Executive Eagle Fall 2017
Dean’s Message Dear friends of COBE: As we approach the holiday season, I am happy to reflect on the progress we have made as a college. Recently, the College of Business and Economics has made great strides in advancing toward our strategic goals.
Dean Elad Granot
@AshlandCoBEDean
Follow us on social media to keep in touch with current events
The 1 Year MBA Program continues to flourish at our Columbus location. Our first cohort, which started in January 2017, will be graduating in December with a great education and priceless experiences from their two international study trips to Prague (March 2017), and Lisbon and Barcelona this October! Because of the flexibility this program offers through Saturday only classes and the convenience of an all-inclusive tuition, we have also added a new location for the 1 Year International MBA in Cleveland, which kicked off last August with 15 students. The group will be travelling to Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong in November. Since coming back fully to COBE last spring, the MBA Program has grown in headcount, credit hours, and net revenue. We applied for approval to pursue initial AACSB Accreditation on May 22. The Initial Accreditation Committee (IAC) met on July 17, 2017 and reviewed the Eligibility Application from Ashland University. I am pleased to inform you that the IAC voted to accept the Eligibility Application allowing Ashland University’s COBE to enter the business accreditation process. As part of this process, an AACSB volunteer will be appointed as mentor to our school. COBE is now formally considered to be in the initial AACSB accreditation process! The Eagle Investment Group has just wrapped up a successful Golf Outing Fundraiser and continues to foster young business professionals with a strong understanding of the finance field through experience managing stocks and other assets. The Morgan Center for Entrepreneurial Studies continues to inspire the young entrepreneur in every student whether through the numerous speakers they bring in, or the competitions the sponsor. Director Tom Sudow has worked with and helped launch three student-owned businesses since joining us last October. We are excited to grow our Fundraising activities now that COBE’s major gift officer, Crystal Sabol, has moved into a COBE office. Lastly, this year we were able to send out our first Year in Review and moving forward we will be merging it with the Executive Eagle Newsletter. We feel that this will be the best way to keep our students, alumni, colleagues, and community informed about major events, student stories, and other important information from COBE.
All the best and Go Eagles!
The College of Business And Economics’ Drive For The Highest Level of Accreditation On May 22, 2017, President Campo signed the application for AACSB initial accreditation for the College of Business and Economics (COBE). The accreditation will cover
President Campo
both the college’s undergraduate and bachelor degrees. AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, strives to create the next generation of great leaders and COBE has applied for initial accreditation to have its mission of fulfilling this goal recognized. On July 31, Dean Granot received a letter from AACSB with approval for the college to formally seek initial accreditation. Dean Granot states that “This accreditation will place a quality seal on Ashland University’s Business programs and allow our programs to be ranked, which will support our continuous efforts for improvement and increased reputation.” AACSB accreditation is one of 5 strategic pillars that Dean Granot and COBE faculty are working on building up in order to raise COBE toward greatness. AACSB accreditation adds to the college’s already existing ACBSP accreditation. The new accreditation will help the college grow stronger, and better
AACSB Conference (left to right) Dr. Paul McGurr, Dr. Bob Stoll, Assoc.
Dean Ray Jacobs, Dr. Vicki Kaskey, Dr. Dan Fox, and Dean Elad Granot
reach and teach students. The College of Business and Economics is eager to take the necessary steps to gain full AACSB accreditation. The College plans to make improvements by hiring additional faculty members, and continuing its legacy of providing a quality education for students while placing an accent on the individual.
MBA in CLE This summer, the 1 Year International MBA program launched in its second market, Cleveland! To celebrate the expansion of the program, a wellattended ribbon cutting ceremony was held on August 26. The Mayor of Independence Anthony Togliatti was in Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the 1 Year MBA
attendance along with Dean Granot, Steve Krispinksy (Executive Director, MBA Programs), and many
Ashland MBA faculty and students. The 1 Year International MBA program has gained immense traction after less than one year of beginning.
