Honoring a Student Success Champion 

The C. T. Bauer College of Business community is grieving the loss of Victor Wayhan, a beloved long-serving Senior Professor of Practice in the Department of Decision & Information Sciences. 

Wayhan spent many years teaching Bauer College supply chain management courses, educating more than 14,000 students. For students, alumni and faculty, Wayhan is often remembered by one of his signature slogans, which embodied the essence of Bauer pride. 

“He was famously known to tell employers, 'We are number one, and number two isn’t even close,' as a way of championing our supply chain management program and our students,” Professor of Business Analytics Norman Johnson said, who served as department chair during Wayhan’s time on the faculty. “He was just as well-known to our students and colleagues for his words of constant encouragement, always lifting others up with his belief in their potential.” 

He also served as the faculty adviser for Sourcing & Procurement Organization (SPO), spending many years mentoring students in and out of the classroom. 

“Dr. Wayhan loved seeing students succeed,” SPO said in a letter to its members. “He celebrated your accomplishments, offered guidance when challenges arose and inspired countless individuals to reach their full potential. His passion for teaching, mentoring and investing in people went far beyond the classroom or program, he genuinely cared about each of you as individuals.” 

Among students, Wayhan had an almost celebrity-like status, with students eager to attend his office hours and take his classes. Bauer alumnus Samuel Silva took one of Wayhan’s courses and was a member of SPO. He recalls students like himself running to catch up with Wayhan to get career advice in between classes. 

“He had an enormous amount of people trying to constantly chase him down,” Silva said. You would have to get him when you can, and he'll be committed. He'll walk with you, he'll guide you and he'll point out a couple of things. He'll be like, ‘all right, follow up with me with an e-mail, and then I'll do a little more edits.’” 

In class, students say Wayhan went above the traditional responsibilities of a professor, describing him as a mentor and a guiding light. 

“He gave more than lectures; he gave us the tools and confidence to succeed beyond the classroom,” Bauer alumnus Mohammad Moton said. “He taught us how to talk to employers, how to approach opportunities and how to carry ourselves with strength and dignity. He reminded us, time and time again, to always be strong and never let anybody put you down.” 

In addition to serving as a longstanding faculty member in the Department of Decision & Information Sciences, Wayhan was a Bauer alumnus as well. He earned his Ph.D. in operations management from Bauer College. He also earned an MBA from Radford University, a master's degree from Lynchburg College and an undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University.  

Wayhan will be remembered throughout Bauer for his passion for teaching and developing tomorrow's leaders.