage in the process of reflection/decision making promoting long-term achievement. Departments work collaboratively with advising to promote new initiatives and programs, establish trends within their major, manage registration into required classes, and increase enrollment.
Following the transition to a developmental advising structure in 2013, with targeted services based on academic standing, the office has maintained consistent high marks on Senior Satisfaction Ratings of ‘Ease of Access’ and ‘Quality of Service’. Retention results for the Fox School, now at 95 percent, consistently exceed all other programs on campus, garnering recent high praise from the Provost’s Office.
Representatives of the Fox School’s Center for Undergraduate Advising include: Harriet Butterfield, Jan Cleaver, Camille Fallon, Gavin Farber, Chuck Foster, Jake Hershman, Lisa Hodge, Jeff Hofer, Shelley Hunter, Amanda Jaxheimer, Ross Markman, Dina Maslennikova, Carli Metzler, Lauren O’Brien, Elvita Quinones, Joy Stroman, Natalie Vohra, and Julian White.