UNO College of Business Administration 2015 Annual Review by UNO College of Business Administration

2014–2015

YEAR IN REVIEW

YEAR IN REVIEW CONTENTS FACULTY 4 NEW VENTURES 7 NEW FACULTY 12 FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT

STUDENTS 14 16 18 20 22 24 28

SPORTSMANSHIP ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITION VETERANS INTERNSHIPS MBA EXECUTIVE MBA

FEATURED STORIES the Inner Frontiers of 4 Exploring Business and Behavior Two new research facilities offer unique ways to gather and process complex information.

Arabia, Vietnam, 12 Saudi Moldova Fulbright Scholars exchange knowledge and culture.

14 Frozen Four

Business majors enjoy historic season on the ice.

ALUMNI 30 ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 32 NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

OUTREACH 34 NBDC 38 EXECUTIVE EDUCATION 39 LEADERSHIP 40 44 46 47

INFLUENCERS SCHOLARSHIPS FACULTY ROSTER FOUNDATION LETTER

16 Conquering NYC Fashion Week Student entrepreneur takes success to the Big Apple.

20 Best for Vets

CBA named No. 1 military-friendly school.

Medicine 24 Merging and Management Dual MD/MBA program creates physician leaders.

28 For the Greater Good

International consulting projects aid nonprofts.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is an equal opportunity educator and employer with a comprehensive plan for diversity.

FSC BUG Printed on FSC-certified Rolland Enviro paper manufactured with 100 percent post-consumer fiber using biogas energy. It is certified as environmentally preferable by EcoLogo and processed chlorine free. Ink used is vegetable based with zero VOCs.

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

34 Doing Business Abroad

Market research and exporting assistance accelerate business growth.

Leadership in a 39 Developing Virtual Environment CBA extends research and programs to leaders in rural Nebraska.

FROM THE DEAN

WE BEGIN THIS ACADEMIC YEAR, our sixth in Mammel Hall, with a higher level of reflection than usual. In less than 60 days, our business school accreditation organization, AACSB International, will send a group of reviewers to determine if we have again met the high standards set by the organization and its members. Virtually none of the readers of this annual review know about the details of the accreditation standards, but all of you know about quality. As you read the stories about the successes of our students, alumni, faculty and staff, and as you gain an understanding of the new initiatives that we have undertaken, I believe that you will conclude that our business school is first rate, and certainly one whose accreditation should be reaffirmed. Reflection is good to a point. However, the most exciting aspects of CBA lead us to a vision of what our college will be in three years, five years and a decade from now. As you read about our new Commerce and Applied Behavioral Laboratory, learn more about the businesses our alumni have created, gain a better understanding of the multiple projects and efforts that expand our global impact, and garner a glimpse of how our collaboration with other campuses in the University of Nebraska system and organizations in Omaha and beyond makes us stronger, you will clearly see why we are so optimistic about our future.

Keep in Touch QQ unocbainfo@unomaha.edu QQ cba.unomaha.edu

Thank you again for your continued interest and support. Best Regards,

LOUIS G. POL, JOHN BECKER DEAN YEAR IN REVIEW 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2015 3

NEW VENTURES

Exploring the inner frontiers of business and behavior

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Sophisticated technologies in new labs take research to higher levels

he addition of two research facilities at the College of Business Administration offer rare opportunities to gather complex, reliable information and process it in new ways. The Commerce and Applied Behavioral (CAB) Lab in Mammel Hall is a state-of-the-art research laboratory featuring technology that is a unique psychophysiological research platform. It is supplemented by the Advanced Collaboration Enterprise Service (ACES) Project room, which is linked with the ACES research system at the nearby College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T). UNO is the only academic institution to have this sophisticated system. “The CAB Lab provides the ability to collect objective neuro-physiological data and give us remarkably deep insight into what a person is experiencing and thinking,” says Douglas Derrick, assistant professor of IT innovation at IS&T and a member of the management team at UNO’s Center for Collaboration Science. The CAB Lab is one of the most advanced behavioral research labs in the United States, housing a full range

of bio-sensor equipment, which can be used simultaneously in a variety of experimental designs, and technologies to rapidly gather information. “The synchronization of all these data streams is really the power of the tool,” Derrick says. The ACES operating system links the screens, users and input devices in a given area to examine collaboration between distributed virtual teams. Users can bring their own applications by adding them to the environment and moving them to any screen in the workspace. With the system, users can create informal collaboration groups simply by getting together and bringing their data with them, whether in person or in other locations. The $400,000 CAB Lab was funded by a gift from Union Pacific CEO and CBA graduate Jack Koraleski and his wife, Stephanie. Teams headed by CBA Assistant Dean David Nielsen and IT technician Derek Geschwender worked with architects Holland Basham of Omaha and Gensler & Associates of Denver to transform two classrooms in Mammel Hall into a large lab space with three

smaller lab rooms on each side. “The data gathered in the lab provide researchers with a unique opportunity to validate their material or take a study to the next level,” Nielsen says. (Continued on next page)

The CAB Lab utilizes eye trackers, electroencephalography (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR) sensors and automated facial expression analysis to research behavioral reactions and physiological responses to images, text, videos or music.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 5

NEW VENTURES

Exploring the inner frontiers of business and behavior (Continued from previous page)

Partnering with iMotions, the lab utilizes eye trackers, electroencephalography (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR) sensors, and automated facial expression analysis to research behavioral reactions and physiological responses to images, text, videos or music. The data can be applied to a multitude of areas including national security, internet communication technologies, social media, decisionmaking and ethics. “The sophistication of this lab has already helped us attract new grant opportunities,” Derrick says. He and CBA faculty Gina Ligon are principal investigators on projects that now total more than $2 million in outside grants. Ligon says the research she is leading into the online recruitment techniques of multinational extremist organizations such as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham)

The CAB Lab was funded by a gift from Union Pacific CEO and CBA graduate Jack Koraleski and wife, Stephanie, pictured with Gina Ligon at the opening ceremony.

is of significant interest to the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. “With the CAB Lab, we are able to better determine why a person is drawn to one leader over another,” Ligon says. “So far, we’ve found that the images a person is presented may be just as important in influencing them as the leaders and what they say. We’re also examining how certain personality characteristics can draw a person to certain kinds of leaders.”

For business and marketing students, the CAB Lab can explore the appeal of package designs, the power of particular brand names and if a person is making a decision based on a feeling rather than fact. “We can trust the information so well and apply it to a wide variety of topics,” Ligon says. “This will be good for CBA undergraduate and graduate students and their research because it provides valuable, hands-on experience.”

“The sophistication of this lab has already helped us attract new grant opportunities.” Douglas Derrick

CAB Lab researchers Leif Lundmark, Erin PleggenkuhleMiles, Gina Ligon, Douglas Derrick

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

NEW FACULTY Center for Real Estate and Asset Management will expand career opportunities

he new Center for Real Estate and Asset Management at the College of Business Administration addresses a growing need for graduates with broad knowledge of the industry and who understand the financial analytics required for real estate asset management. The center, established in June, will host academic teaching, non-credit programs, applied research and outreach to the professional research community. David J. Beberwyk serves as the center’s director of administration. Beberwyk, a licensed Nebraska real estate broker, has worked in the commercial, governmental and residential property management sectors. “Whereas property management is concerned primarily with day-to-day operations, a real estate asset manager is in essence a portfolio manager, focused on financial performance and achieving longer-term investment objectives,” Beberwyk says. “We continue to see a growing demand for young real estate professionals with these analytical skills.” Steven D. Shultz, Baright Professor of Real Estate and Land Use Economics at CBA, will direct the center’s research activities. The center will provide public and private sectors with access to timely, objective and state-of-the-art analyses of local real estate issues and trends.

David J. Beberwyk

Director of Administration Center for Real Estate and Asset Management

“We continue to see a growing demand for young real estate professionals with analytical skills.” David J. Beberwyk “Expanding career opportunities for our students is a major thrust of the new real estate center,” he says. “The center will also further develop the kind of collaborative partnerships that return value to the community.”

CENTER GOALS RR Expand real estate education opportunities. RR Reinforce existing and establish new partnerships with real estate entities. RR Bolster UNO real estate research initiatives and disseminate findings and best practices. RR Attract and recruit new talent to study real estate.

DAVID BEBERWYK is a real estate instructor and the director of administration and academics for CBA’s new Center for Real Estate and Asset Management. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University (M.S. ’97) and University of Arizona (B.S. ’90), he is a licensed Nebraska real estate broker and maintains a Florida real estate sales associate license. He has worked in the commercial, governmental and residential property management sectors and has experience with real estate brokerage operations, environmental management, and commercial and residential consulting. Beberwyk also garnered valuable team leadership experience as a member of the U.S. Air Force, and he has applied knowledge of project management and finance concepts as well as quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques.

RR Develop synergy with other UNO programs.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 7

NEW FACULTY

Erin Bass

Assistant Professor Marketing and Management

“What attracted me to UNO, besides my history here, is the tremendous momentum behind this college. It simply can’t be compared to other schools.” Erin Bass ERIN BASS is a native of Calgary, Canada, but she is not new to Omaha, having earned her bachelor’s and MBA degrees at UNO. She earned her doctorate in business management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2014. Bass has received several awards, including the 2015 Dean’s Citation for Excellence in Research; the 2015 Faculty Award for Research, Department of Marketing and Management; and the MBA Professor of the Year for 2015. She has presented her research at Harvard University.

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

A member of CBA’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising, Bass explores two streams of research. One examines how nonprofits such as arts organizations and social entrepreneurs can emerge and thrive when their goals are noneconomic in nature. The second is how businesses such as energy companies can be innovative while still managing to satisfy regulations and environmental concerns. Her background as a professional dancer with the nonprofit San Diego

Ballet and Omaha Ballet (now Ballet Nebraska) and her past corporate work in investor relations for the oil and gas industry provide unique insight and experience for her research. “What attracted me to UNO, besides my history here, is the tremendous momentum behind this college,” she says. “It simply can’t be compared to other schools.”

NEW CONCENTRATION

Steven A. Schulz

Assistant Professor Marketing and Management

Schulz directs supply chain management concentration

new undergraduate concentration focuses on the supply chain functions within an organization, including logistics (transportation management and scheduling), procurement

(purchasing and materials management), effective resource management (lean manufacturing and lean supply chain management) and the three pillars of sustainable supply chains (people, profit and planet). “Due to global competition and advances in technology, figuring out how to deliver more value to customers is a growing field of study,” says Steven A. Schulz, assistant professor of marketing and management and director of the concentration. “We have created new classes in response to the changing needs of our industry partners, including Union Pacific, Werner Enterprises, Fastenal and Valmont Industries.” For the concentration, students will complete 18 credit hours, including nine hours in required courses and nine hours in elective courses. Schulz says that with input from industry stakeholders and from the faculty and deans of three UNO colleges, “We have really put together a fine program. “The various facets of this concentration bring together the faculty and deans of CBA, the College of Information Science & Technology and the College of Public Affairs and Community Service in a true partnership,” Schulz says. “That really sets our program apart.”

