Ward Receives Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching at UMO
Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Doug Ward is the recipient of the 2016 distinguished Dr. Thomas R. Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Mount Olive (UMO). The award is given in appreciation to a full time faculty member who exemplifies devotion above and beyond the classroom. Students nominate faculty members. The nominations are then considered by a faculty committee which makes the final selection.
Ward, a native of La Grange, obtained a bachelor’s degree in business management from UMO in 1997. He received his MBA from Webster’s University in 2000 and his DBA degree from Argosy University in 2008. Wanting to give back to his alma mater, Ward became an adjunct professor at UMO in 2005. He became a full-time faculty member in January of 2014.
At the University, Ward teaches numerous classes which range from undergraduate to graduate level courses. Students in his classes learn the fundamentals skills of business such as global business models, business policies and strategies, international business, and logistics of operations management. Ward indicated that he began teaching to be able to share knowledge with his students and hopefully help shape their future successes.
“My favorite thing about teaching is the interactions and relationships I have with my students,” he said. “My students bring fresh, new perspectives and insights which enhance the classroom experience for all. Although the Professor of the Year Award is the one of the first awards I have obtained while working at UMO, I have been rewarded everyday by the thoughtful feedback I have received from my students. It is an honor when students recognize and appreciate the hard work and consistency I bring to the classroom experience.”
Ward demonstrates the desire to learn new subjects, develop relationships, and remain focused with the mindset of improvement. Students pursuing a degree in business find Ward’s classroom to be filled with respect, an equal opportunity to share new ideas, and a place to have fun while developing the skills they will need after graduation.
“I build relationships with students by believing and encouraging them to do more than what they think they can accomplish,” Ward explained.
Ward resides in Supply, NC where he loves spending time with his family. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Gail Tedder Ward, for 44 years. They have two children Douglas Ward and Andrea Watkins, and five grandchildren.
Benefactor of the Morris Award is Dr. Thomas R. Morris, a long-time friend and generous supporter of the University of Mount Olive. Dr. Morris is a native of the Nahunta area of Wayne County where he and his family were active members of Union Grove OFWB Church. With the vision of an education, he worked his way through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation from medical school, he was an optometrist and civic leader in Goldsboro until his retirement. He now resides in Wilmington.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, and in Smithfield at Johnston Community College. For more information, visit old.umo.edu.
