2020
Volume 2
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
Welcome to the fall 2020 College of Business newsletter! As I look back at what has surely been one of the most unique and challenging years in recent history, I am struck by the resilience and dedication of our EWU students, faculty, and staff. The COVID-19 pandemic not only changed the way we teach and learn, but also forced us to reimagine awards ceremonies, Commencement, career recruitment activities, and internships. Despite the obstacles, we continued to find ways to celebrate our students, prepare and connect students with employers, and to host special events and guest speakers. The pandemic even provided topical course material for some of our instructors, who challenged students to imagine how the current global environment would affect management decisions in an organization. The College continues to look toward the future. We recently relocated to the new Catalyst building. The Catalyst, located just across the Gateway Bridge in Spokane’s University District, creates a dynamic, interactive environment where students and faculty will partner with local business and industry experts for community-based learning. Faculty have developed new transdisciplinary entrepreneurship degree programs designed to provide students with the skills needed to launch initiatives or work in entrepreneurial companies in a variety of fields including analytics, information systems, computer science, and music technology. Our accelerated MBA program is experiencing tremendous growth and we recently launched an online Master of Professional Accounting program. In this edition, I am proud to share some of our recent accomplishments. As always, I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me if you have any comments, suggestions, or stories that you would like to share. Sincerely,
Jonathan W. Anderson, PhD Interim Dean, College of Business
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WE’VE MOVED!
In September, the College of Business moved to the new Catalyst building, located just across the Gateway Bridge in Spokane’s University District. Business is one of several EWU programs that will be housed in the Catalyst building including; Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Design, Computer Engineering and Creative Writing. The College of Health Science and Public Health Dean’s Office and some program staff will also relocate to the Catalyst. Housing these programs together in downtown Spokane creates an incredible opportunity for faculty and students to apply their learning to real-world problems, working with local business and industry experts for communitybased learning. The Catalyst is part of the planned South Landing Eco-District, which will serve as a transformative model for sustainable development in the heart of Spokane. The collaboration between Avista, McKinstry, Katerra, Michael Green Architecture, Emerald Initiative and EWU started with the bold vision by Avista Chairman Scott Morris to create the five smartest blocks in the world. The state-of-the-art Catalyst building aims to be the largest zero energy building in North America certified by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). The adjacent Morris Center is the heart of the shared energy model, where a centralized plant will power the two new buildings and additional buildings in the future. The College of Business is proud to be a part of this initiative and we cannot wait to welcome our students to our new building and expand their opportunities for hands-on, practical, and transdisciplinary experiential learning. Visit our website to watch the virtual grand opening and learn more about the Catalyst and South Landing Eco-District.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROFESSOR FEATURED IN USASBE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Bruce Teague, PhD, was recently featured in the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Member Spotlight. Teague is the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Foundation Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship, and the Founding Director of the EWU Center for Entrepreneurship. He also serves as the Chair of the EWU Management Department. In the interview, Teague shares his professional journey and how his passion for entrepreneurship, and specifically, the study of what entrepreneurs do, led to his role in the development of the current EWU entrepreneurship program.
GIVING TUESDAY
Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that took place on Dec. 1, 2020. This year, EWU focused on raising funds to help students by finishing up scholarship endowments. Several scholarship funds are very close to being endowed, and those scholarships were featured on the EWU Giving Tuesday webpage. The College of Business provides a wide variety of scholarships to students studying in the business majors. Visit our website to see the list of College of Business Scholarships and to read about the generous donors whose gifts have made these scholarships possible. For more information on providing scholarship support or contributing in other areas, please contact Ken Tucker, Director of Philanthropy, at 509.359.7030 or by email at ktucker10@ewu.edu.
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$40,000 STARTUP CHALLENGE
The 2020 EWU $40,000 Startup Challenge was held on May 21, 2020. This year, 60 EWU teams entered the event, with students representing all five colleges. In total, $43,000 was awarded in prizes and business development money. Our top student business for this year earned $16,500 to get their company going. All of the finalists also had the opportunity to pitch their idea to Tom Simpson, the president of the Spokane Angel Alliance. Here are the results of the final stage: Automated MicroMalthouse - Jake Hays and Cody Fox Winner of the $10,000 Catalyst Prize Winner of the Most Innovative New Product $3,000 Prize Co-Winner of the Best Business Pitch of the Year $1,000 Prize Company Description - The world’s first totally automated barley malting machine. I created a computer vision program that analyzes the length of barley rootlets to determine when to start the kilning process after germination. Automated MicroMalthouse Pitch Video GFG (Green Filtration Guys) - Lloyd V. Dees, Tanner Cunningham, Ryan Van Meter Winner of the Best Technology Commercialization $3,000 Prize Company Description - Our mission at Green Filter Guys (GFG) is to create a safer smoking experience that improves the act of smoking for the user, without taking away the desired effects. At GFG, we designed a filter and tip combo that slides over the end of joints and cigarettes. Our filters remove 60% of carbon monoxide, 80% of formaldehyde, and up to 99% of particulate matter from smoke. GFG Pitch Video Eikasia - Alexys Preston Winner of the Best Scalable Business $2,000 Prize Co-Winner of the Best Business Pitch $1,000 Prize Company Description - Eikasia is a sonic interaction and design technology business that focuses on innovative non-intrusive ways to transform the way musicians interact with their tools. Spot - Chaz Hurd, Robert Moreno, Jose Garcia Winner of the Most Market Ready New Business $2,000 Prize Company Description - An application that you can choose to park your vehicle at. Each parking spot is owned by an individual and rents it out for a specific amount of time for money, much like Air BnB. This solves two problems, the first is for someone to find a parking spot for their stuff (i.e. boat, car) and the person owning the land gets paid! Spot Pitch Video Winners of the Top-Ten Business of the Year $500 Prize: Alliance of Adventures - Stephanie Henry Ambient Co. - Ashley Croney Astra eSports Financial - Ben Bailey Beacon - Sukhleen Bolina Endolysins - Samual Hatfield, Toriana Kent, Daniel Carulli, Erin Smith The Food Guide - Kurt Lamon
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College of Business alumni work in a variety of fields in the public and private sectors. Here are just a few career success stories from our alumni: Ashleigh Schultz recently earned her MBA from Eastern, and is now starting the Doctor of Business Program at DePaul University in Chicago. Schultz is currently manager/controller at Macklin & Little, Inc., where she started her career as an office assistant. Macklin & Little were supportive of Schultz as she pursued her undergraduate and graduate degrees, and plan to continue to provide support for her DBA program at DePaul. Schultz earned her Bachelor in Business Administration in management in 2019, and then continued in the accelerated online MBA program, earning her MBA with a finance concentration in 2020. Rogelio Alvarado, ’20 BAB management, was recently hired by Avista as a customer service representative. Tony Beregovoy, ’20 BAB management, is celebrating five years at REC Silicon, where he is currently a control systems engineering specialist. Zebulon Klemke, ’20 MBA, was recently
promoted to Athletics Operations Manager at Gonzaga University. Katie Seigendall, ’20 MBA, was hired by Itron as a proposal analyst. Seigendall earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in finance in 2019, and continued in the accelerated online MBA program, earning her MBA degree with a concentration in finance in 2020. Logan Morley, ’19 BAB management, was hired as a recruiter for Aerotek in January 2020. Abeer Nimri, ’19 BAB professional accounting, was hired in March 2020 as a manufacturing planner at Boeing, Seattle. Audrey Seda, BAB ’18, is the founder of Anchor Hope Films, and currently works as a writer and post-production assistant at CBS Television in Los Angeles, California. Christopher Birge, ’13 BAB marketing, recently accepted a new position as a digital marketing specialist at Volt Athletics. Chelsea McGuire, ’10 BAB marketing and management, was recently appointed Content & Communications Manager at Numerica Credit Union.
FINANCE PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT EARNINGS Finance students in Vinson Cai’s Portfolio Management class received a check for $6,770 to the EWU Foundation, representing a share of earnings from their SIP portfolio. The SIP portfolio is sponsored by D.A. Davidson Investment of Great Falls, MT, a regional investment banking firm. Each year, the students manage a $50,000 portfolio, and any earnings above 5% are split between EWU and D.A. Davidson. Funds earned through this program are used to build the endowed balance for the Bill Wynd Scholarship.
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ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
Ali Abdullah Al Ahmed, UAE’s ambassador to France was appointed the emirates’ permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). Al Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eastern Washington University, and a master’s degree in strategic and security studies from the National Defence college in the UAE. Read the full story here. Kim Peone, ’04 BAB professional accounting, is the first Native woman to serve as executive director of the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts. “An enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and an Eastern Band Cherokee descendant, Peone is the daughter of parents who met while attending the Institute of American Indian Arts. She’s spent her career after graduating from Eastern Washington University using her talents in marketing, finance and administration for various tribes or tribal organizations across the country. Her financial expertise and ability to expand opportunity will be essential in guiding SWAIA over the next year.” Read the full story here. Jill Ann Smith, who was the first woman to receive EWU’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1995, was featured in the Inlander. Read the full story here.
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EWU ENTREPRENEURSHIP NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR SECOND TIME IN 2020
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The EWU Center for Entrepreneurship has received the 2020 Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center award, presented annually by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC). This award builds on earlier success this year, when EWU’s entrepreneurship program won the 2020 Model Emerging Entrepreneurship Program award, presented by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). In winning these awards, EWU joins the likes of Brown University, Dartmouth University, Florida State University and North Carolina State University. However, only Kansas State University shares the distinction of having won both. Both the center and the entrepreneurship program were founded in 2016 by Bruce Teague, PhD, chair of the Management Department at Eastern and founding directory of the EWU Center for Entrepreneurship. Over the past four years, Teague has rapidly transformed EWU into an entrepreneurial university of national repute. “Students these days want to make a difference, not just fill a job upon graduation,” says Teague. “Our program and center work in harmony to make sure that every EWU student has support for transforming their vision into reality—regardless of their degree or major.” Eastern currently offers four different entrepreneurship degrees, along with three minors. The degrees include bachelor’s degrees in entrepreneurship, music and technology entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial communications, and entrepreneurial analytics. EWU also offers a minor in entrepreneurship that is open to students from any degree program on campus, along with two minors in digital entrepreneurship. “Spokane has become a highly desired region for tech companies, startups and entrepreneurs; particularly as leaders are seeking alternatives to San Francisco, Seattle and Portland,” says Tom Simpson, CEO of Ignite NW and president of the Spokane Angel Alliance. “The Spokane region is fortunate to have numerous leading universities and colleges, including EWU, to meet the increasing, underlying demand for skilled workers. The EWU Center for Entrepreneurship complements the programs by offering numerous co-curricular opportunities for student involvement. Students at EWU may join the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO), can travel to attend the CEO Global Conference, can take part in the annual EWU $40,000 Startup Challenge, or may consider participating in the EWU Technology Commercialization Academy. EWU is supported by a strong advisory board that is comprised primarily of successful alumni entrepreneurs. Their active involvement ensures that activities on campus prepare students for real-world success. Last year’s Startup Challenge winner earned $16,000 to start their business. They recently formed a C-Corporation and filed for a patent. This will only improve when students return to the classroom at EWU. Entrepreneurially minded students will find themselves working and studying in the brand new, state-ofthe-art Catalyst building, located in Spokane’s U-District. This new location will create opportunities for students from entrepreneurship, business, and STEM disciplines to interact more regularly. At the same time, the new location will support greater interaction with members of the thriving Spokane entrepreneurial ecosystem.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM STUDENT SUCCESS
Students who participated in the Entrepreneurship program last year have been finding success starting their businesses in the real world. Five student companies have been formed from last year’s program, including two companies that have formed c-corps and are in the seed-funding round of investments. One company holds exclusive licensing rights to the patent for their technology, and another has applied for a patent with a local law firm. One company is participating in a development program for music & technology businesses, and two have formed small businesses. Jacqueline Swanson, senior, design, found success in working with a Spokane startup company, Organic Nearby. Swanson worked with the company founder, June Swatzell, to develop a website and newsletter for the company utilizing the no-code platform bubble. Swanson was introduced to Swatzell through her Business Startup Research course with instructor Yanxin Liu, PhD.
