Endowed chairs are vital to the livelihood of Loras College. Not only does the position embody one of the highest honors the College can bestow upon a faculty member, it ensures that we attract and retain world-class professors by providing dedicated resources and instruction opportunities. In turn, endowed chairs provide immeasurable benefit to our students, giving them the opportunity to learn alongside and be mentored by some of the most talented professionals in the world.
A core component of the Inspiring Lives & Leadership campaign is to establish and continue to develop faculty chairs, such as the Andrew P. Studdert Endowed Chair of Business Ethics and Crisis Leadership. Created through a generous $1-million gift to the campaign from Loras College Regent Emeritus Andrew Studdert and his wife Mary Pat, the chair enhances the educational experience of students and raises awareness about the significance of ethical conduct in business and the critical need for competent leaders in crisis situations.
“Our solid emphasis on ethics is important to both our undergraduate and graduate students, especially in the data analytics elements of our MBA program, as the ethical dimensions of this evolving area are mostly uncharted and ethically murky,” said Inaugural Chair Roman Ciapalo, Loras College professor of philosophy. “Moral dilemmas arise in every vocation; it is vitally important to know how to conduct oneself ethically in such contexts.”
Annual events funded by the establishment of the Chair of Business Ethics and Crisis Leadership include classroom visits by business leaders, roundtable discussions connecting students and business leaders, public lectures by notable scholars and an Executive-In-Residence program.