2017-18 Heider College of Business Year in Review

2017-2018

Year in Review

Connecting Business Education to Business Practice See how our combination of conventional and unconventional thinking prepares students to make an impact. 4

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A look back at 2017-2018

HEIDER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE

40

1,117

STATES

TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT

TOP 10 STATES REPRESENTED NEBRASKA 2 MINNESOTA 3 ILLINOIS COLORADO 5 MISSOURI 6 IOWA 7 KANSAS 8 CALIFORNIA 9 WISCONSIN 10 TEXAS 1

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21

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

JUNIOR/SENIOR DECLARED MAJORS

112

76

BIA

Management

117

68

Accounting

Economics

241

42

Finance

136

Marketing

International Business

39

Pre-Law

GRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE

639 TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT

504

DEGREE-SEEKING

135 CERTIFICATE OR NON-DEGREE SEEKING

2

43 STATES

20 COUNTRIES

62

STUDENTS ENROLLED IN DUAL GRADUATE BUSINESS PROGRAMS

Where Exceptional Students Accomplish Amazing Things THEY COME FROM NEARLY EVERY STATE AND A MULTITUDE OF COUNTRIES. THEY ARE AMONG THE MOST SELF-MOTIVATED STUDENTS IN THEIR CLASSES.

Nearly half are interested in owning their own business, and the remainder want to significantly contribute to an existing business. They see higher education not as a means to an end — but as the first step in a lifelong journey where success is measured as much by what they are able to accomplish as how it impacts others.

At the Heider College of Business, they find a community in which to grow and thrive.

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Update from the Dean Anthony R. Hendrickson, PhD Dean of the Heider College of Business

The Heider College of Business continues to attract high-achieving, highly motivated students who are looking for a special kind of higher education experience. They want to be challenged, to be presented with options they haven’t considered, to be connected with opportunities that expand their thinking, and to discover new ways to apply their talents that they never thought possible before. They find the experience they seek here at Heider.

It’s the result of our unique ability to connect business education with business practice, and to connect individuals with a powerful network of some of the most incredibly engaged alumni, corporate partners and friends. In this Year in Review, you’ll see how we continue to cultivate these connections and, at the same time, place an emphasis on Integrity Before Profits.™ We introduced new degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels that are not available anywhere else. And we continued to advance some of our other unique degree programs — graduating the first Doctorate of Business Administration cohort and welcoming the first Executive Healthcare MBA cohort.

In addition to the rigors of the classroom, our students have challenged what constitutes the “typical” higher education experience with an extensive range of practicums, outreach and internships.

As we share the events and accomplishments of the past year, we are inspired by and thankful for your generosity and ongoing engagement with the Heider College of Business. Through your words, recommendations and contributions of time, expertise and monetary donations — you not only strengthen the impact our students, alumni and faculty are able to make in the world, you continue to provide the connections that make our network stronger.

The next time you are on campus, stop by to see us at the Heider College of Business in the Mike and Josie Harper Center.

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FACULTY

Welcome new faculty Bringing research and world view to the classroom Increasing student enrollment created the opportunity to add new faculty to the Heider College of Business. Each brings specialized knowledge and real-world experience to the classroom — along with a focus on student engagement and research.

Tirimba Obonyo, PhD, CFA

Colin O’Reilly, PhD

Sijing Wei, PhD

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF FINANCE

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ACCOUNTING

Obonyo comes to Creighton from Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he earned his doctorate in finance. He graduated with a BA in economics and business, including a minor in mathematics, from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. A native of Nairobi, Kenya, Obonyo hopes to expose students to Africa through study abroad programming. He also hopes to guide student research and conduct interdisciplinary research with his colleagues.

I BELIEVE STUDENTS LEARN BEST WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE LEARNING PROCESS.

WHAT EXCITES ME MOST ABOUT CREIGHTON ARE THE STUDENTS — EMPOWERING THEM TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES, CHALLENGE THEIR PRIOR VIEWS AND EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES.

