Engage@Spears Winter 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Going Up

OSU business school alumni and friends of the school are able to watch as progress on the new 144,000-square-foot Business Building.

Parallel Construction

‘I Am Building’ project follows the growth of several Spears School freshmen and the new Business Building.

Study Abroad

School Celebrating 25 years of Study Abroad Programs

Representing the U.S.

School of Entrepreneurship graduate students Quinn Vandenberg and Jonathon Button travel to Denmark for international competition.

Influential Leaders

Spears School alums Tim DuBois, Neal Patterson are two of the first-ever 100 AACSB Influential Leaders.

47 Years At OSU

Karen Culton, who has been an important part of the Spears School for 29 years and worked at OSU for 47 years, will retire in January.

Family Ties That Bind

Rebecca and Ryan Greenbaum say the Spears School and their four children keep them happy in Stillwater.

Playing To Win

OSU junior Courtney Dike will have to decide if professional soccer trumps accounting at graduation.

Camp Unlike Others

Spears School’s ISyTE Academy offers high school students a good look into information systems careers.

Paying It Forward

Business school alums Fred and Janice Gibson credit OSU scholarships for their desire to give back.

Five Alums Honored

Michael L. Greenwood and Anne Morris Greenwood, Carlos Johnson, George Krull and Greg Massey inducted into Spears School Hall of Fame.

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LETTER FROM THE DEAN OSU SPEARS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DEAN Ken Eastman VICE DEAN, WATSON GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Ramesh Sharda ASSOCIATE DEANS Karen Flaherty Carol Johnson DIRECTOR, SPEARS SCHOOL MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Terry Tush MAGAZINE EDITOR Dorothy Pugh CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dollie Elliott VIDEOGRAPHY Jordan Pfeiffer

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reetings, We hope you enjoy the latest issue of Engage@Spears — the first all-digital and highly interactive edition. We bring you a number of stories and updates on things going on in Spears and hope you find the many videos interesting and informative. I will take just a moment to highlight a few stories.

We bring you more information on the progress of our new building, with links you can use to watch the construction. The building is on schedule, and very soon we will start to see the structure emerge from the ground. It is very exciting to view the progress and makes us all eager for the building to be finished. You also will find information on our “I Am Building” project. We are following a number of Spears freshmen as they build their OSU careers alongside our new building project. It is a great group of kids, and we appreciate their allowing us to share in their lives, as they will be some of the first students to take classes in the new building. We have lots of great things going on in the Spears School, and we appreciate your taking a few moments to view our progress. Much of our success is due to having such dedicated alumni, and we appreciate your continued support. All the best,

Ken Eastman, Dean Norman & Suzanne Myers Chair Richard W. Poole Professor

GRAPHIC DESIGN Blake Brasor James Neeley SPEARS SCHOOL DEPARTMENT HEADS Lee Adkins, Economics and Legal Studies in Business Bruce Barringer, School of Entrepreneurship Robert Cornell, School of Accounting Jim Pappas, Management John Polonchek, Finance Joshua L. Wiener, Marketing Rick L. Wilson, Management Science and Information Systems CONTACT Spears School of Business Oklahoma State University 201 Business Building Stillwater, OK 74078-4011 405-744-5064 ssb.news@okstate.edu spears.okstate.edu


The Spears School of Business

Where Business is Personal

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e live in a deeply interconnected world where business is more personal and simultaneously more distant than ever before. In this world, success hinges on relationships, and companies rise and fall based on the strength of them.

It’s this emphasis on, and understanding of, people and community that ensures our students are just as real as they are ready – ready to take on the challenges of a rapidly changing world, because the only constant in this world is people. That is why students choose Spears, why employees choose our graduates, and why we exist.

At the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University, our students are prepared for this world because they’ve lived and learned in an environment where personal connections are paramount, where academic excellence is strengthened by interpersonal prowess. Where soft skills are taken as seriously as they are in the working world. Where the study of business isn’t cutthroat, but collaborative. Where technology is always used to include and never to seclude. Where community isn’t just a byproduct of what we do, it’s a capital good. Where every student is empowered to follow their dream, not the dream we have for them. Where the purpose of business isn’t just individual gain, but gain for every individual.

The Spears School of Business – Where Business is Personal. This new brand identity statement is a reflection of the Spears School’s students, faculty and staff.

“We are a collegial, collaborative and caring place, and this statement allows us to embrace and build upon our strengths,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School. “We have outstanding academic programs, conduct high-quality research, and we do these things in a very supportive environment.”

Consultants Remington Tonar and Tennyson Singer spoke with students, faculty and staff, in addition to surveying more than 900 alumni and students as part of their research and analysis of the Spears School. Eastman believes the new branding concept helps unite all of the school’s strengths both conceptually and in messaging. “This brand statement lets everyone know who we are and what differentiates us from other business schools. We will proudly use it to build our future,” Eastman says. @


Going Up By Terry Tush Much of the early construction of Oklahoma State University’s new Business Building has focused on the foundation. Crews from Manhattan Construction have poured foundation walls, installed underground drainage pipes and waterproofed basement walls over the last several months. But the new 144,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building will start rising after the first of the year. A tower crane’s arrival in midDecember paves the way for crews to begin erecting the steel in January. A topping-off ceremony (commemorating the last steel beam’s placement at the highest point of construction of the four-story building) is projected for May, with the roof scheduled to be in place by the summer. The $75 million building for the Spears School of Business is scheduled to be completed in January 2018. The Spears School is offering several ways for OSU alumni; donors, who have contributed nearly $40 million toward the cost of the building; and others to follow the construction. Click here to access the website with information on the building project. @



Parallel Construction ‘I Am Building’ project follows growth of freshmen and new Business Building By Dollie Elliott

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orge Luna, Tim Sakabu and Jeana Wilson all took different routes to Oklahoma State University, but the three freshmen have more in common than they realize.

