Davies and Carr are the 2009 recipients of the Belbas-Larson Awards for Excellence in Teaching. They will be recognized at the May 9 commencement ceremony and each will receive a $5,000 tribute, a framed certificate commemorating their accomplishment and a commemorative medal. The Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching is the highest honor USD bestows upon its educators.

Honored in the tenured category, Davies, LL.M., professor of accounting, is associate dean of the Beacom School of Business. He primarily teaches undergraduate and graduate tax courses at The U, while his research interests include tax complexity and ethics. Davies, who joined the faculty at USD in 1987, is also a Certified Public Accountant. He received his LL.M. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

"I know the quality of faculty, not just at the Beacom School of Business but the entire campus, so to be recognized by one’s peers is humbling and gratifying," said Davies, who is also chair of the accounting and finance division. "Obviously it’s a huge honor and I'm grateful for it."

Recognized in the tenure-track category, Carr, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of economics in the Beacom School of Business. His areas of teaching include international trade and economic history. Prior to teaching at The U, Carr spent five years at American University in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he has authored several interactive CD-ROM products that facilitate economics learning. Carr, who joined the USD faculty in 2004, earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas, and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado.

"It's a tremendous honor," Carr added. "There are a lot of talented members of the faculty on this campus who were nominated, so it’s an honor to be chosen."

The Belbas-Larson Awards were established by a 1956 graduate of USD, Dean Belbas of Edina, Minn., and Sioux Falls, S.D., and his friends, Harold W. and Kathryn Larson of Bemidji, Minn., and Scottsdale, Ariz.

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