Sara M. Easler, assistant dean for International Programs and Partnerships at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, recently led the college’s first cohort of international business majors in their inaugural global capstone course. A key component of the class was a major international business education project organized through X-Culture, an international experiential business learning and research initiative.

The 2025 X-Culture project grouped 5,835 students from 161 universities across 41 countries into 1,002 virtual teams to solve real-world international business challenges. Easler, one of 161 instructors worldwide guiding the teams, received a major accolade for her efforts: She was ranked among the top five overall instructors and earned the 2025 X-Culture Best Professor Award.

Complex International Teamwork Yields Business Solutions

According to Vasyl Taras, project founder, X-Culture coordinator and vice president of the Academy of International Business, the X-Culture project challenges both students and instructors to successfully coordinate complex team actions while connecting classroom learning to international business.

“The X-Culture project is demanding for both students and instructors,” he wrote. “Participants must navigate time zone differences, cultural diversity, large communication volumes, tight deadlines, and complex team coordination.”

Students worked in their virtual teams to develop comprehensive business proposals, create detailed implementation plans and participate in live webinars with company leaders from one of several partner companies. While the project was demanding, students gained invaluable experience, learned new skills and added a standout entry to their résumés.

Recognition for Instructor and Students Alike

Easler’s recognition with the 2025 X-Culture Best Professor Award was based on her students’ exceptional performance during the international business project. Peer evaluations and project performance data showed they were well-prepared, actively engaged with their teammates and made meaningful contributions.

In the letter announcing Easler’s award, Taras noted that X-Culture evaluates both students and instructors’ performances using more than 100 performance indicators. Citing those evaluations, he praised Easler’s steadfast commitment to guiding students.

“Professor Easler consistently demonstrated excellence as an educator and collaborator,” Taras’s letter states. “[She] went above and beyond, putting students’ success first and dedicating the time and attention needed to ensure a meaningful learning experience … As the X-Culture project coordinator, I confidently recommend Professor Easler as an innovative educator, a committed and compassionate instructor and a highly dependable partner and colleague.”

Easler said she was particularly proud to see her students rise to the challenge and shine on a global stage.

“This project really stretches our students in applying their international business and intercultural learning to the success of the project,” Easler said. “They performed across many dimensions, but I really enjoyed how we were able to use the project as a wonderful learning tool that facilitated many classroom discussions about management across teams. I’m proud of their work, and I’m honored to be recognized as part of the project outcomes.”

Stephen L. Mangum, dean of the college and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair, praised Easler’s recognition by X-Culture and her students’ performance in the project.

“Sara Easler has a passion for preparing her students academically and professionally, while enabling them to broaden their understanding of global business,” Mangum said “Her award from X-Culture is a testament to that passion. We applaud Sara and her students for representing the college and the university so admirably in the X-Culture project.”

About X-Culture

Founded in 2010, X-Culture is an international experiential business learning and research institute. It aims to combine classroom learning with cultural cross-connectivity to address real-world business challenges and produce extensively researched data for businesses. X-Culture is now affiliated with numerous universities and colleges around the globe and has seen more than 120,000 students from 500 universities in 100 countries take part in its initiatives. It has been honored multiple times by the Academy of Management and the Academy of International Business for its contributions to experiential learning and cross-institutional collaboration placed first in the Wharton School of Business’s QS Re-Imagine Education competition in the Nurturing Employability category.

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CONTACT: Scott McNutt, senior business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu