From Stanford to SVU: Professor David Dixon
By Zoey Reade
When the call came to teach at Southern Virginia University, Dr. David Dixon jumped at the chance to bring his family to Buena Vista.
Although straight out of Stanford University, and faced with several teaching opportunities, he responded that, “We were just…happy to say ‘no’ to everybody else and jump all in and hopefully do some good.”
Professor Dixon, who teaches marketing and leadership this semester, said that he had always been drawn to Southern Virginia since he attended youth conference for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on campus. For the last two decades he has followed the growth and progression of the school. Dixon expressed his love for the university’s unique mission and atmosphere, saying, “…[I] think that this is one of the most important missions that there is on this earth right now — [and it’s] what this school is doing. So I said, wow! I could be a part of this and help build it up while it’s growing so fast!”
Professor Dixon’s professional story started while he was a student at Brigham Young University(BYU). There he began his entrepreneurial background, alongside a fellow friend. “We had this itch,” he remarked. “We said, let’s start a business.” So right in the middle of his undergrad, he researched companies and began what ended up becoming an extremely successful massage clinic, located in Orem, Utah. Although Dixon and his associates eventually sold the business, you can still find “Solase Massage” in Utah, now under new leadership.
After his successful run at BYU, majoring in sociology and minoring in business, Professor Dixon was accepted into the graduate program at Stanford University. There he decided to continue to study business management and sociology, graduating with a Masters in both areas, and a PhD in business. After graduating, Professor Dixon was offered several teaching jobs from different colleges and schools. As he was faced with this decision, a friend from Stanford told him of a job opening at Southern Virginia. It sparked the beginning of a whole new adventure.
“When I started thinking about…the career I wanted and what I cared about, I went to SVU,” he said. “[Jess and I] said, ‘You know what, there’s all these other opportunities, there’s these higher status schools — you can be famous in the academic world…or make a lot more money…but I don’t think there’s going to be anywhere on earth where we’ll be happier than going to SVU.” He went further, acknowledging that the chance to come here “could be why God gave me Stanford. There is almost no one at Stanford in a graduate program that feels like they deserve it. We all sort of feel like we got lucky.”
But who is David Dixon when he isn’t teaching in the classroom? Dixon met and married his wife, Jess, while studying at BYU. He is the father of two girls and three boys — the two eldest being twins. He remarked that his favorite movies are Disney’s Tarzan, and What Dreams May Come, admitting that he is somewhat of a romantic. In his free time, he enjoys composing songs on a few instruments, since he actually started his college career as a music major. He eventually switched, but still plays for fun. Dixon’s food of choice would have to be Chinese food — all varieties. This is mainly due to the fact that he served his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Toronto, Canada where he spoke Mandarin and served among immigrants from Mainland China. Last, but not least, on his top favorites? Drinking pickle juice!
Professor Dixon hopes to build up the business program here at Southern Virginia. “It felt like this is a place where I can do good, because I can help build a program…the timing is perfect.” Professor Dixon truly believes he was drawn here for a purpose, and that he will stay here for quite a long time, declaring, “I got the job and I don’t intend to ever leave it.”
