The Southern Regional Education Board has named a marketing professor at the West Virginia University College of Business and Economic its Faculty Mentor of the Year.

Dr. Paula Fitzgerald was presented the award by Southern Regional Education Board’s Compact for Faculty Diversity based upon her high character and dedication to students. The Southern Regional Education Board works with 16 member states to improve public education at every level, from pre-K through Ph.D.

Fitzgerald is the Nathan Haddad Professor of Business Administration in B&E’s marketing department. She is involved in high profile, collaborative research with the WVU School of Public Health, and her areas of specialty include consumer behavior, public policy and marketing ethics.

Joshua Dorsey, a doctoral candidate in the B&E Department of Marketing and Dr. Fitzgerald’s mentee, submitted the nomination. The award was created to honor individuals of high character and recognize those who regularly go above and beyond typical mentor responsibilities.

“Dr. Fitzgerald embodies the essence of this award, consistently extending herself to me through moral support, research guidance and a selfless benevolence,” he said. “She has shown a propensity for leading by example, serving as the exemplar for professionalism, research achievement and service to the marketing discipline. Her affable personality, positive energy and sense of humor have only further augmented my mentee experience. To be sure, her mentoring efforts will manifest in me becoming a better professor and a better person.”

Fitzgerald said she was surprised and humbled by the accolade.

“It is very exciting to have your student nominate you for mentoring work! Joshua’s letter of nomination was quite thoughtful,” she said. “I believe this award will result in opportunities for recruiting high-performing graduate students.”

The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Atlanta. Member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The Southern Regional Education Board’s work is funded by member appropriations and by grants and contracts from foundations and local, state and federal agencies. The organization was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislators who recognized the link between education and economic vitality.

For more information on this event or the WVU College of Business and Economics, visit be.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

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CONTACT: Patrick Gregg, WVU College of Business and Economics
304.293.5131, Patrick.Gregg@mail.wvu.edu

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