STEVEN SCHULZ earned his doctorate in marketing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He currently teaches courses in supply chain management, industrial purchasing, logistics and quality management, and he directs the new undergraduate concentration in supply chain management. He has also taught courses in product management, sales management, materials management and industrial marketing. An accomplished researcher of numerous topics in supply chain management and marketing, Schulz has published papers in the Journal of Marketing Channels, Health Marketing Quarterly, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management and the Journal of Products Marketing. He is a member of the Association of Operations Management, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, the Academy of Management, the Nebraska Trucking Association and the Institute of Supply Management, and he is a reviewer for several academic journals and conferences. “I’ve served as a consultant to dozens of companies across the United States, and I continue to work with the college’s industry partners on a regular basis,” he says. “My research is truly applied research. There is a considerable amount of legwork involved, but it is extremely satisfying to apply fresh ideas to practical problems and bring these ideas into the courses I create and teach.”

“Figuring out how to deliver more value to customers is a growing field of study. We have created new classes in response to the changing needs of our industry partners.” Steven A. Schulz YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 9

NEW FACULTY

Ben O. Smith

Assistant Professor, Economics

BEN SMITH earned his doctorate in economics at Washington State University. His current teaching responsibilities include managerial economics, essential concepts and industrial organization. An entrepreneur who previously ran a small software company, he is a member of the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising. With interests in industrial organization, behavioral economics and big data, Smith researches two-sided markets, social networks and plant agglomeration as well as the impact of patents on the size of emerging technologies. “Economics is the underlying science of all other business fields,” he says. “And while all economics is about maximizing decisions, not all

these decisions are about money. One recent paper that I reviewed looked at the decisions of parents to work from home. Some firms pay less if you work from home, but that flexibility has a value to the employee.” Smith says his research examines industrial organization problems and regional problems, such as why some businesses situate themselves in close proximity to others in their particular industry and what the effects might be. “For example,” he says, “an urban area where a large number of welleducated people live actually benefits all people in that area just by the fact that all these little intellectual collisions happen in that space.”

“Here, I have the freedom . . . to take tools traditionally used in psychology and ask how we can enhance our knowledge of management and decision-making. For a business school, this opportunity is quite unique.” Leif Lundmark

Leif Lundmark

Assistant Professor Marketing and Management

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

LEIF LUNDMARK holds a Ph.D. from the David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah. Prior to joining the College of Business Administration, he founded and directed Lyssna Audio Inc., a manufacturer of hi-fidelity audio equipment. He has lived in the Dominican Republic and Sweden and has worked and consulted for numerous startups in the transportation and design industries. At UNO, Lundmark also serves as an active member of the Center for Collaboration Science and the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising. Research interests for Lundmark include strategic management and entrepreneurship, specifically focusing on the cognitive and behavioral foundations of strategic problem

formulation and decision-making. As a member of the core research group of the Commerce and Applied Behavioral (CAB) Laboratory at UNO, he oversees the administration and implementation of experimental research involving technologies, including eye tracking, facial recognition, galvanic skin response (GSR) and electroencephalograms (EEG). “I have a background as an entrepreneur, and I have always been intrigued by the human mind,” he says. “Here, I have the freedom to explore beyond conventional strategy research, to take tools traditionally used in psychology and ask how we can enhance our knowledge of management and decision-making. For a business school, this opportunity is quite unique.”

FACULTY HONORS

Nan Xu

Instructor, Economics NAN XU earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Minnesota. Although only at CBA for one year while on leave from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, he is quite familiar with UNO, as his wife, Jieru Bai, has served the past three years as an assistant professor at the Grace Abbott School of Social Work in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS).

Xu says he considers teaching to also be an opportunity for him to learn. “I attempt to incorporate something new every time I prepare for teaching and share these new concepts with my students,” he says. Xu’s research interests include international economics, growth and development, environmental economics and macroeconomics. Along with fellow faculty member Ben Smith, one of his current projects involves comparing a traditional grading system with an alternative grading system to determine if the alternative improves academic performance. “Rather than give students a number of points for work they complete and their scores on tests they take,” he says, “the alternative gives every student 1,000 points at the beginning of the semester, then takes away points based on their performance.” 2015 Faculty Honors Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles

Steven Nath

Instructor, Accounting STEVEN NATH has a long history in the corporate world, having served in a variety of accounting and finance roles in his 23 years at Ag Processing Inc. (AGP), a cooperatively owned agribusiness and the largest cooperative soybean processing company in the world, and as CFO at Soy Energy LLC. The Omaha native earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting

and his MBA at UNO. As an instructor, he teaches financial accounting, managerial accounting and MBA accounting courses. “I bring a wide array of practical experience to the classroom,” Nath says. “I have 25 years of private industry experience, from entry level to CFO and a little of everything along the way.” In the classroom, Nath guides his students to become better decision makers and to be able to adapt quickly to change. “Today’s world changes in the blink of an eye,” he says. “Technology alone moves so quickly that every two or three years, you have a whole different business world to understand and navigate.”

MBA Professor of the Year Erin Bass

Graduate Accounting Professor of the Year Jennifer Riley

2015 Dean’s Citations Erin Bass, Research Xiaoyan Cheng, Research Tim Yoder, Teaching Steve Schulz, Service Mary Lynn Reiser, Overall Performance Jean Waters, Nebraska Business

Development Center

Pictured: Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles, assistant professor; Lee Denker, president and CEO, Alumni Association

“Business gave me great experience, but teaching revolves around giving something back. The students here are eager to learn, and I get a charge out of that.” Steven Nath YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 11

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT

SAUDI ARABIA, VIETNAM, MOLDOVA CBA Fulbright Scholars exchange knowledge and culture

conomics Professor Catherine Yap Co and Management Professor Ziaul Huq are the latest College of Business Administration faculty members to be named Fulbright Scholars. Huq will spend the first six months of 2016 in Saudi Arabia after receiving his second Fulbright award. His first Fulbright award was to his homeland of Bangladesh in 2008. The prestigious and highly competitive award, coupled with a UNO Faculty Research International grant, will fund Huq’s research on Six Sigma quality programs, an area with new research applications in a developing country like Saudi Arabia. “Total Quality Management was the approach in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000,” he says. “Six Sigma is more

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

“The one-on-one interactions that take place as a result of this program are among some of the best international relations opportunities for people from different cultures to better understand each other.” Jack Armitage

structured, more focused. My research focuses on competency issues, an element that’s left out of the traditional Six Sigma model.” Huq will also teach graduatelevel operations and supply chain management classes at Umm Al-Qura University in Mecca. Co, the Ward Y. and George T. Lindley Professor at CBA, recently completed a 10-month appointment as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to teach and conduct workshops in Vietnam. “This year has been one of the most important and memorable in my academic career,” she says. Co says that throughout her travels in Vietnam, “I was struck by the young generation’s genuine desire to engage with the rest of the world. I met dedicated individuals who are passionate

FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS

about their work. I met students who I have no doubt will make important contributions to Vietnam’s development. I met young entrepreneurs who, despite challenges, are thriving. “I went to Vietnam as a scholar wanting to better understand the factors underlying the country’s economic achievements,” she says. “I left Vietnam with a much better appreciation of the country’s beautiful and varied landscapes, rich history and tradition, people’s sense of community, generosity and forgiving spirit.” CBA Distinguished Alumni Accounting Professor Jack Armitage, CPA, CFE, traveled to Moldova for three weeks in fall 2008 and three weeks during spring 2009 as part of the Fulbright Specialists Program. “My main activity in Moldova was teaching advanced auditing in the Academy of Economic Studies in Moldova (AESM) master’s degree program, but I also did some other seminars for faculty and accounting and auditing professionals in Moldova,” Armitage says. Those seminars included a daylong fraud workshop for ACAP, the professional association of accountants and auditors in Moldova.

“My most valuable accomplishment was teaching advanced auditing to AESM graduate students,” he says. “I believe I added a USA and western European perspective to some of the auditing issues as well as presenting research finding on auditing issues.” Armitage lauds his experience in the Fulbright program. “The Fulbright Specialists Program is tremendous,” he says. “The one-on-one interactions that take place as a result of this program are among some of the best international relations opportunities for people from different cultures to better understand each other.”

Administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, the Fulbright mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange. The core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides approximately 800 teaching and/or research grants to U.S. faculty and experienced professionals in a wide variety of fields. Approximately 310,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in the program since its inception in 1946.

Ziaul Huq

“I left Vietnam with a much better appreciation of the country’s beautiful and varied landscapes, rich history and tradition, people’s sense of community, generosity and forgiving spirit.” Catherine Yap Co Catherine Co with workshop participants at the American Center, U.S. Consulate, HCMC

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 13

SPORTSMANSHIP

t four years old, Ryan Massa put on his first pair of skates — against his parents’ wishes. “When my uncle came to visit, they gave him explicit instructions not to take me to an ice rink,” Massa said. Originally from Vermont, his parents knew the time, expense and injury factor that came along with the fast-paced sport. His uncle took him anyway, and Massa was hooked right away. “I wouldn’t shut up about it,” he said. For the next year, Massa learned to skate. At 6, he put on the pads for his first game. His position? Goalie. “I got a shutout my first game,” he said. “Ever since then, it was nothing but playing goalie.” Massa, 25, finished his senior season as the Mavericks’ starting goaltender, leading the team to its first NCAA Frozen Four appearance in school history. The standout from Littleton, Colorado, was the oldest guy on the team. He played junior hockey in Fargo, North Dakota, before enrolling at UNO at 21. “My age and experience have helped in the classroom and on the ice,” he said, explaining that maturity is key to playing such an intense position and managing a rigorous course load. A finance and banking major, Massa maintained a competitive GPA amid his hectic practice and travel schedules, crediting his classroom successes to his finance tutor, academic advisor and CBA professors. “The professors here are first-rate,” he said. “They go out of their way to support your efforts and make you successful.”

FROZEN FOUR

Mav goalie enjoys historic senior season 14

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

“UNO and Omaha are special places, and we are excited that Baxter Arena will serve as a venue for athletics, graduations, concerts and community events.” Mickey Anderson

He’s had many successes to celebrate. During his final season, Massa was named to the 2014-15 National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Scholar-Athlete Team as the Mavericks’ representative, one of only eight players chosen from the conference. He was also a finalist for the NCHC’s Goaltender of the Year award. Massa made 44 saves and allowed three goals in a 4-1 loss to Providence during the Frozen Four semifinals on April 9 in Boston. He finished the season first in the conference in goals against average (1.96) and save percentage (.939), both school records. A summer 2015 graduate, Massa still has his eyes set on the National Hockey League, a goal he’s had since he was 6. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to play a sport for a job,” he says. Whatever his future holds, Massa is happy he moved to Omaha, calling the city his second home. He’s also happy he’s skating away with a business degree. “Whenever hockey’s over, whenever that may be, I’ve got a nice degree to fall back on,” he said.