O’Reilly earned a PhD in economics from Suffolk University in Boston, where he began his teaching career before becoming an assistant professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. In addition to teaching in the Heider College of Business’s Department of Economics, he joins the Institute for Economic Inquiry’s Business Research Fellows program as a scholar and program coordinator.

A native of Beijing, China, Wei attended a fellow Jesuit institution, Saint Louis University, where she received her undergraduate business degree and master’s degree in accounting. She recently earned her doctorate in accounting from the University of Maryland.

Her particular areas of interests are information transparency, textual analysis (MD&A of annual report and earnings conference call), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate reputation.

SURROUNDED BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, BALANCING RESEARCH AND STUDENT INTERACTION — I’VE FOUND THAT PERFECT HOME.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Executive Healthcare MBA Preparing Leaders for a C-level Role “ O UR STUDENTS ARE VERY DIVERSE, BOTH DEMOGRAPHICALLY AND GEOGRAPHICALLY, WHICH IS REFLECTIVE OF THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE WORKPLACE. ONE COMMON TRAIT THAT THEY ALL SHARE IS A STRONG DESIRE TO INCREASE THEIR BUSINESS ACUMEN AND EXPAND THEIR LEADERSHIP KNOWLEDGE. THIS PROGRAM EQUIPS HEALTH CARE LEADERS TO ADVANCE IN THEIR CAREERS AND RISE TO THE CHALLENGES AHEAD IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES.”

L aurie Baedke, MHA, FACHE, FACMPE, Director of Healthcare Leadership Programs Program Director of the Executive MBA in Healthcare Management, Heider College of Business

That’s ultimately the goal of the Executive MBA in Healthcare Management, introduced for the 2017-2018 academic year. The program welcomed its first cohort of nine physicians and three non-clinician leaders, hailing from two states. And the second cohort, for 2018-2019, includes physicians, dentists, clinical psychologists, advanced practice clinicians, nurse executives and healthcare organization executives from six states.

Hybrid Program That’s Unique in Its Design

Applying the Jesuit Foundation “ N OT ONLY IS IT HEALTH CARE SPECIFIC, IT IS ALSO UNIQUE IN ITS DESIGN, PROVIDING THE PEER-TOPEER ENGAGEMENT THAT REMAINS TRUE TO THE EXECUTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE.”

Built on a hybrid model, the 18-month program blends an online learning format with four, four-day campusbased residencies. It is tailored to the adult learner looking for the flexibility of online coursework and the networkbuilding benefits of campus instruction.

Like health care, it also provides a multidisciplinary environment where it is housed in the Heider College, while still incorporating input from Creighton’s other schools and colleges, including the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Nursing and the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.

Creighton’s Jesuit values are also ideally aligned with the nature of health care — with charisms such as caring for the whole person, striving for excellence and being men and women for and with others.

JESUIT VALUES PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING THAT FOCUSES ON THE ACADEMIC, AS WELL AS THE PERSONAL FORMATION OF A LEADER — TO SERVE OTHERS AND LEAD WITH COMPASSION.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Publications, Presentations and Placements DBA Program Produces Results With three students graduating early and more to follow in the months ahead, the first cohort of the Heider College of Business Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program is producing the kind of results that program leaders hoped when it was launched three years ago.

Originally developed to increase the number of research-active faculty at several Jesuit university business colleges, the DBA program at Heider has succeeded on several levels.

“ We are proud of all that our DBA students are accomplishing,” said Kristie Briggs, PhD, DBA program faculty director. “They are leveraging their business experience to identify important research questions. Not only are our DBA students gaining experience as researchers, but they are also gaining teaching experience further enhancing their preparedness to transition from careers in business to academia.”

S tudents in the DBA come from across the U.S. and from diverse fields including accounting, finance,

FIRST THREE GRADUATES HAVE SECURED TENURETRACK POSITIONS

A NUMBER OF STUDENTS HAVE PAPERS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION

RANKED AMONG THE BEST ONLINE DOCTORATE PROGRAMS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT BY TOPMANAGEMENTDEGREES.COM

STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTED AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

marketing and management.

