2025 McGlothlin Teaching Award Given to Exceptional Business and Law Professors
The 2025 McGlothlin Award for Exceptional Teaching has been granted to Professor Alex Woods, KPMG Peat Marwick Professor of Accounting, from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, and Professor Thomas J. McSweeney from William & Mary Law School.
Since its establishment in 2016, the annual McGlothlin Award has been bestowed upon exceptional educators at William & Mary. This distinguished accolade recognizes the unwavering dedication to teaching exhibited by two outstanding professors—one from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business and the other from the William & Mary Law School. Not only does this recognition celebrate their sustained commitments to education, but it also includes a prize for each recipient, generously provided by James W. McGlothlin '62, J.D. '64, LL.D. '00, and Frances Gibson McGlothlin '66, L.H.D. '18.
Thomas J. McSweeney
Professor Thomas J. McSweeney joined the William & Mary law faculty in 2013. Combining an encyclopedic knowledge of both medieval history and the law, he has been characterized as "a medieval legal historian whose work is accessible to lawyers who aren't historians and historians who don't work on law."
Just as important, the combination of his specialties—among them the early history of the Common Law, the Common Law's relationship to Civil Law, Property Law, and Trusts and Estates—earn him the highest of accolades from William & Mary law students seeking a cutting-edge legal education.
"Professor McSweeney's knowledge spans the centuries, from ancient concepts of law to the latest in his fields of expertise, and he knows how to tie it all together clearly for his students and fellow scholars," said Dean and Trustee Professor of Law A. Benjamin Spencer. "As an undergraduate alumnus of William & Mary, he is the embodiment of a Citizen Lawyer, and his infectious love of learning, scholarship and teaching make him an indispensable member of the community."
McSweeney earned his B.A. in 2002 from William & Mary, where he was a James Monroe Scholar. He continued his studies at Cornell University, where he earned a J.D. and a Ph.D. in medieval history. He then worked for two years as a visiting assistant professor at Cornell Law School, teaching property and legal history. At William & Mary, he served as Robert and Elizabeth Scott Research Professor of Law from 2020 to 2021.
The McGlothlin Teaching Award, which McSweeney received during the Law School's Commencement ceremony on May 17, is his latest accolade as a teacher. He has also received the 2018 Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence, the 2019 Walter L. Williams, Jr., Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the 1L Professor of the Year Award.
In 2022, he received an Alumni Fellowship Award from the William & Mary Alumni Association, given annually to five outstanding young professors who reflect the best of teaching, mentoring and research at William & Mary.
"Professor McSweeney has a special gift for bringing complicated material to life in a way that is
relatable, engaging, and even funny; he is also incredibly generous with his time and cares deeply about the success and well-being of his students," said Christine D'Alessandro J.D. '20.
Students regularly praise McSweeney for his approach to modern classes such as property law, a requirement for all first-year students.
"By the end of Fall semester my 1L year, my section and I had already heard from numerous 2Ls and 3Ls that his class was the one you wanted," said Victoria L. Woods J.D. '18. "He is passionate about the intricacies of property law and has the depth of knowledge to make really interesting and memorable connections between how the law functions in modern society and where those principles came from."
Combining today's high-tech learning with hands-on historical approaches, McSweeney has also been known to hold medieval writ writing workshops in conjunction with the students in the William & Mary Legal History Society. Students are provided with quill pens, bottles of ink, wax seals, and examples of ancient writs to get a sense of the process at first hand.
"I think the love he instilled in me (and many other students) of legal history and its role in the American legal system represents perhaps Professor McSweeney's greatest value to both the William & Mary Law faculty and to the university as a whole," said Graham Bryant '13, J.D. '16. "Legal historians are an underappreciated rarity in the legal academy, but their expertise is essential to training well-rounded practitioners. Many practicing attorneys lack the ability to navigate historical sources."
In 2020, Professor McSweeney developed a new course for the law school that brings history to bear on modern problems. The Legal Profession: A Historical Approach satisfies the American Bar Association's professional responsibility requirement and therefore covers the law regulating the modern legal profession, but also looks at broader questions of what it means to be a legal professional through the history of lawyers. In addition to learning the law governing lawyers, students examine different historical models of what it means to be a lawyer, including William & Mary's own Citizen Lawyer ideal, which has its origins in eighteenth-century republican thought. The course has been very popular, and one student commented, "this class should be required for all W&M Law students."
McSweeney's research regularly entails visits to the United Kingdom, and he has been awarded grants to work at the Huntington Library, the British Library, and the British National Archives. In 2015 he was selected as a fellow of the American Society for Legal History's Hurst Summer Institute in Legal History at the University of Wisconsin and has since chaired the fellows selection committee twice. He is also a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a member of the board of directors of the Ames Foundation, which funds research in legal history. In 2019 he was a visiting fellow at Clare Hall, at the University of Cambridge. In 2021, he began a five-year term as an editor for the American Society for Legal History's book series, Studies in Legal History, at Cambridge University Press. In December 2024, he was announced as a newly elected member of the American Law Institute.
The bold agenda of McSweeney's first book, Priests of the Law: Roman Law and the Making of the Common Law's First Professionals (Oxford University Press, 2019) offered a new understanding of the early history of the Common Law, the history of Roman and canon law, and the history of the legal profession. The book was awarded an honorable mention for the Selden Society's David Yale Prize for an "outstanding contribution to the history of the law of England and Wales," and examines the ways in which thirteenth-century justices modeled their practices on those of the jurists of Roman law to make the case that the English common law was part of a pan-European legal culture.
A devoted alumnus of William & Mary, McSweeney has also written on the history of the university. His article, A University in 1693, co-authored with Katharine Ello J.D. '21 and Elsbeth O'Brien J.D. '21, argues that William & Mary was awarded the status of a university in its 1693 charter, and thus has a claim to the title of oldest university in the United States.
