COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | WINTER 2026 OSU Wine MBA New management degree for wine industry leaders P LUS 2025 Distinguished Business Partner I 9 Fashion forward — Marisa Chen I 10 AI may change workplace relationships I 12 Turning adversity into opportunity — Bianca Williams I 14
THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS michelle.snyder@oregonstate.edu 541-737-0594 business.oregonstate.edu Connect with the College of Business Michelle Snyder Executive Director of Advancement CONTENTS 4 Inside the College of Business 6 OSU wine MBA 9 2025 Distinguished Business Partner 10 Fashion forward — Marisa Chen 12 AI may change workplace relationships 14 Turning adversity into opportunity — Bianca Williams It’s always exciting to share the latest stories from the College of Business. It’s even more exciting to know the role you play in making them possible. The energy of our community comes from you — your involvement, your investment and the ways you stay connected with Oregon State University. Our alumni, friends and partners are essential to the college’s success. Your connection and engagement make it possible for students to thrive, faculty to innovate and our programs to grow. Giving back, whether through your time, talent or treasure, creates opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom and builds a foundation for our students’ future success. Not only that, the alumni and friends who give back to the college tell us that the experience feels as rewarding to them as it is for our students. There are so many ways to get involved. I encourage you to join us at events to connect with fellow Beavers and share your own story of how Oregon State shaped your path. Be an ambassador in your network: Celebrate our successes, support the next generation of business leaders and spread the word about the remarkable work happening here. Learn more about our community’s achievements by following us on social media. Questions or ideas? Let us know at cob.advancement@oregonstate.edu. We look forward to hearing from you. Go Beavs! Michelle Snyder Executive Director of Advancement OSU College of Business
We believe in the power of business to improve lives and transform communities. That belief drives our work of supporting students, advancing research and building partnerships that strengthen Oregon’s economy. In the College of Business, we prepare students to lead in a world shaped by innovation and change. That preparation is grounded in hands-on learning, dedicated faculty mentorship and the strength of our alumni network. In this issue, you’ll learn about our new MBA in wine business management, a collaborative effort between the College of Business and the College of Agricultural Sciences. This program is an exciting step forward. It deepens our support for the vital Oregon food and beverage industry while expanding opportunities for learners across the state and beyond. You’ll also read about Bianca Williams ’22, whose journey from England to Portland and from professional life to higher education demonstrates the power of resilience and authenticity. As a senior strategy consultant and active mentor, Bianca is helping shape a more inclusive future of business, one that embraces both innovation and human connection. And you’ll meet Marisa Chen ’20, named a 2025 OSU Changemaker by the Oregon State University Foundation. Marisa blends creative leadership with community building and helps design students make meaningful connections and navigate their careers with confidence. Finally, new research from Professor Keith Leavitt explores how AI is changing the way teams function at work. His insights remind us that future leaders must understand not only technology, but also the people and relationships it affects. Together, these stories highlight what makes our community distinct — students and faculty who are ambitious and engaged, and alumni who are deeply invested in supporting others. Thank you for being part of the College of Business.I look forward to all we’ll accomplish in the year ahead and to the impact we’ll continue to make together. Wishing you a safe and restful holiday season, Tim Carroll, Ph.D. Sara Hart Kimball Dean, OSU College of Business Letter from Dean Carroll Business Matters | 3
INSIDE THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS On September 22, over 400 new College of Business students participated in Oregon State’s annual Convocation ceremony. Led by Associate Dean for Research Jay Hardy, the students walked in a processional from the MU Quad to Gill Coliseum, where they participated in a ceremony welcoming them to Oregon State. New Ecampus students joined via livestream. Joth Ricci Leadership Academy kicks off its inaugural year The College of Business welcomed 19 students into the new Joth Ricci Leadership Academy this fall, which is headed by instructor Elizabeth French. This year-long commitment includes three phases. During fall term the students will hear from industry experts on leadership topics like vision, employee morale and overcoming obstacles. In winter, students will visit businesses to see leadership in action, and in spring, they will plan and execute a fundraiser for the academy to create even more opportunities for future students in the program. Welcome, Class of 2029! Nominate outstanding alumni for our 2026 awards Do you know a College of Business alumnus whose achievements, service, creativity and community impact stand out? You have a chance to tell the whole Business Beaver community about them by nominating them for a 2026 College of Business alumni award. No matter where alumni are in their lives and careers, we are ready to celebrate them. MAKE YOUR NOMINATION TODAY: In total, over 1,000 new students started at the College of Business this fall, including 450 transfer students. We look forward to sharing the Class of 2029’s successes over the coming years. beav.es/xuF 4 | College of Business
