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Tragedy inspires outpouring of support
The college continues to emphasize healing, support and compassion as the university recovers from the April 17 campus tragedy. In the wake of the shooting, FSU strengthened security and offered flexibility for students and employees. On the morning after the incident, college faculty and staff members gathered in the Rovetta Breezeway to help students recover their belongings from classrooms. And beginning on the first day back to campus, faculty and staff members volunteered as hall monitors, providing assistance and friendly faces during a time of pain and anxiety. The same week, the college brought in therapy dogs, reducing stress and lifting spirits of students and employees. |
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The 2025 FSU Business of Healthcare Summit filled the Turnbull Conference Center with about 260 attendees, mirroring the sellout at last year’s inaugural event. Attendees included healthcare executives, government officials, nonprofit leaders, faculty members, and MBA and undergraduate student volunteers who served as FSU ambassadors. Four panels of experts answered questions and discussed urgent topics such as costs, accessibility, financing, automation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, provider shortages and quality of care. Keynote speaker Nick Westfall, CEO of presenting sponsor VITAS Healthcare, urged attendees to “walk out of here with one or two more nuggets of thinking differently about how we can disrupt the overall healthcare system.” |
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Congratulations to Gail Knight, Gregory Michaud and Steven J. Mudder for their coming inductions into the college’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Knight (BS Accounting '82) is co-founder and former chief operating officer of Bob Knight Photo, Michaud (BS Real Estate '91) is managing director and head of real estate for Voya Investment Management, and Mudder (BS Finance '95) is a globally renowned legal strategist, executive and investor. Their October inductions will increase Alumni Hall of Fame membership to 72 since its creation in 2003. |
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The college’s MBA specialty in real estate secured the No. 1 spot in Florida and the No. 6 rank nationally, according to public schools listed on U.S. News & World Report’s recently released 2025 graduate rankings. The specialty ranks No. 13 among all public and private MBA programs nationwide. The new rankings also showed improvements for FSU among MBA programs nationwide. FSU business students enrolled in any MBA format or the Master of Science in Finance (MSF) can pursue a specialization in real estate. “This significant achievement can be traced to many factors, including our stellar MBA students and world-renowned faculty members,” said Michael Hartline, dean of the college. |
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Two College of Business legends served as commencement speakers during this month’s spring ceremonies. Ash Williams (BS Management ’76), an Alumni Hall of Fame member and FSU Foundation Board member, told College of Business graduates to seek and speak the truth and to consider personal integrity a requirement for success. Also, he said: "Don’t look at the world as a single path. It’s a winding road, and there are all kinds of wonderful sights to see along it.” And Melvin Stith, a Rovetta Faculty Hall of Fame member and former transformational dean, told graduates of several other colleges as he recalled the tragic events of April 17: "Graduates, as you leave this place unconquered, no one or anything can conquer you. ... The FSU faculty and staff and fellow students have prepared you to overcome anything.” |
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The college in late March inducted Robert Andrew Brymer, the late Ross Heck and the recently retired James Pitts into its Charles A. Rovetta Faculty Hall of Fame. On the evening of the inductions, Dean Michael Hartline and the college recognized 17 current faculty and staff members for their work to help the college fulfill its mission. Hartline also recognized faculty members Darren Brooks, a senior lecturer in the Department of Management and the coordinator of the MBA program, and Andrew Schrowang, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Finance, for winning University Teaching Awards. |
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Workers have continued progress on landscaping at Legacy Hall, laying sod, adding small trees and, most recently, transplanting sizable oak trees along the walkway on the west side of the building. The emphasis on landscaping illustrates the rapidly approaching substantial completion, scheduled for late August, of the world-class facility. Classes are set to begin there in January, and administrators have been asking faculty and staff members to begin packing, shredding, scanning and recycling. Interior work includes final details such as carpet, bathroom fixtures and smoke detectors. “Our new dream home looks stunning -- inside and out – even better than what architects’ renderings promised,” Dean Michael Hartline said. “We’re beyond excited to move in and launch a truly amazing era for our college.” |
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Dame, Rovetta led the way here
Frank Dame, the first dean of what became the College of Business, led the School of Business from 1950 to 1953 and helped establish three core principles that the college still embraces: comprehensive academic offerings, responsiveness to industry needs and commitment to student success. Charles Rovetta succeeded Dame, served as dean for 20 years, achieved gold-standard business-school accreditation and set up the school for the 21st century. Read more about Dame’s and Rovetta’s contributions as the college continues its yearlong observance of its 75th anniversary. While you’re at it, watch a short video that will take you back more than a century to the earliest pioneers of #FSUBiz. |
