Villanova University Receives $2 Million Commitment from Villanova School of Business Professor Robert Nydick, PhD, as part of University’s $600 million Capital Campaign
VILLANOVA, Pa. (PRWEB) October 30, 2014 -- Villanova University has received a $2 million commitment from Villanova School of Business (VSB) Professor Robert L. Nydick, PhD, his wife, Susan, and their sons, Robert III and Gregory, as part of the University’s $600 million Comprehensive Capital Campaign, “For the Greater Great: The Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change.” Designated for VSB, the Nydick’s gift will establish The Nydick Family Business Analytics Fund, and create The Nydick Family Commons in Bartley Hall – home of the Villanova School of Business.
“Villanova has been an important part of our lives for over a quarter of a century. It was important to us that our gift has an immediate impact on the students,” said Nydick. “The combination of the Commons and the Business Analytics fund seemed like the perfect allocation of our contribution. We are honored to play a part in the development within this area of VSB.”
Villanova launched the public phase of its Campaign in Oct. 2013, and to date has raised more than $369 million towards its $600 million goal. The most ambitious in the University’s 170-year history, Villanova’s Campaign is aimed at cultivating academic innovation across its schools and colleges, investing in recruiting and retaining the finest teacher-scholars, dramatically enhancing financial aid and student opportunities, and continuing to build a premier living-learning environment on the University’s 260-acre campus.
“This level of generosity from the Nydick family is not only impressive, but incredibly important to the success of this Campaign. The Villanova University community in all facets – alumni, parents, faculty, students and staff – is stepping up and participating in this historic campaign, and as a faculty member, Bob is helping lead the charge,” said Michael J. O’Neill, Vice President for University Advancement.
An award-winning professor and scholar, Nydick’s impact has been felt both inside and outside of the classroom since his arrival at the University in 1987. Villanova has also become an important place in the lives of the entire Nydick family, as the Nydick’s two sons, Rob and Greg, are both graduates of VSB. Through this gift, the Nydick family will further enhance the academic experience for future VSB students.
The establishment of the Nydick Family Business Analytics Fund marks the single largest donation to VSB in support of Business Analytics. The fund will support faculty research, recruitment, and retention as VSB expands its commitment to provide all VSB students with a strong foundation in applied analytics. Through this generous gift VSB has also completely renovated the Founders Lobby in Bartley Hall, a signature gathering space for the VSB community throughout the year, and will name this space the Nydick Family Commons.
“Bob and Sue Nydick’s investment in VSB will ensure that generations of students have access to a world class business analytics curriculum, and learn from exceptional scholars and practitioners in the field,” said Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD, The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of VSB. “The Nydick family is also enabling VSB to create a beautiful, functional space for the VSB community to gather and connect with one another, an aspect of Villanova that is central to the way Dr. Nydick has opened himself up and impacted thousands of students himself. We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous generosity of the Nydick family.”
A Professor of Management and Operations in VSB, Nydick – who teaches courses on Business Analytics, Data Mining, Business Decision Making, and Simulation – has received both the University’s Lindback Award for Teaching Excellence and the John Tonkinson Teaching Innovation Award. He has also been recognized for his scholarly research, which focuses on topics ranging from the analytic hierarchy process in medical decision-making settings, to decision support and education of management science.
Nydick has also combined his passion for teaching with a passion for service. After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast Region in August 2005, he immediately began incorporating hands-on assistance for the Katrina recovery effort into his business decision-making classes. Just weeks after the Hurricane, his class traveled to the Gulf Coast to assist disaster relief organizations in the recovery efforts. Those trips continued every semester for seven years.
Nydick received his Bachelor of Science in Operations Research from Philadelphia University. He went on to earn a Master of Science in Operations Research from The University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD in Operations Research from Temple University. Bob and Susan Nydick reside in Ambler, Pa.
The most ambitious Campaign in the University’s 170-year history, Villanova’s Comprehensive Capital Campaign, “For the Greater Great: The Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change,” is focused on the following priority areas: Endowment ($250 million); Academic and Programmatic Priorities ($125 million); Facilities ($150 million); and Annual Fund ($75 million). For more information on the Campaign, visit http://www.forthegreatergreat.com
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges – the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University School of Law. As students grow intellectually, Villanova prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit http://www.villanova.edu
The Villanova School of Business (VSB) has been at the forefront of business education since it was founded in 1922. Serving over 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students, VSB is home to six Centers of Excellence (the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate, the Center for Business analytics, the Center for Global Leadership, the Center for Marketing & Public Policy Research, the Center for the Study of Church Management &Business Ethics and the Center for Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Center) with each center designed to foster innovative, cross-disciplinary research and teaching opportunities for business faculty. VSB is known for academic rigor; creativity and innovation; hands-on and service learning opportunities; a firm grounding in ethics; and an applied education that prepares students to become outstanding leaders and global citizens within the ever-changing, complex, and fast-paced world of business. For more, visit http://business.villanova.edu
Jonathan Gust, Villanova University, +1 (610) 519-5152, [email protected]
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