Dear friends,
I’m excited to contribute my first eDividend message since transitioning to the role of interim dean in July. Our former dean Chip Hunter, who led the Carson College for nearly nine years, has been appointed dean of Temple University’s Fox School of Business in Pennsylvania. We wish Chip well in his new role, and I look forward to building on the foundation he set during his tenure.
In this issue of eDividend, I’m pleased to showcase the many dimensions of innovation in the Carson College of Business. Our students continue to impress us with their innovative ideas and talents. As our recent 2023 Gen Z Spotlight Report shows, making money is not this generation’s sole focus for successful lives and careers; they are eager to do something that gives them a sense of purpose. You’ll see this mentality reflected in our feature highlighting some award-winning concepts our students presented in this year’s Business Plan Competition. Their web platforms and mobile apps improving campus safety, foster care resources, and non-emergency transportation businesses demonstrate a strong commitment toward using technology for social good.
Our feature on undergraduate Felicia Adesope also aligns with this theme. She’s researching how social media and technology correlate to an increase in mass shootings. Her work aims to provide social media and technology companies with best practices to help law enforcement detect threats of mass shootings before attacks occur.
As a college, we continually explore the value of technological innovation in our teaching and research efforts. Our WSU Entrepreneurship Skills and Knowledge Accelerator (WESKA) feature emphasizes the growth of this program designed to help graduate students from nonbusiness disciplines grow their knowledge of core entrepreneurial concepts. Many of their entrepreneurial ideas relate to technology for social good, as you’ll see in the WESKA feature referencing program participants who launched BioNutra, a successful nutrition business in Tanzania.
Our faculty research feature examines how inventors can affect a company’s innovation following a product failure. Amrita Lahiri found that inventors with more collaborative strength and a long tenure within a company are likely to reduce the propensity of drug innovation following failure, whereas those with low tenure increase it. This is but one example of how faculty are creating new knowledge about processes of innovation in organizations.
We remain focused on equipping graduates with marketable skills that bring value to businesses and communities in Washington state and the world. Our feature on alumna Carter (Marks) Wiggins highlights how our quality programming helped her build a career in Napa Valley’s wine industry. Executive MBA alumnus Jason Hostetter’s story illustrates the leadership and innovation he brings to the Pennsylvania’s electric and power industry.
I look forward to working with you to ensure our programs are highly sought after and continue to prepare our students for the increasingly complex and evolving world of business.
Go Cougs!
Debbie Compeau, Interim Dean