BGSU business college gets major gift from alumnus

BOWLING GREEN, O.—A $100,000 gift from an alumnus of Bowling Green State University’s College of Business Administration will reward outstanding faculty accomplishments as well as promote international educational opportunities for both students and faculty.

Michael E. Hoskins, chief technology officer of Pervasive Software and general manager of Pervasive’s Integration Products business unit, is a 1977 BGSU graduate who sees the importance of rewarding faculty members for their achievements.From his total gift, $60,000 will establish the Hoskins Faculty Leadership and Innovation Award, which will honor one faculty member each semester for the next three years. The six recipients will be rewarded for their all-around leadership achievements in innovative teaching, research accomplishments and service efforts.

Calling faculty the “lifeblood” of a college, the technology executive says it is important to recognize these special teachers.

“Schools are as good as their faculty,” according to Hoskins, and his intent for the new award is to retain and attract good business faculty at his alma mater.
The remainder of the gift has even more meaning for Hoskins on a personal level. The funding will focus on international education for business students and faculty, fulfilling the vision of his father, Dr. William R. Hoskins, a retired marketing professor at BGSU. Dr. Hoskins was instrumental in creating the international business program within the college and also was one of the founders of the Academy of International Business, the leading association of scholars and specialists in the international business field.

His son’s generosity to the BGSU business college will help subsidize travel expenses for students studying abroad and for faculty on their international education trips. Money for these trips will be available each semester over the next three years. Emphasizing the critical need to understand a global economy, Hoskins hopes his gift will draw attention to the college’s international programs and inspire students and faculty to participate. He feels that a study-abroad experience will change the lives of students who take the opportunity and help to successfully prepare them for a business career in today’s global economy.

Dr. Rodney Rogers, dean of the business college, praises the commitment by Hoskins. “This is a significant investment in the business college at BGSU,” Rogers says. “Mike understands the important role of faculty in the educational process, and the creation of this award allows us to recognize their outstanding performance. In addition, his support of our study-abroad programs will assist us in preparing our students to compete in the global marketplace. He is one of our very successful alums who has committed to helping us become one of the leading undergraduate business colleges in the United States. We are extremely grateful for this gift.”

The college will honor Hoskins with a reception from 4-6 p.m. Friday (Sept. 5) in the David J. Joseph Co. Business Hub on the second floor of the Business Administration Building.

Hoskins has more than 20 years of experience in developing and managing software companies. As chief technology officer, he champions Pervasive's technology direction, promotes the company's industry-leading low-TCO (total cost of ownership) approach to data management and integration worldwide, and directs the company's Innovation Labs.

Hoskins, who graduated from BGSU summa cum laude, was honored this past year as an Accomplished Graduate by the BGSU Alumni Association. He also received the 2007 Information Technologist of the Year Award from the Association of Information Technology Professionals’ Austin chapter for his leadership in the development of Pervasive’s

# # #

(Posted September 02, 2008 )