Faculty Excellence Award Recipients

2025 Award Winners

Research Excellence Award

Image

Xi Ai 

“Receiving the Research Excellence Award is humbling and energizing in equal measure. The publication process in accounting research is long, often uncertain and filled with far more setbacks than successes – and this recognition feels like an acknowledgment that those quiet, persistent efforts add up. I'm proud of the work I've contributed to the field, and deeply grateful to be part of a school that recognizes and values that kind of sustained commitment. More than anything, it deepens my drive to keep going – to ask more meaningful questions, pursue more impactful projects and continue contributing work that advances the field and reflects well on the School of Accountancy and the college.” 

Faculty Award for Service and Collegiality

Image

Carolyn Callahan

“I am deeply honored to accept this College of Business Faculty Excellence Award for Service and Collegiality. I am grateful to my colleagues, students and the broader university community for making our shared work meaningful and rewarding. Service in academia extends beyond committees and responsibilities – it also reflects our commitment to supporting one another, fostering collaboration and contributing to a culture of respect and collegiality. While I have been honored over my career to receive awards for research and teaching excellence, this service award from the University of Louisville is unique and deeply meaningful to me. It supports the many years I have dedicated to the research training and professional mentoring of doctoral students and assistant professors – service work that is vital to the future of our academy yet often is not recognized or rewarded. I am grateful to Dean Henley and Dereck Barr-Pulliam, Director of the School of Accountancy who are strong advocates for all the faculty. As Muhammad Ali, an outstanding Louisvillian wisely said, 'Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.' I strive to live by that principle in all aspects of my life, and I am truly humbled by this recognition.”  

Graduate Teaching Award 

Image

Raymond Chastain 

“I am proud to have won the award this year, given the high level of teaching that our faculty bring to the graduate programs within the college.  It’s rewarding to know that the students that have come through my MBA and MSBA classes feel that they are getting the tools they need to make a difference in their other classes.”  

Gustafson Adjunct Award 

Christina Davidson 

"While receiving this award was certainly an honor, the real reward came from working alongside the incredible faculty and staff within the University of Louisville College of Business. I was fortunate to serve with individuals from many departments who provided generous mentorship to inform my teaching and research practices. I'm excited to continue working with ISAO and to serve our students." 

Jacky Eshelby 

“I was truly surprised and honored to receive the Gustafson Adjunct Teaching Award.  I have discovered that our equine students not only bring incredible energy to the classroom, but a curiosity that extends beyond a learning environment.  Taking a page from my ‘Learn by Doing’ academic background allows me to blend traditional marketing techniques with real world problems to be solved.  These experiences create a learning environment that has limitless opportunities for our students" 

Undergraduate Teaching Award | Overall Faculty Excellence 

Image

Kathy Gosser 

“I’m truly grateful for this recognition. It reflects the students who show up ready to learn and grow, and the colleagues who challenge and support me every day. 

I’m fortunate to be part of a community that is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for students and helping them see what’s possible and take the next step toward it. Our future is in good hands with the future leaders graduating from the College of Business.” 

Research Excellence Award 

Image

Vitaliy Skorodziyevskiy  

“I am genuinely grateful to receive this Faculty Excellence Award. Last year would not have been as productive or meaningful without the support of so many people around me. I am thankful for my colleagues, coauthors, students, friends, and family, whose encouragement and contributions helped make this recognition possible.” 

Previous Award Recipients