The Albert E. Cinelli Enterprise Faculty Chair Is Established

The Albert E. Cinelli Enterprise Faculty Chair Is Established

In a move that gives the Law School’s program in law and business great momentum, Albert E. Cinelli ’55 has made a pledge to create the Albert E. Cinelli Enterprise Chair.

“It’s my desire to help Columbia students get a combined legal and business education that will put them on a career path of becoming ethical leaders in the business world,” said Mr. Cinelli, who is founder and chairman of the telecommunications company Q-Comm Corporation.

The goal of the chair, according to Mr. Cinelli, is to “support curricular innovation by the faculty.” The chair will rotate among members of the faculty. The holder will have a special mission to teach innovative courses that train leaders for the business world. Key subjects will include corporate culture and ethics, strategic business planning, employee or associate relations, negotiation, and the decision-making process.

“Al’s gift is not only generous, but also perfectly timed, as the Law School continues to broaden and strengthen its business law curriculum,” said Dean David Schizer. “It reinforces our ability to train ethical leaders for the business world to broaden our economy and continue the growth of opportunities in the United States.”

Q-Comm is a holding company operating through four subsidiaries to provide video voice, data, and Internet services (including e-commerce, web page design, and custom programming services) to residential, commercial, and wholesale customers. Its KDL subsidiary operates a fiber-optic network of 8,500 route miles in 14 states. KDL sells communications capacity to large enterprises and telephone and cellular companies. The Kansas-based company was founded in 1984. Previously, Mr. Cinelli served as international general counsel for American Home Products Corp. (now Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) and vice president and general counsel for Marion Laboratories. Right out of law school, he was a trial attorney for the DL&W Railroad Company.

“This professorship,” Dean Schizer said, “is a fitting tribute to Al Cinelli’s extraordinary career.”