Venkatesh Shankar, a professor of marketing and holder of the Coleman Chair in Marketing, has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 American Marketing Association Mahajan Award for Lifetime Contributions to Marketing Strategy Research.
The award recognizes an individual’s career contributions to the advancement of marketing strategy research, education and practice, said Rajan Varadarajan, the marketing department head and Distinguished Professor of Marketing and Ford Chair in Marketing & E-Commerce.
Shankar
The selection process is coordinated by the Marketing Strategy Special Interest Group of the American Marketing Association. From among the marketing educators nominated for the award, a committee of past recipients of the award and journal editors chooses the winner.
Shankar will be presented with the award at the 2012 American Marketing Association Marketing Educators’ Conference in Chicago in August.
Brandon C. Coleman, Jr. ’78, who endowed the chair that Shankar holds, said he is proud of his recognition. “We are blessed to have you represent the marketing department, Mays Business School and Texas A&M,” Coleman, who is president/CEO of Big Picture Thinking, wrote in a message to Shankar.
Shankar said he is “honored and truly humbled” by the recognition. He said it was fortuitous that it coincided with the launch of his co-edited “Handbook of Marketing Strategy” — which has been dubbed “an essential resource guide for researchers, doctoral students, practitioners, and consultants in the field of marketing strategy.”
Shankar’s areas of specialization include marketing strategy, innovation, international marketing, digital business, pricing and retailing. He has corporate experience in marketing and international business development, has published in numerous academic journals and business periodicals and he has made more than 150 presentations in numerous countries.
Cindy and Tom Locke ’74 have committed $50,000 toward endowed scholarships for students pursuing undergraduate degrees at Mays Business School. The gift is part of the pair’s planned estate gifts, called the Cindy and Tom Locke Endowment.
Tom Locke said the gift aligns with one of his and his wife Cindy’s basic tenets in life: “We are all born with certain potentials; a potential to learn, to think, to feel, to love, a potential to respect and contribute to community, and a potential to make a difference in the lives of others. If we are fortunate, we find opportunities throughout our lives to intersect with those individuals and institutions that help turn that potential into something real.”
Cindy and Tom Locke ’74
Tom Locke said Texas A&M and Mays made a huge difference in his life at a critical time, allowing him to realize much of the potential within. He received a bachelor’s in marketing and is now president of the Texas Methodist Foundation. “My belief is that the university’s core purpose of developing leaders of character dedicated to serving the greater good was at least partially achieved with me.”
The endowment will enable Mays to offer scholarships to students who are the first members of their family to attend college. “Interestingly to us, while there is deep appreciation for the past and A&M’s impact on me individually, we discovered that the true motivation for our gift was about the future, and about the needs of the world,” Tom Locke explained.
He said this emphasis on first-generation college students bolsters their belief that “education is the most likely tipping point that can turn past generations of poverty and hopelessness into future generations of abundance and productivity.” He anticipates the Mays graduates will be bright, will be of character, and will have experienced and value community, and that Mays will benefit from the broadened diversity of its students, thus enhancing the experience of community.
“Any scholarship gift is special,” said Mays Dean Jerry Strawser. “However, a gift that brings a college education to a family for the very first time is one that opens eyes and doors. We appreciate the Lockes’ generosity and recognition of the very significant impact that a college education has on a first-generation student.”
About Mays Business School
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,000 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. Its mission is to create knowledge and develop ethical leaders for a global society.
In a time when sources of energy have become more scarce and lucrative, the Dan A. Hughes Company is a forefront leader in discovering and utilizing some of the world’s unknown oil and gas reservoirs.
“Ten years ago, I thought we were going to run out of means for energy,” president Dan A. Hughes ’80 said to a group of students during a recent conversational lunch. However, with the discovery of the Barnett Shale and other sources, Hughes’ company has seen a plethora of opportunity in Texas and Louisiana and in countries such as Colombia, among others.
Dan A. ’80 and Peggy Hughes ’82 (center) visited Mays to speak with students as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Executive Speaker Series.
Hughes received a management degree from Texas A&M and then a graduate degree in geology. When asked how he got into the oil industry, Hughes responded, “My family is full of geologists, with my father being in the oil industry. On several occasions, I went on trips with my dad where I learned about energy.” With his experience, Hughes has led the company to greater heights in discovering and extracting natural resources all across the world.
