Newswise — CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — 1 October 2014 — The Aspen Institute announced that University of Virginia Darden School of Business Professor Mary Margaret Frank received the 2014 Aspen Institute Faculty Pioneer Award for her innovative work at the intersection of the public and private sectors in real world problem-solving and value creation. Dubbed "the Oscars of the business school world" by Financial Times, these awards celebrate educators who demonstrate leadership and risk-taking — and blaze a trail of curriculum and scholarship that deeply examines the relationships between capital markets, firms and the public good.
"We are very proud of Professor Frank receiving the Faculty Pioneer Award. She joins an esteemed group of previously recognized Aspen Faculty Pioneers at Darden — Professors Gregory D. Fairchild (2009), R. Edward Freeman (2001), and Michael Lenox (2009)," said Darden Dean Bob Bruner. "Of particular note, the Darden School's Institute for Business in Society now has the unique distinction of this prestigious award being bestowed on all three of its academic directors, providing a strong testament to the thought leadership advanced by the Institute."
Frank created a cross-disciplinary national debt seminar that united graduate students from seven U.Va. departments and professional schools. United States Senator Mark Warner of Virginia met with the student group at Darden last January to stress the importance and effectiveness of business and government working together to solve problems.
"The national debt seminar is the latest course developed in conjunction with Darden's Institute for Business in Society to generate an awareness of the intersection of the public and private sectors," said Frank. "Central to courses that foster an awareness of the public-private intersection is the cross-disciplinary focus, team-based research and externally focused deliverables that provide practical impact. The course product was a social media campaign highlighting the students' video on the national debt. Solving society's most complicated problems requires talented people from a variety of backgrounds who want to work together toward a common goal."
Faculty Pioneer Award winners and finalists will be recognized at a ceremony in New York on 16 October as part of a symposium on business education organized by the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program and hosted at the Ford Foundation. The symposium will focus on how business schools can most effectively prepare students to lead companies in ways that produce a vibrant economy for all. There will be a particular emphasis on responsible sourcing, exceptional employment practices, and the roles of the public and private sectors in value creation and problem solving.
About the Darden School of BusinessThe University of Virginia Darden School of Business delivers the world’s best business education experience to prepare entrepreneurial, global and responsible leaders through its MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. Darden’s top-ranked faculty is renowned for teaching excellence and advances practical business knowledge through research. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
About the Darden Institute for Business in SocietyThe Institute for Business in Society (IBiS), established at the Darden School in 2011, prepares leaders to positively impact society through business. IBiS advances thought leadership and innovative practices through research, teaching and programs.
Press ContactMatt CharlesDirector of Media RelationsDarden School of BusinessUniversity of Virginia[email protected]+1-434-924-7502
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