The official magazine of the Spears School of Business, Oklahoma State University
VOL. 6, NO. 1, Digital 2017
Kevin Hamm OSU graduate’s career brings him full circle PAGE XX
TABLE OF CONTENTS Going Up
OSU’s business school alumni and friends are able to watch the 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 celebrates 25 years of study-abroad programs.
Representing the U.S.
School of Entrepreneurship graduate students Quinn Vandenberg and Jonathon Button travel to Denmark for an international competition.
Influential Leaders
Spears School alumni Tim Dubois and Neal Patterson are two of the first 100 AACSB Influential Leaders.
47 Years at OSU
Karen Culton, who has been an important part of the Spears School for 29 of her 47 years at OSU, retires this month.
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 after graduation.
Camp Unlike Others
Spears School’s ISyTE Academy offers high school studentsa good look into careers in information systems.
Paying It Forward
Business school alumni Fred and Janice Gibson credit OSU scholarships for their desire to give back.
Five Alumni Honored
Michael L. Greenwood and Anne Morris Greenwood, Carlos Johnson, George Krull and Greg Massey are inducted into the 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 WRITERS Dollie Elliott Ariel West VIDEOGRAPHER
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Jordan Pfeiffer
reetings, I hope you enjoy this all-digital, interactive version of Engage@Spears magazine. It’s hard to believe that we are already midway through another school year, and soon another outstanding class of seniors will be graduating.
Some exciting changes are happening right now at the Spears School of Business. First and foremost is the ongoing construction of the new Business Building, which is nearly 50 percent complete. The new building will allow us to better meet the educational needs of our students with state-of-the-art classrooms and work spaces. It will all begin in the basement, where six classrooms and eight breakout/team rooms will transform the learning experience.
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Blake Brasor James Neeley SPEARS SCHOOL DEPARTMENT HEADS Lee Adkins, Economics and Legal Studies in Business Bruce Barringer, School of Entrepreneurship
For regular updates on the building and to watch a time-lapse of the construction over the last 18 months, please visit our website (https://spears.okstate.edu/building/). Many OSU business school graduates were positively affected by longtime marketing professor B. Curtis (Bob) Hamm, but none more so than his son, Kevin, who is featured on the following pages. Kevin Hamm is now the CEO of a cosmetic company in China and is looking forward to returning to Stillwater to recognize his late father, who will have two spaces named in his honor in the new building: the Dr. B. Curtis Hamm Classroom and the Dr. B. Curtis Hamm Office of the School of Marketing and International Business. We recently inducted into the Spears School Hall of Fame three distinguished alumni —John Bale, Mike Hyatt and Pat O’Brien — and recognized five Outstanding Young Alumni. Each one makes us very proud and all are examples of the differences Spears Business alumni are making in the world. We hope you enjoy this edition of Engage@Spears. As always, we appreciate your continued support and looking forward to seeing you the next time you’re on campus. All the best,
Robert Cornell, School of Accounting Jim Pappas, Management John Polonchek, Finance Joshua L. Wiener, School of Marketing and International Business 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
Ken Eastman, Dean Norman & Suzanne Myers Chair Richard W. Poole Professor
SPEARS BUSINESS
Power the
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e live in a deeply interconnected world where business is personal while simultaneously more distant. In this world, companies rise and fall based on the strength and success of the relationships they forge. The Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University prepares our students for this world because our students have lived and learned in an environment where personal connections are paramount, and academic excellence is strengthened by interpersonal prowess. We take soft skills seriously. We study business collaboratively. We use technology to include and never to exclude. Community isn’t just a byproduct of what we do. At Spears, we empower students to follow their own dreams, not the dream we have for them. Because the purpose of business isn’t just individual gain but a gain for every individual. With an emphasis on people and community, we ensure our students are just as real as they are ready. In a rapidly changing world, the only constant is people. This is why students choose Spears, why employers choose our graduates and why we make business personal.
Our Mission Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business prepares people to make a difference in the world by teaching essential interpersonal skills alongside a high-quality business education backed by impactful research and outreach.
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Personal
GOING BIG IN COMING HOME New Business Building Will Unite All Spears Students, Faculty And Classes Under One Roof By Terry Tush
COURTESY OF MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
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Aerial view of construction of OSU’s new Business Building.
im Ireland knows his way around Oklahoma State University. If you don’t believe it, just ask the longtime faculty member for a tour of the Stillwater campus. The management science and information systems professor has spent nearly 40 years teaching OSU business students, and those classes have taken him to all reaches of the 1,489acre campus.
members like Ireland have found themselves teaching in classrooms in buildings all across campus. To complicate matters, the five classrooms that were available in the current Business Building were lost when construction began on the new building a year ago. Now, there is only one 45-seat classroom in the basement of the building, with the Watson Trading Floor also being used for classes.
He’s taught students in nearly every building with a classroom. Business Building, check. Classroom Building, of course. Human Sciences, check. Journalism and Broadcasting, been there, done that. Engineering South, check. Life Sciences West, another check. The 110-year-old Morrill Hall, yes. Ag Hall, check. Gundersen Hall, another yes. He even taught in Home Economics East, which no longer exists.
So, more than 4,700 OSU undergraduate business students and nearly 1,000 graduate students are taught all over campus.
“They even tried to put one of my classes in the Seretean music building once,” says Ireland, who began teaching as a graduate assistant in 1977 and joined the business school’s management faculty on a full-time basis in 1981. In recent years, as the Spears School of Business continues growing — it is currently the 26th-largest undergraduate enrollment in the United States (out of more than 500 business colleges)—faculty
But that’s about to change, and Ireland and his counterparts in the Spears School are anxiously looking forward to relocating about 50 yards north. In January 2018, after moving into the new 147,450-square-foot building, OSU business students will have in one building a place where their learning needs are met for the first time in years – classrooms, breakout/team rooms, meeting areas, even a coffee shop.
because you don’t see all the students because we’re spread all over campus, but I think it’s going to be great having all the students, faculty and staff in one building. We’ll be able to see each other, have a lot more interaction, and just get more time with the Cowboy family.” The new state-of-the-art Business Building was designed to focus on meeting the needs of current and future business students. “Oklahoma State is known for being a great community, and I’m excited about the new Business Building because as a business school we can finally be together as a community,” says Kennedy Jones, a sophomore entrepreneurship major. “I can definitely picture myself coming here every morning and honestly just hanging out, grabbing something from the coffee shop, getting stuff done before class, going to class, eating lunch, grabbing snacks, working on group projects … this being my home base.” continues
“I’m really excited about the new Business Building and the opportunities we’re going to be able to have here,” says Nathan Herrmann, a junior in accounting. “I really like the open floor plan and how all the classrooms and the different student areas all flow together. Right now, it can be a little difficult just
COURTESY OF MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
The new five-floor building (including a basement) will transform the way faculty members teach and students learn as well as revitalize the impact future generations will have on the business world. That begins with a multitude of classrooms, breakout rooms and meeting spaces throughout the building.
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Hogan Taylor Breakout Room
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Pregler Family Breakout Room
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KPMG Breakout Room
While the building will include 13 classrooms, 17 breakout/team rooms and numerous other meeting spaces, the 30,306-square-foot basement will be a hub of activity. The basement will have six classrooms and eight breakout/team rooms (each able to accommodate six to eight students).
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Grant Thornton Breakout Room
The Le Norman Auditorium is a 150-seat room, the largest meeting space in the building. Some of the Spears School’s largest classes will utilize this space, meaning Ireland, his colleagues and students won’t be trekking across campus any longer. Five other classrooms in the basement will be large enough to accommodate about 60 students: •
Deloitte DATA (Data Analytics Technology Applications) Lab
• Wesley E. and Mary Lea Sample Family Classroom • Leitner and Ken Greiner Technology Classroom •
BancFirst Classroom
• Bob and Peggy McCormick Breakout Room
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Three (3) Donor Named Breakout Rooms
The Student Organization Room will also be in the basement for use by the more than 20 Spears School student groups. This room will be available for meetings and include enough space to store items for the different student organizations. “There will be two distinct advantages in the new building,” says Ireland. “First, we’ll have classrooms of different sizes to accommodate all class sizes. “Secondly, one of the problems now is a lot of students don’t come to the building unless they need to see a faculty member. I think students will be in the building on a consistent basis, and there will be more interaction between the faculty and students. One of the real plusses will be spaces for informal settings for faculty and students. We’ve never had a lot of student meeting space in our current building, and that’s going to change. It will definitely be a big benefit of the new building.”
