COBE HONORS ITS HIGHEST ACHIEVERS.  Radford University’s College of Business and Economics celebrated the achievements of its top students, outstanding faculty and alumni on Tuesday, April 30, and inducted students into the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) honorary fraternity.

The joint COBE Honors Reception and BGS Induction Ceremony in the COBE building concluded with a reception for the honorees and guests.  Read More..

RU TEAM BOUND FOR GOVERNOR'S BUSINESS PLAN CHALLENGE. Four students in the College of Business and Economics (COBE) will represent Radford University in May at the Governor's Business Plan Challenge in Richmond.  Read More..

Science marketing expert to speak at COBE Global Capitalism event.  Hamid Ghanadan, founder and president of the Linus Group, will be the featured speaker at the RU Global Capitalism Distinguished Speaker Series, sponsored by BB&T, on April 5.  Read More..

Alumnus fuels RU students' confidence for success. From the offices of Cassaday & Co. in McLean, Radford University Board of Visitors member Stephan Cassaday '76 reached out to his alma mater on Tuesday in an inspirational session with more than 50 students as part of the COBE (College of Business and Economics) 150 Speaker Series.  Read More..

New chapter of honor society certified at COBE.  The Radford University College of Business and Economics celebrated the installation of a new chapter of the prestigious honorary organization Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) on March 4 with a ceremony in the COBE multipurpose room.  Read More..

RU MAINTAINS PRESTIGIOUS AACSB INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION.  The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) announced that the Radford University College of Business and Economics (COBE) has maintained its accreditation.  Read More..

GNAC APPOINTS DR. STEVE BEACH AS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR.  Steven Beach, associate professor of finance in the College of Business and Economics (COBE) at Radford University, has been appointed associate director of the Governmental and Nonprofit Assistance Center (GNAC). He will develop professional educational material related to cash, banking, investment and debt management in the public sector.  Read More..

DR. KASTURI SPEAKS AT GLOBAL CONFERENCE IN INDIA.  RU Professor Prahlad Kasturi, chair of the Department of Economics, addressed an international audience of entrepreneurs at the recent International Leadership Summit 2013 in Kochi, India.  Read More..

COBE HONORS ITS TOP STUDENTS AT HONORS PROGRAM.    The College of Business and Economics recognized its top students at the 2012 COBE Winter Honors Program on Nove. 28 and inducted 32 members into the Bega Gamma Sigma honorary fraternity.   Read More..

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR NEW COBE BUILDING.  The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new College of Business and Economics building was held Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012 at 4 p.m. on the Tyler Ave. side of the building. An open house followed the ribbon cutting ceremony.  Read More..

RU Officially Opens $44 Million Home for College of Business and Economics.

Radford University on Sept. 12 will officially open the new home for its nationally accredited College of Business and Economics (COBE), a $44 million, state-of-the-art complex featuring the latest in educational technology.   Read More..

COBE ALUMNUS FINDS HIS CALLING IN FINANCE. George Kite '03 manages millions in net assets as Call Federal Credit Union's chief financial officer. In his spare time, he teaches inner-city schoolchildren in Richmond how to successfully manage their own money.  Read more..

COBE STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN OBSERVING WORLD FOOD DAY.  Forgoing lunch, more than 30 RU students gathered on Oct. 16 in Heth 014 to mark the 31st annual World Food Day.  RU began observing world food day in 1991 under the guidance of Economics Professor Prahlad Kasturi.  Read More..

EIGHT INDUCTED INTO FINANCE HONOR SOCIETY. Eight students in RU's College of Business and Economics pledged to join the RU chapter of the Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) financial information honor society at a ceremony Oct. 16 in the COBE building.  Read More..

DR. BRUCE CHASE AGAIN EARNS SUPER CPA HONOR.  For the second year in a row, RU Professor Bruce Chase, director of the university's Governmental and Nonprofit Assistance Center (GNAC), has been named a Super CPA in the Educator category by the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA).  More..

