At the Collins College of Business, we don’t just keep pace with the future of business – we help define it.
This spring has been packed with moments that show exactly why CCB is the place to earn a business degree. It’s where innovation meets execution, where students grow into confident professionals, and where the classroom extends far beyond four walls.
One of the semester’s standout moments was an unforgettable behind-the-scenes tour of Cooper Nuclear Station in Nebraska, led by one of our own energy students, Andrew Askins. From crisis simulations to the control room floor, this experience gave our students unmatched exposure to the complexity and responsibility of modern energy operations.
In real estate, more than 100 students and industry leaders came together for our fourth annual Career Networking Evening. These are more than just events – they’re launchpads. I want to thank everyone who made this evening so impactful. Hands-on learning and direct access to industry experts is what makes CCB a standout in business education.
Through the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, 13 students attended SXSW in Austin, Texas, where they pitched real startup ventures to tech leaders (including Mark Cuban and MKBHD!) and immersed themselves in the intersection of business, technology, and creativity. Opportunities like this help students not only dream big, but build big.
Our faculty are shaping the future too. Congratulations to Kazim Topuz, Ph.D., and Akhilesh Bajaj, Ph.D., for their recent A-level publication in the Annals of Operations Research. Their work on interpretable machine learning and explainable AI is a major contribution to the field, and a testament to the groundbreaking research happening right here at CCB.
We were also proud to host the Collins College of Business Investment Portfolio Challenge, where students developed strategies to improve a $6 million equity portfolio under real-world conditions. Our UTulsa team tied for first place and ultimately finished second overall – an outstanding achievement that reflects the strength of our hands-on finance education.
We continue to scale the Collins Career Accelerator Program, our signature professional development program that helps business students become standout job candidates. Thank you to the alumni and professionals who continue to help shape this effort. We invite more of you to get involved and help mentor the next generation.
We also celebrated a major academic milestone: Larry Wofford. Ph.D., received the Graaskamp Award from the American Real Estate Society – a lifetime achievement award honoring groundbreaking contributions to real estate education. Please join us in congratulating him.
Finally, I want to express sincere appreciation to our external advisory boards, whose spring meetings were full of thoughtful discussion, collaboration, and vision. Your partnership strengthens every aspect of our college, and we are grateful for your continued investment in our students, faculty, and future.
There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the Collins College of Business. Thank you for helping us build what’s next.
Jennifer S. Bennett
Genave King Rogers Interim Dean