Less than 100 years ago, a successful business could get by with only pencils, paper and the occasional calculator. Now, you can’t order a pack of staples without the help of millions of microprocessors located around the world.

Business changes fast, and the Chambers College reacts. The Department of Management Information Systems, for instance, has been merged with Supply Chain Management. Offering multiple undergraduate and graduate degrees, two experiential learning labs and an outreach center, the Department of Management Information Systems and Supply Chain has positioned itself on the cutting edge.

It has a new chair, too: Associate Professor Brad Price.

A West Virginia native, Price knows that establishing his home state as a technology hub will be an incredible accomplishment – and an incredible challenge. He’s ready to meet it, dedicating himself to helping students excel in the modern workforce while readying the Mountain State for whatever comes next.

After all – why prepare for the world of today when you can prepare for the world of tomorrow?

What brought you to West Virginia? Or back to West Virginia, as the case may be?

A: I’m originally from Boone County. I tell people “Country Roads” is our song for a reason – if you’ve ever been anywhere else and heard “Country Roads,” you stop and smile and understand what it means. There’s always a reason to come back.

I got two bachelor’s degrees from WVU, then got my Ph.D. from Minnesota. After that, I spent two years building the data science program at the University of Miami. WVU’s Business Data Analytics program started in 2016. It was a new challenge: can you come in and build an innovation economy in West Virginia? Can we grow our state and fulfill our land grant mission with technology, with data, with innovation?

I love solving problems with data and technology, and data applies to almost every facet of business. I wanted to help people use data in ways that were really innovative, and to make good decisions and grow with it, especially in West Virginia. There are people who run away from problems, and there are people who run at them. I like to think I’m the type of person who runs at them.

What are your priorities as the new chair of this department?

A: Grow. I think of it in three ways: helping our faculty grow, helping our programs grow and helping our students grow. We have to keep our faculty at the forefront of our field and evolve with it. That’s the beauty of a business school. That's how we keep our students competitive in the job market.

We don’t have ridiculous requirements to gain access to technology or analytics-based fields. They’re in demand and they can get students jobs. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re looking to do: help students get a head start in life. We have the best students in the world. They show up, they work hard and they’re smart. It’s one of the things I love about working here.

What makes the MISSC department a good choice for students?

A: WVU is a special place. It’s a really cool time to be here. We’re going to change the way business in this state operates.

The Wehrle Global Supply Chain Lab, with its AR and VR capabilities, allows our students to go to ports, manufacturing facilities, places they’ve never been, from the comfort of Reynolds Hall. That’s on top of the amazing experiential learning projects happening in the Supply Chain Management program. The Evans Cybersecurity Lab, with the tools and tech they use every day and the certifications our students are coming out with – what other group is participating in a NATO-sponsored event like Locked Shields?

Then you have Data Driven WV, and our Business Data Analytics program, and our MIS major, which produces the kind of talent that recruiters are looking for. Our master's programs are attached to businesses around the state, region and nation. Our faculty research is just outstanding. Then you add the amazing staff members and administration we have.

People see what we’re doing now, and I smile and say, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Does the combination of Management Information Systems with Supply Chain Management create opportunities for future growth?

A: The new MISSC department creates a world of opportunities for the Chambers College. There are a lot of analytical tools and technology involved in both disciplines – they’re definitely copacetic. For example, I’ve worked with Professor John Saldanha and different business partners on a lot of different research projects over the years. We have a new bachelor’s of science in Supply Chain Management Science, which is a critical program for us. It really is a good fit.

We’re also hoping to expand into other areas of cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence is another area we’re excited about. We have to be proactive in a changing world. It’s about growing our programs and continuing to make an impact and growing that impact not just here in Reynolds Hall, but in West Virginia and beyond.

Q: What would you tell a student who’s interested in a business degree?

A: I’d tell you to get a degree in one of our Supply Chain Management programs or Management Information Systems. You could even look at getting a double major. And if you’re in one of our other amazing programs in Chambers College, I’d tell you to look at our Cybersecurity and Data Analytics minors. You can’t go wrong with any of those choices, because you’re going to be on the cutting edge of those fields. You’re going to have access to industry-leading technologies, and you’ll be ready to use them professionally by the time you graduate. You’re going to meet amazing faculty who will mentor you over your four years here. You’re going to have opportunities for experiential learning from day one. You’re going to go on site visits, whether it’s in-person or using VR. You’re going to meet companies who want to hire you, because you will be what every organization wants: a critical thinker, a problem solver and a communicator with tech skills. And you’ll get to do it all in a college town like Morgantown – like our song says, it’s almost heaven.