Recognizing the impact that faculty thought leaders at Fisher can have on future business leaders, a pair of Fisher alumni have generously created two endowed professorships at the college.

Ric Dillon (BSBA ’77, MA ’86) and Steven Trulaske (MA ’80, MBA ’82) each have committed their support of Fisher by funding the Ric Dillon Endowed Professorship in Investments and the Dr. H. Lee “Buck” Mathews Professorship in Marketing, respectively.

“The incredible generosity of Ric and Steve speaks volumes about their belief in and support of their alma mater,” said Anil K. Makhija, dean and John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business at Fisher. “Their commitments will help Fisher attract and retain the very best and brightest thought leaders who inspire and bring curriculum to life in the classroom, serve their communities and advance their fields through research.

“By establishing these transformational professorships, Ric and Steve are paying forward and positively impacting the educational experiences of students at Fisher while also elevating the study of finance and marketing.”

The Ric Dillon Endowed Professorship in Investments

Dillon serves as chairman of Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc., a Columbus-based independent investment management firm. Dillon is a fixture on Fisher’s campus, engaging with students in the classroom and as a guest speaker.

He was instrumental in the creation of the Applied Fundamental Investing course, a unique, seven-week program in Fisher’s Department of Finance that brought Diamond Hill analysts into the classroom to provide undergraduate and graduate students with insights into the firm’s investment philosophy and strategies. Under Dillon’s leadership, Diamond Hill has also served as a key partner in Fisher’s Specialized Master in Finance, and the college’s Student Investment Management (SIM) program.

“My goal for this professorship is to build upon the Applied Fundamental Investing course that we started a few years ago, and to align with a professor who has a passion for investing with our course and who will strengthen the platform for teaching and research in this area of finance,” Dillon said.

The Dr. H. Lee “Buck” Mathews Professorship in Marketing

Trulaske is the owner of True Manufacturing, a family-owned commercial refrigeration company based in Missouri. He is an MBA alumnus who credited the late Ohio State marketing professor Dr. H. Lee “Buck” Mathews with helping to shape his business education and propel him forward as a leader in his family’s business.

“It is real honor to establish an endowed marketing chair in memory of Lee,” Trulaske said. “When I was a student of Lee’s, he brought to us real-life issues from his consulting work, and he let us come back with ideas and solutions for him to consider. Today, I manage the sales force at True Manufacturing, and Lee will always be someone special in my life and career.”