In addition to the basement, students will benefit from other spaces throughout the building. • BKD CPAs and Advisors Classroom The first floor will include another classroom Outside of the classrooms will be breakout/ (with 65 to 75 seats), the Watson Trading Floor team rooms that can be reserved by students to (50 to 60 seats), two student lounges and an work on projects together: open computer lab.
A pair of classrooms (each with seating for up to 80 students) and the graduate student lounge will be on the second floor. The third floor has a master’s student classroom (20 to 24 seats), four interactive team rooms, two Ph.D. seminar rooms (8 to 12 seats), and office space for more than 50 Ph.D. students. Four more interactive team rooms are on the fourth floor. “I’m so excited to move in starting January 2018,” says Katelyn Byrne, a sophomore marketing major. “I’ll be a junior at that point, so I’ll actually start taking classes in the Business Building. So I’ll get to move in (and) be one of the first students. I’m just so excited. It’s going to be a great opportunity.” @
Named Spaces Basement •
HoganTaylor Breakout Room
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KPMG Breakout Room
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Pregler Family Breakout Room
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Bob and Peggy McCormick Breakout Room
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Grant Thornton Breakout Room
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Herod Family Breakout Room
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Le Norman Auditorium
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Deloitte. DATA Lab
• The Wesley E. and Mary Lea Sample Family Classroom •
Leitner and Ken Greiner Technology Classroom
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BancFirst Classroom
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BKD CPAs and Advisors Classroom
First Floor •
Chesapeake Energy Student Advising Office
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Eastin/ISN Center for Talent Development
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The Jack Allen Family Education Foundation Genius Bar
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The Riata Center for Entrepreneurship
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Stephen and Diane Tuttle Accelerator
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Watson Trading Floor
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ConocoPhillips Student Lounge
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Center for Advanced Global Leadership & Engagement (CAGLE)
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EY Entrepreneurial Zone
Named Spaces Second Floor •
Dr. B. Curtis Hamm Classroom
• Michael and Anne Greenwood Distance Learning Center •
Watson Graduate School of Management
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ExxonMobil OSU Alumni Sticky Space
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The Elwell Family Sticky Space
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Nix Foundation Team Room
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The Massey Family Classroom
Third Floor •
Norman and Suzanne Myers Dean Suite
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Howard Thill Team Room
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Julie and Claude Connelly Team Room
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John and Caroline Linehan Conference Room
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Robert and Sharon Keating Team Room
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The Rapp Foundation Team Room
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Dr. Lloyd Garrison Ph.D. Seminar Room
Fourth Floor •
The Calvert Family Sticky Space
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Stinnett & Associates Tactical Briefing Room
• Dr. Wilton T. Anderson Office of the School of Accounting •
Dr. B. Curtis Hamm Office of the School of Marketing & International Business
“Oklahoma State is known for being a great community, and I’m excited about the new Business Building because as a business school we can finally be together as a community,” — Kennedy Jones, sophomore in Entrepreneurship
JORDAN PFEIFFER / SPEARS BUSINESS
Passion for Leadership Sophomore discovers professional development as way to help others By Dollie Elliott
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fter one conversation with Lee Bird, vice president of student affairs at Oklahoma State University, Jeana Wilson knew she had chosen the right major — business management in the Spears School of Business. The 20-year-old sophomore from Stroud, Okla., has a natural talent for connecting with people and bringing out the best in others. “Dr. Bird and I were speaking about my career goals when I told her I was still a little unsure about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do,” Wilson says. “After I told her about the things I enjoy doing, she gave me the idea of doing professional development. When she explained what that entailed, I felt it definitely fit with what I like to do on multiple levels. “I knew that working with people, helping them develop their talents, and never having the same day twice are all aspects of a career that I would love to have.” If the conversation with Bird didn’t confirm what she wanted to do, taking Don Herrmann’s Financial
Accounting class did. “It’s a class that has challenged me and given me a respect for the subject. Accounting doesn’t come natural to me like management and marketing does,” she says. “The management classes and leadership roles I’ve taken on campus have shown me that I’ve picked the right major. I really enjoy working with people on a daily basis. Personal interaction is important to me.” Taking on roles with the Business Student Council, the Spears Ambassadors, the OSU Student Alumni Board, the Scholar Leaders and the President’s Leadership Council definitely gives Wilson the opportunity to practice her leadership and management skills. If such roles help hone her leadership skills, a weekly mac and cheese night with friends helps her connect with her people. “Mac-and-cheese night started the first week of school my sophomore year. At about 9 o’clock every Wednesday, we get together to talk about our week, our future plans, upcoming tests, really anything and everything,” Wilson says. “It started with three people, and it has recently grown to 10 people. continues
PHOTOS / COURTESY OF JEANNA WILSON
Above, Wilson being recognized as an Achafoa Chapter of Mortar Board Top 20 OSU Freshmen by President Burns and First Lady Ann Hargis. Right, Wilson celebrates on the field of Boone Pickens Stadium.
“We chose mac-and-cheese because it’s the ultimate comfort food, something that everyone enjoys, and it’s cheap,” she says. “There aren’t a lot of things that in my life where I can just wing it, but I can do that with cooking. It just works for me. It has always allowed me to be creative and inventive.” Her passion for cooking started the summer after her freshman year of high school. “I baked cupcakes all summer. I baked so much that my mom had me start delivering cupcakes to places around town,” Wilson says. “It kind of became my community service project for the summer. I would bake 24 cupcakes and fill them with various flavors of jellies or fruit and top them off with different icings, then take them to the hospital, clinics or different businesses to show my appreciation for them. “The next summer, it turned into cooking, and my mom always says that was the best summer ever because she never had to cook. I would try to make everything from scratch, and it became a de-stressor for me,” says Wilson, who was destined to attend OSU from birth. Her parents, Chris and Beth Wilson, met as OSU students and later married at Theta Pond. Watch a video about their Orange Crush love story Wilson also has a part-time job as a student worker in the Center for Advanced Leadership and Engagement at the Spears School. “I help students apply for study abroad programs, obtain their visas and passports and make sure they are enrolled in the correct courses so we can make sure things runs smoothly once they are abroad,” Wilson says. “I have a strong interest and passion for travel. After working in the CAGLE office, I realize how much I want to go on every trip they offer. I am fascinated by the different cultures and it amazes me
Wilson and friends cheering on the Cowboys football team at the University of Texas.
how close in proximity some countries can be yet their cultures are so diverse,” she says. “Working in CAGLE has shown me how much I really love traveling and helping students realize their dreams of traveling abroad is very rewarding. “This previous summer, I actually traveled to Spain and Portugal for two weeks. I love the Spanish culture. They are so relaxed and just love being surrounded by people. The way they gather at the table and take two or more hours to eat lunch and dinner is so different from here,” she says. “Everything is about enjoying other people. Like our mac and cheese nights, the Spanish use food to connect with people.” Wilson says some of her favorite classes are her Fundamentals of Management class taught by Ryan Greenbaum and Marketing taught by James Mason. “Dr. Greenbaum and Dr. Mason are very engaging. The have a talent for getting students to ask questions and actively participate in class discussions,” she says. Wilson is an executive board member of Business Student Council and a Spears Ambassador. “I really enjoy being able to work with members of both organizations,” she says. “Each organization allows me the opportunity take on leadership roles and share my love of Spears and OSU.”
