The official magazine of the Spears School of Business, Oklahoma State University
VOL. 6, NO. 2, Digital 2018
Ike Glass OSU alum Marlin “Ike� Glass Jr. reflects on a life well-lived, and living still
PAGE 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS Eager for Business
New business building will benefit all.
Californian is Sold on OSU
Junior Tim Sakabu fell in love with the place, and the people.
Keep on Truckin’
OSU alum Marlin “Ike” Glass Jr. reflects on a life well-lived, and living still.
Power of Personal: Personified
For Marissa McIntyre, it’s all about the relationships.
Discussion Points: Griffin Pivateau
Legal studies professor talks the Bayou, bikes and singing in bars.
From Mexico – To Norway - To Stillwater
Kris Ventura’s path led to OSU, where he’s taking lessons from school to his golf game.
On the Move
Nathan Herrmann’s commitment to short-term goals help give him a bright future.
Defining Inequality
Entrepreneurship affects the market in many ways.
Class of Distinction
ExxonMobil group inducted into Spears Business 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 G
ASSOCIATE DEANS
A RY SO W LA
Carol Johnson
N
Marlys Mason
/ N
U IV ER T SI
DIRECTOR, SPEARS SCHOOL
Y M A R G
IN
ET
K
G
reetings! Welcome to this edition of the digital version of Engage@Spears magazine. The school year is half over and spring promises to be an exciting semester.
You will read about Spears alum Ike Glass (’61, Management). Mr. Glass is an amazing person and a staunch advocate for education in Oklahoma. He is in the Spears Hall of Fame and in February he will add yet another honor – OSU Hall of Famer – to his already impressive list of accomplishments. Mr. Glass has led an interesting life and he is one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet – a true gentleman.
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Terry Tush CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dollie Elliott John Helsley VIDEOGRAPHER Jordan Benson GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Blake Brasor Lance Shaw
Another story focuses on Marissa McIntyre, our Director of the Business Student Success Center. Ms. McIntyre leads our dedicated group of academic advisors, who do a great job in working with our students. She has done a tremendous job as director and we are very impressed with what she has accomplished in this position. She is dedicated to our students and is always willing to “go the extra mile” to help our students and they have great respect for her. 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. The Big Move is at hand! After years of preparation and work, our new building will be “open for business” with the beginning of the Spring semester. We are all excited to move in and even more excited to show it off to everyone. Moving hundreds of people is a complex task and we should be completely moved in by April. It is a beautiful and functional facility and it will allow us to move our programs forward and attain new levels of success. Please keep April 13, 2018 on your calendars – this is the day of our building dedication and we want you there so that we can personally welcome you “home.” Please enjoy this edition of Engage@Spears. As always, thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you on campus. All the best,
SPEARS SCHOOL DEPARTMENT HEADS Lee Adkins, Economics and Legal Studies in Business Bruce Barringer, School of Entrepreneurship George W. Krull Jr., School of Accounting (Interim) Jim Pappas, Management Betty Simkins, 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, Spears School of Business Norman & Suzanne Myers Chair Richard W. Poole Professor
Grande Opening
Eager for Business
Business Perks offers coffee and more on the first floor. The new Business Building opens for the second semester, and there will be perks.
New building will benefit all.
And that includes Business Perks, the building’s own coffee shop, which will carry Starbucks branded drinks, including the campus’ only Frappuccino blended beverages.
By John Helsley
D
erion Bailey’s timing wasn’t right. Not yet, anyway.
Bailey, a December business management graduate with a job already secured, leaves Oklahoma State just as the new building is being prepared for its grand opening. Still, she shares in the excitement and recognizes what it will mean to have such a state-of-the-art structure soon in place. “It’s beautiful,” Bailey says. “It looks like there’s going to be great resources and technology that goes with it. I’m kind of sad that I don’t get to be in it and use those classrooms and those resources, but I’m fully happy for the undergrads and everyone else to use it, because I know it will be really beneficial to their careers and education.”
Years in the making, from the planning and the designing to the fundraising, the new building is rich with features. The personal experience figures to be rich, too. “The building isn’t about the bricks and mortar, it’s about what happens inside,” says Diane Crane, Senior Director of Development and team lead for Spears Business at the OSU Foundation. “It’s part of the reason we wanted a facility that was big enough to house the entire business school. “When alumni can tell their stories – about the start of their career, mistakes that they’ve made, how they’ve recovered from those mistakes, how they’ve gone on to great success – that inspires our students.”
The new building should be a major draw for students, present and future. “I think the new building is an exciting piece for me as a recruiter here at the Spears Business,” says Shannon Ramsey, assistant director for prospective students in the Business Student Success Center, “because I can share it with prospective students and their families. They’re really excited about the new facilities.” Past students, too, it seems. “Grad school is always around the corner,” Bailey says. “We’ll see where my career leads me!” @
Business Perks will be located on the first floor, serving food and bottled water along with the coffee products, which will include specialty drinks like lattes, cappuccinos and mochas. The shop will open for the beginning of classes Jan. 16. “It’s a beautiful building and we’re proud to be a part of it,” says Casey Enarson, assistant director of university dining. “We really value the partnership and are happy to be there.”
Something’s Brewing OPENING
Jan. 16, first day of spring semester classes.
CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
HOURS
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m-3:30 p.m. Sept. 5, 2014 Groundbreaking ceremony attracts nearly 500 people as alumni, students, faculty and staff anticipate a new facility to replace the current Business Building, which has been the school’s home since 1966.
