The Sam M. Walton College of Business has recognized outstanding achievements by faculty, staff and teams with its annual college awards.

The awards were presented April 25 in a ceremony at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Educational Development auditorium. Dean Dan L. Worrell and Associate Dean Moez Limayem presented the awards.

The faculty award winners for 2011-2012 are:

• Outstanding “All-Around” Faculty Award: Vikas Anand, associate professor in the department of management
• Excellence in Teaching Award: Molly Rapert, associate professor in the department of marketing
• Excellence in Research Award: Viswanath Venkatesh, distinguished professor in the department of information systems
• Excellence in Advising: Steven Kopp, associate professor in the department of marketing
• Excellence in Service: Paul Cronan, professor in the department of information systems
• Faculty Diversity Award: Manuel Sanchez, assistant professor in the department of accounting
• Graduate Assistant Teaching Award: Anastasia Thyroff, Ph.D. student in the department of marketing

The staff award winners for the 2011-2012 academic year are:

• Major Contribution Award: Kathryn Baker Parks, director of academic information
• Superior Service Award: Nancy Fondren, administrative support supervisor in the Graduate School of Business
• Diversity Award: Jennifer Quinton, administrative support supervisor in the department of supply chain management
• Rookie Award: Jasmine Edwards, administrative specialist II in the department of management

The High Performance Team Award went to the Walton College Undergraduate Programs Retention Initiative Team. Team members are Paula Konz and Adrienne Gaines.

The Outstanding Team Achievement Award went to the McLarty Global Fellowship Initiative team made up of Bill Curington, Anne O’Leary-Kelly, Carol Reeves and Katy Nelson.

Faculty and staff were also honored for their years of service to the Walton College:

• 35 Years: Tom Jones, Susan Yell
• 30 Years: Tom Jensen
• 25 Years: John Cole
• 20 Years: Rien Bouwman, John Delery, Steven Kopp
• 15 Years: Anne O’Leary-Kelly, Renee Clay, Nelson Driver, Rita Littrell, Sandy  Kizer
• 10 Years: Fabio Mendez, Pam Styles, Matt Waller, Tommi Featherston, Mary Davenport, Theres Stiefer

The Sam M. Walton College of Business ranks consistently in the top 30 among public business colleges in the annual U.S. News and World Report America’s Best Colleges survey. U.S. News’ America’s Best Graduate Schools ranks both the Walton College full-time and part-time Master of Business Administration programs 25^th among public institutions. Walton College boasts world-class faculty in both teaching and research, with faculty members among the most cited in the leading research journals in their fields. The college has an exemplary record of employment outcomes for students, with 78 percent of undergraduate job-seeking students employed at graduation. With an 86 percent placement rate, the full-time M.B.A. ranks second in the nation for job placement at graduation among public and private business schools.