MONTICELLO, Ark. — Dr. Shanna Knowles, assistant professor of management for the School of Business at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM), has been named the 2023-2024 Collegiate Business Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas Business Education Association (ABEA).
Dr. Knowles has taught at UAM since 2019. She is an advisor for the UAM Collegiate Future Business Leaders of America, where she helped implement a competition team that has won numerous state and national awards. She is also a faculty co-advisor of the newly formed UAM Investment Club, which has received over $50,000 in grant and gift funding in its first year on campus.
“My goal is to create a classroom environment where students feel valued and empowered to reach their full potential,” Dr. Knowles said. “My students’ successes are my greatest achievements. Their hard work and dedication are what truly make teaching rewarding. Every student has unique strengths, and my job is to help them build those strengths and pave the path to fulfill their career goals.”
In addition to her work with students, Dr. Knowles has taught five professional development sessions in the last two years for the ABEA in an effort to support business educators throughout Arkansas. Prior to teaching, she served as chief financial officer of a $25 million business and emerged as a skillful business leader in economic development, contract negotiation and strategic planning.
Dr. Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM, recognized Dr. Knowles for her contributions to the university, stating, “I am thrilled to congratulate Dr. Knowles for being named the 2023-2024 Collegiate Business Teacher of the Year in Arkansas. Her leadership, dedication to her students and innovative approaches to teaching students in the classroom and in extracurricular organizations have advanced the UAM School of Business, the UAM FBLA team and the UAM Investment Club and inspire both her students and colleagues. We are proud to have her as a vital part of our UAM community.”
According to its website, the ABEA “is a professional association comprised of business and marketing educators involved at the secondary and post-secondary levels. The purpose of the ABEA is to promote quality education in all phases of business and to encourage professional growth and cooperative interaction among all individuals involved in this sector of education.”
