Green and Gold Drive Business

The Belk College of Business celebrates 50 years of growth by recognizing the alumni, students and faculty who are driving business in Charlotte and beyond.

BY JAY DAVIS

Fifty years ago, UNC Charlotte’s Board of 4,703 graduate and undergraduate students. Trustees, recognizing explosive growth at “The Belk College’s growth and tremendous the University and responding to higher- success did not come by chance,” said Jennifer education trends, established the College of Troyer, who was appointed the college’s seventh Business Administration. dean in July after serving in leadership roles at the

The new college, with Allan V. Palmer as its college and at UNC Charlotte for over 20 years. founding dean, had just eight full-time faculty “We are indebted to those visionary college and members. Today, the Belk College of Business is community leaders, our dedicated faculty and staff, one of the largest, most diverse business schools in and our students and alumni. That vision and the Carolinas, with nearly 100 full-time faculty and dedication transformed the Belk College, from its

humble beginnings, into a leading urban research business school.”

More than half of the college’s more than 33,000 alumni live and work in Charlotte.

“From Fortune 500 companies to small startups, Business Niners are the forefront throughout Charlotte,” said David Maddox ’04, a manager at Duke Energy and chair of the industry engagement committee for the Belk College Alumni Council. “We’re driving business. The college’s deep connections to Charlotte are immeasurable, creating countless career opportunities for students and alumni.”

Troyer said the college has been fortunate to have the support of alumni and strong connections to the business community to help meet the tremendous workforce needs in one of the country’s fastest growing regions.

Through its Board of Advisors, Alumni Council and department, program, center and school advisory boards, the college is aligned with more than 120 Charlotte business partners.

“Belk College faculty bring the business community together, gathering input to make sure there is an alignment,” said Malcomb Coley, EY U.S. Central Growth Market Leader and Charlotte managing partner. “This ensures that the workforce that they’re developing is consistent with what we need. Charlotte is one of EY’s fastest-growing regions, and our collaboration with Belk College faculty has been crucial to supporting this growth. We’ve partnered to grow together, especially offering innovative solutions in growth areas such as digital analytics.”

In 2015, Charlotte-based Childress Klein invested $2.5 million to support professorships and fellowships to support the Master of Science in Real Estate program. The support from Fred Klein and Don Childress laid the foundation for additional contributions from donors to support initiatives under the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate, including research in affordable housing in Charlotte and a new undergraduate concentration in real estate.

“UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business is an incredibly important resource for our area,” said Klein, senior managing partner at Childress Klein and a UNC Charlotte trustee. “It’s important not only as a source of talent to our existing employers, but serves as a resource for attracting and retaining new business for our region.”

50th Anniversary Events

The yearlong celebration is themed “Green and Gold Drive Business.”

“This big milestone is an opportunity for us to not only look back at our accomplishments but also to reintroduce the college to our region,” Troyer said. “The Belk College is on the move, driving business through our research, our alumni and our connection to the Charlotte region.”

The college is celebrating a number of milestones in 2020-21, including: • The MBA program’s 50th anniversary. • The Master of Science in Economics’ 30th anniversary. • The 30th anniversary of the naming of the

Belk College.

The Belk College is among fewer than 2% of the world’s business schools to achieve and maintain AACSB International accreditation for both business and accounting programs.

50 YEARS OF DRIVING BUSINESS: 1970-2020 1960s 1970s

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has offered undergraduate programs in business administration since the 1960s. In 1968, the Division of Economics and Business Administration was formed, and in 1970, the College of Business Administration was established with departments of Accounting, Business Administration and Economics.

The college added its first graduate program, a Master of Management degree (later Master of Business Administration) in 1970.

Nov. 13, 1970

UNC Charlotte creates the College of Business Administration with the departments of Accounting, Business Administration and Economics. Allan V. Palmer is appointed dean. The college has eight fulltime faculty members. UNC Charlotte begins offering the first graduate program for business professionals in the Charlotte region, the Master of Management (later Master of Business Administration).

Share in the 50th Celebration

Belk College of Business alumni are encouraged to share their memories as part of the college’s 50th anniversary celebration. Did a faculty or staff member or student inspire you? Share your memories and photos using #BelkCollege50 or submit them online at belkcollege.uncc.edu/50. Belk College of Business Dean Jennifer Troyer talks about professional opportunities for undergraduate students.

Ryan Honeyman

With social distancing, the college’s anniversary will be celebrated with online events and virtual celebrations.