For additional information please: Email: Steve Krispinsky at skrispin@ashland.edu Call: (419) 289-5211
The program offers:
Saturday only classes, taken at either the Cleveland or Columbus location. This flexible schedule allows students to both pursue their career and MBA in just
Visit our website: https://www.ashland1yearmba.com/ one year. What makes this program extremely unique is the opportunity to travel on two international study tours. Students that joined in January 2017 have already gone to Prague, Czech Republic and Barcelona, Spain. Those who joined in August 2017 will be participating in their first trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
Get Connected!
Cyber Security The program began with Dean Elad Granot of the College of Business greeting the audience and speakers. He was followed by Michalina Lacy, the Regional Director of the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) and the partner with Ashland University in the program. Then Morgan Volz, a senior in the College of Business and an intern for the SBDC, laid out the agenda for the day and introduced the first speaker. Anil Patel, Director of CyberOhio/Senior Assistant Attorney General – Consumer Protection Cyber and Privacy Unit, gave an “Overview of the Cyber Threat.” Next, Jeff Birnbach, Partner Managing Director Sylint Cyber Security, Forensics & eDiscovery, spoke on “I’m too small to be a target – why security through obscurity doesn’t work,” “Practice is more important than purchase – the benefits of developing and following good policies outweigh protections from buying new tools,” “Information ages like milk, not wine – cyber assets become liabilities over time,” “Strong, unique passwords matter – don’t make it easier for hackers,” and “Don’t over-share – how social media is used to steal.” Anil Patel spoke again about “CyberOhio and How CyberOhio can help your business.” He was followed by a panel discussion on what business and individuals need to do presented by AU’s Scott Stoops and Benjamin Schwartz and they took questions from the audience. Jeff Birnbach gave a final overview of the day and Michalina Lacy concluded the day with a final thanks. The event gave insight for businesses and individuals who want to keep their information as safe as possible.
MBA NY Finance Trip An MBA Finance class was able to visit New York City this summer. They had the opportunity to visit many different
landmarks and experience the center of the financial world. They visited companies such as Morgan Stanley. The trip allowed students to network with multiple businesses and get a taste of what their promising futures may hold. The students were accompanied by Dean Granot, Steve Krispinsky and professors.
Dauch’s Day of Giving Recap College of Business and Economics students, alumni, faculty, and community won two competitions on the Day of Giving. COBE started off the day by winning the Eagle Rising competition, which was awarded to the group that made the most donations by voting for the COBE team between 6am to noon. The day-long competition was awarded to COBE for collecting the most donations from 6am to midnight. Overall the College of Business and Economics helped raise money for the Ashland Fund, which sponsors scholarships, academic programs, and student life. The College of Business and Economics helped raise $3,700 for the Ashland Fund and received $5,500 for winning the competitions. The College of Business and Economics used the winnings to update the Dauch lobby furniture. Overall, the Day of Giving raised $41,977.48 and reached almost 80,000 people on Facebook and over 30,000 people on Twitter! The College of Business and Economics would also like to congratulate the other winners and participants. COBE is looking forward to another great Day of Giving next year.
Before
COBE Faculty and Staff
After!
COBE Retirements College of Business and Economics professor Beverly Piper retired after 37 years at Ashland University. She has made a memorable impact on COBE and its students over the years. The College of Business and Economics wishes Professor Piper a happy retirement. Her bio follows:
Beverly J. Piper, Associate Professor of Accounting and IS, joined Ashland University in 1979. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with an active license to practice accounting from the State of Ohio. In addition, she holds a CertifiedManagement Accountant (CMA) certificate, which indicates achievement of proficiency in cost and managerial accounting, finance, economics, information systems, and business policy. She taught financial accounting, managerial accounting, and cost management, and has taught the MBA Foundations course in Accounting. She earned her Master's of Science in Accounting from the University of Toledo and her Bachelor's of Science in Education from Bowling Green State University.
