Dear Millikin Friends,
Every spring, I am reenergized by the activities that take place on campus. This couldn’t be truer this year as we haven’t had the chance to engage in normal activities for at least two years. For the first time since 2019, Millikin hosted the annual Honors Convocation in-person, in Kirkland Fine Arts Center. It was a joy to see our bright and talented students recognized for their amazing work in and outside of the classroom.
In addition, the campus held the Celebrations of Scholarship showcase in-person for the first time since 2019. The newly formed Tabor Business Club advised by Dr. Michael Osei, Assistant Professor of Financial Economics, presented their work on home ownership in Illinois and the differences among those with a college education and different racial or ethnic backgrounds. Other Tabor students presented their ongoing work in the student-run venture MU Performance Consulting.
On May 22, we welcomed 66 undergraduate and 7 MBA students to the Millikin and Tabor alumni networks during our Spring Commencement ceremonies. Our alumni are easy to brag on and it’s a joy to share their stories. Below we are highlighting alumni stories from our MBA graduates Adam Peters ’19 and Lauren Acton ’14 and ’19. The Millikin MBA continues to be application-focused and upgrades skills to position graduates to take their careers to the next level. Junior Chelsea “CJ” McCullum embodies the Millikin student who excels in the classroom, is engaged in multiple out-of-class experiences and is a standout on the court as a member of the women’s basketball team. Take a moment to listen to their stories and reflect on your own Millikin memories.
In the classroom, faculty continue to offer authentic Performance Learning experiences for students. From accounting students performing financial audits for local churches and income tax returns for underserved populations to graduating seniors building strategic plans for a hospitality group in Nepal, Tabor students continue to hone and practice their skills in a real setting with risk and reward. Tabor continues to be a place for students to build their resumes while in school, providing them opportunities to perform and compete, early and often, to build their chance for success.
Furniture was upgraded this spring to provide a comfortable study space in the lower level of ADM-Scovill Hall.
Programmatically, Tabor is re-launching the Organizational Leadership major in a 100% online format geared toward adults with existing college credit. In addition, our MBA program now offers a standalone graduate certificate in Data Analytics and Business Intelligence. Tabor is ready to help individuals reach their career goals and businesses upskill their workforce.
Our alumni are a key partner in assisting in these efforts through your feedback, engagement and financial support. Thank you for your continued involvement and financial gifts. Your support provides scholarships for a more affordable education and provides funds to improve the quality of teaching and learning. I’m pleased to report that the $10,000 Tabor scholarship challenge from last fall was surpassed, and over $12,000 was contributed to support business students in their Millikin education. Thank you! Making an online gift designated to the Tabor School of Business is easy and every dollar counts. If you haven’t developed a habit of giving annually, I encourage you to do so, no matter the dollar amount, to pay it forward for the next generation of Tabor students.
I wish you all an enjoyable summer.
Yours in Millikin,
RJ Podeschi ’02, M.S., MBA
Dean, Tabor School of Business
