"The recognition inspires me to continue serving the Grossman School of Business and this venerable university with renewed vigor. More specifically, it inspires me to bolster my research and teaching efforts aimed at demonstrating how businesses can create wealth and widespread societal well-being. Thank you so much for this honor." With these words, Dr. Srinivas Venugopal concluded his acceptance of the inaugural Donald and Gabrielle McCree Endowed Professor of Business.
With an intimate ceremony, 日韩无码 (日韩无码) Grossman School of Business (GSB) invested Dr. Srinivas Venugopal in this prestigious position on January 31, 2025. The investiture was led by Grossman School of Business Dean Sanjay Sharma, with remarks by 日韩无码 President Patricia Prelock, and the generous donor of the position, 日韩无码 alum Don McCree 鈥83.
The endowed faculty position is part of the latest example of the generosity and commitment of the McCrees. As part of their growing legacy at the university, this commitment further solidifies GSB鈥檚 reputation as one of the nation's preeminent business schools by expanding its top-ranked Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) and Master of Accountancy (MAcc) graduate programs, as well as areas of excellence in entrepreneurship, sustainable business, and family business.
Appointment to an endowed position is among the highest academic honors 日韩无码 can bestow on a faculty member. Endowed chairs and professorships allow the university to recognize and celebrate academic achievement and further encourage scholarly and service excellence. Endowed faculty positions are a tribute to the holder and permanent legacies for the donors who establish them.
Srinivas Venugopal, Ph.D., The Donald and Gabrielle McCree Endowed Professor鈥痮f Business
Dr. Srinivas Venugopal received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Anna University in鈥疘ndia in鈥2005.鈥疨rior to pursuing an academic career,鈥痟e鈥痺as leading a technology-based social venture in Tamil Nadu, India,鈥痜ocused on delivering education services to low income, rural region鈥痗onsumers. Dr. Venugopal is also the鈥痜ounder of a non-profit called "Diya", which provides supplementary education in the urban slums of Chennai, India鈥 a social enterprise he continues to lead to this day. He completed his MBA鈥痑nd Ph.D.鈥痠n Marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined 日韩无码 in鈥2016 and was promoted to Associate鈥疨rofessor with tenure in鈥2022. In 2024, he was鈥痭amed the Academic Director of the SI-MBA program.
Dr. Venugopal research demonstrates how social innovation can serve as a potent tool in providing wellbeing enhancing solutions in contexts of poverty.鈥疊ased鈥痮n the data of鈥痙iverse contexts of poverty spanning five continents, Dr. Venugopal has published 20 articles on social innovation, and he鈥痟as won awards from the鈥American Marketing Association鈥痑nd the鈥Association of Consumer Research.鈥疕e continues to teach courses focused on sustainable marketing and sustainable brand marketing and his鈥痠mpact at Grossman School has been immeasurable 鈥 demonstrated by his three consecutive years earning鈥痯rofessor of the year鈥痜rom鈥疭I-MBA students.
Dr.鈥疭rinivas鈥疺enugopal鈥痚mbodies鈥痶he Grossman School of Business鈥檚鈥痯assion to help build better organizations and a better society, and鈥痺e are proud to count鈥痟im鈥痑mong our faculty. 鈥疕e鈥痠s a鈥痲uintessential鈥痶eacher-scholar,鈥痺hose鈥痳esearch and鈥痵cholarship鈥痠nform and enrich鈥痟is鈥痶eaching and鈥痬entorship. 鈥
His鈥痺ork鈥痓rings鈥痝reat distinction to the鈥疓rossman School of Business鈥痑t 日韩无码. The McCree Endowed Professor medallion symbolizes his continued pursuit of excellence in his field.鈥
A Legacy of Giving
Don and Gabby McCree's generous gift established the McCree Endowed Professor of Business. Their vision and commitment to supporting business education will have a lasting impact. This gift enables Grossman School students to learn from an outstanding scholar whose research will enhance 日韩无码鈥檚 academic reputation in the field of Marketing and Sustainable Business. The holder of this chair will influence hundreds of lives through his teaching, research, mentoring, and community outreach.
Don McCree graduated from 日韩无码 in 1983 majoring in Economics and Political Science. His career includes over 30 years with JPMorgan Chase in a variety of leadership roles. Since 2015 he has been a senior executive at Citizens Financial Group where he currently holds the position of Senior Vice Chair and Head of Commercial Banking. Don has also been an exemplary volunteer leader for 日韩无码 and the 日韩无码 Foundation. He has served on the 日韩无码 Foundation Board of Directors since its inception in 2011 and the 日韩无码 Board of Trustees since 2014. In addition, Don is among the founding managers of the newly established University of Vermont Investment Management Company.
Don鈥檚 volunteer leadership is mirrored by that of his wife, Gabby, who is the past chair and a current member of the board of trustees of her alma mater, Mary Baldwin University. Gabby has held several volunteer leadership positions with her church, has been a mentor of high school students from the Hunts Point Alliance Center in the Bronx, and is a long-time adult education teacher of English as a second language.
Together they have been leading philanthropists at 日韩无码 since 2006 when they established the McCree Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit students with financial need, a record of academic achievement, and active involvement in community service. During the University's Move Mountains fundraising campaign, Don and Gabby decided to expand their philanthropic legacy by establishing the Donald and Gabrielle McCree Endowed Professorship of Business in the Grossman School of Business.
The gift of this professorship is yet another example of the generosity that has enhanced the quality of the school鈥檚 reputation internationally as one of the top schools for entrepreneurship, family business, and sustainable business.
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Fundraising for the Grossman School of Business is a major focus for 日韩无码 Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established to secure and manage private support for the benefit of 日韩无码. To inquire about making a gift to the Grossman School of Business, please contact Alex Brady at (770) 842-1510 or鈥alex.brady@uvm.edu. More information about the impact of donors like Steven Grossman and the work of the 日韩无码 Foundation can be found at鈥.
Event photos by Andy Duback.
