Faculty/Staff Activities

School of Business Administration faculty are frequently recognized for their scholarship and teaching. Below is a list of a few of the most recent awards and mentions.

Dr. Ryan Herzog
On Oct. 29, 2025, in a Spokesman Review news story about the pause of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and its effects on food banks and local grocery-stores, Professor Herzog was quoted offering insight from an economics perspective. He noted that “payments for low-income households that need to eat” would be affected. He estimated that about 83,000 people in Spokane County use SNAP, which he calculated into “more than $15.3 million not flowing into area stores” (based on average family benefits and number of recipients).

Dr. Becky Bull Schaefer
On Oct. 23, 2025, in a Journal of Business article on domestic violence and its impact on the workplace, Dr. Bull Schaefer addressed how managers and human resource professionals can identify, respond to, and support employees experiencing domestic abuse. She emphasized that warning signs of domestic abuse in the workplace may mimic other issues, so employers should approach with curiosity rather than assumption. She pointed out that many managers are not trained to recognise domestic abuse, but once it is identified, workplace policies and legal frameworks allow support.

Dr. Becky Bull Schaefer
In October, YWCA Spokane announced Dr. Becky Bull Schaefer has been nominated as one of 63 nominees for the 2026 Women of Achievement Awards. Dr. Bull Schaefer was nominated for her ongoing work advancing ethical leadership, workplace equity, and human dignity through education and advocacy. Her teaching and research in human resources, organizational behavior, and employment law have empowered students and professionals alike to foster workplaces grounded in respect and compassion.

Dr. Becky Bull Schaefer
On Oct. 8, Dr. Becky Bull Schaefer served on the panel at the Amplifying Women’s Voices event hosted by the School for Leadership Studies. Other panelists included Julie Kelsey, Kaylie Jean Lewis, Renee Smock, and Sandra C. Walker. Together, the panel reflected on how advocating for one’s own success—and the success of others—can look vastly different depending on workplace culture and context. The discussion underscored that there is no single path to achievement, and that persistence, creativity, and strong networks are key to navigating challenges.

Dr. Dan Stewart
A paper co-authored by entrepreneur professor Dr. Dan Stewart was recognized as one of Nature Energy’s standout papers from 2024. The paper examined possibilities for renewable energy development on American Indian Reservations and acknowledged that the colonial processes of reservation creation and intentional deprivation of natural resources have contributed to the situation. More information about this honor can be found here.

Professor Andrew Brajcich
Gonzaga professor Andrew Brajcich, the Jud Regis Endowed Chair of Accounting and a past chair of the WSCPA, is cited in the fall issue of the Washington CPA, the official publication of the Washington Society of CPA. The article examines the “talent pipeline crisis” in the accounting field. Professor Brajcich is lauded for his leadership in expanding the amount of time applicants have to pass their licensing exams from 18 months to 36 months. More details are available here.

Dr. Stephanie Van Dellen
Management faculty member Dr. Stephanie Van Dellen recently won two awards:

  • A 2024 Emerald Literati Award for Outstanding Paper for her paper on gig worker organizing: Schmidt, G.B., Philip, J., Van Dellen, S.A., & Islam, S. (2022). Gig worker organizing: toward an adapted Attraction-Selection-Attrition framework. Journal of Managerial Psychology.
  • The Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society’s New Educator Award. The award recognizes her exceptional in-class instruction and her educational innovation.

Dr. Sara Kern
Dr. Sara Kern’s co-authored paper won the Notable Contribution to the Literature Award by the AIS Section of the American Accounting Association.

Wood, D. A., Achhpilia, M. P., Adams, M. T., Aghazadeh, S., Akinyele, K., Akpan, M., et al. (2023). The ChatGPT artificial intelligence Chatbot: how well does it answer accounting assessment questions? Iss. Account. Educ. 2023, 1–28. doi: 10.2308/ISSUES-2023-013

Dr. Mirjeta Beqiri
Women in BizEd, an organization that champions women’s leadership in business education, highlighted the accomplishments of Operations and Supply Chain Professor Dr. Mirjeta Beqiri.

Dr. Shriya Shekhar
Dr. Shriya Shekhar has been honored by Marquis Who’s Who for Excellence in Finance. Marquis Who’s Who publishes biographical information that recognizes accomplished professionals, scholars, and leaders to highlight their contributions. For more information, see the press release here.

Drs. Lada Kurpis and Molly Pepper
Drs. Lada Kurpis and Molly Pepper’s paper won the Distinguished Research Award from the Institute for Global Business Research.

Kurpis, L. & Pepper, M.B. (2023). Antecedents of Cultural Intelligence of University Faculty and Staff: Identifying Directions for Cultural Intelligence Development for Higher Education. Proceedings of the Institute for Global Business Research Conference, 7(3), 26-30.

