An accomplished associate professor of management and industrial relations has been named director of the�Robbins Center for Global Business and Strategy West Virginia University.

Dr. David Dawley will lead the efforts of the center, which operates within the�College of Business and Economics. The Robbins Center provides benefits for students and faculty to help WVU become a global university of choice among G20 countries.

“Dr. Dawley was chosen for this position because of his vast knowledge of international business,” said B&E Interim Dean Nancy McIntyre. “Goals of the Robbins Center are to create opportunities for student and faculty exchanges, as well as cultivate the existing relationships that have been established in G20 countries. Dr. Dawley will also work to develop joint research projects between B&E faculty and faculty at major universities around the world. We really feel Dr. Dawley is the right fit to further broaden our business school’s presence among the most important economic focal points in the world.”

The Robbins Center was created from a generous�$2 million contribution by Stuart M. and Joyce N. Robbins aims to raise the global awareness and possibilities of students and faculty for international exchanges and faculty research collaboration.

Dawley, who earned the 2015 Outstanding MBA Faculty Award at B&E, was appointed as the first permanent director of the Robbins Center to create awareness among students and faculty of exchange and global research grant opportunities available to the college. The B&E Dean’s Office managed the center prior to his appointment.

The Robbins Center has offered partial funding for travel each year to 60 graduate students, as well as approximately 20 undergraduate students for global exchange opportunities. Dawley outlined the priorities of the Center, which include:

  • student exchanges, identifying and profiling six strong programs for undergraduates, supporting the introduction of studying abroad to B&E freshmen and communicating the study abroad opportunities in the College;
  • globalization of curriculum, developing a speaker series on international topics and incorporating international current events into B&E courses content; and
  • research collaboration, providing supplemental funding for activities with international research partners at AACSB-accredited schools in G20 countries.

McIntyre said it was no coincidence that Dawley, who has taught every international business course offered by B&E since 2000, was appointed to this position. “Connections to and activity in the international marketplace are more important than ever,” McIntyre said. “All of the activity by the Robbins Center greatly benefits the College of Business and Economics as a whole because it presents opportunities in the global marketplace. In today’s world, graduates are immediately placed in a global setting, so the efforts of the center are critical.”

Dawley plans to establish new partnerships and grow currently existing relationships with other universities in G20 countries as he travels to South Africa, Brazil, Australia and various parts of Europe in the near future. He will also accompany MBA students on the program’s annual trip to China for 12 days over spring break.

Aside from his travel and maintaining the MBA, Executive MBA, and Ph.D. online courses he currently teaches, Dawley also plans to meet with advisors, visit B&E classrooms, and act as a clearing house for global exchange/research grants and more, he said.

“Our first job is really getting the word out there and finishing our strategic plan, and to following through on our mission of supporting education, research and outreach initiatives related to global business,” he said. “From then on, it’s executing the plan and moving the center forward.”

For further information on the WVU College of Business and Economics, follow B&E on Twitter at @wvucobe or visit be.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

mm/11/06/15

CONTACT: Patrick Gregg, College of Business and Economics
304.293.5131, Patrick.Gregg@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.