DRINKS
April 13, 2015 At the Beam Signing Event, about 700 students, faculty, staff and other supporters sign a pair of steel beams that are used in the building.
Starbucks branded beverages, including specialty espresso drinks and the only Frappuccinos on campus; bottled water.
April 20, 2016
GRAB-AND-GO FOOD
Topping Out Ceremony
Oct. 7, 2011
Summer 2014
April 2015
Sept. 22, 2017
Jan. 16, 2018
OSU makes official announcement of new Business Building to be built directly to the north of the current facility.
Demolition of Hanner Hall is the first step in the construction process.
Construction begins with the demolition of a portion of the existing business building structure (called “the stacks”) and is completed by the time fall semester classes begin.
Time Capsule Ceremony
First classes in the new Business Building are held, beginning with nearly 50 students in a Managerial Accounting class at 7:30 a.m.
Breakfast – fresh-made muffins and scones; Red Rock donuts; fresh-cut fruit; yogurt parfaits; Lunch – three salads (chicken Caesar, ham and turkey chef, ancient grains vegetable); three sandwiches (Cowboy club, chicken Caesar wrap, hummus and monterrey wrap); Treats – cookies, lemon bars, cheesecake, fresh-cut fruit.
Californian Is Sold on OSU Junior Tim Sakabu fell in love with the place, and the people. By John Helsley
* Medium size. * Zealous school spirit. * A stout business school.
Still, the Oklahoma State finance student’s path from Sacramento to Stillwater was a bit unconventional. With a college counselor living under his roof back home in California, Sakabu leaned on his mother, Donna, to produce colleges of interest, based on a few basic criteria:
* Specialized academic programs. Eventually, after crunching the data and whittling away from a larger list, a group of three emerged: OSU, Kansas University and the University of Oklahoma. “I designed a tour,” says Donna, who works for a private school counseling group in Sacramento, where the Sakabus live. “My husband and I took him during spring break of his junior year of high school, so April of 2014.
JORDAN BENSON / SPEARS BUSINESS
“I called it the ‘Tornado Alley College Tour.’”
I left the place [OSU] actually feeling like they cared ... Storms never appeared, yet it was a whirlwind visit to parts unknown, featuring trips along the I-35 corridor to all three campuses. When it came time for a decision, OSU sold itself, with help from its greatest resource – the people.
“What stood out the most for me about Oklahoma State – first off, the campus, it’s amazing here – but also the people,” Tim says. “I could tell there was something different about the people here. They care about everyone who walks on campus. That really stood out over everything. Every question we had was answered. “Walking past random people you’d get, ‘Oh, do you need help getting somewhere?’ Things like that. That really got to me. It stood out more than any numbers they throw out at you when you visit schools. I left the place actually feeling they cared about me when I visited.” Today, Tim is one of those people, having immersed himself into the fabric of the campus. He’s a member of the Spears Scholar Leaders Program, involved in the Business News Club and the Financial Management Association, and active in Sigma Chi fraternity. He’s one of five currently participating in the I Am Building program, which has tracked the students from their freshmen year through the upcoming move into the new business building and ultimately graduation. Tim also works in the Eastin Center for Career Readiness, assisting other students living out their OSU journeys. “I really like working there because I can see the impact I’m having on certain students,” he says.
“Seeing the lights click on when they realize, ‘Oh, this really interests me.’ Or, ‘This is what I want to do.’ “Helping someone out with that really brings me a lot of joy.” Back home in Sacramento, Tim’s parents, Donna and Roy, enjoy the benefit of their son’s involvement in the I Am Building program, which documents each student’s journey through regular updates via photos, videos and stories. “We’ve seen tremendous growth in him since freshman year,” Donna says. “I think I’ve enjoyed continues
BLAKE BRASOR / SPEARS BUSINESS
T
im Sakabu’s college search didn’t exactly involve closing his eyes, spinning around three times and planting an index finger in middle America.
Tim and his mom Donna posed for a quick photo with Pete during the Spears School of Business time capsule ceremoney held during the fall semester.
None of the Sakabus knew quite what to expect when they made their first trip to Stillwater in that spring of 2014, only that they didn’t want to experience any twisters. But they all agreed they liked what they found. And they continue to like all that they see. “My husband and I have been amazed by the opportunities Tim’s been given at Spears, both experientially as well as financially,” Donna says. “And to be truthful, because we get asked this all the time – ‘Why is he in Oklahoma?’ – he’s just been given so many wonderful opportunities. We just feel like he’s getting an amazing experience. “It’s been hard having him 1,700 miles away, because he could definitely come home more and we’d visit him more frequently if he were closer. But the flip side is we know he’s had such a tremendous experience. The people at the school and the friends he’s made are wonderful people.”
You’re not just a BLAKE BRASOR / SPEARS BUSINESS
“I love the webcam, because I do check it regularly. ‘What’s Tim’s day like?’”
Tim’s friends in California questioned his move from Sacramento, too. Why Oklahoma? What is Oklahoma? He knew the college search would likely lead him here, based on cost comparison with schools in California, and knowing there were quality business departments here in the Midwest. OSU has consistently been recognized among the best. So for Tim, Stillwater became much more than flyover country, it became fly-into country. “That’s where the cards fell,” he says. “Obviously, I looked at schools who met the original criteria. But this one really stood out to me as a standout candidate. “As a student, Oklahoma State is second to none with how involved everyone seems to be in your education. Everyone really seems to care. You’re not just a number in the system; everyone seems to know your face and your name.
