2 UR professors earn statewide awards

Two University of Richmond professors are among the winners of the 2023 Outstanding Faculty Awards, which were announced Dec. 19.

The State Council for Higher Education in Virginia and Dominion Energy present the awards each year to faculty at higher education institutions who “exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship, and service,” according to a press release.

Among this year’s twelve award winners were the two UR professors, Jeffrey Harrison and Julie McConnell.

Harrison is a professor at the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond, and also serves as a section editor at the Journal of Business Ethics. Before he taught at UR, he served as a professor of global hospitality strategy at Cornell University. He has published thirteen books and his work has appeared in at least six business journals.

McConnell is a professor of law and the director of the university’s Children’s Defense Clinic, which helps law students develop skills to work on court cases involving minors and children. Her work focuses on representing and defending disadvantaged clients, especially children, in court. She is also currently chair of the Virginia Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Prevention.

The Outstanding Faculty Awards have been given out since 1987 in Virginia. The winners this year were chosen from a slate of 74 nominees, narrowed down to 24 finalists and then 12 winners.

Each award winner will receive a grant of $7,500 from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation at a ceremony on March 7.