Luna is the first generation of his family to attend college. Sakabu’s mother is a college counselor who suggested the lifelong Californian consider OSU although none of his family had ever even visited Oklahoma before. Wilson has been destined to attend Oklahoma State since her parents were married on the bridge at Theta Pond. All three are participating in the Spears School of Business’s “I Am Building” project, which began in the fall semester and will follow a number of freshmen throughout their careers as business students at OSU. The project shows the lives of students as they grow and develop over the next several years — as the new building also rises from dirt to an impressive new structure that will affect their lives for years to come.

“I am very excited to follow the academic careers of this diverse group of freshmen. They each bring an interesting perspective to the Spears School, and I appreciate their willingness to let us document their OSU experience,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School. “We are proud of our students, and this project will allow others to learn more about our wonderful students.” The freshmen who enrolled in the Spears School this fall can look forward to being the first class to graduate after OSU’s new Business Building is completed. Manhattan Construction is scheduled to complete it in January 2018, and it will open to students that spring. Elliott + Associates Architects designed the building, which will have approximately 144,000 square feet. As part of the “I Am Building” project, the Class of 2019 students will share their stories through several platforms, including video, social media, magazine articles, newsletters and blogs. “I wanted to be a part of this project because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” says Wilson. “Obviously I love this university and this town — they mean a lot to me. To have the opportunity to share that with everyone means a lot to me.”

Students who will share their stories the next few years include: • Peyton Hillery, accounting, Wichita Falls, Texas. • Forrest Hull, entrepreneurship, Jenks, Okla. • Jorge Luna, marketing, Oklahoma City, Okla. • Braxton Noble, finance, Stillwater. • Tim Sakabu, entrepreneurship/marketing, Antelope, Calif. • Jeana Wilson, marketing/apparel merchandising, Stroud, Okla.

“I think it will be great to look back and see how your life progressed through your college years,” says Hull, an entrepreneurship major who started a mobile app design company during high school. “Because I started following my passion and pursuing it so aggressively at a young age, I think if people who are younger or even my age see this they’ll be inspired to pursue their goals, regardless of their age or what they want to achieve.”


“I AM BUILDING a community that will stand by me through ups and downs and friendships that I’ll have forever.”

Peyton Hillery

Accounting Wichita Falls, Texas “I want to inspire people to pursue their goals, regardless of what they’ve done or what they’ve achieved in the past. I AM BUILDING consistency.”

Forrest Hull

Entrepreneurship Jenks, Okla.

“I AM BUILDING a more positive life here at Oklahoma State University because I know that negativity’s not going to show success.”

Jorge Luna

Marketing Oklahoma City, Okla.


“I AM BUILDING to be successful later in my life from Oklahoma State.”

Braxton Noble Finance Stillwater, Okla.

“When I graduate from [OSU], I hope to be a better informed person, citizen in the world and citizen in the country and also have built many life-long friendships that I can talk about when I’m older. I AM BUILDING new relationships.”

Tim Sakabu

Entrepreneurship/Marketing Antelope, Calif.

“I AM BUILDING lifelong friendships that will impact my future in ways I cannot know.”

Jeana Wilson Marketing/Apparel Merchandising Stroud, Okla.


Long Distance Education School Celebrating 25 years of Study Abroad Programs

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or 25 years, the Spears School of Business Study Abroad program has been supporting students in traveling the world to gain international experience and understand different cultures while earning class credit. Since its inaugural Summer in London program in 1991, the Spears School has sent nearly 2,400 students on 100 faculty-led trips to 25 countries on seven continents. More than 1,400 students have participated just in the past five years. The program is now under the direction of the Center for Advanced Global Leadership and Engagement (CAGLE). Roger and Cindy Cagle, who were instrumental in the creation of the center with a generous gift, were present when the CAGLE was launched in 2014. During the CAGLE Scholarship Reception in 2015, the Spears School honored Stephen J. Miller, professor emeritus in the Department of Marketing. He and James M. Jackman, professor emeritus in the Department of Economics and Legal Studies, led business students on that first study abroad trip in 1991. “The Spears School’s study abroad programs have grown so quickly due in large part to the university’s initiative with support from

By Dollie Elliott the provost’s office. Along with support from the Cagles and scholarship funding both on a university and a college level, the number of our students receiving scholarships has increased by more than 25 percent, doubling since 2013,” says Jose Sagarnaga, director of the CAGLE in the Spears School. “Study abroad has become a priority to Oklahoma State University as well as to many business schools around the world.” In the past few decades, globalization has opened up many opportunities for students in pursuit of better career prospects. Employers seeking globally minded graduates find international experience impressive. That is exactly what Pat Dorr, professor emeritus in the OSU School of Accounting, discovered when he began leading students to London in 1992. The trip to England was one of the first and most popular study abroad trips the business school organized. “We would return to Stillwater, and students would think more broadly and learn more effectively,” says Dorr. “That was bound to be beneficial for everyone — to the students and their future employers. Studying abroad gives the student international experience that makes them more appealing to employers.”

Dorr led OSU business students on the threeweek-long Summer in London program to Regent’s University for more than 20 years. “We would be in London and take a walk through the park, and we’d hear 10 different languages spoken in just one short walk,” says Dorr. “When you live at a college (Regent’s University) for a few weeks where people are from countries around the world and you’re exposed to so many different cultures, it’s going to broaden your thinking.” Dorr fondly remembers the class visiting Drapers’ Hall, a large trading guild in the center of London built in 1831. “Drapers’ Hall staff would bring us an accounting ledger that dated back to 1407,” says Dorr. “They just let us flip through it, every student holding something that was 600 years old. What a memorable experience. “Experiences like that heightened my relationships with my students; it was one more thing we could share,” says Dorr. “I was immersed in this learning environment, right along with the students. It made teaching more fun and more effective, and the students enjoyed it. It also broadened my cultural experience. It had the same impact on me as it did our students. continues


PHOTOS / COURTESY OF PAT DORR

Students and professor Pat Dorr (second from right) and James Jackman (far right) at the Regent’s College Pub in 1993.

