College of Business

Dear College of Business Community,

It is a true honor to introduce myself as the new Dean of the College of Business at Cal State Monterey Bay. I am deeply committed to advancing our mission of student success, academic excellence, and positive societal impact.

My vision for the College is one of growth and distinction: an AACSB-accredited business school that is widely recognized in our region for engaged community partnerships, an entrepreneurial spirit, lifelong learning, and a genuine commitment to making a difference in the world. Together, I believe we can shape the College of Business into a hub of innovation, collaboration, and impact — a place where SurfacingLeadership is more than a tagline, but a shared way of learning, working, and serving.

I am especially grateful to those who have paved the way for this next chapter. I want to thank former deans Shyam Kamath and Marylou Shockley for all they have done to position the College so well within our community. I am also appreciative of our engaged board members for their steadfast support, and of the warm welcome I have received from faculty, staff, and the broader university community.

Looking ahead, I am excited to highlight several important initiatives. This fall, we are proud to launch our new Accounting Program, designed to prepare students for in-demand careers and professional certification. We are also introducing an innovative Agriculture Supply Chain Program to serve the vital needs of our region’s economy. In addition, we continue to build on the success of the Pebble Beach Scholars Program, which is welcoming its second cohort of outstanding students who will benefit from mentorship, scholarships, and unique learning opportunities. These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to providing students with relevant, high-impact educational experiences that connect classroom learning with the real world.

I come to CSUMB after 19 years at Chico State, where I served in progressive leadership roles and discovered the power of higher education to transform lives. My academic training at Florida State University in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management helped me become an expert in optimizing employee performance, work-life balance, and organizational effectiveness. Along the way, I have published more than 30 scholarly articles and taught courses in organizational behavior, human resource management, consulting, and negotiation.

What excites me most about joining CSUMB is the opportunity to work with such dedicated students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. Together, we will create a joyful college culture defined by professionalism, collaboration, and innovation. I truly believe that business can — and must — be a force for good in society, and I am eager to partner with all of you in advancing that vision.

Thank you again for the warm welcome to this incredible community. I look forward to meeting you, learning from you, and building a bright future together.

Warmly,
Dr. Suzanne Zivnuska
Dean, College of Business
Cal State Monterey Bay

November 2023 - COB Newsletter

October 2023 - COB Newsletter

Hello Everyone,  

Ag Jobs: Bringing A Greater Vision on Oct 2nd, 2023, was an outstanding event. It was held in the Otter Student Union with a record-setting attendance of over 400, with 335 in-person attendees and 77 on the live stream. The career fair was held outside on the patio afterward, with 164 students visiting with 20 employers. 

The 17th annual event is a collaboration between the College of Business, the College of Science, and the Grower-Shipper Foundation. Western Growers covered the cost of the food, which was a bountiful spread of green salad, deli-style sandwiches, and fresh fruit.

I’d like to thank the many people who made this event a success. Lisa Dobbins, Executive Director of the Grower-Shipper Association Foundation, led the event committee and did a wonderful job facilitating planning meetings, confirming speakers, and promoting the event. College of Business staff Morgan Steele did a fantastic job coordinating and overseeing the event, as did our marketing coordinator, Jennifer Andrew, with promoting the event. CSUMB Professor Sumadhur Shakya and Hartnell’s Shannon Bliss, Director of Agriculture Innovation and Technology, helped with event planning. Shannon and her colleague, Belen Gonzales Director of CTE-Workforce Development, provided transportation to the event for Hartnell students to introduce them to CSUMB and to get them excited for the next phase of their academic journey.

Dennis Donohue, Director of the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology, did a great job as Master of Ceremonies and Panel 1 moderator. The speakers on the first panel on Ag Tech / AI contributed thoughtful and insightful discussion and inspired students by casting a vision for technological innovations and the many career paths available now and in the future in the ag industry. Thank you to Panel 1 speakers Claire Delaunay, COO of Farm-ng; Romain Thibaux, Director of Machine Learning at Verdant Robotics; and Lee Vetsch, Analyst at Ospraie Ag Science.

The second panel on Ag Skills, moderated by yours truly, had four excellent speakers who encouraged students with stories of how their academic and professional journeys led them to their current positions in human resources, recruiting, and upper management in Ag companies. Much appreciation goes to our Panel 2 speakers: Juana O. Gomez, Executive Vice President of Human Capital for Frutura; Angie Martinez, Early Career and University Recruiter at Driscoll's; Laura Penera, Human Resources Director at Braga Fresh Family Farms; and Kevin Piffero, Director of Technology Development at Mantis Ag Technology. Two of the four panelists, Juana Gomez and Angie Martinez, were CSUMB alumni!

We are extremely grateful for the support of our CSUMB administration for Greater Vision. Andrew Lawson, CSUMB Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs provided an excellent introduction to the event with an overview of grant funding received by the university from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s NextGen program that will help launch a new mechatronics engineering program in fall 2024 and an ag business supply chain management degree in fall 2025. CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones wrapped up the event by expressing appreciation to the event organizers and speakers. 

Lorri Koster, President of the Grower-Shipper Foundation, provided closing remarks, followed by the Ag Jobs Career & Internship Fair. Thank you to Rhonda Mercadal-Evans and her team for organizing the fair and for the many employers who participated!

