Faculty Awards – 2026
Outstanding Junior Faculty Scholar
Mahsa Kaviani
Assistant Professor of Finance
The Lerner College Outstanding Junior Faculty Scholar Award is awarded to a full-time, untenured faculty member to recognize outstanding scholarship or other contributions to Lerner College initiatives. Their scholarship includes publications in high-quality, well-respected journals and may also include conference presentations and publications, citation by other scholars, or other external recognition of a potentially consequential and impactful research stream. The 2026 recipient is Mahsa Kaviani.
Outstanding Teacher
Nicholas D. Waller
Instructor of Hospitality Business Management & Director of Vita Nova
The Lerner College Outstanding Teacher Award is awarded to a full time faculty member to recognize outstanding overall contribution to the Lerner College’s educational mission. They evidence classroom performance by outstanding teaching evaluations or letters of recommendation by current or former students, pedagogical innovation and program development, advising, mentoring and career guidance. The 2026 recipient is Nicholas D. Waller.
Outstanding Faculty Scholar
Ming Zhao
Associate Professor of Operations Management
The Lerner College Outstanding Scholar Award is awarded to a full-time faculty member to recognize outstanding scholarship by a Lerner College faculty member over a sustained period of time. Scholarship may include books and chapters, journal publications, conference presentations and publications, invited lectures, editorships, citation by other scholars and other external recognition (e.g., professional society nominations, prizes). The 2026 recipient is Ming Zhao.
Outstanding Faculty Outreach and Service
Daniel Freeman
Associate Professor of Marketing, Director, Neil S. Book School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Lerner College Outstanding Faculty Outreach and Service Award is awarded to a full-time faculty member to recognize outstanding outreach/service contributions, particularly those which significantly impact the department, college, community, state, region and/or international constituencies. The 2026 recipient is Daniel Freeman.
Staff Excellence in Service
Carrie Fang, Business Administrator and Lacey Leatherwood, Manager, Vita Nova
The Lerner College Staff Excellence in Service Award is awarded to an exempt or non-exempt staff for exemplary service to the College. The recipient demonstrates a sustained commitment to provide excellent service to students, alumni, faculty and staff, go above and beyond to be helpful and ensure that interactions with students and colleagues are exceptional and problems are resolved. The 2026 recipients are Carrie Fang and Lacey Leatherwood.
Staff Excellence in Innovation
Kelly Chan, Academic Program Coordinator and Michele Mercurio, Senior Business Administrator
The Lerner College Staff Innovation Award is awarded to a staff member for dedication to continuously improving customer satisfaction and finding creative and appropriate solutions to customer problems. They demonstrate exceptional ability to foster collaboration, communication and cooperation among colleagues and members of the college community. The 2026 recipients are Kelly Chan and Michele Mercurio.
Slocomb Professional Excellence Award
Libby Cusack
Program Manager, Career Services
The Leon & Margaret Slocomb Professional Excellence Award is awarded each year to a full-time faculty or professional staff member in the Lerner College who exhibits a caring attitude in the interest of students and clients. They demonstrate an exemplary commitment to public service, community involvement and innovative activity. The 2026 recipient is Libby Cusack.
Outstanding Adjunct Instructor Award
Megan Koll
Adjunct Faculty, Department of Marketing, Management and Global Business
The Outstanding Adjunct Instructor Award is awarded each year to an instructor of Lerner College courses who is not a full-time employee of the University of Delaware. This award recognizes outstanding contributions through adjunct teaching, mentoring students and providing experiences which enrich the academic programs of the college. The 2026 recipient is Megan Koll.
MBA Teaching Award
Wendy Smith, Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management; Michal Herzenstein, Professor of Marketing, Chairperson; and Anatoliy Anguelov, Adjunct Faculty (honorable mentions)
The MBA Teaching Award is given annually by the MBA & Graduate Student Association to the Lerner professor who best exemplifies excellence in teaching graduate MBA courses. The 2026 recipient is Wendy Smith. Michal Herzenstein and Anatoliy Anguelov received honorable mentions.
Student Choice Teaching Award
Jens Schubert
Associate Professor of Economics
The Excellence in Teaching Award is given annually by the Lerner Student Advisory Board to the Lerner professor who best exemplifies excellence in teaching undergraduate business courses. The 2026 recipient is and Jens Schubert.