Dr. Pamela Church, associate professor of accounting at Rhodes College, was presented the 2019 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service at the college’s Opening Convocation Aug. 16.
The Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service honors a current faculty member who has established an outstanding record of service to the college. It is named in memory of Dr. Jameson M. Jones ’36, who served as the college’s chief academic officer for more than 15 years. Dr. Milton Moreland, provost and vice president for academic affairs, presented the award at the Opening Convocation.
Church joined the Rhodes College faculty in 1988 and has served as the chair of the Department of Business, as well as taught undergraduate and graduate accounting courses in the areas of financial, managerial, governmental accounting, and auditing.
As the director of the Master of Science in Accounting program, she has assisted students in preparing for careers in various areas of accounting and spent considerable time networking with accounting professionals and firms to promote the college’s thriving programs and its students. This includes her organization of the college’s annual “Meet the Firms” career and recruiting event with invited CPA firms and corporations. Church also works closely with Career Services to promote information about internships and permanent positions with firms and national corporations. Under Church’s leadership, the student professional placement rate in careers since the accounting program’s inception is a sterling 100 percent.
The many letters of nominations noted that Church is a skilled and gracious administrator and teacher who is known for her sense of patience and collegiality and willing to forego her own interests for the good of the whole community. One colleague wrote, “She cares about students no matter whether they are excellent performers or students who need a little more help. I know that she is always supportive and encouraging to students. She never gives up on anyone.”
In addition, Church has served on many of the college’s major committees, and she is the sole academic representative on the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy, which oversees the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) profession in Tennessee. Having been nominated by the governor for this position, she has a unique opportunity to have an impact on the accounting profession more broadly.
A native Memphian, Church is the parent of three Rhodes alumni.