Welcome back from Spring Break, Business Monarchs! We’re glad to have you back on campus. Here’s hoping your Spring Break was exactly what you needed it to be.

Students, set yourself up for success with activities all week designed to support you in your academic and career journeys. For a complete list of events and other activities, check out ODU’s Center for Career and Leadership Development (@oduccld) and ODU’s Center for Orientation, Retention and Exploration (@odu_core) on Instagram. 

As part of Student Success Week, make sure to register for Fall 2025 classes and begin planning for your next semester as a Business Monarch. 

Hello, Business Monarchs,

While serving as your Strome College of Business interim dean during the last nine months, one of the most common questions I received was, "Do you want to be the dean long-term?" Over time, my answer to that question evolved and I can confidently say that the deciding factor in my decision to become a candidate for the dean role was YOU.

Your dedication, your excitement, your knowledge – it helped guide and reinforce my decision to pursue this role beyond an interim capacity. Today, as I officially begin my tenure as dean, it is my honor to continue leading this college and working alongside each of you to build on our strengths, expand our impact, and shape the next generation of business leaders. I'd like to thank Old Dominion University leadership, including President Brian O. Hemphill, Interim Provost Brian Payne, and the Search Committee for their commitment to this process, to the Strome College of Business, and to all it has to offer.

At Strome, we stand at the intersection of academic excellence, industry engagement and student success. Strome students are preparing to lead in an ever-changing business landscape, and it is our collective responsibility to equip them with the knowledge, experiences and connections they need to thrive. This means:

Expanding experiential learning opportunities that bring the real world into our classrooms;

Strengthening our partnerships with the business community to drive innovation and career readiness;

Pursuing and celebrating research opportunities that leverage our faculty’s positions as thought leaders in their respective fields; and

Ensuring our curriculum remains agile and responsive to the demands of a global economy.

The future of the Strome College of Business is bright. Together, we will push boundaries, embrace new opportunities, and elevate our impact in ways that truly make a difference. I am grateful for your support, passion, trust, confidence and commitment to our shared vision.

I look forward to shaping the future of Strome—together.

With gratitude and enthusiasm,
Erika Marsillac, Ph.D.
Dean, Strome College of Business

In 2018, Hurricane Florence was headed toward Hampton Roads before it changed course and made landfall in Wilmington, North Carolina.

This close encounter with a major storm prompted Old Dominion University researchers to ask the question: What would the economic impact be if a Category 3 hurricane hit the region?

The resulting study estimates the cost would be $15.6 billion in direct damages, which is equal to 10% of the 2022 regional gross domestic product (GDP), and a temporary loss of more than 76,000 jobs.

The study was funded by the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency (CCRFR) and ODU’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ICAR).

Yin-Hsuen Chen, geospatial data scientist (GIS), George McLeod, director of the Center for Geospatial Science, Education and Analytics and Bob McNab, professor of economics at the Strome College of Business, authored the report.

Old Dominion University, the Strome College of Business, and the School of Public Service hosted the 12th annual NASPAA Pandemic Simulation Competition on March 1. This prestigious event brought together aspiring public administration professionals from around the globe. This year’s competition focused on the critical theme of pandemic response, challenging participants to navigate complex policy decisions in the face of a global health crisis. This is ODU’s second consecutive year of hosting the event. 

Over the course of two weekends, 200 students representing nearly 100 universities participate in 60 teams across seven virtual sites worldwide.

Participants are immersed in a fast-paced simulation where they assume the roles of government leaders, tasked with managing the real-time spread of a deadly infectious disease. Their objective was to protect their citizens, economies, and regions from the devastating effects of a pandemic.

ODU was represented in the competition by five Master of Public Administration students: Morgan Stewart, Dave Schaeffer, Henry Attivor, Camilla Raifsnider, and Jasmin Lane. Their dedication and strategic thinking led to remarkable success, as Jasmin Lane and Morgan Stewart emerged as part of the winning team, which earns them a spot in the upcoming International Super Round.

The NASPAA Pandemic Simulation Competition has become a significant platform for students to hone their skills in crisis management and policy development. By simulating real-world challenges, the competition encourages innovative thinking and collaborative problem-solving—vital qualities for future leaders in public service.

The MPA program emphasizes leadership and public service, equipping graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to impact their communities positively.