August/September 2023

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to Fall 2023! The campus has come alive again, with students moving in and faculty returning to campus. The buzz is always so invigorating, with lots of hope for a successful academic year. Unlike last year, we have a full complement of senior leadership in place led by our President, Vanya Quinones.  

The two themes are increasing enrollments and igniting the Otter Spirit to reinforce a sense of belonging at CSUMB. The second annual Otter Plunge held Sunday morning was attended by 400 plus students and employees; they accompanied Vanya into the Bay (many plunged just their feet into the cold bay water) and joined her at the bonfire.  

The College of Business is off to a good start. Our enrollments are "holding" year over year and not decreasing; this is good news. What I find heartwarming is that all employees understand that encouraging prospective students to come and creating a culture that makes students feel welcome is everybody's business. 

Our COB staff have worked diligently during the summer to prepare for an excellent start to the new academic year. I am grateful. Their work helps the College of Business be approachable and helpful to our students.  

I'd like to give a shout-out to Jennifer Andrew for getting the Annual Report for the prior academic year published at the start of the term. This is a big achievement; it has been Jennifer's three-year goal to accomplish this, and she did it! Visit us on the 3rd floor of the Business & Information Technology Building to pick up your copy of the 2022-23 College of Business Annual Report.

The Senate established its faculty awards this past year. Dr. Leslie Boni was honored with the Outstanding Chair Award, Susan Harker was recognized for Outstanding Mentoring, and Jeff Froshman received the Outstanding Community and Professional Application Award. Congratulations to Leslie, Susan, and Jeff!

We most certainly are facing some challenges, especially on budgets. I am hopeful that we as a College can successfully navigate through the budget and other constraints due to the dedication and resilience of our COB team and all of our supporters.  

June 2023

Hello Everyone,

On behalf of the College of Business Faculty and staff, I would like to offer warm and sincere congratulations to our graduating students as well as all those who made the Spring 2023 Dean's List. We are so proud of our dedicated and hard-working students!

The 2023 College of Business Showcase was held on May 3rd and it was a very special event. All of our graduating seniors were invited to attend and were seated at tables generously hosted by College of Business supporters. We recognized three outstanding students: Phuoc Lu (BSBA), Carson Meachim (BSSHM), and Craig Fletcher (MBA). We also paid tribute to two Leadership Award recipients: Janine Chicourrat and Dave Côté. Faculty and staff were recognized for their service and Kukui awards were bestowed on students for high academic achievement.

A graduation celebration for our MBA graduates was held on May 20th, concurrent with the hooding ceremony. It was truly heartwarming to see so many family and friends attend along with their student to celebrate the incredible accomplishment of completing a master's degree! 

There are so many accomplishments to celebrate. This newsletter contains a few, including the College of Business Dean's Medalist, Andrés Mena; Hilda Holl Scholarship winner, Berenice Lemus; and COB Alumna, Miranda Sampson.

Our next newsletter will be published in August. Until then, have a great summer!

With Warmest Regards,

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

May 2023

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to all who attended the College of Business Showcase on May 3rd. It was a truly inspiring and enjoyable evening. Look for highlights and photos on our social media accounts and our June newsletter.

We had close to 300 attendees for the 21st Ethics and Responsible Business Forum on April 5th for a fascinating discussion on the ethics, challenges, and implications of generative Ai. Thank you to the event committee, co-chaired by Caleb Bernacchio and Ange Nariswari. Morgan Steele did a great job coordinating the logistics and interfacing with the University events team. The video recording will be posted soon.

The Startup Challenge Finale was held on April 28th. Congratulations to Brad Barbeau, Mary Jo Zenk, and the whole iiED team for doing an excellent job! We received some great coverage on the University's newsfeed – read more about the Startup Challenge competition, Finale, and the winners here:

• Startups Compete for over $30,000 ...
• Winners named in the annual CSUMB Startup Challenge

I am pleased to report that all of our College of Business staff positions are filled! Aaron Snyder is doing a great job as Senior Analyst in the Dean’s Office as of January. And Lynnette Lathrop is coming up to speed quickly as Administrative Analyst in the Business Department as of April. We are fortunate indeed to have a wonderful and talented staff team at the College of Business! 

I want to invite everyone to attend the Capstone Festival on Thursday, May 18th, to watch the presentations and support our senior Business Otters. And, of course, I wish each of our Business Otters the best of luck with finals!

I’m looking forward to celebrating our graduating Class of 2023 at Commencement on May 21st!

With Warmest Regards,

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

April 2023

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the second half of the spring term! I hope you found time to relax and refresh during Spring Break.

First, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to those who participated in the #OttersGive #Day of Giving in March. Please join me in celebrating a successful fundraising campaign! 

• $3,000 Donated to Diamond Key Professional Development
• $7,200 Donated to iiED Student Internships (including $2,000 from a single donor!)
• $285 Donated to Sustainable Hospitality Management Program 

I also want to personally invite you to attend the 21st Annual Ethics and Responsible Business Forum this Wednesday, April 5th, from 3 - 5 PM (PT). This year's focus on "Life and Work after ChatGPT: New Opportunities and Ethical Challenges from Generative AI" promises to spark an illuminating and thought-provoking discussion with experts from the worlds of academia and tech. Don't miss it! Register for the virtual webinar below.