In My Own Words: Chris Georgiadias During my time at Ashland University, I’ve grown tremendously as a young business professional. Over the course of these three years, AU has prepared me for two summer internships with Nextera Energy in Juno Beach, FL.
Chris Georgiadias
Summer 2016 First Energy Interns
The interactive and collaborative learning environment at AU provided a smooth transition into my summer internships. The small class sizes enforced a hands-on educational approach that was ideal in developing my skillsets for the corporate world. For example, in my current Eagle Investment Class of fourteen students, each student has the opportunity to collectively manage $1.5 million of AU’s endowment through fundamental and technical investment strategies. This type of active money management places the responsibility on the student to perform under high-pressure circumstances that directly correlates to an on-thejob experience. While the Eagle Investment class is only one example of many, this kind of learning environment is the reason I was able to remain comfortable when beginning both summer internships. When I received my offer letter in November of 2015 for my first internship with NextEra, I was eager to begin working for one of the most outstanding utility corporations in the United States. NextEra is a Fortune 200 company and the No. 1 ‘World’s Most Admired Companies' in the electric/gas utilities industry. NextEra also ranks among the top 10 companies worldwide for innovation that include social responsibility and smart use of corporate assets. In 2016, the utility powerhouse consolidated revenues of approximately $16.2 billion, along with 45,900 megawatts of generating capacity and approximately 14,700 employees in 30 states and Canada.
Over the course of both internship experiences, I had the chance to network with 220 other interns, participate in various business-related activities, and work on challenging, relevant projects. My fellow interns came from all across the nation and attended a variety of universities, including University of Michigan, University of Florida, Harvard, Cornell, Duke, and many other outstanding schools. Our finance intern group consisted of 22 diverse interns who all had the opportunity to tour multiple solar fields and natural gas plants such as the Martin Natural Gas Plant and the Clean Energy Center (see attached image). In addition, our group had interactive lunch & learns with members of corporate leadership such as Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) CEO Eric Silagy and NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) CEO Armando Pimentel. While each of the internship experiences had similar tours and meet and greets, the projects and assignments differed from one summer to the other.
During the summer of 2016, I had the privilege of working on the Rate Development team for Nextera’s primary subsidiary of Florida Power and Light. Over the course of the internship, I was responsible for contributing to the company’s efforts in their $1.3 billion rate hike proposal. Every four years FPL goes through the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) to ask for a rate hike that will ballpark a return on equity (ROE) for the subsequent four years. When I first began, the learning curve was a little overwhelming but after a lot of hard work and dedication the material became more and more comprehensible. After multiple late nights of reading and analyzing rate case information, I was able to develop a Data Validation Matrix that would confirm or reject intervenor base revenue data. The matrix was a huge help to my group, as they continued to use it until the end of the rate case in November of 2016.
After having a year of internship experience under my belt, I was looking forward to another summer with the Rates Team. Over the course of the summer of 2017, I was involved in more of an analytical role to assist my team’s current and long term efforts in preparation for the 2020 rate case. One of the projects I worked on was a forecast that was responsible for the base revenues generated from each customer account. The base revenues generates approximately $5.6 billion or 55% of FPL’s total revenues. With 3 years of historical data from over 5 million customer accounts, the forecast was a data intensive process that required automation through Visual Basic Application (VBA) coding and extensive formulas in Microsoft Excel. After the conclusion of my 2017 internship, the rates team can use and build upon one year of a working forecast model. Following my 2017 summer internship, I was fortunate enough to land a job offer with the NextEra Energy Resources Development team. The job responsibilities involve readying land for wind site development through real estate activities of planning, controlling, and directing via contract negotiation. The job will also require an extensive amount of travel throughout the Midwest Region, ranging anywhere from South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. I look forward to moving into the next chapter of my life as an AU alumnus and cannot wait to see what the future holds. Let’s go Eagles! -Chris Georgiadis
First Energy Fort Martin Power Station
1st Annual COBE Career Day On September 7, COBE was proud to host its First Annual COBE Career Day. The event aimed to help business students meet directly with representatives from several companies. The companies that attended included Wenco (Wendy’s), J.M.
