PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – For more than ten years, Prairie View A&M University’s College of Business (COB) has hosted a Dean’s Book Reading Contest to promote its students’ interest in reading bestseller books, especially books that cover world conditions and entrepreneurship.
Dean Quddus (right) and Amanda Paulina Bermudez (first place recipient)
“I believe that cultivating and encouraging the ‘reading habit’ is one of the most important competencies young people can learn in college,” said COB Dean Munir Quddus, who worked with a few interested faculty and staff to launch the contest in the spring of 2011. “Good reading habits are closely related to good writing skills. I feel strongly about this, which is one reason my wife and I have established an endowment to support the College of Business Dean’s Book Reading contest in perpetuity. The endowment generates enough funds to support scholarships for the contest winners.”
Every spring semester, Dean Quddus works with his team of faculty to provide up to three books. Full-time undergraduate business students who register for the contest receive a free copy of the book they selected to read over a two-month period. The student contestants then write a 1,200 to 1,500-word book review for a team of three judges to review. The contest concludes with a presentation from each student detailing what they learned from the book. Prizes have ranged from Kindles, gift certificates, Samsung Chromebooks, iPads, and cash prizes.
Quddus and Allison Logan (second place recipient)
“The judges read the books and interview the students to complete the scoring template. They use the Book Review Elements and Scoring Rubric, developed by members of the contest committee consisting of the judges and the contest coordinator,” said Edwina Garcia, COB program assistant, and contest coordinator. She added that Dr. Reginald Bell, business communications professor, has been an active participant in developing materials, judging, and promoting the book reading contest from the beginning of the book reading contest. This year, COB Professor Audria Ford joined Quddus and Bell to judge the student’s work and decide on the winner.
Due to the pandemic, this year’s contest was managed virtually. First and second place winners include:
- Amanda Paulina Bermudez (first place); Book Selection: “Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty” by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo
- Allison Logan (second place); Book Selection: “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy” by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D.
At the end of the program, Dean Quddus expressed his thanks to the judges, especially Garcia, who not only provided the necessary organizational work but purchased the gifts for the winning participants.
“Ms. Garcia is a PVAMU alumna and retired vice principal who was recruited to help with student support services. As the coordinator of the COB Business Communications Center, she is strongly committed to mentoring students and developing their reading and writing skills,” said Quddus.
To find out information about next year’s Dean’s Book Reading Contest, email Dean Quddus at muquddus@pvamu.edu.
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