“In 1998, I remember being down in the Regent’s College pub with the entire class. Everyone was watching the semifinals of the World Cup, and England was competing. Everyone in the pub was yelling at the top of their lungs, ‘Come on, England!’” says Dorr. “England would score, and you would think we were English, we were cheering so loudly. The students just got so immersed in the culture.” The OSU group also visited Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, as well as Stonehenge. “We did so many fun things, even living at Regent’s University for a few weeks was exciting and interesting,” he says. The popular professor has kept in touch with many of his former students throughout the years. “Almost every student that I’ve spoken to that went on our London trips has been back to Europe several times,” says Dorr. “That’s the kind of impact studying abroad can have on a person. “I’ve had students who went to London with the program, fell in love with London and have gone on to work for public accounting firms like Deloitte in London after graduating from OSU,” he says. “We launched that interest for a multicultural environment, and that’s part of what I’m proud of. These students become world travelers, and we started it.” Today, Dorr and his wife, Kathy, still plan their vacations to visit Regent’s College during the same time the OSU group is there.

Group visiting Stonehenge in 1993.

Dorr earned both his bachelor’s (1969) and master’s (1970) degrees in accounting from Oklahoma State. After graduating, he was hired as an internal auditor at OSU before entering the U.S. Army. After the Army, he returned to Oklahoma to work for KPMG in Tulsa. Dorr looked forward to a career in accounting education when he decided to get a doctorate in accounting at the University of North Texas. He was soon recruited to join the OSU faculty by his mentor and legendary School of Accounting professor, Wilton T. Anderson, in 1977. Kathy was Anderson’s administrative assistant when the pair got married during their senior years at OSU. The Dorrs are passionate about community service in Stillwater, helping launch several nonprofit and community events including the Mission of Hope, a shelter for the homeless, and the Love Feast, which provides free meals to the community three evenings per week. Dorr also started tutoring programs for low-income children, and founded and directed the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, which recently completed its 31st year. Kathy helped create the Christmas Store, which allows low-income families to acquire presents for their loved ones. Kathy also currently serves as the business manager for Elite Repeat, a resale store that has given more than $2 million to local agencies over the last 12 years. continues


Pat Dorr, professor emeritus in the School of Accounting, led students on the Summer in London program for more than 20 years.

“Because of my love for teaching and my students, I got a fire in my belly for the study abroad program. And because of my involvement in the community, I talked about the program everywhere I went,” says Pat Dorr. “Many people from the community have helped provide study scholarships.” Dorr was also a longtime faculty adviser for the OSU chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honorary organization for accounting students. The organization helps connect students with future employers and helps students learn the value of service to their communities. “I wanted my students to be exposed to the diversity of people around the world, and the study abroad programs helped us accomplish that objective. But I also wanted them to learn community service and how to reach out to others who may come from different backgrounds,” says Dorr. @

“We launched that interest for a multi-cultural environment and that’s part of what I’m proud of. These students become world travelers and we started it.” — Pat Dorr


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PHOTOS / COURTESY OF LIFE OUT OF THE BOX

Representing the U.S. on the global stage Life Out of the Box co-founders travel to Denmark for international competition

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klahoma State University School of Entrepreneurship graduate students Quinn Vandenberg and Jonathon Button represented the United States in November at Global Entrepreneurship Week in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their company, Life Out of the Box, was one of only two U.S. startups at the competition. Life Out of the Box brings together artisans with their local crafts, global consumers seeking handcrafted goods and children needing free school supplies. Launched in November 2012, its products are currently made in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Morocco. Each crafted item is made by local artisans and electronically tagged so that a human value chain can be associated with it. Consumers are able to view online video clips that show a child in a developing country who receives free, locally sourced school supplies, paid for by a percentage of the item’s purchase price. In many nations, school supplies are not free.

“Traveling to Denmark to compete in the Creative Business Cup was a huge opportunity for Life Out of the Box, as we were able to connect with potential investors from around the world who have the same vision to stimulate economic wealth in various countries around the world,” Vandenberg says.

“Being a part of an international network of business people, entrepreneurs and government officials opened up several new doors of opportunity that we weren’t even aware of yet, but we are open and eager to pursue everything that comes our way.” Vandenberg and Button are both graduate students in OSU’s School of Entrepreneurship. Vandenberg is pursuing her master’s degree in entrepreneurship, and Button is working on his doctorate. Vandenberg and Button entered the 2015 USA Creative Business Cup competition and were chosen to represent Oklahoma in the national competition. They won second place there, earning the opportunity to be one of two companies to represent the United States in Denmark.

Life Out of the Box competed with other contestants from around the world for a series of Innovation Challenge awards at Global Entrepreneurship Week, had the opportunity to learn at the world finals in Copenhagen and met with potential interested investors and advisors. “Attending Global Entrepreneurship Week was a fantastic opportunity for Quinn and Jonathon,” says Bruce Barringer, head of the OSU School of Entrepreneurship. “It not only brings positive attention to their business, but allowed them to network with some of the most influential supporters of entrepreneurship in the world. When people meet Quinn and Jonathon and see the passion they have for Life Out of the Box and learn about the lives that Life Out of the Box is positively affecting, only good things happen.” The Creative Business Cup is an international program that encourages entrepreneurs from various creative industries to expand their business ideas and gives them opportunities to connect with investors. The CBC helps start-up businesses by focusing on some core components including visibility, creating value for stakeholders and partners, internationalization and investor attractiveness. @


