2009

2009 Honorees

Excellence in Research - Roger Mayer

Widely published, Roger C. Mayer, professor of management, has received numerous accolades for his work as a teacher and researcher. Mayer’s research interests center on organizational trust, employee motivation, decision making, organizational effectiveness and social capital. Mayer believes that faculty research not only plays a vital role in the classroom, as current and pertinent findings augment time honored concepts and theories, but also has an impact on students’ futures long after graduation.

My research focuses my attention on one of the basic building blocks of human interaction — trust. We have found, under rigorous scientific procedures, that trust affects bottom line profits of a business, and that trust in management can be increased. It has led me to write and publish experiential exercises that I use in my classes and which are used at major business schools across the United States and beyond. As my students realize that my research is currently being used in such diverse arenas as improving productivity in U.S. corporations, building trust to under gird economic development in war-torn Afghanistan and helping the U.S. military strengthen its cyber security, it helps them understand that what they are learning is current and important to their careers.
Roger Mayer

Excellence in Teaching - Emeka Ofobike

Dr. Emeka Ofobike, associate professor of accounting, sees the potential to achieve great success in every student who enters his classroom. He considers it his job to help each of them realize their promise, particularly those students who come to campus less prepared for the rigors of earning a university education. Ofobike empathizes with these students, as he too was probably not as well prepared for college accounting courses as he would have wished. Seeing them rise to the challenge and master the material is one of his greatest joys as a teacher.

I strongly believe that with the right motivation any student can learn. Whether they realize it or not, everyone comes to college with a goal in mind, something they want to accomplish. I try to instill in all of my students that they are here for themselves; not for their instructors or their parents, but for themselves. In the beginning, many students don’t recognize their potential. As educators, we need to assure them and give them the incentive to succeed. We need to help them realize the contributions they can make to the world.
Emeka Ofobike

Excellence in Service - Pamela Keltyka

Dr. Pamela Keltyka, associate professor of accounting, has been a member of the UA faculty since 1997. Over the years, much of her service to the CBA and UA has centered on the curriculum. She has served as a member of the curriculum committee for the School of Accountancy and chair of the CBA curriculum committee. Keltyka has also been a member of the School of Accountancy Scholarship Committee for several years and has coordinated the annual selection of award recipients. Since 2006, she has served as the faculty adviser for the accounting fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi. Professionally, Keltyka is an active member of the Institute of Management Accountants.

I was caught by surprise when I was selected for this award. It is nice to know your peers appreciate what you are doing. I thoroughly enjoy working with the students as the BAP faculty adviser. It is fun to watch them grow and become leaders of our industry. I love it at The University of Akron. This is where I am supposed to be.
Pam Keltyka