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NEWS BRIEFS –AUGUST 2007 |
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Michael Sesnowitz |
A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
Campaign exceeds goal and expectations
Results show tremendous support for School
The $47 million Campaign for the School of
Business was successfully completed on June 30. Nearly 1500 gifts
were contributed, totaling almost $51.5 Million and exceeding our
goal by $4.5 Million. This result was achieved because of the
outstanding efforts of a large number of volunteers and the
generosity of our alumni, the business community, the Commonwealth
of Virginia, local governments and foundations. I am most grateful
for this wonderful expression of support for our School.
The gifts and pledges received will
provide for facilities, scholarships, professorships, research
institutes, technology upgrades, and faculty development and will
help ensure that future generations of students continue to receive
an outstanding education at the VCU School of Business.
A new state-of-the-art School of Business
building, which has been under construction since November 2005, is
scheduled to open for classes in January.
We will be
planning a number of celebrations once we move into our new
facility. |
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Jesse Pellot-Rosa was hustling on the court
last May. Now he is working out with the Jets. |
JESSE GOES JETS
The VCU Athletics
Gold Standard publication has reported that School of Business graduate Jesse Pellot-Rosa had signed to a free agent contract with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). In April, Jesse graduated with a
bachelor's degree in Real Estate and Land Development.
Mid-May, he was invited to attend the Jets camp, trying out as a wide receiver. He was signed to a free agent contract following the camp.
Jesse is reported by the Gold Standard to have been assigned uniform number 14.
He was a four-year starter for the VCU Rams basketball team. He had not played football regularly since the fall of 2002 at Fork Union Military Academy. Good Luck!
Read more at FanHouse
Online
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TOP TENNIS PLAYER IS TOP STUDENT ALSO
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Viktoria Konstantinova |
VCU junior Viktoria Konstantinova from Hanskovo, Bulgaria, was
named the Colonial Athletic Association's 2007 Women's Tennis
Scholar-Athlete.
A business administration major, Konstantinova was selected
to the VaSID Academic All-State team, is a Dean's List student
at VCU and is a CAA Commissioner's
Academic Award recipient.
Konstantinova is one of 10 student-athletes representing eight
different institutions honored by the league as recipients of the
CAA Scholar-Athlete
Award for the
spring sports season. All 10 winners had grade point averages over 3.25,
including six who had marks of 3.7 or better.
Read more |
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EUGENE AND ROSALIA HUNT - SENSATIONAL
RAM FANS
Eugene Hunt, VCU School of Business professor emeritus, and
his wife Rosalia have followed Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball team for more than 30 years, traveling all over the country and even overseas to cheer on the Rams. Recently
they were profiled in a new VCU web feature called PROFILE.
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MINI-SOCIETY
TAKES ECONOMICS INTO LOCAL CLASSROOMS
Teachers from Richmond and surrounding counties gathered at the
VCU School of Business on July 26 to sell products they developed
as part of a three-day Mini-Society training session.
Mini-Society is an experience-based
instructional system designed to teach 8-to-12-year-olds economics
and entrepreneurship. The program was led by Suzanne Gallagher,
director of the VCU Center for Economic Education, and funded by a
grant from the National Council on Economic Education in partnership
with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
It was one of
many economic education and financial literacy professional development
programs for teachers K-12 offered throughout the state by the
Virginia Council on Economic Education, which
is housed in the VCU School of Business.
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Twenty-four teachers from Richmond, Newport
News and five counties checked-in to participate in the Mini-Society
economic workshop.
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Elizabeth Ferguson '94, right, from Randolph
Elementary, Goochland, and Gretchen Bassett,
left, of Winterpock Elementary,
Chesterfield, exchange Crab Currency, the official
currency of the Beachbumburg village established in
their Mini-Society Workshop. |
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ROBERT
TAYLOR NAMED TO LAND PANEL
Robert Taylor, director of the VCU Virginia Real Estate Center,
has been named to a new commission being set up to review Henrico
County's land-purchase practices. The panel will consist of five
real estate professionals from the Richmond area. The panel
also includes Neil S. Kessler, an attorney with Troutman Sanders
and a member of the VCU Real Estate Circle of Excellence.
Commission
members held their inaugural meeting July 16, and announced that
they plan to spend about two months gathering information and meeting
with the county's staff and elected officers and with representatives
of other urbanized localities. They report to Henrico County
Manager Virgil R. Hazlet. It was reported in the Richmond
Times-Dispatch that he appointed the panel after concerns surfaced
about future plans for large parcels of land. |
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DAVID UPTON EARNS AIFA® DESIGNATION
“Congratulations on being awarded the Accredited
Fiduciary Analyst Auditor designation.
“You are now part of a prestigious network of professionals dedicated to advancing fiduciary responsibility,” said Sarah Borchart of The Center for Fiduciary Studies.
Dr. David Upton, professor of Finance and Department Chairman of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE), received his designation July 1. Holders of the AIFA® mark have successfully completed a specialized program on investment fiduciary standards of care, subsequently passed a comprehensive examination and met the designation’s education and professional experience prerequisites.
