Bill Gardner is the fifth professor in Rawls College history to receive the highest honor bestowed on faculty of Texas Tech University, the Horn Professorship.
William (Bill) Gardner, the Jerry S. Rawls Chair in Leadership and director of the Institute for Leadership Research at Texas Tech University's Jerry S. Rawls College of Business, was named a Paul Whitfield Horn Professor, the highest honor a faculty member can receive from the university, by the Texas Tech Board of Regents on February 28, 2020.
"I am pleased that Professor Gardner's contributions have been recognized with this honor. His accomplishments over the course of his career warrant this appointment," said Margaret L. Williams, dean of Rawls College.
Established in 1966, the Horn professorship is named after the first president of Texas Tech, Paul Whitfield Horn. The honor is bestowed upon a faculty member who has attained national and/or international recognition in the areas of research or other creative, scholarly achievement. The nomination process is comprised of several steps, including critical scrutiny by an evaluation committee, letters of support by prominent experts in the same field as the nominee, dossiers that demonstrate immense publication and scholarly service, and final ratification by the Board of Regents.
"I am honored to join such a distinguished group of scholars," said Gardner.
Last year, Gardner was named one of the most influential scientists in the world according to the Web of Science Group's Highly Cited Researchers List. Additionally, he was identified in an article published by The Leadership Quarterly as the fourth most influential leadership scholar for 2011-2017 based on weighted normalized citation by researchers Hao Zhao and Chaoping Li. Gardner was also recognized in an Academy of Management Learning and Education publication as one of the top 100 most influential organizational behavior authors out of more than 16,000 authors based on citations in 38 widely-used organizational behavior, human resource management, strategic management, and general management undergraduate-level textbooks.
Since joining Texas Tech in 2005, Gardner has won several awards for his exceptional research contributions, including the Texas Tech President's Academic Achievement Award in 2016, the Texas Tech Integrated Scholar Award in 2015, the Rawls College Distinguished Faculty Research Award in 2014 and the Rawls College Outstanding Research Award in 2013. Currently, he serves as the editor-in-chief for Group & Organization Management and as an associate editor for The Leadership Quarterly.
"Professor Gardner's work in the area of leadership is recognized worldwide," said Williams. "Having faculty of this quality within Rawls College raises our global profile, enhances our research capabilities and contributes to the impact we have on the practice of business."
Gardner is the fifth faculty member at Rawls College to be named a Horn Professor. Previous Rawls College Horn Professor honorees include:
William (Jay) Conover, 1981 | Rawls College Faculty Member (1978 – 2012)
Shelby Hunt, 1983 | Rawls College Faculty Member (1980 – Present)
James (Jerry) Hunt, 1984 | Rawls College Faculty Member (1981 – 2007)
Peter Westfall, 2002 | Rawls College Faculty Member (1983 – 2019)
"It is particularly rewarding to follow in the footsteps of the late Jerry Hunt, the first Horn Professor from the Area of Management," said Gardner. "Jerry was the founding Director of the Institute for Leadership Research, and he played a pivotal role in advancing the study of leadership. It is very gratifying to be recognized for building on his legacy."
Learn more about the selection process of Horn Professors at Texas Tech.