A Note from Desk of Dean Sarker

Happy Friday, Pamplin College of Business!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming Faculty Staff meeting today at 12:45. We will be providing lunch starting at noon, so please join us.

Additionally, I encourage each of you to attend Dean Russell's celebration and portrait unveiling in the atrium at 3 PM. We hope to see you there!

Saonee Sarker

Announcements

Gmail to Exchange Transition is coming.

On February 9th, 2024, the College of Business is transitioning from Gmail to Exchange. This shift mainly affects Gmail users, with no change for existing Exchange users. This initiative is a stride towards Virginia Tech's vision of a unified and secure communication platform, streamlining our digital framework. Navigate your transition smoothly with detailed guides and support at http://pampl.in/EmailMigration-Spring24. For personalized assistance or inquiries, the Pamplin IT Help Desk is ready to help. Visit us in Pamplin 2008 or submit a ticket at http://pamplin.help for support.

2024 Pamplin Awards -

The Pamplin Society is facilitating the 2024 Pamplin Awards, and we encourage you to nominate an individual or corporate partner you think is deserving of recognition by Pamplin and its fellow alumni, students, and faculty. The awards were created to recognize alumni and corporate engagement and contributions to Pamplin and our students.

The following awards invite nominations which will then be reviewed by Dean Saonee Sarker for final selection:

  • Rising Alumni Award – alumni within the last 10 years who have achieved distinguished recognition in their career and rendered service to Pamplin and/or Virginia Tech since graduation.
  • Mentoring Award – a distinguished alumnus who consistently embodies the spirit of mentorship of Pamplin students and/or graduates and those in their local community.
  • Ut Prosim Award – a distinguished alumnus who has rendered service to the community and demonstrated a proven track record in the spirit of Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
  • Corporate Ambassador Award – recipient is a company that has demonstrated ongoing support of Pamplin’s mission and its students.

The nominations will remain open through March 1, and we need your help! Please take a moment to review and share the call for nominations and this exciting opportunity to recognize efforts that are making a difference for Pamplin and our students. Additional information and the nomination form can be found here.

Appointment of Academic Director for Business Analytics (CBA).

The college wishes to appoint a current faculty member as the Academic Director for the Center for Business Analytics within the Pamplin College of Business.  The appointment, which will begin in August 2024, is a part-time, three-year appointment for a current tenure-track or non-tenure-track faculty member. The Academic Director will provide intellectual leadership and for the Center’s teaching and research activities.

Specific responsibilities will include:

  1. Working with the Center’s Executive Director in further developing the curriculum of the M.S. in Business Administration with concentration in Business Analytics (MSBA-BA).
  2. Encouraging the development of courses and programs that are consistent with the Center’s charter.
  3. Serving as graduate program director for the Center, providing academic administration and advising associated with the MSBA-BA program.
  4. Leading the interview and selection of students for acceptance into the MSBA-BA program.
  5. Participation in planning and delivery of co-curricular and extracurricular elements of the MSBA-BA program such as orientation, workshops, information sessions, alumni gatherings, etc.
  6. Representing the Center as needed on analytics-related committees and initiatives that arise within the college, university, and greater academic community. 
  7. Working with Pamplin faculty to develop partnerships with Virginia Tech units beyond Pamplin that result in greater research, funding, and recognition for the Center.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact the CBA executive director, Jay Winkeler (jwinkeler@vt.edu) or the current Academic Director, Dr. Cliff Ragsdale (cragsdal@vt.edu) by February 9, 2024.

Voices of Privacy Secures Victory in the 2023 Vega Digital Awards.

Voices of Privacy, the online initiative dedicated to highlighting current issues about information privacy, was recently honored with the Silver Award by the Vega Digital Awards. A first-of-its-kind initiative, Voices of Privacy was launched by the Pamplin College of Business duo to provide a platform consisting of videos and other resources dedicated to raising awareness, educating individuals across society at large about online privacy, and empowering them with the tools they need to successfully manage their future online privacy. Each webisode features Bélanger and Wertalik discussing different information privacy topics, including steps individuals can take to protect their information on different platforms – web, smartphones, and others. Read the entire article here: Voices of Privacy secures victory in the 2023 Vega Digital Awards | Pamplin College of Business | Virginia Tech (vt.edu) Their latest segment aired on Thursday, 1/11. It covered the New Year and resolutions to keep your privacy intact, as well as tips for a digital cleanse. I encourage you to watch it. 

Employee Spotlight

Each employee below has been submitted for this recognition by their colleagues. 

Venkatesh

Congratulations to Mahmood Khan for receiving the Dr. Patrick J. Moreo Award!

Dr. Mahmood Khan, Professor, Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Virginia Tech, received the Dr. Patrick J. Moreo Graduate Mentorship Award.  This award is sponsored by the University of South Florida’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in memory of Dr. Moreo and honors through supporting faculty mentorship and graduate scholarship.  The award recognizes faculty members with a demonstrated commitment to the field of hospitality and tourism graduate education and mentorship.  With almost fifty years in hospitality education, Dr. Khan advised 22 Ph.Ds., 16 Master’s thesis, and over 200 MS students in addition to being on several international doctoral committees.  The award was presented at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Research Conference in Miami, Florida, on January 06, 2024. 

