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360 Degree Professional Development

Success in Business and in Life

Traditional professional development and career readiness offerings include preparing students to draft effective resumes and cover letters, ace job interviews, dress appropriately, compose professional emails and business memoranda, and similar topics.  Our programs offer these traditional topics, plus much more.  We believe complete preparation for career and life success must also include:

Soft Skills

Recent surveys overwhelmingly find that employers rank soft skills as the most important attributes in new hires—but have had increasing difficulty finding qualified candidates.  Soft skills like creativity, emotional intelligence, problem solving, critical thinking, initiative, and communication will only become more valuable with advancements in artificial intelligence.  Success in today’s workforce requires a lifelong learning mindset and interpersonal skills, making these essential to professional development.

Relationship Building

At Sorrell College, students begin to develop relationships and build their professional networks from day one.  Sorrell 360 programs are designed to foster student connections with faculty, staff, peers, student organizations, professional associations, alumni, and other professionals and employers.  

Personal Wellness

Personal health and wellbeing are an essential foundation to professional success.  A professional career is more than just a job—it’s part of a fulfilling and joyful life.  Sorrell 360 programs offer support to help students identify and achieve their professional and personal goals.

Center Staff

Laura Dove, JD
Assistant Dean,
Sorrell College of Business

Dr. Laura Dove is Assistant Dean of the Sorrell College of Business and serves as the Director of the Sorrell 360 Center for Professional Life.  She is an Associate Professor of Business Law in the Department of Marketing & Law in the Sorrell College.  Born and raised in West Virginia, she is a graduate of West Virginia University with a JD (2012) and a BA in Philosophy (2009).  She joined the ÁùºÏ±¦µä faculty as an adjunct instructor in 2013 and then as an assistant professor in 2014.  Dr. Dove lives in ÁùºÏ±¦µä with her husband, John, who is an Associate Professor of Economics in the Sorrell College; their son, Ian; and their dog, Lemmy.

Edgar Preston Pritchett, III, DEGREE
Lecturer and Program Coordinator

Preston Pritchett is an instructor in the Sorrell College of Business at ÁùºÏ±¦µä. As a professional educator, he has instructed classes in middle school, high school, and higher education. Preston received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Auburn University, where he was also a member of the Auburn Football team. Currently, Preston is pursuing his doctoral degree in Global Leadership from ÁùºÏ±¦µä. Outside of his career and educational pursuits, Preston enjoys spending time with his wife and son, in addition to staying physically active. Additionally, Preston is zealous in assisting others to become financially literate; he is a Ramsey Certified Financial Coach & holds a certificate in Leading with Finance from the Harvard Business School Online. 

Ms. Holly Smith
Department Secretary

Holly Smith is a native of Clio, Alabama and joined the Sorrell 360 Center in 2022. In her role as Department Secretary, she supports Sorrell College faculty and students and serves as the face of the Sorrell 360 Center when visitors arrive. 

In the News

360 Center Overview: Trojan Talk