The Looking Glass Impact Report

the looking glass

IMPACT

report 2 0 2 4 -2 0 2 5

Entrepreneurship Program

1 # 30 #

Continuously accredited since 1967 and ranked among the top 5% of business schools worldwide.

2025 Reaccreditation Highlights

AACSB recognized ECU’s College of Business for its leadership in in the key areas below.

in North Carolina in the nation

Arthur Graduate School

Experiential Learning

The college was commended for providing more than 85,000 hours of student fieldwork through signature programs including the Aman Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge, Immersive MBA, Blacksail Fund, and Twilley Academy.

Office of Expert Services

Celebrated as a national model for unifying outreach to expand regional impact, the Office of Expert Services supports over 1,000 clients annually.

for Veterans in the nation

U.S. News & World Report

Hospitality Mgmt. Program

1 # 7

# Listed as Best Business School, Best Business School (Southeast), and Best Online MBA Programs

Accounting Program

8 # 23 #

in North Carolina

top

100

#

Continuously ranked

by The Princeton Review

Thought Leadership

Our faculty won 14 teaching awards, produced 1,241 scholarly products, and submitted approximately $10.6M in grant applications over the past 5 years.

Online MBA Program

in North Carolina in the nation

EdSmart

College of Business

top

in the nation

15%

Best Accredited Colleges

Niche

in the nation

The College of Business continues to focus on producing a strong ROI in the strategic areas of student success, public service, and regional transformation. The Looking Glass showcases our impact each year and demonstrates the value we provide. We are proud to highlight the results of our work from the 2024-25 academic year and thank everyone involved who made it possible.

Please share within your network so we can celebrate together.

Let’s keep raising the bar!

Go Pirates!

INSIDE Enrollment Snapshot ����������������������������������������������� 4 Signature Programs & Spaces �������������������������������� 6 Student Success In Action ������������������������������������ 11 Co-Curricular Activities ����������������������������������������� 12 Innovation In Action ���������������������������������������������� 13 Regional Transformation In Action ���������������������� 14 Research And Leadership In Action �������������������� 16 Faculty & Staff Awards ������������������������������������������ 18

Michael Harris, Dean College of Business

Public Service Impact �������������������������������������������� 20 Alumni And Donor-Funded Impact ��������������������� 22

Content & Design by Emily Leach

Departments

Center for Student Success

• Accounting

• Advising Center

East Carolina University prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the following protected classes: race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation and veteran status (including relationship or association with a protected veteran; or Active Duty or National Guard service).

Office of Expert Services

Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours prior to the event at 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

• Finance & Insurance • Management

• Management Information Systems

• Marketing & Supply Chain Management

Schools • Arthur Graduate School of Business • Miller School of Entrepreneurship • School of Hospitality Leadership

• Business Communication Center

• Bureau of Business Research

• Center for Healthcare Management Systems

Printed on recycled paper. 1,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $2,734.66, or $2.74 per copy.

• Crisp Small Business Resource Center

• Cunanan Center for Professional Success

• Professional Services & Executive Education • Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership

business.ecu.edu

enrollment snapshot

4758 1180

undergraduate students

graduate students

learning format UG online

UG in person

GR online

GR in person

28.8% 71.2% 89.6% 10.4%

in

students at ECU® studies business 4

enrollment shapshot

1667 degrees awarded

COB graduates are making a diffrence across North Carolina.

118M+

$

economic impact

372%

economic roi Graduate Students earn

41K

$

more/ year

Undergrad Students earn

30K

$

more/ year

enrollment shapshot

4.5M

$

To establish the

twilley academy of sales leadership

244

Professional Selling Certificates Awarded

1828 Students Enrolled in Sales Courses

new! Twilley Sales Lab 6

signature programs & spaces

The Twilley Sales Competition launched with 40 students from five universities—NC State, The Citadel, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, and ECU—showcasing top talent and elevating real-world sales experience.

