The Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission recently awarded MU’s Donna Pelham – chair of Business Administration, Management, and Marketing and professor of Accounting and Business Administration – with its 2024 Educator Award. The prestigious award was one of only eight handed out to the community during the organization’s annual awards ceremony.
One of Methodist University’s most established faculty members received recognition for her above-and-beyond efforts in the classroom.
The Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission recently awarded MU’s Donna Pelham – chair of Business Administration, Management, and Marketing and professor of Accounting and Business Administration – with its 2024 Educator Award. The prestigious award was one of only eight handed out to the community during the organization’s annual awards ceremony.
Pelham, who has taught business law, employment law, and accounting classes at Methodist University for 16 years, is grateful for the honor.
“I’m humbled by the support and recognition of the Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission, Methodist University, and the local community,” said Pelham. “I endeavor to educate students who are mindful of the challenges regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion that we continue to face in our society. My hope is that because of that awareness, Methodist University graduates will be better prepared to address human and civil rights issues within their workplaces and communities.”
For more than a decade, each semester, Pelham welcomes guest speakers from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Fayetteville Police Department to address discrimination and harassment in the workplace along with community and police relationships, respectively.
Pelham also creates a classroom atmosphere that cultivates respect and tolerance by allowing students to have raw and open dialogue during class. Many students leave Pelham’s classes knowing more about each other’s perspectives and experiences, which is vital considering Methodist University was ranked as the No. 1 most diverse university in North Carolina (2021-22 and 2022-23).
She regularly encourages students to participate in various programs hosted by MU’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, such as the monthly “Lunch and Learn” presentations and events such as last year’s production of “Blood Done Sign My Name” and “Community Conversations with Jane Elliot”.
Pelham is a part of Methodist University’s renowned Reeves School of Business & Economics, which houses seven undergraduate academic programs: Accounting, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Financial Economics, Management, Marketing, and Sport Management. Students can also concentrate in Health Care Administration, PGA Golf Management, Professional Tennnis Management, and Sport Management. The school also features four fully-online programs: Accounting, Business Administration, Marketing, and the Master of Business Administration.