Kimberly Petrone, instructor of accounting for the Sam M. Walton College of Business and adjunct instructor for the Operations Management Graduate Program, was chosen by the Academy of Legal Studies in Business as a finalist in the 2016 Charles M. Hewitt Master Teacher Competition. As one of four finalists, Petrone presented at the Master Teacher Symposium during the academy's annual conference held in San Juan, Puerto Rico Aug. 8-11. 

Petrone's symposium, "Hot Coffee," showcased a lesson in which she uses a New York Times Retro Report video to stimulate class discussion and to serve as a springboard for mini-lectures on a range of topics. The lesson also promotes a positive rapport between instructors and students, establishing a "shared story," which is referenced several times later in the semester.

Petrone reflected on the experience, saying, "I really enjoyed making the presentation; I received good feedback and really grew through the experience. I would like to thank Shelly Walters, John Norwood, and Bill Greenhaw for helping me prepare for the competition and the Operations Management Program for all of the professional support they have given me. I would like to encourage other adjunct instructors to 'go for it' because it can be hard to find your way as an adjunct."

Conference attendees voted by secret ballet to choose the winner of the competition. All finalists were recognized at the annual awards banquet.

Founded in 1924, the Academy of Legal Studies in Business is an association of teachers and scholars in the fields of business law, legal environment, and law-related courses outside of professional law schools. The nearly 1,000 members teach primarily in schools of business in colleges and universities, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Charles M. Hewitt Master Teacher Competition highlights the best classroom teaching, particularly the incorporation of new and evolving subject matter, cultural context, pedagogy, and technology. The goal is deeper engagement: of students in the learning process and of faculty in their guild.