Spears alumni

Tim DuBois, Neal Patterson

named AACSB Influential Leaders By Terry Tush

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wo Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business graduates — Tim DuBois and Neal Patterson — were recognized in September by AACSB International, the oldest and best-known global accrediting body and membership association for business schools, as two of the first-ever 100 AACSB Influential Leaders. The work of DuBois and Patterson exemplifies the innovative mindset and meaningful contributions to society that OSU graduates display around the world every day, whether they operate within large corporations, small businesses, or the nonprofit sector. “We are very pleased to have Tim and Neal receive this award. Tim has been a leader in the music industry for a number of years, and Neal and [his company] Cerner are leaders in the medical technology industry,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School. “Their success is a great example of what can be accomplished with an OSU education. We in the Spears School are honored and proud to be the only business school in the state to have graduates selected to be recognized as influential leaders by the AACSB.” DuBois graduated from OSU’s business school with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1971. He earned his master’s degree in accounting in 1972, became

a certified public accountant and joined Arthur Andersen’s Dallas office. Though his academic training is in accounting, DuBois’ passion has always been music, and that passion led him to Nashville, Tenn. There, he became an award-winning songwriter and producer as well as one of the most powerful executives in the music industry. He was picked to open the Nashville division of Arista Records in 1989 and is credited with discovering and signing numerous talents, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, and Brad Paisley. The artists he signed have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. DuBois has also served as the senior partner of Universal South Records, managing executive of ASCAP Nashville and clinical professor of digital media at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. He is currently president of Tim DuBois Entertainment LLC, an entertainment consulting firm with offices in Nashville and Dallas. Patterson graduated from OSU’s business school with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1971 and earned his MBA a year later. He co-founded Cerner Corp. in 1979. During his tenure as co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer, he has led Cerner to invest more than $4 billion in research and development of health information technology.

These technologies are now used by approximately 18,000 facilities worldwide, including hospitals, physician practices, ambulatory facilities, extendedcare facilities and pharmacies. Gifts from the OSU graduate were instrumental in creating the Center for Health Systems Innovation at OSU. Patterson is a member of the CHSI advisory board. In 2014, the OSU Spears School named both DuBois and Patterson two of its 100 most influential alumni over the 100-year life of the school.

“It is a tremendous honor to be named as one of AACSB’s 100 Influential Leaders,” Dubois said. “Although the majority of my career has been in the entertainment industry, my business education has been fundamental to my success. It instilled in me the need to search for those projects where creativity and commerce intersect. My thanks again to AACSB and Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business for this recognition.”

Patterson said, “My business education at OSU, an AACSB-accredited school, provided a great foundation for me as a young entrepreneur. I’m surprised and honored to be part of this inaugural class of innovators and change agents.” For the nomination process, AACSB developed a short list of open-ended questions that provided a framework for the expectations of nominees. From April to June 2015, AACSB-accredited schools submitted notable alumni who have made (or are making) an impact in the world. From the nominations, a selection committee reviewed and chose stories that showed a sampling of the positive impact that business school graduates have made on society. For the full list of recipients, visit www.aacsb.edu/ Influential-Leaders. @


A Lifetime of Service Karen Culton retires after 47-year career By Dollie Elliott

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aren Culton has been at the helm of the Spears School of Business human resources office for more than 29 years. And after a 47-year career at Oklahoma State, she is retiring in January.

“Karen has been a great mentor and friend,” says Lisa Fain, director of operations at the Spears School. “She is kind, supportive, a great listener and has an unbelievable amount of HR knowledge.”

“The thing about the university is we are always learning new things. It’s a continual learning process and each year is a renewal with new staff, new faculty and new students. You’re always learning new ways of doing things, new ways to keep track of data,” says Culton. “It’s exciting to me.”

Culton says Fain is one of the people she has most enjoyed working with. “She has a wonderful ability to make everyone feel like they are a part of a team, the School of Business team.”

When she sat down to interview with longtime Dean Robert L. Sandmeyer in 1986, she had no idea she would be embarking on such a long, successful career or how much she would enjoy the learning process. Culton says that one important conversation with Sandmeyer (1977-1994) was intense but encouraging, and it gave her a glimpse of what her career would be like. “Dr. Sandmeyer asked me how I would resolve certain situations and how I would deal with challenging personnel. He wanted to know what my short-term and long-term goals were,” she says. “He and Associate Dean John Bale took a genuine interest in their employees. “Dr. Sandmeyer was very supportive of me completing my master’s while I worked,” says Culton, who completed a master’s degree in occupational and adult education from Oklahoma State after she was hired as a fulltime administrative associate in the dean’s office. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from OSU In 1983. “In those days, we were just getting all faculty to use computers,” says Culton. She remembers using double floppy drives to back up financial data. “It’s wonderful to see how far we have come.” In Culton’s career of tracking expenses, processing requests for family medical leave, crediting overtime and arranging compensation, she says what she’s enjoyed most are the people. “We have a diverse staff in the college,” she says. “There are a lot of different personalities you interact with, and there is a wide age range in our employees. You have to learn how to present things so that everyone will be motivated to action.” She says focusing on the people rather than the issue makes her job more enjoyable.