In 2024, College of Business grant expenditures reached $1.4 million, the highest in our college’s history. College of Business Senior Advisor for Strategy and Innovation Inara Scott’s 2024 book, “Sustainable Capitalism: Essential work for the anthropocene,” was highlighted in the OSU Division of Research and Innovation’s annual report. RESEARCH EXCELLENCE Management professor Bori Csillag wins best paper Assistant Professor of Management Bori Csillag won the Best Overall Paper Award from the Careers Division of the Academy of Management at their 2025 annual conference for the paper she co-authored, “Family socioeconomic status and job search: Pathways to job quality improvement for young adults without college degrees.” Additionally, Csillag’s co-authored paper, “After the break-up: How divorcing affects individuals at work,” was a finalist for the 2025 Best Article award in the organizational behavior division of the Academy of Management. Management professor Tori Howes earns grant Professor of Management Tori Howes received $100,000 from the U.S. Forest Service to examine wildland firefighters’ motives and needs and how those factors relate to work-life balance, well-being and intentions to stay with the service. Howes’ insights will inform agency leadership, interagency partners and potential policy decisions around recruitment and retention. Ambition led Kayla Arnot to become a Nike finance leader. She’s just getting started. Initiative and tenacity distinguish Kayla Arnot’s ’17, ’20 career in corporate finance at Nike and as a youth sports coach. Arnot is a finance manager, her fifth role with the global sports and athleticwear corporation. “Growing up in Beaverton with the Nike campus in my backyard, I was mesmerized. That’s where I always wanted to work,” Arnot, last year’s winner of the Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) award said. READ MORE beav.es/xLD Business Matters | 5
Bordeaux, Burgundy, Bologna, Sonoma, and now the Willamette Valley, are regions where temperature, light, water and fine earth on sloped hillsides balance in perfection. For wine, and education about the business of wine, Oregon State University’s College of Business joins these globally leading regions — with the launch of an MBA in wine business management, ready with its own significant “business terroir” to contribute to the wine industry. In partnership with the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences, the new MBA brings the advanced business management principles the program is known for — markets, costs and valuations, sales and legal environments, operations, decision-making, supply chain, and analytics and information systems. With the strength and reputation of the College of Agricultural Sciences, ranked no. 12 globally and top-ten nationally, adding vineyard operations and principles of wine production, the MBA brings executive-level knowledge and leadership skills to professionals, both inside and outside the industry. “The wine industry and Oregon State University make a fantastic pairing,” said Jayathi Murthy, president of OSU. “OSU has long supported the state’s world-wide reputation for excellence by advancing the science of winemaking. Now, we will bolster the state’s impressive global standing by delivering knowledge and leadership skills to the next generation of the food and beverage industry.” The MBA in wine business management is built on the strengths of the Oregon State MBA. John Becker-Blease, Ph.D., associate dean of undergraduate and graduate programs and services, emphasizes that the program brings the usual rigor of the graduate degree. “This is what we do: Deliver the essential skills of team management and leadership,” he said. “We bring those skills to the current workforce and also create a workforce that is highly astute to the business elements of winemaking, wine distribution and the wine industry. We’re preparing tomorrow’s industry leaders.” OSU wine MBA New management degree for wine industry leaders “We bring those skills to the current workforce and also create a workforce that is highly astute to the business elements of winemaking, wine distribution and the wine industry.” 6 | College of Business
The business is serious: Within the massive U.S. food and beverage industry, exceeding $2.6 trillion in consumer spending, wine contributes a generous splash. Forbes says that U.S. wine sales in 2023 reached $107.4 billion, up from $73.4 billion in 2018. In Oregon, grapes are the state’s most valuable fruit, and Oregon cellars have increased in number from about 200 to 1,200 over 15 years and focus on higher quality and price point. With both growth and industry-specific challenges, finding business advantage becomes more nuanced. The 2024 BMO Wine Market Report, a comprehensive publication from the leading business-to-business media company on the North American wine industry, WineBusiness, says that the market “offers opportunities for proactive companies leveraging data to retain or increase their share of the market.” Andrew Adams, report lead author, editor and writer for WineBusiness, discusses business challenges for the industry and Oregon. “The wine industry goes through many different sectors from agriculture to production to distribution, that particularly here in the United States, are very fragmented,” Adams said. “This unique route to market and knowing how all these somewhat disparate pieces enter in and affect each other and how to navigate all the intricacies requires people who are very experienced and skilled. Oregon is not that much different in terms of the wider industry and