WDBJ7 AIRS NEWS REPORT ABOUT THE OPENING OF THE NEW COBE BUILDING.  The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new College of Business and Economics building was held September 12, 2012. View the WDBJ7 news video about the opening of the new COBE building HERE.

RU PROFESSOR REAPPOINTED TO RADFORD INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.  Radford University Accounting Professor Bruce Chase has been reappointed to a second term on the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) by the Radford City Council and reelected secretary-treasurer of the agency.  Read More..

RU PROFESSOR TAPPED FOR ADVERTISING FELLOWSHIP.  Dr. Andrea Stanaland, an associate professor of marketing, was one of 16 professors to participate this summer as a Fellow in the Advertising Educational Foundation's Visiting Professor Program.  Read More..

  ALUMNUS JOINS SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER. The Radford University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has appointed alumnus Anthony Byrd as a business analyst and counselor to work out of the SBDC office on the RU campus. Read More..

MANAGEMENT MAJOR PRESENTS COMMENCEMENT MESSAGE TO THE CLASS OF 2012.  Radford University's May 5 commencement ceremonites were abbreviated due to inclement weather.  As a result, class speaker and management major, Karisa Loy presented her message to the class of 2012 with a video message.  Click photo to play video.

DR. ANGELA STANTON NAMED BGS PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR.  Dr. Angela Stanton, associate professor of marketing, was named the Beta Gamma Sigma Professor of the Year at the annual COBE Honors Banquet on April 26, 2012.

DR. IAIN CLELLAND RECEIVES OUTSTANDING COBE FACULTY AWARD.  Dr. Iain Clelland, associate professor of management, received the Outstanding COBE Faculty Award at the spring 2012 commencement ceremony on May 5.

COBE BANQUET HONORS STUDENT, FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS.  The College of Business and Economics (COBE) recognized its top students and faculty members at the 2012 COBE Honors Banquet Thursday, April 26, and inducted 38 members into the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) honorary fraternity.   Read More..

RU COBE STUDENTS WIN AWARDS AND EXPLORE WALL STREET.  SMIPO students from Radford University's College of Business and Economics stepped out of the classroom and onto the dais and the trading floor, bringing home awards and Wall Street experience, and four student members of the RU chapter of Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) won six awards at the PBL State Leadership Conference March 31 in Richmond, and the chapter advisor was recognized for 10 years of service to the organization. (PBL award winners pictured)   Read More..

MR, KEVIN DALEY IS KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE 2012 RU GLOBAL CAPITALISM LECTURE SERIES. Projecting the intangible—confidence, sincerity and enthusiasm—is the key to successful communication in the corporate world. That was Kevin Daley's message Tuesday, April 3, as featured speaker at the Radford University Global Capitalism Distinguished Speaker Series, sponsored by BB&T..  Read More..

VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF FINANCE SPEAKS AT RU.  Mr. Richard D. Brown, Commonwealth of Virginia Secretary of Finance, spoke at RU on March 22, 2012.  Mr. Brown's topic was "Virginia's Budget Process, Fiscal Trends and Future Issues."  View Mr. Brown's presentation here (PDF)

NIKE EXECUTIVE SHARES INSIGHTS IN COBE SPEAKER SERIES. From Nike Inc.'s Beaverton, Ore., campus, Steven Boyd '93 reached out to the Radford University campus Feb. 21 for the College of Business and Economics' 150 Speaker Series on branding and marketing.  Read More..

STUDY RATES BUSINESS LEADERS IN CONTEXT OF THE ECONOMY.  A leadership study of decision making that preceded the past decade's recession has produced useful results for Dr. Bruce Blaylock, professor of management.  Read More..

COBE DEAN ELECTED OFFICER OF REGIONAL ACADEMIC GROUP.  Faye W. Gilbert, dean of RU's College of Business and Economics, has been elected secretary-treasurer of the Southern Business Administration Association. She will assume her new duties at the organization's board meeting Jan. 26–27 in Atlanta.  Read More..

COBE APPOINTS ASSOCIATE DEAN, ECONOMICS CHAIR.  George Santopietro, professor of economics, has been appointed associate dean of Radford University's College of Business and Economics. Prahlad Kasturi, professor of economics, will succeed Santopietro as chair of the department of economics.  Read More..