She also enjoys her role as a facilitator for the President’s Leadership Council, a scholarship and leadership program for outstanding incoming freshmen that teaches the importance of leadership and serving throughout life. As a facilitator, she attends class with the freshmen twice a week taught by Ethical Leadership Director Stephen Haseley and former OSU President Jim Halligan. “One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had is being a peer mentor for the Spears Scholars Leaders. Last year, Darcy Worth was my mentor in the program, and she was phenomenal,” Wilson says. “She was always there to answer questions and offer guidance, helping me learn from our experiences. “Now I’m a peer mentor and being able to be in that role for other students has been so rewarding. I get to pour into them what she poured into me. It’s inspired me to continue that in everything I do. Helping people develop is something I’m passionate about and truly love doing. I feel like the experiences I’ve had inside and outside the classroom have really prepared me for my career but have also lead me on the path of where I feel more comfortable, which is helping people develop and achieve their own dreams and aspirations.” @
Wilson and her sister Liz (left) backpacking in Europe after she graduated from high school.
COURTESY OF KEVIN HAMM
In 2009, Hamm became the CEO of Ceilea Cosmetic Company
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS STORY Kevin Hamm credits his late dad, OSU’s business school for changing his life By Dollie Elliott
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arly in 2018, Kevin Hamm plans to be among many Spears School of Business alumni who will return to Stillwater to celebrate the opening of Oklahoma State University’s new state-of-the art Business Building. Of all the 147,450-square-feet of the five-floor building (including a basement), two particular spaces will have special meaning to his family: the Dr. B. Curtis Hamm Classroom on the second floor and the Dr. B. Curtis Hamm School of Marketing and International Business on the fourth floor – both named after his late father. At the age of 13, Hamm was adopted by the legendary OSU marketing professor and traveled the 24-hour flight from Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, to Stillwater, where he grew up.
“I have associated with OSU most of my life. I always knew OSU had the best business program, and that it would prepare me for my future career, so (attending OSU) was an easy decision,” says Hamm. Hamm earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in management information systems from OSU in 2001, the year before his father retired.
After graduating from OSU, Hamm was hired to work as an intern at Simmons Mattress Company in Atlanta, and was soon promoted to project manager. Two years later he was promoted to export manager and a year later promoted again to licensing manager for the Eastern Hemisphere. During his eight yearsat Simmons, Hamm set up a new export sales channel throughout Asia, increasing his annual export sales by 300 for consecutive two years. In 2009, he left Simmons to become the CEO of the Ceilea Cosmetic Company. Founded 25 years ago, Ceilea is one of China’s oldest cosmetic companies with 30 licensed retail chains across China. In 2010 he also took on the role as CEO of the Xue Ya Gmp Cosmetic Factory. Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, Hamm spends most of his time working with his team on key business strategies and product development projects. “I enjoy working with our team to develop great products that help our retail chain stores to grow and expand their business across China,” he says. continues
“My day to day work projects are all associated with management and marketing skills that I learned from the classes I took from OSU,” says Hamm. “Our production facility is also a great place for OSU students to visit and learn about foreign production and management skills. There are at least three groups of OSU students who visit our facility with they travel to Guangzhou every year,” says Hamm. “Visiting Mr. Hamm’s facility during the Hong Kong study abroad program was one of our most rewarding experiences. He was extremely insightful, welcoming, and willing to share a wealth of information about the promises and challenges of being an entrepreneur in China,” says Greg Day, study abroad instructor and assistant professor of economics and legal studies in the Spears School. Besides Dr. Hamm’s classes in marketing, he says he most enjoyed management classes taught by Ken Eastman, now dean of the Spears School, and Andy Urich’s business law classes. “Both professors were engaging and entertaining. I learned so much from them.” B. Curtis Hamm, the longtime business school faculty member whose teaching career spanned 38 years, was a friend and mentor to many OSU students, many of whom are now successful in the oil and gas industry, attorneys, business owners, college professors, U.S. Congressmen, and many other professions that are too numerous to list.
“To everyone, Bob Hamm was Christian, a professor, an advisor, a business man,
B. Curtis Hamm and Kevin
a scholar. But to me, he was simply my father, my protector, my hero,” says his son. “He not only gave me the opportunity of living in the best country in the world but also provided me a family that I never had,” Kevin Hamm says of his father. “He gave me the opportunity to travel all around the world with him and we learned about cultures, all so that I could become a better man. Most importantly he led me to understand the importance of having spiritual belief that can help me sustain anything in life. I miss him.” B. Curtis Hamm was held in such high regard that a group of former students helped fund a $250,000 endowed scholarship in his name. In recent years, former students also spear headed an effort to honor Hamm by naming the classroom in the new Business Building in his honor.
Above: Hamm finds time to relax as CEO of Ceilea Cosmetics in Guang Zhou, China. Right: Hamm visits Boone Pickens Stadium with Spears School professor Andy Urich and Dean Ken Eastman. Bottom right: Hamm traveled the world with his father.
“My dad dedicated most of his life to impact and help countless students worldwide. He found great joy of leaving such legacies behind to do more of the same in the form of scholarships,” Hamm says. Hamm met his wife Cai Miao Miao, also a cosmetics CEO, at an industry conference. The couple resides in Guangzhou, with their three sons: 6-year-old Curtis, 3-year-old Lucas and 6-month-old Marcus. Hamm spends most of his free time with his family. They enjoy exploring different parts of China, learning different cultures. “My dad’s values and beliefs will be passed on to my sons, especially about finding joy in helping and influencing others, learning how to share with those less fortunate, understanding the importance of having spirituality - things that are all critical to a happy and fulfilled life,” Hamm says. @
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEVIN HAMM
“When I took the job as CEO for Ceilea I decided to upgrade and build the top grade cosmetic factory in China. Our hard work and heavy investment paid off very quickly. Our new research lab has developed a unique bio skin care product that helped our retail store grow from 2,000 stores to 2,800 stores around China within a year.
COURTESY OF KEVIN HAMM
JORDAN PFEIFFER / SPEARS BUSINESS
Hamm welcomes Spears School students to Ceilea Cosmetics during a study abroad trip.
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e was born in the small town of Waterloo, Iowa, and was reared in the cornfields of Nebraska.
Oklahoma State University clinical associate professor of finance Tom Johansen grew up surrounded by sports and education. His mother, Jan, was an educator and his father, Dale, was the vice president of administration and finance for Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and was instrumental in creating Fort Hays’ School of Business. “Well, as a kid, growing up in small-town Nebraska, it was pretty typical I was outside all the time,” Johansen says. “We didn’t have computer games or any of that, so we played outside. I played baseball, football, basketball and I started playing golf in fourth grade. When I got to high school, I had to make the choice between golf and baseball, and I chose golf. I competed in high school and eventually at Fort Hays.” Following the family tradition, Johansen received both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Fort Hays and, after teaching accounting and statistics at Fort Hays, received his Ph.D. in finance from OSU in 1990.
“I wanted to come to Oklahoma State to do my Ph.D.,” he says. “My adviser and investments instructor at Fort Hays
went to Oklahoma State. He actually played basketball for Mr. [Henry] Iba back in the ’50s, so he had some really fun stories.” After receiving his Ph.D., Johansen took his first fulltime job at the University of Northern Colorado. He stayed there for two years until his dream job opened up: teaching investments and corporate finance at Fort Hays, where he taught for 23 years. For 14 years, he served as the head golf coach. Johansen came back to OSU in 2012 and teaches finance and investments and is the faculty adviser for the Financial Management Association student chapter.
“After I graduated college, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he says. “So I just kept going to school. I got into the MBA program and had the opportunity to teach. I taught accounting; I guess I was OK at it because they decided to offer me a contract. Then, when I went to get my Ph.D., I made the commitment to stay in academics. I guess it was just in my blood.” continues
A TRADITION OF SERVICE Academia is the lifeblood of Tom Johansen
By Ariel West
“I think the most rewarding thing about teaching is the interaction with the students.” — Tom Johansen
From left, Elise, Vicki, Tom, and Kiley Johansen at Theta Pond, Oklahoma State University.
Johansen leads the Cowboys on Wall Street study abroad trip.
