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E A S T
C A R O L I N A
U N I V E R S I T Y
Commerce Club Publication for the College of Business
Winter 2011
Grant Supports New Insurance Concentration East Carolina University’s newly launched concentration in Risk Management and Insurance has received a grant from the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC) to help fund program operations as well as new scholarships. IIANC board members and staff members presented more than $40,000 to the College of Business in October at the office of Hooker & Buchanan in Greenville. The IIANC has also pledged to fund student travel to conferences and related field trips.
Dr. Frederick Niswander, dean of the College of Business, said, “We are deeply grateful to the IIANC for its investment in our students and programs. Its support will help us provide superior instruction in risk and insurance and will also provide numerous opportunities for our students.” Established in fall 2009, the Risk Management and Insurance concentration provides stateof-the-art instruction in the growing field of insurance. The program prepares students for employment in three major areas: insurance agency work, insurance company careers, and risk management. It is directed by Dr. Brenda Wells in the College of Business, who has more than 20 years of experience in the field.
(Left to right) Hooker and Buchanan leadership Jeff Gibson, Lester Brown, and Brian Smith present a check to Dr. Brenda Wells.
“The IIANC has generously funded our program here at ECU, and for that we are very grateful,” Wells said. “But their support for the program hasn’t stopped with an initial gift ‒ they continue to provide the resources we need to attract the best student talent. We’re poised to become a nationally recognized program in the near future as a result.” Wells said in less than one year, ECU’s insurance concentration has grown to more than 30 students, thanks to support and encouragement from the IIANC. The IIANC is a professional trade association representing nearly 1,000 independent insurance agencies and branches across the state. The organization’s mission is to advocate for independent insurance agents and to satisfy the business and professional needs of its members. The IIANC has a long history of supporting higher education and recently completed a program of endowed scholarships at colleges and universities across the state. The IIANC also established a faculty chair for Risk Management and Insurance at ECU in 2007.
Niswander Named Interim Vice Chancellor Chancellor Steve Ballard has appointed Dr. Frederick Niswander, dean of the College of Business, as interim vice chancellor for administration and finance, effective Dec. 1. Kevin Seitz, who served as vice chancellor for nearly six years, left ECU at the end of November to accept a position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Niswander, a former chair of the faculty, has been dean since 2004. Provost Marilyn Sheerer has appointed Dr. Stan Eakins to serve as acting dean of the College of Business while Niswander is in the vice chancellor role. Eakins has served as associate dean of the college for more than five years and is a former chair of the Department of Finance. The interim role is expected to last between six to eight months. continued on page 2
www.business.ecu.edu
Rick Niswander