Issuu

OUTSTANDING SENIORS

from the dean

As we continue to raise the bar in the College of Business, I’m proud to share with you the latest stories of student success featured in this issue—stories that reflect the true return on investment your support makes possible.

Our students are thriving, and their achievements are a direct result of the mentorship and guidance they receive from our dedicated faculty, staff, and alumni like you. This spring, COB students traveled across the country—from San Francisco to New Orleans to Tennessee— competing in national conferences and competitions. They didn’t just participate; they excelled, bringing home awards and recognition that elevate the ECU brand and prove that your investment is paying off.

But student success goes beyond trophies. It’s found in our classrooms where experiential learning projects challenge students to solve realworld problems and help transform our region. It’s in the high-impact travel experiences that broaden their perspectives. It’s in the award-winning programs led by our student organizations that foster leadership, innovation, and community.

This issue highlights these transformative experiences—each one a testament to the power of your continued support. As the cover illustrates, the impact of your investment reaches across every corner of the College of Business, shaping the future of our students and the region we serve.

Let’s keep pushing forward. Let’s keep raising the bar. Because when we invest in our students, the return is immeasurable.

Michael Harris, Dean

Steven Grandy

Taylor

Pirate

Students bring home 66 awards this year

COB students have made a remarkable impact on the national and international stage over the past year, bringing home top honors in competitions. From first-place trophies to chapter-wide awards, these achievements showcase ECU’s commitment to student success, professional development, and real-world application. While only some of these students are featured here, they represent the breadth of accomplishments shaping the College of Business’ reputation for excellence.

COLLEGIATE DECA

ECU’s Collegiate DECA chapter returned from San Francisco with international titles after a standout performance at the 2025 Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference. Fifty students represented ECU with professionalism and Pirate pride, earning more than 20 medals, 13 finalist recognitions, and three international placements.

Quincy McKay captured first place internationally, while Rodney Bonilla and Matthew Kornegay secured second-place honors. Thirteen additional students were recognized as top performers or finalists, marking one of ECU DECA’s most successful showings to date. The chapter credited its executive board for driving excellence, sharing: “Hard work truly pays off.”

» STORY BY

» PHOTOS BY Rob

FBLA-COLLEGIATE

The Pirate spirit was strong at this year’s NC FBLA-Collegiate State Leadership Conference (SLC), held March 27–29 in Charlotte, where students representing all departments in the College of Business brought home top honors in both individual and chapter-wide categories. This annual conference is one of the most anticipated gatherings for aspiring business professionals across the state, drawing participants from universities and colleges of all sizes. ECU’s delegation came prepared, standing out not only for their competitive results but also for their leadership presence throughout the event. From skill-building workshops to networking sessions with business leaders, the SLC gave students the chance to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, test their abilities against peers, and strengthen their confidence as future professionals. For many, the experience was as transformative as it was competitive.

TWILLEY SALES CLUB

The Pirate Sales Club made an immediate national impact at the inaugural National Tech-Sales Competition hosted by Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The event paired sales students with tech students in role-play scenarios designed to mirror real-world collaboration and tested competitors on communication, adaptability, and strategy. Over four intense rounds, including networking and three immersive role-plays ECU students rose to the top. Parker Raven earned first place in team role-play and third in networking, while Roz Burgess claimed first place in networking. Diya Thaker joined Raven in the first-place team finish, and Josiah Ortiz helped secure perfect marks toward

the ECU Teamwork Award. Together, their efforts propelled ECU to win the Top University Award, a recognition that firmly established the Twilley Sales Academy’s growing national reputation. That reputation was reinforced at the Selling with the Bulls national competition hosted by the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business, widely considered one of the toughest tests in sales education. Facing 112 competitors from 31 universities, ECU students once again excelled even after a winter storm forced them to compete virtually, resulting in an automatic point deduction. Burgess earned a prestigious Winners Circle award, ranking among the top performers in every category despite being unable to compete in networking, while Ortiz captured first place in the prospecting voicemail competition with his standout sales messaging. Together, Burgess, Ortiz, Thaker, and Raven proved that ECU students can compete, and win on the biggest stages, showcasing the Twilley Sales Academy’s ability to develop elite sales professionals ready to lead in any environment.

SOCIETY FOR ADVANCEMENT OF MANAGEMENT

The ECU SAM Club made its mark at the SAM International Business Conference in Tallahassee, Florida, held March 20–22. ECU placed third overall in the invitational division through strong performances in the collegiate case competition, written case study, and business knowledge contests. Andrea Knight and Nicholas Fenti excelled in extemporaneous speaking, placing second and third, while Shreyash Patil and Noah Presley distinguished themselves in the business knowledge bowl, taking third and fourth place. Two ECU students also tied for first place in the Cvent Challenge, an app-based competition that tested leadership and innovation in real time throughout the

conference. Representing the COB’s Department of Management, the team included Patil, Fenti, Knight, Presley, Josie Bishop, Arja Pal, and Melita Prati. These achievements highlight the breadth of ECU’s talent—from case analysis to quick-thinking speech and applied leadership—and reinforce the club’s role in preparing students to be effective managers. Open to all majors, the SAM Club continues to provide opportunities for Pirates interested in sharpening their leadership, management, and professional skills.

ASSOCIATION FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The AIS Student Chapter had a strong showing at the 2025 AIS Student Chapter Leadership Conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Students joined peers from across the country for keynotes, panels, and workshops on AI, startups, and cybersecurity, including a handson demo with platforms like Hugging Face and LM Studio.

ECU was a finalist in the PNC FinTech Challenge, impressing judges with a solution that used AI, deep learning, and gamification to rethink financial trustworthiness. The chapter also shared research on growth strategies at the Independent Poster Fair

and earned the Outstanding Communications Award for excellence in stakeholder engagement. Students returned with new insights into leadership, teamwork, and digital innovation—furthering ECU’s impact on the national stage.

Adding to these accomplishments, ECU AIS earned the Outstanding Communications Award for the 2023–24 academic year, a national recognition for excellence in stakeholder engagement through digital platforms, meetings, and outreach initiatives. Students returned from the conference with valuable insights into team management, adaptability in leadership roles, and building a standout professional presence—furthering ECU’s impact and readiness to A Year of

From accounting to entrepreneurship, COB students continue to shine on national stages. At the Institute of Internal Auditors Global Student Conference in Orlando, accounting students Philycia Carmen, Jaden Jones, and Skylar Sustek secured first- and third-place finishes in the audit case competition, showcasing both technical skill and teamwork. Meanwhile, Miller School of Entrepreneurship consulting teams earned second- and third-place awards at the 2025 Small Business Institute Annual Conference for projects supporting Sawyer Microfarm and KidFit. Faculty further highlighted ECU’s leadership by contributing to national discussions on entrepreneurship, regional transformation, and small business education. Together, these accomplishments underscore the College’s commitment to experiential learning and its success in preparing Pirates to lead, innovate, and collaborate in real-world business environments.

