Every organization must innovate in order to remain competitive and relevant. At its best, innovation is about building on the organization’s strengths to do something new or improve on what is already being done. In the College of Business, we aim to practice innovation daily as we seek to continuously improve our academic programs, our service to students, and our engagement with our alumni and the community. Indeed, AACSB International – the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business – includes innovation as one of three pillars upon which accreditation rests (the other two are impact and engagement). This edition of the Business Bulletin highlights various ways in which innovation is occurring in and around the College of Business.
We are happy to feature Hannah Padgett, one of our finance undergraduate students, who owns Twin Lakes Stable. There is no doubt that Hannah understands the value of innovation as she has built her stables into a thriving business. As we find with many of our students, Hannah brings a unique perspective to our classrooms as she studies business and explores ways to enhance her career. In our Faculty Spotlight, we feature one of Hannah’s professors, Dr. Xuejing Xing. Dr. Xing, Associate Professor of Finance, has been at UAH since 2007. Dr. Xing is an excellent example of our faculty who bring insights into the theory and practice of business.
The College of Business continues to appreciate the partnership with Boeing in their sponsorship of the Boeing New Business Challenge. I think you will enjoy reading about this year’s competition in which 12 teams of student entrepreneurs pitched their business ideas to panels of judges from Boeing. Having attended the presentations, I can assure you that the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship is thriving among our students. The top four teams were awarded a total of $13,000 in scholarships from Boeing and everyone came away inspired and energized.
This Business Bulletin also includes two articles about people who have recently taken on new roles that will be important to the future of the University and the College of Business. First, we introduce Rigved Joshi, who has joined UAH as the Director of the Dorothy S. Davidson Invention to Innovation Center (I2C). As the University prepares to break ground for the high tech business incubator in July, Mr. Joshi will begin working functionally within the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, but physically in the Business Administration Building (BAB), to develop plans and policies for the D.S. Davidson I2C. Joshi will have a front-row seat from which to oversee the construction of the building, which will be adjacent and connected to the BAB. Rigved brings a wealth of experience in the venture capital and private equity industries. We look forward to the close relationship that will emerge between the I2C and the College of Business as we collaborate to engage students, faculty, and the community in innovation, new ventures, and entrepreneurship.
We also introduce Dr. Ivey MacKenzie and Dr. Wafa Orman, who were selected as the college’s new associate deans in March. In his role as Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Sponsored Projects, Dr. MacKenzie will oversee our seven graduate degree programs – our MBA, and masters degrees in Accounting, Business Analytics, Cybersecurity, Human Resource Management, Information Systems, and Supply Chain Management. We have been doing quite a bit of behind-the-scenes work among the faculty to sharpen the focus of our graduate programs to serve the needs of current and aspiring business professionals. Dr. MacKenzie’s continued leadership will help us expand the reach and enhance the reputation of these programs. Dr. Orman is responsible for overseeing our undergraduate programs. Her priorities are focused on engaging students in curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities that will help them succeed in our programs and prepare them for the competitive global marketplace. As someone who is very student-focused, her leadership will help our college be a destination for students who seek a high quality business education that prepares them to be successful business professionals in today’s technology rich environment.
As we focus on bringing innovative programs to our students and community, we appreciate your continued interest in the College of Business. We are proud of our faculty, alumni, and students and their impact in the community and on society. We look forward to sharing more examples of this impact in future editions of the Business Bulletin.
Warm regards,
Jason T. Greene
Dean, College of Business Administration
