Busch surprised by Texas A&M President Young mid-class with Presidential Teaching Excellence Award

Marketing Professor Paul S. Busch got the surprise and honor of his career when Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young showed up in his classroom to present the Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award.

Busch was caught speechless momentarily as he looked around at the group assembled in his Advertising and Creative Marketing Communications class: Young, Dean of Faculties John August, Mays Dean Eli Jones, Marketing Department Head David Griffith, and members of Texas A&M’s Division of Marketing and Communications.

Once he regained his composure, he said, “What a wonderful surprise and honor. I tell my students, ‘I hope you are as fortunate as I have been – to do something you love to do.’ It will be 33 years in June that I have been teaching at Texas A&M, and then to get recognized like this. It doesn’t get any better.”

He added, “I also know how many talented people there are competing for this award.”

August nodded, smiled, and said, “This is a lifetime achievement award.”

Busch is one of two faculty members given the award this year. The award was created in 2003. The awardees bear the designation “Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence” for the remainder of his or her career, and they each receive a one-time, after-tax stipend of $25,000 in addition to salary.

To be eligible for the award, nominees must be full-time faculty and hold the rank of lecturer, senior lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or distinguished professor. Each college on the College Station campus, the Center for Teaching Excellence, Student Government Association, and the Graduate Student Council may submit one nominee.

A history of excellence

Busch is a Texas A&M University System Regents Professor. He was head of the Department of Marketing at Texas A&M University from 1986 to 1996. Prior to arriving at Texas A&M, from 1977 to 1986, he served on the faculty of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

His research and teaching interests are in the areas of innovation, new product development, branding, personal selling and sales management, advertising and promotion. Currently he is applying the philosophy and tools of positive psychology, with an emphasis on Gallup’s Clifton’s StrengthsFinder, in his teaching and research.

He has published more than 40 articles, some of which have appeared in journals such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Decision Sciences, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Brand Management, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, and Journal of Organizational Change Management. He has co-authored (with Professor Mike Houston) an introductory marketing text, Marketing Strategic Foundations, published by Richard D. Irwin, Inc.