College and Industry Share Common Vision

The College of Business and Economics (COBE) and Chantilly-based Engineering Solutions & Products, LLC (ESP) have developed a partnership designed to promote both entities through branding, advertising and growth with a special emphasis on Northern Virginia.

In September, COBE and ESP formalized an agreement through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing in the University’s Kyle Hall. Penning their names to the MOU were Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill and ESP President and CEO Douglas N. Fouser.

“This is the beginning of a partnership between two organizations that share many goals,” said COBE Dean George Low.

Low spoke of ESP’s core values and noted the commonalities between those values and the four fundamentals President Hemphill has laid out for Radford University: excellence, transparency, accountability and student-centeredness.

Still in its infancy, the partnership already is offering Radford University students opportunities for internships, full-time positions, class projects and other initiatives that will be developed over time, Low said. ESP works with many government agencies and may have specific opportunities for Radford University students who are military veterans, the dean said.

An opportunity may exist, Fouser said, for Radford University students to work with ESP employees.

“What a great way to bring these two common values together in a formal way in a memorandum of understanding that will allow both organizations to continue to thrive, grow and accomplish our goals,” Low said. “It’s also a model that demonstrates how Radford can connect in a meaningful way with corporate partners, and this is something that magnifies what we are able to do when we work with others who share a common vision and goals.”

The MOU offers many opportunities for ESP, Fouser noted, including an opportunity for its employees to enroll in Radford University classes, such as a COBE’s online MBA program.

“We can bring the Radford University name to Northern Virginia and offer our employees an opportunity to go to a great school,” Fouser said.