ST. GEORGE – Dr. Kyle Wells, Dixie State College professor of finance, was honored by the World Business Institute at the its third annual American Business Research Conference, held this summer at Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y.

Wells earned the “Best Paper Award” for his research paper, “Empirical Tests of the Leasing Puzzle Using Sale-and-Leasebacks

According to Wells, a total of 64 papers out of hundreds of applicants were selected and presented at the conference by 68 delegates representing 23 countries.

According to the WBI, the “Best Paper” awards are determined on the bases of originality, research rigor, contribution to the body of knowledge, and relevance to current and emerging issues. The papers are evaluated and assessed by the review panel.

Wells’ research paper has also been selected for publication in the Journal of Business and Policy Research, which will be published this fall.

Wells has served as professor of finance in the DSC Udvar-Hazy School of Business since 2006. He is a sixth-generation St. George native and is a Dixie College alumnus. He earned a bachelor degree in civil and environmental engineering from Utah in 1998, and graduated cum laude with a masters degree in MIS and finance at the University of Arizona in 2002. Wells then went on to complete his doctorate of philosophy in finance at the University of Utah in 2006.