Faculty Awards and Recognition
At the APSU College of Business, our faculty lead by example through impactful research, innovative teaching, and dedicated mentorship. This page highlights their prestigious honors and scholarly accomplishments—including the A.J. Taylor Awards, faculty Citation Awards and the Dr. David Grimmett Professorship—celebrating their commitment to academic excellence and student success.
A.J. Taylor Awards for
Excellence in Teaching and Research
The A.J. Taylor Awards are the highest annual honor bestowed upon faculty members in the Austin Peay State University College of Business.
Established by alumnus Larry Carroll ('76), the endowment honors the legacy and transformational impact of former marketing professor Dr. Albert J. Taylor. The awards recognize faculty members who demonstrate exceptional scholarly research or innovative teaching practices that advance the mission of the college.
While the awards originally recognized a single overall honoree annually, the program transitioned into dual categories—honoring excellence in both Teaching and Research separately—to better celebrate the diverse ways faculty impact students and their fields. Recipients receive a special designation alongside an academic stipend to support their ongoing initiatives.
2026 Honorees
Dr. Al Tilooby
Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Matthew Farrell
Excellence in Research
Past Award Recipients
2025
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Dr. Stephanie Bilderback
Excellence in Teaching -
Dr. Eren Cifci
Excellence in Research
2024
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Dr. Dong Nyonna
Excellence in Teaching -
Dr. Hamid Noghanibehambari
Excellence in Research
2023
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Dr. John Volker
Excellence in Teaching -
Dr. Tim Self
Excellence in Research
2022
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Dr. Jennifer Thayer
Excellence in Teaching -
Dr. Matt Hampton
Excellence in Research
2021
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Dr. Susan Cockrell
Excellence in Teaching -
Dr. Elif Demiral-Saglam
Excellence in Research
2020
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Dr. Terry Damron
Excellence in Teaching -
Dr. Pilsik Choi
Excellence in Research
2019
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Gloria Miller
2018
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Gloria Miller
2017
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Michael Phillips
Citation Awards
The Citation Award recognizes faculty members as they acheive 100, 500 and 1,000 lifetime citations. The award was established by the dean of the College of Business to recognize faculty dedication to research excellence.
500+ citations
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Dr. Stephanie Bilderback
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Dr. Pilsik Choi
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Dr. Emily Lean
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Dr. Vikkie McCarthy
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Dr. Hamid Noghanibehambari
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Dr. Tim Self
100+ citations
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Dr. Asit Bandyopadhayay
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Dr. Jennis Biser
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Dr. Terry Damron
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Dr. Matt Farrell
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Dr. Gloria Miller
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Dr. Dong Nyonna
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Dr. Dennis Pearson
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Dr. Michael Phillips
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Dr. Michael Shen
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Dr. Nahid Tavassoli
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Dr. Al Tilooby
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Dr. John Volker
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Dr. Xin Zhang
The David R. Grimmett Distinguished Professorship was established by Marie J. Robichaux and Louis E. Robichaux IV (‘89) in honor of Dr. David R. Grimmett, P.E., Ph.D., a 1983 Austin Peay alumnus who joined the College of Business faculty and dedicated his career to academic excellence and student success.
This three-year term professorship supports high-quality, teaching-oriented faculty in corporate finance and business analytics.
2026 Inaugural Honoree
Dr. Eren Cifci
Assistant Professor of Finance
