Appalachian master’s candidates Casher Belinda and Tony Fu recently teamed up to launch the social media presence for the Walker College’s sustainable business program. The effort and combined energy has proven to be effective; see their work on Facebook, and like the Walker College sustainable business Facebook page.
Fu, an international exchange student from China who will graduate from Appalachian State University with his MBA this year, and Belinda, a native of State College Pennsylvania who is earning his masters in Industrial-Organization and Human Resource Management (IOHRM), share a passion for Appalachian and its sustainability initiatives.
Belinda and Fu work with Dr. Jim Westerman, Director of the Walker College sustainable business program, not only on social media development, but also to collect data from alumni who work in sustainable environment fields and to investigate sustainable research.
“Appalachian is way ahead of the curve with respect to its sustainability initiatives,” said Belinda. “Both in terms of its student involvement and the capacity of its projects.” Fu added that since he arrived in the states last August, he has received a lot of communication about sustainability related experiments surveys and conferences through Appalachian’s media channels.
The Walker College emphasizes the importance of sustainable education for undergraduates and graduate students, and also underscores the role of research on the student experience.
Both Fu and Belinda have been active researchers while earning their degrees. Fu conducts questionnaires and analyzes data as a graduate assistant in the Department of Management, aiming to measure the perception and investigate the effects of studies abroad on university students. In addition, he is working closely with Westerman to help create and organize the book Organizational Effectiveness Applying Communication Theory to Contextual Realities. “This experience has endowed me with a deeper understanding of the practical use of book knowledge, paving a way for my further academic study,” Fu said. Belinda leads a team of students in conducting research for Appalachian’s Human Resources and Analytics Lab. His current research focuses on the impact of corporate social responsibility on organizational attractiveness and applicant job pursuit intentions.
“After learning English for so many years, studying abroad is a dream for me,” said Fu, who earned his Masters degree in English literature at home in Beijing, China. “Living in a different environment has taught me understanding not only academically but also culturally. I have studied language and culture for many years, and have a passion for cultural exchange. In a global village era, I want to learn the other countries’ culture, to exchange mine with theirs, to make the world more understanding and tolerant.”
Fu advises others considering studying abroad to take the opportunity. “This experience has taught me so much… to think about cultural differences both psychologically and physically.”
After his graduation this August, Fu hope to resume his career in Hong Kong, although he greatly values the opportunity to study abroad. “I cherish my experiences, and hope to learn more things outside my own comfort zone."
Belinda also wants to test limits. He yearns to “make the world of business a more ethical component of society.”
Both students consider their respective programs at Appalachian unique.
“The interdisciplinary nature of the IOHRM program has allowed me to develop an advanced ability to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to enhance strategic human resource practices,” said Belinda, who is an active member of the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology and the Society for Human Resource Management. “The program is extremely unique in the manner by which it draws the gap between research and practice, allowing students to gain a thorough understanding of evidence based problem solving methods and the various contexts in which they can be employed.”
“The MBA program has broadened my horizons and enriched my life,” said Fu. An active member of the MBA Executive Impact club, Fu added that his professors at Appalachian are both knowledgeable and open-minded.
“The culture at Appalachian is absolutely phenomenal,” said Belinda. “The university and its professors do an amazing job of encouraging and maintaining a collaborative environment that allows students to achieve challenging goals that could not be reached otherwise.”
Sustainable Student Spotlight: Belinda Casher and Tony Fu
Sustainable Student Spotlight: Belinda Casher and Tony Fu