Twelve students earned 14 awards across three national competitions—Selling with the Bulls, the National Tech Sales Competition (MTSU), and the Twilley Sales Competition— demonstrating excellence in professional selling on a national stage.

This year’s Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge brought together 140 students from 42 different majors, forming 75 teams to compete in this signature innovation and entrepreneurship problem-solving event.

3.2M

$

To name the

gene t. aman pirate challenge

1M+

$

in prizes awarded since 2017

600+

competing teams since 2017

signature programs & spaces

7

1M+

$

To establish the

blacksail fund

141

trades executed

By student-managed portfolio since January

135K

$

To launch new!

Finance Lab with 12 Bloomberg Terminals

8

signature programs & spaces

The Blacksail Fund, a $1 million studentmanaged investment portfolio made possible by alumnus Sanford Bailey, gives students hands-on experience in investment strategy, risk management, and financial analysis. Guided by industry professionals, students use real-world tools to manage a multi-strategy portfolio, with returns funding future experiential learning.

Jewel Herlong, part of the inaugural IMBA cohort, transitioned seamlessly from her CAPTRUST internship to a full-time role in finance. Now working in Debt Capital Markets at Wells Fargo, she exemplifies how the program prepares students to launch highimpact careers right after graduation.

100%

of students in the first cohort of the imba program received full-time job offers Students have interned at 18 companies including Lenovo, Hyster-Yale, and IBM Power

1M+

$

Invested in the IMBA program

28

IMBA graduates to date

signature programs & spaces

9

innovative learning spaces

50K+

visitors to experiential learning spaces: • Darden Dining Hall • Golden Corral Culinary Center • Isley Innovation Hub

new! Finance Lab • new! Twilley Sales Lab •

• Student Technology Center (STC)

10

signature programs & spaces

STUDENT SUCCESS IN ACTION The Cunanan Center for Professional Success equips students with skills and resources for their career development.

4K+

students participated in

networking events like:

• Employer in the Foyer • Finance Conference • Leadership Conference • Technology Summit

57K+

student fieldwork hours completed

1705

1968 internships

students engaged in

379

239

completed since 2020

internships

completed this year

client-based projects

organizations served by students

student success in action

11

3K+

students participated in co-curricular activities like: • Aman Pirate Challenge • Dean’s Student Leadership Council • Emerging Leader Experience • Student Organizations • Twilley Sales Competition

354K+

$

student travel funding

12

co-curricular activities

innovation in action Faculty across all disciplines integrating AI into coursework.

innovation council

Systems. Structure. Smarter Solutions.

Launched to guide academic & operational innovation through documented systems & cross-team collaboration.

478K+

$

invested in innovative

student initiatives

526K

$

invested in innovative

programs & research over the past 2 years

250K

$ Hosted the Summer Innovation Academy in the Isley Hub

Created “AI in Sales” professional development workshop

invested in innovative

teaching practices innovation in action

13

regional transformation in action the office of expert services

3436 clients served

executive education

Since launching in 2022, OES has delivered expert-led workshops to build leadership, and support organizational success.

since inception

2018

participants

workshops

new! nonprofit summit

people served since inception

14

1258 81

regional transformation in action

110 68 attendees

entities

regional transformation

research and leadership in action

917K+

10

$

contracts and grants awarded

endowed distinguished professorships • Burt Family in Marketing and Supply Chain • Chesnutt & Bond in Entrepreneurship • Edwin Jones in Accounting

ECU earns R1 status, placing it in the top 5% of U.S. research universities

18 16

• IIANC - NCSLA W. Kurt Fickling in Risk Mgmt.

• J. Fielding Miller in Entrepreneurship • McMahon in Business

teaching & research fellowships

• R.F. Bird in Risk and Ins. • Robert Dillard Teer in Research • Thomas D. Arthur in Leadership • W. Howard Rooks in Business

research and leadership in action

60 114

presentations

journal articles

178 scholarly products

Focus areas include pedagogical and applied business research

faculty and staff awards This year, faculty and staff received honors for teaching, research, professional success and service.