Baxter Arena has CBA ties

mid the Frozen Four hype and hockey headlines, something else was brewing behind the scenes for UNO athletics. On June 3, the university announced that its new arena, under construction since late 2013, will sport a name familiar to many Nebraskans: Baxter. The naming ceremony featured remarks from Baxter Auto President Mickey Anderson as well as University of Nebraska Board of Regents member Howard Hawks, UNO Chancellor John Christensen and UNO Vice Chancellor for Athletics Trev Alberts. “The partnership between our family and UNO goes back to 1957 when our father, Tal Anderson, was a baseball and basketball player,” Mickey Anderson said. “UNO and Omaha are special places, and we are excited that Baxter Arena will serve as a venue for athletics, graduations, concerts and community events.” Mickey Anderson serves on CBA’s National Advisory Board. Tal Anderson worked at the original Johnny Baxter during his time as a UNO student, eventually becoming the company’s owner in 1984 — the same year he earned his degree in business administration. Tal also served on CBA’s National Advisory Board and was named a CBA Distinguished Alumnus in 1992. He passed away in 2009. Opening in October, Baxter Arena will seat 7,500 and serve as the home for the hockey, basketball and volleyball teams as well as host special events.

Business majors on the 2014–15 team YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 15

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Young designer conquers NYC fashion week “I had problems finding clothes that I liked. I just kind of stopped complaining about it and buckled down and figured it out for myself. I really believe that entrepreneurship is a solution to a lot of problems.” Hannah Olson

ard work, great ideas, skill and creative designs landed 19-year-old sophomore entrepreneurship and marketing major Hannah Olson on the fashion runway in New York City in June. Olson won the 2014 Maverick Business Plan Competition — the first freshman to win the event. She went on to be named the National Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Student Startup of the Year as owner and CEO of Hannah Caroline Couture. Dedicated to plus-size designs, Olson impressed the judges and audiences at Omaha Fashion Week and Kansas City Fashion Week and earned an invitation to Full Figured Fashion Week, an international showcase for plus-size models and designers held annually in New York City.

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Olson says she was introduced to many key fashion industry people at several exciting events including the week’s launch party. “I also met two women from Columbia University who were filming a documentary and said they wanted me and my designs to be a major part of their film,” she says.

Before leaving Omaha, she had decided to keep her age to herself as much as possible, hoping instead to concentrate on building buzz for her designs. “Word quickly got out that I was 19, and everybody began talking about it,” she says. “Pretty soon, ‘19’ got to be my nickname.” The night of the fashion show, Olson revealed 12 pieces on the runway. Since then, four boutiques have inquired about carrying her clothing line, and she has been the subject of positive write-ups by several prominent fashion bloggers. “New York turned out even better than I had anticipated,” Olson says. “I had a set of metrics for the trip and each day I was there, I added more.”

CENTER FOR INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FRANCHISING

MooManager wins big

achel Ostrander, 2013 Maverick Business Plan Competition winner, took first place at the 2014 BigIdea! Pitch Contest for MooManager, a livestock management software application. Ostrander was one of 13 finalists selected from over 200 video entries to give a live pitch before a panel of judges. Her prizes included a trip to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the National CEO Pitch Contest. There she won $2,500, taking second place out of 60 competitors. In July, Ostrander, who graduated in the spring with a degree in IT innovation, received the Peter Kiewit Student Entrepreneurial Award, the University of Nebraska’s top honor awarded to student entrepreneurs.

UNO honors CEO leadership

enior business student Anthony MacBride was named Outstanding Student Organization Member and Dale Eesley, director of the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising, was named Advisor of the Year for their leadership roles in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO). The honors were presented at the Student Involvement Awards Banquet, sponsored by the UNO Office of Student Activities. As CEO president, MacBride was instrumental in growing the organization’s membership from 12 to 84.

Yoga, art and a business plan — a winning combination

lexander Hiffernan, 2015 Maverick Business Plan Competition winner, spent no time meditating on what to do with his $3,000 prize. A few weeks after the competition, Hiffernan opened 100 Block Studio, his yoga instruction and art workshop business. “What I think is remarkable is his willingness to engage the community right away,” says Associate Professor Dale Eesley, director of the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising, which sponsors the annual competition. “He clearly is very passionate about his idea and started up as soon as he could.” Equipped with supplies purchased with his winnings, the studio in downtown Council Bluffs started offering classes in May and plans to expand its offerings this fall. Hiffernan says his long-term vision is to build 100 Block Studio into an “irreplaceable art center in the community.”

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 17

COMPETITION 40 teams face off in business case study competition

nalyzing a complex business case in a limited period of time was the challenge accepted by 40 teams of students in the 2015 Case Study Competition. Graduating seniors enrolled in the Corporate and Business Policy capstone course took part. From start to finish, teams had less than three hours to comprehend a complex business situation, develop a creative and practical solution, and build a presentation that communicated their ideas. The first round of competition took place March 13-14 when the field of 40 teams was trimmed to 18. On April 10, those teams competed for a spot in the four-team finals. On April 24, the final four teams faced each other before a panel of judges and an audience of family, friends and fellow students.

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

First place team: Ryan Corey, Kimberly Keane, Alexa Nelson, David Holst

“They all presented the same case in the same amount of time,” says Assistant Professor of Management Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles. “The recommendations they make are based on each team’s analysis, so their recommendations tend to differ. That sets the teams apart.” Placing first was the team of Ryan Corey, accounting; David Holst, banking, finance and investment science; Kimberly Keane, management and entrepreneurship; and Alexa Nelson, marketing. The second place team was Breahn Copenhaver, marketing and management; Tyler

Frank, management and entrepreneurship; Daniel Mende, accounting; Stephanie Hippen, finance, banking and investment science; and Zach Martin, human resource management. Teams in the final round presented to a panel of 10 judges: PleggenkuhleMiles; Lynn Harland, associate dean; professors Erin Bass, Leif Lundmark, and Rebecca Morris; Ed Cochran, Gavilon; Craig Bence, Owen Industries Inc.; Jim Powell, TD Ameritrade; Bill Schultz, Bank of the West; and Parker Thornburg, Yahoo!

CBA SCHOLARS ACADEMY

Brianna Eisert, right, and Dominika Jedinak, members of the first Scholars Academy cohort

High achievers selected for Scholars Academy

efore Brianna Eisert wanted a career in business, she wanted to be a lot things — including an interpreter, engineer, architect or astronaut. “But then I realized I could be all of those things with a business major because business can be part of any career field I want to go into,” said the 2015 graduate of Papillion-La Vista South High School. Eisert is one of 20 freshmen selected to join the new Scholars Academy, an honors program uniquely designed for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. The new CBA Scholars rose to the top after a competitive application process that considered academic and extracurricular credentials, community involvement, career goals and performance during a day of interviews. The 2015 cohort has a 3.96 average high school GPA and received more than $140,000 in scholarships from CBA. “The caliber of applicants for the

Scholars Academy far exceeded my expectations,” said Bethany Hughes, director of the Scholars Academy. “Acceptance to the program was competitive, and I’m looking forward to welcoming the first cohort this fall. They are setting the bar high from the very beginning.” Throughout the program, Scholars will connect with business professionals through a mentorship program, corporate visits and internships. Together, they will take eight academic courses, reserved just for highachieving students. A study abroad trip is planned for their junior year. “The opportunities that are before the 20 of us are going to be an amazing experience,” said RJ Dechow, of Gretna, Nebraska. “Making connections, fulfilling opportunities — we’re making history here.” Twenty freshmen will be added to the program each year, eventually bringing the total number of Scholars to 80.

“The caliber of applicants for the Scholars Academy far exceeded my expectations. They are setting the bar high from the very beginning.” Bethany Hughes

“I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the group,” said Gabrielle Estivo, of Wichita, Kansas. “We will seek the same goal but through many different ways. I’m excited to be part of such a small, select group.”

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 19

STUDENT VETERANS

CBA named No. 1 military-friendly business school

BEST FOR VETS K

yle Francis says going back to school was the second best decision of his life. The first? Joining the military. Francis, 32, joined the Army in 2005 — his decision to enlist fueled by a nagging feeling he wasn’t accomplishing anything. “I was a rowdy youth,” Francis says, explaining that when he lost his father, he lost his moral compass. “I knew I could be a better person. I needed a kick in the butt to get there.” Stationed in Hawaii, he served five years before beginning a new chapter as a college student. After earning a bachelor’s degree, the student veteran enrolled in UNO’s Master of Business Administration program in fall 2014 and immediately felt at ease. He noticed the program’s parallels to the military — namely, the hands-on approach. “You get handed a project that’s applicable to

the real world,” he says. “My military background helped me adapt to getting a project and taking responsibility for it.” Another comfort was the support he’s received from the university. “In the military, there’s always somewhere you can go to get help,” Francis says. “UNO has been the first place I’ve found something similar to that.” In March, the College of Business Administration earned the top spot on the Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Business Schools 2015” list. The announcement followed UNO’s overall No. 1 ranking as a military-friendly university in November 2014. CBA stood out against other b-schools from across the country, including Syracuse University (No. 2), the University of Southern California (No. 9) and Ohio State University (No. 14). The survey considered factors

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Kyle Francis, MBA 2016

118

Major General John Uberti, deputy commanding general, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, gave the keynote address at the Strategic Leadership Fellows Program graduation in May. Uberti was chief of staff, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, before his current assignment.

such as enrollment, support services related to tuition assistance and academic advising, and average Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores. “Because many business classes are applied, particularly in the MBA program, students with military experience tend to thrive,” says Lex Kaczmarek, MBA program director. Student veterans have a long history with CBA, dating back to the Bootstrapper program, which gave tuition support for veterans following World War II. The program started at Omaha University in 1951, one year before CBA was formed. CBA is also a major partner in the Strategic Leadership Fellows Program, launched in 2014 through the University of Nebraska’s Strategic Research Institute. The first-of-its-kind partnership provides graduate-level education to civilian leaders within the United States Strategic Command. Fellows program coordinators Gina Ligon, associate professor of Management and Collaboration

SERVICE MEMBERS AND STUDENT VETERANS ENROLLED IN CBA IN SPRING 2015

Science, and Doug Derrick, assistant professor of IT Innovation, are leading several research projects on national security strategies for the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. Francis, a graduate assistant, worked with Ligon and Derrick this spring on one such project that explored organizational collaboration within the homeland security environment. The collaboration he experienced among the research team was “unparalleled,” he says, even compared to his experiences in the military.

Francis loved contributing to such a critical, real-world project, but it did have its challenges. “In the military, you don’t go home until the job’s done,” he says. “It was a challenge for me to let the project go and come back to it tomorrow.” Francis, who grew up in Kearney, will finish his MBA in May 2016. And although he plans to get some corporate experience in project management or human resources, going back for a Ph.D. isn’t out of the question. “I’ve loved going to college,” he says. “I’m going to be sad to give it up.”