Kiley and Tom Johansen on the Fort Hays golf course.
Academia definitely runs in his blood: His oldest daughter, OSU alumna Elise Harvey, has a doctorate and is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of South Carolina Upstate. His youngest daughter, OSU graduate Kiley Johansen, is an academic adviser for the Lee Business School at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. His sister, Mary Martin, is an associate professor of marketing at Fort Hays, and her husband, Mike Martin, is an assistant professor of marketing at Fort Hays as well. Even Tom’s wife, OSU alumna Vicki Johansen, is an academic adviser for the Spears School of Business.
behave and be honest. We developed a really strong bond.”
“I think the most rewarding thing about teaching is the interaction with the students,” Tom Johansen says. “We rarely get recognized for what we do, no trophies or plaques, but what we do get is to see our students go out and succeed, and I’ve taken great pride in that throughout my 30-plus years of teaching.
“I flew to Vegas on a Thursday, Friday morning we drove to San Diego to see the Padres and the Reds play, then the next morning we drove to Anaheim to see the Angels play the Red Sox, and Sunday morning we drove up to Los Angeles to see the Dodgers play,” he says. “It was one of the best trips I have ever taken.”
“My theme throughout the years is ‘make an impact,’ and I want to make an impact with my students. The harder I work, the better I get and the better I’m going to be — I guess that’s just the golfer in me.”
Looking to the future, Johansen is anxiously waiting for the new Business Building to be completed, specifically the new trading floor. He notes that the new building and improved facilities will help with recruitment.
Johansen has seen some tough times. Just two months after he and his family moved to Stillwater so he could take the OSU job, his father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died in 2013.
“He was the one that really cultivated my love for sports and baseball in general,” he says. “He was a good man.” One of his fondest memories was coaching his daughter Kiley in golf starting when she was young. Kiley continued to play junior golf and eventually throughout college. Johansen started the women’s golf program at Fort Hays, where he would occasionally travel to support Kiley.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOM JOHANSEN
Left, Tom graduated with a Ph.D. from OSU in 1990. Right, Tom’s oldest duaghter, Elise, graduates from Fort Hays State, continuing the family tradition of educators.
“She basically grew up on the golf course,” he says. “It’s a great place to grow up. You learn how to
Another beloved family tradition Johansen passed down to his children is keeping score at baseball games. He taught the girls how to keep score for the first time at a St. Louis Cardinals game when Kiley was 6 and Elise was 10, much like his father did when Tom was young. This early interaction led to Kiley sharing Johansen’s love of baseball, which led to a birthday vacation this past summer that was one for the books.
“Teaching has come a long way since I started,” he says. “From simply just using chalkboards to whiteboards to computers with projectors, and that has made our teaching that much better. With the new building and new facilities, we will be much better equipped to help our students learn, because that’s what it’s all about. Our facilities will be second to none, and that’s what we want for our students.” @
JORDAN PFEIFFER
A view of Hong Kong from Blueprint, an entreprenuerial start up.
Malik Miller, management and marketing major, poses with Hong Kong in the background
Hong Kong
By Ariel West
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lashing lights, haggling, traditions and a large, immersive city on the coast of Asia.
Students from OSU’s Spears School of Business enrolled in a two-week study abroad to Hong Kong to explore culture and business this summer. Greg Day, assistant professor of economics and legal studies in business, headed the trip through Spears’ Center for Advanced Global Leadership and Engagement (CAGLE). “One of the most amazing parts about Hong Kong is the culture of the place; it’s not really China, it’s its own culture and sort of the gateway between Europe and Asia,” Day says. “People from every
continent live in Hong Kong. It’s a melting pot in the middle of Asia.” The mixture of old traditions and new technologies was abundant in the vibrant city that seemed to be a world of its own. It gave students a mixture of new excitement and familiar comfort as the city replicated American cities with cultural twists.
“The confidence the students build studying abroad is incredible, because a lot of studying abroad is going off on your own and investigating parts of cities and countries they’ve never been to before,” Day says. “I think they got this really fun picture of what it’s like to live in Hong Kong and enjoy what Hong Kong has to offer.” @
“It felt like home, but it definitely gave a distinct, different feeling,” says Jack Kurzu, marketing and entrepreneurship major. “I really recommend visiting Hong Kong. How many times can you get the opportunity to travel halfway across the world and experience a culture that has so much to offer?” Students took walking food tours through Kowloon, visited notable restaurants, listened to lectures from lawyers and businesses, toured a rural fishing village and even got to explore Hong Kong’s Disneyland. Street art and rich, cultural history was abundant on every corner as students visited the Temple Night Street Markets, Second Art Studio and the Nanyue King Museum in Guangzhou.
JORDAN PFEIFFER
Doing Business in
OSU students pose at Temple Street Night Markets in Hong Kong.
Personal Connections Personified Shelby Clanahan’s smiling face represents personal ties of Spears School By Dollie Elliott
“And I don’t even shop anymore,” laughs the executive administrative assistant to the dean of the Spears School of Business. Known by everyone in the Spears School, on the Oklahoma State University campus and in the Stillwater community, Clanahan represents the personal connection the school strives to make with students, faculty, staff and alumni. That emphasis on people and community separates the Spears School from other business colleges. “Shelby’s energy and attitude are amazing — she has literally never met a stranger and is so positive in interacting with and helping people,” says Aaron Hill, associate management professor and William S. Spears Chair of Business Administration. “We are truly lucky to have her here in so many ways — not only in the job she does but in the presence and warm feelings she brings to the Spears School.” Clanahan’s contagious smile and laughter migrate throughout the Business Building. Her openness, sincerity and ability to engage people have dozens
believing Clanahan is their best friend. And they all would be correct. She is genuine and truly strives to make everyone feel they are the most important. “When I work with Shelby, she asks the right questions to understand my objectives and to figure out how she can best assist,” says Diane Crane, Spears School Senior Director of Development and Team Lead at the Oklahoma State University Foundation. “She offers solutions and ideas. She provides insight to help me make decisions. And she does so with a bright and cheery countenance that students, staff, faculty, alumni and donors alike respond to with enthusiasm.” “I can remember from a young age, God has always given me great joy,” Clanahan says. “It’s not hard to share a smile. I have found that it’s most important to really listen and focus on individuals and what makes them unique. That’s what I try to do every day — make everyone I come in contact with feel special and that they are my priority.” “I have worked with Shelby for over three years, and in that time she has impressed me with her work ethic, team spirit and compassion,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School of Business. “Her dedication and her passion for Spears Business are truly an inspiration to me. I cannot imagine doing my job without her — she really stays on top of things.” continues
Above, Clanahan and her 7-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Sebastian, participate in the OSU Pete’s Pet Posse program. Right, Clanahan and Spears School student Josian Rossdeutscher on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland during a study abroad trip.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHELBY CLANAHAN
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n 1996, when Shelby Clanahan first moved away from her deeply rooted family of University of Oklahoma Sooner alums and fans to Stillwater, it was too small and too far away from where she liked to practice her favorite hobby — shopping. She knew she would be in Stillwater no more than three years. Almost 21 years later, she is loving life in “Orange Country,” as she calls her home.
Always the volunteer, Clanahan devotes her free time to OSU and the Stillwater community. She admits it’s difficult for her to say no to certain projects. “As long as I am able-bodied, my heart just has the desire to serve.” On campus, Clanahan has served as co-adviser for the ConocoPhillips Spirit Scholars program and the American Association of University Women organization, a facilitator for Financial Peace University, and on the OSU United Way campaign committee. Clanahan also serves on the OSU Coaches vs. Cancer committee, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. “Throughout the year, we organize fundraisers to raise money for cancer research and awareness on behalf of the ACS,” she says. “This is the only time it doesn’t matter if you wear orange and black or crimson and cream, we all come together for one common goal and that is to find a cure!” On campus, the men of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity call Clanahan “mom.” Clanahan and her mother Carol Lane at an OSU Cowboys football game at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Since joining the Spears School in 2004, Clanahan has worked with five deans and seen many changes. She recalls the administration discussing hopes for a new building when she was hired. “Now faculty and staff are spread across six buildings in Stillwater and OSU-Tulsa,” she says. “I am looking forward to the new technology and innovation for our new building. But I am most looking forward to the new space that will allow students to more openly interact with faculty, staff and advisers, helping us all connect even more on a personal level.” Clanahan says she enjoys having the opportunity to serve in so many capacities.