Smucker’s co., the Pro Football Hall of Fame, R.S. Hanline, ThermDisc, Richland Bank, Kent Sporting Goods, Westfield Insurance,
Schaeffler Group USA, LuK, CRU Solutions, MT Business Solutions and our own AU Recreation Center. There were multiple sessions
for students to listen to the reps. talk about their business, person career, what the business is looking for in an employee or intern, and answer any student questions. With hundreds of students attending the event and positive feedback from the businesses, we hope to continue this event in the following years.
-O-
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“Awesome opportunity to touch base with the awesome, high caliber students. It was unlike any job fair I’ve been to” - Danielle Bender, LuK Thanks to the COBE Career Day, AU Students “[Students] engaged in a really good conversation about their futures.” - Dalton Caudill, R.S. Hanline & Co. Inc.
have the chance to interact with businesses for future internship and job opportunities closely related to their field of study. -AU Senior, Chris Georgidias
Spotlight On Alumnus: John Denman
Why did you choose Ashland College and the Business Program? My brother-in-law is an Ashland graduate and he encouraged me to attend Ashland. I am from a small town so the enrollment was very attractive. My initial goal was to become a teacher but I changed my major after taking Accounting 101 as the subject appealed to me and there were many accounting career opportunities. Tell us about how you have stayed connected with AU:
Dean Elad Granot with John Denman at COBE’s First Career Day
Smucker has several university partners and Ashland is one of them. Our internship program always includes several students from Ashland. We participate in campus events, speak in classrooms and present at student organizations. I have been a member of the Accounting Advisory Board and am currently a member of the Business Advisory Council. Smucker also has several Ashland scholarships. One was created by Ashland alumni
with a matching gift from the Smucker Company.
(left to right) Jessica Sattler ‘14, John Denman ‘79, Joyce Badertscher ‘15, John Fox ‘09
Tell us about your career: I celebrated my 38th Smucker anniversary in July 2017. It has truly been a dream career for me. I was born and raised in Orrville, Ohio – the home of Smucker. During the course of my career, I have held 18 different roles across both Finance and HR. The first 35 years of my career were spent in Finance. The last 3 have been in HR. My most memorable roles have been Chief Financial Officer of our Canadian business, Chief Accounting Officer, and my move to HR as Vice President, HR Operations. Tell us why you think internships are important? Internships are a win-win situation for the student and employer. It is a great opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and test their chosen field. Over a 12-week period, the student can evaluate the employer and the employer can evaluate the student. Interns are our best source of entry-level talent.
Tell us some fun facts about yourself: My wife and I love to travel. We have been fortunate to visit many international cities. We support pet rescue organizations. Over the past several years, we have adopted a dog (Macs) and three cats (Liffey, Trevi and Seine). My guess is that our adoptions will grow after retirement.
2nd Annual Ice Cream Social COBE hosted its second annual Ice Cream Social to welcome the class of 2021. Freshmen students were able to meet with the faculty and staff while enjoying ice cream, pictures with Tuffy, and a chance to win prizes. The event helps foster a sense of pride and community between the COBE faculty and students.
COBE Class of 2021 with faculty, staff, and Tuffy!
Meet the Accountant Night On September 7, COBE held a Meet the Accountant Night to connect employers with students in accounting and finance with internships and job opportunities. Dr. Viki Kaskey says, “This year was the 10th Annual Meet the Accountant night. The internships and connections our students make with these employers is priceless. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Students gain valuable experience, while employers are getting young, talented students. Several students received internship offers as soon as 10 days after the event."
Companies who attended:
Barnes Wendling CPAs, Inc.
