Belk College Connects Fall 2019

BELK COLLEGE

CONNECTS FALL 2019 | No. 15

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“Keep a growth mindset and stay curious.”

DeAndrea Salvador ’13, Founder and CEO of Renewable Energy Transition Initiative and JouleScout, connects with students, alumni, and the public at the Fall 2019 CEO Speaker Series.

BELK COLLEGE OF BUSINESS: CHARACTER, COMMITMENT AND CONFIDENCE #1 public part-time MBA

in NC U.S. News & World Report

M.S. in Math Finance #14

M.S. in Management

The Financial Engineer

kind in UNC system

in the nation -

1st and only of its

1st DBA

in Carolinas

Only AACSBaccredited DBA in Carolinas

MBA INCREASES 26% IN LATEST U.S. NEWS RANKING

35

#

part-time MBA

In 2019, the Belk College of Business part-time MBA earned the national ranking of #35 out of 287 programs, representing an increase of 26% over last year. U.S. News & World Report surveys institutions across the nation to determine the ranking which is published annually.

CRAIG DEPKEN DIRECTOR OF M.S. IN ECONOMICS AND PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS

Dr. Depken has earned a national reputation in sports economics research and is widely published in other areas including the economics of advertising, applied public choice, and local and regional economic development.

Articles published in top peer-reviewed journals during the 2018-2019 academic year: Economic Inquiry, Financial Review, and Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization Serves as co-editor, Contemporary Economic Policy, and editorial board member: Ekonomski Pregled (Economic Review) - Croatia, International Journal of Sport Finance, Journal of Sports Economics, Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business Serves as President Elect for the North American Association of Sports Economists Featured in media, including: Forbes.com, National Post, Charlotte Business Journal and Pacific Standard

MBA.UNCC.EDU

BELK COLLEGE INTRODUCES NEW FACULTY:

EMMA L. BEST

BRIAN M. BURNETT

Lecturer of Business Law

Assistant Professor of Accounting

MING CHEN

ALOKE “AL” GHOSH

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Distinguished Professor of Accounting

ANGELA XIA LIU

THERESA MANNAHBLANKSON

Associate Professor of Marketing

Clinical Assistant Professor of Economics

KRISTA J. SARAL

BRIAN W. WHELAN

Associate Professor of Economics

Lecturer of Marketing

STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND FACULTY ARE DETERMINED TO EXCEL MILITARY VETERAN STUDENT EARNS SCHOLARSHIP AND CHARGES TOWARD GRADUATE DEGREES Khabiyrul Gainey ’19, a recent Belk College of Business Accounting and Finance graduate prepares for continued success in the Master of Accountancy (MACC) program after receiving the prestigious Commander F.M. (Mike) Reynolds Veterans Scholarship. This scholarship has enabled Khabiyrul not only to pursue a MACC degree, but also to pair it with an M.S. in Data Science and Business Analytics degree, customizing his unique experience at the Belk College of Business.

Photo Credit Jada Williams

“Khabiyrul is a very driven and determined individual who has his eye on success and has a tangible plan to get there!”

RYAN CHESTER, MPA ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY

BELK COLLEGE MACC ALUMNA EARNS NATIONAL AWARD The Belk College of Business and UNC Charlotte Turner School of Accountancy are proud to congratulate Master of Accountancy (MACC) alumna Clare Creighton on receiving the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award. This is the second year in a row that alumni from the Belk College MACC program have earned the national CPA exam award.

This accomplishment further underscores the sustained excellence of the program as well as its top-caliber students and faculty. With three Elijah Watt Sells Awards in two years, the Belk College of Business MACC is squarely positioned in the very top echelon of graduate accounting programs in the United States.

MARSHALL IS INAUGURAL RECIPIENT OF THE UNC CHARLOTTE AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Tom Marshall, a Belk College of Business lecturer, was lauded for his devotion to students, whom he guides as they discover their personal career passion.

“What makes Tom Marshall stand out among fellow teachers is his commitment to providing experiential learning opportunities for students. His hard work and efforts have resulted in extremely positive impacts on his students.”

DOLLY KING THE RUSH S. DICKSON PROFESSOR OF FINANCE AND CHAIR OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Chancellor Dubois with Tom Marshall

STUDENT-ATHLETES BRING LESSONS OF TEAMWORK AND COMMITMENT INTO THE CLASSROOM

VIKAS GOWDA MBA ‘20

MEREDITH HARRIS MBA ‘20

DISCUS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITOR FOUR-TIME OLYMPIAN

INFIELDER, UNC CHARLOTTE 49ERS SOFTBALL

“ Confidence is something that I feel will greatly help me in my business career. After competing in four Olympics, I know that I have the abilities to perform at a high level. Regardless of the challenge, I am confident that if I am patient and put in the work, I can achieve my goals. This is the same mindset that I will be using in the MBA program and later in my business career.”

