A Place to Grow

Nestled in the Nydick Family Commons, adjacent to the VSB Dean’s Suite, is The Clay Center, home to VSB’s undergraduate academic advisors and professional development support team. It’s a place where students go for advice, answers, a listening ear, or sometimes just a Tootsie Pop. Some call it the “heart” of the business school, and at its center you will find Associate Dean Melinda German.

Initially as Director of Graduate Business programs before transitioning to undergraduate student support.  Since its establishment in 2006, Melinda has served as the Clay Center’s leader for the last 16 years. She drives the Center’s mission – to support the holistic well-being of VSB undergraduate students by meeting their academic, career, and personal needs – through partnerships with staff, faculty, and students.

“The staff’s dedication to the mission is evidenced by their constant flow of ideas and energy around the student experience. It is inspiring,” said Melinda. Under her leadership and to realize the mission, the Clay Center has grown from a team of less than five to one of 20. Alongside her team Melinda has overseen the implementation of a professional academic advising model; the establishment of VSB’s O’Donnell Center for Professional Development, VSB Alumni Mentor Program, the Davis Fund for Student Experiences; the expansion of the Summer Business Institute; and the development of VSB study abroad programs like the first-year Global Citizens Program and Business and Culture in the Italian Context program.

To further enhance the student experience, Melinda created platforms for students to advocate and share their voice. Her Dean’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council (DUSAC) was developed to work with VSB administration, faculty, and staff to enhance the VSB student experience. In 2018, Melinda established the Young Alumni Advisory Council, a space for graduates to support and advise VSB leadership in advancing the educational experience of undergraduates.

As a student in the care of the Clay Center, you are guaranteed a support system and countless opportunities. Melinda has a hand in everything you find there, and her work inspires each thoughtful interaction students experience within those walls.