With Warmest Regards,

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

March 2023

Hello Everyone,

We are about to launch our first-ever #OttersGive #Day of Giving! This 24-hour fundraising campaign launches Wednesday, March 15th. Join us by making a donation that will go directly to these vital student success programs:

• College of Business Diamond Key Program – Help students build knowledge and skills for professional success through workshops, networking events, and career search support.
• College of Business Institute for Innovation and Economic Development (iiED) – Support students and entrepreneurs alike to start new businesses and grow existing ones.
• College of Business Sustainable Hospitality Management – Help support students as they develop skills and understanding in sustainable hospitality management.

We encourage you to mark March 15th on your calendar and make a gift of any size – as they say, every penny counts! And please share the #OttersGive #Day of Giving link with family and friends!

With Warmest Regards,

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

February 2023

Greetings Everyone, 
 
The Spring term is off to a roaring start, with business and hospitality students happy to return to in-person and hybrid classroom instruction with minor COVID restrictions. The theme for this first spring newsletter is Student Success. There is a lot to celebrate.
 
On Friday, February 3rd, we held an Outstanding Otters Dean’s List Award Ceremony for all CSUMB Freshmen and Transfers who made the Dean’s list during their first term at CSUMB. The auditorium was packed with students, friends, and family celebrating students who received recognition for making the Dean’s List. The College of Business had 26 Business Otters honored at this Ceremony. The complete list of students who made the Dean's List for Fall 2022 can be viewed here.
 
The Spring kickoff for the Friends of Froshman (FOF) event was also held Friday, February 3rd. Each term, Jeff Froshman, our Distinguished Lecturer, makes arrangements for alums and mentors in his network to speak with our accounting students. We had 15 Friends of Froshman come to share their experiences and journeys. Thank you, Jeff! View the Instagram reel here.
 
We have launched our Mentoring Program for Spring. Sharon Crino, our Executive in Residence and member of the Business Advisory Council, has worked with Jennifer Kuan and Susan Harker to create classroom mentoring for our undergraduates and one-on-one mentoring for our MBA graduate students. In-class mentoring is a pilot program and was so successful in the Fall term we have expanded it to four classes. We hope to develop and expand the program further.

Welcome to Spring 2023!

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

December 2022

Hello Everyone,

As we begin to wrap up the fall 2022 semester and enter the holiday season, I'd like to highlight the College of Business staff. Our staff make the College of Business work; they are the unsung heroes. When there is an event, our staff is working behind the scenes to make it happen.

For Greater Vision, it was Morgan Steele and Karen Ruiz who coordinated all of the activities to make this signature event successful.
Mary Jo Zenk and Lynnette Lathrop managed the Drone, Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) Symposium to assure its success. Susan Harker, Maj-Britt Kimm, Lauryl Gonzalez, and Aaron Snyder are passionate about our BUS and HOSP students. They work hard to help students be successful by having classes scheduled to meet their needs, organizing extracurricular activities through Diamond Key, preparing students for their careers through internships, and helping them construct effective resumes.  
 
Then there is the Dean's Office staff, Tasha Lindstrom, Alex Oborsky, and Kamille Stevens, who make sure the bills are paid and budget goals are met. Alex supports the Business Advisory Council and the Student Mentoring Project. Jennifer Andrew is our accreditation analyst who also manages marketing communications to promote our programs and events.

 A very sincere thank you to the entire COB Staff for your dedication and support!

With Warmest Regards,

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

November 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

One of the most critical initiatives facing both CSUMB and the College of Business is enrollment growth. This year, our enrollment for the University has dropped by 6% over fall, 2021. We mirror the University. Our enrollments have decreased year-over-year just under 6%. The College of Business was growing at a healthy rate; circumstances with budget deficits caused the University to declare "impaction" on large programs like Business Administration. An "impaction" initiative is designed to curtail enrollment growth. It did. Enrollments in the College of Business have been dropping. Fortunately, the impaction directive was lifted for the College in the fall of 2021. Student enrollment is the lifeblood of our College; without students, we cannot grow. Growth is vital to our journey to become an accredited College under the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Here's the good news. The faculty and staff in the College of Business understand the importance of growing enrollments in our programs. Here are a few examples of our outreach activities. We have held several career fairs to showcase jobs, including the annual Accounting Network Event, organized by Sharon Hua, Jeff Froshman, and Gary Schneider, which brought students and faculty from Hartnell and Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) to our campus; our accounting and financial planning employers were thrilled. Our 16th Annual Greater Vision & Cultivating Talent & Harvesting Leaders, organized with our partners, the Grower-Shipper Association Foundation and the College of Science, was a big hit. Paige Viren, Executive Director of our Sustainable Hospitality Management Program, and Professor Angel González are very active in our community working with local high schools through the Career Technical Education (CTE) Programs. Jennifer Andrew, College of Business Marketing Specialist, is working closely with Admissions on communication campaigns to encourage students admitted to our business programs to choose CSUMB. In addition, the College has established a 2+2 agreement with our hospitality colleagues at MPC; this means that students from MPC can more seamlessly transfer to our Hospitality Program to obtain their bachelor's degree. All of these efforts are beginning to pay off in terms of great partnerships, building awareness of our program, and most importantly enrollments.

