Bruce Lamont's office features cleared shelves and dozens of packed boxes. But he isn't going anywhere. He's sending his academic journals on a benevolent 8,000-mile journey to a new home. Lamont, chair of the College of Business' Department of Management and the director of research at the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, is donating his four-decades-long collection of journals to Addis Ababa University's College of Business and Economics, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

About their first encounter 32 years ago, Ken and Deb Armstrong hold nothing back. "We met in a bar," he says with a smile. "Literally," she says with a laugh. Little did they know that decades later they'd teach together in Florida State University’s College of Business. We thought we'd share their story, just in time for Valentine's Day. The Armstrongs have been working together at the college for almost five years and at the university for about 12 years, making them a symbol of teamwork, excellence, stability and – you bet – love.

Officials in the College of Business see lofty rankings as a guidepost. Better yet, a lighthouse. "It's a signal to us that we're on the right track," said Ashley Bush, chair of the Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain, or BAISSC. "It's a signal to students that there's value in the degree, and it's a signal to potential employers that we have a high-quality program."

Charles Hardwick told a lecture hall full of students last month that decades from now they'll look back – just as he has done with gratitude and magnitude – on their time at Florida State University and the College of Business. "Who is it you are going to remember?" he asked them. They'll likely remember their best professors, he said. If they're like him, they'll want to thank them, along with the college and university. And he's doing so generously.

Having built a rock-solid private equity firm, Peter Collins knows a little something about earth science – which he likens to raising money for a private equity fund. "Fundraising is like geology," he said. "It's all about time and pressure. It's cold calling. It's going and seeing people. It's about determination, and that's really, at the end of the day, what you get paid for."

The Florida State University College of Business secured two new Top 10 rankings among public schools nationwide and stood strong among the nation's best on U.S. News & World Report's 2022 rankings of online master's degrees and MBA specialties.

You can chase the rankings. Or, you can let the rankings chase you. "We think the rankings are important," said Dean Gatzlaff, a longtime faculty member and leader of the Real Estate Program at Florida State University's College of Business. "They're important to our college, administration, alumni and students, and they certainly generate a lot of interest in our program."

Blake Renfro, director of Business Development for the Florida State University College of Business, presents a simple yet substantial message in conversations with leaders of Florida's health-care industry. "I always say, 'What if a research university were your strategic business partner and talent development and economic development partner?'" he says. Without question, the college is embarking on new partnerships in health care.

An impressive site to network and jump-start careers. A spacious location to study, collaborate and aim high. A state-of-the-art place that will propel the college forward. Business students say they think the construction of Legacy Hall will provide a long list of benefits with an overarching result: launching the college to new heights.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2022! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. A new year brings new hope, new energy and renewed excitement for what lies ahead.