After several years of service to West Virginia University and the College of Business and Economics, Professors Linda Sypolt and Tim Heames will hang up their teaching caps and retire at the end of summer. 

“It has been an honor to work alongside Linda and Tim throughout their years at B&E. They are both excellent educators, hardworking colleagues and thoughtful friends. The College of Business and Economics will miss them dearly, but we wish Linda and Tim both great happiness in their retirements,” said Nancy Mclntyre, B&E interim dean. 

As a graduate of the WVU College of Law and a self-employed attorney-at-law, Sypolt, an assistant professor of management, taught courses in her area of expertise – business law in the management department and Law for the CPA course at B&E. Prior to earning her J.D., she also earned her undergraduate degree in history at WVU. 

Beginning her teaching career in 1975, Sypolt bestowed her business law knowledge upon WVU students for a little more than 40 years. In conjunction with her teaching initiatives, she served as acting chair for the management depart from 1994-1995, on the management department’s promotion and tenure committee, a member on the university’s social justice committee and a faculty advisor/secretary for Beta Gamma Sigma, among many service positions at B&E and WVU. 

“Linda was a wonderful educator who touched the lives of thousands of students over the years. In addition, she was also a pleasant and comforting colleague. Being a legal expert, she was always concerned about following the right process in hiring and performance management decisions, and was a very valuable member of the promotion and tenure committee and faculty search committees over the years,” said Abhishek Srivastava, chair, Department of Management.

After serving in several different industry and academic roles, including Associate Dean of Instructional Programs at the Wake Forest University Babcock Graduate School of Management; Associate Dean and Assistant Professor at the Samford University Business School and teaching in the undergraduate and graduate business programs at the University of Mississippi, Heames brought his knowledge of competitive strategy, entrepreneurship, financial planning and negotiation to B&E in 2006.

Heames said he very much enjoyed educating students and seeing them flourish in their academics and careers. 

“I absolutely love to teach. Being in the classroom or online with students, helping them understand the concepts and material assigned, and potentially preparing them for jobs in organizations, and eventually, managerial positions in these organizations, has really been rewarding and fulfilling,” Heames said.” 

And while he will enjoy his days out on the golf course and spending time with family during his retirement, Heames said he will always remember and miss his B&E family.

“I hope the students will remember me as a professor who cared about what they learned and worked hard in providing them with perspectives and skills that should prove to be useful in their managerial careers,” he said. “I have made some lasting friendships [with colleagues] that I will carry with me until I die.  Each has, in some way, left a mark on me that I will remember and/or feel forever.”