The first named faculty fellowship in the Department of Marketing & Entrepreneurship was fully funded and will serve as a lasting reminder of one of the most celebrated professors and mentors at UNI’s College of Business.

The Steven B. Corbin Endowed Fellowship in Professional Sales will support a faculty member who dedicates their time to the department’s professional selling program and builds on Steve Corbin’s 37-year legacy as professor and head of UNI’s marketing department.

Funding was secured from friends and former students of Corbin using crowdsourcing. More than $60,000 was fundraised in support of the fellowship, far surpassing the stretch goal of $37,000. About 91% of that money was donated from alumni across 15 states.

“I am really, really thrilled,” said Martin Hansen, a longtime friend of Corbin and current instructor of marketing and entrepreneurship who serves as the head of the Center for Professional Sales Excellence. “There are a ton of things that I see this fellowship can help the school accomplish, really helping us become a jewel when it comes to sales education and helping people.”

One main focus of the fellowship is building out the Center for Professional Sales Excellence, a dedicated sales program at UNI that offers premier education for students, faculty and community members throughout the Midwest. The center is located in the Business and Community Services Building and features state-of-the-art training classrooms and workshops with video and audio recording capabilities. Additional fundraising will go toward making the fellowship a professorship, which will provide additional Sales Center resources and further honor Corbin’s legacy.

“This really is the kickoff for that center,” said Dale Cyphert, head of marketing and entrepreneurship and one of the leaders for the fellowship fundraising campaign. “We’re excited to have this support so we can expand the reach of this program. This fundraising effort  is a very successful example of what we can do as a university community. One person could never have done this alone.” 

Hansen added: “This is a dedicated resource. We’re really going to focus on the tools that are necessary to teach our students and community members to be effective, ethical salespeople. The great thing about the sales center is it’s really an opportunity for a much broader audience than most people could imagine.”

Corbin is remembered fondly by students and faculty members alike. Throughout his 37-year career, he was known for his excellence in teaching, scholarship and service contributions, and dedication to students and UNI. He retired in 2013 but is still passionate about giving back and helping students. This fellowship will ensure his work lives on at the college.

If you’re interested in learning more or contributing to the cause, visit our website to learn more. You can also find out more about the Center for Professional Sales Excellence here.