Dr. Dan Law
Dr. Dan Law’s co-authored paper won the Best Paper in the Gender Issues and Worklife Balance Section of the American Accounting Association – Joint Conference and Doctoral/Early Scholar Consortium of the Public Interest & Gender Issues and Worklife Balance Sections and the Canadian Alternative Accounts Conference.

Knight, M. E., Cooper, M. L., & Law, D. W. (2020-2021). Exhaustion and Job Performance in Public Accounting: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction. American Accounting Association – Joint Conference and Doctoral/Early Scholar Consortium of the Public Interest & Gender Issues and Worklife Balance Sections and the Canadian Alternative Accounts Conference, Virtual.

Dr. Todd Finkle
Dr. Todd Finkle’s biography of Warren Buffet – Warren Buffett Investor and Entrepreneur – was the runner-up for the 2023 Axiom Business Book Award in Memoir and Biography.

Endowed Chairs

John L. Aram Chair of Business Ethics: Brian Steverson
Jud Regis Endowed Chair of Accounting: Andrew Brajcich
Erwin Graue Professor of Economics: Kevin Henrickson
Mozillo Professor of Finance: Daniele Xu
Pigott Professor of Entrepreneurship: Todd Finkle
Kinsey M. Robinson Professor of Business Administration: Gary Weber

Recent Gonzaga University Awards

  • 2025 – Cultivating Individual and Community Accountability Work Values Award – Jane Hession
  • 2025 – Cultivating Individual and Community Accountability Work Values Award – Kelsey Carlston
  • 2025 – Open Award – Peggy Sue Loroz
  • 2025 – Teaching Excellence Award – Shan Xiao
  • 2025 – Compass Award – Peggy Sue Loroz
  • 2025 – CTA Accompaniment Award – Andrew Brajcich
  • 2025 – Sharing Responsibility for Mission Identity and Leadership Work Values Award – Peggy Sue Loroz
  • 2024 – Advancing a Culture of Inclusiveness Work Values Award – Molly Pepper
  • 2024 – Spark of Spirit Award – Jane Hession
  • 2022 – Faculty Exemplary Award – Collaborative Work, Dr. Mirjeta Beqiri
  • 2020 – Career and Professional Development Compass Award, Dr. Becky Bull Schaefer
  • 2020 – Teaching Excellence Award (non-tenure track), Professor Cathy DeHart

Recent Gonzaga SBA Awards

2024

Loeken Academic Excellence Award for excellence in teaching – Drs. Lada Kurpis and Yelin Zhang
Loeken SBA Vision & Values Award for contribution to the SBA’s vision and values as outlined in the SBA Strategic Plan and in the AACSB goals of innovation and impact – Drs. Tim Olsen and Vivek Patil
Centioli Faculty Scholars Excellence Award for intellectual contributions and teaching effectiveness – Drs. Danny Kim, Annie Voy, and Shan Xiao
Barnes Academic Excellence Award for excellence in teaching and academic advising – Drs. Yemisi Awotoye, Jillian LaBelle, and Masha Tackett
Barnes Engagement Award for engagement with the university and business community – Drs. Ryan Herzog, Peggy Sue Loroz, and Danielle Xu
Barnes Inspiration Award for engagement with the Jesuit mission of the university through teaching, research, advising, or service – Drs. Mirjeta Beqiri and Molly Pepper

Barnes Faculty Fellowships for intellectual contributions

  • Maimuna Akter
  • Scott Bozman
  • Andrew Brajcich
  • Kelsey Carlston
  • John Correia
  • Don Hackney
  • Sara Kern
  • Danny Kim
  • Adriane Leithauser
  • Casey McNellis
  • Matt McPherson
  • Molly Pepper
  • Shriya Shekhar

2023

Loeken Academic Excellence Award for excellence in teaching – Dr. Rebecca Bull Schaefer
Loeken SBA Vision & Values Award for contribution to the SBA’s vision and values as outlined in the SBA Strategic Plan and in the AACSB goals of innovation and impact – Drs. Ryan Herzog and Chris Stevens
Centioli Faculty Scholars Excellence Award for intellectual contributions and teaching effectiveness – Drs. Todd Finkle and Shan Xiao
Barnes Academic Excellence Award for excellence in teaching and academic advising – Dr. Mirjeta Beqiri
Barnes Engagement Award for engagement with the university and business community – Dr. Danielle Xu
Barnes Inspiration Award for engagement with the Jesuit mission of the university through teaching, research, advising, or service – Dr. Erica Johnson
Zimmer Intersection Award for the design and implementation of a new upper-division course that brings the three values of our business school together – Excel, Engage, and Inspire – Dr. Scott Bozman and Dr. Rebecca Bull Schaefer
Barnes Faculty Fellowships for intellectual contributions
o Andrew Brajcich
o Annie Voy
o Matt McPherson
o Sara Kern
o Scott Bozman
o Yemisi Awotoye