Southeastern professor leaving one Massey School for another Massey School

by SOUTHEASTERN PUBLIC INFORMATION
February 17, 2009

DURANT, Okla. -- Dr. C.W. Von Bergen is leaving -- temporarily, that is -- one Massey School of Business for another Massey School of Business.

Von Bergen has served as a John Massey Endowed Chair and Professor of Management in the John Massey School of Business at Southeastern Oklahoma State University since 1997. But beginning February 23, Von Bergen will embark on a sabbatical at, of all places, Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Southeastern president Michael D. Turner said that Von Bergen is indicative of the quality of faculty at the University.

"Dr. Von Bergen is highly regarded in his field," Turner said. "This sabbatical is a wonderful opportunity for Dr. Von Bergen and Southeastern. It also speaks well for our John Massey School of Business, which recently received AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International accreditation, making Southeastern one of only four schools in Oklahoma to hold that distinction. We are very proud of that fact."

The John Massey School of Business is named in honor of Durant businessman John Massey, a Distinguished Alumnus, State Regent and long-time supporter of higher education. Massey University, meanwhile, is named for William Ferguson Massey, who served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912-25.

"It really is ironic," Von Bergen said of the common institutional names. "I have spoken to Dr. Claire Massey (great-granddaughter of William Ferguson Massey), who is the department head of the management division at Massey University. She related that William Ferguson Massey was often simply known as Bill Massey or "Farmer Bill," and that he was known as a skilled politician who showed particular support toward rural interests. Dr. Massey also related to me that her family emigrated to New Zealand in the 1850s from Ireland and before that probably from Scotland, and as far as she knew, she had no relatives in the United States."

Massey University, founded in 1927, has an enrollment of 40,000 students on three campuses, and features the College of Business, College of Creative Arts, College of Education, College of Sciences, and College of Humanities and Social Sciences. And like Southeastern, Massey University has an aviation program.

The fall semester (it's currently fall in New Zealand) runs from Feb. 23 to June 20 at Massey University. While there, Von Bergen will teach an undergraduate class in Organizational Behavior and also conduct research with other faculty members. He will resume his duties at Southeastern in the fall (Oklahoma's fall) 2009.

"I think this opportunity will be helpful to me in my teaching and give me a different perspective as far as international business," Von Bergen said. "I am sure that Southeastern students will benefit from this experience. I do want to acknowledge Regent Massey for his support of our University, and also thank Dr. Larry Minks (Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Southeastern), Dr. Buddy Gaster (Dean of the John Massey School of Business), and Dr. Andy Tiger (Southeastern John Massey Endowed Chair and Professor of Management) for their assistance in making this sabbatical possible."

Von Bergen earned a bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, a master's in psychology at Trinity University in San Antonio, and his Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology from Purdue University.