DEPARTMENT CHAIR NEWS Congratulations to the following faculty members, who were recently elected by their peers to serve as Department Chair: Arsen Djatej, PhD, was re-elected Department Chair for the Accounting Department. Djatej has served as Department Chair since 2016. Elizabeth Tipton, PhD, was elected Department Chair for the Information Systems and Business Analytics Department.
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FACULTY PROMOTION
FACULTY INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Yanxin “Fred” Liu, PhD, was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Liu holds the PhD in Organizations and Strategic Management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2014), the MA in Cross-Cultural Management from the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China (2006) and the BA in English Education from Liaoning Normal University (2000). Liu joined the College of Business at EWU in fall 2014 as assistant professor of management. He teaches management and entrepreneurship courses. Since starting at Eastern, Liu has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and is co-author on an invited chapter that was accepted for publication in the 2020 United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship annual conference. Liu presents his research at regional and national conferences. Liu served as Director of Technology Commercialization in 2018 and on various department, college, and university committees. Liu is a member of the Academy of Management, Strategic Management Society, and United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
College of Business faculty use their expertise to contribute to their disciplines by publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals, books and book chapters. Their research is published in academic and professional conference proceedings, and they are often invited to present their papers at national and international conferences. Faculty write grants that provide funding for academic and co-curricular activities. Samples of recent intellectual contributions by College of Business faculty can be found on our College of Business Intellectual Contributions webpage.
2019-20 HONORS AND AWARDS The annual Honors and Awards Program for 2019-2020 was presented virtually, as a video. The full video is available to view on our website. Award recipients include: EWU Trustee’s Medal Elizabeth Tipton, PhD, Professor of Decision Sciences (Analytics) Frances B. Huston Medallion Madison Doepker, ‘20 BAB professional accounting Quinn Paterson, ‘20 BAB management information systems and business analytics Elizabeth Tipton, PhD
College of Business Teaching Excellence Award Elizabeth Tipton, PhD, Professor of Decision Sciences (Analytics) College of Business Research Excellence Award Duanning Zhou, PhD, Professor of Management Information Systems Madison Doepker
FACULTY SUCCESS Christine Kuglin, JD, MPAcc, LLM, was appointed to the Washington State Bar Association Pro Bono and Public Service Committee. Kuglin, was also appointed to the inaugural editorial board of The National Association of Enrolled Agents (EA) Journal.
Quinn Paterson
Duanning Zhou, PhD
In addition, we honored our inductees into Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Business Honor Society. Since 1913 Beta Gamma Sigma has recognized and honored top performing students from around the world in business schools accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Only the top 20% of graduate business students and top 10% of undergraduate business students are eligible to join BGS. We also celebrated our fellowship and scholarship recipients and shared their stories on our website. Our students have received scholarships from a wide variety of sources, including scholarships awarded by the university and by industry organizations. Congratulations to all of our award winners, honor society inductees, and scholarship recipients!
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STUDENT RESEARCH
ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Under the guidance of Professor Christine Kuglin, two students in the Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) program have been working on a comprehensive research project to design a cost accounting case study.
