USD Magazine Summer 2021

Ma j o r g i f t t o S choo l o f Bu s i ne s s f o r f i nan c e [ b i g - h e a r t e d ] THE FUTURE IS C OM I N G

4,000 Toreros on the platform, an increase of more than 600% since the platform was created in 2017. Out of this group, more than 2,000 are alumni and more than 1,300 are students. The platform has become an essential part of networking for the Torero community. Since its creation in 2017, TEAM has become an essential networking tool. The numbers are impressive: There are cur- rently 685 users — USD stu- dents, alumni, faculty and staff— engaging back and forth via more than 3,500 messages. To add to that momentum, more than 40 job opportunities were posted or referred by alumni from January through March 2021. “People are considering tran- sitioning industries or transfer- ring skills to other areas because they may have been furloughed or laid off as a result of the pan- demic,” explains Kayalar. “Also, our more established alumni — who might be in career transi- tion due to the current circum- stances — can look to see what else they might do with their talent and skills,” says Kayalar. USD’s Admissions and Stu- dent Affairs divisions are now also using the same hub, under a different name, to connect with future Toreros through the Torero Ambassador Net- work. That network was launched as a direct response to the pandemic as a way to welcome prospective students and transition them to the TEAM platform once they become students, supporting them from day one of their academic journey. Moving forward, the Career Development Center team is looking to create specialized communities within the plat- form for different regions, such as in the cities where Torero Clubs are located.

T

by Julene Snyder

his spring, the School of Business received a major gift toward the creation of

a finance lab as part of the new Knauss Center for Business Edu- cation. The gift was made through the generosity of Board of Trust- ees Treasurer Robert R. Dean ’94 (BBA) and his wife, Trina (the couple is pictured at right). “We made this gift for many reasons, but primarily as a way to show appreciation to, and belief in, the future of USD,” says Dean, whose daughters, Macken- zie ‘20 and Madison ‘21, are both Toreros. “I received so many ben- efits from my USD business de- gree, and the fact that my college tuition was almost [entirely] covered by financial aid. It was important to pay it forward. We also wanted to build positive momentum in the hope other alumni would join the effort.” The new 84,000-square-foot Knauss Center for Business Edu- cation will unify all School of Business functions, tripling the size of the school’s space. Among the offerings will be the finance lab, active learning classrooms, seminar rooms, a graduate lounge and team collaboration space. As a first-year student, Dean knew from the get-go that he would be majoring in business with an emphasis on finance. “Two of my favorite classes, fi- nance and investments, and two of my favorite professors — Dan- iel Rivetti and Dennis Zocco — helped me find my career path. Funding and putting their names on the finance lab is a small token of appreciation and way to honor

A N D E R S C A R L S O N

majors gain better skills with the latest technology and resources. This will not only make USD business graduates more attractive to hire, but will attract the bright- est and best students to pursue a USD business degree.” Ground- breaking for the center took place in April of this year; it’s scheduled to open in August of 2022. Dean, who is the vice chairman of the San Francisco Giants, is heartened that the university will provide business students with the tools they need to succeed. “A Bloomberg terminal would have been an amazing tool to have in a finance classroom when I attended,” he notes. “I can’t imagine how much more learning could be accomplished with a finance lab today.”

them,” Dean says of what will be known as the Daniel Rivetti and Dennis Zocco Finance Lab. He says when looking back at his time on campus, what still stands out are the people he bonded with. Above all, he trea- sures “the friends and amazing relationships built during that extremely meaningful time.” Dean is effusive about the benefits the finance lab will have for School of Business students. “A modern business school will better prepare USD graduates for the workplace environment,” he explains. “Office buildings and working environments have changed so much over the years; the new Knauss Center for Business Education will help more business

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Summe r 2021