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June 23: The Pamplin Pulse

Dean Sumichrast on Reunion Weekend 2021

June has been a month of reconnection for many as things open up more and many of us are seeing family and friends for the first time in a long while. Here at Virginia Tech, we celebrated Virginia Tech’s Reunion Weekend 2021. While still a virtual reunion, we asked our alumni from class years ending in 1’s and 6’s and 0’s and 5’s to register and join us for a blend of synchronous live events and asynchronous panel discussions. I hope you if you are in a reunion year that you take a moment before we head into July to reach out to a classmate that you have not talked to in a while to reminisce about student experience when you were here at Virginia Tech and to think about the impact your Pamplin education has had on your careers.

The Pamplin College of Business commemorated Virginia Tech Reunion 2021 with a virtual Hokies on Wall Street panel, featuring some of our Pamplin leaders in Finance who were also celebrating their own reunion milestones with Tom Clark, Pat Kelly, Michael Robinson, Christina Todd. It was moderated by Hance West. This dialogue with senior business leaders examined predictions from a year ago and offered insights centered on the impact of COVID-19 and what the next cycle might be for our financial markets and the economy. We look forward to an in-person Hokies on Wall Street in 2022.

Another virtual panel, the 100 Years of Women at Virginia Tech, featured Pamplin alumna Tracy Castle-Newman, the managing director at Morgan Stanley in Institutional Equity Sales. Beyond her responsibilities at Morgan Stanley, Tracy has spent time elevating women’s profiles both internally and externally. She has been recognized by many organizations and publications, including Worth Power 100 and Crain’s Most Notable Women on Wall Street.

Both programs are available for viewing, and I encourage you to use the links provided above to view them and reach out to classmates to join you.

Looking ahead, we look forward to welcoming students back for in-person classes in the fall and we hope that many of you, as alumni, will visit Blacksburg this summer and this fall. With that being said, we will be still offering virtual ways to engage with us as Hokies are everywhere.
This has been one of the most challenging times in our history as a university. I want to thank the many of you who supported us with your gifts this past year to help us keep offering a great education for our students.

Because of your generosity, we have been able to expand the undergraduate teaching assistant program we call Engage, as well as continue to move forward with the construction of the first building in the Global Business and Analytics Complex (GBAC). Even with a limited student population, the campus is bustling with activity.

In this issue of the Pulse, you can read about the Virginia Tech Real Estate degree’s special advising offerings. We are very proud that this #3 ranked degree program is housed in Pamplin. You can also read more about Mary McVay’s generous support of the Global Business and Analytics Complex and the generous challenge she is offering for a 1:1 match up to $1 million. And for our recruiters, sponsorships for the Pamplin Engage Program are available for the upcoming academic year.

Thank you again for your dedication to the Pamplin College of Business. I look forward to seeing all of you again very soon and I hope that you all have a wonderful summer.


Top Story



  • Article Item
    Real Estate Program, JBG Smith aspire to remove barriers for minority students
    Real Estate Program, JBG Smith aspire to remove barriers for minority students , article

    “The ‘Real’ Path to C-Suite Opportunities,” a four-part workshop held during the 2020-21 academic year, was created to help remove obstacles – such as the lack of corporate connections – facing minority students interested in careers in real estate. The workshops were the product of a collaboration between the Program in Real Estate, KCDG Inc., and real estate investment trust JBG Smith.


  • Article Item
    Global pandemic doesn’t slow down the E-Club
    Global pandemic doesn’t slow down the E-Club , article

    The spring semester offered many challenges for student organizations. One of the organizations forced to make adjustments was Entrepreneurship Club at Virginia Tech. Amid the pandemic, the club provided over 30 engaging events to their members while keeping them safe by following COVID-19 guidelines. One of those events was a virtual trek to Spain.


Did You Know?
That the Global Business and Analytics Complex, when completed, will contain over 350,000 gross square feet of space in four buildings, two academic buildings
and two living/learning residential buildings?


Global Business and Analytics Complex building construction underway

See the construction of the Data and Decision Sciences Building, the first structure of the multi-building project known as GBAC, in real-time with the most recent time-lapse image.


Homecoming 2021

Save the Date

The Pamplin College of Business will hold its 2021 Homecoming on Saturday, September 25. Make sure to read the August Pamplin Pulse for more information!

October 11-16
Virginia Tech will mark Homecoming 2021 October 11-16 with activities for students, alumni, and friends. The week-long celebration will culminate when the Hokies face off against Pittsburgh on October 16.

Bookmark the link below for future updates on events and to learn more.