Rusche College of Business

Get ready, Lumberjacks! We're just a month away from the most impactful day of the year — #SFAGivingDay 2024! On Sept. 18, our goal is to rally 500 donors from all 50 states to support essential campus projects and initiatives. What better way to celebrate our university’s birthday than by coming together as an SFA family. Your generosity, in any amount, will make a massive difference in the lives of Lumberjacks. Let’s build a brighter future together! #AxeEm #JacksGiveBack 💜🌲🎉 👉 gosfa.com/givingday24

Last year, Ryan Phelps and I created a study-abroad program ("Discovering Business") at Stephen F. Austin State University, and we led our first group of students to Costa Rica in August. You can read about that trip here: https://lnkd.in/gRp36m34. Last month, for the second installment of the program, I led 17 students (including 11 incoming freshmen) to Croatia. We spent time in Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik. In addition to several cultural activities, we visited four local businesses (Museum of Illusions, Etnoland, Stella Croatica, and Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik), spending time with the proprietors/staffers and learning about their respective business models and operations. You can read about our trip here: https://lnkd.in/gJ7ABW8t. Our Instagram page has loads of pictures and videos from our time in Croatia: https://lnkd.in/gD2Hnjt3. As was true for our Costa Rica trip, our trip to Croatia was a fantastic cultural and educational experience, for the students and for me. Travel is a wonderful opportunity to broaden one's perspectives, to increase one's cultural awareness and sensitivity, and to learn about the histories, businesses, and cultures of unfamiliar locations. Ryan Phelps and I look forward to spending more time with our students during the fall-course portion of the program, and we are excited about next summer's trip to Estonia and Finland. We sincerely appreciate all of the people at Stephen F. Austin State University who make these programs possible. Huge thanks, as well, to our fantastic local guide in Croatia, Kristijan Kovačić, and to our excellent trip organizer, Study Abroad Association (SAA).

I had the privilege of being the Speaker and Honoree for the Beta Gamma Sigma induction ceremony for the Spring semester at SFA. Beta Gamma Sigma fosters honor and integrity, pursuit of wisdom, earnestness, and service. This was truly one of the highlights of my career. Thank you to Dean Bisping and the faculty & staff that work so hard to teach and encourage these outstanding students everyday. Proud to be an alumni ! #AxeEmJacks #PurplePride