Corey Ciocchetti, professor of business ethics at the Daniels College of Business, is one of the most inspirational professors nationwide, according to the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS).
Ciocchetti is a finalist for the Inspire Integrity Award, a faculty awards program by the NSCS.
The society asks students to nominate professors who “instill a high degree of personal and academic integrity through their lessons and actions.” In a testimony to his impact on DU students, Professor Ciocchetti was nominated twice.
The award winner will be announced Feb. 12.
Phillip Guglielmi and Marissa Wells, both students at Daniels, nominated their professor last November. After an intense application process – including letters of recommendation and an essay – Ciocchetti was named a finalist for the award in early January. He is one of 15 finalists chosen from over 300 nominations.
“I’m a member of the National Collegiate Honor Society. When I saw on their Web site that they were looking for professors that inspire integrity, he was the first person that came to mind. He was my first professor in my first class at DU. He’s become my mentor and he has helped me through an infinite number of situations,” Wells said.
“It’s an honor just to be nominated,” Ciocchetti said. “I’ve dedicated my career to inspiring integrity so it’s neat to see that there’s an award that looks at that.”
The national recipient of the Inspire Integrity Award will receive a $3,000 personal stipend and a $2,000 contribution to the general scholarship fund at his or her university. The runner-up will receive a $1,000 personal stipend and a $1,000 contribution to the general scholarship fund. The remaining 13 finalists will receive a $350 personal stipend.
Of the remaining finalists, Ciocchetti is the only business ethics professor.
“All professors should aspire to inspire integrity. That’s what we should all do,” said Ciocchetti. “At Daniels, that’s our mission. It’s one of our top three core values. I’m fortunate enough to be able to inspire in that area.”
Beyond his work in the classroom, Ciocchetti also often lectures in inspiring integrity on a national scale.
While he teaches at DU during the fall and spring quarters, he spends winter quarter speaking about the importance of “authentic success.”
“It’s about chasing the right things in life,” said Ciocchetti. “Are you chasing true relationships, character, and contentment?”
That was the message in Ciocchetti’s book Real Rabbits: Chasing an Authentic Life, which he uses as a supplement in his business ethics classes.
Ciocchetti received his bachelor’s degree in finance and economics, as well as his master’s degree in religious studies from DU.
He then graduated from the Duke University School of Law before returning to DU to teach in the Business Ethics and Legal Studies Department.
