Faculty use their research and professional projects to inform innovative teaching materials and co-curricular programming which further student learning. Remaining active with industry organizations and employers also gives them insight into the skills currently needed in the job market. Read about some outstanding teachers:

Josh Bacon, academic advisor in the Advising and Support Center and a former Dean of Students at JMU, recently published the second edition of his book titled, Discipline Eats Everything. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience working with college students and adults, Josh demonstrates that discipline is not an innate trait but a skill that can be learned, practiced and strengthened over time. Through personal stories, student experiences and practical strategies, the book provides readers with a framework for improving focus, decision-making and daily habits.

At the heart of the book is the belief that while we cannot control every circumstance, we can control two things: what we choose to focus on and the decisions we make in each moment. The book offers simple, actionable tools to help readers build their "discipline muscle" and sustain meaningful growth.

A key feature is The 20-Day Discipline Reset, a step-by-step program of progressive daily practices designed to help readers develop greater self-discipline, overcome challenges and achieve personal and professional goals.

A new textbook titled, “Strategic Management for Organizations” second edition, authored by Professor of Management, Fariss-Terry Mousa is helping students bridge the gap between learning individual business disciplines and thinking strategically about organizations as a whole.

Strategic management serves as the capstone course in most business programs, bringing together concepts from accounting, finance, marketing, management, entrepreneurship and other areas of business study. This textbook is specifically designed to help students integrate knowledge from across these disciplines while developing the strategic mindset required of organizational leaders.

What distinguishes the book is its practical and contemporary approach. Rather than focusing primarily on theory, it emphasizes decision-making, strategic thinking and real-world application. Students are challenged to analyze how organizations create and sustain competitive advantage in rapidly changing environments using current examples, applied tools and frameworks designed for today's business landscape.

Professor of Economics Dr. Scott Milliman is the recipient of the Roberts Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award.

This well‑deserved recognition reflects Scott’s sustained commitment to undergraduate mentorship, meaningful collaboration with students and a student‑centered approach to teaching and learning. Known as a caring, knowledgeable and generous individual in the classroom and beyond, Scott challenges students to believe in themselves, take intellectual risks, and engage fully in the process of learning and self‑discovery.

Margaret Sloan, director of the School of Strategic Leadership Studies, and Cleopatra Charles of Rutgers University, are the inaugural winners of the Best Innovative Teaching Method Award, for their method “Evaluating the Intangible Value of the Arts Using FACE Metrics.” This award, granted by the European Network on Cultural Administration Training Centres (ENCATC), celebrates creative, effective and forward-looking teaching that inspires educators in cultural policy and management to renew curricula and methods in line with current and future challenges so students and professionals gain the critical thinking and practical skills to lead.

Robert ‘Bob’ Richardson, associate professor of Accounting and Calibre Faculty Scholar has been named as the 2025 winner of the Dr. Otto C. Brenner Award for Outstanding Teaching.

The award, which is conferred annually by vote of the junior and senior students in the College of Business, honors the life and legacy of the late Otto C. Brenner, who during his long career at JMU was named "Outstanding Undergraduate Professor" more often than any other member of the CoB faculty.

Bob also won in 2004, 2006, 2012 and 2014.

Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics, Luis Novoa, is one of just three faculty members campus-wide to be selected for the 2025 Madison Vision Teaching Award.

In recognition of this high honor, conferred through an entirely student-led process, Luis was presented with a one-time $1,000 educational grant at the Academic Affairs Award Recognition Luncheon. 

Abigail Herbert, Student Body Vice President, singled out Luis for special praise, telling him that the award "recognizes your passion for teaching and your exceptional ability to create a warm, welcoming environment in the classroom."