When COVID-19 hit, many faculty members were left learning virtual tools and hoping for some good news. Our Associate Professor of Marketing, Dr. Laurel Cook, did both. Cook receiving the news of her award of tenure was both exciting and joyful – a rainbow over the year 2020. While she could not throw the celebration party she had always wanted out of respect for our state’s COVID-19 restrictions, she did throw a one-of-a-kind photo session to share her news. “As a first-generation faculty member, this achievement is a reflection of the support and encouragement of my family,” said Cook. “Plus, this award bodes well for future generations in my family, and I am also incredibly grateful to West Virginia University and Chambers College.”
Bank on it
The Center for Financial Literacy and Education, in conjunction with the Finance Department, received an Executive Training Program Gift for $38,000. Finance Faculty Brant Hammer, Frank DeGeorge and David Fragale will teach a 15-week program to a group of burgeoning portfolio managers from United Bank. This partnership was initiated through the 2019 Bank Summit and cultivated further due to a long-standing relationship with finance Professor Paul Speaker.
Economics, Gentrification and Crime
You often don’t think of gun violence, gentrification and drug crime when thinking about business education. But one recent economics alumnus found a research niche on that topic.
Need help? Just AeSC!
The Becker Academic Engagement Success Center (AeSC) – named after alumni W. Marston “Marty” and Katherine Becker – supports students through peer-assisted tutoring, mentoring and career coaching, equipping them with real-world professional soft and hard skills so they have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Learning Through Service
In the service learning unit of the Chambers College's on-campus MBA program, students design, plan and execute a project to benefit a local nonprofit or small business of their choosing. This year’s projects netted big results:
Leidos and the Future of Business
Leidos, a Fortune 500 science and technology leader, partnered with the Chambers College in October for the ‘State of Innovation: Top Emerging Technologies Poised to be Key Drivers of a Post Pandemic World’ seminar. The event was part of the Leidos “Future of Business” series, designed to explore disciplines that are disrupting the business world, including cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud computing and the world of fintech.