WORLD OPENS UP FOR 'SEMESTER AT SEA' TRAVELER.  Brian Morris a senior management major from Virginia Beach returned on Dec. 14 to Fort Lauderdale from a 111-day, 12-country circumnavigation of the globe as one of the International Shipboard Education’s first Semester at Sea (SAS) Presidential Scholars.  Read More..

TWO COBE CLASSES WENT GLOBAL DECEMBER 7TH AS ALMOST 50 RU STUDENTS COMPLETED COLLABORATIVE INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS.  Members of Assistant Professor Axel Grossmann’s international finance class and Associate Professor Michael Chatham’s accounting for decision making and control class worked with peers from Universität Kassel in Germany and Blaise Pascal University in France. Read More..

Marketing Student Wins DMA Scholarship.  Stephanie House-Niamki, a senior marketing major from Roanoke, was awarded the John Swain Memorial Scholarship from the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) Educational Foundation. She is Radford University’s first Swain Scholarship winner. Read More..

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS FEATURE RU ECONOMISTS. Two Radford University economics professors participated in recent economic summits dealing with issues ranging from global economic growth to economic reconstruction in war-torn areas..  Read More..

THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS HOLDS ANNUAL HONORS BANQUET.  The College of Business and Economics recognized it's outstanding students at the annual honors banquet held November 16, 2011.  Read More..

CUPOLA CROWNS NEW COBE HOME.  Radford University’s new College of Business and Economics building marked a milestone Friday, November 18, 2011 as crews set the 33-feet-tall cupola atop the roof. Read More..

Dr. Basel Saleh talks about what Qaddafi’s death signifies for Libya in WDBJ 7 interview.  In an interview with TV WDBJ 7 assistant professor of economics, Dr. Basel Saleh, discusses what the death of Muammar Gaddafi means for Libya.   More..

Radford’s MBA Program among the Nation’s Best.   For the fourth year in a row, Radford University’s MBA program has earned recognition for the College of Business and Economics (COBE) from The Princeton Review.  More..

Dr. Bruce Chase named super CPA.   Dr. Chase, professor of accounting and director of the Governmental and Nonprofit Assistance Center, has been recognized as one of Virginia’s Super CPAs in the Educator category. Chase will be featured in the November edition of Virginia Business by the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.  More..

New MBA Director Named.  Mr. Chris Niles has been named as the director of the RU MBA program.  Mr. Niles has extensive experience in leadership training, student support services, and program coordination at institutions that include DePauw University, Immaculata University, and Indiana University.  More..

Dr. Michael Chatham weighs in with advice for college students on protecting their financial health.  Dr. Chatham, associate professor of accounting, was a guest blogger on The Washington Post's Campus Overload blog with advise for the class of 2015 on protecting and securing their financial health. Read More..

MBA Alumnus is New Sri Lankan Ambassador to Netherlands. Buddhi Athanda, '93, MBA '98, is the new Sri Lankan Ambassador to Netherlands. As ambassador, Athauda has a “24/7” job as official representative of Sri Lanka and his compatriots to institutions in The Hague. Read More..   (Aug. 2011)

Memories of 2011.
View slideshow celebrating the Radford University College of Business and Economics class of 2011, including commencement photos and other memorable moments and events from the 2010 - 2011 academic year.

Dr. Charles VeHorn, assistant professor of economics, weighs in on the debt ceiling talks in an interview with WSLS TV 10. Listen to interview.  (July 2011)

COBE Advisory Council hosted a social for alumni in Virginia Beach.  Over seventy College of Business and Economics (COBE) alumni enjoyed great food and a lovely venue while catching up on the latest RU news and happenings. The alumni were the guests of the College of Business and Economics (COBE) Advisory Council for a social on Friday, May 20 at the Renaissance Room in Virginia Beach, Va. Hosted by Kevin ‘85 and Lisa ’86 Bugg and Michael ‘85 and Bettina Cuce-Rodriguez, the reception featured a presentation by COBE Dean Faye Gilbert and followed the COBE Advisory Council’s quarterly meeting.  View photos of event.

