From the Dean

Dr. Sanjay Ramchander
Dean, McCoy College of Business

Welcome to the Spring 2024 issue of TXSTMcCoy Magazine.

A year ago, we launched this online publication to serve as a touchpoint for our alumni — as well as our students, parents, campus colleagues, donors, corporate partners, and other stakeholders — to see what the McCoy College of Business community is doing. We were thrilled to see the responses and engagement from so many of our alumni and friends. Thank you!

This new issue focuses on student opportunities. McCoy College offers students innumerable paths to success, and here we highlight the journeys and destinations of our current students and alumni, as well as the faculty whose work makes those journeys so powerful.

We open with a story about alumna and current MBA student Leanna Mouton, whose passion has led to opportunities including service as Student Regent on the Texas State University System’s Board of Regents and an internship at the White House. As writer Valerie Figueroa notes, in the face of adversity, Leanna draws strength from her determination to create a brighter future for her loved ones and the communities she serves.

Our second feature story looks at the journey of alumnus Bruce Smith (BBA ’87), founder, president, and CEO of Safety Vision LLC. Seizing opportunities both during his time as a student and in his early career, he has built Safety Vision into a global leader in mobile surveillance solutions. He has also made a tremendous impact on future Bobcats through his generosity to McCoy College and Texas State University.

Over a span of five semesters, students in our Studies in Entrepreneurship courses have raised over $100,000 for local organizations. The group fundraising projects have had deep impacts on community partners, showcasing the opportunities that McCoy College students can act upon, as well as the opportunities they can create for others.

Our features also include an overview of our study-abroad initiatives through McCoy College Global Engagement, providing opportunities for students to learn from international experiences that prepare them to meet tomorrow’s challenges around the world.

We’re excited to share feature stories on the exceptional research and work of faculty members Dr. Li Feng (Finance and Economics) and Dr. Tahir Ekin (Information Systems and Analytics), as well as a faculty highlight on Dr. Linda Alkire (Marketing), all of whom deeply impact our students.

We also offer student highlights on Kiersten Florence, Cruz Untz, and Jalen Wright, whose opportunities for professional development and inspiring others have included serving as student body president, award recognition from the Texas Business Hall of Fame, and a trip to Portugal as a participant in the European Innovation Academy, respectively.

Have a look around the webpages of the magazine. Share the stories with your friends and colleagues. And add your achievements and life updates to our Class Notes via the online form linked on the magazine’s homepage.

I hope you get a strong pulse of the excitement at McCoy College as we transform the lives of students and define the future of business in Texas and beyond.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sanjay Ramchander 
Darren Casey Professor of Business 
Dean, McCoy College of Business 
Texas State University 
Sanjay.Ramchander@txstate.edu