Kevin Barksdale, Ph.D., UHD College of Business associate dean for graduate studies, accepting the Bizzell Award at the annual SWBDA meeting in Colorado Springs, CO, June 13, 2016.

The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) College of Business is the 2016 recipient of the annual Bobby G. Bizzell Innovative Achievement Award, sponsored by Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The official entry, entitled, "Developing a Corporate-Driven, Industry-Focused MBA Program," was submitted in March to the Southwestern Business Dean's Association (SWBDA). The Bobby G. Bizzell Innovative Achievement Awards recognizes SWBDA business programs from institutions and is based on curriculum design, teaching, program development, outreach or administration.

Bizzell, for whom the award is named, served as dean of the UHD College of Business from 1989 to 2004. The college received its initial Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation under Dean Bizzell's leadership. "I am told that one of his dreams for the college was for it to have an MBA program," said College of Business Dean Michael Fields. "It only seems fitting that the winning UHD entry for the Bizzell Innovative Achievement Award should be the result of the fine work faculty and staff have done with our MBA program."