Fairfield University's Charles F. Dolan School of Business presented awards to an accounting department faculty member admired for being "a man of faith" and a business law associate professor for her illuminating analysis of overdue American food safety policy.

Praised for a commitment to his students, his breadth of knowledge of accounting, and an office door that is always open, Michael P. Coyne, Ph.D., of Fairfield, Conn., received the 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award. It was determined by nominations made by students who consider a professor's effectiveness in the classroom, interaction with students, and embodiment of Jesuit ideals. A Fairfield graduate, Dr. Coyne is an associate professor of accounting.

Donald E. Gibson, Ph.D., dean of the Dolan School, said, "Reading the student nomination essays for our faculty is truly a pleasure. Students provide highly detailed remarks, showing the impact our faculty have had on their academic and personal lives."

"He is approachable, likable, knowledgeable, and qualified," one student wrote of Dr. Coyne. "He also is a man of faith, constantly infusing good morals within the classroom. Most of all, he LIVES his faith - by fulfilling God's vocation for his life, he silently speaks volumes to his students about what the true definition of success is. Michael Coyne makes it clear that we ought to live for something larger than ourselves, and every day I feel invigorated to go out and do great things because of his example."

Before becoming an educator, Dr. Coyne, a certified public accountant, worked for 12 years in accounting and finance positions at Ernst & Young, Merrill Lynch, and American Express. He often recalls those professional experiences in the classroom. Prior to joining the Fairfield faculty in 2008, he was a tenured associate professor at Bucknell University.

He received his doctorate from the University of Connecticut, an MBA in finance and international business from New York University, and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Fairfield University.

Debra M. Strauss, J.D., of Fairfield, Conn., associate professor of business law, received the award for Outstanding Research Paper for her article: "An Analysis of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act: Protection for Consumers and Boon for Business." It was published in the Food and Drug Law Journal.

The award recognizes works of academic research that have a major impact on their business discipline. The faculty committee selected Dr. Strauss' article, which sets forth the case for a new proactive policy on global food security, because it appeared in the top-ranked journal for food and drug law and has been cited to formulate business and policy in the global food industry. In the article, Dr. Strauss noted the time is ripe for a reassessment of other areas of food laws - particularly genetically modified foods and the use of milk and meat from cloned animals and their progeny - which are allowed under current U.S. law with no labeling, preapprovals, or post-market monitoring.

In the areas of international law and food safety, Dr. Strauss has been noted for presenting models for civil lawsuits against terrorist groups and the labeling and monitoring of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food. Her work has been extensively cited by legal authorities and the courts as well as by other academics.

Dr. Strauss began her legal career serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Charles L. Brieant, former Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, and was a Food and Drug Law Institute Scholar. In addition, she practiced law at Rogers & Wells in New York (now Clifford Chance LLP), specializing in commercial litigation. At Yale Law School, she served as Director of Judicial Clerkships and went on to lead the National Judicial Clerkship Study on behalf of the American Bar Association and the National Association for Law Placement. She is the president of the North East Academy of Legal Studies in Business. She is also a member of the Biotechnology in Agriculture Group of the Yale University Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. Dr. Strauss is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University and Yale Law School.

Images: (top; L-R) Donald E. Gibson, Ph.D., dean of Fairfield University's Charles F. Dolan School of Business; Michael P. Coyne, Ph.D., associate professor of accounting; (bottom) Dr. Donald Gibson, dean; Debra M. Strauss, J.D., associate professor of business law.

Posted On: 06-13-2014 03:06 PM

Volume: 46 Number: 323