From the Department: Congratulations to Dr. Mahmood A. Khan in the HTM Department on receiving the 2024 Dr. Patrick J. Mareo Graduate Mentorship Award. It's a significant achievement that reflects Dr. Khan's dedication to the field of hospitality and tourism, along with his commitment to mentoring students, is truly commendable. Mentorship plays a crucial role in shaping the future careers of students, and it's wonderful to see educators like Dr. Khan being recognized for their contributions. Awards like these highlight the positive impact educators can have on the academic and professional development of their students. 

Zhang

Social media/Press release for Nancy McGehee's TTRA APac conference activities from earlier this month:

Nancy Gard McGehee, R.B. Pamplin Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Co-Editor of the Journal of Travel Research, recently made several presentations while attending the Asia Pacific chapter TTRA (Travel and Tourism Research Association) conference in Seoul, Korea. Over 200 tourism faculty and graduate students from all over Asia were in attendance. According to McGehee, “It was a whirlwind trip of less than a week but a tremendous experience. It’s always wonderful to engage with colleagues, especially early-career faculty, and this was no exception.” 

 Activities included: 

The Keynote presentation of the conference, entitled: “Solving the Puzzle When the Pieces Keep Changing: Tourism Research During Times of Uncertainty.”

Service on a panel of women in tourism to discuss “Advice from Women Leaders in Tourism.” 

The first Asia Pacific Chapter Editorial Board meeting of the Journal of Travel Research.

Additionally, Professor McGehee made a presentation at Hanyang University entitled “How to Publish in SSCI Journals” to a group of over 20 PhD students in a class supervised by Hakseung Shin, Feiertag HTM PhD 2020 Alumni. 

Along the way, McGehee was also able to engage with several Feiertag HTM Alumni. “I’m so proud of the legacy of PhD students in Korea. We have over 30 PhD alumni who are active faculty throughout the country!”   

Venkatesh

Emily McCorkle featured in the Roanoker!

I am so proud of Emily McCorkle who was recognized with other young professionals for 40 Under 40 in The Roanoker. Her commitments in Pamplin Student Success, and her drive to serve community as the Director of Operations for Huddle Up Moms has landed her this acknowledgment. Pamplin is fortunate to have this inspirational leader! Link to the Roanoker Feature: https://theroanoker.com/magazine/features/40-under-40-Emily-McCorkle/ Link to Huddle Up Moms: https://www.huddleupmoms.org/

Submit staff and faculty for upcoming issues here: Tracidb1@vt.edu

Upcoming Events

Join us today for Interim Dean Russell’s Portrait Unveiling following the F/S Meeting!

The event will take place from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM in the Pamplin Atrium.

Mark your calendars for the Women of Pamplin Luncheon!

Open to all faculty and staff within Blacksburg and Falls Church Campuses Wednesday, March 20th. Inclusive to all women who self-identify! This event will be hosted by DEIB.

Business Horizons Career Fair

Pamplin Career Services is thrilled to share their Spring 2024 career events, the largest among them is their Business Horizons Career Fair, held on Thursday, February 1st from 10am-3pm in the Commonwealth Ballroom of Squires Student Center.

As you plan your class activities, please keep these dates in mind and help spread the word to your students. Additionally, they are happy to verify your students’ attendance to support class credit assignments.

If you are interested in receiving a copy of their weekly Career Connect e-newsletter they send to Pamplin students, please sign up here. Many faculty find it helpful to re-share to their students throughout the year.  You can view this week’s newsletter here.

For more events, check out https://pamplin.vt.edu/events.html

Committee Corner

For a full list of committees, http://pampl.in/Committees

Extra Items

Have you seen the University updates for staff annual leave plans?

Most university staff will accrue more annual leave hours. To mitigate the impact of the holiday changes, eligible university staff will see an increase in leave earned per pay period based on years of service. For university staff with less than 20 years of service, this will equate to an additional three (3) to six (6) days of leave per calendar year. Visit the staff leave page for additional details, including a side-by-side comparison of the old and new leave accrual plan for university staff. To view more changes, review the policy here: Policy 4315: Guidelines on Holidays.

Dean’s Office Kitchen Renovation-

The kitchen renovation in the Dean's Office is scheduled to begin on January 22nd (estimated date). The expected duration of the project is 4-5 weeks, depending on the demolition process. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions, please contact Kimberly Ridpath.

Did you know?

Trivia about Pamplin and Virginia Tech.

Each edition we will ask a question about Pamplin. This will include trivia questions, historical details, or current events. The answer will be published in the next edition.

Dec 15th: What was Virginia Tech’s first name?

  • Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College

Jan 5th: What is Virginia Tech rated top 6% of universities in the nation for?

Check back next week to find out…..