2015 Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year, Dr. Bill Carner

Each year during Commencement, the Westminster Parents Association presents the Patricia Klein Liebling Parents Association Faculty Award. Named for one of the founding members of the Parents Association, Patricia Klein Liebling, the award was first established in 2008 and is presented in honor of Liebling’s dedication to Westminster College throughout her courageous battle with cancer.

Nominees for the Patricia Klein Liebling Parents Association Faculty Award are selected and voted on by the senior class. Seniors are asked to choose a faculty member who best leads by example and demonstrates a strong commitment to all aspects of student success by being a caring and competent instructor, advisor and mentor.

The 2015 Patricia Klein Liebling Parents Association Faculty Award winner is Dr. Bill Carner.

As Associate Professor of Business at Westminster, Dr. Carner makes the subjects of business, marketing, and entrepreneurship exciting for his students.

At least three of his students start their own business every year with his advice, guidance, and support. He himself has started five businesses in his career. The first one was selling sports booster products to high schools in the Springfield area at a very young age.

Before coming to Westminster, he was Director of the Business Foundations Program at the University of Texas in Austin that served approximately 25,000 students a year and certified 10,000 students in the first twelve years.

Many of his students speak about how interesting and fun his classes are because he works to keep the subject matter relevant and sprinkles the discussion with trivia and sporting events. Because his students know he maintains an open door policy in his office, students often drop by just to chat or ask questions.

“Engagement and relevance create interest which leads to learning which, in turn, leads to success in the classroom,” says Dr. Carner.

Feature photo above, Dr. Bill Carner; Daniel Lindaman ’15, Senior Class President; Dr. Barney Forsythe, Westminster College President; and Tom Husak, co-chair of the Westminster College Parents Association.