Collegiality

One aspect that I really appreciate about working at ACU is the very supportive and relational nature of the campus. Below I highlight and reflect on the ways in which I have developed supportive (and fun) professional and personal relationships in the College of Business and across campus as well as how I collaborated with others at ACU.

 

 

 

Teaching Collaborations

 

I have had the pleasure of getting to co-teach with a number of my colleagues in the College of Business. In Spring 2018, Dr. Katie Wick and I combined our expertise in economics and management, respectively, with our shared love of food to offer an honors colloquium. In addition to experiencing a different restaurant each week, we spent time in the classroom debriefing the visit including discussing and analyzing each restaurant from a variety of different business lenses (e.g., marketing, management, economics, sustainability) and talking about the venues in the context of the wider food industry. This was a really fun and fruitful collaboration and we were very fortunate to be able to offer this colloquium again in Fall 2020 (with some modifications due to COVID-19 mitigation).

 

 

In Summer 2018, I enjoyed getting to co-lead a study abroad program for business students to Oxford with Dr. Mark Phillips. Mark and I worked very well together and I learned a great deal about planning and executing a successful study abroad program from working with him. I also had the privilege of getting to work with Dr. Laura Phillips in creating, planning, and teaching the Social Enterprise Consulting class, a project-based consulting class with field experiences to Costa Rica in Spring 2019 and Spring 2020. While there were certainly some growing pains in learning how to navigate and effectively co-teach a shared course with another faculty member for a sixteen-week term, I think Laura and I have complementary skill sets and expertise that benefited the class as a whole. It has been a rich and joyful experience getting to collaborate with her.

 

 

 

Outside of the College of Business, I have invited colleagues across campus to serve as guest speakers in the Business & Sustainability course so that students can learn about the topic from different disciplinary perspectives. Below is a list of faculty and staff I invited to date:

• Dr. Jim Cooke, the late Professor of Environmental Science
• Dr. Tim Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Engineering
• Dodd Roberts, Directer, Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service
• Corey Ruff, Executive Vice President for Operations
• Dr. Kent Smith, Professor, Graduate School of Theology
• Dr. Josh Brokaw, Professor of Biology
• Professor Alex Wann, former instructor of Environmental Science
• Dr. Jeremy Elliott, Associate Professor of English
• Dr. Jim Carpenter, Associate Professor of Environmental Science
• Dr. Stephen Baldridge, former Associate Professor of Social Work

 

 

As well, I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as a guest speaker and/or client in colleagues’ classes across campus including Tim Kennedy (engineering), Monique Marquardt (engineering), Monty Lynn (business), and Ron Morgan (global studies). Below are two thank you notes I received from my involvement in colleagues’ classes.

 

 

 

Research Collaborations

 

While I love the opportunity to collaborate on research projects with colleagues at other universities, it has been wonderful getting to work with colleagues in much closer proximity. There is something about being able to walk down the hall to a colleague’s office to share a developing idea or thought on a shared research project that is much more difficult to achieve outside of planned Zoom or Skype calls with those from other institutions. To date, I have worked on research projects with the following faculty on campus:

 

• Dr. Monty Lynn – Professor of Management Sciences
• Dr. Ryan Jessup – Associate Professor of Marketing
• Dr. Greg Straughn – Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Associate Professor of Music

 

Laura Phillips and I are beginning to plan for the development of a teaching-focused article based on our experiences developing and leading an international consulting-based course for undergraduate students in a global context. My hope is that I can continue to pursue opportunities to collaborate with ACU faculty in the future.

 

 

Involvement in COBA Activities

 

I really love and enjoy the culture and working environment in the College of Business. My colleagues are very accessible, supportive, fun, and often sarcastic. I have enjoyed the opportunity to attend weekly departmental Taco Tuesday lunches (prior to COVID – when I was able to around my noon Tuesday/Thursday classes) and participate in the life of the college – from ugly sweater contests to research events to regular departmental meetings. Here is a video where I talked some of my colleagues into playing a ridiculous game for the enjoyment of our students.

 

 

Adams Center Involvement

 

I have benefited from being involved in the Adams Center, beginning in the 2016-2017 academic year as a part of the new faculty cohort. I have also been involved in the Master Teacher program (2017-2018), Online Boot Camp (May 2020), the 2020 Mission and Implementation workshop (August 2020), and through periodic lunch and learn events. Since I do not often have the opportunity to interact with faculty outside of my college in day-to-day teaching activities (as my office and the classrooms I typically teach in are located in the Mabee Business Building), this has been a great way to interact with and learn from other faculty across campus. I have also had the opportunity to present some of my research work in the Adams Center including: the first Pecha Kucha research event in 2017, a qualitative research lunch in 2019, and a research lunch session in 2020.

 

 

Developing Friendships

 

I am very grateful for my friendship with Dr. Katie Wick. She and I began our academic journey at ACU in Fall 2016. It has been a such a joy developing a professional and personal relationship with her. I frequently visit her office (down the hall from my own) to brainstorm new classroom activities, ask for her advice regarding potential assessments, interpret student feedback as well as just to catch up on each other’s day-to-day lives. We have also been able to spend time together outside of the workplace: from attending ACU events such as Sing Song to catching up at a local Abilene restaurant. Plus, we had the opportunity to travel to three countries in Africa for a scouting trip in summer 2019 for a future study abroad program (that was ultimately postponed due to COVID-19), which was a fun, rewarding, and fruitful travel experience.

 

 

 

I have also really enjoyed getting to develop personal friendships across campus. One group of friends that have been the source of a lot of joy, fun, and yummy food is the Foodie Friends Club. This friendship grew out of our shared love of food. Since January 2017, we have typically gathered once a month over a meal with a common theme (such as German food or using a common ingredient like a lemon in all recipes).  We also enjoy exploring different local restaurants in Abilene and beyond together.

 

 

 

 

 

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