Becker Professional Education
Brady Ware & Company
Cohen & Company
Cole Tooling & Stamping
Huntington Bank
HW&Co. (CPAs & Advisors)
Internal Revenue Service
Maloney + Novotny LLC
Meaden & Moore
National Interstate Insurance
Northwestern Mutual
Ohio Tool Works
Rea and Associates
The Gorman-Rupp Company
The J.M. Smucker Company
Whitcomb & Hess Inc.
Spotlight On Faculty: Nitin Walia
What kind of experiences did you bring to Ashland University when you came here to teach? I joined Ashland University in 2010 after finishing my Ph.D. in Management Science from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and my Master’s degree in Information Technology Management from Oakland University, MI. I have another master’s degree from Pune University, India and Bachelor’s degree in business, India. Additionally, I have worked in the industry as an IT analyst at 3M (WI) and Bay Talkitec (India).
Professor Nitin Walia
When I joined AU, I brought with me an interesting mix of professional and personal experience. Being a first generation migrant with a Ph.D. from an internationally recognized program, and work experience in a fortune 500 company (3M) and an IT startup (Bay Talkitec)... allowed me to provide a well-thought-out synthesis of theoretical and practical knowledge with a touch of international perspective. Presently, I have continued to build on my skillset by attending local and national conferences, workshops, and forgoing
Tell us some fun fact about you My family including myself are an
avid fan of Mickey (Disney), visiting
the Disney theme park each spring break is our family ritual.
relationships with industry.
How did you choose to come work at AU? While I was very much influenced by AU’s core belief of “Accent on the Individual” and COBE’s impressive building....the most important reason for me to come to AU was the people I encountered during my interview process. After meeting the dept. Chair, faculty members and students at COBE, I felt that my aspirations and interests aligned with them and I could envision myself working here for next 20 plus years.
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Tell us about the research projects that you are currently working on I am currently involved in multiple innovative research projects. In collaboration with researchers from UWM and physicians from Medical College of Wisconsin, I am examining the efficacy of delivering healthcare services via a three-dimensional virtual medical complex integrated with wearable medical devices. I am also working with faculty from the Ashland University College of Nursing to explore use of Virtual Worlds in the context of advanced practice nurse providers offering wellness education to college students. My other research interest is in field of business analytics as an extension of my forgoing work with emerging technologies (VWs, apps., avatars, and wearable tech). The huge amount of data generated through such emerging technologies could provide strategic value for both businesses and users. One of my research projects mines mobile apps marketed to young children and another
one aims to develop a model to predict whether a film would be ‘hit’ or not based on variables like budget, marketing expense, running time, star power, critic score, changes in demographics, etc. Teaching Projects: Working with a cohort of faculty members at COBE, I have successfully introduced multiple new programs: MBA with MIS specialization, MBA with Business Analytics specialization, and Business Analytics minor. More importantly, these new programs integrate prominent tools used in the industry such as ‘SAS enterprise Guide and Miner’ and ‘SAP enterprise resource planning software into our curriculum.
What do you enjoy the most about AU and Ashland? I like the small community feel at AU as well as close interaction between faculty and students. I know most of my students by name and it’s always interesting conversing with them in the corridors, dining hall and in/outside the classrooms. The other part of my job which I really enjoy is
Future plans? I am taking sabbatical next year and plan to finish my research projects mentioned
experiencing student’s progression from freshman to their
earlier. I am an active user of technology
senior year. The growth in their communication skills, critical
in my teaching and in future I plan to
thinking, and confidence makes my job extremely rewarding
further integrate online tools (& best
and worth doing every day.
practices) into my courses.
I live outside Ashland and very much enjoy living in Northeastern Ohio. Not a big fan of winters but the beautiful fall colors and pleasant summers more than make for all freezing days. I also enjoy traveling and the proximity of major cities, Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Niagara Falls, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C, makes Ashland an ideal location.
IMA
Purpose:
We believe strongly in providing our finance/accounting students with the opportunity to establish a solid foundation in professionalism that will benefit them throughout their careers. In order to do so, the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) hosts a number of various events throughout the year. These include educational sessions to expand a student's knowledge in technical and soft skills and networking events (both with guest speakers from outside organizations as well as faculty members and a student's fellow peers here at Ashland University). With these resources, we hope that our students will become the best finance and accounting professionals they can be - both in the short run here at Ashland and in the long run upon graduation and into a student's full-time career!
