Three former students at the Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University have officially joined the business school as new professors.
Dr. Aaron Elkins (’03), Dr. Valerie Alexandra (’98), and Dr. Robert Briggs (’86) are returning to their alma mater to continue the school’s legacy, according to a recent press release. The three sat on the podium during their respective graduation ceremonies, receiving honors as top management information systems (MIS) undergraduates.
Their former professors played a major role in shaping them as professionals, and now as professors. Alexandra and Elkins will now be teaching alongside some of their most influential educators, Dr. Theo Addo and Dr. Bruce Reinig, respectively.
Briggs decided to return to the university as a professor because the university’s hard work toward becoming a leader inspired him. Briggs not only holds his MIS degree; he’s also an MBA graduate and art history buff. That was another one of his undergraduate degrees.
“When I was a student here in the ‘80s, SDSU was a regional commuter campus committed to excellent teaching,” Briggs said in the press release. “Now, SDSU also conducts nearly one-third of the grand-funded research for the entire CSU system and aspires to contribute even more. I wanted to be a part of that. I came back to help build research programs based on real-world issues that actually make a difference in the lives of real people.”
Alexandra, on the other hand, wants to give back to the community in the same way it gave to her—by teaching management. “When I joined SDSU as a student, I felt that I became a part of a diverse, thriving, creative, and caring community. The professors I met in my undergraduate program have been incredible mentors and instrumental in my academic and professional careers,” she said. “I came back to SDSU as a professor so that I could personally contribute on an everyday basis to the growth and development of our wonderful community.”
As for Elkins, he “came back for the people.”