Teaching awards recognize educators who inspire

W. P. Carey students chose three teachers to receive the prestigious John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Award for their dedication to excellence in education.

Each spring, two faculty members and one teaching assistant receive W. P. Carey's highest honor for teaching: the John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Award.

The recognition is incredibly meaningful because it's entirely student-directed, from the nominations to the final selections. Additionally, the awardees are surprised in their classrooms and presented the award in front of their students, which adds to the momentous impact. The award celebrates those who go above and beyond in their teaching, empowering students to think critically and engage deeply. It's not just about delivering course content; it's about creating a lasting impact.

The awards were established in 1999 by one of Arizona's most visionary business leaders, John W. Teets, and his family. A former CEO and dedicated advocate for education, Teets believed that teaching, when done with passion and purpose, could change lives. John passed away in 2011, but his memory and commitment to education is honored each year through the Teets awards. The Teets family continues to play an active role in honoring this legacy. Heidi Teets, John's daughter, shared a message with this year's recipients, expressing her pride in continuing her father's vision:

"It's one thing to have acquired higher education; it's quite a different skill to actively and accurately convey that knowledge to others in a meaningful and effective manner… On behalf of my father, we are proud to continue to grant these awards in honor of his memory and commitment to reward outstanding teachers."

"The John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Awards have recognized the best of teaching at W. P. Carey for over a quarter of a century. The Teets family continues to be such wonderful supporters of empowering our students to recognize their faculty who transform their lives. They also inspire our faculty to teach at their highest levels," said Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Dan Gruber.

Three awards are presented each year: one for undergraduate teaching, one for graduate teaching, and one for outstanding teaching assistant. Here are the winners of the 2025 John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Awards, along with an excerpt from their nominations.

John W. Teets Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award

Hitendra Chaturvedi, supply chain management professor of practice

"Professor Chaturvedi is one of the most inspiring professors in the W.P. Carey School of Business. His teaching style is personal, relevant, and thought-provoking."

Reflecting on the recognition, Chaturvedi said, "Being named The John W. Teets Outstanding Graduate Teacher by my students is the greatest honor I could ever receive. I didn't step into this profession for awards or applause, but my students make me feel like a rockstar! If I've done anything right, it's because I believed in my students, and somewhere along the way, they believed in me too, and that is magic!"

Runner-ups: Seth Pruitt (Department of Finance) and Denis Sosyura (Department of Finance)

John W. Teets Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

Kelvin Wong, executive director of undergraduate programs and clinical associate professor of economics

"Professor Wong is a great human being who is passionate about everything, with extensive knowledge of his work, a family man, and more."

On receiving the award, Wong said, "This is such an incredible honor. I am already living my dream to be able to mentor, teach, and work with students every day, but to be recognized by those same students helps me to know that I am on the right path — and that to me means so much more than I can express in words."

Runner-ups: John Pierce (Department of Marketing) and David Shields (School of Accountancy)

John W. Teets Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award

Jonathan Keen, finance graduate research associate

"Jonathan is outstanding to me because of his ability to explain difficult concepts in a way that inspired learning and deepened my understanding of the subject. He has such vast knowledge and understanding of finance."

Keen responded to the recognition by saying, "I truly love learning, so receiving this award brings me great joy. I am glad that I have been able to positively impact students' time at ASU through their education."

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