Dr. Jean Sampson Receives McKendree’s 2014 Grandy Faculty Award
Alumni Association Honors Management and Marketing Professor at Commencement
Lebanon, Ill. — A McKendree University professor whose innovative teaching style helps
students develop the knowledge and skills they need to become successful in business
has won the top faculty award for 2014.
Dr. Jean Sampson, associate professor of management and marketing, received the William
Norman Grandy Faculty Award at the May 10 undergraduate commencement ceremony. The
Alumni Association has honored one full-time faculty member each year since 1981 at
the Lebanon, Ill., campus for outstanding commitment to the university and its students.
“Dr. Sampson demonstrates an unwavering commitment to incorporating active student
learning and real-world activities in all of her classes. She requires her students
to conduct research, analyze data and communicate the relevance of their findings
to professional audiences,” noted Dr. Valerie Thaxton, a university trustee and alumna,
in her introductory remarks.
Outside of the classroom, Sampson coordinates the Paris Exchange Program; works with
the Phi Beta Lambda student business organization; chairs the Student Affairs Committee
and the Athletic Oversight Committee; serves as a first-year information advisor and
a transfer advisor for the School of Business; and takes students to professional
conferences and competitions.
“In addition to her excellent teaching skills, Dr. Sampson is widely known among students
for the care and concern that she demonstrates for each individual whom she encounters,”
Thaxton told the crowd. “Many students seek her out to serve as their academic advisor
or internship supervisor because they know that she will treat them fairly and help
them grow academically, socially and professionally.”
Sampson, a Maryville, Ill., resident, became a full-time faculty member at McKendree
in 2005 after teaching part-time for several years. She currently teaches management
and marketing courses, with an emphasis on sport marketing. She earned bachelor’s
degrees in business administration and psychology from McKendree in 1983; a master’s
degree in human resource development and management and a doctoral degree in management
from Webster University.
Prior to teaching, Sampson coached the Bearcats’ volleyball team, which recently gave
her an award for inspiring the team throughout its collegiate career. She also worked
in various management positions with several for-profit and not-for-profit agencies
and has done considerable advocacy work on behalf of persons with disabilities throughout
her professional life.
Dr. Jean Sampson (left) receives the 2014 William Norman Grandy Faculty Award from Dr. Valerie Thaxton, a McKendree University trustee and alumna.
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