» STORY BY Steven Grandy

PHOTOS BY Emily Leach & Steven Mantilla

(By Emily Leach)

“THE GOAL OF A SALES COMPETITION IS TO GET STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN REAL-LIFE TRAINING SCENARIOS.”

Samantha Zomok Program Specialist Office of Expert Services

Selling Point

COB hosts inaugural Twilley Sales Challenge

hat convinces a consumer to purchase a product or service? Students in East Carolina University’s Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership developed their best sales pitches on Feb. 27-28 as part of the inaugural Pirate Sales Competition.

The Pirate Sales Competition marks the first time ECU has hosted a sales competition. Sixteen ECU students — the most from any school — competed in the 40-student event that included NC State, The Citadel, UNC Greensboro and UNC Wilmington. The event was at Victra Wireless Contact Center in Winterville. Victra Wireless is owned by COB alumnus Rich Balot and is the largest Verizonauthorized retailer in the United States.

The competition consisted of three rounds, beginning with a networking round on Feb. 27 and ending with two sales rounds on Feb. 28. During the networking round, competitors rotated through 10 stations and had seven minutes to make their personal sales pitch to a pair of judges and respond to their questions. In addition to the two judges, each station had two of their peers.

“Judges are looking for both verbal and nonverbal communication. Do they understand when asked, ‘So tell me about yourself?’” said John Chapman, director of the Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership.

Prior to the second and third rounds, competitors were given a case study and a product to sell. For the second round, their objective during a five-minute phone call was to make it past a gatekeeper to obtain a meeting with a CEO. “In that round, they’re judged in how they build rapport, how they overcome objections and how they accomplish the objective of getting an appointment,” said Chapman.

In the final round, competitors had a 15-minute sales presentation with the

same product to the CEO. “It’s a different type of sale,” Chapman said of the final round presentation compared to the second round. “The CEO is interested in return on investment, increasing productivity, increasing revenue and saving costs. They must prove their ability to sell the product.”

STUDENT SELLERS

ECU senior entrepreneurship major Parker Raven proved her ability by becoming the first winner of the Pirate Sales Challenge.

“It was very exciting and I’m super thankful to have won,” she said. “The most challenging part was connecting with each of the judges. There’s so many different personalities, and connecting with them in their own way was both challenging and fun.”

For Raven, competing in the Pirate Sales Challenge was a way to prepare herself for the final round of the Aman Pirate Challenge on April 15. She is one of six finalists and will be pitching Kid Fit, her company that uses science-backed programming and a culture of encouragement to envision a future where every child can reach their full potential, one gym exercise at a time.

“I think both in sales and the (Aman) Pirate Challenge it’s about telling a story and playing on those emotions and using what you’re saying to make someone feel something. I believe that what I did today will carry over to that event,” she said.

Before the Pirate Sales Competition, several ECU students competed in the University of South Florida’s Selling with the Bulls sales competition. Freshman Roz Burgess, a Brinkley-Lane Scholar and Honors College student, was one of eight competitors to win the Winner’s Circle award. The award is given to a student who excels in the categories of prospective email, prospective

Top Right: Parker Raven, Roz Burgess, Josiah Ortiz and Phillip McKay hold awards from the Twilley Sales Challenge. (Steven Mantilla)

Bottom Left: Dean Mike Harris, left, presented Richard Twilley with a gift at a reception.

LinkedIn request, prospective voicemail, prospective phone call, networking, discovery meeting and sales meeting. Making Burgess’ accomplishment even more impressive was that he had to compete virtually due to travel issues because of a winter storm that hit the Greenville region.

“I’m very excited to win the award,” said Burgess. “I have to give credit to (Pirate Sales Club co-presidents) Phillip McCain and Sarah Maisto. They’re seniors and trained us for the competition. We met weekly and sometimes twice a week to make sure we were ready.”

Burgess followed that competition with a runner-up effort at the Pirate Sales Challenge.

GIVING THANKS

On the evening of Feb. 28, a reception at the Dail House honored Richard Twilley and his generous gift that launched the Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership.

“Tonight, we’re here to celebrate another game-changing program in our college,” said Mike Harris, dean of the College of Business (COB). “We’re here to honor Richard, Avis and their family. This investment is not only significant for our college, but it can have an impact across our campus. This is just the second endowed sales academy in North Carolina. As we put together this program, we’re building the foundation for a national model.”

The Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership is housed in the College of Business’ Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. The Twilley Academy is advancing world-class sales education and cutting-edge research, providing executive educational programs, and fostering beneficial corporate partnerships.

"Remaining future focused to ensure student success and regional transformation will be paramount as we continue to navigate our

“I’M A PROUD GRADUATE OF ECU AND THE COB. FOR MANY YEARS I’VE WAITED FOR THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK AND CREATE A SALES ACADEMY THAT WILL PROVIDE A DEGREE PROGRAM FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE COB AND SALES CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FOR ANY ECU STUDENT." — RICHARD TWILLEY

course at the academy. It will be interesting to see how the academy can complement our recent R1 designation with cutting edge research on selling, sales processes and client experience,” said Twilley.

Nearly 500 students are enrolled in sales classes this academic year. The number of students enrolled and pursuing a professional selling certificate has doubled in the last three years and the COB is in the process of exploring a sales concentration, Harris said.

“Sales is a strategic priority in the College of Business,” he said. “Ten years ago, we used entrepreneurship as a way to connect the campus, and I believe now is the time to focus on sales.”

Chapman feels the support from Twilley and COB benefactors has the Pirate Sales Challenge poised for future growth. “It’s unbelievable,” he said of the event’s support. “Every year we hope to make it larger and larger. We’re starting with four teams and I’m making notes on what we can do to make it better next year.”

Overall Award

• 1st Place: Parker Raven

• 2nd Place: Roz Burgess

Phone Call

• 1st Place: Josiah Ortiz

• 2nd Place: Trace Fernandez

• 3rd Place: Tripp Poore

Team Award

• 2nd Place: Roz Burgess, Josiah Ortiz, Isiah Brooks, Emily Hymel

• 3rd Place: Parker Raven, Trever Pankau, Luke Hansen, Phillip McCain

Above: ECU freshman Roz Burgess makes a sales call during the Twilley Sales Challenge.

(By Emily Leach)

Above: Emily Hymel makes a sales presentation to a judge during the Twilley Sales Challenge.

(By Emily Leach)

Left: Richard Twilley, left, Josiah Ortiz, and Rich Balot at the Twilley Sales Challenge.

(By Emily Leach)

Below: ECU senior Parker Raven makes a sales call during the Twilley Sales Challenge.

(By Emily Leach)

Right: Richard Twilley gives opening remarks at the inaugural Twilley Sales Challenge.

