Dear friends,
Our homecoming celebration last fall marked the 10-year anniversary of the naming of the Carson College of Business, and many of you joined us to mark the occasion. How did 10 years go by so fast? Well—time flies when you’re having fun and witnessing students transform into confident business leaders who will contribute to society.
It’s been two years since I accepted the position as interim dean and nearly one year since I was confirmed to the role permanently. It’s a fantastic and rewarding opportunity to lead the Carson College of Business into its next decade and advance insights on evolving business practices with the help of alumni, donors, friends, and industry professionals.
We’ve structured this issue to feature many examples of how your dedicated engagement supports us in building a stronger future for our students.
Our cover story highlights alumna Jamie Kern Lima, founder and CEO of IT Cosmetics, philanthropist, and best-selling author. Lima was our guest at the college graduation celebration in Todd Hall and the keynote speaker at the WSU Pullman spring commencement ceremony. As a first-generation entrepreneur with global success, Lima’s strong message of empowerment was important for our students to hear.
Over the past year, other successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders helped us shape students’ critical thinking about business. The wisdom and career advice of Jeff Kearl, venture capitalist and former executive chairman of Skullcandy Inc.; Burtenshaw Lecture speaker John Oppenheimer, Columbia Hospitality founder and chairman; Hoops Tax Institute Forum speaker, Rep. Ed Orcutt; and several industry panelists are showcased in this issue.
I’m excited to share stories illustrating the positive influence of industry mentors who develop students’ professional skills in the WSU Vancouver Carson Coaching program and through marketing internships in the Carson Career Amplifier program. You’ll also read about the recently launched One Hanford Leadership Academy at WSU Tri-Cities, where our faculty are helping mid-career Hanford contractors prepare to handle executive-level challenges as the Hanford cleanup project progresses.
The pathways you make possible by sharing your expertise, time, scholarship, and financial support help us sustain and grow the quality of a WSU business education. I’m proud to announce our Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation was recently renewed for another six years. Our accounting program is accredited separately by AACSB, and that accreditation also was renewed, thanks to the leadership of accounting department chair Bernie Wong-On-Wing, featured as the Ted Saldin Distinguished Professor.
The Carson College of Business is an amazing place to be, and I look forward to your future engagement as we drive toward our goal of being the first choice for students seeking a business education from a Pacific Northwest university.
Go Cougs!
Debbie Compeau