However, as Hughes recounted, these achievements do not come without risks or challenges. Discussing the future of the oil and gas industry, Hughes addressed the difficulties of international expansion, including political atmosphere and volatility. In some situations, unrest has caused several drilling locations to shut down temporarily in order to make sure that the company’s employees stay safe. However, putting people first is not an attribute that is uncharacteristic of the company.
“It’s all about the people,” Hughes said when discussing the challenges that his company faces in the energy industry. The Dan A. Hughes Company allows employees the opportunity to become partners in the private company, earning a tangible interest in the livelihood of the business. Hughes attributes this “family-like environment” to the company’s ability to retain employees. “Our people have been there for a long time with hardly any turnover. That is something we are very proud of.”
Hughes and his wife Peggy ’82 experience ties that span further than the oil and gas industry, including heavy involvement as Texas A&M alumni. Currently, Peggy sits on the board of directors for the 12th Man Foundation, an integral group in the Kyle Field renovation discussion.
“The [Southeastern Conference] is the elite conference in the nation. A renovated Kyle Field will only add to its greatness,” she said.
When asked about the proposed plans for Kyle Field, Mrs. Hughes noted that the contractor, Populous, will be seeking students’ and others’ input.
To illustrate all the speculation surrounding the stadium, Mrs. Hughes gave a humorous example. “It’s funny, people come up to me and say, “This is what is going to happen to Kyle Field.’ I just smile and say back, “Really? I didn’t know that, and I’m on the board!'”
Ending the discussion, both of the Hughes talked about one of the largest blessings in their lives — giving back to Texas A&M. “Start making the time to give back in as many facets as you can, especially to the school that you love so dearly,” he said.
Jim Stolarski ’83 reminisced recently to a class of Mays students about his 28-year career in business strategy, operations reengineering, and mergers and acquisitions. “I can tell you with certainty this is a lot of fun, a really cool field. You can plan to get in and work a 12-hour day every day — and love it. It is amazing and really a lot of fun.”
He said strategy is integral to every business transaction. “It doesn’t matter what you do — you could be selling cars, working for Peace Corps or cleaning houses. You need a strategy. Your plans have got to adapt to the environment.”
“You’re going to work really hard,” Jim Stolarski ’83 told students, “so have a good time.” (view more photos)
Stolarski worked for 18 years in the private sector as a strategist for the banking industry. In 2002 he moved to the public sector, where his clients included Holiday Inn, the FBI, the Secret Service, Check Free and Customs and Border Protection.
He was a senior executive with Accenture when he retired last May at age 50 and took a year off. Now he tinkers with his 1981 yacht at his Annapolis, Md., home and travels — often to speak to students at Texas A&M and Rice, where his sons attend.
Stolarski said he enjoyed his experience at the business school and enjoys speaking to students. “It’s fun to come back. It’s like going to your high school — only a thousand times bigger.” And Stolarski advises those seeking a job with a company to know the details of its previous month, quarter and year. “I always had a rule to dress one step above whoever it was I was meeting with. That always left a good impression.”
Stolarski advises businesspeople to develop strategy skills. “You have to be comfortable with the numbers so that you can discuss them on the fly, in conversation, like we are right here,” he said.
He also suggested strategists earn the title “trusted advisor.” “No B.S. — you say “I don’t know’ if you don’t know, and execute your role perfectly. That will build your credibility.”
Other bits of advice Stolarski shared were:
Value strategy
Model decision-making
The number is a number
Stick to just the facts
The toolbox is full — use it
Work harder than everyone else
Leave the campsite cleaner than you found it
Have fun — it’s a journey
Most of all, he suggested maintaining balance in life. “You’re going to work really hard, so have a good time.”
Anxiety levels were high for a group of 30 Aggies as they mentally prepared to showcase nearly a year’s worth of research and campaign development.
Perhaps it was the Twelfth Man and its Aggie spirit that helped the five-member presentation team woo a panel of three judges April 12, because 12m Advertising placed first in the District No. 10 National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) for the first time in history.
Student members of 12m Advertising and Mays clinical associate marketing professor Lisa Troy (far right)
12m Advertising is an advertising firm created and operated by 30 marketing students from Texas A&M’s Mays Business School.