Throughout her career, Culton has received numerous awards including OSU Outstanding Budget Preparation Award, Office of Planning, Budget & Institutional Research, 2002; finalist, Distinguished Service Award, Staff Advisory Council, OSU, 1995; and Outstanding A&P Staff Award, OSU College of Business Administration in 1999 and 2002. Culton has also served on a number of committees at OSU over the years including the OSU Task Force for a new financial system, the OSU Compensation Committee, and the Personnel and Fiscal Officers Liaison Group, to name a few. Culton began her career at OSU in 1966 in OSU’s correspondence study office during the summer before her senior year at Stillwater High School. The next summer, she worked in the continuing education office helping coordinate conferences. By the time she enrolled as a freshman in the College of Business, she was an experienced student worker, and she adjusted nicely to classes and working at the OSU Agriculture Extension office. In 1968, Culton was first hired as a full-time OSU employee in the Mechanical and Aerial Space Engineering Department, which became the Fluid Power Research Center. She worked at the center for 18 years before going to the College of Business. Culton and her husband, Robert, who earned his bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant administration from OSU, were introduced by mutual friends in Stillwater. They have been married for 41 years. Culton plans to spend more time with their family and do some traveling after retirement. Their daughter, Dana, graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in political science. “I’ve lived in Stillwater all my life and worked in education all my life and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” says Culton. @


FAMILY TIES THAT BIND

Greenbaums say Spears School and their children keep them happy in Stillwater By Terry Tush

As members of their workplace coed softball team in Florida, the pair was heading to the batting cages one day after work. One version is that teammates, who had joined them on previous trips to take batting practice, were supposed to meet up with the two. But this particular day, Rebecca found out it was just the two of them. “Her story is a little different than mine,” says Ryan, laughing. “She thought I was tricking her into meeting for a date, [but] people were literally calling as we were going out [to the batting cages] to say they weren’t going to be able to make it.

“It ended up just being us, and I made the best of it.” Now, 12 years and four children later, Ryan and Rebecca Greenbaum are valued faculty members in the Spears School of Business. Rebecca, who was hired in 2009, is an associate professor in the Department of Management and holds the William S. Spears Chair of Business Administration. Ryan is a full-time clinical professor in the Department of Management.

“Rebecca and Ryan are two great examples of the dedicated faculty we have here in the Spears School,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School of Business. “They both are very productive individuals, yet they make time for their children and each other. We are fortunate to have them on our faculty, and our students benefit greatly from their care and attention.” The Greenbaums’ four children — 6-year-old Asher, 4-year-old Audrey, 2-year-old Grayson and 11-month-old Elizabeth — keep them busy outside the classroom. The two older children are involved in soccer, t-ball and basketball. Thus, despite attempting to follow a nightly schedule, hectic evenings are routine at the Greenbaum home. “We’re a very, very structured family, and I feel like we have to be,” says Rebecca. “We eat pretty early, around 5:15, because we have to get the kids to their activities by 6. We also make it a priority to eat supper together … and then after that it’s a whirlwind. I mean, the evenings go by so quickly.”

“We’re always busy,” says Ryan. “The time aspect is tough because you want to make sure you give each of the kids enough time, and give them enough of the things they each need individually, and it’s hard to do sometimes.” Between juggling family and their own active lifestyles (Rebecca is a runner who has run a marathon and several half-marathons, while Ryan competes in mud runs), the Greenbaums’ responsibilities also involve hundreds of business students.

PHOTOS / COURTESY OF THE GREENBAUMS

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epending upon whose version you’re hearing, Ryan and Rebecca Greenbaum are together because of a coincidental scheduling conflict (his version) or a deceptive plan orchestrated to make sure they were alone together (her version).

Rebecca teaches a couple of classes each semester, and her primary research interests focus on behavioral ethics and morality with particular emphasis on ethical leadership. “In terms of just the job itself, what I like about being a college professor is the research, although continues

The Greenbaums, clockwise from top left: Ryan, Elizabeth, Grayson, Rebecca, Audrey and Asher.


I also like impacting the undergrad students. I think I have a bigger influence on the Ph.D. students because that’s more of a mentorship role,” says Rebecca, who earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Florida and a master’s in human resources management and a doctorate in management from the University of Central Florida. Ryan, as a clinical professor, teaches Spears School undergraduate students, specifically the Fundamentals of Management and Sports Management classes. “Rebecca tends to be more involved on the graduate side of things while I tend to be more involved with the undergrad, but they do mesh with each other very well,” says Ryan, who has degrees from the University of Florida (bachelor’s in journalism and communications) and Oklahoma State University (master’s degree in educational psychology and MBA). “We help each other out. So when she has questions about how to make her classes maybe pop a little or how to do things differently, I’ll help her out with maybe adding different activities and looking at things through a different light. Whereas on the other side, if I’m stuck on some things and saying this concept seems kind of boring, how can I better relate this or how can I bring in some of the things she works on like bottom-line mentality or some of the different ethical issues into these classes, then she’s able to give me some good examples that I can use to get students to see in a different way, which is always very helpful.” Ryan, a huge fan of the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals, has played on intramural teams with and against his students. “These students keep me young. The conversations I have, and the way the students feel comfortable talking to me and just talking about random things. … It keeps me thinking about things from their perspective and keeps me up-to-date with what’s new and new technology, so I don’t seem like the old fogey who’s teaching the classes. “Outside of class I’ve had students come up and give me the bro hug, something they probably don’t give their other professors. It makes me feel like I’m making a connection.”

Spears Engage 20

The Greenbaums admit they never expected to stay in Stillwater as long as they have but now that they’re a family of six, they don’t plan to leave. “[The Spears School] is the reason we’ve stayed as long as we have. It’s wonderful,” says Rebecca. “When we first moved here, Stillwater felt a little bit small to us since we only had one child at the time. We came from Orlando, Florida, but part of what always kept us here is my job. I love working for the Spears School of Business. It’s a really, really good job. There’s a wonderful culture, and we work with really good colleagues. “It’s a place where I feel like I can be creative with some of my ideas, and because it’s not so high pressure I feel like I have the freedom to be creative and do more of what I want to do. It’s always been a great place to work.” Ryan, who was hired by Eastman in 2011 as an adjunct and became a clinical professor after earning his MBA, says the Spears School has something special that colleagues envy. “I think we have a different school than what a lot of friends that I’ve made through academics have,” he says. “The people who are associated with the business school are amazing. It’s great.” @


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Playing to Win OSU junior will have to decide at graduation whether pro soccer trumps accounting By Terry Tush

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ourtney Dike is learning at a young age that everyone has to make tough choices. The Oklahoma State University junior may face one that’s a bit different than most as she begins her career: Will it be in accounting or as a professional soccer player? “They’re both my passion, so it’s hard to decide right now,” says Dike. “I think it will depend upon what opportunities open for me.” She speaks highly of the accounting program in the OSU Spears School of Business. “I think the business school has provided so many opportunities for me when it comes to different firms to work with or just networking in general,” she says. “When I graduate, I’m positive I will have numerous options and different directions I can go because the business school has definitely prepared me for the real world and the things I’ll face after college.”