“I love my job. My first priority is to support Dean Eastman in hopes to make his job run more efficiently,” she says. “I love advocating for students and helping them help themselves. I work with our alumni and donors and love hearing their OSU stories and their common love of the university.” Crane says, “When donors to Spears Business visit campus, they want to meet Shelby in person because they have so appreciated her communication from a distance, and they will go out of their way to see her again on their next visit. She makes an impact through her work and her attitude, and she makes our jobs at the Foundation easier by helping us accomplish our objectives in a smooth and timely fashion.”
“I love being a house mom,” she says. She was approached by a retired OSU architecture professor and the chapter adviser, who told her someone had turned her name in as a viable candidate. The next thing she knew, she was meeting with the ATO housing board and some of the members, then the job was offered. She didn’t have to think long and accepted the challenging position. “I have no children of my own, but I’ve raised hundreds of kids in the last 21 years that I’ve lived in Stillwater, working with youth at my church, working in Stillwater Public Schools and now OSU students,” she says. “I’ve been told many times that I am a blessing to them, but in reality they teach me so much and I am the one blessed.” Coaches vs. Cancer Spring Sing event. Clanahan has a deep passion for missions and has served on disaster relief teams in and out of the United States. Clanahan learned how to dig water wells and has been to Haiti multiple times to dig wells and help with rebuilding projects with her home church, Sunnnybrook Christian Church. “My identity is I am a Christian first and I work at OSU’s Spears School. That’s pretty much me,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where I am, I know God can use me as I represent OSU. I am proud of our university and the students. The Cowboy spirit is giving
back. My community has done so much for me; how could I not give back?” She is so dedicated to OSU that even her 7-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Sebastian, dedicates 8 to 12 hours a week. Clanahan and Sebastian are one of three Spears School therapy teams in Pete’s Pet Posse wellness program of 26 therapy teams on campus. “The Pet Posse program is beyond anything I could have imagined,” she says. “It’s been so rewarding. Sebastian has been such a loyal and loving dog through challenges in my life that I wanted to be able to share his love with the OSU campus.”
In the 21 years she’s lived in Stillwater, Clanahan has made a lifetime of friends and traveled all over the world including Haiti, Israel, Australia, Spain, Ireland, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Hawaii, Mexico and Greece. “I’ve been blessed to see so much of the world, but Stillwater is home. Stillwater is everything: It’s my church home, my family (away from biological family), my safe place — it’s just home.” @
The pair underwent an extensive application process, being questioned by an interview team of seven, and took physical and behavioral tests to learn Sebastian’s disposition. “It’s crazy. It’s like bringing your child to work, but it’s worth it to see faces light up or just see them fall to the floor to love on him. The best part is we can be walking across campus and I’ll hear people yelling his name. It makes my heart happy that we can give back to the university,” she says. Clanahan grew up in Bethany, Okla., as the youngest of three daughters. “My two sisters and I couldn’t be more different, but each of us gifted in our own unique way,” she says. “As the baby, I would always joke with them that I was the favorite.” Whether that attention was earned or just naturally garnered from her parents, she definitely stands out. It’s no wonder that she is the only OSU Cowboy fan in her family. “Everyone, I mean everyone else, is either OU alumni or cheers for OU,” she laughs. “To be honest, when I was young, I watched and yelled at all of the OU games with my daddy. That was before I knew any different. And, I think I’ve won my mom over to The Brightest Orange.” This distinction in her family has never made her feel any less important. “I grew up with very loving parents, my mother and late father were always very supportive in any adventure I took on. My late father owned several companies throughout his life, and my mother was the senior vice president, administration and human resources at Express Personnel national headquarters until she retired about six years ago. They taught me courage, self-confidence, work hardplay hard, all the while loving what you’re doing and stressed the value of family and relationships,” she says.
Clanahan on Mt. Baldy in Colorado.
COURTESY OF OSU MARKETING
Andy Blye poses with OSU President Burns Hargis
Student’s Peace Corps calling influenced by OSU Entrepreneurship class By Ariel West
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hat do you even expect when you enroll in a class students call “Imagination”?
Entrepreneurship and marketing double-major senior Andy Blye found out when he enrolled in Spears School of Business adjunct professor Tom Westbrook’s class in the spring of 2016.
“We were put into groups to work on two major projects,” Blye says. “The class was full of people from different cultures from across the globe. We worked on feasible ideas for future needs and the return on investment of these ideas. Two major projects my group worked on stuck out to me: using virtual reality to treat patients from long-distance, and the infant mortality rate in the country of Cameroon.” Blye was given a look into the lives of other cultures – namely, his own peers. “The projects became really important to me because of my teammates,” Blye says. “One of my Chinese teammates’ mother was sick with cancer and didn’t have access to the specialists we do in the United States, so when we looked into using virtual reality to treat long-distance patients, it was personal. We put a lot of effort into the pros and cons of virtual reality to determine if the idea was feasible.
“The second project was the one that sparked the idea of joining the Peace Corps: we studied the infant mortality rates in Cameroon. My teammate, Siewe, was born and raised in Cameroon, and he actually witnessed a lot of the issues we were looking in to. He kept telling us that we were going to go to Cameroon one day and make it all happen one day, and that’s where the idea of joining the Peace Corps popped into my head.” With this inspiration, Blye applied for the Peace Corps shortly after and was accepted as a Rural Aquaculture Promotion specialist volunteer to serve in Zambia, Africa. Blye said the experience of simply preparing for the Peace Corps was enough to change his outlook on life. “There’s all the medical clearance stuff, but you also have to go through so many different types of training, especially cultural sensitivity,” Blye says. “It’s all about helping to develop these underprivileged nations and helping them develop sustaining agriculture and economies.” Blye credits the School of Entrepreneurship and associate professor of marketing Ajay Sukhdial for his decision to join the Peace Corps.
“When people think about entrepreneurship, there’s this misconception that it’s all about ‘starting a business,’” Blye says. “It wasn’t that for me. For me, I was more interested in the problem solving, creative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. You can add these qualities to a business that’s already stared. “Dr. Sukhdial was a huge motivator in my decision to join the Peace Corps. Every time I sat in his class, I felt like, in a classroom full of students, he was talking directly to me. He would tell us, ‘Go see the world - India, Africa, all these places are going to look vastly different in your lifetime, so go see where they are now so you can understand where they are going to be in the future.’ It was really inspiring.” Blye will graduate a semester early from OSU in December 2016. After graduation, Blye will travel to Zambia, Africa, for his Peace Corps assignment. @
JAMES NEELEY / SPEARS BUSINESS Renovations are underway in the building.
The old Aggie Theatre at 7th and Main Street will become the new Co+Lab building.
The building will be full of eclectic art and creative energy.
New Energy OSU Entrepreneurship program launching collaborative space in downtown Stillwater By Ariel West
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“one-stop shop” for all things entrepreneurial is popping up in downtown Stillwater to offer a new venture for student and community entrepreneurs.
Oklahoma State University’s two-pronged entrepreneurship program has set its sights on the old Aggie Theatre building at 7th and Main streets to place an entrepreneurial hub for OSU students and the Stillwater community. Modeled after other entrepreneurial incubators, the space has been leased and is undergoing renovations to suit the new venture. Co+Lab (the name is pending approval) aims to leverage university and Stillwater resources to help bring together business ideas. “The definition of entrepreneurship is becoming more broad,” says Alexces Bartley, manager of events and outreach for the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship. “It’s more of a fluid and creative identity that can be present in any industry, and that’s what we are trying to convey in this space.
