Dr. Alex Zampieron, emeritus professor of International Economics, is the first recipient of the 2016-2017 Dr. Gregory H. Adamian Award for Lifetime Excellence in Teaching.
The award acknowledges pedagogical leadership demonstrated by Bentley’s most distinguished faculty. It was established this year by Debbie Adamian and family, and the Trustees of Bentley University, in honor of Dr. Adamian who served as Bentley’s President from 1970-1991 and then as its Chancellor and President Emeritus until his death in November 2015.
The $10,000 award is designed to recognize a long-serving Bentley faculty member whose exceptional pedagogical contributions, including outstanding classroom teaching and the development of teaching-related materials, have clearly enhanced the reputation of the university and the development of its students.
Celebrating a Lifetime of Outstanding Teaching
Dr. Zampieron has been an active member of the Bentley faculty and community for more than 50 years and his official award citation notes “during this period his influence on teaching at Bentley and the Bentley curriculum and his students has been exceptional.”
As an innovative educator, Dr. Zampieron helped develop several new course offerings and served as the founding director of Bentley’s master of science in Finance program in 1977. His work helped set the stage for Bentley’s respected graduate programs, specifically those focused on international issues.
Throughout his career at Bentley, Dr. Zampieron taught topics including international finance, international trade, commercial policies, balance of payment, macroeconomics, the history of economic thought, economic geography, foreign economic policy, and much more.
During the award ceremony, Dan Everett, co-provost and dean of arts and sciences, noted that Dr. Zampieron “is a passionate teacher, even in retirement, and continues to inspire his students both in and out of the classroom. His case studies on topics such as foreign exchange, the Bretton Woods Agreement, and the European Union have enriched students’ learning by illustrating the practical side of economic and financial decision making.”
Current students and alumni cite Dr. Zampieron’s accessibility and willingness to act as a mentor. As one of his former students put it, “I have kept in contact with Alex over the last 37 years and I know my life would not have gone as well as it has without that invaluable connection made a very long time ago.”