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Photo of Eric Mason in town hall

A Mountaineer in Town Hall

A Mountaineer in Town Hall

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Some people take their business public. Chambers College alumnus Eric Mason took his business to the public. 

In 2020, Mason was named chief financial officer of Quincy, Massachusetts – his hometown, and a city with a population of over 101,000. He was 26 at the time, equipped only with an undergraduate degree in economics from the Chambers College. 

Four years later, Quincy's budget has grown to more than $500 million. Mason now manages the largest pension obligation bond in Massachusetts, and recently issued a bond via blockchain, a first for the American public sector. 

Between historic firsts and unprecedented success, Mason also found time to return to Chambers for his master’s degree in economics. 

"Being a public sector CFO by its nature requires many interdisciplinary skills to ensure that every public dollar generates the greatest return for the taxpayer,” said Mason. “The Chambers College curriculum's prioritization of specialization while contextualizing it within a broader business framework has been invaluable in my career.” 

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Inspiring the Next Generation

Each year, West Virginia Executive magazine publishes a “Young Guns” list recognizing young professionals in the business community who drive our Mountain State forward. We're proud to share that Tara St. Clair, program director of our Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, made West Virginia Executive magazine's Young Guns Class of 2023! As one of 10 West Virginia professionals, St. Clair was honored to be chosen for this year’s class.

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Cyber Successes

Christopher Ramezan, assistant professor of management information systems and coordinator of the business cybersecurity management program, was recently recognized for his teaching prowess by two different organizations. 

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Anomaly Detector

While COVID-19 has forced us to pivot the way we work and play, the Robbins Center for Global Business and Strategy is no exception. In fact, two virtual activities alone in October saw more than 250 students involved in international lecture, case analyses and culture sessions in Hong Kong and Bahrain. “Framed in this way, that's very promising international reach between WVU and these two international partners,” said David Dawley, executive director of the Robbins Center. 

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Outstanding!

Each spring, the University honors selected faculty members with the WVU Foundation Awards for Outstanding Teaching. Jody Crosno, the Joseph E. Antonini Chair and professor in marketing, was one of five faculty to receive the 2021 award. The committee was impressed by her seamless incorporation of experiential learning and technology into the classroom, exceptional student engagement, and innovative classroom assignments that require her students to engage with customers and clients, such as Camp Virgil Tate, to gain real-world experience.

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