its challenges at the moment. The post-pandemic trends and tourism have been perhaps a bit harder for Oregon. And while pinot noir is without doubt — and should be — the signature grape of the state, being so closely linked to one varietal is a challenge.” He cites the diversity of Sonoma County as an example of a region that can handle shifts in preference and popularity. “I think chardonnay and sparkling wine continue to offer a lot of potential,” Adams said. “The quality has increased tremendously over the last few years, and I think consumers are gaining an appreciation of those wines from Oregon.” Stepping up are David and Lois Cho, husband and wife, winemaker and wine business manager of the award-winning Cho Wines, which includes of course classic pinot noir, but also white, rosé and sparkling wines. They met playing music on the streets of Santa Monica, got a gig at a winery, and the vision and the dream built up from there. “We really had zero experience in wine,” Lois Cho said. David Cho ’18, earned his bachelor’s in viticulture and enology, gaining experience at Stoller and Argyle cellars. Lois, a nurse practitioner, took to researching compliance and business. They dreamed of and planned for their winery after putting their young children to bed, launching in 2020. While the pandemic impacted revenue streams in tasting rooms across the country and the world, Lois marketed online. “It just started taking off online,” she said. “People are very engaged on social media. We had not foreseen to sell half of our production, before it was even bottled. It was a really exciting time for us, and we saw a future in it.” Business Matters | 7
David’s wines, the first release, scored above 90 points; they were named “rising star vintners” and recognized as the first Korean-American winemakers in Oregon. A community and a brand began forming around them. Lois founded AAPI Food and Wine, a national nonprofit platform celebrating Asian American voices in food, wine and hospitality. Five years later, the startup is a nationally recognized brand, and Lois Cho has a moment to reflect on the challenges: “I wish that there was a huge resource like this for us, when we were pursuing this,” Lois said. “I love studying; I could be a student my whole life. But we are scrappy. Even now, there’s still learning how to manage a business and manage employees and train leadership and all these things we’re learning as we go.” And yet, small Oregon wineries with incredible origin stories must also compete with global leaders. Gallo, today the world’s largest wine producer by volume, also started with a winemaker and business partnership (of brothers), and it remains a family business that values training and education. Jim Coleman, Gallo’s co-chairman of the board, served in an advisory role to the College of Business during the development of the college’s specialized master’s degrees, championing the case that businesses across all industries needed people with analytics, supply chain analytics and marketing analytics skills. OSU College of Agricultural Sciences alumnus Chad Clausen, senior value stream manager in operation strategy at Gallo, has been upgrading these skills since joining the wine and spirits company as a research winemaker in 2010. With his degree in food science and technology, Clausen worked to evaluate how viticultural and winemaking tools could enhance wine quality. As his career at Gallo transitioned into production winemaking, Clausen became involved in the complete process of bringing grapes from the vineyard, partnering with operations, supply chain, warehouse, logistics, sales and marketing along the way. He trained Lean Six Sigma in-house with Gallo and then completed a graduate certificate in supply chain and logistics management with the College of Business in June. “This is a very complex business that is capitally intense and doesn’t allow much margin for error,” Clausen said. “When we compound that with the different curve balls being thrown its way – be it climate, water availability, shifting consumer preferences, wildfires, labor, etcetera, each winemaker and winery has their choice of the proverbial litter. There is no shortage of challenges or opportunities for Oregon winemakers and the wine industry in general.” Clausen points to a lot of hard — and not so glamorous work — that’s needed to transform grapes into elegant wine. And similarly, he says, while the public may celebrate — with wine — without knowledge or exposure to the difficulties and strenuousness of working a harvest, winemakers via their undergraduate education are typically not exposed to the sales, marketing or supply chain needs of the wine business. “A key part of the graduate program that has been beneficial has been the diversity of industries represented by my graduate student peers and faculty,” Clausen said. “Collaborating with supply chain professionals from Nike, Intel, Amazon, LAM Research, government, academia and various companies globally provided valuable real-world examples of best practices beyond the wine and spirits sector, enabling me to apply new scenarios effectively in my job.” 8 | College of Business
