National Association Confers Mentorship Award Upon Gordon Meyer, PhD

June 10, 2020

BUFFALO, NY – The Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS) has conferred one of its highest honors upon Gordon W. Meyer, PhD, emeritus professor of management in the Richard J. Wehle School of Business at Canisius University. Meyer is the recipient of the Peter J. Frost Mentoring Award, bestowed by the national organization to acknowledge an individual who has distinguished him or herself as a gifted teacher and scholar, and as someone who unselfishly imparts these gifts through the mentoring of students, colleagues and associates. 

“This annual award recognizes the energy and dedication of Gordon Meyer who, through his willingness to provide advice, guidance, friendship and a supportive ear, furthers the development of current and future students, teachers, scholars and mentors in the field of management and management education,” said Micheal Stratton, president of the MOBTS, in announcing the award. 

Gordon Meyer, PhD

A resident of Buffalo, NY (14222), Meyer joined the Canisius University faculty in 1994 as an associate professor of management, teaching undergraduate and graduate level coursework in his primary areas of interest: human resources management, organizational behavior and principles of management.  He rose through the academic ranks to become chair of the Department of Management and Marketing in 2009 and subsequently the Department of Management, all the while continuing to educate students in the classroom and maintaining a research focus on pedagogy in management education.

Meyer’s depth and breadth as a mentor, teacher and colleague are evidenced through the several nomination letters submitted to the MOBTS by alumni and colleagues.  Described as someone who “embodies the extraordinary qualities for which Peter J. Frost was admired,” those who nominated Meyer for the award characterized him as “a listener who never spoke for you but offered honest, insightful guidance” and “a passionate advocate for faculty.”  He was someone who “went above and beyond, was critical to people’s success and made you his top priority,” said one nominator.  Another added, Meyer is “a relationship-oriented individual who had a unique ability to create a harmonious working environment.”  Still another wrote, “He’s provided honest, insightful guidance and perspective as I’ve navigated the twists and turns of my career, and my roles as a husband and father.”

During Meyer’s more than two decades in the Canisius classroom, he supervised undergraduate internships for academic credit and mentored students pursuing their undergraduate honors theses.  Meyer also furthered the school’s business explorations course, which provided undeclared business majors with the opportunity to learn about the diversity of business fields and help them identify the program that best met their interests and career aspirations. 

Meyer’s education and mentorship of students is paralleled only by the ways in which he modeled teaching, scholarship and leadership to junior faculty and colleagues at Canisius.  He spent much of his Canisius career as a member of the Faculty Senate, serving both as chair of its Budget Committee and Faculty Welfare Committee. 

In addition to his advocacy for faculty at the college, Meyer’s knowledge, skill and caring service as an academic advisor throughout his Canisius career contributed to his 2016 induction to Alpha Sigma Nu, the honor society of Jesuit universities. 

Meyer holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Delaware, a master’s degree in organizational behavior from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, and a doctorate degree in organizational behavior from the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.  His scholarship has led to Meyer being published widely in peer-reviewed journals and as a contributor to several scholarly books and book chapters.  He is also a retired associate editor of the Journal of Management Education for which he previously served as a member of its Board of Reviewers. 

Meyer’s list of memberships with professional organizations is lengthy and includes the Academy of Management, the Labor and Employment Relations Association, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Management & Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. 

Established in 1974, the MOBTS is a premier international experiential learning society and conference of management sciences.  The award being conferred by the MOBTS to Gordon Meyer honors the memory of its namesake, Peter J. Frost, whose outstanding leadership as the society’s first executive director and many contributions to good teaching and scholarship enhanced the quality of teaching and learning across the management disciplines. 

One of 27 Jesuit universities, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York. Canisius celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary during the 2019-20 academic year, marking 150 years of Jesuit education and leadership in the city of Buffalo and Western New York. Visit https://www.canisius.edu/150 for more information about Canisius’ milestones and celebratory events.

                                                                   

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