“I chose the Belk College of Business over others for a few reasons. First, I love Charlotte and the opportunities available here.

Second, I became involved in the university and love the resources available to help students prepare for the next steps in life, whether that is interview skills, resume editing or job fairs. Lastly, I chose to begin the Belk College MBA to prepare myself for a job after athletics.”

EVAN SHIRREFFS MBA ‘19

JACKSON VANSICKLE B.S. IN ECONOMICS ‘19

QUARTERBACK, UNC CHARLOTTE 49ERS FOOTBALL

KICKER, UNC CHARLOTTE 49ERS FOOTBALL

“The Belk College of Business MBA is a mixture of intelligent individuals from every career field. Entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, engineers, journalists, and more are all gathered together sharing their experiences, investing in themselves and investing in each other. The value of my MBA does not just come from the courses; it comes from the students and faculty with whom I have built relationships .”

“The Belk College of Business is the best path to take because it excels in preparing students for life. The professors are extremely knowledgeable. Many of them have worked, or currently work, in the business world, so they have a deep understanding of how the information we study can be applied in our future careers .”

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BELK COLLEGE PROVIDES TOOLS FOR COMPETITIVENESS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

DISCOVERY DEVELOPMENT DESTINATION

DISCOVERY DEVELOPMENT DESTINATION NIBLOCK STUDENT CENTER COACHES ADVISE GROWING NUMBER OF STUDENTS

This fall semester, the Niblock Student Center’s academic and career coaches served over 500 students during the six-day period for students to add or drop courses. With back-to-back sessions, the coaches advised students on best practices for building a schedule that will lead to their academic success. Innovating to serve 67% more students during drop-ins before this semester’s deadline, the Center continues to provide exceptional resources for Belk College undergraduates.

SCHOLAR PROGRAM

BUSINESS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS CHARLOTTE COMPANY PARTNERS WITH EXECUTIVE EDUCATION TO COLLABORATE WITH LEADERS ON THE POWER OF STORYTELLING

Belk Scholars Micah Thomas, M.S. in Economics ‘20 and Jared Leach, M.S. in Data Science and Business Analytics ‘20 (not pictured: Robert Cushman, M.S. in Math Finance ‘20).

FIRST COHORT OF BELK SCHOLARS BEGIN GRADUATE STUDIES The Belk Scholars program offers technical training and knowledge in a fast-tracked program that allows scholars to receive their undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in one of three programs. This opportunity sets students on a path to a rewarding career in the business field. The program’s first group of scholars have begun their full-time graduate work this semester.

Leaders play a crucial role shaping organizational culture. During a recent custom Executive Education program, leaders at a Charlotte-based distribution company learned to do this through storytelling. By crafting compelling messages about their company, brand, and products, participants learned to facilitate whole-brain thinking, inspire trust in audiences and leverage humor to leave lasting impressions.

Paul Marks, a Charlotte-based improv star known for his dynamism on and off stage, teamed up with Dr. Gary Kohut, director of the Belk College of Business MBA, to train local leaders.

EXED.UNCC.EDU

ALUMNI SHARE DEDICATION AND ENERGY INAUGURAL COHORT OF M.S. IN MANAGEMENT ALUMNI REFLECT ON HIGH VALUE OF PROGRAM

Scott Lieberman, B.S.B.A. Management ‘12 Sean Newton, B.S.B.A. Finance ‘11, B.A. Political Science ‘11

NOEL MAEKELE M.S. IN MANAGEMENT ’19 TECHNICAL ASSOCIATE TIAA

ALUMNI CREATE “MINER OBSESSION” 49ER PODCAST “Each of us find huge value in the education we received at the Belk College of Business. Our classes and experiences set us up for success from day one of our careers. We both use our education on a daily basis to be successful in our careers in financial services while building Miner Obsession from the ground up.”

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“My M.S. in Management degree is highly useful in any corporate environment. It has prepared me to network with other business individuals across all areas of my company.

The degree was a great way for me to ease into financial concepts and knowledge.”

SUPPORTERS ARE FOCUSED ON THE GOAL

*As of October 2019

$24,986,030.52

The #1 Charlotte 49er sports podcast

Live conversations with alumni

The source for key insights for all Charlotte 49er sports

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Through our top-ranked graduate programs, the Belk College of Business supplies in-demand graduates to Charlotte’s business community.

We encourage prospective graduate business students to attend for an inside look at our programs.

February 2020 Graduate Programs Preview Day

Join the Belk College of Business for this quarterly event featuring Dr. John Connaughton. Luncheon included with advance RSVP.

December 11, 2019 Alumni Coffee and Economic Forecast

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