22 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 

E

astern Michigan 
University Professor 
David Victor has won 
the Association for Business 
Communication’s 2020 Francis 
W. Weeks Award of Merit, a 
lifetime achievement prize for 

his work in the field of busi-
ness communication.
Winning the award “was a 
great feeling of accomplish-
ment that, over three decades 
of work, my colleagues con-
sidered that to be worthy of 

notice,” Victor told the Jewish 
News. “
And also, it’s nice to 
bring attention to Michigan, 
particularly Eastern Michigan 
University, which is where I've 
worked for all these years and 
am very dedicated to.”
Victor has been given 
the merit award in part for 
his leadership in creating 
a parallel organization to 
the Association of Business 
Communication called the 
Global Advances in Business 
Communication Initiatives. 
The GABC has a jour-
nal housed in the Eastern 
Michigan University Halle 
Library, of which Victor serves 
as the editor-in-chief. The 
organization also has a con-
ference that rotates between 
its four partner universities: 
EMU, University of Antwerp 
in Belgium, University of 
Technology Malaysia and 
India’s Delhi School of 
Business.
Victor was always interested 
in different cultures grow-
ing up — that interest drew 
him to the field international 
business communication. 
He’s now been working in the 
field for more than 36 years. 
After getting his Ph.D. from 
the University of Michigan, he 
moved a few miles down the 
road to EMU in 1985, where 
he still works as a professor 
of international business and 
management.
Victor also serves as a 
consultant and management 
coach. He’s consulted and run 
programs for organizations 
including state governments, 
Fortune 500 companies, the 
U.S. Army and others.
His first award from the 
Association for Business 
Communication, of which he 
is a past president, came in 
2010, when he was recognized 
with its highest award for ped-
agogy.
One of the best parts of 
winning the merit award has 

been receiving notes from for-
mer students, Victor said. Just 
after he got the award, a stu-
dent he’d taught decades ago 
reached out to say she’d gone 
into international business 
because of him.
“That was such an affirma-
tion, just to hear that again,” 
he said.

A NOTED AUTHOR
Victor has written five books 
so far over the course of his 
career, including International 
Business Communication in 
1992 — one of the first books 
published on the topic in the 
United States. He’s also co-au-
thored a book about conflict 
management and three books 
based on a business commu-
nication model he created that 
lay out principles for commu-
nicating in Brazil, Japan and 
Mexico. 
Though he’s won the ABC’s 
lifetime achievement award, he 
doesn’t plan to quit working 
any time soon. Victor said he’s 
hoping to finish a book on the 
seven principles for commu-
nicating in India, as well as 
an update to his original 1992 
book on international business 
communication. “
And I have 
no plans to stop teaching as 
long as I’m mentally and phys-
ically able to do so,” Victor 
added.
In addition to his profes-
sional successes, Victor runs a 
blog and email list called the 
“David Victor Vector,” where 
he writes in-depth posts about 
religious observances from tra-
ditions across the globe. He is 
also active in the Jewish com-
munity, serving on the board 
of B’nai Israel Synagogue in 
West Bloomfield, where he 
runs a Mussar class (on lead-
ing a meaningful and ethical 
life) on Thursday nights.
“I also want to say thank 
you to the kind of support 
that I get from B’nai Israel 
Synagogue,” he said. 

David

Victor

EMU professor wins lifetime 
achievement award in business 
communication.

MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Well-Deserved 
Honor

IN 
THED
JEWS

The Officers, Board of Directors
and Staff
of
Jewish Senior Life

Express Their Deepest
Condolences to
the Family of

Margot E. Coville

A True Inspiration to the Community 
and to the Older Adults We Serve

Deborah Rosenthal Nancy Heinrich Jo Strausz Rosen 

President
 Chief Executive Officer Executive Director of 

 
 Development

COURTESY OF DAVID VICTOR