The research-based, cohort-style hybrid learning program is primarily delivered online, with seven on-campus residencies annually.

Each fall, students complete a service-learning project as part of the Ignatian formation and reflection component of the program. Instilling a sense of service, values and reflection is valuable, even for graduates who may not ultimately teach at a Jesuit institution. “ We continue to reach out to other Jesuit universities,” said Desarae

Mueller-Fichepain, DBA program director. This culminates in matching day where faculty from Heider and other universities present their research fields and students connect with the topics that most closely align with their interests. “The Jesuit network has allowed us to expand the range of opportunities for teaching mentors, dissertation chairs and dissertation committee mentors.”

T he DBA program continues to grow, attracting students from 26 states — including the newest cohort of 17 this year.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Financial Psychology Pioneering Program Gets to the Heart (AND THE HEAD) of Money and Financing “ Despite the best efforts of financial services professionals, despite all the financial technology and tools the industry has available to it and despite all the data and number crunching — people continue to behave in ways that are counterproductive to their own financial goals,” said Ed Horwitz, PhD, CFP, FBS, ChFC, CLU, CSA, associate professor of practice and Mutual of Omaha Endowed Executive Director in Risk Management. “ That’s because people are qualitative and emotional, and make financial decisions in different ways.

The financial services industry’s messaging and information doesn’t always translate into helping people make better financial decisions,” he said.

The new Financial Psychology and Behavioral Finance Certificate program is changing that — pioneering an approach that enables financial planners, advisors and other professionals to understand and unlock clients’ subconscious beliefs to help them make better choices and meet financial goals. Students learn to help clients to identify their personalized money scripts or tenets that are handed down by parents and inform financial beliefs, and then patch in a new healthier financial behavior code.

Based on the work of renowned father and son researchers, Ted Klontz, PhD, and Bradley Klontz, PsyD, CFP, who are pioneering researchers in the fledgling field of financial psychology, along with Horwitz — who is himself a recognized leader in applied financial psychology — the new research-based program incorporates elements of clinical psychology and behavioral change. The Klontzes have also joined the Heider College of Business faculty, where they plan to further their research.

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“ Money and financing are necessary in our lives to meet our daily needs. This program translates across all countries and generations,” Horowitz said. “Financial psychology is the future frontier for the financial services industry and we’re leading the way.”

Because Relationships Are Everything Imagine going to an appointment with your financial planner or advisor and being told, “I’m going to give you three minutes to tell me why you’re here. Then I’m going to draw a picture and you tell me what I missed.”

It’s this kind of exercise that changes the typical interaction you’re able to have with a client, according to Nick Nalbach, BSBA’16.

He recently completed a Financial Psychology and Behavioral Finance Certificate. “ The content of the curriculum is what got me interested and ended up blowing me away. It goes beyond the technical aspects of what a financial advisor does,” Nalbach said. “Being able to say, ‘Hi, I’m a financial behavior specialist,’ allows me to make the conversation about their relationship with money, where it came from and how they can change behavior — even among generations within the same family.”

W ith trillions of dollars of wealth expected to change hands in the next 10 years, the role of the financial advisor will become even more important. Nalbach sees implications for financial psychology and behavioral finance within institutional practice as well.

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UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

IN THE HEIDER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, WE HAVE A GOAL TO BE THE MOST CONNECTED BUSINESS SCHOOL TO REAL BUSINESS ON THE PLANET. THE IJAY STORE — AND THE SUPPORTING IJAY PRACTICUM — IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE’RE INTENTIONALLY REMOVING THE TRADITIONAL BARRIERS BETWEEN WHAT IS

iJay Takes the Retail Experience Online When you’re the first of your kind in the world, what can you possibly do to top it?

ACADEMIC LEARNING AND WHAT IS BUSINESS PRACTICE. Matt Seevers, PhD

Professor of Marketing iJay Practicum Faculty Moderator

iJay Practicum students answered that question this year when they created the e-commerce site for the only student-run, Apple-authorized campus store in the world. “ The students have definitely had this initiative as a goal for some time. They truly led this initiative and made the iJay store’s e-commerce site a reality,” said Matt Seevers, PhD, professor of marketing and iJay Practicum faculty moderator.