Her goal is to eventually become a certified public accountant, but that may wait a few years if Dike pursues a career in the National Women’s Soccer League. “When it comes to soccer, the women’s [professional] league is improving and getting better. So, soccer being my passion, I wouldn’t ignore it if I got an opportunity to play,” says Dike, who has received All-Big 12 Conference honors each of the past three seasons. “But it’s not something I’ve decided yet. I think when the time comes I’ll have to weigh my options because either way I would be happy.” Dike’s soccer abilities led her to scholarship offers from Texas, Notre Dame, Colorado, Tulsa, Missouri and Oklahoma after an outstanding high school career at Edmond (Okla.) North High School, but she signed with Oklahoma State. She has been a standout for the Cowgirls the past three seasons, and even caught the attention of the Nigerian Football Federation after her sophomore year. continues


Courtney Dike, shown shielding a Kansas defender away from the ball, has earned All-Big 12 Conference recognition in each of her first three seasons with the Cowgirls.

She was invited to try out for the Nigerian Under 20 World Cup team that would be representing her parents’ native country over the summer. Dike made the team, tying for the team lead with three assists and for second with nine points in helping the Nigerian team to the finals and a runner-up finish. For her efforts, she was named Discovery of the Year at the Nigerian Sports Awards. In February 2015, she received an invitation to try out for the Nigerian National Team with hopes of playing in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but it was in the middle of the spring semester at OSU. She left for Nigeria after taking her last final in May to try to make history as the first native Oklahoman woman to play in the World Cup. “It was one of the hardest things in my life,” says Dike. “I really had to adapt since I was playing with all these experienced players who had been there for years and years, and I had just joined. That was a great experience for me.”

The OSU Cowgirl made the team and played in two of Nigeria’s three games during the group stage, including starting and playing 50 minutes against the United States during last summer’s Women’s World Cup in Canada. “Becoming the first Oklahoma native to play in the [Women’s] World Cup is pretty amazing to me,” Dike says. “The World Cup is the pinnacle for most people’s careers, and to play period is an honor. For me to play at such a young age, it kind of opens my eyes to my future. “It still kind of seems like a dream playing against the U.S., walking onto the field next to those players that I grew up watching was a pretty surreal feeling. I got to meet some of them before and after the game; that in itself was amazing for me. Being able to be on the same field as them and compete at the same level as them built a lot of confidence in me as a player. It was just a special experience for me,” says Dike, whose older

brother Bright has played for the Nigerian men’s national team and has played professionally for several years. Dike still has a year before earning her accounting degree and hopes to lead the Cowgirls to a Big 12 championship as a senior. Only then will she decide whether her future will be on the soccer pitch or in an accounting office. “The experiences that I’ve had with soccer in general and the business school, I feel like have given me a really good picture of how life works out, and I think it’s going to help me in the future, whatever area I go into,” she says. “The skills I’ve learned on and off the soccer field, and through the business school here, I think they’re going to have a great impact on me and make me excel in whatever route that I take once I leave [OSU].” @


PHOTOS / BLAKE BRASOR

Jim Burkman, clinical associate professor in the Department of Management Science and Information Systems, instructs one of the high school students during the ISyTE Academy.

The high school students built computers from scratch, and then networked and programmed the computer.

OSU’s ISyTE camp offers high school students look into information systems careers

Sponsored in part by ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, ISyTE is an activity-based, hands-on college experience for high school students interested in learning about career opportunities for degrees in Management Information Systems (MIS). The camp is free for attendees. The academy is hosted by faculty and staff of the Department of Management Science and Information Systems (MSIS) in the OSU Spears School of Business with support from the Center for Executive and Professional Development.

“I loved this camp and will remember it forever. The counselors were amazing,” says Sarath Sunkar, a junior at Stillwater High School.

Participants spent six busy days on the OSU campus. In addition to “living the college life” in the Spears School’s Living Learning Community, students built computers from scratch, networked and programmed them, learned about securing them (and their own personal information) and engaged in other information technology activities. These activities included game development, digital forensics, password cracking and other tasks that give participants a flavor of the many facets of career possibilities after earning an MIS degree. ISyTE campers also were able to visit traditional OSU hot spots around campus and throughout town. Team building at the OSU Camp Redlands ropes course started the week, while visits to Eskimo Joe’s, Hideaway Pizza and other eateries were part of the plan, as was a quick tour of Boone Pickens Stadium. The last full day of camp included field trips to Bartlesville to visit Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips to experience a life in the day of the information systems professional and ended with an evening of fun and frivolity at Incredible Pizza.

The students also attended workshops to prepare them for college admittance and potential careers, ate lots of food, and spent some time enjoying the company of other campers. While there is much to be learned and technology to be explored, having fun is the name of the game. For information on the 2016 ISyTE summer camp, visit the Center for Executive and Professional Development website (cepd.okstate.edu). @

PHOTO / JORDAN PFEIFFER

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wenty-six high school students from across Oklahoma participated in the seventh annual Information Systems Technology Exploration (ISyTE) Academy this past summer on Oklahoma State University’s Stillwater campus.

The ISyTE Academy students took advantage of the opportunity to visit Boone Pickens Stadium, posing for a photo at the 50-yard line.