For the last three years, 12m Advertising has competed in the NSAC — hosted by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) — where teams are presented with a case study and challenge for a real-world company.
Nissan USA was the client for this year. Participating schools were challenged to develop a marketing campaign targeting U.S. multi-cultural millennials, ages 18 to 29 years old, with a $100 million budget. Campaigns were communicated in each team’s 32-page plan book and 20-minute presentation, which both factor into the final score determined by the judge panel in deciding the overall winner.
According to the AAF website, each of the 15 districts in the nation holds a competition in April where winners present at the AAF National Conference in June. This year’s national conference will be in Austin.
“The team really had chemistry this year and I think the judges could see it,” said Macie Becker ’12, a senior marketing major and one of the five presenters of 12m Advertising. “We were genuinely passionate about our campaign.”
In the past, 12m Advertising has achieved fourth place, third place and “Most Integrated Campaign” in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. This year, the team got first place in competition against 10 institutions.
“I am very proud of our students,” said Lisa Troy, clinical associate professor of marketing. “Winning at this level requires a significant amount of dedication and commitment, and the entire team rose to the challenge … working over winter and spring break to perfect the plan and prepare for the event.”
First conducted in 1973, the National Student Advertising Competition, hosted by the American Advertising Federation, is an event in which more than 100 universities compete in “pitching” the best marketing campaign for a real-world client to a judge panel.
Annually, a corporate sponsor provides a case study outlining the history of its product and current advertising situation. The case study reflects a real world situation to challenge students’ critical thinking abilities and creativity. Students must research the product and its competition, identify potential problems and develop an integrated communications campaign for the client. Each student team then “pitches” its campaign to a panel of judges.
In addition to achieving a guaranteed spot at nationals, Jason Syptak ’12, senior marketing major and one of the five presenters for 12m Advertising, received the “Best Presenter Special Judges Award” among 50 presenters in the competition.
“When the judges announced that I was the winner of this award, I was shocked and in disbelief,” Syptak said. “I was shaking and overwhelmed with positive emotions as I ventured to the front of the ballroom to accept the award and take photos. I kept on exclaiming, “This is so Glee right now,’ to my teammates.”
At Texas A&M, 12m Advertising’s marketing research and campaign development is facilitated through two marketing classes at Mays. MKTG 489, “Advertising Research Procedures and Account Planning,” is offered in the fall semester while MKTG 447, “Advertising Case Competition,” is offered in the spring. Interested individuals must apply to gain entrance into the class by submitting a letter of intent and resume.
To develop the campaign and compete in the national-level of the NSAC, students from the fall class conducted primary and secondary research into the target market, the automotive industry and its products. Using the research from the fall class, students in the spring class develop the campaign itself: campaign objectives, strategic concept and integrated traditional, digital, alternative and social media executions.
“From the long hours of research and countless focus groups, to debates on the most effective alternative executions, this campaign is truly a years’ worth of the best work I’ve done,” said Savanna Pratka ’12, a senior marketing major and member of 12m Advertising’s Alternative Team. “Competing in the NSAC is so rewarding and I learned a lot from watching the other schools.”
Ariel Mueller ’12, a senior marketing major and Digital Team member of 12m Advertising, believes her experience with the student-lead firm will prepare her for her future advertising career.
“The entire process of building the campaign was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun,” said Mueller. “It really gave a great simulation of what an advertising agency does in the real world … and winning was truly a testament to how Mays Business School, even without a specific advertising program, has the tools to prepare us for a career in advertising.”
The winning “Experience Innovation” campaign for Nissan USA developed by 12m Advertising for Nissan USA sheds light on the car company’s innovative essence by means of a hyperbole-sketch theme and is flexible and applicable to the unique lives of multi-cultural millennials.
Because the team achieved a spot in the national competition, photographs of 12m Advertising’s print and digital advertisements could not be released in compliance with the NSAC regulations. Each sketch, however, was hand-drawn by Tyler Guinn ’12, senior marketing major and member of 12m Advertising’s Creative Team.
“This competition proved one thing to me: content matters,” said Guinn. “Our team is dedicated to originality and intense research. No advertising school can teach talent, this team just has it.”
For more information
For more information about 12m Advertising, the National Student Advertising Competition or the American Advertising Federation, visit www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=123 or contact Lisa Troy at ltroy@mays.tamu.edu or (979) 845-5897.
