Van Richard Wood, PhD
Van Richard Wood, PhD
Philip Morris Endowed Chair in International Business | Virginia Commonwealth University
Van Richard Wood, PhD began his career in the early 1970s as an officer and midshipman aboard a U.S. Merchant Marine vessel through American Mail Lines, Ltd. Afterward, he earned a bachelor’s in business administration and an MBA in international business and marketing from the University of Washington, leading to several job offers from prestigious corporations. He turned them all down, however, in favor of a smaller offer from the Industrial Development Corporation in Santiago, Chile, where he advanced from assistant manager to general manager between 1975 and 1977. At the same time, he was recruited by two universities in Chile—the Catholic University of Valparaiso and Federico Santa Maria Technical University—to teach courses, which he would do at night.
In his capacity as an educator, Dr. Wood’s proficiency in Spanish skyrocketed and he quickly fell in love with the world of academia—so much so that he never looked back. He subsequently returned to the United States, teaching and lecturing at Gonzago University and Eastern Washington University. In 1978, he continued his own education at the University of Oregon, where he served as a graduate teaching fellow and eventually earned a PhD in business administration and marketing in 1982. He went on to be active at Texas Tech University for more than a decade—where he advanced from an assistant professor to a full professor of marketing. Since 1994, he has excelled as a professor, Philip Morris Endowed Chair in International Business, and director of the Center of International Business Advancement at Virginia Commonwealth University.
At the university, Dr. Wood’s most notable achievement has been running the Global Challenges Module of the Executive MBA Program for more than two decades. Through this module, he has taken students to various international destinations across Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, and Latin America to afford them an all-encompassing view of modern global business. Outside of his academic life, he has written numerous journal articles and spoken as a presenter across proceedings and conferences. In 2023, he co-authored two major pieces for Archives of Business Research. He’s also a dedicated member of such organizations as the African Business and Entrepreneur Research Society, Society of International Business Fellows, Richmond Association of Business Economist, Academy of International Business, American Marketing Association, Academy of Marketing Science, American Association for Health Care Research, Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, and Virginia Maritime Association.
Looking ahead, Dr. Wood wants to continue building an outstanding legacy for Virginia Commonwealth University by ensuring it gains solid footing through the international programs he’s been developing with the institution’s alums and vast network of business contacts. At home, he has been married for more than 25 years to his wife, whom he affectionately describes as his “treasure” and the “woman with the most beautiful face on the planet.” They have three children.
Press Release
Van Richard Wood, PhD, MBA, Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who
Dr. Van Richard Wood has been endorsed by Marquis Who’s Who as a leader in the education industry
MIDLOTHIAN, VA, April 5, 2024 — Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Van Richard Wood, PhD, MBA, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Wood celebrates many years’ experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Wood, a distinguished figure in academia, international business and research, possesses more than four decades of professional excellence, which he has applied to his current appointments as the Philip Morris Endowed Chair in International Business and the director of the Center for International Business Advancement at Virginia Commonwealth University. Joining the acclaimed university in 1994, he has specialized in lecturing students on the historical impact of globalization on international markets and coordinating academic trips to various countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America to assist his students in understanding international business.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Wood served as an assistant professor, associate professor and full professor of marketing at Texas Tech University between 1982 and 1994. Likewise, he was an instructor and lecturer at Eastern Washington University, Federico Santa María Technical University, Gonzaga University and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso in Chile between 1976 and 1979. Before delving into academia, Dr. Wood served with an industrial organization in Santiago, Chile, as assistant to the general manager from 1975 to 1977. He commenced his career in 1969 as a student in marine transportation and logistics with the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, and a midshipman aboard an American merchant ship, remaining in that capacity until 1971. During this time, he notably sailed to Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, among other prominent ports.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Wood has contributed his wealth of knowledge and research to scholarly journals and publications, such as the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of International Business Studies and the International Marketing Review. Having published more than 140 articles thus far, he has further shared his expertise at conferences across the globe. To this end, Dr. Wood is revered in his industry for his approach to business management, having been recruited to develop international business programs for Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies, such as the United States Department of Commerce, the United States Department of Education, the Ford Motor Company and General Motors. He currently serves as a board member of the Association of Marketing and Healthcare Research and the African Business and Entrepreneurship Research Society.
To prepare for his career, Dr. Wood pursued a formal education at the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration in 1973 and a Master of Business Administration in international business and marketing in 1975. Thereafter, he attended the University of Oregon, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in business administration and marketing in 1982. During his doctoral studies, Dr. Wood was a graduate teaching fellow at his alma mater between 1979 and 1982.
In light of his exceptional undertakings, Dr. Wood has received numerous accolades. In 2014, he was selected for the Global Excellence Award from the Virginia International Business Council, recognizing his exemplary contributions to world trade in the state of Virginia. He previously served the Virginia International Business Council as the co-president between 2021 and 2022. Moreover, the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business honored him with Distinguished Service Awards in 2010, 2013 and 2018, as well as an Award of Excellence in 2000 and an Award of Distinguished Teaching in 2006. Impressively, he also earned the Outstanding Lifetime International Trade Educational Services to Small Business Award from the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce in 2009.