The Sakabu’s enjoy a chat with OSU President Burns Hargis following the time capsule ceremony.
number
in the system;
EVERYONE
seems to know
your face and your
“The interpersonal relationship aspect of this school is definitely something they should be pushing, just in how meaningful it is. You can reach out to alumni, or you can reach out to your adviser. It’s almost the same in how much they care about your success.” @
JORDAN BENSON / SPEARS BUSINESS
watching all the students in the I Am Building process, and the growth has been very clear.
name.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ OSU alum Marlin “Ike” Glass Jr. reflects on a life well lived, and living still. By John Helsley
High praise?
“I’ve been called that,” the elder Glass says. “But I could say the same thing about him, too.”
JORDAN BENSON / SPEARS BUSINESS
Marlin “Ike” Glass Jr., an alum from the Oklahoma A&M days (‘61, business management), doesn’t intend to slow down anytime soon, either. At 83, he’s been going to the office every work day – and plenty on
Saturdays – running the Glass Trucking company his father started in Newkirk in 1934.
a man of 83! We are proud that he is a Spears alum and a member of our hall of fame.”
Such effort and dedication never ceases to impress those who know him, even son Rob, who’s job as strength and conditioning coach for OSU football, focused on effort and dedication, keeps him busiest in the offseason.
Ike Glass exudes at least equal pride in his long and adoring relationship with OSU/A&M. He graduated from here. Met his wife, Marybeth, here. Made memories here, building on them still, whether being recognized himself or returning regularly to celebrate others.
“He’s amazing,” Rob says. “Just keeps going.” And it’s not just trucking, although his operation, servicing customers across the region, demands much time and attention. Ike likes being involved, having served as past chair of The State Chamber and spinning a record run of 18 years as a state regent for higher education. A veteran of the Navy, he’s been inducted in at least three halls of fame: Newkirk, the State of Oklahoma and the Spears School of Business. And the honors keep rolling in, with Ike set to become a school two-timer in February, when he’s inducted into the Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame. “Mr. Glass has accomplished a great deal in his life and he is very deserving of this recognition,” says Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School of Business. “He has long been a champion of education in this state and we are forever indebted to his tireless dedication. “The most amazing thing is that he still is actively running his thriving trucking business – not bad for
“I really enjoyed my time at Oklahoma State,” Ike says. “It was a great experience for me.” Ike’s path to campus, from Newkirk High School, first featured a detour and a very different experience: the Korean War. The United States had been involved in the conflict two years when Ike graduated from high school in 1952. Back then, most young men believed there was only one thing to do in such times – enlist. So Ike signed on, intending to join the Marines, yet with no spots immediately available in that branch, he was offered a spot in the Navy, and accepted. During a four-year Naval stint, Ike worked on a specialized project called carrier-controlled approach, a then-developing radar system to assist in landing planes safely on the deck of aircraft carriers at night or in bad weather. Ike and his crew were at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. “And that was interesting because there were nine of us at that time who worked on that project and they moved us all over the place to get the system in and get it working and move to the next carrier,” he says.
COURTESY IKE GLASS
R
ob Glass chuckles, out of respect, then offers a one-word take on his father Ike Glass: “workaholic.”
“Now it’s utilized every place, all carriers, not only American carriers, but carriers of all countries.” Ike left the Navy in 1957 as a first class controlman, the highest rank afforded an enlisted man. continues
“We were fortunate to have served a lot of great people, had a great mission we were accomplishing,” he says. “We knew we were doing something that was going to save lots and lots of lives over the years.” Once back home, Ike immediately enrolled in college on the G.I. bill. He was tempted to follow his high school buddies to the University of Oklahoma, yet became influenced otherwise. “My sisters were at OSU and they wouldn’t hear of me going anyplace else,” Ike says. “OSU is a magnificent institution. I have served a lot of years as a state regent for higher education, and seen a lot of other schools, but OSU, you just can’t beat it. “You take young people onto the campus at Oklahoma State, and if you can get them on campus and get them to talk to people, they’ll come there. It’s just a great school.”
“As you can see, I’ve been involved with Oklahoma State ever since.” And straighten himself out Ike did. Good thing, or he may have missed out on the greatest development of his stay on campus: Marybeth, his wife of 59 years. From that long-lasting relationship sprang Rob, daughter Jennifer Johnson, and grandchildren. Just like his academic journey at OSU, Ike had some work to do with Marybeth, too. “Met her at a basketball game,” Ike says. “She was with my sister. I saw her and she was a very, very attractive lady. My sister introduced me and I thought, ‘Oh, here we go.’”
I have a firm belief that everything I have been able to accomplish here is due to good people I have working with me.
On his way to a degree in business management, taking all of his classes in Old Central, Ike needed a nudge or two along the way, including a not-so-subtle shove from Eugene Swearingen, dean of the business school at the time.
“I’m probably here today because of Eugene Swearingen,” Ike says. “He was an ex-Navy guy. I was in class one day at Old Central and the secretary came in and handed me a note. It said, ‘See the Dean after class.’ I thought, ‘What’s going on here.’ “I went to see him and he never looked up, just kept on working. I finally knocked on the desk and said, ‘Dean Swearingen, I’m Ike Glass. I have a note to see you.’ He still didn’t look up, but he started in. He said, ‘Glass, I want you to know something. You’re flunking out of school here and I’m not going to let you back in if you don’t straighten yourself out.’
Not so fast. Marybeth happened to be involved with another young man on campus and repeatedly turned Ike away. Still, he persisted, and when the other guy left school, Ike seized the opening. “Finally,” he says, “she decided to date me.” And more.