For MaKayla DiBenedetto, division recruiter at Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED), winning the 2024-25 Distinguished Business Partner of the Year award was a milestone in her career. It was also a testament to the deliberate, consistent work CED does to prepare College of Business students for success. “It’s meaningful to know that the small impacts CED makes that we might not feel right away, from mentoring, sponsorships, workshops and classroom visits, really make a difference,” said DiBenedetto, who has led CED’s recruitment efforts in the region since 2021. “Our impact is leading to future success within our organization and success for any student who works with us and impacts their communities.” Established in 2003, the College of Business’s Distinguished Business Partner of the Year award honors companies that have demonstrated exceptional collaboration with Oregon State University that benefits students, the workforce and communities. “For more than five years, CED has actively and eagerly engaged in the College of Business, sponsoring core programs and initiatives that help all of our students while hiring and retaining many of them,” said Kate Papinsick, assistant director of advancement — engagement and strategy. With more than 700 locations in 48 states, CED is one of the largest wholesale distributors of electrical equipment and supplies in the country. “We distribute the material that allows electricity to work and enhance our lives every day,” DiBenedetto said. “CED materials are around you when you plug something in or turn on a light. We supplied the gear for the Reser stadium rebuild. It’s great to see the impact we make in homes, in industry and with utility companies.” CED has built a robust recruitment program in the region. Still, the College of Business is a special place for them to go, something Brian Shepherd, division manager at CED, explained to a meeting with his peers in the spring. “When you’re trying to find schools that you want to build a successful partnership with, you find the ones that are passionate about creating opportunities for their students,” Shepherd said. “We’ve worked with other schools in the Pacific Northwest, and the employer relations team and Career Success Center at OSU are so engaged and helpful. We appreciate any and every opportunity to work with them.” DiBenedetto is eager to further strengthen CED’s relationship with the College of Business. “We’re continuing to develop new ideas when it comes to workshops and making sure they’re targeted to the needs of the students we’re talking to,” she said. “Recruitment is always evolving, especially with AI. CED is a customer-centric, human-centric business. Being in person with students will always be very important to us.” Distinguished Business Partner of the Year CED accepting their award in June 2025 Business Matters | 9
For Marisa Chen ’20, winning the Oregon State University Foundation and Alumni Association’s Changemaker award was an honor that underscored her commitment to making a positive impact on the fashion industry in Portland and worldwide. A global marketing professional, popular content creator and mentor, Chen creates meaningful connections in her design community and fosters relationships between College of Business students, recent graduates and design professionals. Here, product and merchandising management senior instructor Brigitte Cluver speaks to Chen about her college experience, her career trajectory and what it means to win the Changemaker award. What drew you to OSU and majoring in merchandising management? The first time I stepped onto the Oregon State campus I knew I could see myself there for the next four years. When I discovered that merchandising management was a possibility for me to study, I said, ‘Check. That’s everything I want for my education. The blend of fashion and business piqued my interest personally and set me up well to work in the industry.’ What was your experience in the program like? I felt so supported, whether it was by a professor, Career Success Center staff or alumni I met through networking events. The dedication and commitment from the faculty was always really encouraging. You are all incredibly engaged with the student population and the industry. So many of the principles I learned from merchandising classes apply in my job now, so I feel like it really prepared me for the job I have today. Alumna Marisa Chen is an Oregon State University 2025 Changemaker Forward FASHION Photography by @korithompsonphoto 10 | College of Business
I have around 100,000 followers across my social media platforms now, and I think it’s incredible that I get to share my life online and connect with people around the world. Can you talk about what Soho House is and the work you do with it? Soho House is a worldwide network of private, creative social clubs with a location in Portland. It’s also a co-working space, gym and a place to network. It’s incredible, but it’s not attainable for everyone. A few years ago, I participated in a mentorship program through a partner called Creative Futures Collective that uplifts people of color and anyone who has faced socioeconomic hardships in their life. After I finished the program, I encouraged a senior OSU design student to apply, too. It was great to see him use this resource that he wouldn’t have been able to unlock without the mentorship program. I’m passionate about those full-circle moments. It’s why I continue to speak at Oregon State as a volunteer. I love being involved with creative and community programs and giving back. What was it like for you to receive the Changemaker award? It was surreal when I found out about it. To me, being a changemaker means making a lasting impact on the community. Whether that means changing a woman’s life through giving them something like fashion advice or sharing vulnerable stories about my career path or life in my 20s. It’s an honor to think about, because I loved my time at Oregon State, and all I want is to be able to give back to those students and help blaze a trail for them to follow their dreams. Tell us about your career trajectory and what you do at Columbia Sportswear? I am currently in product line management at Columbia Sportswear. I started here in a contract job as a marketing coordinator for our international team. My career path has been a bit unexpected, but something I want to