Matz receives Chairs' Faculty Teaching Award

Lizbeth “Betsy” Matz, associate professor business management, received the Pitt-Bradford's 2016 Chairs' Faculty Teaching Award for excellence in teaching during Honors Convocation held today.

Colleagues also announced that they have begun raising money for a Betsy Matz Endowed Scholarship to be given each year to a deserving student in her honor. Matz will retire from teaching this spring after 27 years of teaching at Pitt-Bradford.

“She has positively impacted the lives of countless students,” said Dr. Steven Hardin, vice president and dean of academic affairs, citing not only her teaching and academic success; but also her steady mentorship of groups on campus; ability to start new events, traditions and enterprises; and geniality.

Matz was nominated for the award, which is selected by the chairmen and chairwoman of Pitt-Bradford's five academic divisions, by Dr. Shailendra Gajanan, professor of economics and chairman of the Division of Management and Education.

“Over these years, Betsy Matz has single-handedly developed her accounting program and overseen its curriculum and delivery. It was because of her hard work that accounting has developed into a strong major within the division,” he wrote.

Matz served many years herself as division chairwoman, during which time accounting; computer information systems and technology; and nine education majors were introduced.

In her first years on campus, she established the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which Gajanan said “is one example of her role in combining the academic curriculum, students and practicum in the field towards serving the community.”

In 2009, she started the Executive Speaker Series, bringing prominent business people to campus as speakers, including Stan Sheetz, David Oreck and Lilly Ledbetter.

“She is an ardent supporter of the Friends of Hanley Library, the Empty Bowls and Baskets and Women's History Month programs and has been the Faculty Athletic Representative for many years,” Gajanan continued.

In addition, she has served as the faculty chairperson of the faculty-staff internal fundraising campaign and as advisor to Lambda Xi sorority.

In 2004, the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association awarded her its Teaching Excellence Award.

In her free time, she enjoys weaving baskets, spinning, needlework and spending time with her grandchildren.

Matz is the 15th recipient of the Chairs' Faculty Teaching Award. Recent recipients have included Dr. Ron Mattis, Dr. Francis Mulcahy, Dr. Tammy Haley, Isabelle Champlin and Dr. Hashim Yousif.

For more information on the Betsy Matz Endowed Scholarship or to make a contribution, contact Jill Ballard, director of institutional advancement, at 814-362-5091 or jballard@pitt.edu. Contributions can also be made at www.givetoupb.org.