Endowed chairs enhance the quality of programs in higher education through both the recognition and contributions of the chair holder. The position is among the highest and most prestigious appointments in academe, and endowed chairs honor significant scholarly or creative achievement and academic excellence. Distinguished scholars who hold these positions make significant contributions to the teaching and research missions of their College. Moreover, they increase the visibility of the College and aid in attracting additional high-quality faculty, superior students, and external resources for research, instruction, and service.
The James H. Shott Endowed chair was established in 1997 for a recipient in the School of Business. With donations from many sources--foundations, faculty, staff, and community members--we raised a principle of $150,000. With the assistance of Norris Kantor, our long endeavor in naming an endowed chair in the School of Business came to an end at our 2005 graduation with the naming of Dr. Steve Bourne as the first recipient of this endowment.
Some of the highlights of Steve's career include:
He received a Ph.D. in Management from Virginia Tech, his M.S. in Management at Radford University, and his B.S. in Business Administration from BSC. He currently is a tenured full professor in BSC's School of Business, having taught at the college for 27 years teaching courses in Business Ethics, Industrial Relations, International Management, and Strategic Management. His teaching experience includes both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Some of his outstanding credentials are:
- He has 20 years of active Management consulting experience, having conducted 500+ seminar presentations/training sessions.
- He is a labor arbitrator and a member of the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service Roster for Virginia and West Virginia. He is a panel arbitrator on numerous private panels.
- He is active in campus governance and planning, recently serving as the faculty representative to the Institutional Board of Governors; served as Faculty Chair for 2 terms; and 8 years on the College Council, and currently serves as a School of Business Faculty Senator.
- He has had several articles published and is a member of many professional organizations.
Honors he has received are:
- 1 of 3 finalists for 2004 WV Professor of the Year Award.
- Recipient of the 1993 BSC Outstanding Faculty Award.
- Member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society.
He is an active member of the community by coaching in youth recreational leagues and a past president of the WV Christian Athletes, 6 years as a member of the Board of Deacons at Westminister Presbyterian Church, doing extensive volunteer service and consulting work with the City of Bluefield, Bluefield Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors for Bluefield Regional Medical Center among others.
He and his wife Vicki have three children--Ryan, Hillary, and Kathleen. |
