Newswise — Seeking to provide ongoing support for superb teaching, research, and curriculum development in the critical area of leadership, alumnus John Griffin (McIntire ’85) committed $5 million to the McIntire School of Commerce to establish the Blue Ridge Leadership Fellows Program. Griffin, a longtime supporter of the School, is the Founder and President of New York-based investment partnership Blue Ridge Capital. “We are incredibly grateful for John’s remarkable generosity in support of leadership programs and initiatives,” says McIntire Dean Carl Zeithaml. “This gift marks a significant step forward in creating the opportunity for world-class leadership studies not only at the McIntire School, but for students throughout the University. We look forward to working closely with other schools at the University, including the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the College of Arts & Sciences, to support and develop high-impact experiences and courses in leadership.” Zeithaml says that resources provided by the gift will support McIntire faculty engaged in the teaching of leadership, as well as to fund research on leadership-related topics. The gift, he says, will allow the School to significantly augment the leadership courses and activities available through the Integrated Core Experience and elective classes; to recruit outstanding new faculty with expertise in the area of leadership; and to grow its highly successful Leadership Minor, which is open to undergraduate students throughout the University.
Funding from Griffin’s gift, Zeithaml notes, has already allowed the School to extend offers of employment to three outstanding educators in leadership.
McIntire Professor of Management Tom Bateman, who heads the Leadership Minor, says Griffin’s gift will have an immediate impact on the study of leadership at the University. “This gift will allow us to expand and strengthen our leadership offerings,” Bateman says, “and it will allow us to provide more customized support for students’ field-based leadership projects. Given the challenges with which the United States—and the entire global community—is faced today, I can hardly think of a more critical area of study.” Griffin recognizes the need to attract and retain world-class faculty to teach and study leadership, saying, “Teachers are the rocket fuel of a top school. This gift is intended to keep McIntire on its upward trajectory by investing in our outstanding faculty.”
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