Thanksgiving is around the corner. As I reflect on this past year, I am so very grateful for the support of our faculty and staff who have kept me focused and motivated toward our main mission of achieving AACSB Accreditation. I am also grateful for our donors who believe in our vision to become a recognized US business college, engaged regionally and globally, for developing responsible and workforce-ready business graduates.  

Thank you everyone and have a very warm and healthy Fall Break and Happy Thanksgiving!

Kind Regards,

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.

CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

October 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

October brings a change of season marked by cooler temperatures, dramatic sunsets, and Halloween festivities. Here at the College of Business, this is also the season of mid-terms, when students have exams and major papers due. I wish all of our students much success in their academic endeavors.

As noted in my September message, our President, Vanya Quinones, has joined us. She launched her "100 Days of Listening" initiative during which she is engaging with students, staff, and faculty to get a rounded perspective of the campus. She is also very active in our community, speaking to a variety of different stakeholders. Vanya (this is her favorite way of being addressed) plans to reveal her vision to all of us in November.  

I'd like to give a big shout-out to Sharon Hua, Assistant Professor in Accounting, for coordinating a superb Accounting Network Event (ANE) at which we had 28 organizations, 58 students from CSUMB, and 23 students from Hartnell, MPC, and Cabrillo attend. In addition to helping Sharon Hua on the ANE event, Gary Schneider, Professor in Accounting, and Jeff Froshman, Distinguished Lecture in Accounting/Financial Planning, also organized the fall Diamond Key kickoff event, "Careers in Financial Services."  Fane Opperman, one of our lecturers and a certified financial planner, was a panelist. It's the 5th year we've held this popular event.  About 70 participants joined this webinar. Hats off to the team!  

Last year, Provost Katherine Kantardjieff sponsored the first "Tenure and Promotion Reception."  This is now the second year this reception has been held. The College of Business honored Angel González from the Sustainable Hospitality Program, who was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor. Congratulations, Angel!

On October 24th, we’re hosting the 16th Annual Greater Vision, a CSUMB signature event. The College of Business co-sponsors this event with the Grower-Shipper Association Foundation. The title for this year is, "Push, Pull, Panic: Perishable Supply Chain Management." The keynote speaker is Kevin Murphy, former CEO of Driscoll's and Chairman of Ocean Mist Farms. Kevin is also an advisor to the produce industry as well as CSUMB. In addition, we’re partnering with the College of Science and CSUMB's Career Services to hold an in-person career fair called, "Cultivating Talent and Harvesting Leaders." More about Greater Vision and the career fair can be found in this newsletter.

I continue to be grateful to the faculty for focusing on the success of our students. Their dedication to helping our students find career-level jobs is admirable.

Kind regards,

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.

CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

September 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

Our fall term is off to a great start. Our classrooms are returning to what they looked like prior to the COVID Pandemic. I'd like to give a "shout out" to Leslie Boni and Aaron Synder for creating classroom schedules that accommodated the needs of our business students who want classes that fit pathways to enable them to graduate successfully on time.

Last week on Friday, Sept 9th, Dr. Sumadhur Shakya coordinated the campuswide training by the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Institute. SAS is a statistical software suite that is used in data management, data mining, and many other similar functions. The training was designed to help staff and faculty come up to speed on the latest advances in SAS software. The College of Business has also worked with the SAS Institute to create a certificate for our students. It is the first professional certificate that the Business Administration Program has established. The certification requirements are being updated, so watch for information on the SAS Certificate program for students coming later in the fall term.    

In addition to the SAS training program, the College of Business was well represented at the Women's Leadership Council Luncheon honoring both our re-entry students and Julie Packard.  This is a fundraising event to support students who are at various stages of their careers and have elected to return to college. Many of our business students (both men and women) are recipients of scholarships from the Women's Leadership Council fund.

I call your attention to the other events that are scheduled in September. They are highlighted in our newsletter.    

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

August 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

August is the time of great beginnings. We are welcoming new and returning students to campus. It is truly invigorating to see students moving into the dorms, looking for classrooms, and participating in startup events on campus. College of Business hosted our Otter Welcome Mixer on August 20th and I'd like to thank the COB family members who made time in their busy Saturday schedules to warmly welcome our business and hospitality students.

We are also welcoming our new President, Dr. Vanya Quinones, to the campus as well. Our President, who likes to be called "Vanya," has started her tenure as the fourth president of CSU Monterey Bay in the same week that students are moving into their dorms. She is out meeting and greeting students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Vanya is also looking forward to meeting our community members and stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.

As we start this new year, I am filled with warm anticipation and optimism. We have faculty and staff who are committed to bringing our College Vision and Mission to life through their dedication to student success. Responsible Business with its quintuple bottom line of people, profit, planet, equity and ethics, continues to permeate the academic direction of the College through our theme of "Innovation, Responsibility, Impact ."

I am so grateful for the endorsement and support of our community stakeholders, our Executives in Residence, our Donors, and our Business Advisory Council members who believe in our educational vision. Knowing that we can count on you provides us with a "can do" attitude and confidence to tackle the challenges we will face in the 2022/23 academic year.  

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

June 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

The end of the academic year brings reflection and recognition. This academic year is no exception. For the first time in three years, we were able to host our Business Showcase event with an in-person gala dinner. Thank you to Paige Viren, Cheri Rainwater, College of Business staff, and the generous event sponsors who made it possible–we had over 200 people, including guests and volunteers.