“She’s been a stalwart of mine,” Ike says. “If ever things aren’t going good, she’s right there. She’s an understanding girl, very understanding, because I come to her with lots of problems – lots of problems. “We love her to death. She’s great.” Ike Glass is much-loved, too. By family and friends. By OSU. By the various halls of fame. By his 71 employees.
Ike and family during a trip to the beach.
a true insider. Rob shares information with his dad on a strict need-to-know basis.
players, there are photos taken with politicians and OSU presidents.
“It’s kind of a joke,” Ike says. “People ask me about something that may be going on in the program and they’ll say, ‘Don’t you know? Rob tells you, doesn’t he?’ And I’ll say, ‘No, Rob doesn’t tell me anything.’ He says, ‘Dad, you can’t keep quiet.’
And family, many pictures with family. Memories of a life well lived. And, as Ike says, reasons to keep going. “I hope I’ve got a lot left!” @
“And he’s probably right.” Alongside the Barry Sanders autograph poster, and the framed autographed photo of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams – the signatures are real, too – and the posed pictures with coaches and
“I have a firm belief that everything I have been able to accomplish here is due to good people I have working with me,” Ike says. “They don’t work for me, they work with me.” Ike didn’t set out to join the family business, but answered the call when his father needed help. And he became the next man up when his father passed away, directing Glass Trucking on through what has become eight decades of hauling a variety of goods, many of them food items, with bulk bakery flour the primary focus today.
LANCE SHAW / SPEARS BUSINESS
The business sends trucks rolling through the region daily, each hauling 50,000-pound loads of flour to customers. And Ike is there to oversee it all.
Ike outside of the renovated Old Central where he took all classes during his time at OSU. Since renovation, Old Central is now home to the Honors College at OSU.
“I enjoy what I do,” he says. “To me, life is a challenge. Our business we’re in is a challenge. We’ve got trucks running all through the southwest and something is always happening. Our boys are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Ike’s on duty, too. With his scant down time, Ike enjoys college sports, and with son Rob in the game, at OSU and the University of Florida before that, he’s enjoyed an insider’s look at the sport, captured in the photos that cover his office walls. Still, don’t mistake Ike for
(above left) Ike with General Tommy Franks at the 2004 Tulsa Business Forum. (above) Ike proudly served a record run as a State Regent for Higher Education and is seen here during an OSU commencement ceremony where he participated as a member of the stage party. (left) Glass and Marybeth joined Senator Jim Halligan, T. Boone Pickens, and their wives, for a photo during the ground breaking ceremony of Boone Pickens Stadium. COURTESY IKE GLASS
Power
of
Personal
PERSONIFIED For Marissa McIntyre, it’s all about the relationships by John Helsley
JORDAN BENSON / SPEARS BUSINESS
M
arissa McIntyre thought she knew what she wanted to do with her career. Architecture.
Scratch that. Actually, economics. Scratch that. McIntyre took a run at both as an Oklahoma State University student, yet eventually spun her own adventurous academic journey into a fruitful and rewarding career mapping out others’ journeys, as director of Student Academic Services for the Spears School of Business. “I think the favorite part of my job every day is getting to work with students,” says McIntyre, a guiding force within the Business Student Success Center. McIntyre has lived the winding road so often traveled by students, and can relate. And that’s her strength — relating; and aiding students who need direction, or redirection, or encouragement or just a friendly face and welcoming landing spot to simply sit and chat. Students regularly sing her praises.
“Even though I’ve been here just a couple of years, she’s been great at finding out what I wanted to do with my career. She really takes her job seriously and really cares to see me succeed.” “My favorite thing about her is she is so nice. She’s so polite. She’s super kind. She’s super respectful as well. She’s not only an adviser, but I could also see her as a friend. She’s a go-to person when you’re going downhill. She’s always there to lift you up with inspiring words. Even if you’re going good, she can get you going better.” “She’s a rock star.” “I come to her with a problem or a goal, and she helps me find a solution that best fits me as a person. She really tailors my university experience to those needs. Anytime I need to talk to her, stop in and say, ‘What’s up?’ she’s always more than willing to help me with any problem I have.” “She’s amazing. She’s always willing to help. I’m so, so thankful to have her.” McIntyre holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in student development, each from OSU. In the end, it was the experiences from her journey that uncovered what would become her passion. “Throughout my college career and undergrad, I worked over in the College of Education in one of
their outreach offices,” McIntyre says. “I was kind of a front-desk person, but I had a lot of student interactions with that. Junior and senior year, when I came around to doing an internship and job searching, I was really dreading every single thing I was qualified for. “I didn’t do much research about the potential career opportunities that I was qualified for with my undergraduate degree,” McIntyre says. “Looking back, it’s something I wish I would have put more thought into; really finding out what I was passionate about and how to translate that into a career path. Fortunately, I worked my way into a graduate program that helped me merge my two worlds together.” Through conversations with others, McIntyre came to a moment of clarity: simply put, she loved college. Being there. Working there. Growing relationships there.
“I love working at a university. And I love that it stimulates learning,” she says. “That was something I really wanted to be involved in.” Even much of McIntyre’s spare time is devoted to serving students. She works with the Business Student Council and the Spears Scholar Leaders. continues
JORDAN BENSON / SPEARS BUSINESS
Marissa at work.
Along with seeing the world — so far her favorite trip was Japan, with Chile and Argentina coming up next on her travel itinerary — McIntyre enjoys the opportunity to relax alongside the students. “I almost look at it as being the big sister,” she says, “making sure everyone’s where they need to be, making sure nobody gets lost. I think one of the big things is getting to see students experience new cultures and new people and new activities that they’ve never done before.”
strolling Boomer Lake or the dog park. She’s been sharpening her culinary skills, prompted by trying Plated, a subscription service that delivers food and recipes to the front door. “I really love to grill, and also make pastas,” she says. “Those are the two big things right now. I’m branching out slowly with my food.”