Entrepreneurship is for everyone — music, education, science, business; it’s not just for startups.” OSU leased the space from CEO and co-founder of HostBridge Technology’s Russ Teubner, who is playing a large role in the creation of the space. Teubner, a member of the School of Entrepreneurship’s advisory board, says the space will breathe fresh life into Stillwater’s downtown scene.
“My belief is that when you take creative people and surround them with the creativity of others, it will spark more creativity and awareness,” Teubner says. “This building and its unique design communicates attention to detail, which makes it a perfect container to hold entrepreneurship. It’s the perfect ground zero for off-campus entrepreneurship, and I envision this space being the focal point of resources that will create good, vibrant content downtown.”
The space will be open to OSU students and the Stillwater community to utilize. Students will have access to the space through an application process while community members will have the option to rent a space. “I’ve traveled to other university cities, and they always seem to have the right mix of energy, social scene and food culture,” Teubner says. “For new ideas to grow, they need to have access to other businesses, so having this hub downtown will add to Stillwater’s positives to create a really dynamic outcome. More entrepreneurial energy will bring more meetings of minds to create the downtown we need in Stillwater.” The building is tentatively set to open spring 2017. Tours will be available to those interested in viewing the space. To learn more about the entrepreneurship program at OSU, visit entrepreneurship.okstate.edu. @
BLAKE BRASOR / SPEARS BUSINESS
Sharda inducted into Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame By Dollie Elliott
Sharda is an internationally known scholar in business analytics and data science who has led the development of the OSU’s interdisciplinary graduate program in telecommunications management and earned the institution recognition as a leader in information assurance programs. Sharda was the founding co-director of OSU’s Ph.D. in Business for Executives program, which offers a doctoral degree in a groundbreaking format that merges executive education with rigorous academic preparation. “Dr. Sharda’s induction into the Hall of Fame is a fitting honor for someone who has had such a distinguished academic career,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School of Business. “He truly epitomizes the land-grant spirit, and his many contributions to Spears Business and OSU are too numerous to mention. We are honored to have him as a member of our faculty and I know that he will continue his productivity well into the future.” Sharda earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Udaipur in Rajasthan, India, before
coming to the United States. He earned a master’s degree in engineering from Ohio State University, and an MBA and his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He joined the OSU faculty after completing his education, and he has held several positions during his 33 years in Stillwater — assistant professor, associate professor and currently Regents Professor of Management Science and Information Systems, Chuck and Kim Watson Chair, ConocoPhillips Chair of Management Technology, and director of the Institute for Research in Information Systems and Management Science and Information Systems. His research in analytics is recognized worldwide. Sharda has co-authored textbooks on analytics and data science that many universities are using. “When Dr. Wayne Meinhart called me in 1979 to invite me for a campus visit because he had seen my CV (curriculum vitae) and was interested in exploring my candidacy, to be honest, I did not even know much about Oklahoma,” Sharda says. “I recall going to a travel agent — mind you, this is before the days of Expedia and Google Maps — and trying to figure out how to get to Stillwater.
COURTESY OF RAMESH SHARDA
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amesh Sharda, vice dean of the Watson Graduate School of Management, was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame by the Oklahoma Education Heritage Society on Oct. 24 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Above, Sharda along with family and friends attend the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame. Right, Ceremony at the Oklahoma Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAMESH SHARDA
“I am here because OSU has been such a nurturing place…” — Ramesh Sharda
“Higher Education Hall of Famer Dr. Bob Sandmeyer was the dean of the College of Business then. When I finished my visit and was leaving from the Oklahoma City airport, I told Wayne that I was going to leave for India in a couple of days. He asked me to scribble my India address, which I did on a Kleenex. A few days later I received a telegram in India with an offer from OSU! Clearly, I accepted the offer, and it has been a good journey,” Sharda says. The professor has received several awards including the Spears School of Business Greiner Graduate Teaching Awards twice and the University Regents Distinguished Research Award. In 2014, Sharda was named to the new position of interim vice dean of the Watson Graduate School of Management before receiving the full position in 2014, joining the Spears School executive leadership team of Dean Ken Eastman and Associate Deans Karen Flaherty and Carol Johnson.
“I am here because OSU has been such a nurturing place. Our culture of collegiality while focusing on excellence has been carried forward by many administrators, including President Hargis, our new vice president of research, Kenneth Sewell, my colleagues and friends, Spears School Dean Ken Eastman and MSIS Department Chair Rick Wilson. The spirit of excellence and the encouraging culture at OSU has allowed me to be an academic entrepreneur,” Sharda says.
Celebrating the induction were
He received international recognition in January 2012 at the Jewels of Rajasthan in the World event where impactful individuals who originate from the state of Rajasthan in northwestern India were honored. He also received the 2013 HG Lifetime Service Award from INFORMS Computing Society.
Sharda joins an elite list of Oklahoma State business school educators previously inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.
The Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame was established in 1994 to recognize and honor individuals, living and deceased, for outstanding meritorious service to higher education in Oklahoma. This year represented the 23rd year to honor higher education educators and administrators as well as those who support higher education with distinguished contributions.
1999: Wilton T. Anderson
To be eligible for induction, an individual must have been employed by one or more institutions of public or private higher education in Oklahoma on a fulltime basis for a minimum of 10 years. Individuals who have performed outstanding service to higher education in the state, organizations or institutions (despite not being employed) are also eligible for consideration. @
2007: B. Curtis Hamm
The list includes: 1998: Richard W. Poole
2003: Richard H. Leftwich and Eugene L. Swearingen 2004: Robert L. Sandmeyer 2005: Larkin Warner
2010: L. Lee Manzer 2013: Gary L. Trennepohl 2015: Robert C. Dauffenbach
Spears School’s Rick Wilson receives OSU Outreach Faculty Excellence Award
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pears School of Business professor Rick Wilson received the Outreach Faculty Excellence Award Nov. 30 at the University Awards Convocation in Click Hall of the Conoco Phillips OSU Alumni Center.
By Ariel West
Oklahoma State University awards the prestigious honor annually to one faculty member engaged with outreach and online learning. Nov. 30 marked the 35th anniversary of the award, and the winners are chosen by a panel of representatives from outreach units campuswide. Wilson, head of the department of management science and information systems and W. Paul Miller Professor of Business Administration, also received the 2016 Richard W. Poole Faculty Excellence Outreach Award from the Spears School of Business in August. “We very proud that Dr. Wilson was selected for this honor, as outreach and engagement are essential elements of the Spears Business mission,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School. “Dr. Wilson is very engaged in outreach activities, and this award is a fitting recognition for his many contributions.” Wilson has participated in outreach since he joined OSU’s business college in 1990. One of his many passions is teaching and connecting with students, which reflects in his many accomplishments over his 26 years at OSU. Wilson was one of the first Spears School faculty members who taught online and continues an active role today in the nationally ranked online MBA program.
COURTESY OF OSU MARKETING
Wilson has led a faculty, staff and student team in delivering the unique and highly acclaimed Information Systems Technology Exploration Academy (ISyTE) for Oklahoma high school students for the past eight years.
Associate Vide President of International Studies and Outreach David Henneberry presents the Outreach Faculty Excellence Award to Rick Wilson.
“I am honored to receive the Outreach Faculty Excellence Award,” Wilson says. “But it truly represents a group effort, involving the great people in the Center for Executive and Professional Development, the Marketing and Communications staff, the support of the Online Learning office, and the committed faculty and staff in our (Management Science and Information Systems) department. Their support and dedication is what ensures our outreach programs and initiatives are successful and makes for a rewarding experience for everyone, most importantly our students.” @
Three Inducted into Hall of Fame
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Outstanding Young Alumni
ight distinguished alumni were recognized by the Spears School of Business at the 2016 Hall of Fame banquet in November at Meditations Banquet Facility in Stillwater.
In 2001, the Outstanding Young Alumni award was established to recognize alumni who have provided significant service and achievement early in their careers. These five individuals were recognized at the 2016 Hall of Fame banquet.
