KINGSTON, RI – September 15, 2022 – The University of Rhode Island’s College of Business turns 100 in 2023, and the yearlong celebration continues Wednesday, September 21, with the lighting of Ballantine Hall and a student celebration on the Quadrangle. The evening will include a speech by Karen Davis ’82, M’93, a member of the Business Hall of Fame, who will address nearly 560 first-year students on the course, which has been redesigned to commemorate the college’s centennial.
For lighting, Ballantyne, the college’s home for the past 55 years, will be lit up like a theater on opening night, with blue and white ceiling lights, a quad of trees wrapped in blue lights, blue lights shining on the building and a 6-foot-tall blue “100” in the lobby.
The ceremony begins at 7:45 p.m. and will feature entertainment — a classic ice cream cart provided by Green Line Apothecary of Wakefield and music by guitarist Stephen Atlas, associate professor of marketing, and Grammy-winning musician Nate Jones ’15.
“The idea behind the festival is that after Valentine’s Day, it will be lit every night through May,” said Christy Ashley, Ph.D.’06, assistant dean of the college’s undergraduate programs and professor of marketing. We are going to use it as a beacon to bring alumni back to campus. One of the goals of the centennial celebration is to strengthen relationships with our alumni. We have many students who are very busy, but not overwhelming. We would love for you to come back and take pictures in front of the building or attend an event.
The College of Business was founded in Rhode Island in 1923 by Howard Edwards, then president of Rhode Island State College, as a leader in business, research and service in Rhode Island. Accredited by the Association of Advanced College Business Schools, the college today has more than 2,300 undergraduate and nearly 350 graduate students in 10 undergraduate programs, nine graduate programs, and three Ph.D. Specialization. In the year In 2020, the college launched its prestigious Doctorate of Business Administration program, and this fall it launched an undergraduate program in fintech in financial technologies.
“The motto of the College of Business is ‘business as usual’ because we mean business and provide a strong and sound business education,” said Shaw Chen, interim dean and Alfred J. Verrecchia-Habro Inc. Business Leadership Chair. “As we celebrate 100 years of high-quality business education, we are looking to build the college to respond to future questions, challenges, changes and opportunities for greater purpose and to provide customized, flexible and ongoing, sustainable and lifelong learning opportunities.”
For Centennial College, the General Education Department is well-equipped for first-year students who want to major in business. “Developing a ‘You’ Brand for Future Employment” gives students the opportunity to consider their values and what their place will be in the changing business world as they explore topics on artificial intelligence and sustainable development. Out of 670 first-year students, 560 are enrolled in the course.
“One of our pillars of Centenary is ‘Launching the Second Century of Impact,'” Ashley said. “And this course is about the future. The students are encouraged to be part of the present and tell their stories, but they are also encouraged to think about what will happen next.”
The students will hear from more than 12 different speakers about their business leaders and learn about the future of their industries and the role of personal branding. The speakers and topics give the students an opportunity to consider their own values and skills. Also, taking quantitative courses from college — such as calculus, accounting, micro- and macroeconomics — in the first two years allows them to broaden their perspective on business to see how their values and skills align with their intended major and career goals. .
The lineup of speakers includes Nishita Roy Pope, former director of Dell Technologies and founder of Tribal Academy and Worlddroo; and Margie O’Brien, director of Rhode Island’s Capitol TV. Among the graduating speakers were Alex Couture ’95, head of technical operations at Google; Idres (Lanre) Ajakaiye ’95, founder of 25 Bough Street Development; and Karen Davis ’82, ’93, co-founder and CEO of North Star Impact Group, who worked at URI for 14 years, including as director of college advancement, on Sept. 20 at Hasbro Inc. 21, Davis discusses how personal purpose leads to a life of influence.
“Karen is an important part of the history of the College of Business. Among other things, she designed Rhody the Ram for the last Ballantine Hall renovation fundraiser, and came up with the first Student Union Oozeball,” Ashley said. She is a dynamic speaker who has made a huge impact through philanthropy and social impact leadership at Hasbro, and we are excited to have her join us.
At the beginning of the course, the students are tasked with building a personal branding plan based on their strengths and values. All are equipped with skills in the Adobe Creative Suite as they create professional videos and use social media to reach a diverse audience.
To get comfortable with the tools, you’ll be asked to study business college students and create an Instagram story about them. “It also makes them more familiar with the people who have had an impact on the centennial and before,” Ashley said.
The course will continue to explore topics around artificial intelligence and sustainable development, bringing in speakers to address both areas. The units provide an overview of two important areas of business, and students consider how both influence the world of business and what this might mean for them.
In the classroom, students will have the opportunity to fine-tune their presentation skills with a semester-ending poster presentation in Memorial Union, where they envision their place in 2030 and use new AI-based software from PitchVantage, the college’s new AI-based software. It allows students to practice in front of an audience that gives them feedback.
“That’s another thing where they can see a valuable application of artificial intelligence for them,” Ashley said. But we know from employers and teachers that we are developing skills that are critical to their development.
Wednesday’s lighting is one of a number of events planned throughout the school year to celebrate the College of Business’ centennial, including a tent during the Rowdyville celebration, which is hosted by Alumni and Family Weekend before the URI-Elon football game. A speech by U.S. Senator Sheldon White House on Election Day, November 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Edwards Hall.