Marketing Professor Recognized for Social Media Marketing.  Dr. Gary Schirr, an assistant professor of marketing,  was recently recognized by Social Media Marketing Magazine as one “who gets it” and was rated No. 3 on the magazine’s list of 92 top marketing professors on Twitter. Schirr is putting his social media experience to use for a hybrid course titled “Social Media Marketing and Issues in Marketing” for spring 2012. Read More..     (May 2011)

Grossmann Earns COBE Outstanding Faculty Award. Dr. Axel Grossmann, assistant professor of accounting and finance, was named the Radford University College of Business and Economics (COBE) Outstanding Faculty Award winner during the college’s spring commencement ceremony. Read More..                                            May 2011

COBE Welcomes German University Representative.  Professor Nikola Hale, dean of studies for international business management and regional coordinator for USA and Canada for Germany’s Hochschule Furtwangen University (HFU), joined the faculty and students of the Radford University College of Business and Economics (COBE) for a two-day visit to explore opportunities by which RU and HFU can further internationalize their curriculums.  Read More..

COBE Welcomes German University Representative.  Professor Nikola Hale, dean of studies for international business management and regional coordinator for USA and Canada for Germany’s Hochschule Furtwangen University (HFU), joined the faculty and students of the Radford University College of Business and Economics (COBE) for a two-day visit to explore opportunities by which RU and HFU can further internationalize their curriculums.  Read More..

Banquet Celebrates Achievements of COBE Students. The College of Business and Economics (COBE) honored its top students in each discipline and inducted 35 students into the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) honorary fraternity at the joint COBE Honors Banquet and BGS Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, April 19, in Muse Hall.   Read More..

RU Olympian Returns to Talk Achievement and Goal-Setting.  Since he left Radford University, Goran Nava ‘04 has been busy with peak experiences.   He has developed his career as a consultant in Europe, competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and is now a graduate student at the prestigious London School of Business (LSB).
     After representing the LSB at the recent Venture Capital Investment Competition in Chapel Hill, N.C., Nava visited RU to speak to students in the School of Communication and the College of Business and Economics on Wednesday, April 20, 2011.  Read More..

Brian Putt of RU Collegiate Entrepreneurs and his two Virginia Tech student partners won the Virginia Tech KnowledgeWorks Student Business Concept Competition.  The prize was $5K and free space at Virginia Tech KnowledgeWorks.   The winner was selected by a judging panel of experienced angel investors and serial entrepreneurs.  Read More..

SMIPO Takes Top Honors at National Forum. 

Radford University's Student Managed Investment Portfolio Organization (SMIPO) recently earned first place in the Value Fund category at the Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) XI Forum in Dayton, Ohio.  Read More..

(Front row, left to right:  John Howard, Elliott York, Chris Blake, Dan Sestito, Brandon Sabetta and Ross Marshall. Back row, left to right: Advisor Clarence Rose, Chris Winslow, Landon Holbrook, and Advisor Steven Beach).

Ingersoll Rand Executive Reviews the "ACB's" of Business During Capitalism Series.

Jason Bingham, vice president for Central Territory, North America for Ingersoll Rand, introduced more than 60 Radford University MBA students and their guests to the "ACB's" of business during the Global Capitalism Speaker Series – Roanoke, sponsored by BB&T, Thursday, March 24, at the Roanoke Higher Education Center.  More..

Radford Economist talks about Libya's economic impacts.

Dr. George Santopietro, chair of the Department of Economics, in an interview with WSLS channel 10, discussed the possible economic impact on gasoline prices of the Libyan crisis.  More..

RU Global Bender Competition

Join the fun, create a new concept, develop your team!! Enter the RU Global Blender Contest and create a new concept for the world. Prizes will be awarded.   Student teams combine ideas from two or more cultures to create a new blended concept, such as a product, service, or organization.  Additional information is available here.

Local Entrepreneur Outlines Joys and Challenges of Starting Your Own Business.

