McKendree University Economics Professor is 2016 Faculty Award Winner
Alumni Association Honors Dr. John Watters at Commencement Ceremony
(LEBANON, Ill., May 14, 2016) — A McKendree University associate professor of economics with over 25 years of corporate business experience has won the 2016 William Norman
Grandy Award. Dr. John Watters received the prestigious faculty honor at undergraduate
commencement exercises on May 14.
Watters, a Lebanon resident, has taught at McKendree since 2007 and has chaired the
School of Business for the past three years. He spent 25 years as a corporate research economist in
the telecom industry at Southwestern Bell and SBC Services (now AT&T). Over the years,
he was responsible for market demand analyses, consumer pricing, customer satisfaction
research and analysis, and predictive modeling.
“Two of Dr. Watters’ greatest strengths as a teacher are his ability to break complex
concepts into small chunks that students can understand, and integrating real-life
business examples into his teaching,” said Maria Page, president of the Alumni Association,
which has presented the Grandy Award since 1981. “He is also highly accessible to
students and colleagues, always willing to answer a question or lend a hand.”
A scholar in his discipline, Watters has published four articles in peer-reviewed
economics journals and given 25 presentations at professional conferences on topics
such as international business development, marketing strategies and effective methods
of teaching economics to college students.
He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Missouri
and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Methodist College.
In nine years at McKendree, Watters has served on numerous committees and is currently
the faculty representative to the Resource Development Committee of the Board of Trustees
and a member of the Lebanon City Planning Commission.
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