Dean's message

Pamplin Dean Robert Sumichrast
Robert Sumichrast

Pamplin has set high goals in the plan it adopted a few months ago. Now we need to work hard and make changes to achieve those goals. In this issue, you can read about some of what we have already accomplished, such as our improved advising and career services for students. We are also striving to reduce class sizes and bring more alumni and other business leaders into classes to provide a broader education for Pamplin students.

Experiential education

You can see examples of our students learning beyond classes in Innovate — our expanded learning community for entrepreneurs — and other activities of the Apex Systems Center. You will find a year-long analytics project for a company as part of the requirements in the new graduate degree program we are creating for students with business and technical backgrounds.

Support for success

We also want mentoring to be an important part of the experience students have on our campus. Pamplin has several forms of mentoring available — some formal and some informal. One of our most successful programs is called PUMP, for Pamplin Undergraduate Mentoring Program. The program is entirely voluntary — we use as mentors recent Pamplin alumni and also current students who have been through the program. Two years ago, the program comprised 112 mentors and mentees. That number increased last year and exceeds 400 this year. The program’s value is reflected not only in the increased academic success of its mentees but also in the stories its alumni tell about their experiences.


Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business Magazine Fall 2015

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