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June 22: The Pamplin Pulse

The force multiplier effect: Research advancing the human condition

Dear Pamplin community, 

It is hard to believe this is my last Pulse as dean. I am proud to see Pamplin continuing its mission and improving to realize our vision for the college.

Our efforts will continue to be catalyzed by our plans, including Pamplin’s Pillars: improving the human condition, bolstering the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, leveraging business intelligence and analytics, and furthering security, privacy, and trust.

I hope you find it as exciting as I do to witness academic programing, experiential learning, and research that crosscuts multiple disciplines and improves society.

One such example is the research of Viswanath (Venki) Venkatesh that is transforming the health and financial wellness of rural communities in India, with a particularly positive impact on women. Venki is an eminent scholar, Verizon Chair of Business Information Technology, and director of the Executive Ph.D. program. He presented his U.N.-recognized research at my last Pamplin Advisory Council meeting in April. I am pleased to share his presentation in the video above as well as a link to the full presentation.

In the coming months, Pamplin will highlight many more examples of impactful work from faculty, students, and alumni improving the world around us.

Thank you for your extraordinary support of Pamplin. I hope you and your families enjoy a safe and relaxing summer.

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    Pamplin student racing toward success
    Pamplin student racing toward success , article

    To paraphrase the character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell from the quintessential 1980s film “Top Gun,” Daniel Silvestri “feels the need—the need for speed!” Or, perhaps it would be more appropriate to use a quote from another Tom Cruise movie, “Days of Thunder,” which featured the actor in the role of a professional racecar driver.

Upcoming Events

Register for the Pamplin Society Signature Event on June 23

Join Pamplin alumni and friends at the Pamplin Society's Signature Event on June 23 from 4–6 p.m. at the Virginia Tech Executive Briefing Center in Arlington.

Guest speakers include:

  • Michael Robinson '85, Executive Director and Complex Manager, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
  • Kim Shanahan '93, President and CEO, accelHRate
  • Doug Wagoner '90, President and CEO, LMI

These leaders will share insights on the business sector, how they got to where they are today, and their perspective on what lies ahead in their fields around the future of work, including diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the workplace, and the great resignation. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, network with like-minded professionals, and learn about growing industry trends.

This will be the Dean Robert Sumichrast’s last Pamplin event before his retirement, so we hope you'll join us to celebrate!

Register Today>>

Master of Information Technology Online Information Session on June 28

Learn more about Virginia Tech's 100 percent online Master of Information Technology program. The #3 nationally ranked program is designed to provide maximum flexibility for working professionals. This session will cover the full degree program and graduate certificate options, tuition, admissions, and more.

Register Today>>

Pamplin in the News & Notes

Select recent appearances of Pamplin College of Business faculty, students, and alumni in the news, as well as recent announcements and college notes.

Did you catch Dean Sumichrast’s retirement tribute video?

View well wishes from university members and Pamplin alumni for Dean Robert Sumichrast who will retire on July 1, 2022. Many thanks to Tribute for their production of the video

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