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Ajay Vinzé, the new dean of �鶹��Ƶ’s School of Business, recently sat down for an interview, discussing his vision for the school, his background, his thoughts on education and his Instagram account for his dog. He joined �鶹��Ƶ July 1.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 19, members of the School of Business Alumni Chapter, joined by Dean Ajay Vinzé, took time out of their busy schedules to give back to the local community. At the Food for Others warehouse in Fairfax, the group assembled hundreds of power packs of food for students facing food insecurity.

Long before COVID was a household word, Dr. Ajay Vinzé, now dean of �鶹��Ƶ’s business school, helped pioneer a collaboration with public-health officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, to help predict possible outcomes of various interventions as part of research on pandemic response. Vinzé calls this nearly decade-long partnership “a major part of my research and professional journey.”

Alumni share their advice to fellow alumni.

Brian Ngac and Nirup Menon, from the information systems and operations management area at the School of Business, were recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) located in Arlington, Virginia. This Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Grant was awarded for their proposal to develop a new experiential learning program that will engage students and companies from the Commonwealth.

The �鶹��Ƶ Board of Visitors (BOV) elected a new rector and welcomed four new members Friday, July 29, as part of the governing body’s annual two-day planning conference and meeting.

The School of Business recently welcomed nine new board members to the Dean’s Advisory Council. The council acts as a partnership between the school and business leaders in order to deepen the business community’s participation in the development of �鶹��Ƶ business students. Members of the council represent a variety of industries and provide a real world perspective that ensures the school’s program curricula meet current industry needs.

Alumni can play a critical role in the growth and success of our students as they begin their professional and career development journeys. If you are looking to get involved with �鶹��Ƶ and give back to students, the Office of Career Services has a number of opportunities for you to choose from.

Communicating effectively and being able to think on her feet are two ways Jordan Dockery has grown as a Student Ambassador at �鶹��Ƶ School of Business. Dockery, who is a senior studying marketing, says her favorite topic to discuss with prospective students is study abroad opportunities.

Hierarchy has its upsides and downsides. A pyramidical power structure works well for day-to-day decision making. But as the distance between the base and the tip of the pyramid increases, tensions between organizational tiers can create obstacles to reform. It’s a matter of “the unconscious dynamics of humans in groups and systems” rather than a deliberate response, says Renee Rinehart Kathawalla, a postdoctoral research fellow of management at �鶹��Ƶ.