True to the real-world business experience of launching a site of this kind, it was not without its challenges. “ As an Authorized Apple Campus Reseller, we must comply with all of Apple’s requirements — as well as those from other brands we carry.

And, of course, we want to make sure that we are consistent with the images, copy and naming that an Apple customer expects to see,” he said. Added to that is the continuity of the student cohorts in the iJay Practicum, since each cohort only participates for two semesters, and the need to continue to operate the “brick and mortar” store.

THE IJAY PRACTICUM WELCOMED ITS 10TH

The greatest challenge, however, was a technical glitch that irrevocably erased the site’s visual content just before the launch — forcing the student team to upload all the visual information a second time. Even with the setback, the e-commerce site took less than a year to reach the launch.

COHORT IN FALL 2018.

“ Now that the e-commerce site has launched, the goal is to use it as a tool to not only reach more customers, but ultimately to better serve our customers,” Seevers said.

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UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

The Startup Collaborative Accelerates Real-World Experience for Student Interns Omaha’s on-demand accelerator for high-growth, softwarecentric startups is not just improving the odds of success for entrepreneurs. The Startup Collaborative, housed in the Greater Omaha Chamber, is also creating real-world opportunities for student interns as part of the partnership with the Heider College of Business. In fact, 14 startups have had the benefit of 14 dedicated, part-time Heider student interns, contributing their time and talents to the success of these fledgling businesses.

Retail Aware was one of the startups to benefit from the partnership. The company helps retailers optimize merchandizing by leveraging realtime, in-store data with artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to help them understand how elements like shelving, messaging and signage — even temperature and movement — can impact consumer engagement. With just two employees, including himself, company co-founder and CEO Keith Fix praised the internship program.

Keith Fix,

Co-founder of Retail Aware

“ In a startup, every single person has the ability to impact the business from the beginning. The students we worked with from Heider were ready day-one to get into their internships,” Fix said. Retail Aware’s intern, Richard Stefan, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s in business intelligence and analytics, completed a competitive analysis of the use of customer analytics in the retail industry. “ We were really impressed. We would ask for one thing, and Richard would come back with something more. He ended up having a hand in everything from operations, engagement and R&D to all the crazy things that a startup faces,” said Fix, who believes the internship experience at a startup remains valuable, enabling students to bring an innovative approach to any business environment.

PAIRING HUNGRY, RESOURCEFUL AND COMPETITIVE STUDENTS FROM THE HEIDER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, ALONGSIDE SCRAPPY, VISIONARY STARTUPS IS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. MANY OF THE STUDENTS SERVED AS THE CRITICAL THIRD EMPLOYEE IN THE EARLIEST STAGES OF HYPER GROWTH. SOME EVEN SAW STARTUPS FAIL. ALL PROVED THEMSELVES VALUABLE CONTENDERS AND EXCEPTIONAL TEAM MEMBERS. Erica Wassinger

Co-founder of The Startup Collaborative

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UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

Accelerated MAC:

Educating the World

Earn Two Degrees in Four Years

From a Distinctive BlueBox

his year, the Creighton University Heider T College of Business became one of only a handful of universities in the nation offering a four-year accelerated Master of Accounting (MAC) program. As a result, students will earn two degrees, a BSBA and a Master of Accounting, in the time it takes most students to earn their undergraduate degree only. “ The vast majority of our students already graduate with the 150 hours all states require to sit for the CPA exam. With this accelerated program, they will also have their master’s and the ability to enter their careers sooner — rather than starting their careers and taking the time to come back,” said Maggie Knight, DBA, CPA, CGMA, assistant professor of accounting.

With the accelerated program, accounting professors work with students to create individualized four-year academic plans. Ideal candidates come into Creighton with 20 to 30 Advanced Placement (AP) or transfer credits.

Participating students average 18 credit hours a semester.

