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Societal Impact

Florida SBDC employee Colton Currier holds an
Florida Small Business Development Center: In 2024, Florida SBDC at UWF consulted with 1,295 clients, 130 of whom started new businesses. Other notable statistics include:
  • Client Sales Generated: $399.1 million
  • Client Taxes Generated: $47.2 million
  • Client Government Contracts Awarded: $39.8 million
  • Client Revenue Increases: $39.5 million
  • Client Capital Accessed: $30.5 million
  • Client Jobs Supported: 1,971
Certificate awarding Beta Alpha Psi gold status
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program: Members of Beta Alpha Psi and students from Dr. Barbara White’s TAX4001 course volunteered at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, helping prepare 625 federal income tax returns totaling $723,750 in federal funds. The estimated value of their contributions includes approximately $18,784 in volunteer labor, $218,750 in tax preparation fees saved, and a total community impact of $961,284. For its efforts, the chapter earned gold designation from Stakeholder Partnerships, Education Communication.
Group shot of high school students posed in front of an airplane
Air Force JROTC Flight Academy: Each summer, the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business hosts the Air Force JROTC Flight Academy, an intensive eight-week program where cadets come to the College and a local airport for flight training. This immersive experience enables cadets to earn their private pilot certification and six college credits upon successful completion. This strategic partnership offers a valuable educational opportunity for aspiring young leaders and provides a direct pathway for skilled talent to the aviation industry. Fifty-eight cadets have completed this program since it began in 2022. 
Six members of the 2023 Hall of Fame class posed for a picture
Hall of Fame: Established in 2021, the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business Hall of Fame is a powerful engagement initiative that celebrates the outcomes of our partnerships with alumni and key community supporters. We host an annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony to celebrate key alumni and supporters who have achieved exceptional career success and made a positive societal impact in our community.
Student shaking professor's hand while accepting a Beta Gamma Sigma certificate
Beta Gamma Sigma: Each year, Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business inducts high-achieving students and faculty into Beta Gamma Sigma. Membership connects our inductees to a prestigious global network of business leaders. The annual induction ceremony also reinforces our enduring commitment to fostering academic excellence and developing the next generation of ethical business leaders. 
Group shot of Germany MBA students at their graduation ceremony

Germany MBA: In June 2025, the 20th cohort of the Germany MBA program graduated after returning to the UWF Pensacola campus to complete their capstone course. The Germany MBA Program, offered in partnership between the Bear College of Business and the Transatlantik Institut at Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, is an 18-month program accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).