Marissa’s sorority family Zeta Tau Alpha.
Spears Business, however, always has her heart, because, you know, it’s personal.
She’s a big sister in reality as well, with a younger sister and brother, all part of a tight-knit family from Edmond. An Edmond North grad, McIntyre played volleyball in high school and on club teams, finding value in the competition.
“One of the things that has kept me here so long is the people,” McIntyre says. “I really think everybody in the Spears School of Business embodies our ‘Power of Personal’ motto. You can see that through interactions every day, whether that’s walking up and down the halls when you say, ‘Hi,’ to somebody; or check in on their holidays or how their families are doing.
“I think the competitiveness really instilled drive in me,” she says.
“I think that’s something we do really well. We care about each other.” @
Marissa and brother Evan McIntyre and sister Leah McIntyre. Marissa and former co-worker Lindsay Vallaster.
COURTESY OF MARISSA MCINTYRE
She’s made several study abroad trips as a chaperone.
Marissa and her favorite pal Fitz.
Her parents fueled it all. “My driving force and inspiration are my parents,” McIntyre says. “While they’re both different, they have great qualities that I admire.” McIntyre does enjoy some down time. That usually means hanging with her terrier mix Fitz Marissa with sorority sisters Sara Steen (twin), and Linsdsey LeForce (big).
The McIntyre Family: Leah, Marissa, Evan, Mike, and Jill.
Discussion Points: Griffin Pivateau Legal professor talks the Bayou, bikes and singing in bars.
Age: 57 | Hometown: Lake Charles, La. By John Helsley
I grew up the third of four brothers. We were all within five or six years of one another. It was a tightknit family. People often wonder, ‘Did you fight with your siblings a lot?’ In fact, we didn’t. We got along incredibly well. We didn’t have much money, but I don’t think we realized we didn’t have much money. In retrospect, you look back and go, ‘Wow, I was poor.’ But it didn’t feel like it at the time. And I owe that to my mom, who always went the extra yard to take care of us. It sounds cliché, but one of my inspirations has always been my mother. She worked and kept us all fed and clothed, back at a time when a lot of moms didn’t work outside the home. She was always strong and independent. And I’ve always looked up to her. Even today, when I think about heroes, I think about her. I graduated from McNeese (State University) and then went to law school at the University of Texas. And I got there and there were other people there who were starting law school who were from Dartmouth and Princeton, but yet we were all on the same equal footing. It really dawned on me that it doesn’t matter, as long as you do well.
I loved Austin. It was an eye-opening experience, because you are suddenly thrust into a situation where there are a lot of smart people. Growing up in Lake Charles, I was one of the smartest people I knew. Then you go to a place like the University of Texas Law School, and everyone there is smart. You suddenly become a small fish in a big pool.
The first thing you have to do is write. So I started writing and got an article published. And I was happy with that. Step 2 was, you’ve got to go get some experience teaching. I had trouble finding a place to work as an adjunct (professor). I finally got a job at the local community college teaching history, not the law, based on my previous background.
There was a pretty major detour into law school. My plan was to be a history professor. In fact, that’s what I graduated with from undergrad and what I started my PhD at SMU in Dallas. While I was there, I sat down with one of the younger PhDs and talked about the market realities of a history PhD and he said, ‘If there’s anything else you can do, you should do it.’
The twist was it was a 6 a.m. Monday-WednesdayFriday class. I took it because no one else wanted that class. But I’ve got to tell you, it was a great experience. It turns out that if a student signs up for a 6 a.m. Monday-Wednesday-Friday class, they’re going to be pretty motivated. So I had a classroom of 20 or 30 people, and every one of them wanted to be there.
As most people who go to law school do, I became a lawyer. I practiced law for a number of years in Austin and back in Louisiana and finally in Houston. But I always had this idea in my head that I would go back and be a college professor. I was still living that sort of vicarious lifestyle of, ‘Where would I be had I finished that history degree?’
COURTESY GRIFFIN PIVATEAU
G
riffin Pivateau always thought he’d be a newspaper man. Or a rock star. Or a king. While he hasn’t given up on all his boyhood dreams, Oklahoma State University’s assistant professor of legal studies in the Spears School of Business is doing just fine, recently recognized as a recipient of the Regents Distinguished Teaching Award. Pivateau, now in his eighth year at Spears Business, sat down to reflect on his life, past and present.
GARY LAWSON / UNIVERSITY MARKETING
I’m from Louisiana, which as my brother says is a good place to be from. I love Louisiana. I love the heritage, the culture, the people, the history of it. Matter of fact, when I got out of law school at the U of Texas, I actually moved back to Louisiana to practice.
So it dawned on me finally that I could still be a college professor, I would just need to teach the law. So I decided I was going to do it. Fortunately, we live in a golden age of looking stuff up, because I didn’t know where to start. So I looked it up online, how do you become a college professor?
PIvateau started out as a lawyer, but eventually realized an early dream to teach.
The best part about it is when you ride a motorcycle,
you can only think about riding a motorcycle. I ride motorcycles. That’s a big part of my life. I do feel passionate about motorcycles. I try to get out every weekend and ride around. Fortunately, here in the state, we’ve got a lot of places to ride. There’s not a lot of traffic. I ride my motorcycle to and from work, because I think that’s the best way to start and finish your day.
