Author: administrator

The Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business was deeply saddened with the passing of Paul Engler on May 3. Engler, 94, was not only a cattleman of the highest order, but also a philanthropist and supporter of higher education whose life and generosity has affected many in the College. He will be remembered for his giving spirit, as well as his wit, laughter, charm, and enduring desire to make an impact on students, faculty, and staff. In response to the influence he has had in the College, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in May 2022. “I find it both a profound honor and a solemn duty to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Paul Engler, a visionary whose name our college is privileged to bear,” said Dr. Amjad Abdullat, Dean of the College. “Dr. Engler was far more than a benefactor; he was a true pillar of wisdom, innovation,... Read more

Innovation is a critically important component of academia, and the faculty is responsible for continually attending to the curriculum to ensure its relevance. Courses are updated, renamed, and even completely restructured. New programs are conceived that meet the evolving needs of business and students. Nothing stays the same aside from the fundamentals in each business discipline; everything else, though, is in flux. It’s up to the faculty to stay ahead of the changes around them. To that end, the College of Business is pleased to announce the launch of a new M.S. degree in Strategic Human Resource Management this coming fall semester, the result of a core group of Management faculty who sensed the need, and then put their minds together to craft an entirely new program. The program is offered completely online, and comprises 31 credit hours. It is accredited by AACSB, and includes a prep course for the... Read more

It is an expectation of a tenure-track faculty member that they publish in recognized journals. The College of Business has collectively done an outstanding job in this regard, with scores of major publications in recent years. But journals do not just run themselves. They rely on academics to provide valuable professional service to keep these publications in operation, and, as is the norm, these efforts are unpaid. They are efforts of love for the discipline and the process, with activities ranging from editorial duties to peer review of articles submitted by other academics. Andrew Li, the Williams Professor and Professor of Management, has been among the most prolific among COB faculty when it comes to publishing high-quality articles, but he is also a major contributor as well. Li serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Applied Psychology. “The most important job that I perform for this journal is... Read more

The message of community service is one that permeates courses at the College of Business. It’s about making an impact, of giving back, of leaving more than one takes. Dr. Kelly McCauley, the Engler Professor and Associate Professor of Management, incorporates this ethos in her undergraduate Leadership and Teamwork (MGT 4337) course. Along the way, students learn the essentials of what it takes to lead an organization, but also efforts to do good things for the broader community. As a result of student efforts, more than $13,000 was raised for charitable concerns this semester. “Because of the title and course purpose, I decided that the best way to teach the course that matches the title of it is to incorporate a team project that is weighted at 50% of the course grade,” McCauley explained. “While many courses in the College include a team project, not many place such a heavy... Read more

The College of Business prides itself on reaching a growing number of Hispanic students, reflective of the university’s broader emphasis on being an HSI, or Hispanic Serving Institution. About 30% of our students are of Hispanic heritage, many of whom are first-generation college students in their respective families. In order to provide both a service learning experience for Hispanic students, as well as a support network, Leslie Ramops Salazar, Professor and the Abdullat Professor of Business Communication and Decision Management, founded the WT chapter of ALPFA, or Association of Latino Professionals for America. “ALPFA is a friendly career and leadership development student organization,” she explained. “Our purpose is to enhance the business and professional networking opportunities for our Latino students and any other students who seek careers in business related fields by empowering them by developing their leadership skills.”  She launched WT’s chapter in Fall 2016. “I wanted to launch... Read more

As if the expenses of university and life in general were not enough, there is another one that comes at the end, and often unexpected until it becomes painfully clear. That is the professional wardrobe that is expected in many offices. Suitable office attire does not come cheaply, and is typically not hanging in a typical college student’s closet. Yet they need to have at least a modicum of professional wear even before interviews begin, much less walking into the office for the first time. To help alleviate the challenges some students face in acquiring acceptable garments, one College of Business faculty member has helped provide a solution. Rahul Chauhan, the McCray Professor of Business and Associate Professor of Management has helped ensure that COB students are properly attired. “I have served as a faculty advisor for the WT Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) since 2016.... Read more