Assistant Professor of Marketing, Ali Anwar, was elected to the American Marketing Association's (AMA) Sales Special Interest Group (SIG) leadership team as their Vice Chair, Communication & Membership. His two year term will begin on May 1, 2025.

AMA Sales SIG is the flagship organization in the professional selling discipline and provides members with programs designed to enhance selling and sales management scholarship, teaching and practice in an inclusive and collegial environment. Ali will continue the group’s mission of effectively disseminating Sales SIG communication by overseeing the SIG’s social feeds to recruit new members.

Amy Connolly, associate professor of CIS/BSAN, was elected as president for the Information Systems & Computing Academic Professionals (ISCAP) group. Amy previously served as ISCAP's vice president, a member of its board of directors, and, when she first got involved with the organization in 2018, served as the primary communications person. 

ISCAP stages an annual conference dedicated to shining a light on the accomplishments of IS, CS, and IT educators. It provides a welcoming forum for the sharing of pedagogical innovations in those fields. ISCAP publishes the Journal of IS Education (JISE) and three other journals.

Tom Dillon, professor of Computer Information Systems & Business Analytics, recently served as a subject matter expert for the Talent Pathways Initiative.

The program is funded through a Go Virginia grant administered by Brightpoint Community College and the J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College Workforce Alliance. It is designed to identify specific pathways along which post-secondary students can be guided from academic settings into the workplace.

Tom was singled out for his flourishing engagement with information-technology consulting firms in Northern Virginia and Richmond. Go Virginia administrators also noted the high rate of career success among Computer Information Systems majors at JMU, many of whom secure internships with prominent employers prior to graduation.

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."