University of Richmond's Joe Ben Hoyle makes the grade; he is inaugural winner of national award recognizing superior teaching

Joe Ben Hoyle, associate professor of accounting in the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, is the inaugural winner of a national award recognizing superior teaching.

The J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook Prize recognizes an individual who consistently demonstrates the attributes of a superior teacher in the discipline of accounting. Hoyle is the winner in the undergraduate category.

He was recognized at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association in Chicago. The Cook Prize serves to recognize, inspire and motivate members to achieve the status of a superior teacher and includes a $25,000 award.

“Joe Ben Hoyle’s sphere of influence is huge, as he not only teaches Richmond students, but he also teaches teachers through his blog and presentations at schools and conferences,” said Nancy Bagranoff, dean of the Robins School of Business. “Joe understands that teaching is all about learning, and his focus on each individual student, as he helps them to think critically and prepare for success, makes him the perfect recipient of this award.”

“I am thrilled to have been selected,” said Hoyle. “There are hundreds of outstanding accounting teachers around the world. Many of them deserve this recognition every bit as much as me.”

“Richmond is a wonderful university that cares for the education of its students” he added. “The students here are great which – even after 44 years – really makes the work a lot of fun.”   

Hoyle, who has taught college for more than 40 years, has earned numerous accolades for his teaching, including being named one of 22 favorite professors in the United States by Businessweek. He is coauthor of Advanced Accounting, a textbook that has been a market-leader in college education for more than three decades. He was selected by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education as the 2007 Virginia Professor of the Year.

He has written a free online book, “Tips and Thoughts on Improving the Teaching Process in College – a Personal Diary.” Hoyle also has written more than 200 entries for his teaching blog, which has had more than 150,000 page views. The video of his last lecture at University of Richmond has been viewed more than 17,000 times.