In September, the college launched the Dean’s Leadership Series, a monthly online series that brings together a panel of experts who will shed light on pressing topics facing business leaders. Topics this fall focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and the pandemic’s impact on commercial real estate and family business.

The college also recently debuted Charlotte Business Buzz, a podcast series that offers one-onone interviews with faculty, alumni and business partners. A second season of the podcast debuted in October.

Growing with Charlotte

Over the past 10 years, Belk College enrollment has increased by more than 30%. The growth continued this fall, with the college seeing record graduate enrollment and the largest and most diverse freshman classes in its history, at 607 students.

To serve the growing needs of the Charlotte region, the college continues to expand its portfolio of graduate and executive education programs.

Since 2015, the college has added two distinctive

1970s

1978

Richard Neel is appointed dean, a position he will hold until 1993.

1980s

1981

The North Carolina Economic Forecast launches with John Connaughton as director.

1982

The Friday Building, named for UNC System President William Friday and his wife, Ida, is dedicated as the Belk College’s home.

graduate programs: the first and only AACSB- accredited Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program in the Carolinas and the only Master of Science in Management program in the UNC System.

The college also partnered with the College of Computing and Informatics to launch the Master of Data Science and Business Analytics (DSBA) program. Belk College also is an interdisciplinary partner in the School of Data Science.

Over the past decade, the Belk College has expanded its reach globally, developing partnerships with 10 universities in eight countries.

For undergraduate students, a $2.5 million gift in 2015 from Belk College alumnus Robert Niblock Jr., retired CEO and chairman of Lowe’s Companies, has created a one-stop support hub for students.

“The Niblock Student Center has created comprehensive and transformative support for Belk College undergraduate students,” said Pat Mynatt, associate dean for undergraduate programs.

During the 2019-20 academic year, more than 2,800 students attended professional development programs and over 6,000 meetings between students were conducted through the Niblock Student Center. Mynatt said the support students receive shows in recent outcome data.

Among 2019 graduates, 90% were employed full time or enrolled in continuing education after graduation.

North Carolina’s Urban Research Business School

More than ever, Belk College researchers are stepping up to find solutions to issues impacting

Catch the Charlotte Business Buzz

Charlotte Business Buzz is available online at belkcollege.uncc.edu/buzz. This podcast series connects Charlotte’s business leaders to UNC Charlotte faculty, staff, students, alumni and industry partners through one-on-one interviews hosted by Jeffrey Jones, director of Executive Education and Professional Development in the Belk College of Business.

Here’s a lineup of topics available at Charlotte Business Buzz:

•Leadership Amidst Tumultuous Times with guest Janaki Gooty, associate professor of Management • Career Searching in the AI Age featuring Patrick Madsen, director of the

University Career Center • Family Business Amidst COVID-19 with Associate Professor of Management

Torsten Pieper • Driving Business in University City, featuring Darlene Heater, executive director, University City Partners • Elevating Queen City Entrepreneurs with alumnus Bryan Delaney ’03,

Skookum co-founder • Economic Impact of COVID-19 with John Connaughton, director of the

Barings/UNC Charlotte Economic Forecast

the community and the world.

In 2019, the college’s Childress Klein Center for Real Estate launched the State of Housing in Charlotte Report, a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of the current state of the housing markets in the Charlotte region and an overview of the recent trends. An updated report, which focused on the impact of COVID-19 on housing in Charlotte, was released in October.

1984

The college becomes the first business school in the region to receive accreditation from AACSB International, the leading accrediting agency for business and accounting programs.

1990s

1990

The first business advisory council is established, with Thomas M. Belk, longtime president and chief merchandising officer of Belk stores, as chair.

The college is renamed the Belk College of Business Administration in honor of the William Henry Belk family and the Belk organization.

The Master in Science in Economics launches.

1995

The Belk College becomes the first college or university to provide business courses in Uptown Charlotte with the opening of the Cityfair Center campus.

Belk College Global Partners

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EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey

Kingston University

Lyon Trois University

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

University of Cantabria

Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

University of Duisburg-Essen

University of Hong Kong

University of Mannheim Copenhagen, Denmark

Monterrey, Mexico

London, United Kingdom

Lyon, France

Shanghai, China

Cantabria, Spain

Milan, Italy

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Mannheim, Germany

In April, the report was recognized by AACSB International through its 2020 Innovations That Inspire Challenge, one of only 25 business schools worldwide to receive recognition.