share with anyone who reads this article is to be stubborn about your goal but flexible about the means. I started a fashion blog in 2016, and it quickly evolved into influencer marketing. Covid made the merchandising industry unpredictable when I neared graduation, and I saw an opportunity to go into social media marketing and hit the ground running. I also spent my time in marketing roles in small businesses, agencies and freelancing, and then I landed at Columbia Sportswear. My role in product line management is a mix of creativity and data. Each season we set the product line by collaborating with merchandisers, demand planners, sales and designers. It’s our job to take those nuggets of information from our partners and turn it into business growth opportunities. What inspired you start your own content channel and continue it? I knew it was important to have a portfolio to show future merchandising employers, and I wanted to stretch myself creatively. I did what was attainable for me at the time, like, ‘How can I style this $20 H&M blazer three ways for someone in college?’ It was very relatable and casual. I started getting traction as the social media marketing industry grew. I discovered how much fulfillment I got from building a community. “Something I want to share with anyone who reads this article is to be stubborn about your goal but flexible about the means.” Business Matters | 11
Story by Nick Houtman “Our own identities sort of color our workday and the things that we end up doing,” Leavitt said. Leavitt has also looked at the impact of AI on performance evaluation and employee trust. Assuming that AI tools work as advertised, Leavitt wonders about the implications of fully relying on AI processes. “There are situations under which predictive accuracy isn’t the only logic that we should care about,” he said. As businesses adopt chatbots and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools, employees may be changing their interactions with coworkers. For Keith Leavitt, the Scott and Loni Parrish Chair in Business and professor of management, this trend raises questions about workplace relationships. Does the use of AI lead to stronger teams and help employees work together? Or not? In an ongoing project, Leavitt and his colleagues have tentatively found that the answer depends in part on how much employee s depend on AI. And the potential take-home message for managers might be that fostering productive employee teams may depend on controlling AI access. Leavitt specializes in organizational behavior and teaches courses in management and ethics. He has studied the intersection of employees’ personal and professional lives and the effect of social judgments on workplace ethics. AI may change workplace relationships ‘My chatbot can answer that. Who needs a team?’ “We see a kind of crossover. The more you use the tool, it pushes you away from quid pro quo of reciprocal exchange, but it pushes you either to be more generous or to be sort of more miserly in your social exchanges with other people.” To study the impact of AI on employee relationships, Leavitt and his team (including Feng Qiu ’15, who received his MBA at OSU) have focused on new employees in a hotel which had provided some of the workers with access to a design chatbot but withheld it from others. High dependence on the chatbot led to what Leavitt calls “exchange weariness.” That means employees who used the chatbot felt that they had little to offer others and, instead of engaging 12 | College of Business
in mutually beneficial activities with co-workers, they would become “takers” in their relationships. However, that tentative finding does not apply to all workers using AI. “Some of those who used the tool a lot realized that they had high interdependence with their co-workers and actually became more generous the more they used the tool,” Leavitt said. “Presumably it freed up resources from petty tasks and enabled them to focus on solving bigger problems and on higher quality relationships. “We see a kind of crossover. The more you use the tool, it pushes you away from quid pro quo of reciprocal exchange, but it pushes you either to be more generous or to be sort of more miserly in your social exchanges with other people.” In monitoring those exchanges, Leavitt suggests, managers have a couple of levers to pull. One is the reminder that AI tools have flaws and that their results need review. The other is employee access to AI tools. Restricting access to times when there’s a discrete purpose for using them may reduce the risk to workplace relationships. Leavitt has explored the impacts of AI in the workplace, but he focuses on the interface with human workers and doesn’t consider himself a specialist in the technology itself. As AI becomes increasingly entrenched in business operations, he thinks it will become second nature, as cell phones and ecommerce are today, and less an object of research. Nevertheless, he wants his students to recognize how AI shows up in the management principles and practices they are learning in the classroom. For example, rather than the traditional term paper, which can readily be written by tools like ChatGPT, Leavitt is developing what he calls a kind of ‘bingo card.’ He wants to help students identify the concepts from the course as they spot them in the real world, a task that AI tools may not perform well. “When students see one of the concepts from class happen in their own life or pop up in the media, I ask them to provide me that example,” he said. “As opposed to doing something they could hand over to a GPT tool, I have them scouring the world around them.” “With regard to AI itself, they need to understand these tools deeply, not just be able to write prompts. And I think they also need to be able to step back and wisely contextualize them and think about what the tools do well and what the tools don’t do well.” When it comes to AI and other emerging technologies, Leavitt sees himself “not so much as the brakes, but the brakes and the steering wheel, thinking about how we are using and managing these tools.” A paper on the hotel study is being finalized for journal submission. Business Matters | 13
Bianca Williams’ journey to leadership and growth Turning adversity into opportunity Story by Rebecca Barrett Bianca Williams ’22, already had an established career when she arrived at Oregon State to study business. Leveraging lessons through her career and journey from Ipswich, England, through North Carolina before ultimately landing in Portland, Williams used her experiences to become a mentor. “I was partnered with new students who shared similar life stories, whether it be first-generation students, the LGBTQ community or common interests,” Williams said. After earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration, Williams is now a senior business strategy consultant in the financial industry. “I implement strategic initiatives that align with business plans and goals,” she said. This includes influencing organizational behavior, leading the adoption of change and fostering a culture to ensure sustainable changes occur within the company. She untangles challenging issues and processes while building relationships with people where change, advancement and evolution are possible. “Pursuing a strong ecosystem where the integration of AI and organizational transformation can lead to effective change while keeping human creativity, integrity and ethics is at the top of mind for me,” Williams said. 14 | College of Business
She analyzes data trends, identifies process breaks and brainstorms new ideas. Williams’ approach is consistent with her values. “I focus on building trust,” she said. She doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Williams often finds herself running towards what is scary or hard. “I have embraced the view that where adversity exists, so does the incredible opportunity for growth,” she said. “It’s where some of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences are felt.” Williams had these attributes before college. Oregon State is where she sharpened her skills and gained new knowledge, tools and techniques to navigate the professional realm. Balancing work and her studies taught her discipline, time management and prioritization. “OSU challenged me in the best way,” she said. “I was tapping into the resilience that I had quietly built throughout the years.” Now, Williams is finishing a master’s degree in management, strategy and leadership at the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State. She lives in Portland, where she enjoys good food, listening to and collecting music and watching sports. She trains with a boxing team and spends time at the driving range with her best friend, Justin, whenever possible. Williams is active in alumni and networking events with the College of Business. She wants to support the inclusive environment that drew her to Oregon State. “I knew it was somewhere and something I wanted to be a part of,” she said. Through mentoring, she’s excited to watch students create their path to success. “I am impressed with the brilliance of the students I have had the fortune to connect with,” Williams said. She encourages them to lean into authenticity, to be the exception and not the echo, and to use their voice instead of fearing failure. View rejection as redirection, she likes to say. Williams embodies the very best of what it means to be a College of Business graduate from the past decade, said Kate Papinsick, assistant director of advancement, who leads alumni engagement strategy for the college. “Bianca’s journey is a powerful reminder that resilience, authenticity and a commitment to lifting others up aren’t just qualities we admire, they’re the very foundation of our alumni community,” Papinsick said. “When I think about the role alumni play in elevating the College of Business brand, Bianca is front and center. Her story continues to inspire current students and fellow alumni alike to lead with purpose both personally and professionally.” Learn more about volunteering with the College of Business at: beav.es/cobvolunteer “I have embraced the view that where adversity exists, so does the incredible opportunity for growth. It’s where some of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences are felt.” Business Matters | 15
FINISH IN FOUR Leon Giles ’64 and Erika Reich Giles’ endowed gift to the Finish in Four program will ensure that, for years to come, lowincome Oregon State students will receive the financial aid and education, academic counseling and social support they need to thrive in college. There are many ways the Office of Gift Planning at the OSU Foundation can help you and your professional advisors design a transformational giving plan that benefits OSU forever. Create a lasting legacy through estate planning To learn more about estate planning and how to give to OSU, please contact Dan Peterson at the OSU Foundation for a conversation. Dan Peterson Senior Director of Development 509-869-1393 dan.peterson@osufoundation.org business.oregonstate.edu “ “ — Erika Reich Giles I am proud and honored that my husband Leon’s legacy will live on at his alma mater through our estate gift to the Finish in Four program. Leon never forgot the program, professors and experiences that made Oregon State and the College of Business so special to him. We were grateful to the schools that launched our careers and wanted to make the opportunities we had available to future students.
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