At the dinner, we honored Luis Alvarez, CEO and President of Alvarez Technology Group Inc., as our Business Leader of the Year, and Kimbly Craig, for her leadership of the Monterey County Business Council and impact as the Mayor of Salinas, as our Community Leader of the year. We also had the privilege of recognizing Shyam Kamath, our founding Dean of the College of Business; John Avella, the Founding Executive Director of the Sustainable Hospitality Management Program; CSUMB President Eduardo Ochoa, who will be retiring this summer; and Fane Opperman, for being awarded the Davis, Froshman, and Shockley Lecturer Faculty Award. In addition, Outstanding Graduate Awards were presented to students from each of our three degree programs: Blair Orlando, MBA; Adam Errahebi, BSBA; and Holly German, BSSHM.

As I reflect on this past year, I continue to be grateful for the contributions of our staff, who have worked tirelessly and with little or no fanfare. It has been a particularly challenging year with transitions in several key positions. Thank you so much for your dedication and hard work.

And then there is our faculty. What I like best about our faculty is their industriousness, resilience, and creativity. This year, for example, Joel Ryman, as the Capstone Director, experimented with a combination of in-person and virtual team presentations for the Capstone Festival. Hats off to Joel's team of Dante DiGregorio, Angel Gonzalez, Maria Rengifo-Ruess, and Kelly O' Brian for doing such a great job of orchestrating the Business Capstone Festival. At the Festival, Susan Harker honored our Diamond Key recipients; thank you, Susan, for all you do to inspire our students.

And there’s more. I know I am bragging, but I cannot help it! Shaowen Hua, Gary Scheider, and Leslie Boni attended the career fair at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) to recruit students. Jenny Lin is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, which will support her research in Taiwan next academic year. Caleb Bernacchio, Scott Fausti, Babita Gupta, Shwadhin Sharma, and Christina Zhang made contributions to their respective disciplines via significant journal publications and conference presentations. Throughout the year, other faculty have also made significant contributions to research. It is unfortunate that I cannot list all of their intellectual contributions in my letter this month. Please know that I continue to be amazed at your diligence and dedication.  

I will end this academic year's message by informing everyone that I have been appointed to be the Interim Dean for another two years. Although the appointment is made by the Provost and the President, it is our faculty and staff who endorsed this appointment. It will be a pleasure to continue to serve as the Dean of the College of Business. 

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

May 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

This month is a time of celebration as we recognize individual accomplishments as well as honor our Class of 2022 graduating students. I’m also very pleased to say that we as a campus kept our promise to hold "in-person" commencements for students in the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021; those ceremonies were held in April.

We kicked off the Class of 2022 graduation season with Honors Convocation, a ceremony recognizing students graduating with various levels of Academic Honors. President's and Dean’s Medalists were also honored. The College of Business Dean's Medalist was Miranda Sampson, a Business Administration student graduating Summa Cum Laude with a concentration in Agribusiness. In addition to her excellent academic achievement, Ms. Sampson demonstrated exemplary leadership skills as President of the Agribusiness Club, held an internship with Tanimura and Antle, and received the Outstanding Future Alumni Award. Congratulations, Miranda! And congratulations to all 80 College of Business students recognized for achieving Academic Honors at this year's ceremony. I also want to convey my sincere appreciation to Paige Viren, Executive Director of the Sustainable Hospitality Management Program, and all the hospitality student volunteers who helped make the Convocation a special for students and their families.

We have been holding our collective breath all year because we have planned to hold the Business Showcase dinner "live," allowed by the easing of COVID restrictions. We are excited that the Business Showcase will indeed be held in the University Ballroom on Wednesday, May 11th. This event honors our graduating students in our undergraduate and MBA programs.  Because of the warm response of our business community, our graduating students attend at no charge.

Commencement for the graduating Class of 2022 will be held on-campus at Freeman Field; yes, it's a live, in-person event! The newly renovated Freeman Field will be home to Monterey Bay Football Club, an expansion pro-soccer team for the United Soccer League. With a seating capacity of 6000, more seating will be available for family and friends who want to celebrate their graduates.

As this academic year closes, I'd like to thank the faculty and staff for helping me complete my first year as the Interim Dean of the College of Business. I would also like to thank the members of the Business Advisory Council for all of their suggestions and continuing support of the College. To all graduating students, I wish you every success as you go forward to your next adventure in life.

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

April 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

This year, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the . It is now considered a CSUMB signature event. In addition to the College of Business, the Forum is sponsored by the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, the College of Health Sciences and Human Services, and the College of Science. In addition, the Associated Students also sponsor this event each year. Our College defines Responsible Business in terms of the "quintuple bottom line" of profit, people, planet, equity, and ethics. Ethical debate on current issues serves to bring keynote speakers and panelists who can shed light on different aspects of an issue. This year the focus was on "Woke Capitalism: Should Businesses Jump In or Stay Out?" It was indeed a lively debate with a total of 306 attendees.

The two keynote speakers discussed what the role of a business should be from a societal perspective, especially in light of equity issues such as Black Lives Matter, and the current war in Ukraine. At each annual forum, the audience also has a chance to share their view on which side of the argument they support. This year, the audience poll indicated that businesses should "jump in." That is, businesses should take a stand on social issues.  