Paying It Forward Gibsons credit OSU scholarships for desire to give back By Terry Tush Now that the Gibsons are able to give back to others, they do so willingly — to OSU, scholarships for students in the Spears School of Business, their church, four children in an orphanage in Uganda and various other charities.

The photo shows Gibson being presented the State Farm Exceptional Student Scholarship by OSU College of Business Vice-Dean Edward C. Burris. The $1,000 scholarship meant everything to the Medford, Okla., native who was the oldest of Oscar and Lula Gibson’s seven children.

Fred Gibson says the relationships he developed at OSU helped shape him into the person and businessman he eventually became after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in general business. He credits OSU President Robert Kamm and College of Business Dean Richard Poole as influential in his development. “Dr. Kamm had a heart for the students, and it started there,” he says.

Both Gibson and his wife, Janice, the fourth of five children, received scholarships during their fouryear OSU careers, and they haven’t forgotten how the generosity of others benefited their lives. “We probably couldn’t have gone to OSU without OSU scholarships,” says Fred Gibson, now 68. “Our parents did what they could, but usually that related to the basics, a car or groceries. We’d work every summer and save up our summer paychecks, but I’d say OSU [scholarships] provided 50 percent of the total we needed. “They were there, year after year, making sure we got through. You just don’t forget stuff like that.”

Poole, who led the business college from 1965 to 1972, had a major impact on Gibson. “The relationship with Dr. Poole was like here’s my grandfather. He took that much interest, and I’m sure he did with other students too,” says Gibson. Gibson remembers his first time to fly was when Poole helped send him to a conference in New York City. “I’d never been to any place bigger than Oklahoma City, and a whole different world woke up [on that trip].” continues

Fred Gibson, right, and his wife Janice speak highly of their OSU educations, and kept in touch with several professors including the late B. Curtis Hamm, a longtime OSU marketing professor.

PHOTOS / COURTESY OF FRED GIBSON

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red Gibson still has the old newspaper clipping from more than 45 years ago. It means almost as much to him now as it did when he was an Oklahoma State University junior in 1968.

The Gibson family shows its true colors during a recent Christmas with Fred and Janice’s children and grandchildren.


Gibson and his family — son Timothy is now president, son-in-law Jason Carrison is vice president, son Daniel oversees accounting, and daughter Sarah serves on the board of directors — have been instrumental in the company’s growth into a staple of Tulsa’s economy. Over the years, Heat Transfer Equipment added shop offices, a maintenance room and a tool room. Also, the expansion included an employee break room (1992), a machine shop (’95), a sales office (’97), shipping and receiving area (2004), additional product storage building (’07) and an expanded weld shop (’10). Today, HTE employs around 150 people.

The Gibsons purchased the Heat Transfer Equipment Co. in 1988, and have grown it to where it now employs around 150 people.

The Gibsons are avid followers of OSU athletic teams, including following the Cowboys football team on the road. Here they are shown in San Antonio when the Cowboys played in the 2010 Alamo Bowl.

“[Poole] just took me under his wing,” Gibson says. “If you had a question, you had easy access. If you went out to eat and he saw you, he’d stop to talk to you. It was just those things that made you feel like you were special. But I think he did that with everybody when I look back, but I felt pretty special back then.” But it wasn’t just Kamm and Poole. Gibson says he felt a connection with the College of Business faculty, too. “Some of the well-known names that chairs are named for now … I had those guys for professors,” he says. “Dr. [Wayne] Meinhart in management; Dr. [B. Curtis] Hamm in marketing; Dr. Richard Leftwich wrote his own econ book, and that’s what we studied. They were stalwarts or became stalwarts [in the teaching profession], and I got the advantage of knowing them.” Gibson was hired right after graduating in 1970 as a consultant with Arthur Andersen in Tulsa. Gibson eventually started his own data processing software consulting company before he received an offer he couldn’t pass up. After working as a consultant with Heat Transfer Equipment Co., Gibson had an opportunity to purchase the business. He fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a business owner in 1988 when he purchased HTE, a Tulsa-based company with 25 employees. Janice and Fred Gibson walk down the aisle on their wedding day.

“Back when I was involved [in the daily operations], I knew all the names of the guys in the shop. We treated it like a family,” says Gibson, who is now chairman of the board of directors. “This company is a special achievement just from the standpoint that it’s allowed us to do a lot of the other things we do now in the giving department because it’s been successful.” Gibson and his family have made a gift to the new Business Building under construction, and the Fred and Janice Gibson Endowed Scholarship was created in 2012 to assist a student in the Spears School. They are now considering how they can endow four four-year scholarships. And it’s all because they remember the impact from the scholarships they received when they were at OSU. “You’ve got to give back, and OSU is the one who taught us to do that. It’s very emotional because they were there when we needed them,” Gibson says. The Gibsons hope someone says the same about them one day. @


Spears School Hall of Fame Inducts 5 3 named Outstanding Young Alumni By Dollie Elliott

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PARTY PIX / GEORGE BULARD

ive Oklahoma State University alumni were inducted into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame and three others were honored as Outstanding Young Alumni at the 2015 Hall of Fame banquet in November. Michael L. Greenwood and Anne Morris Greenwood, Carlos Johnson, George Krull and Greg Massey were recognized for their successful careers and contributions to OSU as the 2015 inductees into the Spears School Hall of Fame. The Outstanding Young Alumni award recipients were Prafulla Chaudhari, Jeff Ronsse and Evan Tipton. Each year, the Spears School Hall of Fame Banquet recognizes OSU alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers, displayed effective leadership, made exemplary contributions to their communities and freely given meritorious service to others. “We are very pleased to honor five individuals who have accomplished so much and have been so important to the Spears School of Business,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School. “Selection into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor that the Spears School can bestow on an individual, and this year’s class certainly has earned the right to this recognition. Their professional and personal success inspires all of us at the Spears school to continue to work hard to strive for greatness.” continues

The 2015 Spears School Hall of Fame inductees were Carlos Johnson, George Krull, Anne Morris Greenwood, Michael L. Greenwood and Greg Massey.