Lloyd Dees, senior, psychology, is an active member of the entrepreneurship program at EWU. Dees serves as the president of the EWU Chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization (CEO). Dees is also the EWU ASEWU Student Body President. As a result of participating in the EWU Technology Commercialization Academy, Dees and his teammates founded the Green Filtration Guys Inc. (GFG). The GFG team competed in the National Science Foundation program, Innovation Corps at Washington State University, and received a $2,500 grant to complete the program. GFG were finalists in the three competitions they entered: Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization Global Pitch Competition, Eastern Washington University Eagle Nest Pitch, and Texas Christian University’s Values and Ventures Competition. The GFG team was recognized as the Best Technology Commercialization team at the EWU $40,000 Startup Challenge and won a $3,000 prize to help build their business. Last summer, Dees participated in the Virtual Venture in Management program at Harvard Business School (this year’s virtual version of Harvard Business School’s (HBS) annual Summer Venture in Management Program). The program is a weeklong residential and academically rigorous program for graduating and rising college seniors. A yearly event at HBS, this unique educational experience helps participants develop a broader understanding of the challenges business leaders face, the many dimensions of the business world, and their impact on their community and the world through business leadership. Dees also was selected for a summer internship at Capital Innovators, a top-rated accelerator program that provides venture fund management and corporate innovation based in St. Louis. As an intern, Dees sourced startups, wrote and edited blog posts, and judged startups for investment.
Candy Stutzke designed the case study of Candy’s Mini Donut Shop. She created eight problems using real data to analyze everything from a cost/volume/profit analysis to master budgets to run the shop. Her analysis takes students through all chapters in an introductory cost accounting course. Students will complete problems in CVP analysis, budgeting and more. Stutzke’s project uses the same data for all problems which is unique and beneficial to students learning these concepts. Ayesha Horton then completed a comprehensive literature review and analysis for determining how a comprehensive case study using cohesive data, which would mimic the problems found in an introductory cost course, can benefit and impact accounting cost education. She used previously published studies as well as AICPA best practice suggestions to establish how this case study would benefit accounting students in their first jobs. Professor Kuglin is now using the case to document the impact on her course and the students’ final exam results. The group plans to submit their findings for peer review and potential presentation at the Western American Accounting Association (AAA) conference.
E. CLAIR DANIELS SYMPOSIUM EWU College of Business and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA) presented the 22nd annual E. Clair Daniels Symposium on November 5, 2020. This year’s keynote speaker was Bill A. Simer, ’78 BAB professional accounting. Simer is a partner at Eide Bailly, LLP, one of the top 25 accounting firms in the country. He is a past chair of the WSCPA, former member of the Council of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and past board chair for the EWU Foundation. This year’s theme was “The Accounting Profession: Where We’ve Come From, Where We Are Now, Where We’re Going.” The E. Clair Daniels Symposium is an annual professional development event that brings industry leaders in accounting and finance to share their experience with EWU faculty, staff and students, as well as other local industry professionals.
MBA STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Joni Wynecoop recently celebrated earning her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Eastern Washington University with an inspiring post on social media. For Wynecoop, the MBA degree is the most recent in a list of achievements earned through the determination to overcome obstacles and improve her life. Read Joni’s story.
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Capsim Teams Students in Management 490: Department Senior Capstone, utilize Capsim business simulation software, which place individuals in the role of executive management at a multi-million dollar company, competing directly against other real or simulated teams to grab market share and grow their business. Student teams analyze the industry, markets, and competition, and then formulate and execute a strategy to grow their business. Students make key decisions across the four major functions including research & development, marketing, production, and finance. Teams are benchmarked to over 1900 peer teams from teaching and research universities including Ohio State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Temple University, University of Cincinnati, and York University, among others. In addition to the team challenge, student take the CompXM final exam, which is a comprehensive simulationbased exam to determine business aptitude and measure program learning outcomes. Subject areas include strategy, finance, accounting, human resources, operations, and marketing. During summer 2020, the following teams, taught by Dr. Yanxin Liu and Mr. James Clanton, finished in the top ten percentile:
Chester Team Dylan Griffin, senior, management Mariah Huey, senior, management Dakota Mullikin, senior, professional accounting Alex Wells, senior, finance Digby Team Nick Aemmer, senior, marketing Chris Barragan Montano, senior, international business, marketing Brandon Bieber, senior, finance Am’mi Hanna, senior, professional accounting, finance Ashley Miller, senior, management Erie Team Mortada Alabbad, senior, marketing Nujud Albaqshi, senior, management information systems Fatimah Alsaif, senior, finance and health services administration Mohammed Alshareef, senior, management information systems and human resource management Ismaeil Wafaullah, senior, management information systems and human resource management Ferris Team Emily Dodge, senior, business analytics Marcos Mendoza, senior, management Ryan Van Liew, senior, finance Jarret Walter, senior, management Areielle White, senior, finance, professional accounting
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CMA INSTITUTE PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP
Jessi Bader, senior, professional accounting, was awarded a competitive scholarship from the Certified Management Accountant Institute. Bader’s future goals include passing the CMA exam before obtaining her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Professional Accounting in June 2021. She plans to pursue her Master of Professional Accounting and sit for the CPA exam upon graduating. Bader plans to gain experience in the accounting industry and create a program to help teach young adults and underprivileged people how to navigate the financial system in hopes of reducing the poverty trap. She recently secured an internship at a small woman-owned accounting firm. Bader was awarded the CMA Program Scholarship by the Institute of Management Accountants based on her academic excellence and a recommendation from her accounting professor. This is a national scholarship award that will allow Bader to prepare for and take the CMA exam at no cost.
EAGLE CAREER NETWORK The Eagle Career Network is a a new professional networking and mentorship community launched through EWU’s Career Center and Office of Alumni Relations. The ECN aims to connect EWU alumni and students in a professional networking platform to provide all Eagles with additional support and connections in their field of choice. The Professional Accounting Collaborative Group is a pilot group in the ECN. We encourage faculty, staff, and students to explore the platform and connect with others in your field. Our Career Center professional staff are here and ready to assist you in providing career support for Eagles. Do you have an idea for a virtual networking event? We are ready to partner with you to get our students where they want to go. Please reach out to us if you have ideas you would like to explore. Najeda (Jade) Patolo | Career Advisor | npatolo@ewu.edu | 509.359.6417
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NEW PROGRAMS The College of Business launched several new programs this fall: Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) is now offered as an online program. Tuition for the 36-credit program is $12,168 and students can complete their degree in as few as 7 months. The program features the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition for all in-state and out-of-state students. The online MPAcc program is designed to prepare students for advanced roles in professional accounting firms and other businesses that require detailed technical knowledge. In addition to licensure preparation, this applied accounting master’s program empowers graduates to move their career forward with an indepth study of accounting law, auditing, taxation and more. Built with flexibility in mind, students can tailor their degree by choosing electives that fit their personal and professional interests. Plus, this hands-on accounting program includes an optional internship that can enhance the student’s resume, expand their portfolio of skills and provide valuable networking opportunities. Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Analytics combines rigorous analytical skills with a strong foundation in entrepreneurship, new venture creation, and value proposition design. Graduates will be able to analyze data in a variety of forms. They will be skilled at interpreting findings to help guide decision-making and organizational development. Analytical skills developed include programming, information systems, applied statistics, data analysis, qualitative data analysis, and data visualization. The program goal of the new BS in Entrepreneurial Analytics is to prepare graduates to apply their analytical skills in order to lead new
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product or service launch initiatives or to work in entrepreneurial companies that are either in the capital raising or in early growth phases of their life-cycles. These companies disproportionately account for new job growth.
Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology and Entrepreneurship is designed to provide professional training for students who aim to succeed as creative entrepreneurs, performers, songwriters, engineers, and producers in the music industry. This program includes a contemporary music curriculum that addresses the dynamic and changing landscape of the music profession. Additionally, this degree includes courses from Engineering and Business to provide relevant training in this emerging field. The advancements in technology impact how music is performed, consumed, produced and marketed, and there is an abundance of opportunity for today’s musician not addressed in traditional undergraduate music degree programs. Digital Entrepreneurship Development Minor combines courses from entrepreneurship and management information systems. Student explore how e-commerce is emerging and evolving and learn those from aspects of entrepreneurship with cutting edge information technologies in the experiential learning setting, leading to the development of working prototypes aimed at significant market opportunities. Digital Entrepreneurship Experience Minor is designed for non-computer science/management information systems majors and offers a broad understanding of technology innovation and entrepreneurship. Graduates with this minor learn the basics of information technology skills with a foundation in digital entrepreneurship.
