The Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia recently celebrated faculty member Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander, who along with a professor at the College of Education, was awarded with the 2015 Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award for Teaching Excellence.
The award, which honors only ten professors nationwide each year, celebrates faculty members that have helped their students make a contribution to society. Each winner receives a $25,000 award and an invitation to the November 14 ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta. With professors honored from both the College of Business and Education, UGA is the only university with two award recipients this year.
Bennett-Alexander has been part of the UGA faculty since 1988, and serves as a professor of employment law and legal studies. Her nomination came at the hand of former student Randy Gold, the founder of an organization called JScreen that assists in education and screening for Jewish genetic diseases.
According to his nomination letter, Gold and his wife did not receive proper screening for the genetic disease ML4, which disproportionately affects those with Jewish ancestry, and indeed passed the life-threatening disease to their daughter. Gold established JScreen with inspiration and encouragement from Professor Bennett-Alexander. “The willingness to right a wrong, stand up and be recognized, or protect those unable to protect themselves are concepts that Dr. [Bennett-Alexander] helped me understand even more clearly through her class,” said Gold.
Bennett-Alexander has been honored several times for hard-work throughout her career, including the UGa President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award. She additionally served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar, researching race and gender discrimination while teaching law in West Africa. Her textbook “Employment Law for Business” is one of the most widely used textbooks in the nation for employment law.