Earlier this year, as the nation faced the COVID-19 pandemic, Belk College researchers continued their focus on topics of global importance, including family businesses and the pandemic, running successful virtual meetings and using analytics to identify misinformation on social media.

“Due to COVID-19, the workforce is grappling with multiple existential threats, all unfolding rapidly and simultaneously: loss of life, financial losses, job loss and insecurity, mental health challenges, disruptions to work-family-life,” said Janaki Gooty, an associate professor of management who is part of a team of Belk College researchers studying leadership and the pandemic. “Our research is investigating the specific actions that leaders across industries have enacted to mitigate the effects on their stakeholders while they explore new futures.”

During the 2019-20 academic year, Belk College faculty were published in 130 peer-reviewed publications and received more than $1 million in outside research funding.

The Next 50 Years

With a strong group of faculty researchers, growing partnerships and a growing alumni network, the college’s future is bright, Troyer said.

“For five decades, the Belk College has always been a leader in Charlotte,” Troyer said. “We have worked to offer programs that provide a talent pipeline with a firm understanding of the needs of Charlotte and other urban areas. “Looking ahead, we’re on a strong trajectory. We’re poised to become one of the top urban research business schools in the country and while continuing to be a driving force for economic development for our region.”

Jay Davis is executive director, External Relations, for the Belk College of Business.

1990s

To accommodate growth at the college, a third floor is constructed to the Friday Building along with distinctive columns. The project is funded through $3 million from a state bond referendum approved by voters in 1993.

2000s

2005

The Center for Real Estate launches as the Belk College celebrates its 35th anniversary. The college officially shortens its name to the Belk College of Business.

2006

The Belk College launches its first doctoral program, Ph.D. in Business Administration.

A Dual MBA program with Global Business certificate begins with partner Graduate School of Business Administration and Leadership (EGADE) at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.

2010s

2011

Steven Ott, who first joined the Belk College in 1999, is appointed dean.

UNC Charlotte Center City (now The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City) opens. The building houses all Belk College graduate and Executive Education programs.

Forging Leaders

UNC Charlotte’s MBA turns 50

BY JAY DAVIS

In August 1970, UNC Charlotte launched the first graduate program in the region for working business professionals. Today, the Belk College’s nationally ranked part-time MBA has more than 4,200 alumni.

Manuel Zapata ’69, ’72 still remembers his first class in UNC Charlotte’s MBA program 50 years ago.

“The professor said, ‘Welcome to the MBA program. We are going to practice with you,’” said Zapata, who had immigrated from Chile three years earlier.

Verl Purdy ’73 traveled from West Virginia to pursue his dream of becoming the first in his family to receive an advanced degree.

“We were a group of students about the same age,” Purdy said. “So we were in a program where we were always together. It was a great time for us, and the faculty was the same way. Faculty had never taught graduate students before. This was a whole unique experience for that, and even the dean of the business school taught some of the classes. So for us, it was a mutually exciting time.”

The MBA program, celebrating its 50th anniversary this academic year, debuted as the

Verl Purdy Manuel Zapata first graduate program for working business professionals in the Charlotte region in August 1970, just a year after UNC Charlotte launched its first master’s program.

Zapata and Purdy were among several dozen business professionals chosen from hundreds of applicants for the new program, which launched as the Master of Management. All the students selected were working full time and had at least five years of work experience.

Allan V. Palmer, a retired Navy lieutenant commander who became the Belk College’s founding dean in November 1970, created the unique parttime program at the urging of Charlotte

2013

The Belk family continues its support of the college by donating $5 million, the largest gift in college’s history. The donation creates a Belk Scholars Program for undergraduate students and also supports faculty research and teaching.

2014

The Master of Science in Data Sciences and Analytics, a collaboration between the Belk College and the College of Computing and Informatics, launches.

Belk College alumnus Kyle White ‘13 receives the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony for this service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

No. 1 part-time MBA among public universities in North Carolina

- U.S. News & World Report

No. 1 North Carolina MBA for value

- U.S. Departments of Education and Treasury

Fall 2019 MBA students gathered in uptown Charlotte to celebrate the start of their graduate studies; the Belk College’s oldest graduate program, the MBA continues to serve the Charlotte region.

business leaders who were looking to grow executive-level talent in the city.

A who’s who of Charlotte business luminaries were instrumental in the establishment and growth of the program. This includes Tom Storrs and Hugh McColl with North Carolina National Bank; Ed Crutchfield and Frank Dunn with First Union National Bank; Harold Hoak with Wachovia Bank and Trust; and William Grigg with Duke Power.

