Kathy Smith, professor of marketing in Mays Business School, received the Outstanding Educator Award given by the Academy of Educational Leadership. She learned she was the winner at the International Conference of the Allied Academies in April in New Orleans.
“The conference includes a banquet at which the organization hands out awards for research and teaching,” Smith said. “Mine was the last award given, and I was totally surprised when my name was called. By chance, I was sitting at a table with a marketing professor whom I’d had as a student — he is nearing retirement. I had the opportunity to thank him for being an example of a good teacher.”
Receiving the Outstanding Educator Award was an unexpected surprise, thanks to a nomination by one of her colleagues and close friends.
“I could not think of anybody else more suited for it,” said Stanley Kratchman, professor of accounting in May’s Business School. “Murphy [Kathy’s husband] first made me aware of the award, and we talked about it. The first thing I thought of was that it was perfectly well-suited for Kathy.”
To be considered a candidate for the award, applicants must submit a curriculum vitae, a two-page statement regarding his or her teaching philosophy, a description detailing the candidate’s creative teaching methods and supporting evidence of the candidate’s stature as an outstanding teacher, which can include faculty, peer and teacher evaluations.
“I have known Kathy for a long time. She is a very good teacher,” Kratchman said. “In my opinion, she is very knowledgeable. She knows what is going on in the world, and she is really good in the classroom and really easygoing and fun to talk to.”
Students who have taken a marketing class with Smith agree.
“Dr. Smith has been one of my favorite professors at A&M,” said Samantha Ringmacher, class of 2010. “It is hard to find a professor that cares more about her students and is clearly excited to come to class every day. Each day of presentations the class votes on what group had the best presentation and the winner gets a wrist band saying, ‘Dr. Smith’s Presentation Day Winner.’ I have two. She promotes creativity while using business applications. Every day we were greeted with a big smile.”
The professor said she tries to engage students by giving them team activities to keep them attentive while giving them the opportunity exercise the material and getting to know one another.
“I have a lot of participation,” Smith said. “I will give them a problem and they will deal with something that is a current issue. We will look at the Super Bowl commercials, or we will look at what is going on with YouTube. Then I will give them a problem or scenario. In doing teamwork, they get to know their classmates, and that makes it a lot more enjoyable to actually come to the class because they know someone.”
Students are lucky to have her, Kratchman said.“It is different when you do a lot of teamwork in class versus just sitting down and listening and writing,” Smith said.