College of Business Receives Scholarship Endowments
JONESBORO – Two scholarships have been endowed to Arkansas State University’s College of Business and will be presented at the fourth annual Women’s Business Leadership Conference, Thursday, March 29, at Centennial Hall in the Carl R. Reng Student Union.
The two are in honor of professors in the College of Business — Dr. Jim Washam, associate dean of undergraduate programs and associate professor of finance, and Dr. Patricia Robertson, chair, economics and finance, along with professor of business law and faculty coordinator for the Women’s Business Leadership Center.
“The continued support of our alumni and our faculty makes the future so much brighter for our students,” said Dr. Kathy Loyd interim dean of the College of Business. “I am so appreciative of the financial support and involvement that we have to launch our business students to college completion and business success.”
Washam joined the A-State faculty in 1987 and has served as department chair for economics and finance, as well as the department of accounting, finance and law. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences and conducts treasury management seminars throughout North America.
His seminars have attracted participants from leading organizations including Hilton Hotels, JPMorgan Chase, Sprint, Mastercard International, Bank of Montreal, Metavante, Google, Harvard University, Tiffany and Company, Columbia University, General Electric, Proctor and Gamble, ScotiaBank and NASCAR.
"I’m incredibly honored that someone would do this for me,” commented Washam. “My hope is that this scholarship will improve the lives of our students by increasing access to the incredible learning experiences available at Arkansas State."
The Patricia Robertson Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a student participating in the Women’s Business Leadership Center’s mentoring program. Robertson is the lead faculty member in establishing the annual Women’s Business Leadership Conference and has developed the curriculum for students in the program, including experiential field trips to businesses where mentors have provided a glimpse into their profession.
Robertson, who received her doctoral degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law, has been a faculty member at Arkansas State since 2005. She has published a variety of scholarly articles, and has presented papers at numerous academic conferences. Robertson practiced law for 20 years as member of a firm prior to 2005. She is licensed to practice law in Arkansas and Tennessee.
“Education at A-State is transformational for our students and their families,” stated Robertson. “I am confident that students who receive this scholarship will achieve great things in the world.”