Once you prove it can work, the next step is to make it work better. And in just a year, the development of the Creighton BlueBox is advancing to the point where anyone can take it anywhere in the world – and it will work.

O riginally, the goal was to develop a device that could serve as a wireless hotspot to deliver K-12 educational curriculum and other critical information to mobile devices and tablets, while also serving as a charging station for these devices. Oh, and it had to function in remote areas without reliable — or any — access to electricity or the Internet.

That was last year.

“ Many high school students are already bringing college credits when they come to Creighton, which is a good indication that they’re prepared for the rigorous pace of the program,” she said. A new full-time spring internship program also allows students to earn credits working full-time during the busy audit and tax season.

Charlie Braymen, PhD, CFA, demonstrates the Creighton BlueBox to the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, president of Creighton University, outside the Reinert-Alumni Memorial Library.

“ We failed a lot. But you get a lot more done if you fail sometimes,” said Charlie Braymen, PhD, CFA, associate professor of economics at Heider College of Business. He originated the idea of the Creighton BlueBox, a joint enterprise between Braymen, the Heider College of Business and the RaD Lab, Creighton University’s innovation incubator.

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OUTREACH

Heider’s First Designated Service Learning Course

IT’S AMAZING TO THINK THAT SOMETHING I HELPED BUILD IS GOING TO SCHOOLS WHERE

In fall 2018, Braymen, along with Dustin Ormond, PhD, associate professor of business intelligence and analytics, and Jose Lemus, PhD, associate professor of Spanish, launched a designated service-learning course utilizing the Creighton BlueBox.

A DOZEN STUDENTS MIGHT SHARE A SINGLE TEXTBOOK. Steve Maaske

Innovation Analyst RaD Lab

W hile it maintains its bright blue composite case, it has advanced in many ways. It can be easily deployed by anyone, with just a few USB connections — to the solar panel and to 10 to 12 devices. It can also hold a lot more data — including World Possible open-source educational content, the offline Wikipedia, a series of Ted Talks and software to track valuable data that will allow Braymen to determine what’s useful in different areas. “ We do a lot of talking about what we can offer to meet the specific needs of communities — what to do when there is no doctor or no dentist, operating a tilapia pond, and how to apply for a job,” he said. “If you can do that, it’s really going to change things.”

Partnering with other organizations, like Jesuit Worldwide Learning, Braymen is able to expand the sites where the Creighton BlueBox can be deployed — including the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Malawi and Kenya. “ It’s amazing to think that something I helped build is going to schools where a dozen students might share a single textbook. Now, these students will get the latest, updated information that 10 can access all at once,” said Steve Maaske, innovation analyst at RaD Lab, who has been part of the team since its inception.

“It’s a very rewarding project and so exemplifies Creighton’s mission to help others and be sustainable.”

It includes an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students representing three tracks — business and economics, technology and Spanish.

The course culminates in a trip to the Dominican Republic to train teachers to use Creighton BlueBox educational technology, and examine the cultural and economic realities of life in rural areas.

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OUTREACH

Internships, Study, Service Creating Global Connections Business may be the international language, but relationships remain at the heart of its transformative power. Across many continents, countries and cities, Heider College of Business students and faculty continue to reach out through internships, study courses and service opportunities to create meaningful connections.

205 Total Business Students TRAVELED FOR STUDY ABROAD, TRAVEL COURSES AND SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

108

Glasgow Limerick

IRELAND

Brussels Nice

FRANCE

CZECH REPUBLIC

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

SPAIN

GERMANY

Seoul

SOUTH KOREA

ITALY

Tokyo

Barcelona Rome SPAIN

JAPAN

ITALY

Seville SPAIN Cรณrdoba

Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM

SPAIN

Panama City PANAMA

Madrid

Ingolstadt Milan

SPAIN

Santiago

DOMESTIC

Prague

BELGIUM

Salamanca

97

INTERNATIONAL

SCOTLAND

Quezon City

Bangkok

PHILIPPINES

THAILAND

Quito

EQUADOR

Kampala UGANDA

Lima

PERU

Sydney

Stellenbosch Buenos Aires ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIA

SOUTH AFRICA

Cape Town

SOUTH AFRICA

Melbourne

AUSTRALIA

FALL AND SPRING DOMESTIC 8

37

Service Trips

New York

BUSINESS STUDENTS PARTICIPATED

Las Vegas Sydney/ Melbourne INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC

Travel Courses Completed 14

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RESEARCH

From undergraduate research to tangible results How the Human Trafficking Initiative at Heider is making a difference.