Events: IMA has had a heavy involvement thus far in promoting the Meet the
Accountant Night that took place on September 7 as well as the IMA Student Night
Smucker's Internship Fair on September 22. Looking ahead into the rest of the school year, IMA will be hosting and/or sponsoring a number of events. We will be co-sponsoring the LinkedIn Workshop on October 3, and our organization is also in the process of planning a community service project at the Akron-Canton Foodbank on October 28. We will also be taking a group of our officers to Houston, TX in November for IMA's annual Student Leadership Conference, in which IMA students from across the nation gather to
network with each other as they grow in their accounting knowledge together. As in past years, we are looking forward to hosting an IMA holiday party here on campus toward the end of the fall semester, where we will be decorating cookies for the enjoyment of faculty members to eat as they prepare for finals. In the spring semester, we will be volunteering at our local animal shelter here in Ashland to walk some of their dogs, and we will also be organizing a number of guest speaker events throughout the semester as well, potentially including topics such as internal auditing and professional ethics.
"I have enjoyed being a part of the IMA student chapter at AU for almost four years now, and one of my favorite memories was from the Student Leadership Conference two years ago. I remember thinking that an accounting conference would be boring--but I was wrong. The students from across the nation that I met and networked with were incredibly talented and fun. Also, a small detail, our conference was at Disney World! The wonderful world of accounting--and IMA--are constantly giving me more reasons to be proud to say ‘I'm an accounting major!’
" - Hannah Wittkopf, IMA President
Competitions and Awards: Every year, our student chapter of IMA participates in the annual Award of Excellence in which we prepare a report highlighting and reflecting upon the activities that our student chapter has participated in and/or hosted throughout the year. There are different tiers of this award, and we have traditionally pursued the silver level of the Award of Excellence. However, we are excited to announce this year that our chapter will be seeking the gold level of this award throughout this academic year! We also participated in a video contest last year to promote
the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) certification and anticipate participating in it this year if IMA chooses to sponsor this contest again. Additionally, the Institute of Management Accountants offers a number of scholarships and competition opportunities for its members every year to participate in, and we look forward to participating in at least 3-4 of these opportunities this year.
Current Officers Hannah Wittkopf - President
Jessica Syme - President-elect Erika Ice - Vice President of Communications Shannon Reutter - Secretary Rachel Shock - Treasurer Tonya Beachy - Community Services Co-Chair Lukas Biglin - Community Services Co-Chair Benjamin Haraway - OSCPA (Ohio Society of CPAs)
Representative
15th Annual Dr. Lucille G. & L. W. Ford
Distinguished Business Lecture Series The 15th annual Ford Lecture Series was held September 28, 2017, in the Upper Convocation Center sponsored by AU class of 1973 alumni D. Peter Linneman and his wife, Kathleen Linneman. Dr. Peter Linneman and Dr. Lucille G. Ford were able to have an in-depth conversation regarding Inspiration,
Hope, and Love.. After introductions were made, there was a luncheon served before Lucille and Peter began their conversation. Lucille asked Peter how he managed his busy schedule so well. He answered by explaining that it was just something that he did. He explained how he is used to traveling a lot and having fast paced days. One of Peter’s questions to Lucille was how she viewed success. Lucille explained that there were four keys that she felt were important to success. These were self-care, being social, learning, and being confident in your faith. She explained to the audience, many of which were current AU students, that college is a place to figure out who you are and build yourself into who you want to be. She elaborated on the importance of being sociable by explaining that you can be sad and alone, but you can’t be glad and alone. You have to share your happiness with others.
The entire event was delightful and really showcased how our mission of placing the accent on the individual has always been a part of the AU experience. Being able to see the impact both Lucille and Peter have left on the Ashland University community is astounding. This year we had an amazing turn out with around 550 guests in attendance.
