Best Instructor Selection Process

A total of 160 instructors and co-instructors from 154 universities across 49 countries on six continents participated in the 2024-1 round of the X-Culture competition and were considered for the Best Instructor Award.

Approximately 120 of these instructors absolutely excelled in their roles. Their students were well-prepared, they provided exceptional support throughout the project, they diligently and effectively managed all administrative tasks, and they fulfilled all responsibilities, from report evaluations to committee service, with great care.

We owe these instructors a BIG THANK YOU! Their universities should be proud to have such outstanding educators.

However, some groups of students achieved higher performance, and certain instructors went above and beyond in supporting their students and contributing to the success of X-Culture. These individuals deserve special recognition.

Each instructor was evaluated and ranked based on 124 performance variables.

Key Evaluation Criteria:

1. Class-Average Performance: The most critical factor was the students’ overall performance. This included ratings of student effort, intellectual contribution, collegiality, and individual contributions to team projects. Ultimately, this award is as much about recognizing the students’ achievements as it is about their instructors.
2. Class Diligence: Substantial weight was given to metrics such as the ability to meet deadlines and submit weekly progress reports.
3. Report Quality and Plagiarism: While class-average report quality and plagiarism statistics were considered, they were weighted less heavily because these outcomes were influenced by students from other universities collaborating on the same teams.
4. Instructor-Specific Contributions:
   • The quality of pre-project preparations, including the accuracy of student rosters and email lists.
   • The reliability and depth of report evaluations provided by the instructors.
   • Additional contributions, such as organizing webinars, participating in symposia, and developing training materials.
5. Class Size and Study Level: The challenges of maintaining high performance in large undergraduate courses compared to smaller graduate classes were considered.

Final Selection:

After ranking all instructors on the 124 variables, about 40 professors emerged as exceptional, scoring consistently high across nearly all criteria. These instructors are recognized as the Best Instructor Award recipients for this semester.

The names of these outstanding educators are listed below in alphabetical order. We chose not to rank them from 1 to 40 for two reasons:

• All of these instructors demonstrated exceptional performance.
• Rankings could vary significantly depending on the weight assigned to specific variables.

It is also important to note that the distinction between the “best” and the “rest” was not absolute. At least 50 other instructors received excellent evaluations across all dimensions, including positive student performance reviews and exceptional dedication. However, to highlight a smaller group of the very best performers, we recognize these 16 instructors as this semester’s award recipients.

Congratulations to our Best Instructor Award winners!

2024-1 BEST X-CULTURE EDUCATORS (ALPHABETICALLY)

Anshu Arora, University of the District of Columbia, United States
Antonis Klidas, Deree-The American College of Greece, Greece
Bart Postma, University of Groningen / Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands
Cheryl Dowie, University of Houston-Downtown, USA
Daniela Del Carmen Acosta Arango, Universidad EAFIT , Colombia
Danielle Burkhard, School of Management Fribourg HEG-FR, Switzerland
David Iremadze, Buller School of Business at Providence University College , Canada
Donata Vianelli, University  di Trieste, Italy
Edward Andres Tamayo Duque, Universidad EAFIT , Colombia
Elena Cedrola, Catholic University of Milan, Italy
Eric David Cohen, State University of Campinas, Brazil
Ernesto Tavoletti, University  di Macerata (Universita  degli Studi di Macerata), Italy
Fred Omondi Newa, United States International University Africa, Kenya
Gilberto Sarfati, FGV EAESP, Brazil
Jennifer Pacheco, Vincennes University, United States
Jennifer S.A. Leigh, Nazareth College, United States
Joseph Rottman, University of Missouri – St. Louis, United States
Karen Lynden, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, United States
Loretta Battaglia, University  Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
Lynn Leng Khim Lim, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Switzerland
Mary Lou Rissa F. Cunanan, Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines
Nilufer Yapici, Middle East Technical University NCC, Turkey
Olivier Lamotte, EM Normandie Business School, France
Oscar Barzuna, Rowan Cabarrus Community College, United States
Pawel Pasierbiak, Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Poland
Philip Davidson, University of Calgary, Canada
Raghu Kurthakoti, Arcadia University, United States
Rebecca Jestice, Earlham College, United States
Reccia Charles, St. George’s University, Grenada
Reccia N. Charles, St. George’s University, Grenada
Rimi Zakaria, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, United States
Rita Koris, Budapest Business School University of Applied Sciences, Hungary
Samuel Yaw Akomea, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , Ghana
Stefano Elia, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Suela Papagelis, Boston College, United States
Tim Muth, Florida Institute of Technology, United States
Tito Francisco Solano Roa , Universidad EAN, Colombia
Valentyna Sakhno, KSE Graduate Business School, Ukraine
Viktorija Knapic, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, Croatia
Yingying Zhang, International University of Japan, Japan