"More than any other professor, Prof. McSweeney IS William & Mary, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to have been taught by him during my time here," a student wrote in an evaluation of his 2024 Legal Profession course.
"He cares about us not just as future lawyers but as people," the student added. "He reminds us all that we have a purpose, and encourages us to do our best."
Alex Woods
Since joining the Mason School faculty in 2008, Professor Woods has distinguished himself as a teacher, mentor, and leader. He brings to his classroom not only academic expertise but also rich, real-world experience. Prior to earning his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business, Woods served in the U.S. Air Force, where he specialized in evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of managerial accounting decisions—an experience that grounds his academic insights in tangible impact.
Woods' teaching interests include managerial accounting, performance measurement, management control systems, and incentives. Across numerous distinct course preps, he has built a reputation for making the complex understandable, the theoretical practical, and the classroom a space of inquiry and collaboration.
"Alex Woods is an inspiring teacher who excites and prepares his students through original, rigorous classes," wrote K. Scott Swan, David L. Peebles Professor of Business and Chair of the Faculty Assembly, in his nomination letter. "He informs his lectures with an understanding of research, insights into application, and a love for the students. His accomplishments in the classroom are even more impressive considering his leadership in service and an ongoing research program."
His teaching philosophy centers on values like accountability, honesty, and justice—principles he weaves into his course content and classroom culture. "My mission is to empower students to develop their own commitments to excellence, ethical leadership, and meaningful contributions to society," Woods said. "I want them to graduate not only technically proficient, but confident, humble, and ready to lead."
That effectiveness stems from skill and a philosophy of continuous improvement. Woods has led several curricular initiatives at the Mason School, including the launch of the school's online Master of Accounting program. As the accounting department chair, he helped build the program from the ground up, helping to facilitate rigor and relevance in the courses offered. He personally developed two of the program's classes using an interactive, guided case study methodology that brings theory to life.
Student feedback paints a vivid and consistent portrait of Professor Woods as an educator who conveys complex material with clarity and inspires personal and professional growth. Across years of anonymous evaluations, students describe his classes as intellectually rigorous, engaging, and transformative. One remarked, "Professor Woods does a phenomenal job of explaining difficult material in a way that actually sticks. His enthusiasm is contagious." Another noted, "He pushes us to think critically, not just memorize. It's clear he cares about who we become as professionals—and as people."
Many students credit Woods with fostering a classroom environment that blends high expectations with humor, approachability, and real-world relevance. "The real-world examples, the humor, the way he leads discussion—this was one of the most engaging and intellectually rewarding classes I've taken," wrote one student. Another emphasized the broader impact of his teaching: "His course doesn't just teach accounting—it teaches us to be thoughtful contributors and leaders."
Perhaps most telling is the simple but powerful praise from one student who declared: "Best teaching style I've seen in the whole program." This blend of intellectual challenge, student-centered design, and genuine mentorship has earned Woods not only repeated teaching awards but also enduring gratitude from those he's taught.
In his own words, Woods sees teaching as a mission grounded in integrity, accountability, and student empowerment. "My goal is to help shape the future of education, inspire the next generation of leaders, and empower students to achieve their highest potential," he said.
In addition to four internal teaching awards—including the 2024 Alfred N. Page Graduate Teaching Award—Woods maintains an active research portfolio, publishing in both academic and practice-focused journals. He is respected for his leadership and mentorship within the department.
Colleagues echo the admiration students express. "Alex is the go-to guy for tough assignments," wrote K. Scott Swan, David L. Peebles Professor of Business. "He leads with humility, brings out the best in others, and models the kind of care and excellence we all strive for. His students leave our programs inspired, informed, and ready to contribute with integrity."
Complementing his teaching accomplishments, Professor Woods is a prolific and widely respected scholar in the field of management accounting. His research explores how incentives, performance measurement systems, and organizational culture interact to influence employee behavior and decision-making. Woods has published extensively in top-tier academic journals, including Management Science, Contemporary Accounting Research, and Accounting, Organizations and Society. His co-authored paper on calibration committees in performance evaluation earned the 2020 Notable Contribution to Management Accounting Research Award, while other studies have been recognized with the Best Applied Research Award (2016) and the Emerging Scholar Manuscript Award (2013). Across his work, Woods frequently investigates the ethical and psychological dimensions of performance appraisal—examining, for example, how exposure to agency theory can promote unethical behavior or how trust and various other factors may affect subjective evaluations. He also actively contributes to practitioner-oriented publications, including the Harvard Business Review and Strategic Finance, where he translates complex research findings into actionable insights for managers. Woods bridges the gap between theory and practice through these efforts, helping organizations design systems that promote fairness, honesty, and high performance.
Dean Todd Mooradian praised Woods for his enduring impact: "Professor Woods represents the very best of William & Mary and the Mason School. His thoughtful, student-centered approach, combined with his leadership in innovation and academic rigor, makes him not just a great teacher—but a transformative one."
Seventeen years into his tenure at William & Mary, Woods' passion for teaching has only deepened. For him, excellence in the classroom is not about performance—it's about purpose.
"I take great pride in building relationships with students that often last well beyond graduation," he said. "Teaching is never just about the content. It's about helping students grow into the kinds of leaders their professions and communities need."
With the McGlothlin Award, William & Mary celebrates not only Professor Woods' extraordinary achievements but the lasting influence of a teacher who views every lecture, every conversation, and every course as an opportunity to shape lives.
Whether in the classroom, advising students, or shaping the future of accounting education, Professor Alex Woods continues to set a standard of excellence that exemplifies the spirit of the McGlothlin Award.