Don Center director Gita Surie, PhD, is establishing the center as a knowledge hub and valuable resource for the University as a whole through programs that focus on innovative technologies and decision sciences.
The Elizabeth and Allen Don Center for Innovative Technology and Decision Sciences fosters innovations at the intersection of technology and interdisciplinary decision sciences鈥攁nd enriches the educational experience of students with a thoughtfully curated calendar of events.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a free resource, open to anyone,鈥� said Gita Surie, PhD, professor of management and director of the Don Center, which was established by the late Robert B. Willumstad School of Business Professor , and his wife. 鈥淲e like to see it as a way of connecting Adelphi students and faculty with industry. It鈥檚 a pathway for students, as companies can take them on as interns or employees. At the same time, it鈥檚 a way for faculty researchers and experts to share their expertise with companies鈥攁nd for companies to keep faculty and students aware of what鈥檚 going on, so they can better prepare students for career success.鈥�
As a member of the Center鈥檚 advisory board from 2014 to 2017, Dr. Surie had helped to develop a vision and mandate for the new center before assuming its directorship in 2018. That year, the center hosted a talk by Osman Ahmed, PhD, the principal technical adviser at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The following year, it presented a panel discussion on 鈥淎chieving Business Impact with Data Analytics: Opportunities and Challenges.鈥�
A Valuable Online Resource
鈥淓verything since 2020 has been all virtual, which has worked out even better,鈥� Dr. Surie said, noting how the center can tap into alumni, senior executives and industry leaders from as far afield as North Carolina and India for events, lectures and panel discussions, rather than relying on speakers in close proximity to Adelphi.
The virtual format, according to Dr. Surie, also makes it convenient for anyone to attend the event. Virtual Don Center events are recorded and made available on YouTube, where faculty, students and businesspeople鈥攆rom industry panelists to members of local chambers of commerce and business associations鈥攃an readily access them.
Since spring 2021, the Don Center鈥檚 virtual events have been coordinated with the help of Stephen Davy, MBA 鈥�88, member of the Don Center advisory board and an executive in residence from spring 2021 to spring 2022. These events were also supported by the Don Center鈥檚 advisory board members, who suggested speakers and, in some cases, joined as panelists.
Recently, Willumstad鈥檚 master鈥檚 degree programs in supply chain management and business analytics have been supported by virtual discussions featuring expert panelists keen to share their knowledge and industry perspectives at events on everything from 鈥淪upply Chain 4.0鈥� and 鈥淭he Digital Transformation of Business in the Post-Pandemic Era鈥� to 鈥淒eploying AI and IoT Technologies for Business Success.鈥� Timely panel discussions covering 鈥淭he Future of Work and the Workplace鈥� and 鈥淒emystifying Blockchain鈥� have been equally successful and well received.
鈥淲e鈥檙e interested in anything that leads to cutting-edge innovation,鈥� Dr. Surie said. Alumni often take part or suggest colleagues who might be willing to share their expertise. 鈥淲e鈥檝e found that students especially like alumni, as they can see themselves in their place and feel comfortable engaging with them in Q&A sessions or networking with them.鈥�
A Knowledge Hub
The Don Center鈥檚 15-member advisory board is composed of alumni and professionals who have worked at companies such as Macy鈥檚, Amazon and Est茅e Lauder. The board provides guidance on anything to do with the center, offering topics and speakers to consider for events, information for students, and more.
鈥淭he center is a work in progress for all of us, but we are heading towards our ultimate vision of being a knowledge hub鈥攐r Long Island think tank鈥攁nd a valuable resource for the University as a whole,鈥� Dr. Surie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always gratifying to have these events, and it鈥檚 exciting to bring topics that interest different departments and that help keep Adelphi at the cutting edge.鈥�
This fall鈥檚 proposed events鈥斺�淢anaging Risk to Enable Supply Chain Agility and Resilience鈥� and 鈥淭ransforming Customer Relationships and the Customer Experience Through Technology鈥濃�攚ill certainly do just that.