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Departments:
Across the Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Life’s Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Trivia Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
In This Issue:
Smith Award Winners . . . . . . . . . . .2
Farewell, Dr. Crafton . . . . . . . . . . .3
Demmitt Named Interim
Provost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Trees. Made Real. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
International News . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Scholarship Luncheon . . . . . . . . . . .6
More Giving News . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Dream Catchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Another SAM Triumph . . . . . . . . .10
Clayton State Spring Commencement;
Open Doors, Dreams and...
What Did You Want to be When You Were 10?
by John Shiffert
Dr. Avinandan Mukherjee Appointed
Dean of the College of Business
Campus Review
Serving the CLAYTON STATE UNIVERSITY Community
Vol. 44, No. IV | May 19, 2014
DREAMS. MADE REAL.
Clayton State University’s largest
Commencement day took place on
Saturday, May 10, as more than 500 indi-
viduals walked across the stage in the
Athletics Center to receive recognition for
their masters, baccalaureate or associate
degrees from their families, friends, facul-
ty and the Clayton State administration, as
represented by the University’s deans,
vice presidents and, most prominently,
President Dr. Thomas Hynes who, as
always reminded the assembled multi-
tudes that, “every one of our commence-
ment ceremonies is special.”
Spring 2014 turned out to special in more
than one instance. In addition to repre-
senting the largest group of Clayton State
graduates to be honored on a single day,
the newest members of the Clayton State
Alumni Association also had the opportu-
nity to hear not one, but two outstanding
Commencement addresses.
A total of 235 graduates from the Colleges
of Business and Health received their
diplomas in the 9 a.m. ceremony, and
heard a truly remarkable speech from the
immediate past chair of the Clayton State
University Foundation, Heritage Bank
CEO Leonard Moreland.
The 275 graduates from the College of
Arts & Sciences and Information &
Mathematical Sciences attending the noon
ceremony may have missed Moreland’s
exhortation to take the opportunity to
walk through the open door that their
diplomas represent, but they were present
for an equally thought-provoking presen-
tation centering around what they wanted
to be when they were 10 years old from
Dana Lemon of the State Transportation
Board of Georgia.
Anyone who has heard a Commencement
address knows that the speakers typically
exhort the graduates to look ahead to the
future. And, while that was the case in
Dr. Avinandan (Avi) Mukherjee has been
appointed to the position of Dean of the
AACSB-accredited College of Business
at Clayton State
University, effective
Aug. 1, 2014. He will
replace Dr. Michael
Deis, who will return
to his faculty position
as
professor
of
Management, having
served as interim dean
since January 2013.
“I am honored to have been chosen as the
dean of the College of Business at
Clayton State University and excited
about this new leadership opportunity,”
says Mukherjee. “I look forward to lead-
ing this vibrant and growing College of
Business with an amazing team of faculty
and staff who are dedicated to the success
of our students. The College of Business
at Clayton State University will continue
to grow with innovative programs,
engaged learning initiatives and enhanced
regional partnerships. It is well positioned
to prepare tomorrow’s business leaders
for Atlanta and the world."
Currently chairperson of the Department
of Marketing in the School of Business at
Montclair State University in New Jersey,
Mukherjee has served in that position
since 2008. In that role, he has led a multi-
pronged comprehensive transformation of
the department, which resulted in the
Marketing Department becoming the
largest department in the school in num-
ber of programs and number of graduating
students. His accomplishments include
Mukherjee
Commencement, cont’d., p. 12
Mukherjee, cont’d., p. 26