News Releases

School of Business Lecturer named Outstanding Educator

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

BY WAYNE LARSON

"Receiving the award says Ôyou're doing something right,'" said KU School of Business Lecturer Alee Phillips. She received the Mortar Board's Outstanding Educator Award for teaching excellence on Nov. 13 during the KU - Hofstra men's basketball game.

Phillips is one of five teachers who received the student-nominated award this year. The Outstanding Educator Award is one of two major student-nominated awards at the University, said Mortar Board Outstanding Educator Co-chair Emily Baird. The Mortar Board is a national honor society for college seniors who represent the top scholars and leaders on their campuses. The KU chapter has 49 members.

In addition to teaching accounting and information systems classes, Phillips spends a large portion of her time working on the professional development of students. "For me, teaching goes far beyond the classroom. I get a lot of joy out of adding value to others," said Phillips.

Her work outside the classroom has been one of the main reasons she is so admired, said her former student Megan Bolmer. "She brings opportunities to us, which helps us with our job searches a lot," said Bolmer. Phillips dedicates 20 percent of her time to helping students develop professionally outside the classroom. A majority of that percentage is spent working as Beta Alpha Psi's faculty advisor. The KU chapter of Beta Alpha Psi is a part of the national and professional organization for financial professionals.

Many students rave about her practical applications inside the classroom as well. "Her focus is not on teaching, but rather on her students truly learning," said Baird. "It has been over six months since I've been in her class, but I could still sit down and do a troubled debt restructuring problem."

She also provides her students with guidance that will undoubtedly help them far into their careers. "I was one of those ÔBig Four people' who thought Ôif I don't get to work at KPMG, my life is over,'" said Bolmer. She credits Phillips with showing her there are great opportunities outside of the four largest public accounting firms in the world.

Phillips earned both her bachelor's degree and her master's from the KU School of Business. After a brief stint at Deloitte & Touche LLP, she returned to the School as a faculty member in 2000 and has earned three teaching awards in addition to the Mortar Board Award.

Accomplishments inside and outside the classroom have contributed to Phillips' nomination for the Outstanding Educator Award, and she is honored by it. But one of the biggest rewards she gets is not tangible. "Getting to know students individually is great," said Phillips. "I am not just here to help them for four years."


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