Dear friends:

As I complete my second term as PhD Program Director for the Carson College of Business, it’s time to reflect on some of what we’ve accomplished over the past eight years. Here are a few of the highlights:

  • 81 students graduated between 2018 and 2024 with a PhD in the fields of accounting, finance, hospitality and tourism management, management, marketing, management information systems, and operations and management science.
  • 78 of those students entered academia upon graduation, with most holding a tenure-track position as an assistant professor.
  • 14 of those students were placed at peer or aspirant universities (our target is two per year).
  • Students now take a required course on college teaching, which is rare among PhD programs across the country. All students teach at least one course while in the program, and most receive teaching evaluation scores that meet or exceed the college averages.
  • Students now gather every semester in the Peer Presentation Program to present research in front of other students and receive feedback.
  • Students can now earn a master of science in business administration while pursuing their doctorate. This degree not only rewards them for rigorous coursework taken during their first two years, but it also provides a potential degree path for those who cannot finish their PhD.
  • Due to the generosity of our donors, our Conference Presentation Fellowship Program awards students $2,000 stipends up to three times for presenting original research at conferences.
  • Salaries for graduate assistantships have been raised by over 40 percent since 2018.
  • Fifth-year funding was made more available for a number of students, which helped them publish more papers and secure better positions after graduation.
  • Many students have gotten opportunities to teach in the online global campus program during the summers.
  • Several programs have offered summer research grants to increase research productivity.
  • We have increased our recruitment efforts, including participation in the PhD recruitment conferences, information sessions for current undergraduate students, career fair attendance, and DocNet recruiting events.
  • We introduced the PhD Corner in the eDividend and Dividend publications. We hope these features have provided our readers with a glimpse into the lives, challenges, and successes of our PhD students.

PhD programs are vital for Research 1 (R1) institutions such as WSU, which are classified as having the highest level of research activity and doctoral degree production. Student research productivity equates to research productivity for our faculty and the university as a whole. I am proud of our student achievements over the years. Many of our graduates have gone on to publish impactful research, earn promotion and tenure, win teaching and research awards, and hold administrative positions—including Saonee Sarker, the current dean of the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech!

I’d like to thank the administration for trusting me to hold this position for the past eight years. It has truly been a highlight of my career. I’m very thankful for Alisha Booth, who became the first PhD coordinator for the Carson College and helped create the procedures for that position. Titus Nordquist has held that role since September 2019, and he has provided outstanding work in keeping the program running smoothly and implementing new ideas for improvement. He is our primary recruiter and admissions processer, and he has made my job much easier. I am also grateful for the faculty program coordinators. These seven members of the Doctoral Program Policy Committee have been a true joy to work with. They provide great ideas for the program, and they are always looking for ways to help their students succeed. Carson faculty overall have provided outstanding mentorship and have been big contributors to our students’ success. I greatly appreciate our marketing and communications team as well, who have helped us promote the PhD program and provided so much support for the PhD Corner.

Most of all, I’d like to thank the many students who have come through our program. They act as professionals from day one, embracing the dual roles of being a student while teaching undergraduate students themselves. They may not realize it with all the challenges we put them through, but it thrills us to no end to watch them complete their PhD journey. We love to observe their professional growth over four to five years, and we celebrate the start of their new careers after graduation. They represent the future of higher education. I think we’re in great hands!

Thank you, readers, for listening to our stories over the past eight years. I look forward to seeing the program thrive and grow in the future.

Chuck Munson,
PhD Program Director