Housed in the Heider College of Business, the Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI) grew out of an undergraduate project that Crysta Price, BA’14, MA’16, co-director of HTI and director of the data science lab, worked on after joining an experimental research laboratory led by Terry Clark, PhD, co-director of HTI and professor of political science at Creighton. The project focused on international human trafficking and resulted in an award-winning paper on the subject, prompting Price to pursue the research as a graduate student at Creighton.

OUR MAIN GOALS ARE TO PRODUCE RELIABLE RESEARCH ON THE PREVALENCE OF TRAFFICKING AND STRONGER POLICY SOLUTIONS. WE ARE CALLED UPON EVERY WEEK FOR SUPPORT ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS TESTIMONY BEFORE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES AND QUESTIONS FOR AGENCIES. Crysta Price Co-Director of the Human Trafficking Initiative Director of the Data Science Lab

HTI research supports the work of law enforcement, nonprofits, government agencies and legislators in combatting human trafficking — locally, regionally and nationally.

• In April 2018, HTI RESEARCH WAS CREDITED FOR HELPING A COORDINATED LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORT to shut down a six-state human trafficking operation valued at $2 to $3 million.

• In May 2017, NEW NEBRASKA LEGISLATION REPLACED MINIMUM PENALTIES with sentences of 20 years to life for both panderers and solicitors of human trafficking.

NEBRASKA’S COMMERCIAL SEX MARKET The report used HTI research to show the prevalence of human trafficking in Nebraska along the I-80 corridor.

900

INDIVIDUALS ARE SOLD FOR SEX EVERY MONTH IN NEBRASKA

7 10 OUT OF

ARE UNDERAGE OR CONTROLLED BY A THIRD PARTY

15% ARE AT HIGH RISK OF BEING TRAFFICKED

The research, which was conducted in conjunction with the Women’s Fund of Omaha, also found that the younger the individual, the higher the hourly rate advertised — creating incentives for traffickers to recruit younger women and girls, as well as men.

The report fills a void of academic research surrounding sex trafficking and provides the first empirical data that there is on human trafficking in Nebraska, providing support for legislation to increase penalties for traffickers and buyers.

It’s also helping the Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force to help victims and survivors, stop human traffickers and eliminate the trafficking market. “ What we brought to the game is good data that didn’t exist,” said Clark. He and Price spent nearly a year studying advertisements on an online market hub called Backpage, which provided advertising for 80 percent of the online commercial sex industry. Moving forward, the team will continue to do research on additional populations impacted.

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RESEARCH

Thought-provoking, Industry-leading Faculty Publishing Highlights

Noted for the real-world experience and expertise they bring to the classroom, Heider College of Business faculty continue to shape the minds of students and the specialty areas they represent through ongoing research, papers and publications.

These are just some of the highlights.

Research Creates Golden Opportunity For Jensen, Johnson and Washer It was published in the Financial Analysts Journal. Its authors presented findings and fielded questions as part of the CFA Institute’s Webinar with the Author series. And it gave global exposure to Creighton University and the Heider College of Business finance department.

The research, detailed in the article, “All That’s Gold Does Not Glitter,” was conducted

by Heider finance professors Gerald R. Jensen, PhD, CFA; Robert R. Johnson, PhD, CFA; and Kenneth M. Washer, PhD, CFA. “ The lingering fear created by the financial crisis of 2008-2009, along with the current lofty stock market valuations, have deepened investor interest in precious metals as an investment haven,” Jensen said. The relevant question for investors is, do precious metals funds provide a hedge against adverse economic conditions by capturing appreciation in gold and silver prices, and thus, offer a form of portfolio insurance?

