The Rio Grande College of Business at Sul Ross State University demonstrated a strong international presence at the AIB-LAC 2026 Annual Conference, held this year at the Universidad de Lima in Peru.
AIB-LAC, the Latin America and Caribbean chapter of the Academy of International Business (AIB), is a leading global network connecting over 3,000 scholars and practitioners from more than 90 countries to advance international business research, teaching and collaboration.
As part of the pre-conference program, Dr. Eduardo Russo, assistant professor of International Business, participated as a panel speaker in “Context Matters,” exploring how regional realities shape international business education and leadership development. During the main conference, Dr. Russo also chaired a session and presented three research papers co-authored with collaborators from Brazil and Mexico, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to high-impact scholarship and cross-border academic partnerships.
Dr. Russo’s teaching case, “Lucivella: Paths to Internationalization in Women’s Health,” received the Best Teaching Case Award during the conference’s gala dinner. The award includes fast-track consideration for publication in SAGE Business Cases: Latin America Series of 2027 and a $500 stipend, which will be donated to the students who contributed to the research. The recognition highlights the growing importance of case-based teaching in preparing future business leaders.
This milestone also aligns with the teaching methodology implemented in Sul Ross State’s new master’s in International Business Management, scheduled to launch next fall 2026, and demonstrates how case-based learning can prepare future leaders to navigate complex markets internationally.
“This was my third time participating in AIB-LAC, and it continues to be an incredible opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues shaping the future of International Business education,” said Dr. Russo. “The recognition of our Lucivella case, developed through a partnership with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), reinforces our commitment to producing teaching materials that are rigorous, relevant and grounded in real international challenges, exactly the kind of learning experience we want our students to have.”
Dr. Sumantra Sengupta, dean of the Rio Grande College of Business, added, “This achievement reflects the strength of our faculty’s scholarship and the practical, global focus of our programs. We are proud to see Rio Grande College of Business and Sul Ross represented within the most important academic network in business, and we look forward to building on this momentum as we expand case-based learning and launch our new master’s program.”
For more information, email eduardo.russo@sulross.edu.
About the Rio Grande College of Business: The mission of Rio Grande College of Business (RGCOB) is to provide outstanding experiential business education across Sul Ross State University’s four campuses in Alpine, Eagle Pass, Del Rio and Uvalde, as well as online. RGCOB emphasizes programmatic innovation, student success and strong faculty engagement, with over 80 percent of faculty holding terminal degrees. The college is a full member of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).