Caleb Bernacchio has joined Ange Nariswari as the co-chair of the Ethics and Responsible Business Forum. Caleb studies ethics as his academic discipline. Through his network of contacts, Dr. Bernacchio helped us secure the keynote speakers. Ange's continued organization and leadership helped us move efficiently through the process of framing and managing this signature event. I'd also like to give a "shout out" to the members of the planning team as well.

• Angeline Nariswari, Associate Professor, College of Business
• Caleb Bernacchio, Assistant Professor, College of Business
• Jennifer Andrew, Marketing Specialist, College of Business
• Leslie Boni, Professor & Department Chair, College of Business
• Kevin Cahill, Associate Professor, School of Computing and Design, College of Science
• Vanessa Lopez-Littleton, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Health, Human Services & Public Policy, College of Health Sciences & Human Services
• Linda MacDonald Glenn, Lecturer, School of Natural Sciences, College of Science
• Mridula Mascarenhas, Associate Professor, School of Humanities and Communication, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• Cheri Rainwater Administrative Support Coordinator, College of Business
• Paige P. Viren, Executive Director of Sustainable Hospitality Management Program, College of Business

As you can imagine, it takes a significant amount of time and resources to sponsor the Ethics and Responsible Business Forum. It's worth the effort. Why? Because learning takes place not just in classrooms, but at events such as this Forum. Several classes include assignments that are aligned with the subject debated at the Forum. We have learned during the COVID Pandemic that our audience reach includes members of the public and students from our community colleges as well as students from all colleges at CSUMB. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Ethics and Responsible Business Forum this year.

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

March 2022

Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,

Something that provides me great pleasure is the wonderful contributions made by our faculty. Our lecturer faculty provide outstanding support to us in many ways. Three of them serve on the Business Advisory Council: Jeff Froshman, Kelly Obrien, and Fane Opperman.  All three of them have such a passion for our students and have funded scholarships and the Dean's Student Success fund. We are also grateful to Jill Hosmer for her work with all students on creating their LinkedIn profiles and providing career counseling to our MBA students. And Susan Harker and Maj-Britt Kim do an amazing job running the Career Access programs, like Diamond Key, Career Gateway, and Internship Excellence. I cannot name all of our lecturer faculty; however, I am very grateful for their many contributions to the College of Business.  

Our full-time faculty represent the backbone of the College. I invite you to view the to see the great work our faculty are doing on intellectual contributions. Many of our faculty work together to conduct research and write articles, demonstrating the high degree of collaboration among our faculty. Our full-time faculty are also excellent teachers who care about their students; they continue to make innovations to the curriculum that stress Responsible Business with its societal impact as well as competencies that will lead to jobs. We have also highlighted the contributions made by the faculty in maintaining the vitality of the College by driving programs such as Greater Vision (Scott Fausti) and the Ethics and Responsible Business Forum (Ange Nariswari), an event that is celebrating its 20 year anniversary. Please visit our  page to view these and more.

I am very grateful and proud to be working with such a highly motivated and compassionate faculty team. Thank you all for making the College of Business what it is.

Dr. Marylou Shockley, Ph.D.
CSUMB College of Business Dean (Interim)

February 2022

Dear friends,

We have completed another successful Startup Weekend! Nine new startup business teams were created during the 2022 Techstars Startup Weekend Monterey Bay held January 28-30, 2022. This was the tenth year that the Institute for Innovation & Economic Development (iiED) hosted this event. Due to the increased COVID rates, this year’s event was hosted completely online. Eighty-nine (89) participants (students and community members) signed up for this year’s event.

Twenty-two new business ideas were presented, ten of which were selected on Friday, January 30, to work on over the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, sixteen mentors helped these teams develop their business ideas into new startups. On Sunday, teams pitched to a panel of five judges who evaluated them on their business model, customer validation, execution, and design.

A special congratulations to Business students, Smokey Heisey (Information Systems) and Saray Garcia (Management & International Business). Their team of five students (four from CSUMB and one from Hartnell) won 2nd Place in the Startup Weekend! Their business idea was for a product called Footprint – a free simulation tool providing customers the ability to quantify the carbon footprint of their investment portfolio. Read details on the event and results here.

The iiED not only sponsors events such as Startup Weekend but also contributes to the ecosystem of small businesses and entrepreneurs. The purpose of the iiED is to change lives through entrepreneurship. Brad Barbeau, the Executive Director of the iiED, says, "The hardest part of entrepreneurship is jumping in and being willing to get out on the skinny branches."

As Dean, I have been impressed with the iiED's emphasis on developing women and underrepresented minority entrepreneurs. For example, the owners of Percy's Pies, Percival and Kim Lammie, competed in Startup Challenge in 2016. Percival is African-American and a veteran. Participating in Startup Challenge experience helped the Louisana style sweet potato pie company grow stronger and become more financially viable. Here is a recent article about Percy's Pies.

By the way, the iiED is accepting applications to the 2022 Startup Challenge; here is the link to the Startup Challenge website. The Startup Challenge is the region's premier new business competition. Hats off to the iiED whose 11 year history has had a significant impact to the supporting business growth in the Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz county area.

June 2021

Dear students, colleagues, and friends of the COB,

It is with mixed emotions that I have decided to retire and resign my position as the Founding Dean of the College of Business at CSUMB effective July 6, 2021. It was my goal and desire to serve as Dean till the Summer of 2023 when I expected the College of Business to achieve its objective of AACSB accreditation.

