USD Magazine Spring 2011

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Pyke credits his parents for help- ing spark his own inquisitive nature. His father was raised in China as the son of Americanmissionaries and went on to become a theology professor inWashington D.C. Pyke himself grew up in a verita- ble Norman Rockwell painting— complete with sandlot baseball and a paper route — in suburban Maryland. He played basketball, majored in sociology at Haverford College and taught middle school math (while netting an MBA from Drexel University) before earning his PhD in operations manage- ment from the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School. In 1987, Pyke joined the faculty at Dartmouth College’s Amos Tuck School of Business Administration and became an established profes- sor, researcher and associate dean while also teaching at universities in Japan, Finland and Germany and working as a consultant for major companies like the Rand Corpora- tion, DHL and Home Depot. After being offered the dean position at USD, Pyke was faced with the difficult prospect of leav- ing the security of his East Coast roots: “It was a tough decision in many ways,” he acknowledges, “but in the end, coming to USD just felt like the perfect fit.” Drawn to USDby its academic reputation and dedication to social responsibility, Pykewas also lured by the chance to help the SBA continue to emerge as one of the nation’s elite business schools. Among other things, he is focused on further developing theMBA programwhile also establishing an increased emphasis on “dual excellence” in both teaching and research. In other words, the man who’s spent a lifetime watching things be built now has the opportunity to help build something himself. “It’s definitely invigorating,” Pyke says. “When you have a high level of energy to go along with great minds and fascinating ideas, it’s exciting to be able to help nurture that.”

IMMIGRATION CONVERSATION TheUniversity of San Diego’s Shiley Theatre was the setting for a live, two-hour television special last fall about immigration and immigration reform. MSNBC’s “The Last Word” — hosted by Lawrence O’Donnell and Voto Latino Executive Director Maria Teresa Kumar — featured guest panelists such as actress Rosario Dawson, United Farm Workers co-found- er Dolores Huerta, retired Immigration and Naturalization Service agent Mike Cutler and David Shirk, USD associate professor of politi- cal science and director of the university’s Trans- Border Institute (pictured, second from right). The lively discussion examined issues such as the Arizona immigration law, the divisive nature of the current U.S. political system and the thorny question of how best to deal with children of ille- gal immigrants living and thriving in this coun- try. O’Donnell said he was pleased with the live audience in the theatre, which was largely made up of USD students, faculty and staff. “I loved that the audience was alert to so many things,” he said. “There were moments when they’d applaud, laugh and even in the quieter moments they were right there with us the whole way.” The show reached 1.4 million viewers during its first airing on Nov. 16, and was rebroadcast twice.

TIM MANTOANI

solve hard problems,” he says. “There should be a culture in an academic environment that wel- comes challenging problems, exploring new ideas and learning new things. We have that here.” If it’s a challenge that Pyke was after, he had impeccable timing when he took over the dean’s office in the summer of 2008, just as the country was sifting through the debris of economic collapse. Rather than wring their hands, Pyke and the SBA faculty sprang into action by hosting a panel discussion and integrating analysis of the financial meltdown into their classrooms. “Turbulent economic times are actually exciting times to be in a university environment,” he says. “It’s intellectually challenging, you’re constantly thinking, looking for solutions and then communi- cating what you’re learning.”

FRED GREAVES

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SPRING 2011