Emory Report

May 18, 1999

Volume 51, No. 31

Morris a student of life-and business By his own admission, Barry "B.J." Morris has always been a learner. More than 20 years ago when he finished his undergraduate days as a star football player at Tulane University, professional football beckoned, but Morris chose to learn about the world of business and politics. Then, with 10 years of white-collar experience under his belt, Morris made a learning decision again, leaving the professional world of banking and finance to start graduate school at Goizueta Business School. Twelve years later he's earned his doctorate from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Morris is still learning-and helping others do the same. Two years ago he helped create Whitefield Academy, a college preparatory school in Atlanta, and he's been an instructor and assistant professor at Georgia Tech and Georgia State University. "From an early age, I have had this burning curiosity about 'the world' and a desire to understand it better," said Morris, who's spent the last seven years doing a longitudinal study in Europe on the relationships between international financial institutions, private investment firms and formerly Communist democracies. "I was not particularly interested in the prestige associated with [an Emory] degree-I wanted understanding." What Morris wants now-besides spending time with his wife, Tanya, and children, Timothy and Tiffany-is to continue sharing with others what he's learned by teaching international business in an Atlanta university, consulting with firms and/or governments and also by creating educational opportunities for Georgia's underprivileged. "I'd like to place computer labs in the projects and create boarding schools for the poorest kids in Georgia, kids in prison or boarding schools," he said. --Michael Terrazas Return to May 18, 1999, contents page