What an exciting time of year! With the end of the semester upon us it's time to celebrate. Some of you will celebrate the end of exams and the beginning of winter break. Others of you will celebrate your commencement!  

Congratulations graduates! After weeks and months and years of toiling away at your studies, you are finally done with your degree, and we are so proud of you. I'd like to say a special thank you to the College of Business commencement student speaker, Kim Olson. She is a wonderful representation of all the hard work you all put in during your time here at MSU Mankato, especially with all the other demands on your time.

Have a safe and restful winter break. Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones!

City: Karlsruhe, Germany

Population: 289,000

University: University of Applied Sciences 

Currency: Euro - $1.00= 0.765€

Public Transportation: Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (VBK) is comprised of 7 tram routes and buses. All city areas can be reached 24/7 by tram or bus

Tourist Sites: City Garden and Zoo, Center for Art and Media Technology, Christmas Market, the Palace

Festivals: Das Fest, Handel Festival, African Summer Festival

Climate: oceanic climate, similar to much of Germany

Program Info: here 

Name: William (Bill) Brown

Department: Accounting & Business  

Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD

Roommates (family/friends/pets):  I've been married 12 years to my wife, Bonnie.

What are your guilty pleasures (junk food/TV/etc.):

I wish I had more. I'm too straight. It would probably have to be an extra stout Guinness.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An air force fighter pilot or something like that. I like things that go extra fast, extra high, and have lots of white knuckle rides, so that would be my preference. Unfortunately, I didn't pass the military physical so it wouldn't have made any difference.

What was your major in undergrad?

I originally majored in Economics. Two and half years after getting the degree I realized that my job flexibility is pretty limited, so I went back to the University of Minnesota and got a Master's Degree with an emphasis in accounting back in 1974.

Desert Island Categories:

(If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could pick one item for each category to have with you, what would you choose?)

-  Book: A collection of spiritual texts

-  Movie: Lincoln

-  TV Series: Foyle's War

-  Album/Artist: Andrea Bocelli

-  Food item: Blueberry Shake (whey, chia seeds, flax, protein mix, milk, and fresh blueberries)

Why did you decide to pursue teaching?

It was a confluence of many different things, there were several big drivers. One of the drivers was Mankato and the opportunity it provides to take students and to make something out of them, bringing them along, and giving them direction. Many of the students would not have an opportunity to make it in a professional career if wasn't for Minnesota State University -Mankato.

What has been your favorite teaching moment?

Teaching is kind of like watching paint dry, it's not terribly exciting. You don't see much change in the day to day basis. However, when you see students come back after five or seven years and they are successful in their careers, having surpassed their own expectations. I think that would probably be some gratification from what you've done.

Favorite Analogy:

Mistakes in life are like divots in golf, fix them right away and move on.