Binghamton University School of Management celebrates 50 years with fundraising gala

With a crowd consisting of students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends and supporters, a party was held to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Binghamton University School of Management.

The School of Management’s (SOM) third fundraising gala was held in New York City Thursday, Nov. 7. Honoring the school’s golden anniversary, it was a chance to acknowledge five decades of success while charting a course for what’s next.

A 40-foot timeline of major SOM milestones was on full display in the Grand Hyatt New York, highlighting the story of how the former Harpur College Department of Business Enterprise and Accounting transformed into the school as presently known.

“Reaching this anniversary creates a time for reflection,” said Upinder Dhillon, dean and Koffman Scholar. “It also creates an opportunity to look forward to a future that builds on our achievements.”

Dhillon highlighted the school’s rise in rankings in recent years, acknowledging its place among the elite public business schools in the nation. He also gave a sense of what stakeholders can expect from the school going forward.

“Our vision is one built around a business-tech model, positioning ourselves as an elite public business school that equips tomorrow’s leaders with the skills needed to succeed in the new economy generated by the fourth industrial revolution,” he said.

A video echoing Dhillon’s vision for the school was shown, featuring testimonials from Associate Dean Shelley Dionne, Assistant Professor Daniel McKeever and alumnae Maggie Chan Jones ’96, founder/CEO of Tenshey Inc.

Entertainment for the event was provided by Neil Berg ’86 and Company, who performed a set called 50 Years of Broadway. Their final song of the evening, “Seasons of Love” from the popular musical Rent, was performed by an ensemble of Binghamton University alumni.

Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger closed out the event, thanking the guests for their continued support of the School of Management and Binghamton University.

“Even as we look back to celebrate our achievements, we are looking ahead,” he said. “The next 50 years will really be something to see.”

The gala supports the School of Management Dean’s Excellence Fund, which helps the school recruit outstanding students, retain exceptional faculty and fund globally recognized research initiatives.