Christopher Newport University Receives $250,000 Contribution from BB&T

(NEWPORT NEWS, VA) – Christopher Newport University (CNU) has received funding in the amount of $250,000 from Branch Banking & Trust Co. (BB&T) to continue the BB&T Professorship for the Study of Capitalism and BB&T Moral Foundations of Capitalism Program through the year 2016. The program is led by Dr. Michelle A. Vachris, professor of economics and the BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism at CNU.

The program includes the BB&T Colloquium Series on Capitalism, CNU Center for American Studies and Civic Leadership Conferences, major research and dissemination activities of Dr. Vachris, a series of outreach lectures and workshops for area K-12 schools and the development of new academic courses. All BB&T programs are geared to encourage a thoughtful and thorough examination of topics associated with individual rights, the moral foundations of capitalism and the virtues of a free and laissez-faire capitalist society.

BB&T Chairman Mr. John A. Allison stated: “We have been extremely pleased with our relationship with CNU. Dr. Vachris has energetically, rationally and objectively pursued the purposes of our program. The continuation of this commitment reflects our confidence in Dr. Vachris.”

As a result of previous funding by BB&T, Dr. Vachris began an ambitious research program to investigate the relationships among economic and political freedoms, economic growth and cultural values. This additional funding will allow Dr. Vachris to extend her research to further enhance the courses and conference programs. The funding also allows CNU to increase the research resources for its students and faculty through the purchase of capitalism-related books and journals for the Trible Library.

“The BB&T Program has provided wonderful learning opportunities for our students and the whole CNU community. It is especially important today to teach students about how markets work and about the moral foundations of our capitalist economic system. I am proud to be affiliated with the BB&T Program and its network of scholars,” noted Dr. Vachris.

Before arriving at CNU, Dr. Vachris was an economist with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the International Price Program where she worked on export and import price indexes and purchasing power parities. She has since served as a consultant on international statistics for the BLS and the International Monetary Fund. She is also a past president of the Virginia Association of Economists.

 

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Christopher Newport University is a four-year public university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU enrolls 5,000 students in rigorous academic programs through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Joseph W. Luter III College of Business and Leadership and offers great teaching, small classes and an emphasis on leadership, civic engagement and honor. Visit us at www.cnu.edu.

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