Humanities elective bolstered MBA grad's career in antiques

David J. Cordier earned an MBA from Penn State Harrisburg in 1991, but it was a course offered through the School of Humanities which has had a lasting impact on his "new" career. A director of development for a nonprofit organization while he was pursuing his MBA, Cordier's one-week three-credit academic adventure with Irwin Richman into Arts and Decorative Arts in Pennsylvania provided him with a "boost in knowledge" and paved the way for full-time employment in antiques and collectibles. The course introduced Cordier to Winterthur, the Delaware center for the interdisciplinary study of America's artistic, cultural, social, and intellectual past. The Winterthur visit and his later experience there as a student, strengthened Cordier's desire to enter the antique business full-time, which he reached in 2002 after 20 years. In appreciation for the career-building experience, Cordier has made a generous contribution to the scholarship fund honoring Richman, one of Penn State Harrisburg's longest-serving faculty members. A professor of American studies and history, Richman is retiring this summer.
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