(Steven Mantilla)

STORY

Steven Grandy

» PHOTOS BY Steven

Mantilla

Pitch Perfect

Campus Cribs finds a home at Aman Pirate Challenge

Finding the right place to live can be stressful and time-consuming for ECU students who live off campus.

Campus Cribs hopes to connect the two, giving students a place to stay and property owners a tenant.

Bottom

“IT FEELS AWESOME TO WIN. I WAS NOT EXPECTING IT AT ALL. I’M PROUD OF OUR TEAM, AND THIS WILL MAKE OUR SUCCESS A LOT QUICKER.”

Quincy McKay Campus Cribs

Campus Cribs, consisting of sophomores Quincy McKay and Gavin DeGregorio, junior Stuart Cohen, and 2024 ECU graduate Ben Casatelli, won the eighth annual Aman Pirate Challenge (APC) on April 15 at the Murphy Center. They bested five other teams and claimed a $20,000 cash prize to expand their venture.

The Aman Challenge is the Miller School of Entrepreneurship’s premier competition. With more than $280,000 in money and prizes awarded this year, it’s the largest competition of its kind in the UNC System. Since its inception, the competition has awarded over $1 million in prizes giving dozens of entrepreneurs the foundation needed to take their idea to the next level.

“Thanks to the generous gift from the Aman family, we’ve been able to add more programming between rounds — and this year, it really showed,” said Chip Galusha, interim director, Miller School of Entrepreneurship. “It was inspiring to see six top-notch teams from multiple colleges across campus at the culmination of this year’s challenge and to witness the spirit of entrepreneurship that’s alive and well at ECU.”

The idea for Campus Cribs was developed in an entrepreneurship class taught by College of Business teaching instructor Corey Pulido during the fall 2023 semester.

“We do pitches in the class every semester,” said Pulido. “When asked at the beginning of the semester who has an idea they’d like to work on, (McKay) volunteered to pitch his idea then and has been working on it ever since.”

“I was sitting in class and at the same time, my friends were talking to me about figuring out where to stay off campus and how the

process works,” said McKay. “In class, (Pulido) said to come up with a problem and a solution. I came up with a solution at the time called Grid Housing, and since then it has blossomed into Campus Cribs and what it is now.”

Campus Cribs partners with local rental homes and apartments to market their properties directly to college students. McKay describes the company as “basically a Zillow but for student housing.” Students can register for free while property owners pay a fee to list their properties.

While Campus Cribs claimed the top prize, each finalist left with a reward. Surf Stick Wax, developed by team members Garrison Miller and Will Jones, earned $15,000 as runner-up and an in-kind prize worth $1,000. The duo will also compete in e-Fest hosted by the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.

Kidfit, run by Greenville native Parker Raven, placed third and earned $10,000 along with the Rural Community Impact Award ($10,000) and ECU Women’s Roundtable prize ($2,500). Anatovault finished fourth ($5,000), Pane Pirates fifth ($3,000 plus a $5,000 marketing award), and Huddle Wealth sixth ($2,000 plus $500 for the popular vote).

“Tonight was truly amazing,” said Raven. “I included the kids as part of the pitch in the opener. It was special to have them there and show the impact that Kidfit has on the children here in our community. It means a lot to win the Rural Community Award because I’m so thankful for this community and having those resources to help expand and work with more children will be huge for us.”

According to David Mayo, director of the Aman Pirate Challenge, the six finalists all shared one primary focus between the semifinal and final rounds.

“They’ve been working on business development,” he said. “It depends on the team for what exactly that means, but a lot of them have had changes in the scope of their business model. They’re thinking bigger now. They’re

Top Right: Gavin DeGregorio, left, Quincy McKay, COB Dean, Mike Harris, and Stuart Cohen.

Left: COB Dean Mike Harris, left, ECU Trustee Fielding Miller, Helen Aman, Stuart Cohen, Quincy McKay, Gavin DeGregorio, Chip Galusha, and Ryan Butcher.

going from a small business to a national or even global reach.”

Mayo said the Aman Pirate Challenge has three goals: to promote entrepreneurship across campus, provide mentorship and acceleration for business ideas, and fund startups when ready.

THE $1 MILLION MILESTONE

The contest surpassed the $1 million mark in cumulative prizes since the first challenge eight years ago. It was renamed in memory of Gene Aman ’65 last year as the Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge. The $3.2 million gift from Helen Aman and family supports the Miller School of Entrepreneurship, allowing the program to provide more opportunities, larger cash gifts, and expanded reach across ECU and eastern North Carolina.

“We were progressing towards that mark, and we’ve seen growth in the challenge each year,” said Mayo. “This year, we took a large leap because of the gift from the Aman family. We’ve been able to help a lot of students create successful businesses, create jobs and realize their dreams.”

In 2017, the first Aman Pirate Challenge featured 46 competitors and around $40,000 in prizes. The event has grown each year in more than just prizes and student participation.

“The Aman Pirate Challenge has enabled a lot of alumni to come back and help,” said Mayo. “They do our workshops. They judge our competitions in the first and second rounds and they also mentor our participants. I always say, if someone wants to help, we’ll find a place for them.”

Mayo believes the growth is likely to continue. “It’s grown in every way,” he said. “It’s grown in the number of people it engages; it’s grown in the prize funding; it’s grown in the support. Next year, I think we’ll see even more growth.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Following their Aman Pirate Challenge victory, McKay said Campus Cribs is focused on solidifying its online presence.

“The next step for us is finishing our website,” said McKay. “It’s live, but not 100% perfect. Once we get it perfected, I’m going to market to more homeowners and get their properties on board and start expansion.”

McKay has simple advice for any ECU student considering the Aman Pirate Challenge. “Do it,” he said. “It has been the best decision of my life. Starting a business was the second-best decision and doing the Aman Pirate Challenge was the best. It’s taught me so much and has helped me grow to where I am today.”

Right: ECU Trustee, Matt Crisp, raises his hand to provide feedback during the final round of the Aman Pirate Challenge

"I THINK THE MILLIONDOLLAR MARK IS A NICE FIGURE THAT YOU CAN SHOW, BUT WHAT BACKS UP THOSE MILLION DOLLARS IS EVERYONE THAT WENT TO ENABLING THE SUCCESS OF ALL THOSE STUDENT STARTUPS.”

David Mayo Director of the Aman Pirate Challenge

» STORY

Jules Norwood

» PHOTO BY

Robin Ashley

“HAVING AN EVENT LIKE THIS, DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT AND EMPOWER VETERANS, PROVIDES A SENSE OF REASSURANCE & COMMUNITY.”

Ruben Rodriguez, Marine veteran

Veteran Partnerships

IMBA students prepare for summer internships

he Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business and Whole Vet hosted two events March 21 supporting veterans transitioning to civilian life.“We’re here today for one reason, and that is to collaborate,” said Dale Robbins, president and founder of Whole Vet and an ECU alumnus.

