Wall College professors earn awards for teaching, research and community impact
These three impact awards were created in 2015 to annually recognize professors who have a positive effect on the University community and surrounding areas.
Damonte joined the Wall College faculty in 1998. He is a professor of hospitality, resort and tourism management and director of the Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism at CCU. He earned his Ph.D. in hospitality and tourism administration at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Damonte is well known in the University and local community for being an enthusiastic ambassador of the Wall College of Business and for playing an integral part in the hospitality and tourism industry in the Grand Strand area. He serves on the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association, the tourism committee for the City of Myrtle Beach, and the Myrtle Beach Downtown Redevelopment Corporation. He also publishes weekly lodging updates 51 times a year for the Grand Strand area.
The Baxley Applied Impact Award was named for the late Col. William Baxley Jr., a longtime CCU business professor and administrator. The primary criteria for this award is that the professor must make substantial contributions to the application of sound business practices and have the ability to relate real-world experiences into the classroom.
Keels joined the Wall College faculty in 2005. A professor of management, she earned a Ph.D. in strategic management from the University of South Carolina. Her work in the classroom is highly commended both by current students and alumni. She has been described by students as always being readily available, patient, and one of the most helpful and dedicated professors at CCU. In 2015, she was accepted to a Warrington College of Business workshop titled "The Experiential Classroom," a premier clinic for faculty who teach entrepreneurship and who are involved in building entrepreneurial programs. Keels serves on the advisory board of Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center and is applying her area of expertise in the community by leading other board members through in-depth strategic planning processes.
The Vereen Teaching Impact Award was named for the late Col. Lindsey H. Vereen, who was a member of the Coastal business faculty from 1966 to 1977. Vereen was a decorated World War II veteran who earned a master's degree in industrial management from the University of Pittsburgh. One of the main criteria for this award is that the professor must sustain a high standard of teaching.
Weinbach joined the Wall College faculty in 2006. A professor of economics, she earned a Ph.D. in applied economics from Clemson University. One of his articles on sports betting was cited during an interview on NPR's "Morning Edition" titled "For Sports Bettors, the Thrill Isn't All in the Money." He also had three peer-reviewed journal articles published in 2015, and Google Scholar lists him as having 619 career citations, 113 coming in 2015, which is the third highest number of citations for all researchers at CCU. Weinbach is often contacted by researchers and business professionals from around the on matters relating to sports-betting markets. He also wrote an article that examined the impact of atmospheric conditions on pitching and hitting in Major League Baseball that earned him a runner-up placement at the 2014 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
The Blanton Distinguished Impact Award was named in honor of the late CCU founder James P. Blanton, a local businessman, conservationist, legislator and champion of education. Some of the criteria for this award is that the professor must have high-impact, peer-reviewed journal activity and must contribute to the enhancement of the Wall College reputation through regional, national and international recognition.
To view a complete list of professorship recipients, visit coastal.edu/academics/colleges/business/dean/professorships.