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Dr. David Upton, professor of Finance and outgoing Chairman of
the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Department, chats with My Lan Tran, Executive Director of Virginia Asia and Virginia Association, and Jackie Hudson, Immediate Past President of the Richmond Association of Business Economists, at the International Business Forum. |
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ANGELA WAITE JOINS FOUNDATION STAFF
Angela Waite has been appointed as the new Manager of Foundation Services and Financial Analysis. She replaces Sandra Avery who is now with a local engineering firm serving as the Director of Accounting Services.
Angela's responsibilities include working with the external audit firm of Mitchell Wiggins on the VCU School of Business Foundation
fiscal audit and maintaining the financial records of the
foundation during the year. She will assist the Center for Corporate Education, Insurance Studies, International Business and Real Estate & Land Development in their programs, conferences, and projects. Previously, Angela worked in the accounting department at the Village Bank and spent three years managing several retail bank branches for Wachovia Bank.
Angela grew up in the Hudson Valley area of New York and is a
graduate of Empire State College with a degree in Business
Management and Economics. She is one semester away from
receiving her Bachelors and Masters of Accountancy from VCU.
Angela and her husband have been in Richmond since 2002. She
participates in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and is
active in charity events sponsored by the Chesterfield Chamber of
Commerce. |
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RICHARD CHVALA NAMED CORPORATE
EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Richard J . Chvala has been named the director of
the Center for Corporate Education
in the VCU School of Business. Chvala has spent over 12 years in development and design of corporate training with such companies as Ethyl Corporation, Envera, Albermarle and Tredegar Industries. In previous positions, he has directed national and international sales and marketing strategies,
and he has developed and delivered strategy and leadership development programs worldwide for several FORTUNE 500 companies.
Chvala is a graduate of Michigan Technological University with a BS in Biochemistry. He earned a Masters in Educational Administration from Central Michigan University and completed the Executive Marketing program at Duke University-Fuqua School.
Chvala has authored several articles and is co-author of “Total Quality in Marketing,” a marketing text utilized by several business schools.
He will be directing the Center’s educational programs,
which include the Certified Financial Planners® and SHRM certifications.
He will also be focusing on customized corporate leadership programs.
He replaces Janet Allen who is moving to Wisconsin with her family.
For more information on programs offered by
the Center for Corporate Education visit the
Center's website |
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MBA
APPLICATIONS UP 25 PERCENT
MBA applications are up 25 percent, reports Jana McQuaid, Director of Graduate Studies. “We will not know about enrollment until after classes begin,” says Ms. McQuaid. “Our increase does follow a bit of the national trend, but is also due to a boost in our advertising efforts.”
Ads have been placed in
The Richmond Times-Dispatch inviting prospective registrants to come to informational meetings and become better acquainted with VCU’s MBA program. Also,
billboards have continued to appear on roadsides around Richmond advertising the program.
In recent weeks, there have been articles in prominent publications discussing the fact that men outnumber women in returning to MBA programs. “Our female enrollment is at 38 percent, which is well above the 25 percent average. We don’t do any targeting to women. I would imagine this may just be due to the demographics of the Richmond population,” says Ms. McQuaid. |
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10TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM OFFERED
VCU School of Business and Richmond-based co-sponsoring organizations will offer the 10th annual certificate program in International Business from September 4 to Awards Night on November 20.
Program leaders are Dr. Van R. Wood, Philip Morris Chair in International
Business, and George L. Hiller, J.D. an adjunct professor in International
Business.
Participants receive a broad–based view of what it takes to be
successful in international business. Each session covers a
specific topic. Many sessions are
taught off site at locations such as the
Port of Richmond, Universal Corporation, and Virginia Economic
Development Partnership. For further information on activities
or cost, contact Dr. Van Wood at
804.828.1746 or visit http://www.bus.vcu.edu/international/ |
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CARMA ANNOUNCES CONSORTIUM WEBCAST PROGRAM
The 2007-2008 Consortium Webcast Program will open September 28 and
continue through April 18. The program will
include 10 one-hour lectures on advanced topics delivered live by leading methodological scholars. The main purpose of the CARMA program is to allow faculty and students the opportunity to hear the latest methodological developments relevant to their research.
The CARMA program now extends to faculty and doctoral students in over 200 universities from over 25 countries, with participation either live or via the internet. For detailed information on dates, speakers or membership visit the CARMA website http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/carma/ |
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RIBLER AND MARKENA PASS CFA EXAMS
Two VCU School of Business Finance students have passed the Chartered Financial Analyst examination, reports Dr. David Upton, outgoing Department Chair of the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Department.
They are Daniel J. Ribler and Naren Makena.
Daniel Ribler, an undergraduate student, passed the Level I examination. “Those taking the exam often have masters degrees or are practicing professionals,” says Dr. Upton. “The pass rate for the exam was 40 percent (yes, 40%), so that this was quite an achievement.”
Satya Makena, a MS Finance student, also passed Level I. He currently works for SunTrust Bank as a
teller and continues as a full-time student preparing to graduate in December.
Satya is preparing for a career in investment management.
He has achieved the first step
in what he considers to be the “gold standard” among investment analysis designations.
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If you have News or Event information,
Comments or Questions about this Area,
Please email Fran Altman fealtman@vcu.edu |
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