The Military Veteran Enablement Coalition encouraged nonprofits to work together, while universities shared educational and veteran support resources.

“It’s really building relationships so we’re force multipliers for each other as we go back to our communities and serve the military and veteran community,” Robbins said.

Morning activities included networking, resource tables, and a panel with Irreverent Warriors, Paws of War Eastern NC, Veteran Services of the Carolinas, and the Honor Foundation. Kimberly Ramsey of TransWorld spoke on helping veterans become entrepreneurs, and Bill Cox shared plans for a 9/11 Traveling Remembrance Flag.

“We will then fold it and put it in a shadow box. We will transport it to New York City via all the crash sites — Shanksville, the Pentagon and then the towers memorial. That flag will then be given to a police, fire or port authority department in New York City,” Cox explained.

The afternoon Military Career Transition Day offered professional development and networking for veterans and their spouses. “The weekend gave us all much better insight into the challenges the military community faces, especially in the transition into the civilian sector,” said Len Rhodes, former executive director of the Arthur School.

Marine veteran Ruben Rodriguez said, “Learning from industry experts and networking with others who have successfully transitioned will be incredibly valuable as I plan my next chapter. Having an event like this, designed specifically to support and empower veterans, provides a sense of reassurance and community. It’s encouraging to know that ECU is invested in helping service members transition successfully into the next phase of their careers.”

Johnathan Severs, director of client programs for Hire Heroes USA, added, “Having someone in your corner who understands the transition process and the resources available can make all the difference in overcoming these challenges.”

“If we make a difference in one life, it’s a success,” Robbins said. COB Dean Mike Harris added, “It takes a team. It takes everyone’s help to make the magic happen.”

» STORY BY Steven Grandy

» PHOTO BY Steven Mantilla

Set Sail

IMBA students prepare for summer internships

ollowing spring commencement in May, the 16 students in ECU’s Immersive MBA program will begin internships with businesses in Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and even New York. The COB recently hosted the Set Sail event to present students with medallions and stoles to wear at their graduation and to network with representatives of the companies they’ll be working with this summer.

IBM. And then from there, I was able to apply for the internship,” she said.

Like Gebel, Matthew Kornegay landed an internship that blends his interests in business and real estate. Inspired by his father, a broker in Mount Olive, he reached out to Arthur School MBA graduate Landon Stevenson ’22, ’24, now a financial analyst with the Overton Group. Stevenson introduced him to company leaders, which led to the internship offer.

“IF THERE’S ONE THING THIS PROGRAM HAS INSTILLED IN ME, IT’S THE CONFIDENCE THAT I’M CAPABLE OF ANYTHING I SET MY MIND TO, AND I EXPECT THIS INTERNSHIP TO BE A MEANINGFUL STEP IN SOLIDIFYING THAT NOTION.”

Jack Dyba - IMBA Student

Dr. Linda Quick, assistant dean of the Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business, said the event provided an opportunity to celebrate the students’ accomplishments and for them to get to know their employers. In the IMBA program, students take their classes together and complete their MBA coursework in one year, including a summer internship. Each student receives a full scholarship and a paid graduate assistantship position for an investment of $25,000 per student.

To match students with employers, Quick said, “we talk to each of the students early on in the program, and even as early as when they’re interviewing for the program, to see what areas they’re interested in.” Key local employers like Hyster-Yale and Thermo Fisher reserve some spots for interns, and the students are also encouraged to make their own connections with companies in which they’re interested.

That’s how Emma Gebel landed an internship with IBM Power in Armonk, New York.“I started networking in undergrad for an internship,” she said. “I knew I wanted to work at a multinational corporation and apply my undergrad degree, which was in management, with a concentration in international business. And then I knew I had an interest in finance as well.”

As she continued to network, she connected with Michael Howard ’99, a chief financial officer with IBM who spoke at the COB’s Finance Conference in December.

“I had a meeting with him, and that’s kind of how I got my first initial connection with

“I was able to kind of talk them through what my idea of what I wanted for an internship was. They were able to give or provide me with what they were able to offer, and it was just a really good fit,” he said.

Kornegay has already passed pre-licensing courses for his real estate exam and looks forward to learning more about the business.

Jack Dyba said he spent months in constant communication with employees and mentors at MegaCorp Logistics in Wilmington after a job-shadowing experience in 2023.

“From that moment, I made it a personal goal to be part of their team one day,” he said.

“This internship combines elements of supply chain management and logistics, areas that were entirely new to me before entering the IMBA program. What excites me most is how well MegaCorp’s culture and emphasis on operational excellence align with my long-term vision: to become a well-rounded, impactful leader in the business world.

Dyba said being a part of the tight-knit IMBA cohort has been a unique and rewarding educational experience. “We celebrate each other’s wins, lean on each other during challenges and push one another to be better,” he said. “Knowing that I have a group of friends who truly understand the journey we’re on has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this program.”

Other employers hiring interns through the IMBA program include Grady White, Lenovo, Varonis, First Citizens Bank and Coastal AgroBusiness.

Right: This year’s IMBA students will embark on internships around Greenville, the Triangle and New York.

Steven Grandy

Student Internships

COB students build skills during internships

ot content to relax by the pool, many students in the COB use the summer to build new skills, gain work experience, and make career connections through internships. Below are four students who challenged themselves in roles with nationally recognized companies.

ROZ BURGESS – CAPTRUST

During the summer of 2024, Roz Burgess had completed his senior year at Wakefield High School in Raleigh and was preparing to begin his freshman year at ECU. One year later, Burgess has a year of college under his belt and is interning with the marketing team at CAPTRUST, a Raleigh-based

Burgess first became familiar with CAPTRUST through Fielding Miller, founder and CEO of the company and the namesake behind the Miller School of

“I was drawn to the firm because of its strong reputation in financial advising and the opportunity to learn from top tier professionals,” Burgess said. “The connection with Mr. Miller inspired me to dig deeper, apply early and do

Burgess had a busy summer, gaining experience in areas that

link marketing and sales. “I’ve been supporting initiatives that bridge marketing and sales, working on brand awareness, sales enablement and client acquisition,” he said. “I’ve also had the chance to contribute to M&A (mergers and acquisitions) integration efforts and lead a project around internal productivity. Even though my role is in marketing, I’ve made it a point to meet with financial advisors to better understand how they sell, communicate, value and build client relationships since sales is a major area of interest for me.”

As a freshman, Burgess joined ECU’s Pirate Sales Club, earned a Winner’s Circle award at USF’s Selling with the Bulls, placed runner-up in ECU’s inaugural Pirate Sales Challenge, and credits his internship with preparing him for future competitions.

“A large part of what I do supports sales enablement, whether it’s creating sales sheets, inputting in Seismic, working on a crossfunctional project or handling backend tasks that help keep things running efficiently. It’s helped me better understand how marketing supports the sales cycle, and I’ve picked up several strategies around positioning, messaging and value communication that I know I can apply in upcoming competitions.”

