Reflections on the Byrd School

The Byrd School of Business provides an opportunity to continue to build on a tradition of individual student attention in the business courses and personalized advising as well as further development of a scholarly research record applicable to teaching topics.  The interaction with students leads to a fulfilling professional experience.  Now with AACSB accreditation and excellent facilities, the opportunities abound for even greater contributions to the students’ learning experience and my professional growth as part of an excellent team of scholars.  I am proud to be a part of an effort to build lasting recognition of an outstanding business program.
 
Dr. Charles J. Pineno
Professor of Accounting
Braun Chair in Accounting

 

My learning experience at the Byrd Business School was one that I now look back on with the fondest of memories. The professors and staff were always available and supportive in our quest to learn and be challenged with new thinking. The school is a great example of a business school that provides a top-notch education that prepares students for the real business world.

Debra S. Orbacz
President
Orbacz Strategy Group, LLC
BBA  Class of 2004

 

I earned my undergrad (BBA) at a well-respected and large business school in NYC.  While the education I received was excellent, I did not have any sense of being part of the university and something was missing.  While earning my MBA at the Byrd School I discovered what that something was -  a sense of "family" or "community" where the student and faculty closely interacted, and as in a family the respect and caring was tangible.  It is because of this very special quality that I have maintained my close association and have been part of the Byrd School family for ten years.

Bob Hein
Ret. Former CFO Airbus North America
MBA  Class of 2000

 

For me, the Byrd School is not Halpin-Harrison Hall; that's just the brick and mortar, our fabulous, modern ... beautiful physical structure that houses the treasure that is within.  For within that structure, we have unquestionably a quality, caring faculty that is committed to "cutting edge" research; a faculty that inspires our students... a faculty offering challenging courses that prepare our students to successfully confront the dynamic business world, which is truly global today.  That confrontation is not something our graduates express anxiety over; it is a confrontation they are eagerly prepared and committed to face; and to face with optimism.
 
Dr. Travis Sample
Professor of Public Administration

 

The Byrd School was a good fit for me. I worked full-time during my college education so a flexible schedule was important to me in order to finish in 4 years.  After graduating and a year of working in marketing, I felt I had the required skills to start my own business.  It was rewarding for me to live, work and earn my degree in Winchester.

Melanie Marks
Partner and Executive Vice President
Wiseman & Associates Financial Services, LTD
BBA Class of 1995

 


The Byrd School has been a place that can shape students’ future careers.  Many students have left here with the confidence they need to be successful in business.  Over the years, it has been rewarding to be a part of that development process for our students.  The close interaction between students and faculty makes the Byrd School an attractive environment.

Dr. Mark Tyree
Associate Dean, Professor of Accounting
Yount, Hyde & Barbour Endowed Chair in Accounting

 

Entering the MBA program in the Byrd School from a small/family business perspective presented some challenges as most graduate programs focus on big business ideas and principles.  What I found though was that each professor made the curriculum universally applicable and at no time did I feel that what I was learning couldn't be applied in my business. 
 
Mr. Josh Phelps
General Manager
Winchester Metals, Inc.
MBA  Class of 2002

 

...the success story of a global citizen!  As a lifelong resident of the Shenandoah Valley, my travel outside of the United States was non-existent until I joined the team in the Byrd School of Business.  Through the foresight of Byrd School leadership I was provided an opportunity to take flight to Russia and then to many other locations to study around the world with faculty and students.  Today, that start has launched a career and a calling that has generated many more global study-travel opportunities for others who, like myself, are seeking their beginning as global citizens.  At the Byrd School of Business, I’m an example among many of a ‘success story starting here!’

Dr. R.T. Good
Dean of Global Education and Special Initiatives
Associate Professor of Arts Management

 

I enjoyed my educational career at the Byrd school immensely. Looking back I have to say the best experience was a directed study project overseen by Dr. Giles Jackson. Our four-student team conducted market research for Fisher Diagnostics, now known as Thermo Fisher Scientific, and presented our findings to their board of directors. It was a great real world learning experience that gave me the tools and the confidence to succeed.

Wendy May
Marketing Director
Winchester-Frederick Co. EDC
BBA Class of 2002 & MBA Class of 2004

 

What does the Byrd School mean to me:  A laboratory enabling the student to discover who you are, what you can be and how far you can go. The business world is a vast marketplace. The Byrd School provides its students the compass to confidently explore this marketplace. I am very grateful to the Byrd School and my wonderful and inspiring accounting professors and other business professors for both preparing me for the arduous CPA exam and supporting my search for a position with a public accounting firm.

Lola Tashova
Staff Accountant
Cherry Bekaert & Holland,
BBA Class of 2007 & MBA  Class of 2009

 

Harry F. Byrd, Jr. –  A man who has changed the times and has changed with the times, a member of the community that welcomed us here and has generously supported us, a member of a family that has served this country well through the centuries, a farmer, journalist, businessman and statesman, a citizen as envisioned by Jefferson and de Tocqueville. Working at the Harry F. Byrd, Jr., School of Business reminds me that longevity does, indeed, have its place. Of course, to sustain your effort, to work and not become weary, you have to be firm in your values, accepting of the seeming randomness of fortune, and confident that, in the long-run, things will work out. A person who remains optimistic will always be anxious for tomorrow.

Dr. Clifford Theis
Eldon R. Linsay Professor of Economics and Finance

 

I am very proud to be a faculty member of the Byrd School of Business. We obtained the AACSB Accreditation in 2007, which placed us among the best business schools in the world. Byrd School of Business provides me a solid platform to develop myself professionally. With the supports and encouragements from Dean Boxx and other colleagues, I earned three new prestigious professional certifications: C.P.M., CMQ/OE, and PMP, which prepare me to serve our students better.

Dr. Bingguang Li
Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management and Quantitative Methods

 

Serving on the faculty at the Byrd School os Business is a wonderful experience. I have the highest regard and respect for my fellow faculty members and our outstanding support staff, and I truly respect, admire and enjoy working with our graduate and undergraduate students. I firmly believe in our School's emphasis on teaching, research and service, and I strive every day to make strong value-adding contributions to our students' professional development, to my academic discipline, and to our university and its community.

Dr. Bob Bonometti
Professor of Information Systems and Computer Technology

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