BIG NEWS: Marshall, WVU business schools moving WV Forward with transformational gifts, a new focus on talent and economic growth
West Virginia alumni Brad Smith and John Chambers know the importance of education in moving WV Forward. Both have stepped up to help foster economic growth with Marshall University and West Virginia University. Both announced major gifts to their business schools last week, aiming to keep talent in West Virginia while driving statewide business growth.
Marshall University announced that alumnus and Intuit Chairman and CEO Brad D. Smith and his wife, Alys Smith, made a $25 million gift to the university’s Lewis College of Business. As one of the largest in Marshall’s history, President Jerry Gilbert said the gift will be “transformational,” provide new and dynamic opportunities for current and future business students and allow Marshall to rework its business curriculum and build new facilities.
"The commitments Brad and Alys have made to Marshall over the past five years are changing the lives of our business students for generations to come," Gilbert added. "They are setting a prime example of career and philanthropic goals for our students."
West Virginia University announced the renaming of its business school as the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, after WVU alumnus and chairman emeritus of global technology giant Cisco Systems Inc. The agreement will provide WVU "significant financial and intellectual resources" in the form of a gift of time, talent and treasure to support a recently announced start-up engine at the college.
President Gee said, "I believe that the path to prosperity is one that requires a change in culture, a transformative way of thinking. The people who will move the state forward will be innovative and disruptive in an ever-changing landscape. They must be willing to fail and learn from those failures. I want us to fail in order to succeed."
Marshall University announced that alumnus and Intuit Chairman and CEO Brad D. Smith and his wife, Alys Smith, made a $25 million gift to the university’s Lewis College of Business. As one of the largest in Marshall’s history, President Jerry Gilbert said the gift will be “transformational,” provide new and dynamic opportunities for current and future business students and allow Marshall to rework its business curriculum and build new facilities.
"The commitments Brad and Alys have made to Marshall over the past five years are changing the lives of our business students for generations to come," Gilbert added. "They are setting a prime example of career and philanthropic goals for our students."
West Virginia University announced the renaming of its business school as the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, after WVU alumnus and chairman emeritus of global technology giant Cisco Systems Inc. The agreement will provide WVU "significant financial and intellectual resources" in the form of a gift of time, talent and treasure to support a recently announced start-up engine at the college.
President Gee said, "I believe that the path to prosperity is one that requires a change in culture, a transformative way of thinking. The people who will move the state forward will be innovative and disruptive in an ever-changing landscape. They must be willing to fail and learn from those failures. I want us to fail in order to succeed."