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On September 27,
members of the College of Charleston’s most prestigious donor recognition group, the Bishop Robert Smith Society (BRSS), gathered on campus in the Alumni Memorial Hall to celebrate donors who have made significant lifetime philanthropic commitments to benefit the College. Among the donors being celebrated was local technology entrepreneur and philanthropist Noah Thomas Leask.
Leask, who is the founder of cyber operations firm, Ishpi Information Technologies Inc., recently gave the College of Charleston School of Business $1.92 million to establish the Noah Thomas Leask Distinguished Professorship in Information Management and Innovation — a grant that will fund a faculty position in perpetuity.
“We – at the College – are so thankful to Noah for his remarkable commitment to our university and our School of Business,” said College of Charleston President Glenn F. McConnell ’69. “This incredible investment in our supply chain and information management program will propel an already strong and growing program to new heights. In addition, it will further the College’s recognition in Silicon Harbor as an institution for talent, extraordinary research and technological innovation. This professorship does for the College what large tech companies and startups have done for the city — attract and develop the field’s best and brightest.”
After relocating to the Lowcounty from Washington, D.C., Leask made it a priority to contribute to Charleston’s national and international prominence, particularly as a technology hub. He quickly discovered that the economic and entrepreneurial vitality of Charleston was directly linked to its relationship with the College.
Upon further exploration, Leask determined that the College’s School of Business offered the most efficient, effective place to bolster technology entrepreneurism at the university level. Leask’s sentiment is strongly shared by Alan Shao, dean of the School of Business.
“Our strong ties to the Charleston business community paired with our desire to create the next generation of ready-to-work innovators makes the School of Business the premiere place for entrepreneurial learning,” says Shao. “Through his generous gift, Noah Leask will amplify the impact our students and faculty have both locally and around the world.”
Making a positive impact, particularly on the lives of those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, has been a driving force for Leask, who described his own personal story as one rooted in humble beginnings. By creating the professorship, the College will be able to further opportunities in the field of technology, which was transformative in Leask’s own career trajectory.
“On our way up, we believe that as you could give, you give,” says Leask. “We’ve always done that.”
The College commemorated Leask’s unwavering commitment to give back during the BRSS event, where his name was placed on the society’s recognition wall in Alumni Memorial Hall — serving as a reminder to all who pass of the exemplary donors who have generously invested in the College’s mission.
The School of Business Carter Real Estate Center has selected a prestigious team of students to take on the Real Confidence University Challenge (RCUC), a national competition where participants are given $1 billion in “play money” to invest in commercial real estate properties. The students who gain the largest return on their investments win the top prize of $50,000.
RCUC team captain, Scott Nord ’18.
Senior Business Administration major Scott Nord has stepped up to the plate to lead the College of Charleston team to victory. As a student athlete on the sailing team, Nord is confident is his leadership abilities.
The RCUC leader is currently taking a class on Real Estate Valuation Analysis with assistant professor Kenneth Soyeh, Ph.D., who also happens to be the faculty advisor for the investment competition. Nord says he’s looking forward to working with Soyeh because of his valuation analysis background as well as his understanding of Real Estate Investment Trusts.
Soyeh says he hopes the competition will give students a glimpse of what it’s like to apply lessons from the classroom in the real world, and believes their best chance at winning stems from how serious the students take the challenge.
“I want the team to treat the $1 billion dollar investment fund like actual money,” he says. “And I urge them to approach their investment strategy as the challenge calls for — with confidence.”
The team representing the College of Charleston will compete against individuals — a majority whom are graduate students — from 38 other schools. Nord, Soyeh and the rest of the CofC crew hope to leave with the $50,000 prize, which would be awarded to the university, and memories to last a lifetime.
The College of Charleston School of Business Center for Public Choice and Market Process has partnered with the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University to host the 2017 Weekend Exploring Liberty — a lecture series highlighting alternatives to government environmental and sustainability programs.
The event, which will be held Friday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 23 in the Wells Fargo Auditorium of the Beatty Center, includes speaker sessions throughout the day and networking socials in the evening.
Speakers include Gary Libecap, Ph.D., professor of economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Dale Matcheck, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics at Northwood University; and Randy Simmons, Ph.D., professor of political economy and director of the Institute of Political Economy at Utah State University.
The Center for Public Choice and Market Process is funded by BB&T and the Koch Foundation and is designed to advance the understanding of the economic, political and moral foundations of a free market economy. The Center supports the growth and development of teaching and research at the College of Charleston School of Business, while engaging students and the greater Charleston business community.
To learn more about or register for the event, visit: https://theihs.org/campus-events/weekend-seminars/markets-and-environment/
This October, the College of Charleston School of Business will host 100 of the top hospitality and tourism management professors in the world for the 36th annual International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) Conference.