While I am confident that this will happen given the tremendous progress we have made since our initial accreditation application in 2017, my health needs to be taken care of at this time and I am happy that I was able to contribute to the outstanding success of the College since its founding.

I have been privileged to work with an outstanding team of faculty and staff who have made this possible to serve our tremendous students in the best way possible. I also want to thank the members of the Business Advisory Council and the advisory councils for the SHM program and iiED for the tireless work for our students, and our wonderful donors for supporting their success. 

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Marylou Shockley will serve as Interim Dean in the College of Business effective July 1, 2021. Marylou is an outstanding leader and is the right person to advance the goals and priorities of the College, in particular AACSB accreditation. 

She has served tirelessly and impactfully as Chair for the College of Business since joining CSUMB in Fall 2006. Marylou co-developed and successfully launched the MBA program with Dr. Murray Millson in 2008 as one of the early online MBA programs in the country. While serving as Chair, she has contributed immensely to the campus and Monterey Bay community through her work on key university committees and local boards like the Grower-Shipper Association Foundation. Marylou's contributions to the AACSB accreditation process and her work on countless committees in the College of Business have been significant and impactful. 

She will be a terrific leader for the College of Business and is the right person to take the College across the finish line in achieving AACSB accreditation. I am sure you will provide her with your fullest support in moving the College forward.

It has been my pleasure serving the College of Business as your founding Dean. 

Warm regards,

January 11, 2021

Dear students, faculty, staff and members of the CSUMB community,

I wish you all a very Happy New Year for a healthy, safe and joyous 2021.

The horrific and reprehensible attack on our nation's Capitol on January 6 has made the start of this year as traumatic and destructive as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was last year. All of us must unite to condemn and excoriate those who perpetrated this disaster and make sure that all of them are brought to justice. We need to join together to root out the hate and misinformation that led to the event and heal our current breakdown in trust, community and decency.

I know that 2020 has been a very difficult (and devastating for many) year for you and your families. I take great solace and strength in knowing that each one of our students, faculty and staff carried out their responsibilities magnificently during the pandemic. You have successfully fulfilled our mission of student success, academic excellence, and community support in unprecedentedly difficult circumstances. You have been exemplars of our Responsible Business ethos. Kudos and my sincere thanks to all of you. I am looking forward to a much better year in spite of its traumatic start!

I look forward to us coming together to solve our problems to make this a fulfilling year one of healing, reconciliation and compassion for all of us and our communities. I would like to welcome our students, faculty and staff to our new Spring 2021 semester. I am excited to welcome almost a hundred new COB students who will be joining our returning students to an exciting and rewarding semester.

Best wishes,

Shyam Kamath

Founding Dean,

December 8, 2020

Dear students, faculty, staff and friends of the College of Business,

2020 has been a tumultuous and challenging year! We began the year with the arrival of the once-in-a-lifetime global COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in CSUMB and the entire CSU system going online with our classes for the entire year. Our lives were disrupted with all-day Zoom meetings, social distancing, homeschooling, and the tragedy of tens of thousands of deaths due to the virus.

On the heels of the pandemic came the nationally televised murder of George Floyd and the resulting cry for social justice of the Black Lives Matter movement. Not since the Civil Rights movement of the sixties was there such overwhelming support for social justice, police reform and anti-racist solidarity. This was truly a transformative moment for racial equity and justice since the end of the Civil War in 1865.

While the BLM protests continued across the country, we were hit by the devastating wildfires that consumed huge swaths of our beloved state, causing the loss of homes, forced evacuations and health issues due to the polluted air.

Last but not least, we had an intensely contentious election cycle. Our character as a nation has been tested and our divided country challenged by a call for unity and civil dialog to save our precious and wonderful democracy.

I want to commend all of you for your strength of character, resoluteness and resilience during this challenging and difficult year. I congratulate and thank you, students, for your amazing display of grit and determination in continuing with your studies when your mental and physical health, family and friends, and your daily existence were under severe duress. I congratulate and thank our faculty and staff for your flexibility, endurance and innovativeness in taking the entire College and University online in a week and continuing to deliver an outstanding education for our students under very difficult circumstances. To our advisory council members, donors, community partners and members, I thank you for your generosity, patience and timely contributions to enable us to deliver fully on our mission. We are fortunate to work with and serve all of you.

This is going to be a holiday season unlike any other that we have experienced in our lifetimes. I want to wish you and your families the very best of health, solace and peace during the holiday season. Please reach out to your friends and family to pray for those who lost their lives during the pandemic and its aftermath and to celebrate the humanity of our companionship during this time of gratitude and goodwill to each other. May we emerge from this year strong and united!

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones. Carpe diem!

Shyam Kamath

Dean, CSUMB College of Business

June 19, 2020

Dear College of Business Students and Colleagues,

The events of the last three weeks have been deeply disturbing and personally very challenging and disappointing. The horrific murder of Geroge Floyd, the nationwide protests that have engulfed our great country as a result and the terrible scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic have led me to think about our country, our university and the founding visions of both institutions.

The question we all need to be thinking about comes from a speech by one of our country's greatest leaders and healers, "Where do we go from here?" Therefore, I thought I would share some of the greatest speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose voice for justice and coming together has been unsurpassed in this nation and perhaps the world. I have garnered great solace and hope from his soaring words and his vision of the shining city of justice, peace and love on the hill that should mark all of our and mankind's best endeavors.

