Michael J. Krajsa in Department of Business at DeSales Wins International Teaching Excellence Award
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| (l to r): Dr. Larry Lynch, president of the ACBSP Board of Directors; Michael Krajsa, DeSales faculty member and award winner, and Dr. Paul Sears, member of the International Teaching Excellence Award Committee. | Michael J. Krajsa, faculty member in the department of business at DeSales University, is the recipient of the ACBSP (Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs) International Teaching Excellence Award. Krajsa was honored during the 2005 ACBSP Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., last month.
Krajsa, who also won the ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award for Region 2 (Eastern), was one of eight regional winners who were invited to attend the national conference. The regional winners are nominees for the international award.
The ACBSP, established in 1988, is a specialized accreditation agency for business education with more than 360 educational institutions. The association provides mission-based accreditation and quality assurance services to four-year and community college business schools and programs throughout the U.S. and the world.
As the international award winner, Krajsa received an award plaque with the inscription, "2005 International Winner for Teaching Excellence; Innovation, Creativity, Community Involvement." He also was presented with an engraved medal and a check for $500, and his name will be inscribed on a permanent honor roll maintained in the ACBSP office.
"Mike has brought an energy and creativity to the classroom that is rare. He has used some very innovative techniques to challenge his students and get them involved," said Dr. Joe L. Lewis, chairperson of the department of business at DeSales. "One of his greatest strengths is his community involvement and his ability to use it for student enrichment and research."
Krajsa, an expert in management and marketing, and strategic business planning, joined the DeSales faculty full time in 2002, after serving as an MBA marketing faculty member since 1999. He is a partner with Halcyon Strategic Marketing Consulting. Prior to that, he was director of development and public affairs with LifePath Inc., Bethlehem. Also, he served as executive director of the HGF Group, Allentown, a multi-million dollar conglomerate consisting of 14 McDonald's Restaurants, radio stations, Skyking Airways, and Evergreen Realty, among other companies. Earlier in his career, he held executive and legislative staff positions and worked with international human rights organizations.
While at DeSales, Krajsa has taught MBA and undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship, management and marketing, international marketing, and consumer behavior. He is active with numerous groups, including the university president's globalization task force.
Krajsa serves as mentor to the DeSales SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) team, which he began in 2003 with a group of 12 students. The team received Rookie-of-the-Year honors and has distinguished itself in regional and national competition.
"Mike Krajsa is the embodiment of the word 'teacher,' someone who not only conveys information in a manner that facilitates learning, but someone who inspires learning by action and example," said Elizabeth Pfister, of Shippensburg, Pa., who is a junior majoring in nursing and a member of SIFE at DeSales. "He serves as an example and lesson of someone who dares to dream more, think more, and care more about our global neighbors and situations."
During the summer of 2004 and 2005, Krajsa and members of the SIFE team took educational expeditions to Peru to create cultural, business and service opportunities that will help students prepare for futures in the global economy. The trips, funded in part by a grant through the Business and International Education Program of the U.S. Department of Education, have been very successful. They helped initiate subsequent programs and projects, which have benefited all involved. These include the launch of Peru as a member of SIFE International and initiatives, such as starting an export business to sell art and craft work produced by Peruvian villagers and hosting a member of the Chamber of Commerce in Peru on campus.
"Through my formal and informal education under the direction of Mike Krajsa, my views and directions have grown into this global mindset and understanding of the importance of an international sense of caring and respect," said Brian Radziwill, junior communications major at DeSales from Cherry Hill, N.J. "He seeks to provide students with the knowledge and first-hand experiences necessary to flourish in the global community."
Krajsa received his undergraduate degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and his master's degree from Penn State University. He resides in Coopersburg, Pa.
Press Release: Michael J. Krajsa in Department of Business at DeSales Wins International Teaching Excellence Award | Posted on: 7/13/2005
For more info:
Tom McNamara, Executive Director of Communications
DeSales University | 2255 Station Avenue | Center Valley, PA 18034
610.282.1100 x1219 | Tom.McNamara@desales.edu |
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