Pamplin Dean Richard E. Sorensen commended by Virginia General Assembly
Pamplin College of Business dean Richard E. Sorensen was formally honored in the Virginia State Capitol recently with a joint resolution of commendation by the Virginia General Assembly.
When he retires in July, Sorensen will have served as a business dean for 40 years — 31 years at the Pamplin College and nine at Appalachian State University.
Shortly after the General Assembly convened on Thursday, Jan. 31, Del. Joseph Yost, the patron of House Joint Resolution No. 583, was granted the floor. Yost spoke of Sorensen’s accomplishments at Virginia Tech and the many contributions he has made to business education in the state and the nation and abroad.
Sorensen, who was seated in the gallery, was invited to stand during Yost’s remarks. At the conclusion of Yost’s address, Sorensen received a rousing ovation from all present in the House of Delegates chamber.
A framed copy of the resolution will be presented to Sorensen, and another will be sent to the Pamplin College for permanent display.
Expressing his appreciation for the recognition, Sorensen said the occasion provided a reminder of the number of delegates he knows well. “I am deeply honored. It has been a privilege to serve Virginia Tech and the commonwealth all these years.”
Under Sorensen’s leadership, the Pamplin College expanded student enrollments and academic programs; developed new international, leadership, ethics, and diversity programs; created new advising and career services for students and outreach services for businesses; and completed two major fundraising campaigns that exceeded their goals.
Sorensen, a native of Castleton Corners, Staten Island, earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (now Polytechnic Institute of New York University), and an MBA and a Ph.D. in management at the New York University Stern Graduate School of Business.
The event was part of the annual “Hokie Day” at the General Assembly, organized by the Alumni Association, the Office of Government Relations, and the Student Government Association.
House of Delegates Chamber
Pamplin College of Business Dean Richard E. Sorensen stands in the gallery of the House of Delegates Chamber during Del. Joseph Yost's remarks commending the dean on his long career and service to the commonwealth.