John Bale, Mike Hyatt and Pat O’Brien were honored as inductees into the Spears Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded by the Spears School. The Hall of Fame was initiated in 1964 to recognize and honor graduates and friends of the business school who have distinguished themselves in their professional careers, displayed effective leadership, made exemplary contributions to their communities and freely given meritorious service to others.
Matt Daniel is a 1999 graduate with dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and agricultural economics. He currently works for Baker Hughes as Senior Commercial Manager in the Global Sales and Commercial Operations group.
Also, Matthew Daniel, Abbey Davis, Angie Johnson, Chelsea McCool and Michael Westerman were honored as Outstanding Young Alumni.
Abbey Davis received her bachelor’s degree in management with a concentration in human resources in 2008 and earned her MBA in 2011, both from OSU. She is currently a Corporate Compensation Analyst at The Charles Machine Works Inc., in Perry, Oklahoma.
“We have been honoring and recognizing some of our finest graduates since 1964 and these individuals are certainly deserving to be honored,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School. “John Bale, Mike Hyatt and Pat O’Brien inspire all of us at the Spears School through their professional and personal success, and are definitely worthy of joining this select group as inductees into the Hall of Fame. The five chosen for the Outstanding Young Alumni are also great examples to what can be accomplished through hard work and perseverance.”
Angie Johnson graduated magna cum laude from OSU in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in finance. She is Senior Vice President and Treasury Management Manager at Arvest Bank.
This year’s inductees join 114 prior inductees, each of whom displays the characteristics of achievement, leadership and service.
Chelsea McCool received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2005 from Oklahoma State University. She is a Senior Global Sourcing Manager with Omni Global Sourcing Solutions, a division of Daymon Worldwide.
GEORGE BULARD / GENESEE PHOTOS
Michael Westerman has earned three degrees from Oklahoma State University: a bachelor’s degree in finance (1999), and master’s degrees in business administration (MBA, 2008) and agricultural economics (2001). He is Director of Long Term Market Analysis for Phillips 66.
MIKE HYATT, JOHN BALE AND PAT O’BRIAN ARE THE LATEST INDUCTESS INTO THE SPEARS SCHOOL HALL OF FAME.
A Lasting Impression John Bale left his mark as the school’s first associate dean By Dollie Elliott
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or many successful Oklahoma State alumni, there are certain moments in their college careers when one decision changed the trajectory of their lives. For Don Sample, that moment was in the summer of 1987 when he walked into the office of John Bale, associate dean of Oklahoma State University’s College of Business Administration.
COURTESY OF JOHN BALE
It was the only time the pair met but Sample says the outcome of the meeting was an example of the kind of legacy Bale created. And the moment had a ripple effect that remains evident today. As an undergraduate in the College of Business, Sample had a class transfer situation that would not allow him to remain at OSU. Bale reviewed Sample’s transcripts and formulated a plan to help him remain in the college.
“That moment was everything to me. It simply would have been the end of my college career, and I would have had to return home to Guymon, Oklahoma, to work on a farm. And I have a feeling I wasn’t the only student whose life was dramatically changed if not for Dr. Bale,” Sample says.
Today, Sample is a successful international executive for ConocoPhillips who has worked all over the world. He is among the many OSU dedicated alumni who has given generously to the future Business Building. The Wes and Mary Lea Sample Family Classroom will be used by hundreds of business students. “Who knows how far that ripple will keep going? These students’ business careers could impact the world,” Sample says. John Bale is one of three distinguished OSU alumni who was inducted Nov. 11 into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded by the Spears School. During his 30-year career at Oklahoma State, Bale served as an associate professor before becoming associate dean in the College of Business Administration. Growing up in Dewey, Okla., Bale seemed to be a natural-born scholar, athlete and leader, excelling in everything he tried. He even became the drum major of his high school band after joining to impress a certain twirler who would later become his bride of 66 years.
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Upon graduating from high school, Bale decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. After serving just one year, he was promoted to Army sergeant first class, being the first to do so that quickly. Less than one week after marrying his high school sweetheart, Beverly Roberts, Bale boarded a ship for Korea. While in Korea, Bale endured intense battlefield conditions, including months of torturous weather. He was honorably discharged after earning the Bronze Star for meritorious service in a combat zone. Bale became the first member of his family to attend college, thanks to the G.I. Bill. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in business education from OSU. He later received his doctorate in business education from the University of Oklahoma. Bale began his tenure at OSU as an associate professor in the College of Business Administration and was recognized as Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1970. In 1978, longtime dean Richard W. Poole
appointed Bale as the school’s first associate dean, a position he held for 21 years. As the associate dean, Bale worked diligently to increase student enrollment and retention and was a strong advocate of diversity. He was honored as an OSU Regents Professor in July 1992. Bale’s term as associate dean is believed to be the longest in the history of Oklahoma State’s business school. He was respected on campus not only for his academic achievements, but also his dedication to OSU extracurricular and academic organizations. “I was very fortunate to have Dr. Bale as an adviser as I pursued my business degree from Oklahoma State University,” says Bill Self, head coach of the University of Kansas men’s basketball team. “He made sure that I was always on the right track. Bale worked tirelessly to carry out his administrative duties and was loyal and true to the faculty and the students of the university, striving to promote the achievement of excellence in himself and others.
Well-known for his ability to connect with students like Sample and Self, Bale’s colleagues also say he exemplifies the highest standards of integrity, intelligence, ethics, diligence and honesty. “As a colleague, Dr. Bale was a man of integrity and fairness,” says longtime Spears School professor Lee Manzer, who began working alongside Bale as the head of the Department of Marketing in 1991. Bale served on numerous boards and committees for groups such as the Athletic Council, the Alumni Association, the Student Council, and the Faculty Council. He was also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Eta Sigma, Delta Pi Epsilon and Pi Omega Pi. He is listed in Leaders in Education, American Men and Women of Science, Personalities in the South, Dictionary of International Biography, and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest. Bale is also a published author, having written books, articles in numerous educational journals, newsletters and other communications.
During his career, Bale served as an educational consultant for Oklahoma Christian College and a communications consultant for the Federal Aviation Administration. He was also a lecturer for management development programs. Bale served as president of the Oklahoma Business Education Association and president of the Beta Chapter of Delta Pi Epsilon. He was a member of the Southwest Placement Association, the Mountain-Plains Business Education Association, and American Business Communication Association. He retired from OSU in May 1993. Bale has been dedicated to public service and being a community volunteer for more than 70 years and continues to be involved throughout his retirement. He is involved in the Perkins Church of Christ and served for many years as an elder. He has also volunteered at the Stillwater Medical Center, senior citizens’ centers, and functions associated with the Lions Club organization. @
A Legacy of Giving Mike Hyatt’s generosity and dedication continues to impact Oklahoma State University, his community
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to First National Bank of Fort Worth as senior vice president in 1982. He held that position until becoming president of Texas Commerce Bank in Fort Worth in 1985.
Hyatt was one of three distinguished OSU alumni who were inducted into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded by the Spears School, on Nov. 11 in Stillwater.
In 1992, Hyatt put away his life as a banker and became a financial adviser. He currently serves as the senior vice president of investments for USB Financial Services Inc. in Fort Worth.
Born in Texas, Hyatt mostly grew up in Muskogee, Okla. He graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1967 and served in the U.S. Army before continuing on to Texas Christian University for his MBA in 1974. At OSU, Hyatt served on his fraternity’s leadership team and the OSU Interfraternity Council as well as being active in ROTC. Hyatt also worked at Harold’s, a popular clothing store that closed in 2008.
“Banking was a fine start, but being a financial adviser was my true calling,” Hyatt says. “I like helping clients.”
ike Hyatt has continuously given to his communities, and his contributions to the Oklahoma State University community are no different.
