The AACSB Bridge Program: From the Boardroom to the Classroom

TAMPA, Fla., July 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) recently graduated a group of senior-level executives from the AACSB Bridge Program, who are ready to transfer their expertise and real-world knowledge to the next generation of business leaders.

In today's climate, academia faces the challenge of finding qualified professionals with the valuable insights students need to understand the rapidly changing business environment—and AACSB offers a program to successfully 'bridge' this gap.

The AACSB Bridge Program is an intensive five-day program that provides the skills, training, and guidance necessary to reduce faculty shortages at AACSB-accredited business schools. This innovative program increases the pool of highly-qualified professors with significant business experience.

On June 7, 2013, the AACSB Bridge Program, hosted by the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, graduated the following business professionals from a variety of business fields: Charles T. Anderson (Texas), Kelley Ellis (Iowa), Elizabeth Evans (California), Elizabeth Jennison (California), Lori Johnson (North Dakota), Sam Joumblat (California), Gregory M. Kling (California), E. Jeffrey Lyons (Illinois), Valeria Makarova (California), Mary Murphy (Massachusetts), Mark Parker (Ontario, Canada), Joe Reinkemeyer (Georgia), René Ryman (Illinois), Douglas B. Schreier (California), Hugh E. Sills (California), Gary Skiba (Connecticut), Cindy Sobieski (Connecticut), Dawn M. Tolonen (Ohio), Ron Wangerin (California), Cassmer Ward (North Carolina), Jeni Wheeler (Massachusetts), and Christopher J. Wright (North Carolina).

"We congratulate the newest AACSB Bridge graduates on their recent achievements," said John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International. "Since its inception, the AACSB Bridge Program has prepared numerous senior-level executives for potential careers in academia—bringing executives into the classroom, and scholarship closer to the business world."

To be eligible for the program applicants must be actively participating in their field of interest, have 5–7 years of extensive industry experience, and have limited teaching experience. Individuals are carefully selected to ensure that they will have a powerful impact in the classroom, and that they meet the requirements for a scholarly or instructional practitioner at an AACSB-accredited institution.

Since 2006, hundreds of executives have successfully completed the program—from small business owners and entrepreneurs, to individuals from corporations such as Bank of America, Clif Bar & Company, Deloitte Tax, LLP., Hallmark Cards, Inc., KPMG, Lockheed Martin, and TIAA-CREF. Many of these executives now serve as valued faculty members at business schools throughout the world.

For more information on the program or its recent graduates, visit the AACSB Bridge Program at http://www.aacsb.edu/Bridge/.

About AACSB International

AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), founded in 1916, is an association of more than 1,350 educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations in 84 countries and territories. AACSB's mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at locations throughout the world. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA and its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore. For more information, please visit: www.aacsb.edu.

SOURCE AACSB International

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