Mark your calendars for the next event in this series on September 25, 2018. The guest speaker will be Karin Klein.
2017 IdeaLab
(left to right) Ivan Wortman and Mitchell Cox
Ivan Wortman and Mitchell Cox competed in the 2017 Idea Labs Competition this Spring. They both had previously undergone shoulder surgery in the past and had found it difficult to shower after their surgeries. They then were inspired to develop the “ShowerSling.” Now renamed the “Shower90.”
“We then decided we would create a sling that would act as an immobilizer as well as being water resistant. We developed several different prototypes and the process before perfecting our design came with a lot of trial and error. We felt that we had a pretty solid idea for a business so we decided to enter our idea into the AU IdeaLabs Competition”. The competition was open for any student to enter an idea. They entered the competition and had two weeks to prepare a business plan and prepare their presentation. They received first place in the competition and were asked to take their idea to the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium (ECC) regional competition at Lake Erie College where they competed against 10 other schools. The schools that competed in the competition were Hiram College, John Carroll University, University of Mt. Union, University of Akron, Lake Erie College, Cleveland State University, Baldwin Wallace University, Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, and Lorain County Community College. Ivan and Mitch came in 2nd place and received a prize of $3,000.
Champs
Ivan Wortman is a senior from St. Mary’s, PA, majoring in Accounting with a minor in Entrepreneurship. He was a member of the Ashland University Varsity Baseball team along with Mitch. He transferred to Ashland University from St. Bonaventure University in Olean, New York. Mitch Cox is a recent graduate of Ashland University, he graduated in the 2017 spring semester.
He majored in Finance and minored in Entrepreneurship. He will continue his education here at Ashland University by pursuing an MBA in Entrepreneurship.
“It was an amazing experience for the both of us and we felt very fortunate to represent
Ashland University. We have big goals for the future of our business. We filed as an LLC and we were approved to conduct business in the State of Ohio. The name of our business is CW Innovations LLC. Our goal is to get our product the [Shower90] to market here in the next few months. We also are working on a couple other ideas that we believe can be successful business ventures as well,” say the pair.
(left to right) Dan Fox and Tom Sudow
(left to right) Ivan Wortman and Mitchell Cox
New Faculty and Staff Paul T. McGurr, PhD, has had a long, and at least in his opinion, distinguished career in both business and academics. After graduating from John Carroll University and earning his CPA certificate, he worked for Ernst and Ernst (now Ernst and Young) in Cleveland, Denver and the Netherlands offices. He then worked for a number of retail companies in senior accounting/financial positions. He then changed directions and entered academia completing his MBA from the University of Indianapolis and his PhD from Purdue University. His academic career has been as diverse as was his business career. In the United States, he has taught at Purdue North Central, Ashland University (this is his return to Ashland), and Fort Lewis College. Internationally, he has taught for Northcentral University in China, Vietnam, and Cambodia and for Jรถnkรถping University in Sweden. His academic administrative positions have included Interim Dean of the School of Business Administration at Fort Lewis College and President of Bristol University, a small for-profit business school in Anaheim California. He is excited to be back at the College of Business and Economics at Ashland University.
Elizabeth Fisher
Dr. Paul McGurr
Elizabeth Fisher is originally from the area, but has lived in Green Bay, WI, for the past 26 years and is a very loyal Green Bay Packers fan! We moved back to Ohio recently to be closer to family. We will be living in the LexingtonMansfield area. Three children, oldest son grown and living in Green Bay, younger son will be finishing his MPE at Milwaukee School of Engineering this year and my daughter is in her senior year in high school. We have two spoiled rescue dogs named Jinx Henry and Chester Joe. Prior to moving to Ohio, I worked in the College of Advancement for St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI.
