Just Business awards over $60,000 in mission-centric grants

Just Business awards over $60,000 in mission-centric grants

Jul 16, 2025| Alumni, Business, Giving

Louisiana Tech University's Just Business Giving Society awarded over $60,000 to support 23 projects within the College of Business this year.

"Our committee members were impressed by each of the applications, and I'm confident the projects funded this cycle fully support the College's mission to prepare students to positively impact business and society," said Dr. Chris Martin, dean of the College of Business. "I'm grateful to our alumni and friends for their collective support that allowed us to fund so many worthwhile projects."

Just Business is a giving circle comprised of College of Business alumni and friends who pool financial resources then jointly decide how the funds are invested. The group awards grants for student, staff, and faculty projects that advance the mission of the College of Business. Since 2017, Just Business has awarded more than $350,000 in grants.

"I really enjoy the sense of community that I feel as a contributor to Just Business," said Andrew Cutrer, '98, who joined Just Business in 2022. "It allows us to direct funds to specific projects, and then we get a chance to see the impact firsthand that we make as donors. I'm so glad to be connected to the Louisiana Tech College of Business as an alumnus, as a parent of a recent graduate, and as an HR manager at a company that recruits and employs many Tech grads."

Funded projects include:

• Creation of AI-focused learning materials on ethical and effective use in business to prepare students with career-ready skills and leadership in emerging technology
• Subscription renewal for IMPLAN software used in the Regional Economic Analysis ECON 425 course to simulate economic impacts at the state, parish, and municipal levels
• Access to MBTI® Global Step II™ Profile Report, a Fortune 500-recognized tool for improving leadership and team effectiveness, for students in MGMT 461
• Industry tours for sustainable supply chain management students at leading manufacturing and distribution facilities
• Expansion of student-led organizations, including the Institute of Management Accountants, Women in Business, The Investment Society, Omicron Delta Epsilon, and Louisiana Tech Mock Trial
• Travel for Beta Alpha Psi members to attend the organization's annual meeting and funds to host the group's annual Monopoly Madness, a creative networking event that pairs students with industry professionals in a finance-themed Monopoly competition
• Top Pup prize money for first-year business students in BUSN 110 to promote entrepreneurship and provide early exposure to entrepreneurial thinking
• Support for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to increase visibility and expand opportunities for students to attend national pitch competitions
• Scholarship funding for first-year students living in the Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community
• Incentives for research participants to support data collection for business Ph.D. candidates
• Enhancements to personal selling and sales management courses, including sales simulations and leadership and personality assessments
• Sponsorship of the 2026 Theories of Family Enterprise Conference to provide visibility among global scholars in family business research
• Scholarship/stipend support for students traveling abroad as part of the College's exchange program with IESEG in France and the MBA in Argentina trip

For more information or to become involved with the Just Business giving circle, contact Executive Director of Development Mary Susan Britt at [email protected].

About the College of Business
Through market-responsive academic programs, impactful scholarship, and a student-focused culture, Louisiana Tech University's College of Business graduates business and academic leaders who are innovative, entrepreneurially minded, and analytically and technologically skilled for a globally competitive marketplace. Building on a vibrant community of lifelong learners, our graduates are prepared to positively impact business and society. Accredited by AACSB International, the nationally ranked College offers eight undergraduate degree programs in addition to the master of business administration, master of accountancy, and Ph.D. in business administration. For more information, visit business.latech.edu.