Message from the Dean
November and the fall semester are drawing to a close. The winter has started early—lows near freezing and highs in the 50s for the next couple of days. Highs back to the 70s on Thursday and through the weekend. It’s interesting how our bodies adjust. When I lived in Maryland and Tennessee, highs in the 50s were merely cool—now those temperatures are cold.
We are almost through with the Fall 2018 Mitchell Magazine and hope to get it to the printers this weekend. Speaking of which, if you’d like to be added to the mailing list for it, please send your address to Emmy Rieske, the College’s Associate Director of Marketing at rieske@southalabama.edu. More on the upcoming issue in a few minutes.
I spent part of the Thanksgiving holiday with my wife’s sister and brother-in-law in Gadsden, Alabama (about an hour northeast of Birmingham). On Thursday night, the family visited Christmas at the Falls at Noccalula Falls Park. The park is decorated with millions of lights and is a local holiday tradition. A few other musings from the holiday weekend….
- As a huge SEC football fan, I watched a part of the annual fight between the football teams of Mississippi State and Ole Miss that masquerades as the Egg Bowl. I understand intense rivalry, but it seems as if this game is marred by a fight on an annual basis.
- I also watched a part of the game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Tennessee is having a less than average season and the fans displayed their disappointment by booing lustily. I have no problem booing NFL players who are paid to play; booing students one or a few years removed from high school is another subject.
- I also saw some of Alabama’s dismantling of Auburn. In my opinion, it will be difficult for anybody to beat the Tide this year.
- Capped off the college football feast with LSU and Texas A&M. Seven overtimes: Of course, as an LSU alum, I can say that the game should have ended at regulation. The pass was not incomplete and the fumble should have stood.
Enough about football. The upcoming Mitchell Magazine has several interesting articles. Ron Tsang, one of our DBA students, is profiled. A CPA originally from Hong Kong, Ron’s path has led more to strategic problem-solving. The magazine also features Dr. Bill Hayes, an interventional cardiologist who earned an MCOB MBA and is currently the Chief Medical Officer of CPSI. The career of Dr. Marc Porter is also highlighted. An alumnus living in Paris, his life’s journey has led him around the globe with some interesting and, definitely, unexpected stops. Dr. Joe Hair, our DBA Director, is a world-renowned scholar and author. His article shares things that you may not know about Joe. For example, do you know who Joe’s college roommate was? You’ll have to read the article to find that answer. There’s lots more in this issue. Look for it in your mailbox in a couple of weeks. See you next month.
Best Regards,
Bob G. Wood