Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the official naming of the marketing department office in honor of emeritus professor Eric Shaw, Ph.D., commemorating his unwavering dedication and significant impact on the university.

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the official naming of the marketing department office in honor of emeritus professor Eric Shaw, Ph.D., commemorating his unwavering dedication and significant impact on the university.

“The most important thing to know about me is that I love FAU,” said Shaw. “It has been the most wonderful journey. I am an owl for life. Today, you may honor me, but I truly feel indebted to Florida Atlantic University for the excellent education it gave me, the terrific mentors I had, the wonderful colleagues I worked with, and the students with bright, eager minds.”

More than 100 people attended the unveiling of the Dr. Eric Shaw Marketing Department Suite, including FAU Interim President Stacy Volnick ; Daniel Gropper, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business; and Venky Jagannathan, Shaw’s former Ph.D. student. Speakers emphasized Shaw’s lasting impact as a scholar, mentor and leader, citing his dedication to the field of marketing, his student-centered approach to teaching, and his service to the university.

“It was an honor to see such a wonderful group come to honor Dr. Eric Shaw and the grand impact he has made at Florida Atlantic,” Gropper said. “Through his tremendous influence as a teacher, as a scholar and with his philanthropic giving, he has been instrumental in this university’s success. His legacy will undoubtedly live on for years to come, especially with the naming of the Dr. Eric Shaw Department of Marketing Suite.”

Shaw has spent his life committed to fostering excellence in student achievement and supporting those in the Florida Atlantic community. He received his B.B.A. in 1972 and MBA in 1973, joining the College of Business faculty as a marketing instructor shortly thereafter. He later attended Temple University, where he earned his Ph.D. and then returned to FAU in 1982 where he held numerous positions at the university before retiring in 2014.

Over the span of more than three decades, Shaw served as the associate dean of the College of Business, acting director of its School of Industry Studies, and the chair of the marketing department. He is also a past president of the faculty senate and served on the FAU Board of Trustees, the FAU Foundation Board of Directors, and the FAU Alumni Association. He also taught on the faculties of Rutgers University and the University of Miami during his career.

As a benefactor, Shaw pledged more than $3 million from his estate to Florida Atlantic, becoming one of the largest staff or faculty donors in the university’s history. This donation benefits several areas across FAU, providing scholarships and excellence awards to student-athletes, as well as business, honor society and music students. Shaw is also an inductee of the FAU Alumni Hall of Fame and has received FAU’s Talon Award for Faculty Leadership and the FAU President’s Leadership Award.

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