SERVICE MILESTONES Congratulations to the following faculty and staff members:
20 Years Debra Morgan, Senior Lecturer of Management Information Systems
Lorene Winters, MBA Program Specialist
15 Years Jeffrey Culver, Senior Lecturer of Decision Sciences
Larry Davis, Senior Lecturer of Management
Tam Limpaphayom, Lecturer of Management
Goitom Tsegay, Professor of Marketing
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BUSINESS ALUMNA AWARDED THE U.S. ARMY EXPERT SOLDIER BADGE
2019 EWU graduate 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Haley Isaacson became the first reported alum from the university’s Army ROTC program to be awarded the Expert Soldier Badge during testing held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Washington. Isaacson earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management in 2019, and was the Distinguished Military Graduate that year. Read the full story.
BUSINESS STUDENTS EARN ARMY ROTC SCHOLARSHIPS Two business students recently received recognition and scholarships from EWU Army ROTC. Mykenzie Belliotti was awarded an Army ROTC scholarship worth over $90,000. Belliotti is a transfer student from California who plans to major in business and try out for the track team. Zackary Becker received an Army ROTC scholarship worth over $36,000, which will fully pay for his Master’s degree as well as $1,200 annually for books and a $420 monthly stipend, among other benefits. Becker recently graduated from EWU with honors, earning his Bachelor of Business Administration in Professional Accounting. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Professional Accounting and plans to enter the U.S. Army Reserves after completing his degree.
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COLLEGE ADVISORY BOARD NEWS
Jay McIsaac ’83, ’88, was recently appointed to the College of Business Advisory Board. McIsaac is currently the Manager of Accounting for Idaho Forest Group/Riley Creek Lumber Company, a company that he has worked at for the past 14 years. McIsaac has over 20 years of experience working in the local business community, both in government accounting and manufacturing/cost accounting. He and his wife, Sue, are proud Eastern alumni. McIsaac holds Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degrees from Eastern in both management and professional accounting. As firstgeneration college graduates, the McIsaacs have passed on the importance of post-high school education to their children, three of whom have obtained college degrees, including one from EWU. We are pleased to welcome him to our advisory board. We had two members, Doug Kelley and Sara Sexton-Johnson, step away from the Board this year. They both will continue to actively support the College and our University as members of the alumni community. Kelley has been an active member of the board since 2007, and serves as a Regional Account Executive at Avista Utilities. Sexton-Johnson joined the board in 2018, and serves as Chief Project Officer for the EWU President’s Office. We are thankful for their years of service and continued support. We also have some movement of our board members within the community. Rae-Lynn Barden recently joined Volunteers of America of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho as Marketing and Communications Director. Barden previously served as Administrative Services Coordinator for Spokane Public Library. Mathew Knott recently joined the Spokane Central Valley School District as Director of Business Services. Knott previously
worked at the Mead School District. We look forward to seeing their continued great work within their new roles. The Board meets regularly throughout the academic year and provides recommendations and support for College programs, scholarships, fundraising and events. Members include business professionals from a variety of local and regional industries. If you are interested in serving on the College Advisory Board, please contact us at cob@ewu.edu for more information.
INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (IPPEA) NEWS Patrick Jones, PhD, Executive Director for the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis was recently invited to join a 18-month task force of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine. The program is an initiative of the Office of Special Projects, and the committee will oversee the work of the Resilient America Program’s project, “Community Engagement in Southeast Texas: Pilot Project to Enhance Community Capacity and Resilience to Floods.” AWB Institute recently launched “Washington in the Making.” Washington in the Making is a framework for driving innovation that will accelerate our state’s economic recovery in every community. Students and staff from EWU’s Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis helped to develop the project’s database, including data collection for 33 indicators for all 39 counties in Washington state, the 11 metro statistical areas in the state, and 2 overlapping state boundaries, as well as the state benchmark for all of the trends, and US benchmarks when available. The AWB engagement will be ongoing, providing students and staff continual work on the database.