MARTINA MUZZOLON – EY

Martina Muz zolon came to ECU from Padua, Italy, in 2021 to play women’s tennis. She graduated in May with a 3.9 GPA and an International Student Award. Before beginning her master’s in accounting at the Arthur Graduate School in August, she spent her summer interning at EY (Ernst & Young) in Boston.

» STORY BY

» COURTESY PHOTOS

“During my sophomore and junior years, I began looking for internship opportunities,” Muzzolon said. “At one of these events, I met recruiters from EY’s Raleigh office who encouraged me to apply.”

Though she had already lined up a different internship for 2024, she decided to pursue the opportunity with a Big Four firm instead.

“After two virtual interviews, I was thrilled to receive an offer for an internship in Audit –FSO Assurance at the Boston office,” she said. “I was assigned to the Banking and Capital Markets (BCM) sector and worked on two audit engagements with a team of five to six people.”

She began the internship with onboarding and training in mid-June. Transitioning from time with family in Italy to living alone in a new city was challenging, but she found a strong support system among her coworkers.

“Turning down an offer at a previous internship and stepping into something completely unknown in Boston wasn’t easy, but I believe this decision is helping me grow. I want to make the most of this experience and I’m excited to return to ECU and share what I’ve learned with the professors, advisors and everyone who helped get me here.”

EMMA GEBEL – IBM POWER

Emma Gebel ’24 studied international business as an undergraduate and is now continuing her education in the Immersive MBA program. This summer, she interned at IBM Power, focusing on financial planning and analysis.

“I wanted to begin my career at a large, global company where I could gain exposure to a variety of functions and perspectives, and IBM offered exactly that,” she said. Her role involved forecasting and analyzing projected revenue metrics. “I’ve always been drawn to projects that are bigger than myself,” she added. “In finance, I have the opportunity to analyze and interpret data that supports critical business decisions. Being part of that process is both impactful and fascinating.”

Through the COB’s Cunanan Center for Professional Success, she connected with IBM CFO Michael Howard ’99 at a COB Finance Conference. His insights helped her prepare for and pursue the internship.

“IBM has a very team-oriented and collaborative culture,” Gebel said. “Working with others to solve real-world problems pushes

me to think critically and step outside my comfort zone.”

She credited her coursework at ECU for preparing her for the professional environment. “While the workplace is very different from the classroom, the interpersonal and communication skills I developed through team projects and my professors have been especially valuable,” she said.

CRAIG GETER – VARONIS

Craig Geter ’24, a student in the IMBA program, found his internship opportunity on Handshake, the job and internship database used by ECU Career Services, but he also had a chance to network with Varonis representatives through ECU’s Association for Information Systems chapter.

“Having those early conversations gave me a better sense of the company and allowed me to bring a more personal connection to the application process,” he said.

That networking helped him land a summer internship with the data security and analytics company in Morrisville.

“I help triage real-time security alerts and work within a SIEM (security information and event management) dashboard to identify suspicious behavior,” Geter said. “I also assist with tuning detection rules and contribute to internal documentation that sharpens our response process.”

“From day one, they made it a priority to ensure I’m not just completing tasks, but actually learning and getting the most out of every assignment,” he said.

He regularly drew on problemsolving and critical thinking skills gained at ECU. “Whether it’s analyzing IP address behavior, understanding network segmentation, or evaluating how tools like large language models play into security strategy—I’m using what I learned in class almost every day.”

After the internship, Geter hopes to move into a governance, risk and compliance role where he can combine his technical knowledge with a strong understanding of privacy, policy and organizational risk.

» STORY BY Jules Norwood

PHOTO BY Steven Mantilla

Tech Summit

ECU hosts event that offers life lessons, career advice

Sometimes, life lessons are hard. Other times, they’ll get you 50 bucks. ECU student Jacob Reinger learned the latter during the Technology Summit. Reinger received a $50 gift card from presenter Andrew Griffin, a channel solutions engineer with Verkada, a security technology company.

“SHOW UP AND TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY. THE WHOLE PURPOSE IS AN EXERCISE: THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE, AND IT’S UP TO YOU TO TAKE IT.”

Andrew Griffin - Verkada

“He was talking about needing to jump on opportunities and then he went silent,” Reinger said. “He said he had something for us, and he held it out and waited for someone to come up and grab it. It took me about 13 seconds to figure out what it was. I figured someone in the front row would pick it up. I’m in row seven, and I just ran out and grabbed it.”

Created by student organizations in the COB and Department of Computer Science, the summit focused on career paths and opportunities — or in Reinger’s case, an opportunity for $50. It’s a lesson the sophomore information and cybersecurity technology major from Wilmington won’t soon forget.

Griffin said the gift card lesson was one he experienced as a student at ECU. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in information and cybersecurity technology, he believes the gift card provides an important lesson for students entering the job market.

“It doesn’t matter if there are instructions. It doesn’t matter if you’re unsure. It’s a matter of having confidence, going up there knowing that you might be embarrassed, get nervous or even look like a fool, but you took the opportunity that no one else did.”

Griffin was among five presenters at the event, which also included panel discussions with industry representatives about career exploration and emerging roles in technology. Presenters shared insights into current trends, skills in demand, and the importance of adaptability in rapidly changing fields.

Robert Daigle, global artificial intelligence business director at Lenovo who holds bachelor’s

and master’s degrees from the College of Business, told students that a career path is far from a straight line. “No way on my radar was working in artificial intelligence,” he said.

He cited a survey noting that most people would work 12 jobs in their lifetimes and that 92 million jobs would be displaced while 170 million new jobs would emerge as technology continues to transform the employment landscape. “You’re preparing for jobs and careers that don’t exist today. … Being flexible and having an openness to change is more important now than ever,” he told students.

Daigle also advised students not to chase a job just because it pays a lot. “Stay true to your values and let them guide you,” he said. “Our satisfaction is more than just a title and salary.”

He encouraged students to build their personal brand, combine specialized and general skills, embrace lifelong learning, leverage technology as a competitive advantage, and maintain curiosity. “Approach your career as an exploration. The possibilities are endless,” he said.

Lucas Murray, a junior accounting major from Oxford, said Daigle’s advice on career flexibility was reassuring. “It’s exciting. I’ve already had three jobs,” Murray said. “I just have to trust the process. Some companies aren’t hiring, but as long as you stay on your path and get that degree, there should be opportunities for everybody.”

Shweta Kumar, a senior computer science major from Cary, said she could relate to Daigle. “He only graduated in 2010 and now in 2025, 15 years, and he’s already in a top company like Lenovo,” she said.

Marian Sousan, a senior computer science major from Greenville, said Daigle’s perspective “really calmed the current anxieties that a lot of students have about the job market.”

The Technology Summit is in its second year. “It really gives us a lot of perspective on how students today can jumpstart their own careers,” Sousan said.

Right: Students participate in impactful events like the ECU Technology Summit

Business Abroad

» STORY

Steven Grandy

» PHOTOS BY

Contributed photos

Top Left: COB students stand in front of the Real Felipe fortress in Callao, Peru.

Bottom Left: A group of COB students visited Tiananmen Square during a study abroad trip to China and South Korea.

Students explored global business, culture, and career opportunities through study abroad and industry immersion trips this spring and summer.

rom Asia to Europe, South America to Bermuda, and even major U.S. cities like Charlotte, Atlanta and Chicago, COB students expanded their horizons this past spring and summer through faculty-led study abroad programs, industry immersions and alumni networking trips. Highlights included touring Samsung and La French Tech in Seoul, walking the Great Wall after exchanges at Beijing Union University, analyzing sustainable tourism in Ireland, exploring marketing at BMW Welt and Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory in Germany, meeting with the U.S. Embassy in Lima and entrepreneurs in Peru, and studying global insurance markets from Bermuda to Lloyd’s of London. Closer to home, company visits to Sunbelt Rentals, RSUI, Amwins, Amazon and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange turned city itineraries into living case studies with Pirate alumni as guides. Tied directly to semester-long coursework, these trips gave students stronger networks, clearer career direction and the confidence to navigate new environments.

EXPLORING CHINA & SOUTH KOREA

Ten COB students spent two weeks abroad learning about the business environments and cultures of South Korea and China. Stops included Samsung, La French Tech Seoul, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, and Seoul Cosmetic Surgery in Korea, as well as the Business College of Beijing Union University and multinational firms in China. Students also immersed themselves in cultural experiences, from hand-making dumplings to walking the Great Wall.

For junior business management major Kelly Carter, a U.S. Air Force veteran, the trip was personal: “When I saw the College of Business advertising a study abroad opportunity to South Korea and China, I knew I had to apply,” she said. “This trip built cross-cultural communication and teamwork skills that will benefit my future career in human resources.”

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN IRELAND

Seven hospitality leadership students traveled through Belfast, Derry, Dublin, Galway, and the Irish countryside while studying sustainable tourism. They analyzed how Ireland balances its thriving hospitality industry with cultural and environmental preservation.“This trip reaffirmed my passion for hospitality,” said senior Olivia Sullivan. “It showed me the importance of being impactful, sustainable, and culturally respectful while traveling.”

MARKETING & CULTURE IN GERMANY

Eleven business students spent 12 days in Munich, Dresden, and Berlin, focusing on marketing and culture. Highlights included a visit to BMW World, Volkswagen’s transparent factory, and a discussion with Restlos Glucklich on sustainable food. “Studying abroad gave me a great opportunity to learn about how marketing and business work outside of the United States,” said sophomore marketing major Rose Lukeba.

SPRING BREAK IN PERU & FRANCE

Two faculty-led spring break trips took students to Peru and France. In Lima, students visited the U.S. Embassy, networked with peers at Universidad Esan, and explored cultural sites like the Huacachina Oasis and Real Felipe fortress. Graduate student Jaliyah Armstrong said the trip deepened her appreciation for Latin America and boosted her Spanish confidence.

In France, students connected with peers at Université de Tours, toured wineries, and explored Paris’ blend of fashion, and tradition. MBA student Sarah Ayala said the trip emphasized “the importance of cultural awareness and adapting to new environments.”

RISK MANAGEMENT & INSURANCE (RMI) IN BERMUDA & LONDON

RMI students explored global insurance hubs this year. In January, six students traveled to Bermuda to meet with reinsurance firms. In May, 11 students visited London to study Lloyd’s of London and international underwriting practices while networking with alumni and industry leaders. These experiences offered valuable insight into the global scope and career opportunities within the insurance industry.

INDUSTRY VISITS TO CHARLOTTE, ATLANTA, & CHICAGO

Not all travel required a passport. In March, COB students visited Charlotte, Atlanta, and Chicago, touring companies like Sunbelt Rentals, RSUI, Amazon, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The trips offered hands-on learning and networking with alumni across industries. Students gained insight into careers in finance, insurance, supply chain, and more.

GLOBAL LESSONS, LIFELONG IMPACT

Whether climbing the steps of the Great Wall, discussing risk management with CEOs in Atlanta, or networking with alumni in Chicago, COB students gained skills that extend beyond textbooks. These hands-on experiences deepened their understanding of business in real-world contexts and helped them explore career paths. Students returned with greater confidence, clearer direction, and insights they can apply in the classroom. As Dean Mike Harris noted, “These trips provide valuable professional development opportunities that expand our students’ networks and enhance their overall educational experience.”

» STORY BY Alondra Martinez

» PHOTO BY Steven Mantilla

“MEETING PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS TO HEAR FROM CURRENT STUDENTS.”

alumna

Sarah Maisto

Navigating success through community and leadership.

rom leading the Pirate Sales Club to the Toolbox Leadership Academy, alumna Sarah Maisto ’25 distinguished herself as a standout student. She embraced opportunities to grow while uplifting others—whether leading organizations, mentoring high schoolers, or serving as a Brinkley-Lane Scholar. Though from nearby Apex, she wasn’t initially drawn to ECU.

“I wasn’t sure about even applying at first, to be honest with you. But the more I got involved with just coming on campus and taking tours, and then the more I learned about the Honors College program, that was kind of the turning point for me,” Maisto said.

As one of 20 Brinkley-Lane Scholars in the 2025 cohort, Maisto received a merit-based scholarship that fully funded her education, including tuition, fees, room and board, and a $5,000 study abroad stipend. Her involvement with the Honors College expanded beyond being a scholarship recipient.

“I had the privilege of working with our director of programming, Dr. Diane Majewski. She’s in charge of putting on every Honors College event. The bulk of my job was helping with event planning, but I also lent a hand to anyone in the Honors College building,” she explained.

She frequently assisted Margaret Turner, director of admissions for the Honors College, during prospective student events. Turner often introduced prospective students to Maisto as her go-to marketing student.

Beyond the Honors College, Maisto’s impact stretched across campus. Inspired by upperclassmen, she dove into leadership roles that shaped her ECU journey.

“The Honors College is why I came to ECU, but it’s also why I was so involved on this campus. Older students encouraged me to do the things that I wanted to do—whether it was joining a sorority, running for student body

president or taking on the position with Dr. Majewski,” Maisto said.

As co-president of the Pirates Sales Club, Maisto prepared future sales professionals through experience and growth. Under her leadership, the club exceeded its goals for membership, engagement and opportunities, growing to 230 members with rising attendance.

“We recruited from day one. We started at Get a Clue and were able to recruit about 80 students on just that first day by talking to them and getting them engaged,” she proudly shared.

The club also hosted and competed in multiple sales competitions, including ECU’s own invitational that brought top programs from across the state to campus, as well as the Hendrick Sales Competition, which featured more than $10,000 in cash prizes and gave students the chance to sharpen their skills in a real-world setting.