“Working at Harold’s was a great experience for me,” Hyatt says. “It taught me a lot about how to dress and how to market to people, and we were kind of entrepreneurs in our own space. A lot of fraternity and sorority men and women worked there, so there was a great sense of competition amongst the different houses. I worked with a lot of great people, including (OSU President) Burns Hargis.” Hyatt’s professional career took off early as he served as vice president of the First National Bank of Fort Worth, Texas, from 1973-1980. He moved to president of the Metroplex National Bank in Arlington, Texas, from 1980-1982 before returning
In fact, he likes helping everyone. Hyatt has been a continual donor to the Spears School of Business and the School of Marketing and International Business for several decades and attends OSU events in the Dallas area regularly. He is involved with the Sister Cities International organization, serves on the Board of Governors for the OSU Foundation and is an investment committee member for Pacific Retirement Services. Hyatt also created two scholarships: The Michael S. Hyatt Scholarship for new business students, and the Michael S. Hyatt Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, which is given each year to a full-time graduate student in the School of International Studies. In addition, Hyatt also supports the annual Brighter Orange events, which raises scholarship funds for North Texas students.
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COURTESY OF MIKE HYATT
By Ariel West
He has received many awards, including the AB Alcott Outstanding Alumnus award from Oklahoma Beta Chapter, Phi Delta Theta; the Bob Bolen award for Board Service from the Fort Worth Sister Cities; Chairman’s Award from Sister Cities International; and the Orange Star Award from the Spears School of Business. He was also made an honorary citizen in Nagaoka, Japan.
“Make yourself better, and give back to your communities,” Hyatt says. “You go to school to get a degree, but you really need to be involved. It’s one of the most helpful things you can do socially and culturally. A lot of the things that have happened to me throughout my life were because of the people I know. I want to do what I can for the world.” As a longtime donor to the university and a member of the OSU Foundation, Hyatt is well known for his generosity and dedication to his communities. “Civic involvement has always been a part of Mike’s lifeblood,” says Diane Crane, senior director of development and team lead for the Spears School at the OSU Foundation. “He is avid in his commitments to community and to providing service as well as financial support to the causes that matter most. He is a model of consistency in his dedication and servant leadership, and he genuinely cares that students have the best possible experiences and opportunities to reach their potential and, in turn, have a meaningful impact on their communities. He is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met.” Hyatt lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Rae. They pursue their passions for Africa, health and welfare, and community involvement. Hyatt enjoys golfing, traveling, reading, and history. @
A Leader in Academia Pat O’Brian has left an impact on students across the nation By Terry Tush
P
at O’Brien never envisioned the impact he would have on the lives of students the day he walked into the Business Building on the Oklahoma State University campus in 1974 to begin teaching a Money and Banking class as a graduate assistant.
COURTESY OF PAT O’BRIAN
That experience changed his life — more importantly, it changed the lives of thousands of others for more than 40 years as O’Brien taught and served in administrative roles at Bowling Green State University, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Auburn University, Jacksonville State University, Loyola University-New Orleans, and West Texas A&M University. O’Brien is one of three distinguished OSU alumni inducted in November into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded by the Spears School. O’Brien recently retired after a 42-year career in education, the last 10 as president of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. But he points to his three years in Stillwater as laying the groundwork for his career. “I would say I gained three things at Oklahoma State: one, a love of economics,” says O’Brien, who graduated from OSU with a Ph.D. in economics (areas of specialization in monetary economics, public finance and regional economics). “Two, I was very fortunate to be asked to teach, and I developed a passion for teaching.
“And three, I would have to say it’s the individuals that I met and I continue to consider to be friends — (former professor) Frank Steindl, (fellow graduate students) Doug McNeal and Don Bumpass. People who became life-long friends and I’ve stayed in contact with them for the past 40-plus years.” Like many who enter college, it took O’Brien a few years at Auburn University to find his calling. He
thought he wanted to be an engineer but switched majors to liberal arts/pre-law in hopes of becoming an attorney. But a macro-economics course fascinated him, and once again changed his mind. He earned both a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s in agricultural economics from Auburn. continues
After a few years in the U.S. Army (where he was assigned to a missile battery unit in Germany), O’Brien applied to and was accepted into three graduate schools – Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Texas A&M. He chose Oklahoma State because “the financial assistance they offered was better and when I was doing research on the various institutions one of the individuals that I was impressed with was (economics professor) Dick Leftwich,” O’Brien says. Leftwich, Steindl, McNeal, Bumpass and others at OSU left a lasting impression on him during his stops as a professor, department head and eventually dean at business colleges across the United States. He was dean and professor of economics of the College of Business Administration at Loyola University-New Orleans from 1995 to 2006, and may have spent another 10 years there if not for Hurricane Katrina. The Category 3 hurricane made landfall on the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, forcing the temporary closure of the university. Soon afterward, while living in a FEMA trailer parked outside
his mold-infested home, he interviewed to be president at West Texas A&M. O’Brien was named president of West Texas A&M on Feb. 21, 2006, and served until retiring June 30, 2016. “It was a great 10 years,” he says. Under his leadership, enrollment grew more than 28 percent from 7,400 to nearly 9,500, capital building projects totaling nearly $200 million were completed, and the College of Business received accreditation by the AACSB International, the highest accrediting body for business colleges in the world. O’Brien says the highlight of his career was witnessing the success of students, and points to one student’s accomplishments in particular. Two years ago, Cynthia Teniente-Matson was named president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio. A former student of his at Alaska Fairbanks, Tiniente-Matson called O’Brien one of the two most impactful people in her life at her inauguration ceremony.
“That’s when you know you had an impact,” he says. “In department head positions and dean positions, we accomplish a tremendous amount and we achieve lofty goals, but impacting individuals is the highlight of my career.”
“I’m tremendously honored. It’s a real highlight. When I saw that former inductees were people like Bob Sandmeyer, a person I respect a tremendous amount, I am just totally honored to be recognized at the same level.”
He served as chair of the NCAA Division II Presidents Council, was a member of the NCAA Association’s Executive Committee and the NCAA DII Administrative Committee. He also served as chair of the Executive Committee of TIEC (Texas International Education Consortium).
O’Brien and his wife, Karen, reside in New Orleans, their retirement home. But they don’t plan on settling down.
O’Brien is overwhelmed with his induction into the Spears School Hall of Fame.
“What people ask what I want my legacy to be, I simply say I want the organization to be better the day I leave than it was the day I came. That’s all I’m trying to do. I was just flabbergasted when I received the email from Dean [Ken] Eastman.
“Karen and I plan to travel a lot,” says O’Brien, who estimates they have visited more than 75 countries since being stationed in Germany in the late 1960s. “On our bucket list is a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, various road trips across the U.S. and multiple cruise destinations. We plan to visit frequently with our sons and grandchildren in Alaska and with my sisters in Tennessee, Minnesota and Washington. We also plan to spruce up our house in New Orleans, garden a lot in the backyard, read all the books I have wanted to read for decades and relax.” @
Spears School welcomes new faculty Corey Baham Assistant Professor Department of Management Science and Information Systems
Taha Havakhor Assistant Professor Department of Management Science and Information Systems
Matthew Bjornsen Assistant Professor School of Accounting
Miriam McGaugh Clinical Assistant Professor School of Marketing and International Business
Jonathan Butler Clinical Assistant Professor School of Entrepreneurship
Jeanine Porck Assistant Professor Department of Management
Gregory Eaton Assistant Professor Department of Finance
Jaclyn Prentice Assistant Professor School of Accounting
Lindsey Greco Assistant Professor Department of Management
John Rossman
Author of The Amazon Way, Former Director of Enterprise Services at Amazon.com, and current Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal
“Leadership the Amazon Way”
Kyu Rhee
Chief Health Officer, IBM with global responsibilities for Watson Health
“Health Transformation in the Cognitive Era”
Tulsa BusinessForums
2016-2017
John Rossman February 15, 2017 Luncheon Presentation 12:00-1:30 p.m. Renaissance Hotel
John Rossman February 16, 2017 Luncheon Presentation 12:00-1:30 p.m. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Kyu Rhee March 28, 2017 Luncheon Presentation 12:00-1:30 p.m. Hyatt Regency Hotel
Kyu Rhee March 29, 2017 Luncheon Presentation 12:00-1:30 p.m. Cox Convention Center
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