Celebrating a transformative start to the new year, our future |
| Dear alumni and friends,
We’re still celebrating the most significant two events in the 76-year history of our college: (1) Dr. Herbert Wertheim’s $65 million philanthropic investment in late December and (2) the grand opening in early January of our world-class new building, the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence.
These events have inspired a glowing and growing optimism, evident in the pride and gratitude of our students, faculty and staff as we settle into this jaw-dropping facility. Our long-awaited dream home has exceeded expectations for efficiency, security, capacity, comfort, collaboration and, above all, the means of producing the next generation of business leaders.
We’re dedicating much of this newsletter to these transformational events – and I again offer my heartfelt thanks to you for helping usher in our new era of preeminence.
Warmly,
Michael D. Hartline, Dean
Charles A. Bruning Professor of Business Administration
Herbert Wertheim College of Business |
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Dr. Herbert Wertheim’s $65 million investment stands as the largest philanthropic endowment gift in Florida State University history and the second-largest philanthropic gift FSU has ever received. In addition to naming the college the Herbert Wertheim College of Business and its new building the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence, Dr. Wertheim’s investment creates endowed funds to support various initiatives, including faculty development, student scholarships and professional development, funding to support preeminence, and a Wertheim Business of Healthcare Initiative to align with FSU Health. “My belief in the transformative power of education and healthcare inspires me every day,” said Dr. Wertheim, the college’s new founding and honorary chairman. Watch a short video celebrating Dr. Wertheim and sharing, in his own words, why he decided to make this monumental investment. |
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The college celebrated the grand opening of the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence on Jan. 6, one day before the start of spring classes. The event included ribbon-cutting ceremonies and a ceremonial signing of the gift agreement in recognition of Dr. Herbert Wertheim’s $65 million philanthropic investment. The event also featured tours of the 218,000-square-foot facility and comments from Dr. Wertheim, FSU President Richard McCullough, FSU Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins and Dean Hartline, who expressed “heartfelt thanks to Dr. Wertheim and everyone who played an incredible role in bringing the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence to reality.” Hartline added: “Together, we have laid the foundation for generations of students to dream, achieve and lead.” Photos. |
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‘Surreal, amazing, beautiful, bright’
Students, alumni, faculty and staff members reacted with awe, gratitude and pride at the opening of the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence, a project about two decades in the making. See and hear alumni reactions from the building’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and student reactions from the first week of classes. Watch students enter the building for the first morning of classes. Enjoy – courtesy of finance faculty member Steven Perfect – a two-minute time-lapse of the entire first day of activity inside the building’s stunning atrium, and behold magical classroom transitions from the Rovetta Business Building to the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence. |
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This month’s Business of Healthcare Summit drew a standing-room-only crowd for a third straight year, and attendees took note of the event’s significance. For example, FSU alum Daniel Vermette (MBA ’17), a senior vice president at Capital Health Plan, posted on LinkedIn on the day of the event: “A packed audience of healthcare leaders, operators, advisors, and innovators focused on operational excellence and the future of care delivery in Florida.” He added: “Kudos to FSU Health and the Herbert Wertheim College of Business for convening such an impactful event.” About 20 panelists and moderators included Shevaun Harris, secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Dean Hartline, emcee of the summit, told attendees the university looks forward to opening the doors of new facilities and to “a new era of healthcare that will benefit families and communities for generations to come.” |
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Brian Murphy, a member of FSU’s Board of Trustees and a 2022 inductee into the Herbert Wertheim College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame, visited the new building last month and urged students to “chase possible,” just as he has done as CEO and founder of ReliaQuest. Murphy’s appearance as the featured guest in the Charles A. Bruning Distinguished Speaker Series marked the first significant academic engagement in the college’s world-class new building, and it took place in – where else? – the Brian and Renee Murphy Forum. “When I say ‘chase possible,’ I go back to the playground and those monkey bars when you were a kid,” Murphy told students. “You can’t get to the last rung until you grab the first one. Then you’ve got to grab the second one. That’s kind of how opportunity is, especially in business.” |
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Murphy also served as the keynote speaker during FSU’s 2026 Seminole 100 celebration, where, for the second straight year, a company led by business alumnus Joshua Orlinsky (BS Finance ’13), pictured, earned the spotlight. Orlinsky’s Equiturn Holdings Inc., a global financial advisory and capital‑markets platform, earned the No. 1 spot on the annual list of fastest‑growing businesses owned or led by FSU alumni. His company was recognized last weekend during the FSU Alumni Association’s ninth annual celebration. Orlinsky’s Equiturn Business Solutions, a unit of Equiturn Holdings, took the top spot in 2025. “Proud of our team and the standards we are setting …,” Orlinsky shared this week on LinkedIn, where he also expressed appreciation for FSU. See the full list of Seminole 100 businesses. |
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The Charles A. Rovetta Faculty Hall of Fame will welcome two new inductees on March 31: Drs. Richard B. Corbett and William Jordan. Corbett distinguished himself as a leading researcher and professor in risk management and insurance, receiving broad recognition for his mentorship of students, contributions to the field and impact on statewide and national insurance education and policy. Jordan made his mark as an accounting professor, researcher and national expert on U.S. taxation who advised state and federal government agencies on tax, finance and securities and shaped the careers of thousands of FSU students. Their inductions will bring the number enshrined to 25. |
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Honoring those who impact the future
Dean Hartline proudly announces the launch of the IMPACT Society, a prestigious donor-recognition initiative of the Herbert Wertheim College of Business honoring individuals and organizations that have contributed $500,000 outright or more in support of the college. Hartline says the society aims to “recognize alumni and friends whose generosity and dedication have made a lasting IMPACT on the college’s students, faculty, programs and future.” He says IMPACT Society honorees demonstrate the “transformative power of philanthropy, shape the next generation of business leaders and strengthen the legacy of excellence that defines the Herbert Wertheim College of Business.” Please look for more news in the May “Inside the Columns” newsletter. |
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The college once again secured Top 20 status among public schools in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 national rankings of best online master’s degrees. Receiving high marks were the college’s online master’s degrees in Management Information Systems (MS-MIS) and Risk Management and Insurance (MS-RMI), which ranked No. 14 among public schools and No. 18 overall, and online Master of Business Administration (MBA), which placed No. 17 among public schools and No. 21 overall. The online MBA program also earned the No. 14 spot among public programs and No. 16 overall for military veterans. The college’s online and part-time degree programs admit new cohorts three times each year. Apply by March 1 for summer entry, June 1 for fall entry or October 1 for spring entry. Learn more and apply at graduatebusiness.fsu.edu |
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Starting this fall, the college launches a new Online MBA with a Major in Healthcare Administration. The new offering targets healthcare professionals wanting to pivot into management positions or undergraduate and graduate students aspiring to work in business operation roles that support the healthcare field. This and other healthcare-related options collegewide will receive a significant boost from the college’s new Wertheim Business of Healthcare Initiative aimed at preparing students to close critical workforce gaps and strengthen leadership and administration across the healthcare ecosystem. Apply by June 1 to be considered for the first admissions class. Learn more on the major’s webpage. |
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In another transformative step in student support and development, the college has launched the Seneff Scholar Peer Coaching and Mentoring Initiative. The program, a product of Business Career Services and the James M. Seneff Honors Program, features a cohort of 20 Seneff Scholars to help fellow students navigate their academic careers and achieve professional readiness and success. College officials say the initiative aims to benefit all involved: Mentored students will receive networking tips, industry insights and career strategies, for example, and at the same time, Seneff Scholars will enhance leadership, communication and coaching skills for their own future careers. |
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