Student interviews: undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, international
Real world experiences proved valuable
Young entrepreneurs made their mark
Graduate students shone
Faculty
FROM THE DEAN
After my first academic year at VCU, it is with great pleasure that I share our year in review, highlighting our remarkable achievements and initiatives. I am so appreciative of the gracious welcome my family and I received and am honored to serve as the dean of the VCU Business School. From attending my first A-10 tournament to teaching a class about exchange-traded funds, this year has been one of dynamic excitement.
Our students are a constant source of inspiration to me. They consistently demonstrate leadership qualities and an entrepreneurial spirit that thrives within the fabric of our community. They are actively immersed in our school, engaging in over 80 leadership, mentorship and well-being events last year. We take great pride in their many accomplishments and are confident they will make a positive impact wherever their postVCU paths lead them.
Our esteemed faculty members have had a very strong year in research, publishing 84 peer-reviewed journal articles, with 10 making the Financial Times 50 list and five ranked in the prestigious UT Dallas Journal list. We proudly recognize their commitment to our students through their involvement in prominent research.
We actively engage with the business community, forging robust partnerships with industry leaders, corporations and entrepreneurs. These collaborations have enabled our students to gain practical experience and try out realworld business challenges.
Looking ahead, I am excited about the future of the VCU Business School. We will continue to innovate and adapt to the changing landscape of business education, preparing our students to thrive as business leaders in a dynamic global marketplace.
Warmly,
Naomi E. Boyd, Ph.D.
STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT
The students are the heart of the VCU Business School. Increases in everything from enrollment to internships to financial aid have made for a banner year for VCU business undergraduate and graduate students alike.
MENTORING DROVE STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Leadership in student organizations is on the rise, aided by supportive student services staff and faculty advisers behind the scenes. Last year, Business Student Organization Success (BOSS) increased attendance at its bi-weekly meetings by 79% and reached 61% more students at its recruitment fair.
Meanwhile, the Office of Student Engagement welcomed more than 70 students and mentors to its kickoff celebration in October and ended by creating 115 mentorship pairs.
OFFICE OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ENCOURAGED STUDENTS
The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) continued its upward trajectory, surpassing last year’s record by more than 300 attendees. The year was launched at the first Business School’s “Welcome Back Soirée” this past August, ultimately swelling attendance to more than 800 students throughout April’s “I Snead Week.”
In total, VCU Business School’s OSE held more than 80 different student leadership, mentorship, belonging and well-being events in 2022, attracting more than 200 first-year and 400 second-year students, with a total of nearly 3,700 participants.
BUSINESS CAREER SERVICES LAUNCHED STUDENTS
Last year, 93% of business school graduates reported they were working, continuing their education or serving in the military. This overwhelmingly positive response was due in part to the school:
Posting 15,000 business jobs and internships
Conducting 1,500 career coaching meetings
Attracting 150 employers to business career fairs
A new required class, entitled Career and Professional Development, was designed by Business Career Services. It helps students identify the area of business that best suits their interests and skills and develop a plan to pursue their careers.
FUNDING MADE A DIFFERENCE
The VCU Markel scholarship was awarded for the first time in fall 2022 to four business and two engineering students. The scholarship is part of Markel’s companywide initiative to provide critical financial support to students with limited means. bit.ly/Markelscholarship
Thanks to a new grant from Truist in April, VCU entrepreneurs will now have access to free training, mentorship and commercialization opportunities. The funding will help VCU’s Richmond Entrepreneurship Academy meet the demand for small business training and development throughout the community. bit.ly/TruistGrant
The Oraphine Watkins Crump Scholarship was first created in 2021 by five alumni in their quest to give back to VCU, and today it serves as a financial lifeline to help support first-generation business students. This year, the Crump scholarship was among several deserving beneficiaries of this May’s second annual Giving Day – in which the VCU Business School was the top fundraiser on the Monroe Park campus. bit.ly/CrumpScholarship
The first in-person Investors Circle since 2019 was moderated by Kevin Nicholson, M.B.A. ‘06/B; M.D.A. ‘21/B, global fixed income CIO for RiverFront Investment Group. The panel was made up of three students who spoke to the influence of philanthropy on their schooling. One was able to finish college in just three years, another to secure a three-month rotational internship and another to connect with businesswomen of color who shared her goals. bit.ly/InvestorsCircle2023
With funding from the Virginia Credit Union, the inaugural VCU SUMMIT for student athletes took place this May. It featured presentations on financial education, team building, networking opportunities and leadership development.
STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
151 student recipients
245 awards $435,924 scholarship dollars
29 student recipients
38 awards $115,814 scholarship dollars
FALL 2022 ENROLLMENT RANKINGS
2903 Undergraduate 741 Graduate
STUDENT INTERVIEWS
Gabriella Segears, undergraduate
Dual degrees in accounting and marketing, Class of 2023
“The class that I enjoyed most was Perspectives from the C-Suite, because we heard from inspiring speakers weekly. They were all high-level professionals who had already achieved a lot of the goals that we were working toward. They answered questions honestly and made it easier for me to envision myself in the future. VCU taught me the importance of establishing relationships and networking. When I first got to VCU, I was incredibly shy, but my coursework, extracurriculars and internships pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
Brennan Dye, graduate student Master’s in decision analytics, Class of 2022
During her first semester in the DAPT program, Dye was also teaching in a high school full-time while working part-time at a brewery. “It absolutely was tough, but it was manageable,” she says of the 16-month program. And although her second semester was not necessarily easier, it was more in line with Dye’s career aspirations. She was hired by S&P Global as a Data Architect in February, before she even graduated. “The program was essential for making the connection that led to my current position and successful career move,” she reflects. “I cannot recommend DAPT enough. The combination of hard and soft skills is necessary to succeed in the business and tech environment.”
Alisha Gupta, Ph.D. candidate
Business administration with concentration in management, Class of 2024
Alisha Gupta’s dissertation research examines mindfulness and well-being between work and home. After earning her master’s degree in public health from the University of Virginia, she wanted to continue her research within the context of working populations. “I came to VCU because of my current adviser Dr. Chris Reina,” she says. “He was the draw. He studies the intersection of mindfulness and leadership. I loved his energy and I felt like he believed in me.” During this upcoming year, Gupta will focus on research, completing her dissertation and teaching an undergraduate class in negotiations – which she always begins with a well-being check-in such as “a moment of mindfulness.”
Abhishek Pandey, international graduate student Master’s in information systems, Class of 2023
Abhishek Pandey received his first master’s degree in general business administration and management from Christ University, Bangalore, India, which offers a dual master’s with VCU. He worked for five years to afford tuition. “I come from a small town named Jamshedpur in India,” he explains, “and VCU is indeed very cost-effective when compared to other universities. The class sizes are smaller than in India, which allows more individualized attention. I like the global perspective at VCU and the fact that it values diversity. That will give me exposure and an edge. My long-term goal is to return to India to start my own business, so I am very honored and most grateful for this learning experience.”
STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE PROVED INVALUABLE
Winning the Finance Internship Award was key to providing experience for two students this past summer. They were able to accept competitive internship positions in cities with high costs of living and transportation because this award allowed them to supplement their earnings and cover daily living expenses. bit.ly/FinanceInternshipAward
Angel Lee , a data science student, became part of VCU’s focus on experiential learning last summer through the new VCU Internship Funding Program. Although her internship at JPMorgan Chase & Co in Plano, Texas, was paid, Lee was required to pay for her housing. She described funding from the VCU program as “vital” for her to be able to participate in the fellowship. bit.ly/VCUInternshipFundingProgram
Alex Ames graduated from the VCU Business School at age 32. Before then, he had struggled with mental health issues , drifting through different jobs, first in New York City, then in different locations. Once armed with a VCU IS degree, he landed Bank of America’s Global Technology Analyst internship. That internship led to a permanent job at Bank of America - which took him back to New York City. bit.ly/AlexAmes
In 2022, VCU began working with Robinhood, Inc., a financial services company, to challenge the norms of a typical classroom by designing a course in experiential learning. Taught by Dean Naomi Boyd, Ph.D., undergraduate student teams conducted capital markets-based research. They used asset allocation strategies to design portfolios with the potential to develop Robinhood’s retirement platform.
The National Conference for Undergraduate Research proved to be a valuable real-world platform for 36 VCU undergraduate aspiring researchers chosen to present their projects in April. Natasha Moskala, a sophomore Honors College student double-majoring in political science and business management, summed up the opinion of most participants: “It was a great personal growth opportunity that motivated me to continue doing research.” bit.ly/TheNationalConferenceforUndergraduateResearch
This past summer, thanks to the Lester Fellowship Program, three students explored different areas of the risk management industry by rotating through three firms. They worked at Markel, FCCI Insurance and Marsh McLennan – where one of them netted a job offer. bit.ly/LesterFellowshipProgram
A summer internship at JP Morgan Chase turned into a full-time financial adviser job for Mami Awol. When she graduates this spring with a degree in Business (with a concentration in finance), Awol will have come a long way from her native South Sudan. bit.ly/MamiAwol
STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS MADE THEIR MARK
VCU alum Adeel Shams (B.S.’14; M.S.’16) is a natural entrepreneur. He opened his first sneaker shop in Richmond the day he started at the Brandcenter. Now he lives in Los Angeles where he runs CoolKicks, a brick-and-mortar store for buying, selling and trading sneakers. It has 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. MynaSwap, an app for digitizing physical collectibles, is his latest venture, but he’s also branching out into restaurants (Japanese and Mexican) and investing in young start-ups “just like me.” bit.ly/AdeelShams
Rabia Kamara (B.S.’10) is no stranger to the bigger business world. After founding the Richmond ice cream store Ruby Scoops, she received national attention when she made her debut on the Food Network, winning Ben & Jerry’s “Clash of the Cones.” In 2022, VCU President Rao invited her to share her entrepreneurial insights as one of the school’s youngest commencement speakers. bit.ly/RabiaKamara
Brandcenter alum Anne Marie Wonder (B.F.A. ’11; M.S. ’16) recently published “There Are Too Many Milks: And Other Common Annoyances of Modern Life,” co-authored with Tara Lawall. Wonder, who sketched ideas for the illustrations, describes the book as “a bit snarky.” She says it was good therapy to help her weather the pandemic. bit.ly/AnnaMarieWonder
GRADUATE STUDENTS SHONE
Each year, Executive MBA teams tackle a number of Strategic Dilemmas. Last year, students brought their expertise to bear on projects ranging from branding for a major state agency to developing a go-to-market plan for a food industry start-up.