I hope you will reflect on Dr. King's inspiring words as we work together to restore justice, peace and sanity in our fractured and battered world.

I also provide you with one of the greatest historical presidential speeches ever made by President Lyndon Johnson after the Civil Rights Act had been passed in 1964. This speech became the basis of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. President Johnson spoke just after the bloody events of March 7, 1965 in Selma, Alabama where Civil Rights marchers were brutally beaten by the police. The slogan of the Civil Rights movement became the title of his speech.

Please see the links above to the speeches referenced in this message.

Peace and Justice.

Warmly,

Shyam Kamath, Ph.D.

Dean, CSUMB College of Business

March 19, 2020

Dear College of Business Students and Colleagues,

As the Coronavirus situation unfolds, I want to assure you that CSUMB has a strong and engaged administration and a sound process for dealing with the developing situation.

For the most complete information and latest updates, please check the "COVID-19 Information" tab at the top of the CSUMB.edu homepage on a daily basis. This will be the primary source of information from CSUMB on COVID-19 developments. Here you will also find the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for prevention, including frequent hand-washing and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. The CDC also recommends you stay at home if you are sick or symptomatic and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.

Finally, please pay attention to any and all emails you receive from the President, Provost or UP on campus regarding the COVID-19 situation. I am confident that CSUMB and all of us in the College of Business will deal with the COVID-19 situation in a thoughtful, rational and impactful way. Thank you for staying the course and continuing the great work you are doing.

Dean Emerita Dr. Marylou Shockley served with distinction for nearly two decades in the College of Business at Cal State Monterey Bay, first as Business Department Chair and later as Interim Dean. Her visionary leadership, deep care for students and colleagues, and unwavering dedication to the mission of CSUMB have left a lasting legacy on the college and university community.

Dr. Shockley joined CSUMB in 2006 as Business Department Chair, bringing with her extensive industry experience from AT&T and Pacific Bell and a scholarly focus on leadership, diversity, and the social applications of network technologies. A graduate of the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where she earned her doctorate in management, Dr. Shockley combined academic excellence with real-world insight. She is the author of several books and has contributed widely to the fields of organizational behavior and international business.

As Interim Dean, she guided the College of Business through a time of transition and growth. Her accomplishments include elevating the Accounting concentration to a full Bachelor of Science degree, leading the launch of the innovative Agribusiness Supply Chain Management program, and strengthening regional partnerships while advancing the college’s AACSB accreditation efforts. Throughout her tenure, Dr. Shockley fostered a collaborative and inclusive culture that continues to shape the college’s identity.

In 2021, Dr. Shockley became the first CSUMB employee to establish endowed fellowship awards in support of fellow employees. Along with her family, she funded three enduring awards through the CSUMB Foundation:

• The Callie Chastain Distinguished Staff Award

• The Marylou L. Shockley Faculty Fellowship

• The Davis, Froshman, and Shockley Lecture Faculty Fellowship

These fellowships reflect her belief in the importance of recognizing and uplifting the dedicated faculty and staff who help fulfill the university’s mission.

Her generosity is also commemorated on campus. Two plaques in the Business and Information Technology Building honor her family and her personal contributions:

• Classroom 112 is dedicated to “The Shockley Family in Memory of Raymond and Sandra Shockley”

• Room 316, the Faculty and Staff Workroom, bears a message of appreciation for her support and years of “generous snack donations” that nurtured a culture of care and connection.

Dr. Shockley’s legacy is one of servant leadership, intellectual rigor, and heartfelt generosity. The College of Business is honored to recognize her among its esteemed Dean Emeriti.

Dean Emeritus Dr. Shyam Kamath is the Founding Dean of the College of Business, serving from 2013 through July 2, 2021. He has more than 35 years of experience in international education, international development and management, sustainable enterprise formation, global business consulting, and university teaching.

The College’s Institute for Innovation and Economic Development grew its Startup Challenge event series into a regional powerhouse of entrepreneurial startup development. The College—and, by extension, the university—vastly expanded its connections with the regional business community, built international relationships, and established the vision of Responsible Business. And finally, the long and laborious process toward AACSB accreditation has been brought to imminent completion. The College has become AACSB’s shining example for best practices in assessing learning outcomes.

Dr. Shyam Kamath, Ph.D.

Dr. Kamath has held academic and administrative positions at leading universities in the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe. He is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards including the Distinguished North American Lasallian Educator of the Year in 2012, the prestigious Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education and multiple outstanding professor and educator awards. He teaches classes in international business, global management, and economics. Previously, he was an entrepreneur, as a co-founder of three start-ups, has pioneered a number of academic start-ups, and has worked for leading international firms in the energy, equipment, and consumer goods areas. He has been a consultant to four governments and over 100 companies and non-profits worldwide.

He has published over 80 articles in leading peer-reviewed scholarly and trade journals and is the author or co-author of three books: Excellence in Exporting (Govt. of Canada Press, 1986), Political Economy of Suppressed Markets (Oxford University Press, 1992), and Corporate Governance Failures (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011). In addition to his academic responsibilities and work, Dean Kamath serves on the boards of four non-profits and one for-profit company, including being the CEO of a Monterey-based non-profit organization.