Senior Lecturer Robert (Bob) McMillen of the Department of Marketing, was recognized with a Faculty Advisor Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans. His 30-plus years of service as an advisor to the JMU chapter of AMA exemplifies his dedication to student success and academic excellence.

Colleague Cathy Snyder, commented, “As a colleague, he has always been extremely easy to work with; he's open to new ideas, open to new methods to improve old programs, and is constantly engaged in leading professional networking activities for students. Bob is a gem, and JMU students are beyond privileged to have had such a steady and dedicated presence in their degree program.”

Finance lecturer Eliz Ozcan has recently accepted an appointment to the board of directors of the local nonprofit Explore More Discovery Museum, where she has been volunteering since 2022. In addition to her seat on the full board, she has been appointed to the museum’s Development Committee, which oversees fundraising and development opportunities for the museum.

Eliz has also accepted an appointment to the board of directors of another local non-profit, Harrisonburg Women’s Service League, where she has been volunteering since 2019. In addition to her seat on the board, she has been elected as the treasurer for the organization.

Hui Sono, academic unit head for Finance and Business Law, has accepted an appointment to the board of directors of the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County Community Foundation.

In addition to her seat on the full board, which is for a three-year term, Hui has been appointed to the foundation's Investment Committee, which oversees the work of the professionals who manage its portfolio of assets.

"I very much appreciate the opportunity to serve on the foundation's board," Hui says. "It's exciting to be involved with an organization that contributes so much to our community."

Alex Gabbin, director of the School of Accounting, professor of Accounting and KPMG Professorship recipient, was recently recognized as a founder of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA).

The NBMBAA’s 45th Annual Conference and Expo honored Alex as one of the leaders responsible for founding the NBMBAA, stating that his “pioneering spirit, unwavering resolve, and transformative ideas have left an indelible imprint on both our organizations and the countless lives it has touched.”

Nicole Wright, associate professor of Accounting and Cherry Bekaert Faculty Scholar was appointed as academic co-editor of Current Issues in Auditing, an American Accounting Association peer-reviewed journal. The publication is devoted to promoting dialogue between academics and practitioners on issues currently facing the auditing-practice community. Its goal is to bring academic research to practice in a way that is useful and impactful to the audit and business world. More information about the publication can be found here.

Ruairi Walsh, lecturer in Business Management, serves as an advisor to the JMU student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

His steady guidance and wise counsel resulted in the chapter receiving the 2022-2023 Superior Merit Award from SHRM. Chapters are recognized based on operations, chapter programming and professional development of members, support of the human resource profession and SHRM engagement.