Perry Binder Receives George M. Sparks Award Recognizing University’s Unsung Heroes

ATLANTA– Perry Binder, clinical associate professor of legal studies at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business, received the George M. Sparks Award today (April 27) during the university’s 2021 service recognition ceremony.

The Sparks Award recognizes Georgia State’s unsung heroes: faculty, staff, and students who exemplify a willingness to go the extra mile with good humor and perseverance like the award’s namesake, George McIntosh Sparks, who was president of the university from 1928 to 1957.

In her letter of nomination, Robinson colleague Marta White described “his ability to connect with people through humor and imagination, particular with his students. It is commonplace to find Perry climbing on top of a classroom computer desk or placing a brand-new athletic shoe on a document camera to demonstrate a trademark brand.”

Mhakai King (B.B.A. ’20) took multiple business law classes with Binder during his four years as an undergraduate. “Professor Binder has had a big impact on me. In the beginning of my bachelor’s, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. But by the end, through his guidance, I realized I wanted to go law school. And thanks to him I’m going to Emory Law School in the fall.”

Called the “Michael Jordan of teaching” by former student Harlem Duru, Binder has received multiple awards for teaching excellence from students and faculty alike. He frequently speaks with middle school, high school, and college students on how to succeed in college and life, drawing from lessons in his 2012 book, 99 Motivators for College Success.

Binder co-founded the Corporate Intellectual Property Institute, a two-day annual conference for IP practitioners, and is a founding board member of the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance. In 2018, he secured a gubernatorial proclamation declaring October as Intellectual Property Month in the State of Georgia.

Binder began his career in private practice, joining Robinson in 2000. He holds a J.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo Law School and is an active member of the Florida Bar and the Academy of Legal Studies in Business.