“The significant experiences of our student veterans really add a wealth of diversity to the classroom. The perspectives they bring to discussions and group projects greatly enhance the learning experiences of all students.” Lex Kaczmarek

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 21

INTERNSHIPS

Taylor Musil ConAgra

Interns get headstart on career paths

“[Internships] ... give corporations and organizations a connection to our classrooms. They see firsthand what our students are learning and are capable of accomplishing.” Bianca Harley

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

he knowledge gained by College of Business Administration students isn’t limited to the classroom. By the time they don a cap and gown, a majority of CBA students will have experienced at least one internship — and some will have interned at two or three companies. “The College of Business Administration is truly invested in seeing students have significant opportunities to obtain quality, practical experience as interns,” says CBA Career Development Coordinator Bianca Harley. “The Career Center at CBA exists so students can connect with employers. About 63 percent of our students obtain internships by the time they graduate.” Harley says more opportunities exist today for year-round paid internships. “For the companies that offer these internships, our students serve as a candidacy pool for future hiring,” she says. “It strengthens CBA’s relationships with the companies, and it gives

these corporations and organizations a connection to our classrooms. They see firsthand what our students are learning and what they are accomplishing.” CBA senior Taylor Musil is a paid intern at ConAgra and has two other internships lined up. She says her duties at ConAgra have included tracking incidents and their resolution for information technology (IT) teams and working on internal audits. She plans to begin a career in public accounting. “Because I am an accounting major, my second rotation has helped with my understanding of IT and the day-to-day work an auditor does,” Musil says. Balancing a full course load and 15 to 25 hours on the job each week is a challenge that has many rewards, she says. “With internships, I believe that the more you do, the better idea you will have of what kind of company you’ll want to work for.” Anna Dancer is a real estate property management intern at Union Pacific. A

CAREER CENTER AT CBA

Theodore Kirkpatrick

Berkshire Hathaway Tenaska Capital Management Seim Johnson LLP First National Bank

Anna Dancer Union Pacific

“The knowledge I’ve gained in these internships and the connections I’ve made have given me tremendous confidence.” Theodore Kirkpatrick marketing major with minors in international business and accounting, she works at UP during the week and at a second job as an event coordinator on the weekends. This fall, she will study abroad in Norway. “At UP, I’ve learned a lot about reading railroad maps and about railroad terminology, and I’ve become more familiar with property laws,” Dancer says. “I’ve learned something new every day, and it has made my college papers easier to write because I have a deeper understanding of the corporate world in general and the

culture here in particular. I would love to stay with UP after I graduate, perhaps in marketing and sales.” When Theodore Kirkpatrick graduates in December 2015, he will have held internships at Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies, Tenaska Capital Management, Seim Johnson LLP and First National Bank. “Having so many experiences, I have been able to see how different companies deal with issues,” he says. “I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned academically to real-world, hands-on projects. What I’ve gained just can’t be

replicated in the classroom alone.” Active in numerous CBA organizations and UNO student government, Kirkpatrick says he “makes a lot of lists” so that he can prioritize his time. “You have to determine what is most important to you, then take a leap and put yourself out there,” he says. Kirkpatrick believes confidence is a key element of success. “The knowledge I’ve gained in these internships and the connections I’ve made have given me tremendous confidence,” he says. “You work better if you believe in yourself.”

SPRING 2015 CAREER & INTERNSHIP FAIR

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 23

MBA

Creating a new generation of physician leaders

Merging Medicine and Management

ustin Makovicka missed two major milestones during what should have been his final semester of medical school. In late March 2015, his classmates attended Match Day, an annual rite of passage where senior med students receive their residency assignments. A few weeks after, they graduated. But Makovicka, 27, now has something his classmates donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t: an MBA. The Ulysses, Nebraska, native will be the first graduate of the five-year MD/MBA dual degree program between the University of Nebraska Medical Center and UNO College of Business Administration. Although Makovickaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MBA coursework set him back one year, the extra credential will likely set him apart from other candidates in an increasingly competitive and financially challenged healthcare environment.

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

DUAL MD/MBA PROGRAM

“I figured, what’s one more year?” says the nutrition science major who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December 2010 and started at UNMC the following fall. To combat the rapidly changing profession, dual degrees in medicine have been rising over the last two decades. Dr. Chandrakanth Are, who directs the MD/MBA program at UNMC, says MBA coursework is now the most common supplement during medical school, surpassing other degree pairings such as Ph.D., MPH and J.D. Between 2011 and 2012, the number of MD/MBA programs in America grew by 25 percent, according to a study published in American Medicine. To date, there are at least 65 medical schools that offer the joint degree. “We don’t need every physician to have an MBA,” Are says, “but 5 to 10 percent of them should have this [degree] so they can be siphoned off into leadership and administrative positions to make sure the business aspects of healthcare are taken care of.” The surgical oncologist and Jerald L. and Carolynn J. Varner Professor of Surgical Oncology and Global Health says he’s long had an interest in the business and policy aspects of healthcare, stemming from his experiences training and working in three continents with vastly different healthcare systems. He also noticed a growing “disenchantment” among physicians.

“We’ve had the misperception in healthcare that good clinicians will translate to good leaders, but clinical acumen does not always translate to effective leadership in managing healthcare.” Dr. Chandrakanth Are

“Our profession, at times it feels like it’s being run by people who don’t know much about our profession,” he says. These experiences compelled Are to complete UNO’s Executive MBA program, where he geared class projects toward healthcare topics to gain practical knowledge about business operations in hospitals and the intricacies of his own workplace. “Now I have some knowledge of what the business is and how it is run,” he says. “Our profession now is looking for more people like that, physicians

with a bit of business knowledge so we can help steer our profession in these challenging times.” Are’s education also puts him in the position to mentor the next generation of “physician leaders,” as he calls them. They are “physicians who we think have the capacity, stamina and knowledge to do more than just take care of an individual patient,” he says. “We’ve had the misperception in healthcare until recently where we thought that good clinicians will translate to good leaders, but clinical acumen does not always translate to effective leadership in managing healthcare, which is more like a business these days.” To identify ideal candidates, Are looks for a high class rank but also places weight on subjective factors. For example, he asks why they want the business degree. “If it’s for the right reasons, then I encourage it,” he says. “Fortunately, most of them give the right reason, which is ‘I want to help the profession.’” Makovicka fits that bill. “He’s the type of student we look for,” Are says. “He knows where he stands and knows why he’s doing it.” Makovicka says he’s always had an interest in business, although he didn’t explore the subject in college. “I never got to step foot inside the business building,” he says. “I was always a little jealous of that.” He knew he wanted to pursue a career in healthcare — either medicine (Continued on next page)

Paving the way Dr. Are mentored the program’s pilot student, Kulia Matsuo, who was instrumental in shaping the program. She earned an MBA in 2009, the same year the program was approved. Dr. Matsuo recently completed her radiology residency at Indiana University and began a fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 25

MBA Merging Medicine and Management (Continued from previous page)

or physical therapy. His older brother, Joel, is president of Makovicka Physical Therapy, and his dad and sister are also physical therapists. “Healthcare ran in the family growing up,” he says. Another Makovicka family tradition? Football. His dad played at Kearney State College; he and his three brothers played for the Huskers. Makovicka, a fullback, left the team his senior season after his nephew sustained a football-related brain injury as a sixth grader. It was a turning point for Makovicka. He admired the way the medical team cared for his nephew and the entire family. “The neurosurgeon almost became part of the family,” he says. He knew he wanted to provide care like that one day and decided his future trumped his fleeting football career. He plans to become an orthopaedic surgeon and aspires to open his own practice, where his new business knowledge will serve him well. Putting his medical classes on hold to study business was a welcome change of pace for Makovicka. “It was a breath of fresh air,” he says, a reprieve from memorizing science textbooks. He especially enjoyed accounting and finance classes, where he learned useful information about investing and reading financial statements. “Justin had a really steep hill to climb with the MBA since he did not have a business background,” says Lex Kaczmarek, MBA program

MD+MBA

Justin Makovicka will be the first graduate of the fiveyear dual degree program between the University of Nebraska Medical Center and UNO College of Business Administration.

director. “He excelled in his classes, impressed the faculty and qualified for recognition as a UNO Distinguished MBA Scholar by placing in the 96th percentile on the Major Field Test for MBA students.” Makovicka says he owes some of his success to Kaczmarek. “She is really invested in this program and wants to see it succeed,” he says. The joint program has been steadily gaining steam since the curriculum was approved in 2009. Are and Kaczmarek worked together to move the proposal through UNO and UNMC curriculum committees. While presenting to the UNMC committee, Are was pleased with how well the program was received. “It was amazing, no one said anything other than ‘why didn’t we do this before?’” Are and Kaczmarek have high hopes for the future. “One of the greatest joys I have is — this is UNMC and UNO. We’re in the same city,” he says. “The vision is to build collaborations stretching from the leaf level, which would be the student, to the forest level, which would be the two campuses. Through that, you don’t know what else we can do to benefit each other. Through that collaboration, I want to build the next generation of healthcare leaders.” And Makovicka’s advice to other medical students mulling over an MBA? “Don’t be afraid to add that extra year to your education.”

“He excelled in his classes, impressed the faculty and qualified for recognition as a UNO Distinguished MBA Scholar.” Lex Kaczmarek

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

1 + 1 MBA international program

ew partnerships with universities in Belgium, India and France will expand the student exchange programs at CBA and enhance the college’s status as a global education destination, says Executive Management Education Professor Phani Tej Adidam. Adidam, who also serves as director of international initiatives, says the University of Ghent in Belgium and the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University in India have become the third and fourth institutions to take part in the CBA 1 + 1 MBA program. CBA launched the program in 2010 with the Technological University at Braunschweig, Germany. In 2012, it also commenced a similar program with the Management Center Innsbruck, Austria.

In the 1 + 1 MBA program, participants study for one year at the foreign campuses and then travel to UNO to complete the two-year program. Upon graduation, they receive an MBA from UNO and a master’s degree from their home university. CBA has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon, France, to launch a classic student exchange program, beginning in spring 2016. Discussions are underway to expand the 1 + 1 MBA program to Vietnam and potentially to China. Adidam, who has taught in Finland, Belgium, India and Egypt, says many of these partnerships will afford CBA instructors a chance to travel to these universities to teach. The Burgundy School of Business, for example, each year hosts 60 visiting professors.

“We bring so much value back to the classroom here and make it a truly global experience for our students.” Phani Tej Adidam “It is challenging in that at the same time we are still responsible for our teaching responsibilities at CBA,” he says. “Yet it is worthwhile because we bring so much value back to the classroom here and make it a truly global experience for our students.”

Andres Recinos, Florian Holzknecht, Jeff Green, Ryan Sherwood, Professor David Volkman

MBA team takes ACG Cup

our College of Business Administration graduate students again took first place in the ACG Cup, an intercollegiate case study competition, on April 16, competing against students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Creighton University and Bellevue University. Hosted by the Association for Corporate Growth Nebraska chapter, the

competition gives students a taste of a real-world mergers and acquisitions process, including valuation, capital markets and risk analysis. Student teams were given a case study and had one week to conduct research and analysis, come up with a comprehensive solution and plan a presentation to a panel of high-level business professionals.