Lee Brown

John Chapman

NCACE Outstanding Professional Nominee

Faculty Author Book Award

Awarded by the North Carolina Association of Colleges and Employers

Awarded by East Carolina University

18

Mary Beth Allen

Stephanie Bae

Dennis Barber III

Clara Blanchard

Melissa Bowers

Advising Excellence Award

Cupola Award

3rd Place, Undergrad Feasibility, Comprehensive

Staff Award

Advising Excellence Award

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by the Small Business Institute®

Awarded by the COB

Awarded by East Carolina University

Cal Christian

Scott Dellana

Davidson Gillette

Vickie Glover

Tracy Ginn

Faculty Author Book Award

Stansell Research Award

30 Years of Service Award

Best Doctoral Student Paper

Awarded by the COB

Awarded by East Carolina University

• James R. Talton Jr. Leadership Award • Lead with Passion Faculty Award Awarded by East Carolina University

faculty and staff awards

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by the Southern Management Association

Caroline Holton

Anna Johnson

Connor Kasten

Jolly Khalilzadeh

Christine Kowalczyk

John Kros

Ying Liao

Advising Excellence Award

Scholar-Teacher Award

Deonanan Award

Best Presentation Award

Haytko MVP Fellowship

Faculty Author Book Award

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by the COB

Awarded by the Assoc. for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research

• Faculty Author Book Award • Stallings Award

Awarded by the COB

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by East Carolina University

Tim Madden

David Mayo

Amy McMillan

Brian J. Taillon

Emily Yeager

Samantha Zomok

Innovation & Creativity in Teaching Award

2nd Place Undergrad Feasibility, Specialized

Treasured Pirate Award

• Impact Circle Award • Honorary Lifetime Member

• Board of Governors Distinguished Prof. for Teaching Award • Stafford Award

• Inventor Award • SPARC Award

Staff Award

Awarded by the Southern Management Association

Awarded by the Small Business Institute®

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by Omicron Delta Kappa

Awarded by East Carolina University

Awarded by East Carolina University

Gregg F. Schwitzgebel III

Awarded by the COB

faculty and staff awards

19

public service impact K12 programs hosted to inspire future business leaders: • EY Camp • Grow Local Programs • Innovation Academy

513

community service hours

contributed this year

84

• Leadership Toolbox • STEM Camp

642

participants mr. beast philanthropy partnership 20

public service impact

boards and councils served by faculty and staff

71 216

Volunteers

Hours

165

attendees & employers

participated in MVEC

125+ attendees

engaged in Irreverent Warriors program

300

military personnel

engaged in Arthur School & OES initiatives

ECU’s Arthur School and Whole Vet cohosted the Military Veteran Enablement Coalition (MVEC) Career Fair & Conference at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium to support transitioning service members. The event featured panels, entrepreneurship spotlights, and career resources—connecting veterans with universities, nonprofits, and employers.

Twenty-three North Carolina high school students joined the 10th annual EY College MAP summer camp, a weeklong program helping underserved students explore college life, navigate admissions and financial aid, and connect with resources to pursue higher education.

public service impact

21

alumni and donor-funded impact

15.1M

$

5.3M

290+ png gifts

png donors

30K+

$

1.2M

450

$

444,773

raised in 2 years

$

raised this year

cob alumni

22

awarded in scholarships

alumni and donor-funded impact

total raised

194

scholarship recipients

To our many generous supporters whose names may not appear here, but whose impact is felt in every opportunity, every classroom, and every success story.

Pirates supporting Pirates!

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Our newsletter, Stocknotes, is published each fall and spring semester and designed to keep you informed about the COB.

COB’s Young Alumni Council have made many significant contributions to their profession and/or community. They are emerging leaders who serve as a link between the COB and recent graduates.

The Business Advisory Council provides guidance and supports the development of high quality business programs at ECU. Its role is to advise the dean and faculty and to foster ongoing relationships with the business community.

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business.ecu.edu Phone: 252-737-5500 Email: cob@ecu.edu