John W. Teets Awards honor legacy, celebrate teaching

Each year, the W. P. Carey School of Business honors three faculty members with the prestigious John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Awards — one for undergraduate teaching, one for graduate teaching, and one for outstanding teaching assistant.

The awards are especially unique because they are entirely student-directed, with all nominations, deliberations, and selections made by students.

"It's incredibly humbling," said Chris Neck, associate professor and winner of the 2024 Teets Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching award, during the surprise announcement in one of his lectures. "I’m very touched by this award because it comes from the students and I am grateful for the Teets family’s commitment to making sure student voices are represented."

John W. Teets was one of Arizona’s and the country’s most influential business and community leaders. He established the John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Awards in 1999. John passed away in 2011, but his memory and commitment to education is honored each year through the Teets awards.

"My father established the endowment for these awards in 1999 with the intention of recognizing and tangibly rewarding professors and graduate assistants chosen by their students as the best teachers," said Heidi Teets, John’s daughter, in a letter to the award recipients. “It is one thing to have acquired higher education; it is quite a different skill to actively and accurately convey that knowledge to others in a meaningful and effective manner."

"It’s truly an inspiring award," said Dan Gruber, associate dean for teaching and learning at W. P. Carey. Gruber leads faculty across the school in developing effective and innovative teaching methods. "Announcing the Teets Awards is one of my favorite times of the year because it really brings together so many aspects of our W. P. Carey priorities: to provide excellent education in an innovative, inclusive, and accessible way, while celebrating our culture of being ‘Where Business is Personal.’"

Here are the winners of the 2024 John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Awards, along with an excerpt from their nominations.

Denis Sosyura is presented with a John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Award.

John W. Teets Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award
Denis Sosyura (Finance)

"Professor Sosyura's teaching style has left an indelible mark on me. It stands out uniquely among all the professors I have encountered. He consistently prioritizes and values students' opinions, actively seeking and incorporating feedback to refine his teaching methods."

Runners-up: Reynold Byers (Supply Chain Management) and Brett Duarte (Supply Chain Management)

Christopher Neck is presented with a John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Award during a classroom visit from the Teets family and W. P. Carey leadership.

John W. Teets Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award
Christopher Neck (Management and Entrepreneurship)

"Dr. Neck has the most unique and engaging teaching style of any course I’ve taken at ASU. Not only do his students remain engaged and participative in a 300+ student lecture, but we feel cared for and supported."

Runners up: Travis Howell (Management and Entrepreneurship) and Audrey Cook (School of Accountancy)

Elena Ayyoub is presented with a John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Award.

John W. Teets Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award
Elena Ayyoub (Accountancy)

"She has a very good idea of the ‘grey areas’ that students commonly experience, and makes sure to address those effectively, not only during her TA hours, but also extends those hours by inviting the students to the tutoring center as well, so that they can be helped more."

Learn more about the life and legacy of John Teets at johnwteets.com.