The team included three MBA students, Jeff Green, Andres Recinos and Florian Holzknecht, and one EMBA student, Ryan Sherwood. The ACG Cup competition is in its fourth year, and UNO has taken first or second place every year. In addition to the trophy, the winning team receives a $4,000 check.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 27

EXECUTIVE MBA

Photo: John Wollwerth (123rf.com)

For the greater good

International capstone projects heighten social awareness

he Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program, celebrating its 40th year in 2015, continues to expand its outreach throughout the world and its efforts to aid a growing number of nonprofits. In an endeavor to help EMBA students understand the importance of social responsibility and the impact businesses can have on social issues, the EMBA program has conducted international business research studies for nonprofit organizations involved with social awareness. Gearing capstone projects to these nonprofit corporations is a doubleedged sword, says EMBA program director Bill Swanson. “These are the entities that typically can’t afford to hire a consulting firm to help them solve problems or build their organizations,” Swanson says. “With our EMBA

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

teams, nonprofits receive the same high-quality, comprehensive reports and advice as they would if they’d hired a consultant, and they get it pro bono. “At the same time, these nonprofits don’t have the resources to support our teams in terms of travel costs and other expenses,” he says. “That makes it our challenge to find sponsors or other sources of funding. We’ve established

a fund through the University of Nebraska Foundation to raise money to support these types of projects on a more regular basis; however, it isn’t enough to cover what we need to further the teams’ social impact by serving even more nonprofits.” With the capstone projects, EMBA students are placed on teams and matched with a company or organization that has issues it cannot solve on

“With our EMBA teams, nonprofits receive the same high-quality, comprehensive reports and advice as they would if they’d hired a consultant, and they get it pro bono.” Bill Swanson

INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING PROJECTS

UK TEAM (top left): John Urbina, Michael Higgins, Jason Bousquet, faculty advisor Olivier Maisondieu-Laforge, Joshua Mejeur, Manjunath Shri, Jeremy Eddie. Team member Ahsan Naseem is not pictured. SCANDINAVIA TEAM (above): back row — Fedja Rochling, Colby Smith, Matthew Ord, Andrew Follmer, John Haggerty, Kurt Ubbelohde; front row — Eric Thompson. Faculty advisor Rebecca Morris is not pictured. SOUTH AFRICA TEAM (left): Jamie Hunt, Lori Mitchell, Pete Wilson, Jennifer Colwell, Taylor Kohl. Faculty advisor Phani Tej Adidam is not pictured. The team conducted market entry analysis for a company unrelated to H2One.

its own. The teams travel to countries chosen by the client, investigate the issues firsthand, then produce a report with specific recommendations for addressing the opportunities and challenges, much the same as a paid consultant would do. In 2014, two EMBA teams traveled to Scandinavia and the United Kingdom on behalf of H2One, which donates half its profits to its affiliated nonprofit, Planet Water Foundation, to install clean water filtration systems (AquaTowers) and implement hygiene education programs in schools in some of the world’s most impoverished countries. Through its “One Bottle, One Child, One Month” campaign, H2One ensures each bottle of water purchased by the public brings one child clean, safe drinking water for an entire month. H2One founder and CEO Mark Steele, who graduated from UNO in 1989 with a double major in

international business and Japanese, lauds the EMBA teams’ work. “Both reports included extensive secondary research followed by an in-depth quantitative and qualitative assessment of market conditions, along with advice and suggestions that H2One should consider when addressing these markets,” Steele says. “These assessments also involved financial modeling and ROI projections based on market and sales assumptions. “One of the key recommendations was for H2One to strengthen its brand alignment with our affiliate nonprofit partner, Planet Water Foundation,” Steele says. “We are now in the process of implementing these recommendations, which we anticipate will strengthen our product’s market presence and consumer acceptance.” Swanson says EMBA teams in 2015 have traveled to Switzerland, the Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy, working on capstone projects

ranging from elder care to animal feed. “One project involves a startup founded by an EMBA grad who asked our team to conduct some research,” Swanson says. “This is someone who has been through the program, recognizes the value and is bringing it full circle.”

Joshua Mejeur and Manjunath Shri meet with the managing director of Wenlock Springs, a bottled water manufacturer in Shropshire, UK. The EMBA team received a private tour of the facility.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 29

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT Maria Moran CURRENT POSITION: Before retiring in January 2011, I was an assistant United States attorney for the District of Nebraska, where I prosecuted criminal conspiracies to distribute controlled substances as well as gun and gang-related federal offenses. CAREER TRIUMPHS: One was receiving the 1999 Department of Justice Director’s Award for the successful prosecution of a methamphetamine ring. The second was when I was named to the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2006, an award given to attorneys with the highest degree of skill and integrity. Important to receiving this award was having tried over 100 jury trials during my career. To date only two women in Nebraska have been honored with such membership.

Doug Ewald

2014 – 2015 ANNUAL ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

CURRENT POSITION: Managing director, KPMG, leading the state and local tax practice in Nebraska. FIRST JOB: Mowing lawns. BIGGEST CAREER CHALLENGE: Being appointed to run the Nebraska Department of Revenue by Gov. Heineman. NEXT GENERATION: Oldest son, Dane, attended UNO (2014) and now attends UNMC School of Pharmacy. Youngest son, Cale, attends Buena Vista University (2017) and plays baseball. Excited to have both sons attend the universities that I attended.

Leonard Sommer CURRENT POSITION: Managing partner, Hancock & Dana PC. FIRST JOB: Sacker, Hinky Dinky Grocery Store. CHERISHED CBA MEMORY: Getting an A in Dr. Ortman’s cost accounting class. HOW CBA CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR CAREER: Opened the door to the tremendous field of public accounting. FAMILY STORY: First in my family to get a college degree.

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

2014–15 AWARDS

Tim Harrison CURRENT POSITION: Founder and owner, Harrison Financial Services, a wealth management and financial planning firm. FIRST JOB: Paper boy from age 8 until I started driving. CHERISHED CBA MEMORY: Driving my ’79 Chevrolet Caprice Classic with a compass on the dash to evening classes and trying to find a place to park.

Dan Kinsella

Mark Caniglia

CURRENT POSITION: Partner, Deloitte.

CURRENT POSITION: Marketing consulting.

CHERISHED CBA MEMORY: Spending time in the fourth floor study cove and using the ENRON computer lab (before the Wall Street meltdown).

GREATEST CAREER TRIUMPH: In the early ‘90s, US West selected Omaha as the first test market in the U.S. for a phone company to offer cable TV service. It would compete against Cox Communications where I was the head of marketing. All eyes in the communication industry were on Omaha. After three years, US West could not get enough market share from Cox to justify expanding the test. This was a battle of David and Goliath, and David won again!

BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: Cherished advice from my UNO veteran wrestling coach, Mike Denney—”always persevere in life with passion and hard work.” And a Socrates quote from my UNO economics textbook—”avoid undue elation in times of success and undue depression in times of despair.”

Maurice (Moe) Russell CURRENT POSITION: Co-founder and president, Russell Consulting Group, a leading provider of marketing and financial advice to crop and livestock producers. HOW CBA CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR CAREER: My Executive MBA experience was actually the genesis of Russell Consulting Group. During our finance course, we learned the capital budgeting process, and I thought, “Farmers could use this process to make better, more informed capital purchase decisions, and we can be their ‘CFO for hire.’” A year later I started Russell Consulting Group with Terry Jones, a farmer from Iowa. We started the business with only $1,000 cash and have never needed a loan.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 31

NOTEWORTHY

Alumnus is new assistant dean

Sabastian Hunt (left) and Eric Burns in Omaha’s Blackstone District.

YOUNG ALUMNI ENTREPRENEURS MARK HENNINGS (BSBA 2012) and his company’s flagship application, LiveBooth, was selected for the iPad 2 demo reel in all Apple stores. “It is an acknowledgment from one of the most respected businesses on the planet that we have created something unique, beautiful and innovative on their platform,” he wrote. Hennings is founder of National Media Brands Inc., an interactive agency that includes messaging apps, photography apps and video production studios. SABASTIAN HUNT (BSBA 2013) co-founded Year of the Startup, a residential incubator and mentor program that houses aspiring entrepreneurs. The company has two properties, one at 40th and Burt and the other in Little Italy in Omaha, and it has become a hotspot for people to grow their business plans and exchange ideas. ERIC BURNS (BSBA 2011) launched Nightlife Transit Co., a transportation company that takes late night bar patrons to different entertainment areas across the city, after his experience collaborating with Hunt and the other residents at Year of the Startup. “Omaha is the perfect market for this product because the entertainment districts are spread out,” Burns said. “There was a need for a late-night option, and it can be costly to constantly call a cab or an Uber.”

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ormerly CBA’s director of operations, David Nielsen was promoted to assistant dean at the College of Business Administration effective June 1, 2015. Nielsen will continue to lead the information technology team and a support team that serves more than 2,500 students and 150 faculty and staff. He will also direct the college’s budget, including long-range planning, and manage the building facilities. Nielsen is a 1992 UNO graduate, earning a master’s degree in economics, specializing in econometrics and business condition analysis. In May, he was honored with the UNO Chancellor’s Medal as the UNO employee who best reflects extraordinary service, commitment to the university and excellence in his profession. He has designed and taught courses in technology, economics, management, and information systems and quantitative analysis (ISQA). He is a board member of the Technology in Business Schools Roundtable and a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon and Beta Gamma Sigma international honor societies. He has served as president of the UNO Staff Advisory Council and advises colleges and universities throughout the country on technology and building design.

Travis Heppner

Keep in touch! QQ Join us on LinkedIn. QQ Sign up for CBA’s

monthly newsletter at cba.unomaha.edu QQ Email your ideas to

unocbaalumni@gmail.com

Greater Omaha Business Excellence Awards THREE CBA ALUMNI — one founder and two chief executive officers — were among the 32 companies and individuals honored at the Greater Omaha Business Excellence Awards celebration in May. RYAN JARDINE (BSBA 2007) received individual recognition for his leadership and entrepreneurial drive. Jardine started his company, Quality Irrigation, in 2003 when he was still in college, and it has since expanded to 20 employees. In 2012, he was named a Midlands Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winner, the

same year the Greater Omaha Chamber named his company Small Business of the Year. Two companies led by CBA alumni also received excellence awards: C&A Industries Inc. and SAC Federal Credit Union.

serves on numerous nonprofit boards in Omaha.

GAIL DEBOER (BSBA 1987) is president and CEO of SAC Federal Credit Union, a fullservice financial institution SCOT THOMPSON (MBA 1992) is president serving more than 88,000 and CEO of C&A Industries, a national members. Assuming leadership leader in staffing and recruitment. Joining in 2007, she was instrumental in C&A in 2000, he has helped the organization growing the organization from become one of the largest human capital $312 million to $640 million in management firms in the United States, total assets. according to the company’s website. He YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 33

NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

NBDC HELPS NEBRASKANS EXPLORE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS More than 70 percent of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purchasing power is located outside of the United States. Small- and medium-sized companies account for 98 percent of U.S. exporters but represent less than one-third of the known export value of U.S. goods exports. U.S. Commercial Service

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

GLOBAL BUSINESS CONSULTING

Intensive Entrepreneurship Program Accelerating business growth through new markets

en companies from across Nebraska took part in the first Intensive Entrepreneurship Program, offered in fall 2014 by the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) with the goal of accelerating company growth through sales to new markets. The program offered training in how to do business internationally, how to use market research and growth analysis to create a business strategy, and how to take advantage of available resources and assistance, says Veronica Doga, who was NBDC’s export consultant at the time of the inaugural program and has since been promoted to director of the Procurement Technical Assistance program. Participating companies also received one-to-one consulting and individualized business analyses, including a growth evaluation report to assess the company’s capacity for expansion and a market research report identifying potential new sales targets in the U.S. and abroad. Companies from Omaha, Hastings,

Veronica Doga joined NBDC as an export consultant after graduating from UNO in 2008 with an M.A. in economics. She earned a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential from NASBITE International. In 2015, Doga was promoted to director of the Procurement Technical Assistance program, leading a staff of government contracting consultants.