The February Silver Taps of his freshman year was when finance major and 2012-2013 Student Body President-elect John Claybrook ’13 says he truly recognized the meaning of the “Aggie family.”
“The wind chill was close to zero degrees but there were still over a thousand Aggies there,” Claybrook recalls. “I remember walking down Military Walk that night listening to Albritton Tower ring and I realized I was surrounded by all this history and tradition. I understood the duty and privilege I have to serve this school.”
Born to be an Aggie
Long before the title “Student Body President” had appeared on his horizon, Claybrook was being equipped for the position. The Dallas native was involved in his high school’s student council, where he says his advisors challenged him and molded him as a leader. Claybrook also spent his high school years leading a Bible study for seventh-grade boys, many of whom he still mentors today.
Claybrook ’13
It was this taste of service that Claybrook says made his college decision an easy one. “I wanted a world-class education,” Claybrook says. “I knew A&M would build me to be a successful individual. I knew I would be surrounded by people with my same values and, most importantly, I knew I could get involved and learn the meaning of service.”
Entering Aggieland in the fall of 2009, Claybrook did not shy away from the campus involvement he was seeking. He joined Fish Aides, a Freshman Leadership Organization (FLO), where he worked with four student government groups. He was selected as co-chair of Fish Aides the next year, imparting the leadership guidance he had learned to new college freshmen.
Claybrook is also a member of Aggie Men’s Club. Speaking with the utmost respect for the organization, he says his involvement has expanded his mindset by enabling him to meet “incredible guys from all different backgrounds and perspectives on life.”
The business of SBP
Like his decision to attend Texas A&M, Claybrook says the decision to pursue a business degree was also a no-brainer. “I wanted a degree to put me in a place to be successful after graduation,” he says, discussing the value of a business degree and the professional experience Mays offers.
According to Claybrook, his coursework at Mays propelled much of the planning for his Student Body President campaign. “The general understanding of my marketing and management classes taught me how to make effective decisions and handle different people and situations,” he says.
Matt Josefy ’04, a Mays accounting professor and Student Body President during his time at Texas A&M, says Claybrook’s experience as a business major has equipped him for the position. “In my own experience, I found that the business school prepared me well for the position for several reasons,” Josefy says.
Josefy also discusses the analytical methods that Mays students use to assess a problem a business faces, identify potential solutions and then recommend a course of action justified by known facts and projected outcomes. “The business school also has a strong focus on developing a communication competency, which is employed heavily as the Student Body President is constantly speaking in front of groups, drafting comments for news media, submitting proposals to university administrators, and responding to student concerns and questions.”
According to Josefy, “Over the next year, John will have the opportunity in a new setting to employ these skills that he has studied in the classroom.”
This year’s SBP election process has already employed Claybrook’s quick-thinking, situational management abilities.
Sticking to his guns
Referring to the biggest lesson learned from campaigning, Claybrook simply states, “Stick to your guns, stick to what you know. Don’t deviate from your values.”
Claybrook (back row, third from left) and members of his campaign team
For Claybrook, “sticking to his guns” meant refusing to compromise his relational leadership style.
“Interacting with people on an individual basis is what I know how to do best,” he says. “But it’s hard to get thousands of votes by meeting with each person individually.”
Still, Claybrook explains that he stuck to his own leadership approach and “refused to have a surface relationship” with the other candidates, even in the midst of competing with them. When run-offs came around, Claybrook ended up with endorsements from the other four SBP candidates. Investing in individuals “paid dividends in the long run,” he says.
The right man for the job
According to Eric Newman ’11, Claybrook’s academic advisor at Mays, “John, more than anything else, is a high-character individual. He is charismatic, well spoken and intelligent but what will make him a great Student Body President is his character. He is a man of strong faith, deep loyalty and generous compassion.”
Claybrook echoed Newman’s word when discussing his passion for loyalty. He says loyalty to his “friends and family, to what [he] believes in and to this university” drives his success.
“I firmly believe I have the best friends in the world,” Claybrook says, recognizing it took a team effort to get him elected. “I saw a lot of selflessness during the campaign process—my friends gave so much of their time and energy and that meant the world to me. I owe a lot of who I am to them.”
