1. Kansas State University
  2. »Division of Communications and Marketing
  3. »K-State Today
  4. »College of Business Administration announces fall 2024 faculty and staff awards

K-State Today

December 20, 2024

College of Business Administration announces fall 2024 faculty and staff awards

Submitted by Ruthie Gergeni

picture
The College of Business Administration's faculty and staff award winners for fall 2024, from left: Blair Kocher, Amy Hageman and Brianne Porter. 

College of Business Administration Edgerley Family Dean Kevin Gwinner recently announced the college's faculty and staff award winners for fall 2024, as recommended by the college's Recognition and Awards Committee.

The recipient of the College of Business Teaching Award is Blair Kocher, instructor for the department of management and the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. The committee notes Kocher's exceptional ability to engage and inspire students, particularly in first-year courses. A student nominator shared, "If I were to sum up the character of Mr. Kocher, it would be the word caring ... His class has challenged me to grow in my academic, teamwork, and social skills." Kocher is celebrated for creating interactive, personal connections with his students, and fostering a strong commitment to the College of Business Administration. Beyond the classroom, he also mentors Master of Business Administration students as an MBA Case Competition team coach.

Amy Hageman is the recipient of the CBA Outstanding Contributions in Research Award. According to the committee, "Hageman exemplifies excellence in research productivity and national leadership. She serves as editor for two leading journals in her fields of expertise: the Journal of the American Tax Association and Accounting and the Public Interest. Hageman elevates her research in these roles and supports emerging scholars through panel discussions, doctoral consortiums, and university visits. In addition, she has maintained an impressive research program despite her extensive editorial and leadership commitments, publishing five A or A* journal articles in the past two years."

The recipient of the Professional Staff Excellence Award is Brianne Porter. The committee said, "Brianne's adaptability and dedication have been invaluable to the college for more than 10 years, but especially in 2024. Following the departure of the budget and fiscal officer and the college's human resource liaison in summer 2024, she assumed additional responsibilities related to the college's financial operations and HR support. She completed these extra responsibilities with her usual positive, no-nonsense attitude while continuing to support the financial reporting needs of staff throughout the college. Further, she played a critical role in training staff during the implementation of the university's new Concur travel and expense reimbursement system. Her nominators describe her as 'the true definition of a team player,' emphasizing that ' ... many do not realize all that she does to keep the college afloat.' Her nominators commend her for her positive attitude, flexibility, and remarkable ability to support the college through significant changes.'"

"I am pleased to congratulate our fall 2024 faculty and staff award recipients — Dr. Amy Hageman, Mr. Blair Kocher, and Ms. Brianne Porter — on these well-deserved honors," Gwinner said. "Dr. Hageman's exceptional research continues to elevate the reputation of our college, while Mr. Kocher's dedication to teaching excellence inspires our students every day. Ms. Porter's outstanding contributions as a professional staff member ensure our programs and initiatives run seamlessly. Each of them exemplifies the best of what the College of Business Administration stands for, and we are proud of their achievements.

"Choosing award recipients is never easy with so many outstanding nominees who excel in what they do. I appreciate the challenging work of the Awards and Recognition Committee in making these difficult decisions. Thank you to Committee Chair Dr. Kyle Bradley, Dr. Stacy Kovar, Dr. Shuang Zhu, Ms. Kellie Jackson, and Ms. Cara Richardson for their service on this important committee."

Visit cba.k-state.edu/about/history/awards/ for more information about this year's awards. View a listing of past awards and their winners