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X-CULTURE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT
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Chantell Kensey, who graduated in spring 2020 from the MBA program, was recognized as a member of one of the finalist teams in the 2020 X-Culture Project. Kensey participated in the X-Culture project during her International Business class, and was part of an international team with teammates from Austria, India, Pakistan, and Switzerland. The goal of the project was to develop an international business expansion proposal for a client. Kensey and her team produced an outstanding proposal and were selected as one of 27 BEST TEAMS out of 1,178 global teams (6,009 students from 142 universities in 93 countries). The X-Culture Project matches students in international business courses at participating universities with their counterparts in other countries. Working together in small virtual teams over a four-month period, students create join proposals that address complex issues and opportunities faced by today’s multinational corporations. They learn the basics of market analysis and business plan development, as well as best practices for working with colleagues across countries and cultures. The student team’s reports were sent out for evaluation to a large group of International Business experts, mainly International Business professors and coaches from around the world (171 people from 45 countries). Each report was independently evaluated by 3 to 7 experts along multiple dimensions, such as report creativity, clarity, viability of the ideas, style, as well as evaluation of each report section. The experts also provided qualitative feedback. Based on the expert evaluations, 27 teams received nearly perfect evaluations. It was impossible to objectively select one best team. Each excelled in at least one or several areas and deserved to be a winner. As a member of a finalist team, Kensey received a Best Team certificate and will be invited to the upcoming 2020 X-Culture Symposium and X-Culture Coaching Program.
FIRESIDE CHAT WITH JOE HURD Eastern’s CEO Club presented A Fireside Chat with Joe Hurd on Nov. 16, 2020. More than 60 people attended the presentation which focused on topics including fundraising, scaling companies, and forging partnerships as a diverse entrepreneur. Joe Hurd is the Global Managing Director at SOSV, LLC, a $750M early-stage accelerator and venture fund, where he leads strategy and business development efforts for the fund’s life sciences, deep tech hardware and mobile portfolio companies. He is also a venture partner for Good Growth Capital, a female-led venture fund, and advises numerous innovative Silicon valley-based pre-seed and seed stage startups on go-to-market strategy, revenue models, and international expansion, with a particular emphasis on diverse founders. A recording of the event is available: Fireside Chat with Joe Hurd
Amy Shadd, Editor Eastern Washington University College of Business
College of Business Catalyst Building 601 E. Riverside Ave. Spokane, WA 99202
BETA ALPHA PSI EVENTS
Beta Alpha Psi’s Spring Banquet was held on June 4, 2020. At the event, we celebrated the accomplishments of Beta Alpha Psi this year, introduced incoming officers, announced scholarship recipients, and held a giveaway of Wiley CPA Excel Pro Review Courses to students attending. Special speaker Christine Kuglin, JD, MPAcc, LLM gave a presentation on how “Adversity Can Become Unprecedented Opportunity.” In collaboration with the EWU Career Center, Beta Alpha Psi hosted a series of fall recruitment prep webinars. Topics included: • Everything You Need to Know About Accounting Recruitment Season 2020 presented by Jade Patolo from the Career Center • How to Answer the “Tell me about yourself” Question & Other Interview Tips with Lisa Cushman and Aaron Forquer from CLA • Preparing for Interview Questions about the “New” Work Environment with Sam Mansour from Stauffer & Associates • Resume & Cover Letter Prep for Accounting with Jade Patolo from the Career Center • Offer Negotiations with Jared Theis from KPMG On Tuesday, Sept. 29, over 50 students and 22 employers participated in our annual Meet the Professionals career fair. This year’s virtual event was hosted on Handshake and included 28 group sessions and 84 individual meetings with recruiters. Meet the Professionals is presented by Beta Alphi Psi and the EWU Career Center.
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