Robert T. Sumichrast
Dean and Simon S. Selig, Jr. Chair for Economic Growth

Published: January 13, 2009 | Vol. 1, Issue 6

The University of Georgia held its 2008 fall commencement on Dec. 20. Anyone associated with the Terry College would have been proud to be part of this moment when we recognized the accomplishments of our students and their transition to alumni. Commencement always includes some special acknowledgments, including First Honor Graduates — those who have earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages during their undergraduate careers. Nine UGA students were named First Honor Graduates this fall, and four of them completed degrees from the Terry College of Business. Graduation day was another indicator of the growing success of our students and programs.

As you may know, one of the priorities for the Terry College of Business is the continued improvement of our MBA. I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Rich Daniels as director of MBA programs for the Terry College, effective Jan. 1. He will have responsibility for all formats of our MBA, including the Full-Time MBA here in Athens. Rich succeeds Peter Shedd, who is retiring as the Full-Time MBA director. Peter will be spending spring semester as a visiting professor at the University of Michigan, and I am very grateful to him for the leadership he provided and the care and attention he showed to our students. I know that Rich will continue many of the improvements that were set in motion by Peter.

Rich came here as the founding director of the Terry Executive MBA program almost nine years ago. He has been very successful in building up the size and quality of the EMBA program in Buckhead. A year ago, his role was expanded to include oversight of the Evening MBA program in Buckhead and Gwinnett. Here again, he has been successful in increasing enrollment while simultaneously working with the faculty to update the curriculum and format. In fact, due largely to his leadership, we are in the process of launching the Fast-Track Professional MBA as a replacement for the Evening MBA. Rich will work closely with Associate Dean Mark Dawkins, especially during the spring semester, to assure a smooth transition. I hope you will join me in congratulating Rich on his appointment and watch as our MBA programs continue to prosper.

In closing, know that I am well aware of the economic challenges we face today. After all, that is the subject of the Georgia Economic Outlook speech series which I am in the midst of delivering around the state. While we regret that tuition and fees at all universities have increased over the years, I am encouraged to see that the investment in an education at the University of Georgia is one that pays off handsomely. The University of Georgia ranks in the top five among national universities, both public and private, for its "payback ratio," according to the January issue of Smart Money, a sister publication to The Wall Street Journal. The magazine quantified the long-term value of a college degree by examining the relationship between tuition costs and graduates' earning power. That is a distinction we would like to keep.

Robert T. Sumichrast, Dean
Terry College of Business