Current EMBA students have just returned from their global challenges international trip to England and Ireland. There they met with representatives from the European offices of HCA, Markel, Oracle and Wells Fargo.
Back in Richmond, EMBA students immersed themselves in practical learning experiences. They took a plant tour of Ukrop’s baked goods manufacturing center, sat in on start-up presentations at the Capital One Innovation Center and heard an economic overview of Scott’s Addition.
The “Data Dogs” team from the Master of Decision Analytics Weekend Program (DAPT) won third place at the 2023 Virginia Datathon. The competition challenged teams from across the state to use technology, creativity and data to develop innovative solutions to maternal mortality.
Meanwhile, the DAPT program continues its strong partnership with industry. Last year, half of its practicums were presented in collaboration with companies which have been long-term program sponsors.
This year, the Evening MBA program began a new, flexible format. By offering all core courses both online and in-person, the school is now positioned to accommodate the evolving needs of today’s graduate students.
With a record 43 graduates, the Online MBA class of 2022 was the largest in the program’s history.
William Estes, the fifth member of his family to graduate from VCU, is a shining example of a non-traditional student who reinvented himself. After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute and working ten years in the hospitality industry, he was able to enhance his knowledge base with a Master’s degree in Business Management (Class of 2023). bit.ly/WilliamEstes
William Estes, Master’s in Business Management, Class of 2023
FACULTY ACCLAIM
Students come to the VCU Business School to learn from experienced, knowledgeable teachers. The school has grown and flourished this past year because of the energy, focus and increased visibility of its many seasoned faculty members. They’re lauded for their research, but it is their dedication to students that has helped launch a new generation of business leaders.
FACULTY FEATURED IN THE LIMELIGHT
Peter Aiken, Ph.D. (Information Systems) was quoted in a Washington Post article on the Federal Aviation Administration meltdown which delayed and canceled thousands of flights in January. He said the FAA’s reliance on outside contractors can create communication challenges between the government and outside employees responsible for systems upkeep. bit.ly/PeterAikenFAA
David Berdish (M.S. ‘82) (Supply Chain Management and Analytics) and his students have been fighting food insecurity in the community by working with small farmers. Through inventory aggregation and a better distribution system, these farmers should be able to strengthen their businesses, which in turn will allow them to donate some of their product to food pantries. bit.ly/DavidBerdish
Christopher Reina, Ph. D. (Management and Entrepreneurship) was quoted in the February issue of Fast Company magazine on the attributes of trustworthy leaders. He advised leaders to “say what you mean and mean what you say.” He suggested keeping a calendar as a reminder to follow up on actions you promised to take. bit.ly/ChristopherReina
Working with the VCU School of Dentistry, David Harless, Ph.D. (Economics) analyzed data from a survey designed to capture pregnant women’s experiences with dental insurance. In assessing Medicaid patients, he found a jump in dental insurance usage from 44% to 71% in the four years since that coverage was added to Medicaid policy in 2015. bit.ly/DavidHarless
Bloomberg featured the research of Alexander McKay, Ph.D., Max Mohan, Ph.D. and Christopher Reina,Ph.D. (Management and Entrepreneurship) in an article covering the five types of workdays. They found that a bad day at the office translates into low productivity, poor work quality and contagious low morale – resulting in disengaged employees who don’t innovate. bit.ly/McKayReina
In a January VCU News article Susan M.T. Coombs, Ph.D. (Management and Entrepreneurship) says remote and hybrid arrangements offer viable long-term options, despite a tendency for organizations to push on-site work because it offers comfort and stability. In fact, Caley Cantrell (Brandcenter) suggests branding the hybrid work schedule to draw attention to that offering. Christopher Reina, Ph.D. (Management and Entrepreneurship) says that while “employees want it all,” it will be up to CEOs to define the post-pandemic workplace. bit.ly/SusanMTCoombes
PROLIFIC RESEARCH DRAWS ATTENTION
AIS Research Rankings listed VCU No. 46 in research in the Americas for 2020-22. This ranking not only is impressive, but demonstrates a quantum leap in the number of articles by VCU faculty in research publications, up from No. 56 in 2019-21 and No. 66 in 2018-20. bit.ly/ISResearchRanking
Meanwhile, Supply Chain Management and Analytics, a relatively young department, put VCU in the top 50 institutions for research productivity among more than 400 universities world-wide. bit.ly/SCMAResearch
Forty-six faculty members published a total of 84 peer-reviewed journal articles last year, with 10 making the Financial Times 50 list and five ranked in the prestigious UT Dallas Journal list.
At the same time, 56% were published in journals ranked as A or A* – the highest ranking on the Australian Business Deans Council journal list.
59th in the world
The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship has been ranked No. 59 in the world in research productivity for 2017-21, according to the TCU Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Rankings.
FACULTY ACCLAIM
FACULTY AWARDS
EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP
Accounting
Alisa Brink, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Advances in Accounting
Associate editor, Issues in Accounting Education
Bowe Hansen, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Journal of International Accounting, Auditing & Taxation
Fengchun Tang, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Asian Review of Accounting Center for Sport Leadership
Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D.
Editor, Journal of Sport for Development Economics
Doug Davis, Ph.D.
Associate editor, PLOS 1
Associate editor, Journal of Behavioral & Experimental Economics
Linda Fernandez, Ph.D.
Associate editor, American Water Resources Association
Oleg Korenok, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Southern Economic Journal
Associate editor, Quantitative Finance and Economics
Associate editor, Visnyk of the National Bank of Ukraine Information Systems
Elizabeth Baker, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Communications of the Association for Information Systems
Paul Brooks, Ph.D.
Associate editor, INFORMS Journal on Computing
Yeongin Kim, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Journal of the Association of Information Systems, Decision Sciences Journal
Victoria Yoon, Ph.D.
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Decision Support Systems Management & Entrepreneurship
Alex McKay, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Journal of Creative Behavior Marketing
Max Mohan, Ph.D.
Special issue guest editor, Industrial Marketing Management
Supply Chain Management and Analytics
Jeff Shockley, Ph.D.
Associate editor, Journal of Operations Management
Jeff Smith, Ph.D.
Department editor, Journal of Operations Management
Paul Brooks, Ph.D. (Information Systems) and his co-authors won second place in the INFORMS Data Mining Society Best Paper Award competition.
Lindsay Andiola, Ph.D. and Devon Jefferson (Accounting) and their co- authors’ paper was voted best of the past year in Issues in Accounting Education.
Doug Davis, Ph.D. (Economics) was named an SEA Distinguished Fellow by the Southern Economics Association. The award honors scholarly achievement and long-term service to the association.
NEW HIRES
Caslin Applewhite
Communications coordinator, da Vinci Center
Erin Bragg
Academic adviser, Undergraduate Studies
Maurice Brown
Instructor, Undergraduate Studies
Rachel Davies
Academic adviser, Undergraduate Studies
Ann Griffin
Program manager, business student success and enrollment, Undergraduate Studies
Assistant director of admissions operations, Brandcenter
David Berdish
Instructor, Supply Chain Management and Analytics
Naomi Boyd, Ph.D.
Dean
Paul Brooks, Ph.D.
Chair, Information Systems
Joe Coombs, Ph.D.
Chair, Management and Entrepreneurship
Erica DePompeo
Director of enrollment management, Brandcenter
Katie Fauth
Operations manager, Center for Corporate Education
Emily Fox
Director of recruitment and enrollment management, Undergraduate Studies
Vann Graves, Ed.D.
Associate dean of brand strategy and communications, Dean’s Office
Bruce Huhmann, Ph.D.
Interim chair, Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate
Oleg Korenok, Ph.D.
Chair, Economics
Jana McQuaid, Ed.D.
Associate dean for academic programs and student success, Dean’s Office
Doug Pugh, Ph.D.
Associate dean for academic affairs and research, Dean’s Office
Alexis Spain
Manager of special projects and executive assistant to the dean, Dean’s Office
Hannah Stewart
Senior development specialist, Dean’s Office
Sandy Turnage, Ed.D.
Executive director of development, Dean’s Office
Garret Westlake, Ph.D.
Associate vice provost of innovation, da Vinci Center
SCHOOL SUCCESS
In addition to its students and faculty, the VCU Business School owes its success to the departments and specialized centers that together make it a dynamic whole. This past academic year has seen notable achievements across the board.
