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2008 Headlines

Mark Nelson Honored by Recent MBA Graduates

MBA Class of '03 selects accounting professor for Russell Distinguished Teaching Award

June 16, 2008 | Ithaca, NY | Recent graduates of the Johnson School's two-year and one-year accelerated MBA programs selected Mark W. Nelson as recipient of the annual Stephen Russell Distinguished Teaching Award. The award was announced at the MBA Class of 2003's five-year reunion on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York.

"This is my favorite part of reunion - the opportunity to celebrate teaching and learning," said Erin McMahon Balet, who presented the award on behalf of her classmates.

In her presentation, Balet read several statements from award nominations, including, "Mark Nelson is really the only professor who combined a perfect teaching skill set: intelligence, ability to break down complex concepts, planning for multiple points of entry into a topic, a sense of humor, and a lack of ego. It was clear he cared more about the students than appearing intellectual. He was refreshing."

Nelson is the Eleanora and George Landew Professor of Management, professor of accounting, and associate dean for academic affairs at the Johnson School. He joined the faculty in 1996, and earned numerous honors for his teaching, research, and contributions to the accounting discipline. These include two citations by BusinessWeek as an outstanding faculty member, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants/American Accounting Association Notable Contribution to Accounting Literature Award in 2004. Nelson has twice been selected by graduating MBA students to receive the Apple Award for Teaching Excellence, in 1994 and 2004.

Funded by a gift from Stephen Russell, AB '60, MBA '61, the Russell Distinguished Teaching Award is voted upon by members of the five-year reunion class. The award is given to a faculty member whose teaching and example have continued to influence graduates five years into their post-MBA careers. A monetary award, along with a plaque, is presented to the winning professor or lecturer.