Wharton professor is awarded an ‘Oscar’ of the business world
Thomas Donaldson, an outstanding Penn educator and expert on business ethics, values and leadership is one of four recipients of an award that’s been called the “Oscars of the business world.”
Donaldson, a professor of legal studies and business ethics at Penn’s Wharton School, has been named a 2009 Faculty Pioneer for Lifetime Achievement by the Center for Business Education at the Aspen Institute. These awards celebrate business school instructors who have demonstrated leadership and have integrated ethical, environmental and social issues into the MBA curriculum.
Donaldson, who has taught at Wharton since 1996, was instrumental in creating the school’s Ph.D. program in Ethics and Legal Studies—the first of its kind in the world. He is the author of four books, translated into numerous languages, including “Ties that Bind: A Social Contract Approach to Business Ethics,” which was the winner of the 2005 Academy of Management Best Book Award in the Social Issues and Management division. Donaldson is also a founding member and past president of the Society for Business Ethics.
In 2002, as an elected member of the National Adjudicatory Council of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, he testified before the U.S. Senate regarding the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate reform legislation. In 2006, he delivered an address to Kofi Anan, the Secretary General of the United Nations, regarding the United Nations’ reform initiatives.
Donaldson has been awarded numerous Wharton teaching honors, including Outstanding Teacher of the Year in both 2005 and 1998, and the Excellence in Teaching Award for 2007, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, and 1998.
This year’s winners of the Aspen Institute awards were selected from more than 125 nominations submitted by academics and business executives.
Originally published on Oct. 5, 2009
