Dear GWSB Community,
The George Washington University campus sprang to life this Monday as fall classes got underway and faculty and students began the serious business of teaching and learning.
The start of an academic year is always an inspiring time, holding all the promise of a fresh start, and this is an especially exciting time for first-year students who are just beginning their college careers. I share their excitement as well — on Monday, I started my first academic year as dean of the GW School of Business (GWSB). From the standpoint of GWSB faculty and staff, this time of year is important primarily because we’re getting back to doing what we’re here to do: advancing knowledge and educating the next generation of business leaders.
Last week I had the opportunity to meet with some of those leaders at a GWSB alumni reception. I was impressed by their accomplishments, and especially by their dedication to staying involved with the school and sharing their experience and expertise with current students.
As I’ve said before, I believe the key to success in fulfilling our mission lies in always putting the interests of the students first — and one of the most important ways we do that is by making sure GWSB recruits and retains the best teaching talent available from around the world.
I am proud to announce that we are adding six outstanding professors to the GWSB faculty this year: Jean-Noel Patrick L’Espoir Decosta, visiting assistant professor of tourism; Li Jiang, assistant professor of marketing; Vontrese Pamphile, assistant professor of strategic management and public policy; Bonnie Pierce, visiting instructor of international business; Katina Sawyer, assistant professor of management; and Dobin Yim, teaching assistant professor of information systems and technology. Please join me in welcoming them to our GWSB family.
Please also join me in congratulating our faculty who have earned promotions at the start of the 2018-19 academic year: Meghana Ayyagari, professor of international business; Heather Berry, professor of international business; Anglea Gore, professor of accountancy; Susan Kulp, professor of accountancy; Margaret Ormiston, associate professor of management; and Jorge Walter, professor of strategic management and public policy!
Our distinguished faculty is the indispensable component of GWSB’s educational excellence. Together with our dedicated staff, they also play a key role in helping the school leverage its Washington, D.C. location to develop and offer learning experiences that are available nowhere else.
In the run-up to the first week of the fall semester, I got a first-hand look at this type of unique educational programing when I had the honor of welcoming to campus the third class of the IFC-Milken Institute Capital Markets Program. Designed for financial executives from developing and emerging economies, this highly successful initiative is an eight-month, graduate-level certificate program, combining in-depth academic instruction on the U.S. financial services industry and interaction with private-sector investors and market regulators. I very much enjoyed learning about the program from International Finance Corporation Vice President and Treasurer Jingdong Hua, Milken Institute CEO Michael L. Klowden, and GWSB’s Philippe Delquié, associate professor of decision sciences, who will serve as faculty director for 23 program fellows from 17 countries.
I am proud we offer programs such as this — and, as you can probably tell, I am very excited that the 2018-19 academic year is finally underway. Let’s make it a great one for our entire GWSB community.
In closing, I want to let you know how much I appreciate all of the helpful suggestions I’ve received from so many of you. I hope you continue to share your ideas as we move forward.
See you around campus!
Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D.
Dean