The theme of the three-day affair is “The Living Laboratory” — a nod to Charleston’s booming hospitality and tourism industry and the learning opportunities that abound for those in the field who visit, live and work there.
The conference — which will be held from Sunday, Oct. 15 through Tuesday, Oct. 17 in the Beatty Center — invites hospitality educators at all levels to take part in a series of workshops and research presentations that highlight industry trends as well as teaching issues, tips and solutions.
“Charleston is the perfect place to discuss hospitality and see tourism in action because its beautiful beaches and resorts, iconic architecture, rich history and world-class restaurants attract millions of visitors each year,” says Wayne Smith, chair of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTMT) and associate professor of hospitality at the School of Business. “It’s the reason so many hospitality students choose to study at the College of Charleston and why organizations like ISTTE choose to host their largest events here.”
Smith and other faculty from the HTMT department plan to contribute to the Living Laboratory discussions, showcasing how the School of Business integrates its students’ educational experience with the local business community for a more holistic approach to learning. The College’s hospitality program is currently ranked 51st in the world.
In addition to representatives from the School of Business, other Living Laboratory speakers include former Charleston mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. as well as leading tourism experts from Australia, China, Ireland, England, Canada and France.
The Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will also participate and has partnered with the business school to help local high school educators attend the conference. Members of the Charleston CVB will co-host a hospitality training for local secondary school teachers on Friday, Oct. 13. All attendees will receive a scholarship to participate in the ISTTE conference.
For more information about the event, visit: http://www.istte.org/2017-conference.html.
According to impact investment expert Stuart Williams, founder and chairman of In Place Impact (and School of Business Impact Entrepreneur in Residence), people who innovate solutions for humanity and the planet will have the greatest wealth accumulation over the next 50 years.
As a continuation of its ongoing commitment to sustainability literacy, the School of Business has partnered with In Place Impact to host an event this Thursday, Sept. 21, that gives Charlestonians the opportunity to meet, discuss and learn from the leading impact entrepreneurs in the world who share Williams’ vision for the future.
“Here at the School of Business we strive to provide our students, faculty and the local community with opportunities to learn, grow and innovate,” says Alan Shao, dean of the School of Business. “I am honored to join Stuart and other global leaders in this discussion, which challenges each of us to think critically about the role entrepreneurship can play in solving 21st century problems.”
The Impact Entrepreneurship Panel, which will be held from 4-6 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Auditorium of the Beatty Center, begins with a presentation by Williams on how impact entrepreneurship can change the status quo. This will be followed by a speech on impact entrepreneurship in politics by the Honorable James S. Rosebush (founder and CEO of Growth Strategy, Inc. and author of the best-selling book True Reagan).
A panel of speakers including Bob Caruso (chairman of The SOCAP Group), Darrin Goss, Sr. (president & CEO of the Coastal Community Foundation), Jason Britton (co-founder and CIO of Work Capital) and Sergio Fernández de Córdova (private sector advisor of the SDG Fund for the United Nations) will then discuss how impact investing can improve communities and economies around the world.
The impact presentation and panel is free and open to the public. To learn more about the event visit www.impactinvestorsball.com/
This fall, the College of Charleston School of Business’ list of majors hit double digits with the addition of a bachelor’s degree in commercial real estate finance.
The major was developed to meet both student interest and market demand (30% of the United States macro economy comes from the commercial real estate industry).
For students inclined to pursue real estate law, commercial lending, valuation, development, investment banking, property and asset management, brokerage or similar fields — a commercial real estate major with a financial foundation is critical, says Elaine Worzala, professor of real estate and director of the Carter Real Estate Center in the School of Business.
“Majoring in commercial real estate finance might sound specialized,” says Worzala, “but our curriculum provides students with a well-rounded experience that not only includes real estate and finance but also investment, management, marketing, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, hospitality, planning, development, historic preservation, law and other courses in relevant, sought-after disciplines.”
The first of its kind for the state, and one of the only undergraduate finance-driven commercial real estate programs in the country, the major addresses a big need in the Lowcountry. Charleston’s growing population and tourism sector contributes to the desire for more retail, restaurant, office, hotel and other commercial spaces. And with large corporations such as Boeing, Bosch and Volvo flocking to the Holy City to set up shop, the demand for trained, talented commercial real estate brokers, asset managers, developers and lenders is nothing short of urgent.
A degree in commercial real estate finance from the School of Business prepares students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle challenges and embrace endless opportunities in an exciting, competitive field.
To learn more about the new major, click here.
This fall, the College of Charleston School of Business will offer a professional development program for individuals interested in launching or advancing a career in global logistics and transportation.
The Global Logistics and Transportation Professional Development Program is designed to provide the practical knowledge and necessary training to thrive in this in-demand field.
