APSU College of Business announces 2022 AJ Taylor Distinguished Professorship Awards

Jennifer Thayer and Matt Hampton

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Austin Peay State University College of Business recently announced the 2022 AJ Taylor Distinguished Professorship Award winners, the most prestigious recognition awarded to faculty within the college. The 2022 recipients are:

• Excellence in Teaching: Dr. Jennifer Thayer, Assistant Professor of Accounting
• Excellence in Research: Dr. Matt Hampton, Assistant Professor of Economics

“In her time at APSU, Dr. Thayer has become a campus leader in developing innovative learning experiences, most notably the service-learning partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and United Way of Greater Nashville,” Dr. Mickey Hepner, dean of the College of Business, said. “The partnership delivers free tax preparation services to Montgomery County residents while providing practical application skills to accounting students.  

“Dr. Hampton continues to demonstrate his ability to produce quality research resulting in three A-ranked journal publications within the last three years,” Hepner continue. “Two of those publications appeared in Health Economics, the leading academic journal in health economics.”

Each year, the award recognizes two APSU College of Business faculty members who demonstrate exceptional scholarly work or innovative teaching practices that contribute to the mission of the College. The endowed gift was provided by alumnus Larry Carroll, who dedicated the award to former marketing professor, Dr. Albert J. Taylor, for his legacy of exceptional contributions that transformed the College of Business.

“Out of all my years, both as an undergraduate and a graduate student, AJ Taylor provided the best classroom experience I ever received,” Carroll said. “I am proud that these two faculty members are continuing his legacy of producing graduates who are engaged and ready to leave their mark on the community. The College of Business and Austin Peay will surely benefit from the commitment to excellence the recipients have exhibited.”

This fall celebrates the sixth year since the professorship was created, also the first in APSU’s history. Each recipient was presented with a commemorative plaque and a stipend to further support their academic initiatives.

“We are thrilled to see the work of Dr. Albert J Taylor being carried on by these dedicated and innovative individuals,” Vice President for Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy Kris Phillips said. “Through his endowed gift for this distinguished professorship, Larry Carroll has provided the APSU College of Business with a meaningful way to honor and retain its exceptional faculty members. We appreciate his continued generosity.” 

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