Josefy, who served as moderator for the run-off SBP debate, was impressed with Claybrook’s tact during the campaign process, saying, “From my observation of his responses during the debate, I perceive John to be very thoughtful in considering issues and expect he will take steps to gather student opinion before speaking out on behalf of students. He seems to recognize that the ultimate goal is to serve as an ambassador of all students in the decision-making process of the university, while he will also take on a number of additional roles as the face of the student body at key events during our inaugural year in the SEC.”
Newman is also confident in Claybrook’s ability to take the reins of representing the student body next year. “I am as proud of the student body for electing John as I am of John for being elected,” he says. “Texas A&M made a great choice and I know John will serve our university well.”
Visionary merchants have one desire in common: to fulfill the dreams of others, said Zale Corporation CEO Theo Killion in a recent lecture at Mays Business School.
Prior to his lecture, Killion was presented with the 2012 M.B. Zale Visionary Merchant Award for leading the company’s turnaround plan and returning Zales to historic levels of profitability.
2012 M.B. Zale Visionary Merchant Award honoree Theo Killion (right) and Donald Zale ’55 (view more photos)
Killion spoke on the company’s strategy and its commitment to providing outstanding products, service and value to the customers of the Zale Corporation brands: Zales Jewelers, Gordon’s Jewelers, Zales Outlet, Piercing Pagoda, and Peoples and Mappins Jewelers in Canada.
Killion’s management style emerged before he was even hired. After a friend became CEO of the company and invited Killion to work there, Killion visited three stores. “The sales people all had their heads down. They didn’t want to be there. I found it really exciting to think about turning that situation around,” he recounted to more than 450 students, faculty and guests who attended his April 4 lecture in Ray Auditorium. “I saw this company that had unbelievable DNA, a great rich story and a founder who had vision. My challenge was, how do you pull that forward?”
When Killion became CEO in February 2010, he focused on strategy, marketing, quality products and credit promotions, while improving the quality of the guest experience. He said he wrote a three-year plan — something he called “a bold step… There’s fire in the basement and fire in the ceiling, and we’re planning three years out.”
Killion said he incorporated seven “P’s” in those plans:
Product — “If the product is wrong, nothing else matters. If the product is right, everything else matters.”
Price — “We have to be sure we are offering the price value proposition where our male customer can be the hero and she can fall in love with a beautiful piece of jewelry.”
Promotion — Killion’s management team meets with consumers four times a year to “get their permission to be their diamond store.”
People — Killion said the employees need to realize they work for the guests of Zales.
Place — Zales invested in improving their stores, especially technology.
Process — Do things smarter, not harder. Killion said his goal is to “Stamp out stupid.”
Profit — You’ve got to make money.
Under Killion’s guidance over the past two years, Zales’ bottom line improved $141 million and its reputation has improved. “Zales was a mile long and an inch deep,” he says. “We’ve been working methodically to build up our work force so that our guests feel valued and excited and they know we really care.”
Killion’s career in retailing includes extensive experience in human resources. Prior to joining Zale Corporation, Killion was with the executive recruiting firm Berglass+Associates, where he focused on companies in the retail, consumer goods and fashion industries. He has held leadership roles in human resources strategies at Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, The Limited Inc. and the Home Shopping Network.
The Visionary Merchant Lecture concluded an invitation-only conference for retail executives, the Center for Retailing Studies’ annual Retail Sponsor Forum. Speakers for the one-day event included Mays faculty members and industry experts who addressed topics such as creating unique marketing campaigns, managing workplace violence and looking to the classics to understand human behavior.
Cheryl Holland Bridges, director of the Center for Retailing Studies, said this year’s award is particularly meaningful to her organization. “Thirty years ago, M.B. Zale, the founder of Zales, gave Texas A&M a grant to establish the Center for Retailing Studies,” she said. Donald Zale, M.B.’s son, presented the award to Killion, who Bridges called “an extremely talented CEO who exemplifies M.B. Zale’s success as an innovative merchant.”
“Mr. Killion was invited to come to the company at a time of transition,” Zale said. “He said he would come on an interim basis, then he said, “All CEO’s are interim.'”
Killion says he is not a visionary merchant, but that he accepted the award to keep from making the same mistake twice — he passed up coming to Texas A&M when it was one of four choices for his college career.
“I don’t think of this award as being my award,” he said. “It belongs to the 13,000 people who come to work every day to help people celebrate the magic moments in their lives with a piece of our jewelry.”