Zapata said most of his classes had fewer than 10 students.

“To bring experience, you had to contribute,” he said. “You learn pretty soon that management is an applied science. That’s why they wanted us to bring our work experience.”

A lot has changed in Charlotte since the program first launched, but a constant over the years has been the focus on working professionals.

“Our program has a 50-year history of engaging working professionals as they bring their industry knowledge into the academic environment,” said Gary Kohut, director of the MBA program and professor of management. “Having a strong balance between rigorous theories and practical experiences, our graduates are able to create significant value in their organizations.”

The Belk College’s oldest and largest graduate program, the MBA has continued to grow to serve the Charlotte region and beyond. In August, enrollment in the program increased by 37% over 2019 to 455.

2010s

2015

Belk College alumnus Robert Niblock, CEO of Lowe’s Companies Inc., donates $2.5 million to support the student center and professional development at the college. The gift creates the Niblock Student Center, a one-stop source for students based at the Friday Building.

The Center for Real Estate is renamed in recognition of a $2.5 million gift from real estate company Childress Klein.

2016

Professor Emeritus Thomas C. Turner, who helped establish the Department of Accounting, donates $2.5 million to UNC Charlotte, and the department becomes the Turner School of Accountancy in his honor.

Strengths: Agility and Support

Recognizing the extraordinary challenges facing applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic, this spring, the Belk College MBA became one of the first programs in the country to temporarily waive the GMAT/GRE test requirements for qualified applicants. The waiver eligibility has been extended for students applying for a spring 2021 start.

The program offers multiple concentrations to meet student and employer demands head-on and ranks as the no. 1 part-time MBA among public universities in North Carolina, according to U.S. News & World Report. The program also is the no. 1 North Carolina MBA for value, according to U.S. Department of Education and Department of Treasury data.

Over 50 years, the MBA program has more than 4,200 alumni, with more than half of them living and working in the Charlotte region.

“For five decades, our alumni have consistently personified the value of the Belk College MBA by achieving professional and personal goals, no matter a student’s career stage,” Kohut said. “When I think of all our MBA graduates who are now impacting our city and economy, it’s impressive that Charlotte really is built on their contributions.”

Finding success

Jeanette Kuda ’14, was new to Charlotte and looking to form a network of business professionals. She said she found that with the Belk College MBA.

“Since I graduated six years ago, I have been promoted and then took a new role that I love with a fabulous firm,” Kuda said. “I don’t think any of that would have been possible without the Belk College MBA program. I also have been fortunate to build a strong network with other alumni and even work with several of them now.”

Decades after earning an MBA from UNC Charlotte, Zapata started his own engineering business. He said his MBA was even more beneficial as a business owner. “The MBA will teach you to write,” Zapata said. “I also learned to think differently. That’s the best contribution of the MBA for me. It helps you understand business.”

The Belk College MBA launched Purdy on a career path that included leadership roles at B.F. Goodrich Chemicals, BASF and Rio Tinto Zinc Chemicals before founding AGDATA, which became the largest agricultural data analysis and marketing company in the world.

In November, Purdy received the Belk College Distinguished Alumni Award, the college’s highest honor.

“I got my MBA, I left Charlotte, and I started the most interesting international career you could ever imagine,” Purdy said. “I learned a lot about international business, and the things I learned in my MBA program are the things that guided me.”

About the Belk College MBA

Established: August 1970 as the Master of Management, became the Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1977.

Enrollment (fall 2020): 455

Alumni: 4,224

MBA Facts

1970: First graduate program for business professionals in the Charlotte region.

1995: First MBA to offer courses in uptown Charlotte.

Since 2006, the Belk College has offered a dual MBA program through a partnership with the Graduate School of Business Administration and Leadership (EGADE) at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.

2016

U.S. News & World Report researchers find that UNC Charlotte is one of only eight U.S. universities to have multiple alumni who serve as CEOs of Fortune 100 companies – Robert Niblock ‘85, former CEO of Lowe’s Companies, and Joseph Swedish ‘72, CEO of Anthem.

2017

The Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program launches as the only AACSB-accredited program of its kind in the Carolinas.

2018

Madison Hartness becomes the Belk College’s 30,000th graduate.

2019

The inaugural cohort for the M.S. Management, the first program of its kind in the UNC System, forms.

2020

2020

Jennifer Troyer is named the Belk College’s seventh dean; the college celebrates its 50th anniversary.