Business Matters

Welcome. 

I am so happy to see you all here tonight. It’s an honor for me to celebrate the success you have achieved this academic year.  

Being among faculty and staff who are so dedicated to serving students and communities is a privilege. 

As a college, we are passionate about students, impactful research and strong industry connections. We are equally committed to innovation, collaboration and creativity. Our work has a purpose. 

Collectively, you see and anticipate the trends in industry, the university and society. You respond with expertise and inventiveness. 

You welcome collaborations across the university and industries that will make your work stronger, more enriched, and more beneficial to society. 

You are the reason the College of Business evolves, stays relevant and remains unique in its excellence. All of you know how to think, imagine and plan for what’s next.

You truly embody both our college’s mission and the university’s. 

Thank you for everything you do. 

Next week, we will award more than 1,100 undergraduate and graduate degrees to 1,077 students. 

Our students come from every county in Oregon, nearly every state in the country and from 23 countries around the world. 

We are so proud of these students. And we cannot celebrate you enough for preparing them for an exciting future.

You have done this in countless ways, both in the classroom and out. 

You consistently develop new programs, courses and certificates that all learners can use to advance their goals. That is a testament to your forward thinking. 

I am especially proud of the work you have done in the AI space. You recognize that AI is evolving quickly and that it’s critical that our students can navigate it in the workplace. 

From integrating AI into your coursework and projects, like empowering students to create their own chatbot, to making sure that students understand AI ethics, you have met this challenge. 

In partnership with Ecampus, College of Business online programs have been named number three in the nation. This makes our second straight year in the top five. This is a testament to your pursuit of excellence on behalf of your students. 

I’m proud to say that our online MBA is OSU’s largest Ecampus graduate degree. 

Each year, College of Business undergraduate and graduate recruitment teams interact with thousands of prospective students and applicants who are considering our programs. 

You are among the first people to tell future students our story and how they can create their own.

Students know that when they get to the College of Business they will have unmatched opportunities to excel and find support outside the classroom. 

This year, The Arch, our first-year academic support space, saw more than 1,500 visitors. 

Likewise, The Commons Peer Tutoring Center has offered personal academic support to more than 200 students.. 

Not only do students feel safe and supported in these spaces, our peer mentors get to build their leadership skills while empowering their College of Business community. 

While they are here, our students get unmatched, invaluable opportunities to gain real-world experience that propels them into the future. 

This year, our VITA program expanded with the help of a $1.46 million grant from the Oregon Department of Human Services. 

VITA-certified student tax consultants helped the program file more than 500 tax returns in 2024, saving community members nearly $150,000 in direct tax filing costs.  

Likewise, CAFE’s intensively trained peer mentors helped the center complete nearly 1,100 in-person appointments and nearly 40 presentations throughout the year. 

Because of your leadership, students are also able to be creative and practical in entrepreneurial spaces. 

This month, Solo Solutions and JENSA Wellness, both created through InnovationX, will compete in the Invent Oregon competition finals.

This year, InnovationX and our design program jointly launched the Design and Create Makerspace, a place for students to prototype and advance coursework.

In fact, our apparel design and merchandising programs were named among the top fashion programs in the country in Vogue magazine last month. Congratulations. 

We are also thrilled about the opportunities that SnoPlanks Academy will bring our students. 

With the help of our new Executive in Residence, Joth Ricci, this interdisciplinary project will allow students to incorporate the management of a popular outdoor gear company into their learning.

When students can participate in experiential learning, they distinguish themselves from graduates at other universities. 

Employers know this. 

This academic year, more than 100 employers participated in our in-person career fairs, and more than 50 in our virtual fairs. 

In addition, more than 40 employers came to speak in classes and career workshop sessions. 

Students also got to visit companies like Amazon, Nike, Wieden and Kennedy, Daimler and the Portland Trailblazers throughout the year. 

This year, more than 900 volunteers served the college through advisory councils, speaking in classes, serving on panels and supporting students at events. 

Our Career Success Center, advancement, events, IT, and facilities staff were integral to making these visits and events successful. Thank you. 

Work like this continues to strengthen our reputation in the state, region and nationally. So does the excellence of our research. 

In the past year, College of Business faculty published 14 papers in premier journals. Impactful publications this year numbered above 30. 

Our research expenditures this year amounted to $600,000, nearly double that of last year. 

Researchers in management, supply chain, information technology and data analytics are employing machine learning and large language models, studying a variety of applications of AI, and considering how AI can and will fundamentally alter the landscape of business.

Our Center for Data Analytics and AI engages directly with business clients to develop AI applications, using teams of student and faculty researchers.

In collaboration with the Global Hemp Innovation Center, the Center of Supply Chain Management and the Center for Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Business secured a $10 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture. 

These centers are working to create a sustainable, robust hemp economy in the region while helping project leaders center tribal needs and sovereignty. 

Internally, the Center for Advancing Diversity and Equity in Business will increasingly offer project management and consultation in tracking and promoting DEI in the college. 

The center will also continue to provide leadership and support as we implement our strategic plan and the University’s Diversity Action Plan in future years. 

Everything I have spoken about this evening amazes me because of your ingenuity and inventiveness. And these examples are just part of the excellent work all of you do in the College of Business.  

I am grateful to be here, celebrating these achievements with all of you. 

Thank you for what you do.