Teacher of the Year

Lianne Wappett, a lecturer in the Department of Data Analytics & Information Systems, was recognized as the 2019-2020 Huntsman School of Business Teacher of the Year. In his nomination letter, Chris Corcoran, Wappett’s department head, stated the following:

“I have spent nearly 21 years at USU, including 20 in Mathematics and Statistics—a department with many outstanding instructors. During the past seven years I have served either as an associate department head or department head across two different departments, with direct responsibility for assigning and evaluating individual teaching records. It is no exaggeration to say that I have never seen a faculty member who has exceeded the kind of extraordinarily positive impact Lianne has had in a similar span.”

Wappett, who teaches business communications and digital marketing, brings twenty years of industry experience creating tech brands and digital experiences to the Huntsman School. Her expertise in brand strategy, digital marketing, design, and communications helped build brands such as Children’s Miracle Network, Wilson Sporting Goods, Walgreens, Intel, AskJeeves, and Iomega. She also received a fellowship to study contemporary art and design in Beijing and Xi’an, China. Lianne is a practicing artist and her work was exhibited at MANA Contemporary Chicago and the International Sculpture Center. Prior to coming to the Huntsman School, Lianne taught at the University of Idaho.

A hallmark of Wappett’s tenure at the Huntsman School is her broad commitment to students, well beyond her assigned courses. As Corcoran notes, “She is always willing to pitch in when it comes to their success, through recruitment or mentoring or any other connection she can make. Not only does she serve as the advisor for Women in Business and as a Huntsman Scholars mentor, but she has been enthusiastic about accompanying me on high school recruiting visits, and she takes whatever chance she can to spend time with students to talk to them about opportunities within our programs that will advance them toward their goals.”

Baylee Haws, the president of the Women in Business Association, a student club in the school, noted that, “Lianne is a professional, leader, mentor, and friend to all students she comes in contact with. Much like her love of bees, which represent a community, she creates a place for connecting students with alumni. Lianne is a powerful speaker and inspires many women in our program to build confidence in not only themselves but in others. I look up to her for her work ethic and eloquence in her convictions to push for change in our world today.”