I’ve been very fortunate, because I’ve had now three different Supreme Courts cite my articles. This most recent one, in Nevada, they essentially adopted my article – the proposal I made in my article is the law in Nevada. It was quite a rewarding feeling. They cited me at least eight different times in the opinion. And it was really vindication. This was an argument I made years ago and to see it go out into the world and see it actually be put into practice, that’s the best feeling you can have as an academic, that you are having an affect on the real world; real people with real problems are relying on the solutions you developed The favorite part of the job is teaching. And not just the aspect of teaching, but the interaction with the students, the opportunity to engage with people who are interested in learning about the world. I just finished 7 1/2 years at Spears. And it’s been a wonderful time. I’ve really enjoyed my time here. I was very fortunate in ending up here, as opposed to some of the other places I interviewed. I love the students at Spears. We have a student body that overwhelmingly is composed of people who are interested in learning. Maybe they grew up in a small town and this is their chance to learn more about the world. Or maybe they’re coming from a place like Dallas, where they’ve always been in big giant classes and they’ve come to a classroom of 25 people and actually enjoy the opportunity to actually speak with the professor
The best part about it is when you ride a motorcycle, you can only think about riding a motorcycle. So you get away from all these thoughts that are in your head, so it’s relaxing in what you are doing. It’s relaxing in a way, because you’re out there where you can only focus on riding the bike at that point, and not the rest of the world.
When I was growing up, I wanted to be everything simultaneously. I wanted to be a Marine. I wanted to be a king. I wanted to be a policeman. But I really, really, really wanted to be a rock star. I got a guitar for my 16th birthday. From then on, I knew this was going to be a part of my life. I love to sing. I love to play the guitar. I have put out a couple of albums, but kind of let it go. Just for my own amusement. There’s a place down in Houston that has an open-mic night every Monday. I’ve gone down there a number of times and just played, to get that feeling of being live. And you can play whatever you want. Do a cover song, do an original. There’s a dozen people there, most of whom are looking to go up on stage next. There’s not a lot of stress involved. @
COURTESY GRIFFIN PIVATEAU
I’ve got a garage full (of bikes), unfortunately. I’ve got a sport bike, I’ve got a touring bike, I’ve got a Harley. And I’ve got a little scooter. I have a number of options to choose from. I’ve never been tied to one kind of riding, because I think as long as you’re on two wheels, it’s all fun.
PIvateau’s writing has had a major influence on lawmakers, most recently in the Supreme Court of Nevada.
(above) Pivateau and group of students pause for a group photo with pistols up during a study abroad trip. (above, right) Living out his rock star dream, Pivateau performs during open-mic night, relatively stress free, to patrons and other performers like himself.
I love the students at Spears.
UNIVERSITY MARKETING
COURTESY GRIFFIN PIVATEAU
(right) Pivateau being reconized for his academic excellence from Lou Watkins during an annual University Awards Convocation.
ri s K a ur nt Ve d an gi ri e rl f nd e rd Jo n is av D
From Mexico To Norway To Stillwater Kris Ventura’s path led to OSU, where he’s taking lessons from Spears Business to his golf game
COURTESY OF KRIS VENTURA
By Terry Tush
Y
ou don’t need to tell Kris Ventura it’s a small world. The Oklahoma State University senior was living it each day he walked into his Corporate Social Responsibility class during the fall semester. The 22-year-old was born in Mexico, spent most of his teenage years in Norway and has already traveled to nearly 30 countries, but he was caught off guard when clinical assistant professor of management Jose Sagarnaga began sharing about his background in class. He was surprised to learn the OSU professor earned his doctorate degree from the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP), a private university located in Puebla, Mexico – where Ventura was born and raised, and still considers home. After class a few days later, Ventura approached Sagarnaga, sharing with him – while speaking Spanish (one of three languages he speaks fluently) – that he grew up in Puebla. A friendship was born as the two connected on a number of issues, including reminiscing about their time in Puebla before Sagarnaga, a fan of OSU’s golf program, realized that Ventura was a member of the Cowboys nationally ranked men’s golf team. “I really like that class,” Ventura said. “I also enjoy the other management classes with (Jim) Pappas. They’re just really different.”
“…The classes where you get to discuss a little bit and when you walk back from class you start thinking about stuff. I like that. (It’s) challenging sometimes when the professor is asking tough questions. I think that is fun.” Kind of like golf, the game he began playing as a youngster in Mexico. He started playing when he was 2 years old after receiving a set of plastic golf clubs for Christmas, and he was just 6 years old when he and his mother traveled to Virginia to compete in a U.S. Kids Golf tournament. He won the tourney, scoring better than kids a couple of years older than he was, and Ventura was hooked. “Even though I was really small and I don’t remember a whole lot, I remember it was fun,” he said. “I like winning.” Ventura was not only winning in Mexico but also in prestigious tournaments around the world, but a change was necessary to fulfill his dream of playing professionally. Thus, the family made the move to Norway, where his mother was born and raised. “When the option came up, (my dad) investigated with the Norwegian federation and the national team and was wondering if I could be a good fit for them. He thought that once I moved to Norway I could join that team and that culture,” he said.