BRANDCENTER
The Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University is dedicated to developing the most prominent thinkers and creatives in the advertising, branding, marketing and design industries.
Over the last 25 years, more than 2,000 alumni have launched or accelerated their careers through the two-year, full-time master’s program for art direction, copywriting, experience design, strategy and brand/ account management. Graduates earn a Master of Science in business, with a concentration in branding and their chosen field of study, and leave with a robust, polished portfolio of creative work. Each year, Brandcenter students are recruited to work at some of the world’s most creative and innovative companies and at leading advertising, design and innovation agencies and consultancies. Vann Graves, Ed.D., is executive director.
Graves was recently appointed the dean of the Cannes Creative Academy, a certificate program to launch young professional talent. He designed its curriculum with a focus on the students’ development as business leaders. bit.ly/CannesLionsFestival
Cannes also offers a Student Academy to help launch careers. Brandcenter graduate Shaunda Lambert (M.S. ‘23) was among only 30 accepted into the competitive academy. Jade Chen, a Class of 2024 student in art direction, is the Brandcenter student selected for Cannes 2023.
VCU Brandcenter’s Vann Graves, Ed.D., left, dean of the Cannes Creative Academy and the 2022 class. According to Graves, each dean has the opportunity to design the academy experience in a manner that best meets participants’ needs.
Vann Graves, Ed.D., (forefront) and the 2022 class of the Cannes Creative Academy, a certificate program to launch young professional talent to the next level of their careers.
This year, 22 Brandcenter alumni contributed to 18 Super Bowl LVII spots for products including Busch Light, Oikos Yogurt and DoorDash. bit.ly/BrandcenterSuperBowlLVII
The USA Today Ad Meter had some competition ranking those Super Bowl ads when current Brandcenter students weighed in. Explaining what worked and what didn’t, they essentially provided the voice of a new creative generation.
The Brandcenter’s annual recruiter session returned as an in-person event for the first time since the pandemic and featured more than 250 recruiters from 150 companies and ad agencies. Some 95 students, set to graduate in May 2023, each set up a personal interview station in what’s known as a “reverse career fair.” bit.ly/BCRecruiterSession
In a recent interview with VCU News, Brandcenter executive director Vann Graves likened the British monarchy to a brand, with its new king as brand ambassador. Graves says King Charles III needs to confront England’s history of colonialism and racism “to tee up the future for his sons.” bit.ly/BCBritishMonarchyBrand
Brandcenter students, collaborating with a team of undergraduates from the University of Richmond, recently learned the challenge of bringing a new product from concept to reality. Brandcenter students helped with the name and identity of TwinTail tea (containing caffeine plus an amino acid known for its relaxation qualities), now available at local retailers. bit.ly/TwinTailBrews
Recruiters and graduates were back at the VCU Brandcenter for the first in-person recruiter session since 2019.
Busch Light commercial, which is all about surviving the great outdoors, featuring Sarah McLachlan and a wolf, is one of 18 Super Bowl LVII spots created by Brandcenter alumni.
SCHOOL SUCCESS
VIRGINIA CREDIT UNION FINANCIAL SUCCESS CENTER AT VCU
The Virginia Credit Union (VACU) Financial Success Center at VCU aims to increase financial instruction, research and programming. It counsels VCU students on a wide range of financial subjects, from loan repayment to career transitioning. It also expands community outreach opportunities through nonprofits and small business owners.
New this year, the VACU Rainy Day Rams program aims to jump-start savings and promote healthy financial behavior among students. Students who opened a savings account between February and April received an initial gift deposit, followed by an additional bonus when they engaged in a healthy financial activity.
In 2022, the center served more than 5,000 students through workshops, presentations and webinars. It conducted 850 one-on-one peer coaching sessions.
The center launched a new student athlete financial literacy summit featuring presentations on financial education, team building, networking opportunities and leadership development.
THE CENTER FOR CORPORATE EDUCATION
The Center for Corporate Education (CCE) facilitates leadership and technical workshops enabling professionals to enhance skill sets and advance their career. With leadership provided by industry experts and VCU faculty, CCE co-creates learning and development opportunities for corporate, not-for- profit, and state agency partners. Revenue generated from CCE programs support VCU School of Business scholarships, research and special projects.
CCE is currently engaged with more than 14 companies to offer professional development programs. This year, CCE developed multiple Emerging Leader Programs with local organizations, and three entrepreneurship-focused international programs with long-time partner, Ford Motor Company Fund.
2023 marks the 10th Emerging Leader cohort with CoStar, resulting in more than 200 active alumni.
CCE is a preferred training partner of the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia Retirement Systems.
