Howard Godfrey wins Bank of America Teaching Award

Dr. Howard Godfrey, professor of accounting, is the 2011 recipient of the highest teaching honor bestowed by UNC Charlotte, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence.

“Howard is a very effective teacher,” accounting department co-chairs Casper Wiggins and Jack Cathey wrote in a joint letter of recommendation to the selection committee last spring. “He is totally dedicated to teaching and to doing whatever it takes to help his students learn. His classes are very rigorous and he has a passion for bringing unique real world tax cases into the classroom.”

Dr. Godfrey was selected from an esteemed list of finalists for the award. The other nominees were: Yogendra Kakad, electrical and computer engineering; John Piel, education; Gregory Starrett, anthropology; and David Thaddeus, architecture.

The announcement was made at a reception Friday, Sept. 16, at Bank of America’s Founder’s Hall. Dr. Godfrey and the other finalists were honored during an evening ceremony and gala attended by UNC Charlotte faculty members and their guests.

For his part, Dr. Godfrey said he considers it a “great privilege to be part of the process of educating, training, advising and mentoring students who will assume leadership roles in the business world. My focus is on helping students succeed, whether I am engaged in course preparation, class lectures, testing, research, or advising and mentoring. When students succeed, we all succeed.”

Dr. Godfrey has been a member of the accounting faculty for 36 years, and his area of specialty is individual and corporate taxation. He has taught and mentored thousands of students, who have succeeded in his courses and in their professions.

One graduate commented, “In Dr. Godfrey’s class, I not only learned the principles of taxation, but more importantly, the methodology for solving real-world problems that I would experience in the accounting profession.”

A consummate mentor to students, Dr, Godfrey uses his broad network of alumni and professionals to find internships and permanent positions. Twenty years ago, he inaugurated and has continued to coordinate the Department of Accounting annual student recruiter picnic, an event that brings together students and professional recruiters in an informal setting.

“During the recent period of recession, Howard has personally dedicated himself to assisting students to find jobs in a tough employment market,” wrote Drs. Wiggins and Cathey.

In 1994, he committed to prepare an undergraduate team for a national tax challenge. Competing against 64 teams, UNC Charlotte was recognized as the second best in the nation. His teams have continued to be successful, qualifying 12 times in the top 10 nationally.

In 2004, the first time a graduate team entered, it placed in the top six in the nation. To prepare the team, he offers seven-hour classes on each Friday or Saturday for two or three months. Through Dr. Godfrey’s dedication, this tax challenge team experience has provided a special learning opportunity and has significantly advanced team members’ professional careers. Their success has brought visibility and recognition to UNC Charlotte, the Belk College of Business and the Department of Accounting.