Dr. Robert Cohen
Dr. Robert Cohen, Profess Certified Business Advisor areas include managemen advisor with the Braintree high-tech, high-growth sta Communication from The previously served as direct agent, and as co-owner of
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COBE’s LLC
2016-2017 COBE LLC Field Day Winners
2017-2018 COBE LLC Members
COBE’s Living Learning Community (LLC) has impacted both Ashland University, and its local and global community. COBE’s LLC provides a great environment for students to connect with each other, study, and make a difference. One way that they have made a difference in the community is through donations, which they have distributed amongst 30 different countries! The current President, Trevor Reese, and Vice President, Elizabeth Paydo, have helped lead the group and plan things from hiking trips to competitions and community service. The College of Business and Economics’ LLC is also proud to announce that for the second year in a row they have been able to win the Living Learning Community Field Day Challenge where they compete with LLCs from other colleges within Ashland University. Just as important, the College of Business and Economics Living Learning Community students have united through activities such as Thursday night bowling, Snow Trails, Buffalo Wild Wings Dinners, and Honey Haven Farm Corn Maze. The College of Business and Economics is proud of its students’ drive for greatness, their impact on the community, and appreciates Ken Brubaker’s efforts to ensure the group’s success.
ional Instructor in Management, joined the faculty in 2017. He is a r (CBA®) and a Certified Global Business Professional. His teaching nt, entrepreneurship, and marketing. In addition, he is a business Business Development Center, an incubation program for artups. He has an MBA from Franklin University, an M.A. in Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. from Ohio University. He tor of an international development agency, as a licensed insurance f a commercial radio broadcasting station.
AU HR Student Chapter The Ashland University Human Resources Student Chapter (AU HR) is an affiliate chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation (SHRM), the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 285,000 members in more than 165 countries and with subsidiary offices in China, India, and the United Emirates.
The AU HR Student Chapter’s mission is “to create awareness of and interest in Human Resources as a strategic partner,” which they accomplish through attending professional HR chapter speaker luncheons and events in Wooster and Mansfield; touring and meeting with HR professionals in local business organizations such as Snyder’s Lance that produces Archway Cookies; Step 2 that produces molded plastic games, toys, children’s vehicles, hand and edge tools; and AU’s College of Nursing Simulation Lab where students secure “real life: experience caring for patients in an Emergency Room setting. They also are always participating in campus events, and bringing in guest speakers that share information about HR Competitions in the Central U.S. Region. Recently they hosted Alex Johnson, an AU alumnus who is a successful entrepreneur, who spoke to the group about the importance of passion, perseverance and profit. Chief Human Resource Officer at Matrix, Chris Rutter, shared information to help students stand out to businesses in order to help them get hired.
AU AU
Mary Schalmo, SPHR and SHRM-SCP, and Melanie Vero, PHR, spoke with students about the value of responsibility in an HR person and the encouragement to follow your passion. They truly have a passion for helping others and can be seen raising money through bake sales or collecting nonperishable food for donation, and donating their time by volunteering at the local Ashland County Dog Shelter and encouraging others to volunteer as well. They also have written and sent out thank you cards to local Veterans for Veterans Day. The AU HR chapter was awarded a 2014-2015 Merit Award for providing exceptional growth and received a superior Merit Award for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. The chapter is guided by Professor Joan Berry Kalamas, who is a Professional Instructor of Business Management and a certified SPHR and SHRM–SCP.
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AU HR Student Chapter Members
AU HR competing in the Regional SHRM Student
HR with the food donations for Ashland Charities U HR with food they collected for Ashland Charities
urrent Officers for 2017-2018
resident: Kali Deem ecretary/ Treasurer: Miranda Eaton Membership Director: Trevor Reese Workforce Readiness Director: Natalie elenthal overnment Affairs Director: Keagan Frey HRM Foundation Director: Greg Ludwig ocial Media Director: Derek Stallard ollege Relations Director: Lindsey McPhern ewsletter Editor: Hailey Larusch
AU HR Students with their Veteran’s Day Cards
Edited by Esther Goodell, Class of 2019