Her leadership extended to the Toolbox Leadership Academy, which empowers underrepresented high school students in eastern North Carolina. Working alongside faculty members Dr. Christine Kowalczyk, Dr. Linda Quick and Dr. Shirley Mai, Maisto helped design the pilot program, which has now mentored multiple cohorts.

“Watching the students go from very quiet to confidently presenting to leaders is a huge transformation,” she said.

Her ECU experience also included a study abroad in Italy, where Monterroso in Cinque Terre became the highlight of her trip.

Before graduating in May 2025, Maisto accepted a sales development role with TEKsystems after interning with the company.

Maisto offers this advice to current and future students: “Everyone tells you this, but your time at ECU will fly by. So, take time to breathe. Obviously, you need to reflect on what you need as a person, but also push yourself outside of your comfort zone.”

Sarah Maisto - ECU

Dr. Erik Taylor

STORY BY

Shelby Hudnall

» PHOTO BY

Steven Mantilla

rofessor Erik C. Taylor doesn’t just read the newspaper — he turns it into a dynamic teaching moment.“On a classroom day for me, the first thing I do to prepare for class is read the newspaper,” said Taylor, associate professor of management in the COB and research fellow for the Bureau of Business Research (BBR).

“Every day something has happened from the business world,” he said. “I have a lot of flexibility built into my class schedule, other than project or test days, so most days are designed such that we can completely jettison whatever we were scheduled to do and talk about interest rates or earnings reports that are coming out. I really like to bring this to the classroom, and I really love it when students

bring in things that they have seen.”

To Taylor, that is what makes his strategic management capstone class “fresh and interesting for everyone.”

“Strategic management is the science of good strategic decision making,” he said. “Because we’re talking about the entire business process and because we’re talking about strategic decision making, the entire business world is our laboratory. It creates great real-time learning opportunities, and the students always like learning from what’s happening right now.”

It’s not an easy class, but Taylor is preparing his students for their future.

“You have to use your accounting skills, your finance knowledge and your understanding of supply chains in this class,” he said. “Strategic management, at its heart, is

a class designed for CEOs and business leaders. The key question of strategic management: How do we effectively lead a business for the long run? Of course, the answer to that is understand everything. When you really start breaking down strategic management and what it means to effectively lead an organization for the long run, it’s all about decision making.”

Now, going into his eighth year at ECU, Taylor admits that it was the best decision for his career.

“ECU ended up being a great place for me because it’s an environment that sponsors and supports research,” said Taylor.

“I wanted to be at a university where I was going to be empowered and encouraged to research and to pursue answers to these questions because that’s what I came to this field to do. However, I didn’t want to be at a university that wanted me to do that at the complete exclusion of other things because I also enjoy working with students, and I think that’s the more important thing we give to society.”

As a research fellow in the college’s Bureau of Business Research, Taylor also teaches through real-world discussions on applied research for North Carolina and regional businesses, specializing in research methods, economic impact studies and consulting for local organizations.

“Because the research is large, ongoing and mathematically sophisticated, I have brought it into the classroom and students are fascinated by it,” he said. “We’ll look at the North Carolina Economic Resilience Index and the counties in our region, and a student will say they’re from a specific county and I will ask them how they would start a business there — what resources would they need and what target markets would they hit?”

He also involves students in co-leading consulting projects, working alongside them while guiding and editing their contributions.

Collectively, the research conducted by Taylor and his colleagues is driving meaningful improvements in our state.

“Whether it’s understanding the economic impacts of a new business or of an investment or assessing how our communities compare and what resources we need to be stronger, everything we do is around the idea of making North Carolina a better, stronger community,” said Taylor.

Not only is Taylor conducting research,

but he is also making it easier for others to understand and apply.

“We can use statistics and data to understand the state and its communities very well,” he said. “However, what I’ve learned is, that doesn’t really matter if other people don’t also understand it. It doesn’t matter how good the math is — and it needs to be good — if you can’t communicate it in an effective way, then it dies. Now, we’re looking at new ways to summarize the information, changing the way we look at the information so it’s presentable and graspable for people.”

Taylor continued to say that individuals will soon be able to look at specifics, such as health care in Pitt County and how it compares to the region or the rest of the state.

In the meantime, Taylor and a group of 18 undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to study abroad in France this spring at the Université de Tours.

While this is Taylor’s third time taking students to Europe, this year is special as he will remain in France for the rest of the semester with the goal of deepening ECU’s relationship with theirs, particularly around research partnership and collaboration.

“At the end of spring break, students will return home and I will stay on at the University of Tours for the rest of the semester and work with their faculty on research until May,” he said.

The College of Business works with the Office of Global Affairs to run a global classroom that is essentially a virtual meeting space where students from different campuses around the globe work together.

“Strengthening our partnerships with foreign universities is one of our strategic objectives both at the university level and at the College of Business,” said Taylor. “Although COVID slowed things down, we’re trying to get things back up and running, and the idea is for us to have some research collaboration. I will present various things to their faculty and they’ve asked me to spend an afternoon with their students, as well.”

“I love research, but if there’s just one student learning something that she or he can use over the course of their career, or the course of their lives — if you can just change their course for the better — that has such an impact on this world,” he said. “I think it’s easy to forget how impactful we can be. That’s where we really make a difference.”

» STORY BY Steven Grandy

» PHOTO BY Cliff Hollis

"WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, POLICYMAKERS AND STATE LEADERS DIDN’T HAVE CLEAR DATA BELOW THE STATE LEVEL. THEY WERE RELYING ON A LOT OF FEDERAL DATA AT THE STATE LEVEL. COUNTYLEVEL DATA WAS LARGELY FRAGMENTED.”

Dr. Jason Rowe director of the Bureau of Business Research

Future Ready

Rowe, Taylor help with NC Economic Resilience Index

hat if there were a way to gauge how quickly an area may recover from a natural disaster? COB faculty

Dr. Jason Rowe, director of the Bureau of Business Research, and Dr. Erik Taylor, associate professor of management, may be able to answer that question.

In partnership with the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office (NCPRO), Rowe and Taylor helped develop the North Carolina Economic Resilience Index, a tool designed to evaluate and strengthen the resilience of the state’s communities. The project began during the COVID-19 pandemic when the state received federal funding for recovery efforts. NCPRO was created, assisted in dispersing funds, and was looking for opportunities to be more responsive in future situations.

Rowe said the first step in the process were community and business engagement surveys that collected data almost in real time from people in their communities to find out what was going on and uncover what was needed from both business and community members. From that, the idea came to develop the resilience index.

According to Taylor, there are existing resilience indices at the federal level, but they are designed to provide data at that level. North Carolina leaders needed something a bit more state centric.

“North Carolina lawmakers and decision makers felt like data was insufficient to tell us what is happening at the local level,” said Taylor. “They wanted something that would draw on local resources instead of federal level data.”

