Dr. James Philpot, associate professor of finance at Missouri State University, was recognized as “Outstanding Educator of the Year” for 2017 by the Southwestern Finance Association (SWFA).
The SWFA, a group of finance faculty members from all over the world, honored Philpot with the award for his contributions to the fields of financial planning and higher education. Philpot has served in several official capacities with the SWFA, including president in 2011.
“I am very honored and flattered,” said Philpot. “It is heartening to know that my peers and colleagues at other universities recognize my work.”
Raising up the next generation
As he strives to build up and train his students, Philpot maintains a constant awareness of the needs of the profession.
“The current median age of a professional financial planner is about 61, so there is going to be a real need that needs to be met in the coming years,” said Philpot. “It is not enough to just replace the outgoing generation — we must also work toward filling those openings with more women and underrepresented groups.”
Investing in future professors
Both inside and outside the classroom, Philpot revels in any opportunity to empower the next generation. One of his favorite aspects of the annual SWFA conference is the doctoral student session.
“The association really encourages and supports doctoral students who are pursuing PhDs,” said Philpot. “The session is a great opportunity for them to ask questions about the job market and get advice for adjusting to their first semester in a ‘real job.’”
This year, Philpot will chair the doctoral student session at the upcoming SWFA conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.
“This session is a very rewarding and satisfying way to invest in the next generation of finance faculty,” said Philpot. “Interacting with these students is very cool because I have the pleasure of rubbing elbows with many soon-to-be assistant professors — and hopefully give them some useful guidance along the way.”
Empowering hands-on learning
In addition to his contributions to finance curriculum and teaching methods, Philpot is also fiercely passionate about service learning.
“I am very excited about our new direction for the College of Business (COB). We recently revised our mission statement to include our commitment to experiential learning,” said Philpot. “The goal is to provide every major with a significant experiential learning opportunity, which can be achieved through service learning, study away or internships.”
Philpot’s passion for service learning, combined with his love for tactile learning, forms the foundation of his educational philosophy.
“It can be as simple as being introduced to a new concept, then trying it out for yourself and seeing what you can make of it,” said Philpot. “There is a saying that goes something like, ‘Tell me how to do something and I’ll forget; show me how to do it and I might remember; but get me engaged and I’ll be able to do it myself.’ That’s something I really believe in.”
For more information, contact Philpot at 417-836-6404.