Alumnus gives $1 million for international learning

Exposure to international perspectives has never been a more important part of a business education. More OSU students will have the opportunity to experience different parts of the world, thanks to a College of Business alumnus's $1 million gift. His contribution has brought The Campaign for OSU past the $550 million milestone on its way to its $625 million goal.

The gift from Thailand resident Joe Lobbato will provide scholarships for the Arthur Stonehill International Business Exchange Program and support curriculum development on international topics in the College of Business.

The largest program of its kind in Oregon, the Arthur Stonehill International Business Exchange Program was founded in 1987 by Stonehill, a retired finance department chair who taught finance and international business at OSU for more than 20 years. Through the exchange, each year approximately 60 OSU College of Business students enroll in programs in Austria, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Thailand.

Professor emeritus Stonehill said, "Well over a thousand students have taken part in the exchange, and when they come back they all say the same thing: that it's been a life-changing experience."

He cited the example of Avelino Solomon, a 2009 business graduate from Albany, Oregon, who spent five months in Thailand. In a report afterward Solomon wrote, "I've been positively affected in such a way that I can't describe it. This journey has made me even more capable of affecting positive change in our world, and I'm forever grateful."

Lobbato, one of Stonehill's former students, earned his undergraduate and MBA degrees from OSU in 1981 and 1982. He was a founding partner of Accenture.

Learn More

The Arthur Stonehill International Business Exchange Program

Make a gift to the Arthur Stonehill International Business Exchange Program

Learn about smart gift plans that fit your life circumstances