Rowe, Taylor and their team in conjunction with NCPRO met with multiple state and local government stakeholders. Through their meetings, their own research and research by a consulting team of Duke University graduate students, over 100 potential variables were identified for inclusion in the index.

“The idea was not only to find out what uses this index could have, but to find out what those people thought of as being the key indicators within their domain for resilience,” said Taylor.

The result of their work is a nine-category resilience index that measures factors including business community health, communication, community cohesion, education, county government fiscal health, health care, household characteristics, housing and transportation, and socioeconomics.

To calculate the index, a series of principal component analyses, factor analyses, and regression analyses were utilized to reduce the number of variables to a useful set. These variables are then standardized and averaged for each of the nine factors before the overall score is generated.

“The real strength of this product is that it is entirely specific to North Carolina,” said Taylor. “We’re using the data and variables that North Carolina leaders and key personnel tell us are ones that affect conditions on the ground the most. They’re able to make decisions and support their decisions with the information the index provides.”

After significant development, NCPRO released the index in September 2024. One of the first uses was compiling a report using data following Hurricane Helene to measure its impacts. “In this situation, this tool is useful for a county to identify in what ways resources are going to be needed, why we need these specific resources, and where do they need to be applied,” said Taylor.

From Murphy to Manteo and all points in between, the index will help leaders make decisions that have a positive impact on all North Carolinians, Rowe and Taylor said. “It’s a significant investment by the state, which indicates state government leaders care about all 100 counties,” said Rowe. “Tools like this are really about helping communities in North Carolina be stronger,” said Taylor.

STORY BY Emily Leach

Holly Kellogg

Top: Mable Hall, founder and CEO of Embracing Youth Inc., took part in the COB NP Summit.

Left: T.D. Gribble, COB teaching instructor, presents “The Strategic Imperative” at the NP Summit.

Right: Shelly Brantley, COB assistant director of Technology, Information and Operations, presents “Path to Project Management Success” at the NP Summit.

“THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE ORGANIZED AN EVENT LIKE THIS, BUT WE’VE ALREADY RECEIVED INCREDIBLE FEEDBACK . ”

Samantha Zomok Program Specialist

Building Momentum

OES Launches Inaugural Events to Strengthen Regional Nonprofits and Economic Partnerships

he Office of Expert Services (OES) opened the year by hosting two inaugural events that brought together nonprofit leaders, chamber representatives and business experts to advance economic growth across Eastern North Carolina.

NONPROFIT SUMMIT

On March 7, OES partnered with United Way Inner Banks to host the first NP Summit at ECU’s Main Campus Student Center. The halfday conference connected 70 nonprofit leaders with COB faculty and regional experts for workshops to strengthen operations and impact.

Keynote speakers Brian White, administrator of operations at ECU Health, and Anthony Tyre, mayor pro tem of Washington, N.C., set the tone for a day focused on equipping organizations with strategies to thrive in today’s complex environment.

Sessions ranged from financial stewardship and project management to storytelling, cybersecurity and HR practices, with workshops led by Shelly Brantley, Stacie Tronto, Tracy Ginn, Yusef Ewais, Andy Bowman and T.D. Gribble.

“Attendees are requesting longer workshops, more networking opportunities and additional sessions on a wider range of topics. It’s clear that this event filled an important need for local nonprofits,” said Samantha Zomok, university program associate for OES.

The NP Summit is set to become an

annual event, further strengthening OES’s role in building nonprofit capacity and expanding connections across the region.

CHAMBER DAY

On Feb. 25, OES and the Cunanan Center for Professional Success hosted the first Chamber Day, a roundtable at the Isley Innovation Hub. The event brought together chamber representatives and community leaders from Wilson, Greene, Beaufort, Pamlico and Pitt counties to discuss workforce development, economic sustainability and stronger partnerships with ECU.

The session highlighted ways to connect ECU expertise with local industries and community colleges, including professional development programs, internship pipelines and new business engagement opportunities.

Speakers included OES center directors, Lee Brown, director of the Cunanan Center for Professional Success, and COB leaders David Loomis, Emily Yeager, William Rowe, Andy Herdman, Yajiong (Lucky) Xue and John Chapman.

Chamber Day welcomed 20 regional leaders and laid the groundwork for collaboration to support workforce development and economic growth in Eastern North Carolina.

Together, Chamber Day and the NP Summit show OES’s role as a bridge between ECU expertise and community needs, creating platforms for nonprofits, chambers and businesses to strengthen missions, build

» PHOTOS BY

Summer Camps

» STORY

Emily Leach

» PHOTOS BY

Emily Leach & Melissa Parks

Empowering the next generation of future pirates

his summer, the COB hosted two programs that gave middle and high school students a handson look at higher education and entrepreneurship: the eighth annual Summer Innovation Academy and the 10th anniversary of the EY College Mentoring for Access and Persistence (MAP) camp.

The Summer Innovation Academy welcomed more than 30 students to the Isley Innovation Hub to learn the basics of launching a business. “The innovation academy is essentially a how-to-start-your-own-business summer camp,” said Corey Pulido, a teaching instructor in the Miller School of Entrepreneurship. “We condense what we teach in the classroom and create a fun learning environment.”

Campers explored team building, financial principles and intellectual property while preparing for a final trade show and pitch competition. Among the top participants was Muralikrishna William Jonnalagadda-Cucksee, who designed the Handy Angler, a fishing rod holder for people with disabilities. “I love to fish…why not combine my hobby but also help them and give back to the community?” he said. He hopes to patent the idea.

Ja’Shya Harris, a sophomore at J.H. Rose High School, developed Shya’s Integrated Therapy Services, inspired by her volunteer

work in physical therapy and massage clinics. Her idea combines multiple forms of therapy to create a more complete service. “You can have an idea, but it takes a lot,” she said. “You have to market this idea; you have to get permits.”

Emily Cox, a rising sixth grader, won the $1,000 top prize for Clavo, a nail polish guard. Other winners included Jonnalagadda-Cucksee (2nd, $600), Bailey Tyndall (3rd, $400), Reiko Lin (4th, $100) and Isabella Calix (5th, $50).

Running concurrently, the College MAP camp hosted 23 underserved high school students from across North Carolina, guiding them through the college application process and campus life. The program is a partnership between EY and the COB, with nearly 150 students participating since 2015.

“This week allows students to be able to imagine themselves in a university setting,” said Michael Everett, an EY volunteer. “They go to the dining hall, live in a dorm, and speak to current University students and professors.”

Destyni Nicholson, a rising senior at Olympic High School, said the experience was eye-opening. “This week I learned a lot about FAFSA and scholarships…now ECU is definitely on the list of schools that I would apply to,” she said.

Both camps underscore ECU’s role in preparing students for future success.

Mary Beth Allen Advising Excellence Award (ECU)