I am delighted to present our 2023-2024 Annual Report. This past year has indeed been a very busy one for us. We spent the summer of 2023 working on our Self-Assessment Report in preparation for our AACSB peer review visit in February 2024. At the same time, we were getting all the data together to submit for the Poets & Quants ranking of undergraduate business programs. I am happy to report that we had an outstanding peer review visit and the AACSB team was highly complimentary to the fine work of our faculty and staff in educating our students. We also received wonderful news when Poets & Quants ranked our undergraduate business program #40 in the country. We were especially honored to be ranked #19 for academic experiences based on alumni feedback. Our students graduated into a changing job market and continued to make us proud. The median salary across all majors for graduates is $70,000 with some majors, notably Finance and Business Analytics, bringing in even higher salaries.
My faculty colleagues have not rested on their laurels. This past year we introduced a new major, FinTech, and a new minor, Cybersecurity Management. We continue to offer many industry-specific certifications and given the astounding attention to artificial intelligence, my faculty colleagues are quickly responding by incorporating AI tools into their classes. Our students have responded with enthusiasm and as you read profiles in this report of Mackenzie Deming, Rafi Dahdal, and Joshua Mason, you will quickly realize how good they are. Similarly, you will see how our faculty – Adam Aiken, Hyunuk Kim, Lana Waschka, Smaraki Mohanty, and Steve DeLoach – bring their passion for teaching students into the classroom and how they mentor their students. Two students, Becca Chase and Ericka Link, speak about the use of Second Nature in Chris Nelson’s sales class. Our graduate programs also continue to evolve. There is a new curriculum in place for our MBA program and our MSBA program curriculum is now in its second year.
As a business school, we host a lot of speakers throughout the year, but few attract as much student attention as Daymond John, who brought his passion for entrepreneurship to thunderous applause from our students. Another wonderful event was when entrepreneurs Lee Williams III and James S. (Chip) Mahan III spoke about how they started and built Live Oak Bank into a flourishing company. What made the occasion extra special was several of our alumni employed at Live Oak Bank coming back to campus to witness President Connie Ledoux Book bestow the founders with the Elon Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
This letter is the last I will write as dean. I conclude my service as dean in June 2025 following 13 years of service, and these years have been fulfilling in ways I could not have imagined. I am humbled by the dedication of my faculty and staff colleagues. Day after day they work hard to provide the best education for our students. Our students have taught me a lot—their resolve, ability to learn, resilience, and the many ways they support us as successful alumni. Finally, I am grateful to the LSB’s Board of Advisors for its wise counsel and support. It’s been a terrific journey and I predict even better days for the LSB.
Sincerely,
Raghu Tadepalli
Dean of the Martha & Spencer Love School of Business