Colin Grant, managing director of Nomad Mobile Guides in Blacksburg, shared insights about starting a company and some hard-earned lessons from a career in entrepreneurship on Tuesday, Feb. 1, during the College of Business and Economics’ COBE 150 Speaker Series at Radford University.  Read RU News Release HERE.

Dr. Dan Davidson Publishes Business Law Textbook.

Dr. Dan Davidson, Chair of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Business Law has published his 12th book, "Business Law: Principles and Cases in the Legal Environment."  The 40-chapter textbook is part of the Aspen College Series, published by Aspen Publishers, a subsidiary of Wolters-Kluwer Law and Business Publishing. Co-authored with Lynn Forsythe of California State University-Fresno and Brenda Knowles of Indiana University-South Bend, the book is designed to introduce undergraduate business students to cases and legal issues pertaining to the contemporary business environment. Read RU News Release HERE.

Dr. Sumati Srinivas participates in panel discussion on employment outlook.

On Jan. 26, The Roanoke Times and Cox Business hosted a discussion on the region's employment outlook with panelists Nathaniel Bishop, president of Jefferson College of Health Sciences; Stan Breakell, chairman and CEO of Breakell Inc.; Doug Chittum, director of economic development for Roanoke County; Mary Guy Miller, president of IDD Inc.; and Sumati Srinivas, associate professor of economics at Radford University. Read discussion HERE.

COBE Faculty talk about holiday shopping. 

Dr. Andrea Stanaland, Associate Professor of Marketing, Dr. Clarence Rose, Professor of Finance and Dr. Charles Vehorn, Assistant Professor of Economics recently talked about holiday shopping and some of its implications for the individual consumer and the nation's economy.  Read RU news release HERE. (Dec. 2010)

COBE Class Serves as Sharks in Renewal of International Marketing Project.

In their roles as venture capitalists, RU students in Michael Chatham’s Accounting 611 class enjoyed the power Monday as they were courted by aspiring international entrepreneurs. Modeled after a popular BBC show "Dragon’s Den" in which entrepreneurs pitch business plans to real venture capitalists, the international business exercise featured Chatham’s class playing "dragons," or venture capitalists, to the entrepreneurs from Geoffrey Heel’s post-graduate Import/Export Class at Blaise Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Blaise Pascal University is a public university in south-central France with an enrollment of more than 14,000. Read RU News Release HERE.

Fifteen COBE Students inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma.

Fifteen Radford University students received one of the highest honors RU’s College of Business and Economics can bestow during the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Induction ceremony held Nov. 17. COBE’s Fall 2010 BGS Inductees are: juniors Patrick Cooper, Brian Morris, Jessalyn Schneider, Christopher Stones and Emma Sowers; seniors Shanae Harris, Brendan Shaffer, Scott Simpson, Wesley Stout and Christopher Winslow; Master of Business Administration students Tanya Catron, George Hales, Joshua King, Derek Opincar and James Shepherd. Read RU News Release HERE.

Former BB&T CEO John Allison Talks Leadership and Recession During Global Capitalism Series Presentation.

Mr. John Allison, Retired Chairman and CEO of BB&T and currently Distinguished Professor of Practice at Wake Forest University's Schools of Business presented a lecture on "Principled Leadership" as part of the RU College of Business and Economics Global Capitalism Lecture Series. The event was held November 3, 2010. Read More - RU News Release

COBE Advising Center Starts Semester with New Staff and New Location.

Two new staff members (Sarah Ross, Advising Coordinator and Nasim Schwab, Assistant Advising Coordinator) and an expanded Advising Center for the College of Business and Economics (COBE) will greet COBE students upon their arrival for the fall 2010 semester. (pictured: top-Sarah Ross, bottom-Nasim Schwab). Read More - RU News Release

Dr. Carl Tong Publishes Op-ed piece in the Roanoke Times.

Dr. Carl Tong, Professor of Marketing, published a article on "Universities, too, spur the economy." The article appeared in the September 5, 2010 edition of the Roanoke Times. Read article HERE.