Robert T. Sumichrast is the former

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of the

Pamplin College of Business The R.B. Pamplin College of Business (commonly known as Pamplin College of Business or Pamplin), is Virginia Tech's business school. Founded in 1965, it has more than 41,000 alumni. The current Dean is Robert Sumichrast. In 1986 the college was ren ...

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

Academic career

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

Sumichrast began his career as an assistant professor of management science at Virginia Tech in 1984. After 6 years, he rose to associate professor, and then a professor of management science and information technology in 1996. Sumichrast was named the associate dean of graduate and international programs at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business in 1998.

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

After nearly twenty years at Virginia Tech, Sumichrast left to become the dean of the

E.J. Ourso College of Business The E. J. Ourso College of Business is Louisiana State University's business school and was established originally in 1928 as the College of Commerce. It is located in the Louisiana State University Business Education Complex. History As earl ...

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

in 2003. During this time Sumichrast expanded their international programs and increased development efforts.

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

In 2007, Sumichrast became the dean of the

Terry College of Business The C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry College of Business is a constituent college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. The business college offers undergraduate programs, MBA programs, specialized master's programs and ...

at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

. During this time Dr. Sumichrast increased research programs, expanded alumni relations, and led efforts to fund a new classroom building and meeting space. In 2008, Sumichrast presented alongside

Steve Forbes Malcolm Stevenson Forbes Jr. (; born July 18, 1947) is an American publishing executive and politician who is the editor-in-chief of ''Forbes'', a business magazine. He is the son of longtime ''Forbes'' publisher Malcolm Forbes and the grandso ...

at the Georgia Economic Outlook luncheon, warning of three recession triggers. In 2011, Sumichrast was appointed to the board of directors of the

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

In 2013, Sumichrast returned to Virginia Tech to serve as Dean for the

. Since coming to Virginia Tech, Sumichrast implemented the Innovate Entrepreneurial Living Community, established the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, increased the amount of furniture available in public spaces around Pamplin Hall, and managed the college's response to controversies surrounding the Finance Department's BB&T Distinguished Lecture Series. Sumichrast also chaired the Doctoral Education Task Force of the

, which published “The Promise of Doctoral Education” in 2013. In the strategic plans for 2014–2019, Sumichrast laid out the framework for the construction of Pamplin College's Business Learning Community. The GBAC will grow the college's footprint on campus, while establishing collaborative spaces, growing the three college centers, and developing a residential community. In 2016, Virginia Tech announced plans for the construction of a new Global Business and Data Analytics Complex. The Distinguished Lecture Series, established in 2007 with a $1 million gift from BB&T Charitable Foundation, features an invited speaker each semester discussing the foundations of capitalism and freedom. Announcement of the March 2016 speaker,

Charles Murray Charles Murray may refer to: Politicians *Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore (1661–1710), British peer *Charles Murray (author and diplomat) (1806–1895), British author and diplomat *Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore (1841–1907), Scotti ...

, sparked campus protests. Sumichrast decided not to disinvite Murray or cancel the lecture. Addressing protestors' concerns, he transferred responsibility for speaker invitations from finance professor and program director Douglas Patterson to a newly formed committee, hosted a two-hour Teach In with students and faculty members, and arranged for a publicly funded counter-lecture. In May 2016, Sumichrast's statements concerning an alleged speaking invitation and disinvitation to Manhattan Institute senior fellow and Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley garnered controversy. Following clarifying statements from the lecture series committee - its selected speaker for the fall lecture was Harvard economics professor

Robert Barro Robert Joseph Barro (born September 28, 1944) is an American macroeconomist and the Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Barro is considered one of the founders of new classical macroeconomics, along with Robert Lucas, J ...

- Sumichrast and Virginia Tech President Tim Sands apologized for the misunderstanding and invited Riley to speak at the university at a future date.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumichrast, Robert Clemson University alumni Purdue University alumni Virginia Tech faculty Living people Year of birth missing (living people)