We are proud to announce the 2020 Dean’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service. These awards recognize full-time faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to the mission and goals of the Romain College of Business.
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Brett Bueltel’s teaching package demonstrates his teaching skills, his dedication to engaging students with their subject matter, and his commitment to growth through professional development. Dr. Bueltel teaches a subject that is judged as difficult by his students, and yet they still rate him highly. His teaching includes a number of experiential learning activities which are consistent with the college’s current and previous missions and visions. Dr. Bueltel engages with students at all levels of their learning experience at USI. For example, he coordinates and serves as a mentor for the RCOB LLC and teaches UNIV 101, both of which help him develop relationships with business students in their Freshman year. He uses innovative teaching exercises in his upper level classes, and his students have the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life situations through the VITA program, which he also coordinates. As the chair of the RCOB Accounting Curriculum and Assessment committee, assurance of learning is of particular interest to him. In addition, Dr. Bueltel takes advantage of professional development in teaching and learning via workshops, such as the AACSB AOL Seminar, the USI UNIV 101 Teaching workshop, and the USI Online Course Development Program.
“I’m honored to be recognized among my great colleagues with the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. I truly enjoy interacting with our students and helping them develop into business professionals. Seeing our students grow and excel is one of the best feelings I can experience as a professor!”
--Dr. Brett Bueltel
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research
Dr. Curt Gilstrap’s research activities included two peer reviewed journal publications in the evaluation year (including one single authored) and one from a prior year. Also of note is the quantity of research articles under review and in progress. His research is current, relevant and applied, consistent with our mission. Dr. Gilstrap uses innovative applied methodologies with Leximancer technologies and notes that his research currently benefits and is being used by both national and international organizations.
“I am very honored to have been selected as one of two Dean's Award for Excellence in Research recipients for 2019-2020. I am likewise encouraged by our colleagues' recognition of both my team management research and my marketing communication research programs. It is my hope to continue to enhance both fields as I move forward with a number of research teams.”
--Dr. Curt Gilstrap
Dr. Srishti Srivastava’s research activities included five peer reviewed conference publications accepted or published in the evaluation year, along with two peer reviewed conferences, four peer reviewed journal articles and a book chapter from the previous (five) years. Dr. Srivastava also has a number of non PRJs and works in progress and has received two external grants in the past two years. Dr. Srivastava describes her work as “novel techniques for analyzing the robustness of resource allocations in parallel and distributed computing environments.”
“I am very honored to receive the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research. I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to the selection committee members, the deans of Romain College, my department chair, and all my wonderful Romain College colleagues for providing the motivation and inspiration to do better in my academic career at USI.”
--Dr. Srishti Srivastava
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service
Ms. Maier-Lytle’s service contributions during the 2019 evaluation year can be found at every level—from contributions to her profession and local community to contributions to the university, college and department. At the professional and community level, she stays engaged with the local chapter of the IMA, from speaking at multiple events and organizing members for fund drives, to engaging accounting professionals with students from the classroom to national case competitions. She is also actively involved with the Accounting Circle Extravaganza, Accounting Circle Board meetings and the High School Business Day, and she serves on the board of a local nonprofit. Ms. Maier-Lytle also finds time to serve the university’s CETL, help with college recruiting activities, and advise the Accounting Club/IMA Student Organization. She serves on several significant Accounting Department committees. As Ms. Maier-Lytle mentioned in her package, she believes in the mission that “excellence in and outside the classroom prepares students for excellence in business.” And she does what she does “…because I want to be a more supportive and compassionate individual.”
"The service award uplifted my spirits during a time of mental drain from the countless hours of online preparation and teaching, while taking care of my family. Service has always been a part of my life. My mom instilled the act of serving in me years ago, as I watched her lead a Boy Scout troop, work as a waitress and cook, and take care of her family.
I appreciate the opportunity to serve in many different capacities, but I particularly love serving as the adviser for the the Accounting Club and the student case study competition teams. We have amazing students, and it is such a joy to watch them grow and develop into young professionals."
--Jeanette Maier-Lytle