DEAN ’ S WELCOME
The 2020-21 academic year will be remembered for the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the world . As workers across the nation shifted to mask wearing and social distancing , educational institutions addressed the reality of remote teaching , working and learning . I am proud to say that our institution shifted to this new normal remarkably swiftly and our faculty and staff quickly adapted to meet the needs of our students during this transition .
Despite these unusual circumstances , the College celebrated record accomplishments over the past year . The Online MBA program was ranked among the best in the nation by U . S . News and World Report (# 25 , Business Analytics concentration ), The Princeton Review (# 26 ), and Fortune (# 35 ). The Online MBA also become the first in the nation to achieve Quality Matters Program Design Certification .
While the College ’ s programs were being recognized nationally , so too were our faculty . Wendy Tietz , Ph . D ., CPA , CMA received the prestigious 2020 American Accounting Association / J . Michael and Mary Ann Cook / Deloitte Foundation Prize in recognition of her outstanding teaching . Julia Levashina , Ph . D . was recognized for her research by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology ( SIOP ) with the 2020 Jeanneret Award for Excellence in the Study of Individual or Group Assessment . Economics faculty members Kathy Wilson , Ph . D . and Lockwood Reynolds , Ph . D . were appointed to the Ohio Economics Experts Panel to provide policymakers with evidence-based analysis of pressing public problems . Finally , in 2021 , I was honored to be recognized by the American Marketing Association , Marketing for Higher Education Special Interest Group , with a Lifetime Achievement Award .
The College also continued with its planned co-curricular activities in a virtual format . Of particular note was the 5th Annual CEBIpitch Competition where aspiring student entrepreneurs pitched their businesses for $ 20,000 . This year the event was introduced by Daymond John , founder and CEO of FUBU and star of ABC ’ s Shark Tank . Daymond also served as the featured speaker for the College ’ s Michael D . Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series in collaboration with the Better Business Bureau of Akron ’ s 101st Anniversary Celebration . These and other accomplishments are featured in this year ’ s 2020-2021 College Fact Book .
Deborah F . Spake , Ph . D . Dean , College of Business Administration