Alumnus Hopes to Help Business School Retain Great Teachers
New endowment honors dean, promotes faculty excellence
OXFORD, Miss. – Public universities often struggle with hiring and retaining esteemed faculty members who, understandably, often choose to work for more competitive salaries offered by private schools.
Alumnus Michael Cohan hopes his $50,000 gift, establishing the Cohan Family Endowment, will help the University of °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's overcome that challenge.
Alumnus Michael Cohan (upper right) credits the School of Business Administration with much of his career success. Cohan, who has established an endowment in his family's name – including his wife, Amber (left), and sons Davis and Brooks – hopes to help the school attract and retain outstanding teachers. Submitted photo
"I want Ole Miss to continue recruiting the best and brightest faculty from around the country," said Cohan, a 2007 graduate who majored in banking and finance. "I've seen the School of Business Administration continue to climb in the national rankings and I hope my gift can help that trend continue."
Cohan also said he hopes his gift will honor his professor – now dean – Ken Cyree in the year of his retirement.
Cyree said he is humbled and honored to be remembered by his former student and that this gift will help transform the lives of hundreds of students every semester.
"Having a stellar faculty is crucial to providing the incredible educational opportunities we offer our students," he said. "The formal part of education is performed by the faculty, and the extent to which we can attract and retain world-class faculty greatly determines our future as a university.
"On behalf of the school, I want Michael to know that his gift is greatly appreciated."
A resident of Columbus, Ohio, Cohan is a managing director at , a New York-based investment adviser that focuses on alternative asset classes. Before joining the firm, he worked eight years in the investment department of Nationwide Insurance and at Huntington Bank in a variety of middle-market banking roles. He was also awarded designation as a chartered financial analyst.
"The Ole Miss business school gave me the foundation to advance throughout my career," Cohan said. "I truly don't think I would be where I am today, personally or professionally, without my four years at Ole Miss.
"It feels appropriate to give back to a school that has given me so much."
The Cohan Family Endowment is open to support from businesses and individuals. Gifts can be made by sending a check, with the fund's name noted on the memo line, to the University of °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655, or by .
Top: Donor Michael Cohan hopes his new faculty endowment at the School of Business Administration honors his former professor, Dean Ken Cyree. The dean announced earlier this year that he is retiring in December. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services