Arjang Assad

Arjang Assad.

“The beauty of teaching excellence is how varied and multi-faceted it can be as one moves across different subject matters.  It is imperative that we recognize its value across schools and disciplines.”

Arjang Assad, who served as dean of the UB School of Management through spring 2015, considers himself lucky to have had at least one remarkable teacher during each stage of his studies from elementary to high school through college and graduate school. 

“Each of them had a big influence on me because of superlative teaching. I still feel the positive impact of those influences and I am very grateful for that,” Assad said recently.

Such “master teachers” contribute significantly to UB students’ overall experience and ultimately, their level of achievement, Assad noted.

His belief in the value of teaching excellence inspired Assad to establish an award in the School of Management designed to pay tribute to outstanding faculty members who have demonstrated distinction in teaching and are passionate about their profession.  Recipients of the award—which also includes a stipend of at least $2,500—are chosen by the school’s teaching excellence committee.

UB graduates remember those outstanding teachers who went above and beyond to mentor them while they were university students, he added.

“One of my happiest moments while interacting with our alumni is when they mention one of our teachers who inspired them in a special way,” Assad said. “I hope that many more of our students would form and retain such memories of their best teachers and mentors.”