Michael L. Greenwood and Anne Morris Greenwood Michael L. Greenwood and Anne Morris Greenwood are longtime supporters of OSU and the Spears School. A Tulsa native, Michael is founder and managing director of Carnegie Capital LLC, a financial advisory services firm serving corporate and private equity clients. He previously served in various public company senior executive positions, including vice president-finance of Energy Transfer Partners, chief financial officer of Heritage Propane Partners, chief financial officer of Alliance Resource Partners, and a mergers and acquisition executive for MAPCO, the Penn Central Energy Group and the Williams Cos. Michael also serves as an OSU Foundation trustee, a member of the Spears School’s Associates and an OSU Research Foundation board member. A native of Carnegie, Okla., Anne serves as a community volunteer after retiring from a corporate accounting career with several Fortune 500 companies. She devotes countless hours as a volunteer, many to the OSU community, including

being the inaugural chair and a board member of Women for OSU, president of Friends of the OSU Library, a board member of the OSU Friends of Music and a member of the OSU Athletics Council. The Anne Morris Greenwood Reading Room in the OSU Edmon Low Library is named in her honor. In addition, the Greenwood Tennis Center, a 50,000-square-foot facility with six indoor courts and 12 outdoor courts for OSU’s tennis teams, is named after the couple. Michael graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1977 and earned an MBA from the University of Tulsa in 1980. Anne attended OSU before completing her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Tulsa in 1978 after relocating to Tulsa. The Greenwoods now reside in Stillwater. “We’ve worked our entire lives in the business world and have tried to represent the [business] school well,” says Michael Greenwood. “To be honored in this way is just an unbelievable event for both of us.”

Carlos Johnson Carlos Johnson is a longtime supporter of OSU, serving over the years as chairman of the School of Accounting advisory board, as a member of the Spears School’s Associates and on the board of governors for the OSU Foundation. Johnson earned his master’s degree in business education from OSU in 1966, and a doctorate in accounting and business education in 1977 from what was then known as the College of Business. He spent seven years as head of the school of business at East Central University in Ada, Okla., before entering public accounting. He spent 25 years as a partner with KPMG before retiring. He remains active professionally, as he is associated with BKD CPAs & Advisors and served as the chair for the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, which represents 55 boards of accountancy before various legislative bodies at the state and federal levels, and served 10 years on the Oklahoma Board of Accountancy. In 1992, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Accounting Hall of Fame, and in 2012, he

received the Public Service Award from the OSCPA (Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants). In 2011, Johnson was recognized by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) for a career of distinguished service in public advocacy. “I have always thought of it as a privilege to come to this [Spears School Hall of Fame] event and honor those who have earned this award in prior years,” says Johnson. “So it means a lot to me to know that I have joined that fraternity of people.” He and his wife, Pam, reside in Oklahoma City. continues


George Krull George Krull served as a partner in the executive office of Grant Thornton LLP, where he worked with the implementation of the firm’s automated audit and control software and was the firm’s chief learning officer. He retired in 2000. Since retirement, he volunteers to improve the quality of collegiate business and accounting education. Krull was recruited to OSU by the late Wilton T. Anderson, head of the accounting program. He earned his master’s degree from the business school in 1966 and his doctorate from Michigan State University. Early in his academic career, Krull was a member of the OSU School of Accounting faculty.

Greg Massey He has been honored for his contributions by numerous organizations, including being inducted into the School of Accounting Halls of Fame at both Oklahoma State University and Ohio State University, and is an honorary alumnus of Northern Illinois University. “After 50 years of being an OSU student and then alumnus, it shows the confidence of the people who mentored me over the years has in me,” says Krull. “It’s a culmination of a great career.” Krull and his wife, Nancy, reside in Wheaton, Ill.

Greg Massey is chief executive officer of First United Bank & Trust Co., a $3 billion financial services organization operating in more than 60 locations in Oklahoma and North Texas.

Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the Board of Regents for OSU/A&M College, the Oklahoma Transportation Authority and REI of Oklahoma Inc.

He served in numerous roles across the financial industry prior to joining First United in 1990 as vice president/commercial lending. He was promoted to president in 1993 and was named CEO in 2003. Under his leadership, First United has grown from $223 million in assets during the past 22 years to more than $3 billion in total assets today.

“It’s amazing looking back to when I was 18 years old and chose to come to OSU and what an impact it’s made on my life,” says Massey. “[On receiving this award] I feel as though I should be giving something to OSU, instead of OSU giving something back to me.”

Massey is chairman of the Durant (Okla.) Industrial Authority, Imagine Durant and serves on the executive committee of the Oklahoma State

Massey received his bachelor’s degree in finance from OSU in 1987. He lives in Durant, Okla., with his wife, Kay, and they have three children, Blake, Brooke and Corbin.

Outstanding Young Alumni In 2001, the Outstanding Young Alumni award was established to recognize alumni who have provided significant service and achievement early in their careers.

Prafulla Chaudhari, a 2008 graduate with a master’s degree in quantitative financial economics, is the Americas head of risk analytical quality assurance for MSCI Inc. in New York City.

Jeff Ronsse, a 1999 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, is partner, accounting and auditing director, and recruiting director for BKD CPAs & Advisors in Tulsa.

Evan Tipton, who earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and management in 2008, is producing manager for the Scott McCoy Insurance Agency and the 2015 chairman of Tulsa Young Professional (TYPros). @


T HA NK YOU $ 1 52 M IL L IO N

fo r creati n g OPPORTUNITIES

The entire Spears School of Business student body appreciates the 7,603 donors who gave $152.6 million for scholarships, endowed faculty positions, centers and other support: the most contributed to any school or college in the Branding Success campaign.

THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF OUR STUDENTS!


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