Grand Island, York, Ashland, Lyons, Holdrege, Lincoln, Laurel and Arlington participated at no cost thanks to special U.S. Small Business Administration funding, which supports international trade assistance for rural businesses in Nebraska. The program began with a webinar in August, followed by three monthly meetings. At the end, the growth evaluation and market research reports were delivered. In the weeks after the program’s conclusion, participants were surveyed for input about its economic impact. “Eight companies reported a total increase in sales of $565,965, along with the creation of five jobs, the retention of eight jobs, and a savings of $51,000,” Doga says. A later survey will evaluate longer term impact. “This program opened a lot of eyes to how much small businesses can benefit from our focused assistance and how successful they can be in new markets — even international ones — when they receive the necessary resources and support.”

NBDC Export Business of the Year

EO and President of Bruckman Rubber Co. Jack Schreiner became interested in international trade opportunities after participating in a trade mission with Gov. Heineman. In the past few years, Bruckman Rubber Co. has expanded its export business to account for 15 to 20 percent of its sales with a goal of building that figure nearer to 30 percent, says Schreiner. Bruckman Rubber was one of the 10 companies to participate in the inaugural Nebraska Intensive Entrepreneurship Program. It currently sells its products throughout the U.S. and in China, Mexico, Phillipines, Canada, India, Japan and France. In 2014, the company was selected as NBDC’s Export Business of the Year.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 35

NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Business student gets practical experience in international market research

Jeremy Reep

ithin a few days of starting at the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) as a student worker, Jeremy Reep got his first research assignment — and it was a big one. The senior economics and international studies major at UNO would spend the next few months conducting

market research for seven small businesses interested in exporting. Most of these companies had specific requests, telling researchers they had been contacted by potential distributors in Australia, Brazil and China. They wanted to know if such one-off orders could come to represent long-term sales strategies. A couple of the companies had no idea where to begin, asking that NBDC researchers survey global demand before focusing on a few best bets for their products. The state of Nebraska covered the cost of this market research, $600 per report, with a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Nebraska was one of only 24 states to receive funding this past year through the SBA’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program, which seeks to increase the number of small

businesses that export and the value of exports for those that already do. Since June, Reep has found everything he could about over-the-road trucking in Mexico, hardware retailing in Australia, building with concrete in China and more. After sharing the reports with clients, Josh Nichol-Caddy, NBDC’s export consultant, hopes they will be motivated by the potential and contact NBDC about their next steps. “Many small businesses do not have the staff to explore exporting as an option,” he said. “They feel it’s too complicated and difficult. And it can be. But there’s lots of help available. If even one company starts exporting — and I mean more than a shipment but an effort to make international sales part of its long-term strategy for growth — this will have been successful.”

NBDC Champion of Small Business ROGER FRANKLIN of Gary’s Cleaning & Restoration in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, received the Nebraska Business Development Center’s highest award for an entrepreneur in a ceremony at the capitol in Lincoln last spring. NBDC presents the award annually to a small business owner who has triumphed in business and is an empowering entrepreneur who stands up for other small business owners.

Pictured: Sen. John Stinner, NBDC consultant Ingrid Battershell, Roger Franklin, Lela Franklin

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ECONOMIC IMPACT

NEW FACES

NBDC REPORTS 2014 ECONOMIC IMPACT

n 2014, NBDC consultants helped small businesses in Nebraska secure $61,539,894 to invest in their businesses. That is a 63 percent increase over 2013, which represents an improved business climate, but it also resulted from hard work by consultants in helping businesses secure commercial loans, with or without an SBA guarantee. Consultants helped small businesses increase sales by $118,750,000. The largest portion was in government contracting, but the increased sales also were through additional commercial customers in the U.S. and abroad.

Josh Nichol-Caddy joins NBDC as a market research analyst and export consultant. He received a master’s degree in journalism and an MBA from the University of Missouri. While a student at MU and a full-time faculty member at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, he worked with various organizations to develop marketing and media strategies. He also has worked as a video editor, copy editor, social media marketer, reporter and freelance writer.

Laurie Matthews is the new account representative for NBDC’s Professional and Organizational Development program. She is an experienced customer service professional with a background in human resources, coaching, employee relations and talent development. In her role at NBDC, Matthews will help businesses achieve their strategic goals.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 37

LEADERSHIP

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AS CORPORATE STRATEGY

he Executive Education programs continue to deliver instruction and information customized to a growing number of corporate clients. One major project this past year is a six-month program tailored for Union Pacific where mid-level managers and supervisors across the United States attend classes three days each month on a wide range of topics, says Bill Swanson, director of the college’s Executive MBA program. “At the culmination of the program, participants make presentations to senior level management detailing their ideas for improvements based upon what they have learned during

the educational sessions,” Swanson says. “This could be a significant moment in their careers, and they take this opportunity very, very seriously.” This is the third year for this program and marks the seventh year for the regularly scheduled Executive Education programs at UP, starting in 2008 with the Business 101 weeklong program for individuals moving from rank-and-file positions to supervisory and management duties. “The program gives field management trainees a fast-track overview of business, including human relations, collaboration, team building, finances and economics,” Swanson says. “Each session is delivered by graduate-level

faculty who teach in our EMBA program, instructors who are familiar with what goes on in the businesses they serve.” The addition of field trips, such as one to the Union Pacific Harriman Dispatch Center in downtown Omaha, “are a learning experience for the participants and for our faculty,” Swanson says. “The trips give faculty an opportunity to get out, gain an even deeper understanding of the program’s major customers’ businesses and obtain knowledge that can be conveyed to students throughout the College of Business Administration.”

Left: Union Pacific executive education class at Mammel Hall; Above: Mark Winkler, general director, budget and contract services, UP; Garrett Brooks, executive education graduate; Tony Chacon, vice president, Mexico and auto operations, UP

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Developing leadership in a virtual environment Collaboration technology connects leaders in rural communities

grant from the Rural Futures Institute at the University of Nebraska has enabled a group of researchers at UNO, including two faculty members from the College of Business Administration, to examine leadership development in a virtual environment. “Our research team created a case-based learning curriculum for developing leadership skills,” says Lynn K. Harland, professor of management, CBA associate dean and director of outreach for the Center for Collaboration Science. “We delivered the training using open source collaboration technology to provide an accessible, engaging and useful leadership development program and created opportunities to connect leaders throughout Nebraska.”

“The project demonstrates that our capability to teach extends far beyond the metropolitan area to the entire state.” Gina Ligon

During the six-month study, titled “Using Crowdlearning for Leadership Development in Rural Communities,” participants worked in small groups via Google Hangouts and delved into cases that were oriented toward specific leadership, decision-making and problem-solving skills, Harland says. “We were excited to develop a cutting-edge process where rural leaders could come together in a virtual environment and discuss cases that were relevant to issues they face and share their relative experiences and insights with each other,” she says. Harland says leadership development programs typically focus on face-to-face training and have yet to evaluate the potential effectiveness of information technology, which reduces leadership opportunities for people who are situated away from potential training sites. Developing the next generation of business, civic and entrepreneurial leaders is critical for any community, she says. “Rural communities experience added challenges due to limited populations and geographic dispersion,” she says. “These two factors — coupled with a need for leaders in rural government, business and volunteer organizations — results in high demand for rural leaders. This is true in many states, not just Nebraska.” Stephanie Sands, a graduate assistant and a research associate on the study, says the program was unique and a success. “We determined it is possible to develop these skills in a virtual context,” she says. “We found significant improvements in four of the five leadership skills as well as

“We were excited to develop a cutting-edge process where rural leaders could come together in a virtual environment and discuss ... issues they face and share their relative experiences and insights.” Lynn Harland

individuals’ leadership identity, selfefficacy and motivation to lead.” Associate Professor of Management Gina Ligon is director of research and development at the Center for Collaboration Science. She was a co-principal investigator for the project along with Harland and Roni ReiterPalmon, director of innovation at the Center for Collaboration Science. “A goal was to be able to reach leaders in rural Nebraska who are unable to come to a campus to meet,” Ligon says. “In addition to successfully developing their leadership skills, the project demonstrates that our capability to teach extends far beyond the metropolitan area to the entire state.”

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 39

INFLUENCERS

MBA LEADERSHIP SERIES Clockwise from top left: Lynette Campbell, vice president of organizational development and learning, and Kurt Kline, vice president of human resources, Farm Credit Services of America; Suji Park, founder and CEO, Food Dreams Made Real and Suji Cuisine; Gail Tavil, vice president of sustainable development, ConAgra Foods; Rob Friedman, chief commercial officer, Traxo

SPECIAL GUESTS

Strategic Leadership Fellows Program Kick-Off Lieutenant General James Kowalski, deputy commander, U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) “Strategies for Spreading Awareness of Epilepsy in a Developing Society“ Dr. Nirmal Surya, founder, Epilepsy Foundation of India Remembering Our Fallen Opening Ceremony Major General Daryl L. Bohac, adjutant general, Nebraska National Guard Peter J. Hoagland Integrity in Public Service Lecture Bill de Blasio, mayor, New York City

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Business Ethics Speaker

“Business Decisions and Ethical Dilemmas: Why You Should Do the Right Thing Even When No One Is Watching” Michael G. McMillan, director, Ethics and Professional Standards, CFA Institute

Annual Accounting Speaker Series

“Low Man on the Totem Pole” Helen Sharkey, ethics consultant

“Hot Topics in a World of Risk” Larry Bradley, global head of audit, KPMG

CIEF launches entrepreneurship speaker series

he Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising helped launch a new speaker series that brought Scott Carpenter of Google and Joe Hadzima of MIT to Mammel Hall. Carpenter is deputy director of Google Ideas, a think/ do tank that explores how technology can enable people to confront threats in the face of conflict, instability and repression by connecting users, experts and engineers to research and seed new technology-driven initiatives. Hadzima is a senior lecturer in the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship working in the areas of startup companies, venture capital, corporate governance and intellectual property, among others. Hadzima has been an advisor to entrepreneurs, high-growth businesses and venture capitalists and is a founding judge of the MIT $10,000 Entrepreneurship Competition — now the MIT $100,000 Entrepreneurship Competition.

Joe Hadzima

Scott Carpenter

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 41

INFLUENCERS

Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference

ationally recognized speakers were among the 16 entrepreneurs who presented at the 2015 Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference in Omaha in April. Sponsored by the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising, the fourth annual conference brought together students from 17 Midwest universities. Speakers included Jason Lucash, co-founder of OrigAudio, who appeared on two seasons of “Shark Tank” and who was named

Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year; Veronika Scott, founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, an organization that trains and hires homeless women to manufacture a coat/ sleeping bag for people living on the streets; and Ryan Downs, CEO at Proxibid, which has created a $2.5 billion online marketplace for high-value and specialized assets. Previously, Downs was a senior vice president of worldwide operations at PayPal.

