The International Business Institute at the University of Missouri–St. Louis received a Golden Plate Hall of Fame Award Saturday during the 10th annual Old Newsboys Day Golden Plate Hall of Fame Award Dinner. The award was accepted by Michael Costello, assistant teaching professor of finance and legal studies, who serves as UMSL’s faculty liaison to for the annual Old Newsboys Day campaign. Presented by the Old Newsboys Day Board of Directors, the award is given to organizations for outstanding continuations to the annual children’s charity campaign.
UMSL’s International Business Institute students and faculty have participated in the campaign for several years, and this year they took their participation a step farther with a 6-foot-wide wooden airplane statue. The statue was commissioned by local artist Chris Carter to represent UMSL’s international business students’ dedication to the community and the campaign’s support of children.
The collection box next to the statue, which was unveiled Nov. 8 at the Millennium Student Center at UMSL and then spent a few weeks at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, allowed for early donations leading up to the campaign held on Nov. 18. Faculty and students raised more than $2,000 this year, setting a new record for UMSL.
“My goals for teaching in our top 20 ranked international business program are to prepare our students to be globally aware, ethically motivated leaders and engaged in their community,” Costello said. “Partnering with the Business Leadership Team of Old Newsboy Day exposes our students to similarly committed business leaders who recognize the need to share their blessings to make St. Louis a better community for all of us.”
The annual campaign, sponsored by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, raises funds for more than 200 local charities. The fundraiser takes place the Thursday before Thanksgiving when volunteers hit the streets to hawk special editions of the newspaper.
Joseph Rottman, director of the International Business Institute at UMSL, said it is a well-deserved recognition.
“This was a really nice way to recognize UMSL’s connection to the community and its dedication to service,” Rottman said. “Not only does UMSL have a top-ranked International Business Program, its faculty and students give back to the community through volunteering at the Old Newsboys Day.”
The International Business Institute supports the International Business program at UMSL, which has been ranked among the top 20 best undergraduate international business programs for the eighth consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report. The institute was formed in 2000 with the goal of continuing to strengthen the international undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
UMSL’s International Business Program, which began in 1999, is a collaboration between the College of Business Administration and Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL.
Building on the long-running success of the undergraduate program, the college launched the International Master’s of Business Administration program in 2005. The International MBA program created partnerships with international universities in China, Japan, India, France, Mexico and Austria. Students enrolled in the two-year graduate program spend the first year studying abroad, followed by a summer internship before returning to UMSL for a year.
More information:
ib.umsl.edu
