The Ryan College of Business recognized two faculty members with its annual Outstanding Faculty Researcher awards. Dr. Bob Heere was acknowledged with the Outstanding Senior Faculty Researcher award, while Dr. Virginie Kidwell earned the Outstanding Junior Faculty Researcher award.
These honors bring recognition to the top-tier research that faculty bring to their programs—simultaneously enhancing the classroom experience and the college’s reputation.
“I am incredibly proud to receive this recognition. Our Sport Entertainment Management programs are known for their strong relationships with the Dallas Cowboys, the PGA of America and other sport teams, not necessarily the research intensity of our faculty. Hopefully this recognition will shed more light upon the excellent track record of our faculty’s scholarship,” said Heere.
Heere, director of UNT’s Sport Entertainment Management program, focuses his research on the social impact of sport on society, enabling him to work with teams and federations around the world, including Fulham FC, AFC Ajax Amsterdam, the Shanghai Sports Federation and the Aruban Ministry of Health and Sport. He has conducted research across five continents and worked alongside researchers from at least 20 countries. Heere was also designated the Sport Marketing Association Research Fellow of 2018 for his high standards and contributions of scholarly research.
Research interests for Kidwell, assistant professor of management, include social networks, the role of affect in organizational behaviors and social dynamics, as well as power and dependence in workplace relationships. She has publications in the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Group & Organization Management and Social Networks, among others. She also conducts consulting projects with various organizations to research, optimize, train and engage workforce to improve performance using latest organizational psychology tools, including social network analysis.