VIU and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute MBA Students Collaborate

MBA students from Virginia International University (VIU, Fairfax, Virginia) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI, Troy, New York) are collaborating on a joint research project. The project will culminate with the students presenting their papers to the LMI Research Institute during the spring 2008 semester and to the Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) at their 2008 International Business Conference, April 3-6.

Dr. Thomas Triscari, Jr. is coordinating the collaboration of RPI MBA students and VIU MBA students. Dr. Triscari is a Distinguished Visiting Scholar for LMI Research Institute in McLean, Virginia, Academic Director of Executive Programs at RPI, and a visiting Adjunct Professor for VIU.

L to R: VIU MBA students Mehret Aberra (Ethiopia), Dzhamilia Biialinova (Kyrgyzstan), and Teresita A. Trinchera (Philippines) take a break from a meeting on the RPI campus in Troy, NY.

Says VIU MBA student Mehret Aberra (Ethiopia) of the collaboration with RPI students, "We have all been learning so much together. We are increadibly grateful for this opportunity."

Professor Roger Powell Named DCMBEC “Advocate of the Year”

Professor Roger Powell, Chair of Virginia International University’s Business Programs Department, has been named “Advocate of the Year” for 2007 by the Washington, DC Minority Business Enterprise Center (DCMBEC). The Advocate of the Year is an award that is given to a person or organization that has used their influence to promote the services of DCMBEC to their network of supporters. The DCMBEC selection committee unanimously selected Mr. Powell as the 2007 award winner.

Professor Powell accepted the award earlier this month at DCMBEC’s Third Annual Award Gala in Washington, D.C. The entire VIU community offers its sincere congratulations to Professor Powell for his outstanding efforts and for bringing positive recognition to our university.

November 20 Thanksgiving Luncheon Draws VIU Community to Waples Building

More than 75 VIU students, faculty, and staff joined together to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving in the Waples building on November 20. The menu included the traditional Thanksgiving foods of roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, an assortment of side dishes, and pumpkin pie. 

Bayarjargal Battulga (Mongolia) leads classmates through the buffet line at VIU’s annual Thanksgiving luncheon on November 20. Many students had never tasted cranberry sauce before.

VIU ESL instructor Fatima Osipowicz began the noontime program with a short history of Thanksgiving and description of how the holiday is typically celebrated in the U.S. today. The buffet line then opened and the crowd enjoyed more than four large turkeys and all the trimmings. For many students new to the United States, VIU’s Thanksgiving luncheon was a first exposure to this most treasured American tradition.

VIU students enjoyed roast turkey and all the trimmings at VIU’s Thanksgiving luncheon. Says Akmal Soliev, (Tajikistan), right, facing camera, “I wish it was Thanksgiving every day!”

According to MMIS student Sevara Kholbekova from Uzbekistan, “I was excited because there were so many students and I had a chance to help out by distributing drinks.” Kholbekova adds, “Everyone had a great time and was especially happy to eat turkey and share Thanksgiving with classmates and co-workers.”

VIU’s December 6 Business Networking Mixer a Huge Success

Members of the greater Washington, D.C. business community came to the Virginia International University campus on December 6 for a VIU Business Networking Mixer. Says Sebastien Mortreux, Director of Marketing at VIU who helped organize the event, “We had a great turnout. Many of our business friends had never visited our campus before and told me how impressed they are with our facility and hospitality.”

Members of the Northern Virginia business community got to know one another and the VIU campus at VIU’s Business Networking Mixer on December 6.

More than 50 people attended the early evening event. “We were very fortunate,” says VIU Business Manager Tina Segismundo, who also helped organize the mixer. It had snowed heavily the day before the mixer. “If we had scheduled it then, we would have had to cancel. But on the 6th, the roads were clear, the sun was shining, and everyone was in high spirits for a wonderful evening.”

Fifth Annual Scholarship Fundraising Dinner and Auction Draws Rave Review

VIU’s Fifth Annual Scholarship Fundraising Dinner and Auction, held November 1 in Fairfax, Virginia, offered a spectacular evening of entertainment.  Says Ronald J. Hubbard, Chair of VIU’s Development Committee and host of the event, “We worked hard to pack a lot of fun into our fundraiser. I’m thrilled that the evening unfolded beautifully as we had planned and that everyone had such a good time.”

Aneesh Chopra, Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia, served the featured speaker at VIU’s Fifth Annual Scholarship Fundraising Dinner and Auction on November 1.

Guests were treated to a delicious seated dinner, a silent auction, a live auction conducted by a professional auctioneer, and a musical performance by solo violinist Dr. Rami Kanaan. The featured speaker of the evening was Aneesh Chopra, Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia, whose enthusiasm and optimism enthralled guests. The evening was capped off with a performance by Guillermo Verde, Cultural Attaché for the Embassy of Honduras. Mr. Verde is a performing artist in his home country and delighted guests by singing Honduran ballads in traditional cowboy attire.

Kim Riggs, VIU’s Development Committee Secretary and one of the program organizers, says that the evening was very special because of the great variety of entertainment. “We made sure that there was something to appeal to everyone in our program. The evening just flew by. It was a magical event.”