FRANCIS, SMITH RECEIVE TEACHING HONORS

Two professors at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business recently were recognized when they received DaimlerChrysler Corporation Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching.

Jennifer Francis, associate professor of accounting, received the award from first-year students in recognition of the hard work and planning that goes into teaching first-year core courses. Francis, who returned to the Fuqua faculty last year, was an assistant professor here from 1987 to 1991. She teaches managerial accounting and a new elective course called, "Valuation and Fundamental Analysis."

James E. Smith, associate professor of decision sciences, received the DaimlerChrysler award from the MBA daytime graduating class for his excellence and innovation in teaching elective courses. Smith, whose expertise is in decision analysis and the valuation of risky projects, earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1990. His primary teaching interests are in the areas of probability and statistics; decision analysis; representing and solving decision problems; and the valuation of risky projects. Smith was appointed associate dean for the MBA program beginning with the 2000-2001 school year.

Both awards are financed on an annual basis by a permanent endowment established by DaimlerChrysler to support exceptional teaching in the MBA program.