RISK MANAGEMENT AND INSURANCE PROGRAM
KORNBLAU REAL ESTATE PROGRAM
The Risk Management and Insurand Program (RMI) center prepares undergrads for high-demand careers in the insurance industry, including risk management and financial services. Networking opportunities and internships expose students to real world experiences and enhance their resumes. Regular Kornblau Real Estate (KRE) lectures introduce real estate professionals who speak on industry trends, issues and current events.
The 30th annual Real Estate Trends conference in October set a record with more than 1500 industry professionals and 100 partnering sponsors. Presenters discussed economic expectations, geopolitical tensions, regional opportunities and new real estate technology. bit.ly/RETC2022
The most recent Kornblau lecture featured Morgan Housel, a former ski racer, now author of “The Psychology of Money” and Markel board member. In this transformative program, Housel explained that financial success is “more about how you behave than what you know.” bit.ly/MorganHousel
This past fall, RMI joined the VA Chapter of the Risk Management Society to present a panel discussion about cybersecurity. The event featured four cybersecurity experts from legal, government and energy sectors. As threats become increasingly more sophisticated, these experts detailed how cyber-resilience is crucial to every organization’s defense. bit.ly/RMIPanel
This year’s third annual Kornblau Spring Housing Forum attracted 600 webinar participants. Panel members identified rising prices and low inventory as key housing industry trends in 2023. bit.ly/SpringHousingForum2023
New this year are Circle of Excellence Lunch and Learn sessions. Launched by the KRE program for its Real Estate Circle of Excellence members, these small gatherings are hosted by member companies who present niche real estate topics.
SCHOOL SUCCESS
CENTER FOR SPORT LEADERSHIP
Founded to create leaders in the rapidly expanding global sport industry, the Center for Sport Leadership (CSL) offers a 12-month master’s program with world-class instruction and real-world experience. Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D. is executive director.
Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D., is one of 12 female leaders “with an extra gear” honored at the 2023 inaugural Women Who Drive Richmond event. bit.ly/CarrieLeCrom
This past summer, Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach Aaron Curry (M.Ed.’19) became an adjunct professor in the program where he was trained. Curry taught a course in Foundations of Coaching to distance-learning students. bit.ly/CSLNFLCoachProfessor
CSL road trips included travel north and south last year. In the fall, students went to Washington D.C., where they met with alumni and employees of six teams: the Washington Commanders, Washington Nationals, DC United, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and Washington Capitals. In the spring, they visited four ACC schools to meet with alumni working in university athletic departments at Wake Forest, N.C. State, Duke and the University of North Carolina.
CSL’s Power of Sport Award winner this year was Angel City FC, the Los Angeles-based National Women’s Soccer League franchise. Inspired by Nelson Mandela’s famous quote, “Sport has the power to change the world,” the award honors an individual or team that has used sport to drive social change. After receiving the award, Angel City FC spent two days with VCU graduate students, alumni and female student-athletes representing VCU Athletics. bit.ly/CSLPowerofSportAward
Angel City Power of Sports Award winners.
CSL road trip to University of North Carolina.
A partnership with the Spanish professional football club Real Madrid will now allow CSL students to study abroad. In Madrid, they will take courses in the Master in Sports Technology and Digital Transformation program. They will also participate in a five-week residency with Real Madrid Next, the brand innovation department of Real Madrid.
This spring, students in the Sports and Entertainment Event Development course hosted more than 250 youngsters at three sporting events. The students worked with First Tee of Greater Richmond, United Methodist Family Services and the Henrico Police Athletic League, with funding from a VCU Foundation community engagement grant.
New for fall 2023, CSL will offer a minor in sport and fitness management in collaboration with Health and Human Performance. All VCU undergraduates will have an opportunity to learn about topics such as sport media and communication, facilities and event management, marketing and employee health.
SCHOOL SUCCESS
INSTITUTE FOR TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP
Institute for Transformative Leadership (ITL) is new to the Business School this year and Barry-Wehmiller, a global capital equipment and engineering solutions company, is a corporate partner. Together, they aim to build a more caring world by developing leaders who have the skills and courage to connect deeply with others.
The inaugural ITL seminar in April featured speakers and interactive audience participation, focused on the possibilities created by building compassionate human relationships. bit.ly/ITLSeminar2023
ITL has been a supporter of the Humanistic Leadership Cohort Program. VCU professors took part this spring and will do so again in the summer, learning how to further business education that works for all of humanity. Six VCU graduate students took part in the first Humanistic Leadership Academy for student leaders.
In partnership with the VCU Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness and Success, ITL delivered a two-day workshop on inclusive leadership training, specifically designed for emerging leaders in the Virginia Community College System.
ITL leaders were featured speakers and mentors at the New Horizons “Beyond Ideas” meeting in March. The conference focused on how to create a feeling of belonging among Virginia community college students.
DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING
Accounting launched the 2022 school year with fully online options for the B.S. accounting and post-baccalaureate certificate programs.
The inaugural Accounting Expo this past fall at Snead Hall introduced more than 30 professionals to 200 students from across VCU.
More than 111 students got a jump-start on their careers at the fall Meet the Firms Event, which attracted a record number of employers.
Last year, Ernst & Young, one of the Big Four international accounting firms, announced that student placement at its firm ranked VCU among the top five universities on the East Coast.
Student officers won first place in the Best Practices competition of the Beta Alpha Psi honor organization for financial information students and professionals.
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
The department held the fourth annual Diverse Economics conference in October, co-sponsored with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond economic education and research department. It was attended by more than 125 business students and recent graduates from colleges throughout the mid-Atlantic region, all of whom were eager to learn more about the wide range of career paths available in the field. bit.ly/DivEc2022
A new GenEd course, Inequality in America, was introduced last year.
A team of VCU undergraduate students participated in the National College Fed Challenge competition this past fall. Teams from more than 80 universities analyzed economic and financial conditions to formulate a monetary policy recommendation, modeled on the Federal Open Market Committee.
Three economics capstone courses received the prestigious REAL 4 designation last year, which signifies that the courses connect classroom knowledge to real-world experience via career-building activities. The classes - Labor Economics, Economic Growth and the Monetary Policy seminar – incorporate reflection and mentoring, helping students transfer integrative learning to complex situations beyond campus.
This year, as part of its annual summer externship program, the department matched 14 economics students with eight employers. This short-term practical experience offers students the opportunity to experience an insider -view of the workplace while developing valuable networking connections.
SCHOOL SUCCESS
THE DA VINCI CENTER FOR INNOVATION
The da Vinci Center for Innovation is prototyping the future of higher education through cross-disciplinary academic, experiential and experimental learning opportunities. This unique program encourages entrepreneurship and innovation through multidisciplinary thinking. The da Vinci Center is a collaboration among the schools of business and the arts and colleges of engineering and of humanities and sciences. Garret Westlake, Ph.D., associate vice provost for innovation, is the center’s executive director.
The recent Pre-X Program is a popular pre-accelerator program designed to prepare student entrepreneurs to join external accelerator programs. It allows individuals or teams to share and critique ideas in small groups and meet with mentors. Pre-X culminates in a VCU Demo Day, with students pitching to judges from the venture capital world for seed funding.
Students in a cross-disciplinary topics course launched Shift magazine this past December. The magazine focuses on the community of entrepreneurs, innovators, community members and students who use the space to test their ideas with real-world customers. Fast Company magazine awarded Shift Retail Lab honorable mention in the Urban Design category of its 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards. bit.ly/ShiftRetailLab
The da Vinci Center has recently introduced the LEGO Serious Play method, wherein a specially formulated set of LEGO bricks allows instructors to create a hands-on learning experience. The method focuses on four key areas: creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. It can be adapted to fit the needs of different subjects and students of varying ages, consistent with the cross-disciplinary culture of the center. bit.ly/daVinciLEGOSeriousPlay
Fifteen students from disciplines across the university created Shift Magazine in an innovations class taught by da Vinci Center's Lloyd Young (far left) and Robertson School's Jessica Collins (far right).
VCU Demo Day is the da Vinci Center’s annual event showcasing the top talent of the university’s student and alumni entrepreneurship and VCU Pre-X. The event includes pitches, founder Q&A and networking opportunities to meet student and alumni founders and learn more about their growing ventures, ranging from medical devices to social and nonprofit causes. bit.ly/VCUDemoDay2023
This year’s Demo Day featured four sessions with 16 teams pitching their ideas or current ventures to a panel of esteemed judges drawn from the da Vinci Center’s community partners and alumni.
In the Ideas Session, students made quick pitches about an idea waiting to be made tangible. In the Academic Session, students made pitches that showcased entrepreneurship and innovation in VCU classrooms. In the Alumni Session, VCU graduates made pitches for products and services they created. In the Featured Session, seven students pitched their current ventures. After the sessions, 47 participating student, alumni and community teams showcased their ideas and projects in Shift Retail Lab for the reception, and attendees chose a winner of the People’s Choice Award.
This year, eight VCU students were accepted to the Clinton Global Initiative University program. Each year, thousands of undergraduate and graduate students from around the country and the world apply to participate in CGUI’s year-round community of learning, leadership and action. It begins with a global meeting where participants, topic experts and high-profile innovators convene to support and learn from each other. Thanks to the da Vinci Center and the Graduate School, VCU provided more than $10,000 in funding to support the eight students’ travel to the annual meeting in March.
MammoRisk was among the pitch teams at this year’s Demo Day.