But what 12-year-old wants to leave everything he’s ever known and move halfway around the world? Not Ventura. “I had all my friends and everything in Mexico. Just as a kid, I didn’t want to do that and I couldn’t understand the change,” he said. “Not fun. I talked to my cousin, and I said, ‘I want to live with you. They can go to Norway, but I’m going to stay in Mexico. They can do whatever they want.’ But that wasn’t an option.” The move to Norway paid off as Ventura became one of the best young players in Europe, representing the European side at the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup, finishing second at the 2012 European Nations Cup and representing Norway twice at the World Amateur Team Championships (2012 and 2014). Coaches from the nation’s best college golf programs were soon traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to watch the son of Carlos (a veterinarian) and Charlotte (an architect) play. After initially committing to Arizona State, Ventura eventually chose OSU, thanks to a little help from a couple of former Cowboy golfers – Rafael Alarcon (1978-80) and Pablo Martin (2005-07). His time in Stillwater has lived up to everything he had hoped for as he prepares to receive his management degree in May and aims to help the continues
The Ventura family, from left, Carlos, Sharla, Federico, Pablo and Kris.
Ventura has excelled at OSU both on the golf course and in the classroom, earning firstteam All-Big 12 recognition his first three years while earning third-team All-American honors as a sophomore. As a Cowboy, he has won two tournaments, earned seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10 finishes. He also was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 pick as a junior. But there’s some unfinished business. The Cowboys haven’t won the NCAA title since 2006, and Ventura wants to play a part in ending that streak for an OSU team that enters the spring ranked among the nation’s best.
Ventura tees off at Karsten Creek.
“You could say there’s a lot of pressure because the expectations are really high, and they should be because we’re really good,” he said. “But for us, for me at least, it’s keep your head down and work hard. The rest will take care of itself.” That’s been his attitude toward school too. “I chose management because I was intrigued by the whole, how everything works, how to manage people when things don’t go your way,” Ventura said. “I’m always trying to think about how I can
transfer this to golf. How’s this going to make me better at what I do? “Some of the relationships you develop with professors, classmates and my advisers, it seems like they care about you. They care about what you’re going to do, what you’re doing, how you’re going to get there too. I think that has helped me a lot in taking classes, getting through a semester, tough classes.… I think that’s made it a lot easier for me to be where I am, and to be where I’m going to be too.” Ventura’s goal since arriving at OSU was to prepare himself to one day play on the PGA Tour, and that includes using what he’s learned in Spears Business classes to make himself a better golfer. “For the business part of it and golf, when things don’t go your way, people tend to freak out or go away from the things they’ve done in the past,” he said. “I like to look at it as you’ve just got to be patient and work. … But sometimes things are not going to go your way, and that commitment has to be really high to make it through. Only a few people do that, and I like that. I think the most successful people have the same things in common, so that’s what I like about golf. And it’s the same thing in the business world, the most successful people do things a certain way and you can translate that into golf.” @
Counter-clockwise from top left: Ventura lines up a putt at the Men’s NCAA Golf Championships, Stillwater Regional on May 18, 2016; Ventura (bottom middle) jokes around with current and former OSU Cowboys golfers; Ventura hits into the 18th green at Karsten Creek; a young Kris Ventura poses with Hall of Fame golfer Gary Player, and Ventura (third from right) represented Norway as a member of the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup.
COURTESY OF KRIS VENTURA
Cowboys men’s golf team to a spot in the NCAA Championships on their home course, Karsten Creek Golf Club.
On the Move
Nathan Herrmann’s Commitment to Short-Term Goals Helps Give Him a Bright Future by Dollie Elliott
JORDAN BENSON / SPEARS BUSINESS
R
ain or shine, a mile or 10 miles, neither element nor distance can slow down Nathan Herrmann. The accounting student at Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business knows all about determination. He runs 40 to 50 miles a week in his free time. “It’s the sort of sport where you set a goal, sometimes months away, and you plan your training accordingly,” Herrmann says. “It’s something you have to go out for six or seven days a week to make it a possibility.” It’s in Herrmann’s nature to commit to a long-term goal and achieve it. His career and education aspirations are no different. He is currently in the Spears Business Professional Program in Accounting, which allows students to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting in five years. His favorite thing about accounting is the way that everything fits together, neat and organized. His passion for accounting was influenced by his father, Don Herrmann, long-time OSU accounting professor, who has always referred to accounting as the “language of the business world.”
“He’d take these little breaks in the middle to just tell us about how we can use what we’re learning to make our lives better. I really enjoyed him doing that,” Herrmann says. Herrmann has had the chance to become very involved in organizations across campus. He is a small group leader for KLIFE, a Christian student organization. He is a Camp Elim program director, a Spears Scholar Leader and McGraw Hill Student Ambassador. He is also very active in his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, and in his role as treasurer for Business Student
Council. Throughout his time at Spears Business, he says his education hasn’t just laid the foundation for his future career, but for his life in general. “There’s a lot of things in a job where it’s not about skills. Interpersonal skills are very important. I’ve learned about it in the orgs I’ve been in at Spears. There’s so many resources available to me to take an idea to action,” he says. After studying over winter break during his sophomore year, Herrmann scored a 760 on the GMAT which will give him several opportunities in the future.
The class he has enjoyed the most is Advanced Tax, taught by Scott White, assistant professor in the School of Accounting. While White certainly covers the accounting material in class, Herrmann’s favorite part of class is when he applies these skills to our everyday lives.
As for his exact plans for the future, “I’m excited to start in public accounting and then we’ll see what happens from there. One good thing about having a high score on the GMAT is I could go on to get an MBA, so maybe I’ll be back at a university teaching someday. Who knows?” @
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NATHAN HERRMANN
“People assume, oh you love math; it’s like, not really. You don’t need anything past Algebra. You do need to understand how things relate to one another and how to organize things to get info to people in a concise manner,” Herrmann says.