Their research compared the advantages and disadvantages of traditional preciousmetal funds with those of newer types of funds — including bullion, synthetics and equity. They found tremendous variation in fund performance — implying that the success of a commodity investment hinges on the type of fund selected.

THE BEST WAY TO GET EXPOSURE TO GOLD? BUY GOLD BULLION EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

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“ It was very surprising to us that the price of gold could go up by over 80 percent and that investors could actually suffer losses in all four gold mining funds we examined,” Washer said. “We wanted to look at the ways investors can invest in gold and whether those ways matter much. We found out that it really matters how you invest in gold.”

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FULL-TIME FACULTY

PART-TIME FACULTY

Melissa K. Woodley, PhD, CFA ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF FINANCE

+ 500 YEARS

100+

75+

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

PUBLISHED PUBLICATIONS

COMBINED BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

As the result of her innovative research in corporate bonds, Melissa K. Woodley, PhD, CFA, associate professor of finance, has had her work published in the Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, Vol. 23, No. 2, March 2018. The article, “ The Impact of Liquidity on Corporate Bond Yield Spreads,” was co-authored by John R. Wingender Jr., PhD, professor of finance. In addition, she has several other working papers on the topic of bonds, including one that is under consideration by the Financial Review.

Alexei Marcoux, PhD PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIETY

Alexei Marcoux, PhD, professor of ethics and society, published The Routledge Companion to Business Ethics (London: Routledge, 2018) with co-editors Eugene Heath and Byron Kaldis. The book includes 39 essays across 722 pages, and was almost four years in the making.

Notable Media Mentions When media outlets want to gain an expert’s perspective or additional clarification on a business-related topic, they often reach out to the faculty at the Heider College of Business for their knowledge and insights. Here are a few of the notable publications and stations that leveraged the expertise of our faculty in the past year.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Jays Take Flight Destined for Success

Colin Solito

BSBA’16, MBA’18

It may be hard to believe, but finance major Colin Solito secured two dream internships with major U.S. airlines — American Airlines and Southwest Airlines — charting a career path within this competitive industry.

The distance between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Omaha is 9,168 miles. But for Matthew Moo, BSBA’16, MBA’18, it wasn’t too far to travel for “the chance to live the American Dream.” He applied to 10 U.S. universities and opted for the more personalized education Creighton offers.

Growing up with a father who worked in airport operations, he set his mind on an internship at American Airlines — emailing and calling every well-placed graduate in the Creighton alumni network to get him through the proverbial front door. His internship experiences, extensive research and knowledge of the industry set him apart from the competition.

The same year, Solito also landed a prestigious, full-time finance-revenue accounting internship with Southwest Airlines — relocating to Dallas for an entire semester.

I DON’T KNOW MANY OTHER BUSINESS SCHOOLS THAT PUT EMPHASIS ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNSHIPS AS MUCH AS CREIGHTON DOES.

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Matthew Moo

Class of 2019

THE PERK OF BEING IN A TIGHT-KNIT INSTITUTION LIKE CREIGHTON IS THAT PROFESSORS KNOW YOU AND

Nhu Y Nguyen

Class of 2019

“ I want to graduate from college having become a more aware and socially responsible person, and Creighton has helped me on that path,” says Heider College of Business senior Nhu Y Nguyen.

T hanks to the Gilman Scholarship Program, she was able to return to Vietnam, where she lived before immigrating to the U.S. with her family when she was seven. The study abroad opportunity gave her the chance to learn more about the culture and sharpen her Vietnamese reading and writing skills.

HAVE A GENUINE INTEREST IN YOUR SUCCESS.

After graduation, delays in his Optional Practical Training (OPT) card and other paperwork nearly required him to leave the country — and with it, his American Dream.

Fortunately, Moo pursued a graduate assistantship with the University Admissions Office that afforded him the chance to earn his MBA tuition-free. “ Creighton made my dreams happen — first extending to me the opportunity to come to the United States. Once again, this institution pulled through for me at a very trying time in my life,” Moo says.

