John Strong receives 2025 Graves Award for sustained excellence in teaching
John Strong, CSX Professor of Business Administration at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business, has been awarded the University’s 2025 Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr. Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching. The award is presented annually to a faculty member with more than ten years of service who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to teaching and the university.
“John’s impact on business education at William & Mary is significant and long-standing,” said Dean Todd Mooradian. “John is the consummate William & Mary faculty member. He is extraordinary in the classroom and as a mentor of students—unmatched. His research and consulting impact significant issues in public policy and business practice. In the Mason School we talk about a special model of faculty excellence—teacher, scholar, practitioner—and John is the personification of that model. He has, for forty years, raised the bar in every facet of faculty excellence.”
Strong has consistently received recognition for his teaching, including over 20 Outstanding Teaching Awards for the MBA and Executive MBA programs. He was the second recipient of the McGlothlin Teaching Award and received the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award during William & Mary’s Tercentenary in 1993. He has also been honored by the Society of Alumni and nominated twice for the SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award. Strong is only the second William & Mary faculty member to receive both the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award and the Graves Award.
“It’s an honor to receive the Graves Award,” said Strong. “I’ve been fortunate to work alongside outstanding colleagues and students throughout my career, and this recognition is really a reflection of that shared commitment to excellence in higher education.”
In addition to his teaching, Strong has played a key role in program development and curriculum design. He served as director of the Executive MBA program from 1993 to 1996 and again from 2018 to the present. He led the launch of the program’s first international residencies in China and Southeast Asia and later oversaw a comprehensive revision of the program’s format, structure, and delivery model. He also developed a Washington, D.C. residency focused on the relationship between business, government, and public policy.
From 2005 to 2018, Strong served as area head for finance and economics, the longest tenure in that role. He has also contributed to the development and governance of the Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance.
“Effective teaching is about creating structure and relevance,” Strong said. "I want students to leave the classroom with tools they can use in practice and a framework for how to think through complex decisions.”
Outside of the university, Strong has participated in executive education, consulting, and policy work in 48 countries across six continents. His experience spans the transportation and retail sectors, and he has worked with a range of private companies, government agencies, and international organizations. He has served on multiple National Academy of Sciences study commissions, including a current appointment on air traffic control reform.
Strong is also an active researcher. He has authored or co-authored six books on transportation, published more than 30 journal articles, contributed 15 book chapters, and developed approximately 75 case studies used in academic and executive education settings.
“I’ve had the opportunity to teach and work with students and business leaders at every stage of their professional journey,” he said. “That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my career, watching these individuals grow, challenge assumptions, and develop their own approach to leadership.”
Named in honor of the university's 23rd president, the Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr. Award is endowed by alumni and friends and represents one of the institution’s highest recognitions for teaching. Recipients are selected by the university president from nominations submitted by academic deans. The Mason School extends a well-deserved congratulations to Strong on his recognition with the award, as it highlights his sustained contributions to teaching, academic leadership, and program innovation at William & Mary.