Posted on May 30, 2019 by Wendy Frost
A record 11 faculty members with a combined 392 years of service at UTSA are retiring from the College of Business.
“This is a momentous occasion in the College of Business,” said Gerry Sanders, dean and Bodenstedt Chair in the College of Business. “This may go down as one of the most illustrious retiree groups in the college. These retirees were among the founding UTSA faculty members, and they were instrumental in shaping UTSA and the College of Business into the institution that we are today.”
Keith Fairchild, associate professor of finance, began teaching at UTSA in 1982. He served as department chair from 2001-2007 and as director of the MBA program. His research interest is corporate valuation.
Martha Fasci, associate professor of accounting, has taught at UTSA since 1977. A leader in the Department of Accounting, she also held administrative roles as associate dean of the College of Business Downtown Office and assistant vice president for community services.
Daijin Ko, professor of statistics, taught at UTSA from 2003-2019. He was instrumental in developing the college’s M.S. in Data Analytics program. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of bioinformatics, advanced statistical learning and data mining.
Saeid Mahdavi, associate professor of economics, joined the College of Business in 1984. His research interests include issues related to developing countries and government finances. He was a recipient of the college’s Distinguished Research Award three times over his career.
John Merrifield, professor of economics, began his career at UTSA in 1987. His primary research and teaching interests have been in public policy, natural resource and environmental economics and school choice. A prolific publisher, he is the author of five books, over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the editor of the School System Reform Journal.
Lalatendu Misra, professor of finance, joined UTSA in 1983. He served as chair of the Department of Finance and led numerous student international immersions to India. He was named Educator of the Year by the Southwestern Finance Association in 2011. His research interests are corporate finance and financial markets.
Dale Truett, professor of economics, was a founding faculty member at UTSA joining in 1973 when classes were still being held at the Koger Center. He was the first director of the college’s Division of Economics and Finance. Known for internationally traveling to collect research data, his research includes industry studies and applied international trade issues. He was awarded an Ashbel Smith Professorship in 1997, UTSA’s highest honor for professional scholarship.
Lila Truett, professor of economics, began teaching in 1975. She was the first female to serve as division director leading the Division of Economics and Finance, and later the Department of Economics. Her research includes industry studies, applied international trade issues and topics in the theory of the firm.
Raydel Tullous, associate professor of management science and statistics, joined the UTSA faculty in 1982. She served as chair of the Department of Management Science and Statistics and was instrumental in new program development for her department. Her research interests are in small business and entrepreneurship, business analytics and business to business marketing.
Ken Weiher, associate professor of economics, began teaching at UTSA in 1975. He was chair of the Department of Economics from 2002-2014. His primary area of research is U.S. economic history. A student favorite, he has received numerous teaching awards including the college’s Lou Curry Teaching Excellence Award, UTSA’s President’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence and the UT Chancellor’s Council Outstanding Teaching Award.
Steve Werling, lecturer III in management, first joined UTSA in 1986. He served as advisor to the Society for Human Resource Management Student Chapter, which placed at nationals in 2000 and 2001. Giving back to the university, he has established an endowed scholarship for UTSA human resource majors.
— Wendy Frost