After graduation, he will move to Denver, Colo., where he will work as an auditor with KPMG. After completing the five-year accounting bachelor’s and master’s program, the 150-course hours he will have under his belt will make him eligible to take the CPA exam.
Whether traveling, running competitively or for fun, or devoting himself to school, Herrmann’s commitment is evident inhis path of success.
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COUR T ES YO FO SU
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Defining Inequality Entrepreneurship impacts the market in many ways
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ntrepreneurs are seen to be synonymous with success and innovation, but that innovation can disrupt the market and increase inequality. On the other hand, an entrepreneur who enters the market can increase equality by offering competition, as well. So, why isn’t this topic as simple as we think it is?
we are overall better off or not. One of the questions we ask in this paper is, “Should we really look at income inequality, or should we look at our wellbeing?”
Oklahoma State University assistant professor of entrepreneurship Per Bylund researches all things entrepreneurial. By researching the topic of inequality and how it relates to entrepreneurial activity, Bylund felt the term “inequality” needed to be defined more clearly. He partnered with Mark Packard, assistant professor at the University of Nevada at Reno, to do just that.
More on the impactful research from Spears School of Business faculty can be found on the Faculty Research website. @
“Inequality is a very provocative and hot topic right now, and what we argue in this paper is that it’s misunderstood and made a little too simple in the debate,” Bylund says. “We think there might be more to it, and a deeper analysis might help us understand the concept and all the nuances to the concept. What we look at is how entrepreneurs, in different ways, contribute to inequality or equality.” What Bylund and Packard found is that some entrepreneurs increase inequality when they enter the market, but others decrease inequality as well by competing with current businesses. For example, when Apple invented the iPod and iPhone, it changed the way the market behaved and benefited some while others lost. But the most important finding came down to differences in views: should we define inequality as the differences in the standard of living between people, or by a dollar amount? “The fact here is first, you increase inequality by innovation and then you decrease it by competition, and both are the effects of entrepreneurship,” Bylund said. “Considering this process, where income inequality increases and decreases, and it does constantly in the market, what we might want to look at instead is whether
The entire article can be found here. https://business.okstate.edu/research/index.html
The fact here is first, you increase inequality by innovation and then you decrease it by competition, and both are the effects of entrepreneurship.
Class of Distinction Alums, ExxonMobil Group Inducted into Spears Business Hall of Fame
L
ongtime Spears School of Business supporters Steve and Diane Tuttle and the ExxonMobil Controllers Alumni Group were inducted into the Spears Hall of Fame on Nov. 3 at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater. The annual Hall of Fame banquet recognizes Oklahoma State University graduates with distinguished professional careers who have given back to their communities and displayed leadership skills. The Tuttles and the 14 OSU alums making up the ExxonMobil Controllers Alumni Group were the 2017 inductees into the Spears Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded by Spears Business. “For the past 52 years, we’ve been honoring some of our finest graduates, and this year’s honorees were certainly deserving to join this impressive group,” said Ken Eastman, dean of Spears Business. “Both Diane and Steve Tuttle are an inspiration to all of us at the Spears School through their professional and personal success, and the ExxonMobil Controllers Alumni Group includes eight ExxonMobil retirees (and their spouses) who are great examples of the impact a unified group can have when pooling their resources and working together.”
GEORGE BULARD / GENESEE PHOTOS
Steve and Diane Tuttle are longtime supporters of OSU and Spears Business. A Tulsa native, Steve
Ken Eastman with the ExxonMobil Controllers Alumni Group.
attended OSU for two years before he was drafted into the Army, serving from 1969 to 1971 as a military police officer in Vietnam. He returned to OSU following the war, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1973. Diane earned her bachelor’s degree in business management in 1985 from OSU. continues
GEORGE BULARD / GENESEE PHOTOS
Ken Eastman with 2017 Spears School of Business Hall of Fame inductees Diane and Steve Tuttle.
The Tuttles have three children – Justin Tuttle, who is married to Marissa, and lives in Frisco, Texas; Natalie Belie, an OSU grad who lives in Tulsa, and Lindsey Belie, who lives in Madill, Okla. The ExxonMobil Controllers Alumni Group includes Jim and Linda Alcock, Jim and Susan Heidebrecht, Tom and Suzanne Hill, Terry Hinshaw, Bill and Toni Stone, Stan and Kathy Strong, Rhonda Sweeney, and Alan and Paula Tye. In 2004, these loyal OSU alums created the ExxonMobil Alumni Controllers Fund, taking advantage of ExxonMobil’s 3-to-1 matching program, to create an endowed scholarship for OSU MBA students. Five years later, they took advantage of the Pickens Legacy Scholarship Match program, which when realized, will grow the fund to more than $2.5 million.
The fund is the largest endowed scholarship in Spears Business. In 2013, in addition to scholarships for MBA students it began assisting accounting students. To date, more than $230,000 has been awarded to 39 students from the scholarship fund. Also, the group is now funding a chair in ethics in Spears Business, and has made a donation to the new Business Building and the Eastin Center for Career Readiness. The group also supports other areas of OSU based on members’ individual passions. Rob Haight, Craig Ireland and Brandi Surine were also honored at the banquet as Outstanding Young Alumni. @
In 2004, these loyal OSU alums created the ExxonMobil Alumni Controllers Fund, taking advantage of ExxonMobil’s 3-to-1 matching program…
Clockwise from top left, Ken Eastman congratulates Outstanding Young Alumni recipients Craig Ireland, Brandi Surine and Rob Haight.
SPEARS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
NEW BUILDING DEDICATION
APRIL 13, 2018
COUTESY OF ELLIOTT + ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS