Internal Updates: April 2025

From the Communications Team...

📢Friendly reminder:

When requesting support on projects that require approval from Creative Services, please remember to account for an additional 72 hours in your timeline.

🎓Spring Graduation Ceremonies will be held on May 1st, 2025, at Live Oak and the Carole & Barry K. Auditorium.

• Undergraduate Ceremonies:
  • 9:00 AM: ONLY Undergraduate
  • 1:00 PM: (Accounting, General Studies, General Business, Economics, & Health Administration)
• Graduate Ceremony: 1:00 PM (Graduate, Traditional & Executive)

From the President's Office...

To the Florida Atlantic community,

It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of Dr. Eric Shaw, a beloved member of our Florida Atlantic family. As a pillar of our community for more than 50 years, his extraordinary contributions and exceptional character have left an indelible mark on the University and all who knew him.

A celebrated alumnus of Florida Atlantic, Dr. Shaw received his B.B.A. in 1972 and MBA in 1973. He then began his career at the University as an instructor of marketing. After earning his Ph.D. at Temple University and teaching at Rutgers University and the University of Miami, Dr. Shaw returned to his alma mater in 1982 as associate dean of the College of Business and acting director of the School of Industry Studies. He also served 15 years as chairman of the Marketing Department, five years as faculty athletics representative to the NCAA, and one term as president of the Faculty Senate. Additionally, he served on the FAU Alumni Association Board of Directors, the FAU Foundation Board, and the FAU Board of Trustees.

In 2014, Dr. Shaw retired, but was promptly elected professor emeritus of marketing. Because he continued to chair doctoral dissertations and support Ph.D. students, in 2018 he became the first elected graduate faculty emeritus in Florida Atlantic history. In all his years of service to the University, Dr. Shaw displayed unparalleled dedication to his students and his field, striving for excellence and earning a long list of well-deserved accolades along the way. Among them were:

• The Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (3x)
• The Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award in the College of Business (2x)
• The Teaching Incentive Program Award
• The Alumni Hall of Fame Award
• The Faculty Talon Award
• The President’s Talon Award
• The Board of Trustees Chair’s Medal

Beyond Dr. Shaw’s outstanding reputation as an educator, he also established an inspiring legacy of philanthropy. While he sought to advance all areas of the University through his generosity, he focused many of his efforts toward uplifting students in financial need and rewarding their high achievements. For years, Dr. Shaw sponsored awards and events such as the Florida Atlantic Wave Competition for entrepreneurs, Undergraduate Research Symposium, Excellence in Concerto and Aria Performance Awards, Student-Athlete Excellence in Academic Performance Awards, and many more.

In July, Dr. Shaw increased his estate gift in support of the Transcend Tomorrow campaign to $3 million, making him one of the largest faculty or staff donors in University history. Part of this gift included a $1.5 million endowment to fund the Dr. Eric H. Shaw Distinguished Professor of Marketing position. In recognition of his impact, we recently had the privilege of naming the Department of Marketing Office within the College of Business the “Dr. Eric Shaw Department of Marketing Suite” in his honor — a fitting tribute to his enduring influence.

Dr. Shaw’s boundless commitment to Florida Atlantic elevated our community in immeasurable ways. I had the honor and privilege of knowing and working with him while he served as a member of the Board of Trustees and I served in the Florida Legislature, championing key initiatives for Florida Atlantic. Dr. Shaw was a kind, engaging and compassionate man, and I know he will be missed by many.

As we mourn his passing, let us also celebrate his remarkable life, and the countless lives that have been forever changed by his extraordinary impact. My thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and all who had the honor of knowing him. With great pride, we will carry forth his memory at Florida Atlantic in the same spirit of unwavering dedication, passion and love that he had for our University.

Sincerely,

Adam Hasner
President

Congratulations to Rosemond Desir, Associate Professor in the School of Accounting. He has received a prestigious British Academy Visiting Fellowship, valued at approximately $42,000 (£33,102), to support his project exploring "R&D Expenditures, Disclosures, and Reporting Practices across the US and UK." This fellowship will enable him to advance his research on cross-national financial reporting and collaborate with scholars at the University of Bristol. Professor Desir is also offering to share his insights on the application process with colleagues interested in applying for future British Academy fellowships. Congratulations Rosemond!

Recognizing Roland Kidwell, Desantis Distinguished Professor of Management/Entrepreneurship, on receiving the prestigious James J. Chrisman Contribution to Theory Award at the Theories of Family Enterprise Conference in Florence, Italy! His award-winning paper is titled, "Toward a Theory of Dyadic Trust in Family Firms: How Kinship Complicates the Trajectory of Mutual Trust." Congratulations Roland!

Celebrating Dedication and Commitment! Join us in recognizing our incredible employees for their years of service in 2025!

• 5 Years: Eileen Acello, Milad Baghersad, Katarina Brant, Andrew Gallan, Amir Javadinia, Michelle Migliardi, Neeraj Puro, & Siri Terjesen

• 10 Years: Gregory Bohan, Joseph Compomizzi, Richard Gendler, George Grunfeld, Michael Harari, David Javakhadze, Mingxiang Li, Kimberly Paulus, Anna Pomeranets, Chelsea Rodriguez, Beth Sindaco, & Chul Woo Yoo

• 15 Years: Dominique Fuentes, Luis Garcia-Feijoo, James Granger, Eric Levy, Michelle Migdal, Emily Sacks, & Richard Singer

• 20 Years: Sybil Alfred, Andac Arikan, Cesar Cepeda, Monica Escaleras, David Herst, & Casey Thomas

• 25 Years: Ruben Cureses, Elizabeth Goodrick, Marc Rhorer, & Tania Tucker

• 30 Years: Paula Pistoia

• 35 Years: Rupert Rhodd

Thank you for your invaluable contributions and unwavering commitment!

Join us in celebrating Sybil Alfred, Director of Executive Education, this year's distinguished recipient of the President's Leadership Award! This prestigious honor recognizes innovative, resourceful, collaborative, strategic, and creative leaders who bring about extraordinary change and results for the benefit of our University and community. We are privileged to witness Sybil's consistent embodiment of these remarkable attributes each day. Congratulations, Sybil!

We're proud to announce that Kim Dunn, Associate Professor in the School of Accounting, and former FAU Faculty Senate President, has been elected Chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates (ACFS) for the Florida State University System's Board of Governors. In this crucial role, she will represent faculty concerns across all state universities, building on her strong record of leadership and advocacy at FAU. Congratulations Kim!

We acknowledge the distinguished career of Professor Steve Caudill as he retires from the College of Business, where he served with dedication as both a Professor and Chair of the Economics Department for many years. We offer our sincere appreciation for his service and wish him a restful and fulfilling retirement. Happy Retirement Steve!

Peer-Reviewed Research

Public Scholarship Research

Steven Carnovale, Associate Professor, ITOM - Logistics Managers' Index 

William Luther, Associate Professor, Economics - Monthly Inflation Report at Florida Atlantic

-FAU-