Pamplin College of Business celebrates its 50th
Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and the college will kick off a yearlong series of events, displays, and publications marking the milestone with a reception this Friday.
President Timothy Sands and other senior university officials will be among the special guests at the Jan. 30 event at 2 p.m. in the atrium of Pamplin Hall. The reception is open to the university community and the public. Refreshments will be served; a short video shown that was produced by PRISM, Pamplin’s social-media student team; and small souvenirs given away to students.
“Pamplin has made great progress in these 50 years,” said Pamplin Dean Robert Sumichrast. “We invite everyone to join us in celebrating our rich heritage of accomplishments in advancing the state of business knowledge, giving generations of students an excellent education that helps them become more productive citizens, and promoting economic development through service to the business community.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with a visual and interactive installation in the Pamplin atrium. The installation, comprising banners wrapped around pillars in the atrium, features text and photos related to college milestones, business buzzwords, and significant events in the business world from each of the past five decades.
Viewers can access more information about the topics on display and interact with some of the content by downloading the Layar augmented reality app on their smart phones and aiming their phones at portions of the banners.
Other activities for the year include a panel discussion by several recent Pamplin alumni, who will talk about their successful transition from college to career; an anniversary-themed effort by Pamplin faculty, staff, and students at the Big Event; and anniversary-themed activities during summer orientation for Pamplin freshmen, the September Business Horizons career fair, and Pamplin’s October tailgate.
The college’s spring magazine will be a special 24-page issue that will include profiles of alumni from each of the five decades and faculty perspectives on significant developments during the past 50 years in such areas as accounting, technology, finance, hospitality, management, and marketing that have changed consumer quality of life as well as business and management practice.
Anniversary commemorations will conclude in December with a faculty and staff luncheon and a black-tie gala that will bring together Pamplin alumni and friends, students, faculty and staff, and various state and local dignitaries to celebrate the college’s history and future.
For more information on these and other anniversary activities, please visit the college’s 50th anniversary website and the college and university calendar.