Robert (Bob) ’77 and Janet Loeffler wanted to help students with financial needs gain degrees in business, so they contributed $100,000 to fund the Robert D. ’77 and Janet K. Loeffler Scholarship in Business.
Janet and Bob Loeffler ’77, together with their daughters Leslye and Lyssa
The scholarship is intended to aid students whose academic record and personal commitment qualify them for admission into Mays Business School, but who do not have the financial resources needed to fund their time at Mays. The fund will provide a scholarship to a new full-time student, and the student will continue to receive the scholarship each year he or she is a full-time student in good standing pursuing an undergraduate degree at Mays.
Bob Loeffler said he learned a lot about leadership and engineering from his undergraduate degree at the U.S. Naval Academy, but he got his start in business at Texas A&M, where he earned an MBA in 1977. “I was with H-E-B for 33 years, and over that time we hired many graduates of Texas A&M who have gone on to have their own very successful careers with the company.”
Loeffler said many bright students don’t have the financial resources needed to attend a school like Mays. “Hopefully this endowment will result in a Mays school undergraduate degree every four years for a deserving and bright student — and a subsequent successful and rewarding career.”
“The Loefflers’ generosity is truly a gift from the heart,” said Mays Dean Jerry Strawser. “They are providing the opportunity of a lifetime for an outstanding young person. Bob and Janet’s most gracious gift will have such a significant impact on the young people who receive their scholarship.”
About Mays Business School
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,000 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. Its mission is to create knowledge and develop ethical leaders for a global society.
Ryan D. Zimmerman, an assistant professor of management and director of the Master of Science in Human Resource Management program, was one of 20 Texas educators recognized by the annual Dean’s Roundtable.
Since its inception 21 years ago, more than 400 educators have been recognized at the Dean’s Roundtable, which has the dual purpose of honoring educators and providing funding for the college. More than $400,000 has been raised for scholarships and various college priorities.
At the inaugural event in 1991, six honorees were recognized and more than 50 donors contributed gifts of $25 to $1,000 to fund sponsorships. Modeled after a similar event at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College, the Dean’s Roundtable was founded by Jane Stallings, Texas A&M University’s first female dean.
“The roundtable at Vanderbilt provided an opportunity for donors to recognize individuals who had influenced their life or the lives of others. It was a wonderful event that helped to raise funds to advance education,” Stallings said. “I wanted to bring something similar to the college when I became dean, with a specific focus on recognizing educators.”
She continued: “Over time, listening to people from all walks of life, I have learned that the best teachers are those who make students feel cared for and who provide opportunities for them to develop their potential. They love to teach and make it fun to learn. These are the educators who are celebrated each year.”
Zimmerman is a recipient, along with two co-authors, of the Academy of Management Human Resources Division’s 2006 Scholarly Achievement Award for the most significant paper in human resource management. The article (“Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: A meta-analysis of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit”) is the most frequently cited in the fields of human resource management and organizational behavior published since 2003.
Three Mays faculty members and a business school instructor were among 24 members of Texas A&M’s faculty and staff to be honored with 2012 Distinguished Achievement Awards.
(Top, L-R) Cheryl Holland Bridges, Duane Ireland; (Bottom, L-R) Kerry Litzenberg, Michael Shaub
Cheryl Bridges (marketing) and Michael Shaub (accounting) were given the 2012 Distinguished Achievement Awards to recognize their teaching, and Robert “Duane” Ireland (management) was recognized for research. Kerry Litzenberg of Agricultural Economics also received a teaching award.
Bridges is director of the Center for Retailing Studies and an executive professor of marketing. Shaub is a clinical professor. Ireland is a distinguished professor and the Conn Chair in New Ventures Leadership. Litzenberg is a professor of agricultural economics.
The awards were announced by Texas A&M and the Association of Former Students. They will be formally presented April 25. Each recipient will receive a cash gift, an engraved watch and a commemorative plaque.
The university-level Distinguished Achievement Awards were first presented in 1955 and have since been awarded to 930 professionals (including this year’s recipients) who have exhibited the highest standards of excellence at Texas A&M. In addition to teaching and research awards, employees are also recognized in the categories of staff, student relations, administration, extension and outreach and graduate mentoring.
