Darden Business Publishing is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025–2026 Wells Fargo Awards for Excellence in Course Material Development. These awards honor exceptional contributions to the teaching and research mission of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business (Darden).

The Wells Fargo Awards for Excellence alternate annually between research excellence and course development excellence. This year, the awards recognize excellence in course development, spotlighting innovative, high-impact teaching materials created by Darden faculty and case writers.

This year's Wells Fargo Award for Excellence in Course Materials (Best Course Materials) goes to Elena Loutskina, for A Case Series and Technical Notes on Private Equity:

• "Assessing Private Equity Performance” (UVA-F-1895) by Susan Chaplinsky and Elena Loutskina
• "Atlas Air: Shipping at Preferred Cost” (UVA-F-2057) by Elena Loutskina and Jigar Shah
• "Citrix Systems, Inc.: A Fight Worth Fighting?” (UVA-F-2049) by Elena Loutskina and Jigar Shah
• "Going to a Gym to Bring Healthy Returns” (UVA-F-2020) by Elena Loutskina, Matt Brown, and David Bard
• "Williams-Sonoma, Inc., LBO: Let’s Get Cooking” (UVA-F-2051) by Elena Loutskina and Abanikash Rayaji
• "Have Your ClerkMD and Sell It Too” (UVA-F-2122) by Elena Loutskina and Abanikash Rayaji
• "An Introduction to Private Equity Secondaries” (UVA-F-2123) by Elena Loutskina and Nick LoMonaco
• "[NAV]igating PE Performance” (UVA-F-2089) by Elena Loutskina and Ryan Boutwell
• "Phynix in the Ashes of SVB” (UVA-F-2086) by Elena Loutskina and Aldo Sesia
• "Rolling the Dice with Management Service Agreements” (UVA-F-2058) by Elena Loutskina, Chad Kenney Jr., and W. Lee McElroy
• "Betting on GPs: A Two-Horse Race" (UVA-F-2096) by Elena Loutskina and Nick LoMonaco

This year’s Wells Fargo Award for Excellence in Course Materials (Best Case) is shared by two outstanding submissions:

• "Steve Maiden (A): A Hedge Fund Manager’s Fall from Grace” (UVA-OB-1437) by Peter Belmi and Aldo Sesia
• "Steve Maiden (B): A Hedge Fund Manager Hits Rock Bottom" (UVA-OB-1438) by Gabrielle Adams, Peter Belmi, and Aldo Sesia
• "Upstart’s Upshot: Is Fintech Lending Fair?” (UVA-F-2060) by Ian Appel and Aldo Sesia

These award-winning materials reflect the qualities at the core of Darden Business Publishing’s work: educational impact, innovation, and excellence in execution. Together, they demonstrate the many ways Darden faculty continue to advance the practice of business education.