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IMPACT Society to recognize donors
Dean Michael Hartline announced the launch in fall 2025 of the IMPACT Society, a donor-recognition initiative that will emphasize acknowledgement, stewardship and engagement for donors who have contributed $500,000 or more in support of the college. The IMPACT Society will stand in "the spirit of appreciation for what you continue to do for our students, our faculty members, our staff members and our college,” Hartline told donors last month during the college’s donor appreciation event, IMPACT. Hartline said generosity from donors during the 2024-25 academic year allowed 255 business students to benefit from $722,750 in scholarships and awards from the college, plus $111,000 in professional development support. |
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Held named chief development officer
After a national search, John Held started work this month as the college’s chief development officer, dropping the “interim” title he had carried since October. Dean Michael Hartline lauded Held’s more than 20 years of experience in higher education development and track record of strategic leadership: “His vision closely aligns with his professional values and aspirations, championing collaboration, innovative philanthropic strategies, team mentorship and an entrepreneurial approach to fundraising.” Held, who holds an MBA from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with a research focus on international philanthropy and alumni relations. |
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Future online MBA applicants to FSU can pursue a newly created major in alternative investments and finance, aimed at providing students with a pivotal financial skill set already in high demand. Kathleen McCullough, senior associate dean for academic affairs and Kathryn Magee Kip Professor of Risk Management and Insurance, said the new major’s curriculum dovetails with the graduate studies already offered by the college’s nationally ranked programs in finance, real estate, and risk management and insurance. June 1 is the deadline for those applying for fall entry into any online or part-time MBA format. Learn more and request information at mba.fsu.edu. |
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College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame member James M. Seneff told students in the college’s Seneff Honors Program about an FSU business course in the 1960s that helped change his life. The course taught him the power of compounding. “As a result of that class, I had to rearrange the way I thought about everything,” Seneff said. “I had to reassess my view of business, how to create value in business and how to manage my time.” Seneff, founder and executive chairman of CNL Financial Group, spoke as the guest of honor in a medaling ceremony for the sixth cohort of the program that bears his name. |
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Farewell and thanks to Rick Morton
Two business days after the April 17 campus tragedy, colleagues turned out to bid farewell to Associate Dean Rick Morton, who retired this month after 31 years with the college and university. “After everything we’ve gone through the last few days, I realized retirement is inconsequential in the overall scheme of things,” Morton told faculty and staff members. “It means a lot that you’re all here, and I truly appreciate you all.” Morton came to FSU as an assistant professor of accounting in 1994 and later spent five years as department chair. He served as associate dean for academic operations since 2021. |
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In case you missed it
Our 2024 Dean’s Annual Report showcases “our most remarkable accomplishments and the forward-thinking approaches that elevate every member of our college community,” Dean Michael Hartline says. The report stands as a testament to the college’s exceptional faculty members, dedicated staff members, engaged alumni and supportive industry partners. The full report can be accessed on the college's website at business.fsu.edu/report. |
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Sponsor a significant event!
The college is offering sponsorship opportunities at its Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony on Oct. 2. The annual ceremony – the college’s most significant event of the year – typically features about 250 attendees, including new inductees and their guests, previous honorees, university leaders, members of the FSU Board of Trustees, and members of the college’s Board of Governors and advisory boards for the college’s centers and departments. The event includes an hour-long networking reception, followed by a dinner and the induction ceremony. For more information, contact Sarah Collins, director of strategic engagement, at scollins@business.fsu.edu. |
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Move forward with a graduate degree
Whether you are seeking advancement in your field or pivoting to a new industry, the college’s graduate programs offer a blend of rigorous academics and real-world application. Choose from several MBA formats, five specialty master’s degrees and seven Ph.D. majors.
Key application deadlines:
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June 1 – for fall entry into an online or part-time master’s program
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December 1 priority deadline – for the next Ph.D. cohort starting in 2026
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January 15 priority deadline – for the next one-year and accelerated master’s degrees offered on campus, beginning in summer or fall 2026
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