John Lawrence 2011 Teaching Excellence Award

John Lawrence is a professor in the College of Business and Economics. He has been at the University of Idaho since 1993 after he received his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. During his tenure at the University of Idaho, he has taught a variety of undergraduate courses including the Business Capstone course as well as courses in the Executive MBA program. In 1999 he participated in the formation of the College of Business and Economics’ second Integrated Business Curriculum (IBC) faculty teaching team, and spent much of the next several years teaching in this area. Over time, his teaching has reached beyond the confines of the college into the broader university.

Dr. Lawrence has always played an active role in developing and teaching interdisciplinary courses. Chris Dixon, Academic Advisor in the Environmental Science Program, states “I have found him to be one of those rare faculty members whose productivity, enthusiasm and creativity is truly inspiring. John excels in teaching and in working with teams across campus to pursue various initiatives that improve education and service learning opportunities for students.”

When talking of his teaching style, Professor Lawrence notes, “I also make a great effort to adapt each course I teach to the audience, which is critical given the diversity of students I work with.” He also states, “Student learning requires a partnership between the student and teacher and comes from a combination of in classroom and out of classroom effort on the part of both. I see my role in this partnership as that of a facilitator of learning.”

Dr. Lawrence has received the Most Outstanding EMBA Faculty award the past two years in recognition of his teaching excellence. Associate Dean Mario Reyes says, “He is a highly dedicated professional who knows how to motivate his students to strive for excellence.” Dr. Lawrence has published fifteen cases which he uses in the classroom. His teaching is focused on connecting academic concepts to real-life practices through cases and active learning.

Students appreciate his case-based teaching approach within the classroom which establishes content relevance while actively engaging students and improving their critical thinking skills. Former student Lisa Hals states, “John is a faculty member whom students can depend on for a discerning ear, a kind word, direct and constructive feedback, and consistent expectations.” Former student Chris Caflin notes, “John was always personally invested in my success. . . John sets incredibly high expectations for each of his students; he then pours all of his heart and energy into giving them the tools and resources to meet those expectations.”