Mays Impacts

Donnell
Gov. Rick Perry appointed Mays Real Estate Programs Director Cydney C. Donnell to the Employee Retirement System Board of Directors for a term to expire Aug. 31, 2012. The board oversees a $23 billion retirement fund and the administration of state employee and retiree health insurance benefits, a deferred compensation plan, and a flexible benefits program.

Donnell previously worked as a managing director and portfolio manager at European Investors, a diversified asset management firm. She is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and formerly served on its board of governors. She is a past member of the Texas A&M Foundation Investment Advisory Committee and past board member of the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students.

– Staff Reports

Robyn L. ’89 and Alan B. Roberts ’78 of Giddings, Texas, have established a $250,000 endowment with the Texas A&M Foundation. This matching gift will fund the establishment of the Robyn L. ’89 and Alan B. Roberts ’78/Center for Executive Development Undergraduate Scholars Program.

“The Roberts’ gift will provide valuable funding to help support future Mays Business School students,” said Ricky Griffin, interim dean at Mays. “Like all business schools today, we recruit the very best students possible. Scholarship funding such as this gives us a real advantage over other business schools. We truly appreciate Robyn and Alan Roberts for this generous gift.”

Mays Business School currently enrolls more than 4,000 undergraduate students and 875 graduate students. Mays is nationally ranked among public business schools for the quality of its undergraduate program, MBA program and the faculty scholarship of its 105 professors in five departments.

Robyn Roberts says that she and her husband are very happy to be able to give back to the school that has meant so much to their personal and professional lives. “We love coming back to A&M. We love the fellowship there,” said Robyn, who says she especially appreciates the education she received as well as the networking she’s been able to establish.

Now, the Roberts seek to touch the next generation of Aggies through their gift. “We want to give people an opportunity that they might not have any other way. We want them to have a chance to show their abilities and their leadership,” said Robyn.

Both accounting majors, Alan and Robyn had a true Aggie romance, starting when they met at a football game. The Roberts are co-owners of Pumpco Inc, a pipeline construction and oilfield leasing company, which Alan founded in 1981. They have two teenage daughters, Jennifer and Allyson.

“There are lots of things that you can give to. When we give funds we want to be sure that they are going to be used well and used in the way that we expect them to. We have that confidence in A&M,” said Robyn.

– Staff Reports

Shankar
Venkatesh Shankar, Professor of Marketing for Mays Business School, was recently named one of the top 20 area editors of Marketing Science for his past two years’ performance.

Marketing Science is the flagship-marketing journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). Marketing Science is ranked third among business and management journals, and it covers significant findings in the marketing field—product lines, buyer behavior and competitive strategy, just to name a few.

Shankar isn’t new to Marketing Science, and certainly not to the marketing field. He was recognized as a top 20 area editor in 2006 and as the top guest area editor the previous year. In the past two years, he has authored/co-authored several important articles in journals such as Marketing Science, Management Science, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research and Sloan Management Review.

Shankar is the Brandon C. Coleman, Jr. ’78 Chair in Marketing. He has been teaching at Mays since 2004.

– Staff Reports