The program’s expert instructors have years of experience in both the private and public sectors, and use their local and national networks to help students connect with opportunities for success.
The training consists of four modules — each one offers five classes, concluding with an exam. The training modules include:
Course Information
Dates: August 28, 2017 – April 16, 2018
Meets: Every Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Tate Center for Entrepreneurship, Room 207, College of Charleston School of Business
Instructor: Kent Gourdin
Fee: $895
Enroll: Click here to register!
Our diverse and esteemed School of Business Board of Governors have decades of leadership experience in various industries, including real estate, automotive, finance, fabrics, food and beverage, defense and many other trades. This week, two Board Members added banking and cargo to the list.
Tommy Baker, owner and president of Baker Motor Company, has formed a new company to launch a local bank — the first to the Charleston area in over a decade. He has been working on the enterprise, named Beacon Community Bank, since 2016 and has partnered with some of the city’s biggest names in business to get it off of the ground.
The list includes banking executive Brooks Melton, who will serve as Beacon’s CEO; former Southcoast senior executives Clay Heslop and Craig Johnson, who will serve as CFO and COO, respectively. Baker even tapped his Board network for support, enlisting retired CEO of BE&K Building Group, Luther Cochrane; president and CEO of Litton Entertainment, David “Buddy” Morgan; and president of The Steadman Agency, Inc., Paul Steadman to serve as directors.
Gary DiCamillo was recently named CEO of Universal Trailer Corporation (UTC) — the nation’s largest specialty trailer company — where he has served on the board of directors for the past six years. Prior to joining the board, he was engaged to assist UTC with an operational and financial turnaround. Thanks to DiCamillo’s leadership and guidance, those efforts were a huge success.
His previous positions include president and CEO of Advantage Resourcing, chairman and CEO of Polaroid Corporation and president of Worldwide Power Tools and Accessories at Black & Decker Corporation.
The School of Business honored its newest Wall of Honor inductees, Rebecca Herring and J.C. and Alberta Long, as well as 2014 inductees Stan and Ellen Schottland, at its third Wall of Honor celebration on Friday, April 21, 2017.
Each honoree was nominated and selected by the School of Business’ Board of Governors for their “transformational and lasting impact on the School of Business.”
Rebecca Herring, associate professor emeritus of accounting, paved the way for today’s accounting program at the College of Charleston School of Business. Referred to as the “consummate advisor,” Herring dedicated her life to teaching accounting and ensuring the professional success of her graduates.
Read more about Rebecca Herring »
J.C. Long was an attorney, builder and entrepreneur who made a name for himself by developing the Isle of Palms with a vision to offer affordable homes for returning veterans and their families. Long eventually became the largest single property owner in all of Charleston County, including what is now known as the J.C. Long Building — the first home to the College of Charleston School of Business.
Stanley A. Schottland, former chair and CEO of American Packaging Corporation (APC), was an early member of the College of Charleston School of Business’ Board of Governors. Schottland stressed the importance of experiential learning, and established the APC Internship Program, which later evolved into the Schottland Leadership Award program.
Read more about Stanley A. Schottland »
Herring, the Longs and the Schottlands join past Wall of Honor inductees, Tommy and Victoria Baker, Guy and Betty Beatty, George and Dorie Spaulding, Bill Finn, Howard and Vicki Rudd, and Anita Zucker, who served as the event’s keynote speaker.
Distinguished Faculty Award recipients David Hansen, Yu Henry Xie, James Malm and J. Wesley Burnett. Also pictured: Jocelyn Evans, associate dean of the School of Business
Each year, School of Business professors are selected for their exemplary contributions in student learning, service leadership and intellectual advancements. This year, the honors go to four accomplished faculty members who represent the highest standards for teaching, service to students and the School, and research published in top-rated journals. This year’s winners are:
- Distinguished Teaching Award – James Malm, assistant professor of finance
- Distinguished Service Award – David Hansen, associate professor of entrepreneurship, and Yu Henry Xie, associate professor of marketing and international business
- Distinguished Research Award – J. Wesley Burnett, assistant professor of economics
Rudd Award winner Mark Pyles and Howard Rudd, dean emeritus of the School of Business
In addition, Mark Pyles, associate professor of finance and director of the School of Business Investment Program, is the recipient of the 2017 Howard F. Rudd Jr. Distinguished Faculty Award for Service Leadership.
The award was established in 2013 to recognize outstanding, high-performing business professors who lead by example and advance the mission and global vision of the School of Business.
The award is named for Rudd, dean emeritus of the business school, who taught at the College for nearly 30 years. It is the most prestigious faculty award given in the School of Business and the only one of its kind at the College of Charleston.
The selection criteria – measured over a three-year period – includes service leadership, teaching, research and business community engagement.