Genius of Buffett Guest Lecturers

Clockwise from top left: Susan Buffett, chair, The Sherwood Foundation; Sam Taylor, president and CEO, Oriental Trading Company; Don Wurster, president, National Indemnity Company; Steve Jordon, writer, Omaha World-Herald

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

2ND ANNUAL CHINA CONFERENCE

prospective investors

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS China’s Growth Potential and Forthcoming Fiscal Reforms Shuanglin Lin, director, China Center for Public Finance, Peking University; Will China Eat Our Lunch or Take Us to Dinner? Laurence Kotlikoff, William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, Boston University Omaha and Other Nebraska Businesses in China Mindy Ruffalo, director of international business development, The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce

CHARLIE MUNGER SUMMIT 186 investors get wider perspective on Berkshire Hathaway

ans of Warren Buffett had the opportunity to glimpse different perspectives of the Omaha investor at the 12th annual Value Investor Conference, held April 29–30 at Mammel Hall. Author and acclaimed Buffett expert and scholar Robert Miles, who teaches the Genius of Buffett course each spring and fall at the College of Business Administration, says the addition this year of the Charlie Munger Summit gave 186 attendees from six continents yet another view of the leadership behind Berkshire Hathaway. Leading the summit was Berkshire Director and

legal counsel Ron Olson, who conducted a 90-minute question-and-answer session. “Each spring, we take a different component of the Genius of Warren Buffett course and do a deeper dive,” Miles says. “The Munger summit was very well received.” Miles says the conference drew a record 260 attendees from 33 countries, filling the Mammel Hall auditorium and two overflow rooms in the Executive MBA suite. Speakers at the conference and the accompanying Omaha Value Dinner included Tom Russo, partner and portfolio manager at Gardner, Russo & Gardner; John W. Rogers, chairman and CEO

of Ariel Investments; Greg LeBlanc, adjunct lecturer at the University of CaliforniaBerkley; Jon Clifton, managing director of the Gallup World Poll; and Lauren Templeton, founder and president of Lauren Templeton Capital Management. “The topics were diverse and vastly engaging,” Miles says. “Jon Clifton, for example, detailed how Gallup tracks changes such as word usage over social media to predict violent uprisings around the world before anyone else is aware. This is the kind of information important to every investor.”

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 43

SCHOLARSHIPS

A lasting legacy for CBA alumni and friends

ach year, scholarships help to further the educational opportunities for College of Business Administration students. Thanks to the generosity of many donors, the college awards more than $600,000 annually in scholarships to business students, says Sue Kutschkau, development director for CBA at the University of Nebraska Foundation. The Jon Guinn Memorial Scholarship, for example, was established by Lutz & Co. to honor the CBA graduate for whom the scholarship is named. Kutschkau says Guinn died December 4, 2010, at age 25. Guinn

graduated with a BSBA in accounting in 2007. He then joined Lutz as a staff accountant. After his passing, and in collaboration with Guinn’s family and friends, Lutz established the endowed scholarship to benefit other UNO accounting students. The Jon Guinn Memorial Scholarship provides two accounting students a year with scholarships. Guinn’s work ethic, positive attitude and infectious smile left a significant impact on his family, friends and coworkers who continue to honor him through annual fundraising efforts. Other scholarships are established

as part of the estate plans of CBA graduates. The estate of Robert C. Stedman, for example, continues to benefit students at UNO. Stedman, who died September 4, 2011, at his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, enrolled in the business program at Omaha University, now UNO, in 1947. He graduated in 1951 and joined the Equitable Life Insurance Company’s Omaha office. Stedman retired to Ft. Lauderdale in 1985. From then until his death, he focused his energy on his investments as well as on how his wealth could benefit students through scholarships

2014–15 CBA Scholarships Barbara O. Miller Memorial Scholarship

Ethan Baumgartner, Joseph Conrad, Pavlin Netsov

Hollis and Helen Baright Foundation Real Estate Scholarship

Charles and Gloria Billingsley Scholarship Rebecca Finger, Tayler Schnitker

Charles T. and Denise A. Olson Scholarship

Ben and Martha Simmons Scholarship

Kiley Bierman, Morgan Birkel, Emily Burr, Theresa Holly, Theodore Kirkpatrick, Thomas Klostermeyer, Sara Pinkelman, Humayra Rahmanzai, Nolan Retzlaff, Dakota Schriner

BGS Scholarship

Ariana Orozco-Gutierrez

Jacquelyn Bevilacqua, Zacharie Reinhardt

Humayra Rahmanzai Morgan Birkel

Beverly Grace (Ward) Spencer Memorial Accounting Scholarship Rachel Olson

Dean’s Scholarship

Dean and Maria Jacobsen Business Scholarship

Anastacia Glinsmann, Dalena Mensik, Remy Mumaw

Building Owners and Managers Association Scholarship

Dean John Lucas Memorial Marketing Scholarship

Bun Song Lee Scholarship

Delaine R. and Dorothy M. Donohue Excellence Scholarship

Maggie Koenig, Cari Ptak Son Tung Nikkila

C. Glenn Lewis Scholarship Sammi Abdouch, Ben Poloncic

C. Marsh Bull Honors Scholarship in Marketing Bryan Olari

Carl Mammel CBA Scholarship

Shannon Barber, Rachael Delperdang, Luke Edwards, Jeffrey Hofer, Skyler Kilzer, Madison Mapes, Douglas Morris, Taylor Musil, Madeline Newstrom, Janae Radtke, Tyler Stansberry, Jenna Stotz

Bryan Olari, Jarrett Suddarth

Truman Gerholdt

Dr. James J. Conway Memorial Scholarship Alexander Haddad, Elliot Koerting

Dr.Roger P. and Jeannine K. Sindt Scholarship Mitch Kracl

Ed Belgrade Scholarship John Dennison

Efficient Programming Fellowship Chuane Li

Emma Weibel Scholarship Samantha Fudge, John Smith

Ernest H. and Joyce Kenyon Scholarship in Public Accounting

Eric Kula, Jenna Stotz

Financial Executive International Scholarship

Sadie Blankenship, Kent Campbell, Anthony Cattano, Rachel Rice, Jenna Stotz

Jonathan Foss

Haley Shelton

Frank L. Mansell Scholarship

Ashley Eisert, David Farris, Anthony MacBride, Steven Molczyk, Alexander Mortensen, Brandon Pecka, Mateen SharifKashani, Nicholas Unger

Frankel Zacharia LLC Scholarship/ Fellowship Kelsey McKay

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

John and Mary Schleiger Undergraduate Scholarship

John A. and Phyllis S. Jeter Accounting Excellence Scholarship Sabine Bouda

Jon Guinn Scholarhip /Fellowship Fund Presented by Lutz & Company P.C. Elliot Koerting, Kay Kulek

Keith V. Kiernan Scholarship

Gerald Karlin Scholarship

Courtney Buman, Kelsey McKay, Mary Osbourne, Joseph Vampola

GOB Investment Fund

Jonathan Foss

Bailey Baxter, Cole McAllister

Andrew Gassman, Jamie Hunt, Rony Kappuzha, Lori Mitchell, Scott Moulton, Doug Peterchuck, Pete Wilson

Herb Sklenar Scholarship

Cameron Bessmer, Antwanette Dancer, Justin Korth, Britany Seda, Jeremy Wertzberger

Horace Wu and Kate King Wu Scholarship Lukas Vanzura

Horace Wu and Kate King Wu (BAP) Scholarship Morgan Birkel, Jonathan Foss, Taylor Musil

James C. Horejs Economics Scholarship

John and Mary Schleiger Graduate Scholarship

Chloe Davidson, Nicole Sweet

Kellogg’s USA Scholarship Laura Gogan Memorial Scholarship John Matychuk

Lucille M. Gannon Memorial Scholarship Emily Shavlik

Lynn A. Stephenson Memorial Scholarship Jacob Jenson

M.C. “Mike” Biggerstaff Memorial Scholarship Calvin Burnside, Jacob Staub

Major Thomas A. Spencer Business Scholarship Brandon Alberts

at CBA and UNO. With assistance from the University of Nebraska Foundation, Stedman created a unitrust to fund scholarships for business students, student athletes and the UNO Alumni Association. As a testament to his generosity, a statistics laboratory at Mammel Hall bears his name. Kutschkau says some scholarship funds benefit from matching gifts from current or former employers. For example, this is the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Robert Kreitner and Margaret A. Sova Scholarship, which includes a matching gift from the Intel Corp., where Sova worked for 21 years. Kreitner received bachelor’s and

Natan and Hannah Schwalb (Freshman) Scholarship

Colleen Anderson, Skyler Kilzer, Nolan Retzlaff, Colin Wattonville

Natan and Hannah Schwalb Scholarship (Upper Classmen)

Jacquelyn Bevilacqua, Kiley Bierman, Austin Bonk

Nebraska Bankers Association Scholarship

Ly Bui, Anna Di Ruocco, Jeffrey Dolejs, Krystal Fessler, Trevor Hamilton, Shanshan Huang, Aaron Kersigo, Sujana Panta, Carlee Schardt, Ashley Steffes,

Nebraska Society of CPAs

Jonathan Foss, Alex Haddad, Joel Hoberman, Xue Li, Zachary McNair, James Schlehr, Xiaofang Wang

NSCPA 5th Year Scholarship Kent Campbell, Meggan Gibson

Omaha Area Board of Realtors Scholarship Chase Rockefeller

Ora C. and Fred B. Vomacka Memorial Scholarship

Morgan Birkel, Austin Bonk, Kaitlyn Davis, Allison Foy, Santosh Ghimire, Meggan Gibson, Alexander Haddad, Joel Hoberman, Hong-Yen Hoang, Sofiya Khvan, Xue Li, Joey McGahan, Steven Molczyk, Douglas Morris, Rachel Olson, James Schlehr, Xiaofang Wang, Scott Weaver, Russ Wenzl

master’s degrees in business from UNO in 1970 and 1971 and a Ph.D. in business from UNL in 1974. Sova, Kreitner’s wife, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from UNO. After earning an MBA from Arizona State, Sova joined Intel Corp., where she worked in a wide range of human resource, product and project management positions. Before retiring from Intel in 2005, she was manager of the corporate manufacturing technology research committee, interfacing with leading researchers from universities such as MIT, Purdue and Stanford. Each year, Kreitner and Sova travel to Omaha from their home in Arizona to meet with recipients of the

scholarship that bears their names. “Establishing a scholarship as a memorial, or to recognize that an experience at CBA was a significant part of a person’s life, is a tribute that has a ripple effect for students at the college,” Kutschkau says. “One day, some of our graduates who received a scholarship as a student here may in turn recall that generosity by creating a scholarship of their own.” Kutschkau says she would be happy to discuss scholarship and other funding opportunities. Contact her at the University of Nebraska Foundation, (402) 502-4109, or by email at sue.kutschkau@nufoundation.org.

