December 2025

The ACIS Department hosted its 57th Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet on September 28th at the Inn at Virginia Tech, celebrating over $550,000 in scholarships awarded to more than 100 students. Over 200 guests, including alumni, donors, faculty, and families joined the event, led by student emcee Juliana Ivarone. The evening highlighted both outstanding student achievement and the strong community supporting ACIS. The department also hosted the 55th Annual Accounting and Auditing Conference, held in person at the Hotel Roanoke on September 29–30 and virtually on November 19–21. The event offered valuable CPE credit and featured 36 speakers, including ACIS faculty member Ryan Hamilton. Presenters joined from across the country and abroad, providing participants with a diverse range of insights on emerging issues in accounting and auditing. The conference continues to strengthen ACIS’s outreach and professional engagement.

The Blackwood Department of Real Estate remained busy this quarter, sending four students with Assistant Professor of Practice Jonathan Everett to CRETech, a commercial real estate conference in New York City. The fall career event saw a successful first-time partnership with the Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management as over 50 companies attended along with nearly 600 students. Three faculty members, Tom Mayock, Hainan Sheng, and Sherwood Clements, published research in leading real estate journals. Students also toured a Blacksburg parcel of land to support the season-long capstone class, and the Real Estate Club plans to visit the Clifton Town Center development project in Christiansburg through a partnership with Stateson Homes. Additionally, Department Head Dustin Read took six seniors to France to help lead a weeklong real estate seminar, and the department celebrated the retirement of its founding head, Kevin Boyle, in September.

The Business Information Technology Department continues to elevate Virginia Tech’s global research reputation. The 2025 Stanford–Elsevier global citation rankings once again highlight the university’s scholarly impact. Viswanath Venkatesh is prominently featured, ranking 295th globally for career-long citation impact and 43rd in the most recent annual evaluation among nearly eight million scientists. He is also ranked first in the field of Information Systems, reflecting BIT’s leadership and broad visibility in the discipline. BIT faculty continues to earn prestigious professional recognition. Alan Wang, The Arthur Andersen Co. Alumni Professor, recently achieved Senior Member status in INFORMS, an honor recognizing sustained contributions and leadership in operations research, analytics, and management sciences. Capping off these accomplishments, third-year BIT Ph.D. student Hassan Hessari has been selected to receive the 2026 Pamplin College of Business Doctoral Summer Research Competitive Grant, acknowledging his strong research trajectory and future scholarly promise.

The Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management had an active semester filled with academic and industry engagement. Ph.D. students showcased research at Pamplin’s First-Year Paper Presentation, while undergraduates attended the VRLTA Blue Ridge Chapter meeting and visited The Greenbrier for career insights. HTM 3484 students explored socio-cultural tourism impacts at the Blacksburg Museum, and HTM 4514 students collaborated with Real Estate peers on market data analysis projects. The department hosted its second annual panel, “The Festival Effect,” featuring regional event leaders. Students also participated in the Prosper Forum Accelerator, gaining hands-on experience in hospitality leadership. Faculty highlights include Nancy McGehee’s Fulbright Specialist work in Iceland and research workshops in South Africa, emphasizing global tourism perspectives.

This fall, the Department of Management advanced its mission through research, professional development, and global engagement. Faculty earned national recognition with publications in leading journals, highlighting expertise in strategy, entrepreneurship, and organizational studies. William “Bill” Becker was featured for his military background and values-driven leadership approach in the MBA program. Experiential learning expanded through a new internship partnership with the Town of Blacksburg, while professional preparation grew as students achieved Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified ScrumMaster credentials. Student leadership shone through Jonah Middleton’s role as Senior Class Gift Campaign co-chair. The department welcomed 79 students from Xidian University via the 3+1 global partnership and enriched engagement through the Day in the Life Speaker Series and Virtual Visit Series, connecting students with industry leaders and alumni.

VT Marketing Department’s Professional Sales Team delivered strong national visibility this semester, earning top finishes across multiple competitions. Highlights included finalist placements at the International Collegiate Sales Competition, standout performances at Steel City Sales Challenge, and podium results at the inaugural Global Collegiate Sales Competition. Marketing Advisory Board member and alumna Maurisa Potts earned two major national recognitions, The PR Net 100 and Marcomms’ Most Influential, for her firm’s creative impact and industry leadership. Professor Donna Wertalik received the DMAW O’Hara Leadership Award, honoring her contributions to marketing education, experiential learning, and mentorship across student organizations. Pamplin faculty advanced accessibility innovation through the Tourism Without Barriers workshop at Academic Building One, supported by the Pamplin Duo Grant and designed to shape AI-enabled solutions for more inclusive tourism and consumer experience.