Gros receives lifetime achievement awardBy Shannon Hauler

Reporter

To recognize Dr. Ridley Gros, dean ofBusiness Administration at Nicholls, for his devotion to the development of higher education in business, the Federation of Business Disciplines awarded him the first lifetime achievement award at its 29th annual awards dinner March 6 in St. Louis, MO.

Gros, who was the second president of FBD as well as the first program chairman, received the award along with the other two founding members.

“I feel humbled upon receiving this award,” he said.

Gros credits the competent faculty and administration for allowing him to pursue his work with the FBD, because without their support, he would not be able to accomplish as much as he does.

“The fact that Nicholls State University provides me with the opportunity to advance professionally is gratifying and makes this a special place in which to work,” Gros said.

“(The University) has to give you this time to do these types of things. It has always been the attitude here that it is good for the students to advance your profession. For that, I’m most grateful,” Gros said.

At the annual meetings of FBD, faculty and researchers from the business curriculum from across the world come together to present their papers in a peer review, he said.

A peer review allows researchers to critique each other’s work, Gros said.

“It is imperative for us to advance our profession, and what better way to do it than through peer review,” he said.

Gros was also asked to cut the ribbon to open the meeting and mark the name change of the company.

“We were called the Southwest Federation of Administrative Disciplines. Now we are called the Federation of Business Disciplines,” he said.

The title ‘Southwest’ was limiting, Gros explained, because the company is becoming international.

The organization has grown since it was first created in approximately 1973 from 800 attendees to over 1400 this year, he said.

“Little did I realize the growth that would occur when we began this organization,” Gros said.

Gros began teaching at Nicholls in 1968 and became dean of the college of business administration in 1971.