Recognizing Sustained Outstanding Service

Christopher Shook Honored with Southern Management Association’s Most Prestigious Award

The Southern Management Association (SMA) is pleased to recognize Christopher Shook, of Western Kentucky University, as the 202s winner of its highest honor, the James G. Hunt SMA Sustained Outstanding Service Award (Hunt SOSA Award).

Dr. Shook will be recognized at the Business Meeting and Presidential & Hunt SOSA Award Reception, both to be held on Thursday, October 20, at the 2022 SMA Annual Conference in Little Rock, AR.

Christopher Shook, PhD from Louisiana State University,  is Dean of and Mattie Newman Ford Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Gordon Ford College of Business at Western Kentucky University. Previously, Chris was the Sprunk and Burnham Endowed Dean of Business and Professor of Management at the University of Montana. Other previous positions include serving as Russell Professor and Department Chair of Management, Director of the Central and Eastern European Studies Program, and Director of the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship in the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University

Dr. Shook’s research interests include methodological issues in strategy and entrepreneurship research, exploration and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities, and strategic decision-making processes. Dr. Shook was twice a Fulbright Scholar to Romania and a visiting professor in France.

Chris is Southern Management Fellow and has been very involved with the Southern Management Association.  Activities included, serving on the Board of Directors, being elected to  the officer rotation ending in Past President, Doctoral Student Consortium Co-Coordinator,  Journal of Management Liaison Committee, and Journal of Management Editor Selection Committee.   In addition, Chris  served as Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Management.

The Hunt Award recognizes an individual who has consistently helped SMA reach its goals and mission over a period of years. The individual recognized must have made important, sustained, and current contributions to SMA, including, but not limited to, elected office (e.g., board member, treasurer, secretary), appointed position (e.g., track chairs, committees) and volunteer service (e.g., paper reviewers, session chairs, and discussants) as well as extraordinary contributions to SMA (e.g., local arrangements, financial contributions). The winner of this award must be a current member of SMA.

Learn more about the nomination process for the James G. Hunt SMA Sustained Outstanding Service Award and read a list of past Hunt winners on the SMA website.