SCHOOL SUCCESS
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
Earlier this year, Dean Boyd took a group of finance students (many a part of the Student Managed Investment Portfolio organization) to New York to meet with executives from leading finance and investment firms. There, the group networked and learned about investment strategy, trading, managing portfolios with ETFs and different industry career paths.
Personal Financial Planning is now available as a general education course open to undergrads from across the university. The course covers a wide range of useful topics such as credit, insurance, borrowing and estate planning.
A new elective course in Excel will now be part of the Introduction to Data Management for Finance. Instructor Frank Viola, an Excel expert, has been invited to teach the course. He will teach students to use a process called Extract, Transform and Load (ETL), so they will be able to organize and manipulate data more effectively.
Two new faculty members will be hired as part of the Business School’s strategy to build student skills in emerging areas. The professors will teach subjects ranging from artificial intelligence and blockchain to robo-advising and corporate social responsibility.
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
A new minor in Information Systems (IS) was developed last year.
Other curriculum developments include a concentration in data science in business for the Master of Decision Analytics program, and two new courses for the M.S. program: Big Data Analytics with Cloud Platforms and Database Management.
Partnering with Altria, IS co-hosted the Analytics Challenge with the Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics. Undergraduate students used research to solve real-world problems. bit.ly/DataAnalyticsChallenge
An Amazon Web Services cloud certification for undergraduates was introduced.
The high-level programming language known as Python was introduced in three new IS classes.
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
April marked the debut of the department’s first Pitch Competition, sponsored by the Association for Corporate Growth. The winning pitch proposed online classes to teach basic auto maintenance.
The Think Like an Entrepreneur course was introduced as a pilot last spring, in response to the provost’s plan to provide entrepreneurial literacy for all VCU students.
Management and entrepreneurship students recently interned at Bizworks and ProductiveAV, thanks to a grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund.
A student-led club in entrepreneurship was recently launched as a chapter under the national Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization.
Recent judges of the Survey of Entrepreneurship and New Venture Strategy course final presentations might have looked familiar – they were alumni from the program.
DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING
The innovative new Center for Professional Selling – otherwise known as the Sales Lab – was established as an academic incubator for professional sales talent. Here students can develop practical skills such as public speaking, problem solving and meeting sales executives.
Contemporary Pricing is a new course offered as part of the undergraduate product and brand management concentration. It teaches pricing strategy, consumer reaction and value perception.
This coming fall the Master of Decision Analytics program will offer a new concentration in marketing analytics.
A new undergraduate course in Social Media Research will become part of the marketing communication and analytics concentration this coming fall.
SCHOOL SUCCESS
DEPARTMENT OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS
Supply Chain Management and Analytics (SCMA) is working towards becoming a formal undergraduate Business School major. Last year, the school moved through the open-comment stage required by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, putting it one step further in the process.
A team of undergraduates scored the win in a North Carolina competition sponsored by the Institute for Supply Management.
Recently, SCMA students and faculty helped Feed More package take-home food for at-risk youth. Together, they assembled over 2,000 backpacks, for a total of 4,000 meals. bit.ly/SCMAFeedMore
ONE VCU COLLABORATION
Since economic considerations bear on so many aspects of everyday life, the VCU Business School is top-of-mind for partnerships with other organizations. Recently the school helped put VCU in the news.
In 2021, the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver and Metabolic Health received the largest gift in VCU history. This past September, the donation inspired a forum focused on how SSLI’s cross-industry collaboration with the VCU Business School could formulate the economic arguments needed to effect health care policy changes nationwide. bit.ly/SSLIForum
TIMMY NGUYEN (B.S. '11)
“My experience at VCU influenced and inspired me,” says Nguyen. “It changed the trajectory of my life. It laid the foundation for my success today, and I want to ensure other students have that opportunity to build their life foundation as well.”
And that explains why Student Managed Investment Portfolio (SMIP) students were so visible on their trip to Wall Street last year. Nguyen had presented them all with backpacks emblazoned with the VCU Business logo. “Dean Boyd is passionate about creating transformative student experiences, such as this tour of the New York Stock Exchange,” he says, “so I wanted to help support them by having that powerful brand out there and visible. I wanted to be that cheerleader. I have donated to all parts of the university, but the Business School has a soft spot for me. We all need to be here for the current students, educating that next generation of global business leaders.”
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
This past year, VCU Vice President for Research and Innovation Srirama Rao, Ph.D. led a delegation to Morocco. Accompanying him were Dean Naomi Boyd, Ph.D.; Associate Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Jill Blondin, Ph.D.; Director, English Language Program, Global Education Office Moe Greene, Ph.D. and professors Patricia Cummins, Ph.D. and Van Wood, Ph.D.
In Morocco, they met with leaders of the National School of Business and Management. There the educators discussed increasing student and faculty exchange programs and advancing English-language based opportunities between the two institutions.