N guyen was inspired to pursue this opportunity during a course from the Magis Core curriculum, Rights and Revolution — along with the course instructor, history professor Betsy Elliot-Meisel, PhD, who is also the Gilman Scholarship faculty advisor.

THE MAGIS CORE CURRICULUM HELPED SHAPE MY EDUCATION WITH CLASSES THAT WERE ESSENTIAL TO MY PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC GROWTH.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

It’s not just where you go after graduation.

It’s where you lead.

At the Heider College of Business, 99 percent of our students achieve full-time employment or acceptance into a graduate program within six months of graduation — becoming part of a powerful, active network of leaders who continue to make a difference.

Teresa Elder, BSBA’83 CEO, WOW! ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO

BSBA

’83 CO

Doug Howe, BSBA’86 CHIEF MERCHANDISING OFFICER, KOHL’S MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

BSBA

’86 WI

Alexis Taylor, BSBA’14 CEO, 3 DAY STARTUP AUSTIN, TEXAS

BSBA

’14 TX

As a senior, Teresa Elder, BSBA’83, interviewed at USWEST, during the Bell System’s divesture — an exciting time for a graduate interested in organizational development. It was the start of a long and successful career in the telecommunications and cable industries, including high-level positions at Vodafone Ireland, AT&T, Clearwire, MediaOne and USWEST. An Omaha native, Elder has spent much of her life in her adopted state of Colorado — returning in 2017 as CEO of WOW!, an internet, cable and phone company headquartered in Englewood.

The new chief merchandising officer at Kohl’s, Doug Howe, BSBA’86, began his retail career at May Department Stores in St. Louis, after a successful career assessment weekend offered through Creighton’s career center his senior year. After 15 years with the company, the double accounting and management major moved to Philadelphia to work for QVC; Bentonville, Arkansas, to be part of Walmart’s executive team; and San Francisco to head product design for Gap Inc.’s Old Navy division. Now, the Council Bluffs, Iowa native continues his journey with his move to Milwaukee for Kohl’s.

A desire to contribute to something larger than self has led Alexis Taylor, BSBA’14, to become CEO for 3 Day Startup (3DS). The world’s leading experiential entrepreneurship education program, 3DS was founded in 2008 by students at the University of Texas at Austin to stimulate entrepreneurial potential.

It now spans 30 countries, with nearly 13,000 students participating — including the Creighton 3DS program that Taylor and team launched her senior year. She hopes the powers of entrepreneurism will help to create world peace through prosperity, opportunity and human flourishing.

UNIVERSITIES LIKE CREIGHTON ARE VIBRANT, EXCITING PLACES FULL OF NEW IDEAS AND ARE PURSUING SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS IN THE WORLD. NOT ONLY ARE CONNECTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY BENEFICIAL FOR YOU, BUT THEY CAN BE VERY HELPFUL TO THE STUDENTS AS WELL.

CREIGHTON WAS A WELCOMING, EMBRACING ENVIRONMENT THAT OPENED ME UP TO NEW PERSPECTIVES TO REALIZE HOW LARGE THE WORLD REALLY IS. IT INSTILLED DISCIPLINE IN STUDENTS AND TAUGHT US TO COLLABORATE AND BE ACCEPTING OF OTHERS.

INSTEAD OF PURSUING A TRADITIONAL CAREER PATH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND PURSUE A PATH THAT ALIGNED WITH THE IMPACT I WANTED TO CREATE IN THE WORLD.

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Get involved There are so many ways you can contribute to the success of the Heider College of Business.

Connect • S UBSCRIBE to our newsletter at business.creighton.edu/newsletter • S HARE your success stories by contacting heidermarketing@creighton.edu • F OLLOW US on social @creightonbiz

Engage • O ffer your expertise and connect with students through the Mike P. Fahey Career Center at careercenter@creighton.edu • S hare your Creighton pride with prospective students and families at recruitment events or by joining our outreach campaign by contacting heiderbusiness@creighton.edu

Invest • S upport key initiatives at the Heider College of business, visit alumni.creighton.edu/give-back

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