Endowed MBA Scholarship Established to Honor Bruce Rubin
For 16 years, Bruce Rubin, associate professor of finance in the College of Business and Public Administration, was the face of Old Dominion University's MBA program. This month the university thanked Rubin by establishing an endowed MBA scholarship in his name.
The creation of the Dr. Bruce L. Rubin Endowed MBA Scholarship was announced at ODU's annual MBA Association (MBAA) dinner on April 16. The scholarship was funded by donations from MBA graduates and "Rubinites" from across the country.
More than $78,000 of the initial goal of $100,000 has been raised for the endowment, earnings from which will be used to award a scholarship annually to a new part-time student in the MBA program. The scholarship also requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2 and a minimum GMAT score of 600. Because public service is a subject of great importance to the scholarship's namesake, preference will be given to a student who performs volunteer service in the local business community.
"The Bruce L. Rubin Scholarship is intended to serve two purposes. First, it is really a testament to Professor Rubin, who is so instrumental in the growth and development of this program. Second, it will allow us to be more competitive in the recruitment of students for the program," said Larry Filer, associate professor of economics and director of ODU's MBA program.
"The MBA program at ODU has been influenced by many over the years, but there is no doubt that Bruce Rubin has had the most significant influence on the program. Much of what our MBA students see today is a result of his efforts in building a quality program for the Hampton Roads region. Our annual dinner was the perfect venue to honor him with the unveiling of the Bruce L. Rubin Endowed Scholarship," said Filer.
For Rubin, the honor was unexpected, but came as no surprise to the many students he has mentored during his 16-year tenure.
"I was stunned and humbled by the surprise announcement of the scholarship in my name. I can think of no greater honor than to be remembered by my former students in this way. I want to thank all the 'Rubinites' involved; I've enjoyed watching your successes," said Rubin.
Every year, the MBAA dinner brings together alumni, students, faculty and friends of ODU's MBA program. The keynote speaker this year was Larry Kittelberger ('75 MBA), retired vice president of technology and operations at Honeywell. He discussed the evolution of technology in the last 35 years and its impact on business as a whole.