Celebrating the People Behind Leeds’ Success
From exceptional teaching and research to outstanding staff contributions, Leeds recognized the faculty and staff whose work drives the school’s success.
Members of Leeds’ Advancement and Graduate Programs teams gathered together to celebrate Director of Alumni Engagement John Helmers.
The people behind Leeds’ achievements took center stage on Oct. 16 as faculty and staff gathered to celebrate outstanding contributions to teaching, research and the school community. CU Boulder Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ann Stevens joined the school’s Faculty and Staff Townhall to help recognize the honorees and celebrate Leeds’ accomplishments (see photos below).
“I’m really excited to be here and to recognize some of the many contributions that staff and faculty make,” Stevens said. “I also want to spend a few minutes celebrating your collective achievements.”
Among the highlights Stevens noted were Leeds’ No. 21 ranking in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report undergraduate business school rankings and the school’s commitment to supporting students academically, professionally and personally. She singled out Leeds’ mentorship program, the largest of its kind among business schools in the country.
She also recognized Leeds’ research achievements, including its No. 32 overall ranking in the University of Texas at Dallas business school research rankings, as well as the school’s strong standing across several disciplines.
Beyond the rankings, Stevens highlighted Leeds’ innovation, recalling a recent faculty-led student presentation on the development of an AI career assistant. The project, she said, offered inspiration for how similar technology could scale and benefit students across campus.
Behind those collective achievements, Stevens emphasized, are the individual contributions of faculty and staff. “I have seen the commitment to collaboration, to excellence, and to inclusion, and this highlights some of that,” she said.
Excellence in teaching
“There are so many people to celebrate,” said Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean Vijay Khatri as he began the awards presentation.
He announced seven recipients of the Dean’s Faculty Teaching Awards, recognizing outstanding teaching contributions over the past three years across Leeds’ academic divisions. Khatri also expressed appreciation to Tandean Rustandy for the gift supporting the awards. This year’s honorees were:
Research recognition
Dean Khatri recognized outstanding research contributions this past academic year. The 2026 Rising Star Research Awards went to Quentin Andre and Ethan Poskanzer. Sarah Zechman received the 2026 Research Impact Award, while Emily Gallagher was honored with the 2026 Excellence in Research Award.
Staff who make a difference
Khatri also recognized four staff awards recipients, selected through nominations from faculty and staff.
The Staff Impact Award went to John Helmers, director of Alumni Engagement, in recognition of his 17 years of service and lasting contribution to Leeds.
Julie Noble, senior event manager on the Engagement, Marketing and Communications (EMC) team, received the Staff Member of the Year Award, selected by the Leeds Staff Council.
The Leeds Values Award was presented to Shaun Davies, faculty director of the Burridge Center for Finance, and to Ollie Peterson, digital communications senior specialist with the EMC team.
In celebrating the honorees, Dean Khatri praised the professionalism, innovation, problem-solving, knowledge-sharing, and willingness to help others that characterize the Leeds community. With a smile, he summed it up: “It really takes a village.”