Paul and Barbara Kistler Scholarship

Richard E. Prince III Memorial Scholarship

Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Scholarship

Paul and Barbara Kistler International Experience Scholarship

Robert E. Bernier NBDC Graduate Assistant Fellowship

Karla J. Stowe Memorial Scholarship/Fellowship

Virginia Pettengill Scholarship

Robert C. Stedman UNO College of Business Scholarship

Tal Anderson Athletic/College of Business Scholarship

Mitchell Van Der Hart

Jonathan Headlee

Brandon Alberts, Bailey Baxter, Krystyn Kallhoff, Brittany Lynch, Daniele Nelson, Bryan Olari, Elizabeth Reetz, Emily Shavlik, Jackson Taylor, Amber Wendt, Joshua Williams

Hong-Yen Hoang, Lauren Kluthe

Andres Recinos

Kelly Bates, Felipe DaSilva, Aaron Estrada, Hunter Fangmeyer, Derek Hofeling, Skyler Meints, Nicodemus Ondego, Haley Shelton, Danny Waldron, Brandon Williams

R. Craig Hoenshell Initiative Scholarship

Robert Kreitner and Margaret A. Sova Tuition Scholarship

R. Craig Hoenshell Leadership Scholarship

Robert Kreitner and Margaret A. Sova Book Scholarship

Austin Bonk, Krystyn Kallhoff, Trinh Le, Brittany Lynch, Katelyn McIntyre

Dang Nguyen

R. Craig Hoenshell Talent Scholarship Chase Stuhr

Logan Mendez, Christie Schaffart, Ellen Simon, Miles Russell

Morgan Birkel, Grant Pille, Mateen SharifKashani, Nicole Sweet

Alex Finkle, Huong Hoang

James Schlehr

Cole Gruber

Tim and Traci Harrison Scholarship Kelsey McKay

Timothy J. Jensen Accounting Scholarship Zachary Griffith

Trever Lee Memorial Scholarship Evan Bloemer

Union Pacific Scholarship

Chase Rockefeller, Kendra Samuelson

Union Pacific Economic Scholarship

Ron and Shirley Burns Leadership Scholarship

Lukas Vanzura

Union Pacific MBA Scholarship

Ray Bradley Outstanding Student Award in Finance Management

Joseph Ghitis, Alex Masters

Shizhen Huang, Ayush Panta

Ronald J. Bauers Memorial Scholarship

Ward Y. and George T. Lindley Scholarship

Research Investment Challenge

Emily Burr

Ariana Orozco-Gutierrez

Sam and Dorie Leftwich Scholarship

William Brown Memorial Scholarship

Richard and Jeanne Morrison Nuts and Bolts Inc. Scholarship

Kiley Bierman, Corey Binger, Katelyn Bollich, Gauri Chandra, Adam Messerole, Taylor Musil Cari Ptak, Amber Wendt, Chase Wietfeld

Taylor Musil

Fulton Beal, Hui Ru Ng

Darian Bockman

Bryan Olari

Woodmen of the World Leadership Scholarship Kay Kulek, Samantha Schaefer

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 45

CBA FACULTY & STAFF, 2014–2015

ACCOUNTING Susan Eldridge, Associate Professor and Department Chairperson, 2002. Union Pacific Professorship. Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 1997. Jack Armitage, Associate Professor, 1983. Distinguished Alumni Professor. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1987, CPA. Richard File, Professor, 1991. Spencer Professorship. Ph.D., University of Texas 1981, CPA. Wikil Kwak, Professor, 1989. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1990. Jennifer Riley, Associate Professor, 2007. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 2005. Burch Kealey, Associate Professor, 2001. Hockett Professorship. Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1996. Xiaoyan Cheng, Assistant Professor, 2009. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 2009. Roopa Venkatesh, Assistant Professor, 2009. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 2008. Tim Yoder, Assistant Professor, 2010. Ph.D., Penn State University, 2006. Laura Ilcisin, Lecturer. MBA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1980. Steven Nath, Instructor, 2014. MBA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2003. Jillian Poyzer, Instructor, 2011. MA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2006.

ECONOMICS Christopher Decker, Professor and Department Chairperson, 2001. John Lucas Professorship. Ph.D., Indiana University, 2000. Catherine Co, Professor, 2000. Lindley Professorship. Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1995. Arthur Diamond, Professor, 1986. Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1978. Shuanglin Lin, Professor, 1989. Noddle Professorship. Ph.D., Purdue University, 1989.

FINANCE, BANKING AND REAL ESTATE

John Hafer, Associate Professor, 1989. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1979.

NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

DEAN’S NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD 2014–2015

David Volkman, Associate Professor and Department Chairperson, 1989. Cloud Professorship. Ph.D., University of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1992.

Jonna Holland, Associate Professor, 1996. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 1996.

Aretha Boex, SBDC Director, 2009. MS, MBA, University of Nebraska Omaha, 2012.

Mickey Anderson Performance Auto Group

James Jones, Associate Professor, 1998. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 1998.

Veronica Doga, Manager, Procurement Technical Assistance, 2009. MS, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2008.

Kristin Streff Barnett Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska

Josh Nichol-Caddy, International Trade Specialist, 2015. MS, MBA, University of Missouri, 2015.

John Bredemeyer Realcorp, Inc.

Michael O’Hara, Professor, 1981. J.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1978. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1983. Wei Wang Rowe, Professor, 1999. Nebraska Bankers Professorship. Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1999. Steven Shultz, Professor, 2005. Baright Professorship. Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1993. Kathleen Henebry, Associate Professor, 1992. Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1992. Darryll Lewis, Associate Professor, 1986. J.D., Creighton University, 1978. Olivier Maisondieu Laforge, Associate Professor, 2004. Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, 2004. Graham Mitenko, Associate Professor, 1987. DBA, Memphis State University, 1987. Jeffrey Bredthauer, Assistant Professor, 2012. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2011. Ben Smith, Assistant Professor, 2014. Ph.D., Washington State University, 2014. Laura Beal, Lecturer. MBA, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1991. Nate Bjorklund, Lecturer, 2011. MBA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2011. Nan Xu, Instructor, 2014. Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 2011. David Beberwyk, Instructor, 2015. MS, Pennsylvania State University, 1997.

MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT John E. Erickson Jr., Associate Professor and Department Chairperson, 2003. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2004.

Mark Wohar, Professor, 1988. CBA Distinguished Professorship. Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1985.

Phani Tej Adidam, Professor, 1996. Executive Management Education Professorship. Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1996.

William Corcoran, Associate Professor, 1980. Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1979.

Ziaul Huq, Professor, 1987. Ph.D., University of Kentucky, 1990.

Jinlan Ni, Associate Professor, 2006. Ph.D., Purdue University, 2005. John Dogbey, Instructor, 2012. Ph.D., West Virginia University, 2009.

Tom Martin, Professor, 1989. Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1977. Rebecca Morris, Professor, 1988. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1988.

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Patricia Meglich, Associate Professor, 2007. Ph.D., Kent State University, 2006. Robert Ottemann, Associate Professor, 1973. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1974. J.D. Creighton University, 1984. Amy Rodie, Associate Professor, Marketing, 1994. Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1995. Birud Sindhav, Associate Professor, 2000. Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 2001. A. Erin Bass, Assistant Professor, 2014. Ph.D., University of Nebraska Lincoln, 2014. Dale Eesley, Assistant Professor, 2008. Ph.D., University of WisconsinMadison, 2002 Ginamarie Ligon, Assistant Professor, 2012. Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 2004. Leif Lundmark, Assistant Professor, 2014. Ph.D., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 2014. Erin Pleggenkuhle Miles, Assistant Professor, 2011. Ph.D., University of Texas at Dallas, 2012. Steven Schulz, Assistant Professor Supply Chain POE, 2014. Ph.D., University of Nebraska Lincoln, 1992. Greg Morin, Lecturer. MA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1999. Pamela Peterson, Instructor, 2012. MBA, University of Chicago, 1997. Janet Pol, Coordinator, Business Statistics, 2008. MBA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2005.

UNO CENTER FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION Mary Lynn Reiser, Director. MS, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1993. James Dick, Center Associate, Professor, Ed.D, Indiana University, 1974. Kim Sosin, Center Associate, 1980. Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1970.

Gerald D. Parriott, Grant Financial Officer/Business Manager, 2012. BS, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2012.

Dennis D. Blackman Blackman & Associates

Gail DeBoer SAC Federal Credit Union Becki Drahota Mills Financial Marketing

Marisol Rodriguez, Technology Commercialization, 2012. MS, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2007.

Ivan Gilreath Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands

Harold Sargus, Client Services Manager, 2011. MBA, University of Akron, 1983.

Frances Grieb Deloitte & Touche LLP (retired)

Jean Waters, Senior Community Services Associate, 2001. MS, Kansas State University, 1978. Richard Yoder, Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center, 1996. MS, Iowa State University, 1982.

ADMINISTRATION Louis Pol, John Becker Dean, Professor, 1984. Ph.D., Florida State University, 1978. Lynn Harland, Associate Dean, Professor, 1989. Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1991. Robert Bernier, Assistant Dean, NBDC State Director, 1979. Ph.D., University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2000. Alexandra M. Kaczmarek, Director, MBA Program, 1990. MBA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1989. David Nielsen, Director, IT and Budget, 1990. MS, UnIversity of Nebraska at Omaha, 1992. Bill Swanson, Director, Executive MBA/Professional Management Education. MBA, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1991.

Dan Gomez Mutual of Omaha Bank

Mark Grieb AAA Nebraska Tim Hart First National Bank Rod Heng KPMG LLP (retired) John Hoich Hoich Enterprises Mark Jaksich Valmont Industries, Inc. Jack Koraleski Union Pacific Railroad Rodrigo Lopez AmeriSphere Michael Maroney Omaha Economic Development Corp. Lloyd A. Meyer Leo A Daly (retired) Gary D. Penisten Sterling Drug (retired) Ross Ridenoure Parsons Jeffrey R. Schmid Omaha Financial Holdings, Inc. Mark Theisen Greater Omaha Packing Co., Inc. Mike Walter Mike Walter & Associates Roberta Wilhelm Girls Inc of Omaha Thomas Warren, Sr. Urban League of Nebraska Horace Wu Attorney

Dear alumni and friends, While the state provides funding for basic operations, the academic opportunities and enhancements that advance UNO’s College of Business Administration come from private gifts. These gifts provide scholarships, help to attract outstanding faculty, enhance programs, and allow the college to take advantage of unique opportunities. To make a gift, complete the following information and place in an envelope addressed to University of Nebraska Foundation, PO Box 3465, Omaha, NE 68103-0465. Don’t forget to check with your employer for matching gift opportunities.

My total gift is $ _____________. Please designate for UNO fund(s) as follows:

RR CBA College Fund (All Depts.) #2496

$ __________

RR CBA Real Estate/Land Use Fund #5040

$ __________

RR CBA Economics Fund #5048

$ __________

RR Executive MBA Fund #0890

$ __________

RR CBA Finance & Banking Fund #5039

$ __________

RR UNO CBA Dean’s Fund #5644

RR CBA Management Fund #5078

$ __________

RR UNO Entrepreneurship Fund #1631

$ __________

RR Nebraska Bus. Dev. Center (NBDC) #2822

$ __________

RR CBA Marketing Fund #5075

RR CBA Professional Accounting Fund #5008

$ __________

Name________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address__________________________________________________________ City________________ State____________ Zip__________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________

Email ��

I am paying by:  Check payable to UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION I am paying by credit card:  Visa  MasterCard  Discover  American Express Card Number____________________________________________________________________Exp. Date_________________________ Cardholder’s Signature__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Give online at nufoundation.org/UNOCBA

For more information, call Sue Kutschkau at (402) 502-4109 or email sue.kutschkau@nufoundation.org.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014–2015 47

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 301 College of Business Administration University of Nebraska at Omaha Mammel Hall 300 6708 Pine Street Omaha NE 68182-0048 (402) 554-2303 cba.unomaha.edu

Congratulations to the Class of 2015! 48

UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION