B&E INSIDE
AUGUST 2010
2 Donations help four programs 3 Alumnus named VP at Marathon Oil 4 B&E grad takes Tampa Bay Rays internship 4 Gov. Manchin honors B&E senior
WVU joins forces with Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe, thanks to help from two B&E alumni
5 Finance course adds value for real world 5 MBA students help Children's Hospital 6 Bureau gears up for a busy fall 6 Annual awards for B&E standouts
In West Virginia, hospitality doesn’t just mean a warm welcome and a friendly disposition. It means revenue.
community, but as a fully functioning laboratory for the University’s restaurant management students.
According to the latest statistics, the hospitality industry generates nearly $12 million per day in the state, and it’s still growing. As the state’s flagship university, WVU has been working to lay the foundation for a top-notch hospitality program, one that feeds talented graduates into the burgeoning job market.
“It is unique,” said Michael Ellington, assistant vice president for student affairs, which is supporting the partnership. “It’s interesting from an academic perspective, an auxiliary perspective and a service perspective. We’re bringing together three important pieces of the University.”
But, like many programs, its success could hinge largely on the willingness of skilled professionals to offer their expertise in the classroom and outside of it.
Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, known for its fresh, quality ingredients, will be run largely by restaurant management students with the help of a lab supervisor. The restaurant will also hire 40 student workers.
Enter Michael Bodnar and Doug VanScoy.
“We want this experience to be as real life as we can make it,” VanScoy said. “We want the students in the lab to experience all of those things that you do when you’re running a restaurant. This is about as real as you can get.”
They are graduates of WVU’s College of Business and Economics and members of the University’s Hospitality Program Advisory Board. Bodnar is a founding principal of Fresh Hospitality, an intellectual services company that guides the Alabamabased Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, and VanScoy is a long-time partner with him in related hospitality entities. The support of Fresh Hospitality and these key alumni is sure to rocket the restaurant management arm of the school’s hospitality program to regional prominence. A Taziki’s Mediterranean Café will open this month in the Mountainlair, which will serve not only as a healthy dining option for the entire
All profits will be given to the business school and used to support further hospitality initiatives. The hospitality program is currently an area of emphasis under the management major and requires students to take four courses and an internship. Eventually, the school plans to offer a hospitality major as well as a hospitality focus in the MBA program. Jesse McNeely, a WVU graduate who was recently hired by Taziki’s as part of its management training program, is excited about the partnership and the opportunity for students to experience the restaurant business first hand. "The great thing about this course is that it allows you to get into the environment you will be working in for your career in order to see TAZIKI'S page 3
Dear ALUMNI & FRIENDS, This is a time of great change, great excitement and great energy at the WVU College of Business and Economics, and I am so happy to be a part of it. I have been moved by the warm welcome I have received at West Virginia University and I look forward to working with students, alumni, faculty and staff, and the business communities at the local, state, national and international levels. As with the positions I held prior to becoming dean of the College of Business and Economics, this job requires discipline. It will take a steadfast approach to lift all of us to a higher standard. Taking the College to the next level is a goal that has been set not only by the university administration and the entire College community, but it is also a personal goal. The educational arena has arrived at a place of self-examination similar to that of the business arena in the past. That is, we must extend our reach to the global marketplace, and we have the tools to do exactly that through teaching, research and service. We will work to attract high quality faculty, staff and students, and we will seek a diverse student body with interdisciplinary characteristics. We will take educating to new heights, focusing on our areas of strength, specific sectors and joint programs. We will enhance existing relationships while forging new ones, and we will cultivate and establish global partnerships. Our commitment to placement of our students will be renewed through the betterment of college and industry partnerships, career advising and counseling, and overall preparation for College students for the next step in their lives — regardless of whether that next step is job placement, graduate school or law school. As ambassadors of the College all over the world, our alumni will be engaged to help us drive this success plan and propel us to a position where available resources allow us to do more than ever before for our constituencies. This new foundation will be built on academic standards of ethical behavior, integrity and honesty — standards that we, as stakeholders, should readily embrace. As B&E enters a new era, it will be this comprehensive effort that moves us forward and upward. I look forward to meeting and working with you, and feel honored and privileged to lead the College to new heights.
Jose V. Sartarelli, Ph.D. Milan Puskar Dean
View the BottomLine electronically at
www.be.wvu.edu
Three recent major donations totaling $296,300 will augment the College’s efforts in four programs.
DONATIONS HELP FOUR PROGRAMS
The Koch Foundation has donated $216,300 to support fellowships in the free market area of economics. The donation, to be used over three years, will help the College compete for outstanding graduate students, expand the economics Ph.D. program and provide resources to top students to use in their research. Charles G. Koch established the foundation in 1980. He is chairman of the board and CEO of Koch Industries Inc., a company with about 70,000 employees in nearly 60 countries headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. A $50,000 “challenge” grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation will help support the West Virginia Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition, which enters its fifth year this fall. The event, organized by WVU Entrepreneurship Center Director Mindy Walls, involved 98 applicants from seven colleges and universities throughout the state last fall. The competition, which began at WVU in 2003 and expanded to all state four-year institutions in 2006, focuses on helping students start small businesses in West Virginia. The Benedum Foundation, established in 1944 by Michael and Sarah Benedum of Bridgeport and Blacksville, W.Va., provides grants in West Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania. PNC bank has donated $30,000 for a lecture series in the MSIR program and the Economics and Finance department. The lectures bring well-known and respected leaders in business and education to the College throughout the year, providing opportunities for students and faculty to share ideas and research. With more than $290 billion in assets, PNC is one of the largest financial services companies in the country. “These donations will strengthen the College in all three areas of our land-grant mission: research, teaching and public service,” said Nancy McIntyre, associate dean of academic affairs. “We are extremely grateful to the donors and pledge that their contributions will be put to good use to expand business and economics knowledge and to have an impact on our students and our state.”
Pepsi VP named to WVU Human Resources HALL OF FAME John L. Berisford, senior vice president for Human Resources and Integration at PepsiCo, was inducted into the Master of Science in Industrial Relations Hall of Fame on June 25. Berisford, who received his MSIR degree in 1988, is currently heading the restructuring of PepsiCo's global beverage and internal capital strategy.
1979 ALUMNUS NAMED
VP AT MARATHON OIL
Robert L. Sovine was recently named vice president of human resources at Marathon Oil. A 1979 graduate of the Master of Science in Human Resources (MSIR) program, Sovine is now responsible for managing the company’s human resource policies, programs and practices worldwide. Marathon has nearly 29,000 employees. Sovine, who attended Hurricane High School in Putnam County, W.Va., and received an undergraduate degree from WVU in political science, said that during his 30 years with Marathon he has always looked for opportunities to learn the business from all angles. “I moved 10 times within Marathon and never turned down an assignment,” he said. “I was always eager to learn the business. I wanted to understand as much about the company’s overall operations as possible and apply this knowledge to our application of human resource practices.” He said Marathon recruited him “off the campus” in 1980 for a post as a human resources representative in Findlay, Ohio. He held a number of positions of increasing responsibility in the Findlay office and at the company’s refineries in Robinson, Ill.; Texas City, Texas; and Catlettsburg, Ky. He transferred to Houston in 2001 as manager of human resources, compensation and organizational development, and held that position until being appointed manager of human resources for Marathon’s Upstream organization in 2003. Sovine, who lives on Galveston Bay, Texas, is an adjunct professor of human resources in the MBA program at Houston Baptist University and a volunteer mediator for the Harris County (Texas) Dispute Resolution Center. He is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management. He recalls some of the “real world” training he got in the MSIR program, including the mock labor/management negotiations that
are still part of the curriculum today. “I remember that Professor Randy Elkin and Bill Hutchison provided a lot of real-world examples and simulations,” Sovine recalled. “And I was able to apply this almost immediately to my job. These were very beneficial.” The human resources field has changed, he said, with a move from “tactical, administrative” efforts toward what he calls “strategic work.” “Today human resources is much more part of the management team, looking at issues such as leadership development, succession planning and change management,” he said. “Today’s students should learn the fundamentals of HR while taking as many business classes as they can along the way. This will provide a solid basis for linking human resources strategy to a company’s business strategy.” Because of the MSIR program’s emphasis on real-world readiness and communication skills such as writing and presentations, Sovine said Marathon likes to recruit from WVU. “Today, we have a number of folks in very responsible positions from WVU’s MSIR program.”
Robert L. Sovine VP at Marathon Oil
TAZIKI'S continued develop unique skill sets found only in the restaurant industry,” McNeely said. “With explosive growth planned, I am looking forward to a long career with Taziki's and I feel its presence on the WVU campus will be met with open arms.” Of the 593 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited schools in the U.S., only 39 have hospitality degree programs, and no other AACSB-accredited schools in West Virginia offer hospitality programs in their business schools. “We’ve talked for many years about restaurant management being one of our needs,” said Nancy McIntyre, associate dean of the business school. “Having a working lab opening in August provides a catalyst and having local hospitality professionals giving time to our board and providing access for our students really enriches the program and offers a strong foundation. It’s phenomenal.”
"Doug and I believe the addition of Taziki’s through Fresh Hospitality will make WVU's hospitality program stronger," Bodnar said, "and propel them ahead of some of the leading university hospitality programs across the country. Essentially, Taziki's will be a classroom, offering a hands-on approach to learning the business."
Waterfront and Taziki’s programs not only benefit students, but will allow local businesses to hire experienced, trained personnel from within the state.
In addition to Bodnar and VanScoy, Parry Petroplus, the Morgantown businessman who runs the Waterfront Hotel, has supported the hospitality program. Over the past two years Petroplus has given students access to both the front-of-the house and back-ofthe house operations at the hotel. He has also provided internships for students in the hotel management arm of the hospitality program.
“I have always said that the first third of your career is learning, the second third is earning and the last third is giving back,” VanScoy said. “There really is as much joy in giving back as there is in earning.”
Ben Seidel of the Real Hospitality Group – the firm that provides management support for the Waterfront – said he believes the
VanScoy hopes the experience will encourage a spirit of giving among the community as well.
The restaurant is currently under construction in the food court of the Mountainlair. A soft opening has been planned, with a formal ribbon cutting and dedication to follow later in the fall semester.
August 2010 BottomLine
|
3
MBA STUDENTS SUPPORT HOSPITAL
Warren Hypes, a 2010 marketing graduate of the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics, is an intern with the Tampa Bay Rays major league baseball team. Hypes, who graduated from Princeton High School in 2004, will work with the Rays through December. His internship, which involves marketing, graphics and promotions, began on June 21.
He said his education at WVU has helped him. In the “real world” he can see the conceptual classroom ideas in action. “There is no way I could do this without my educational background,” he said.
The Rays began the season in first place, had a slump, but came back to second place in the American League East by the All-Star break.
Hypes' dreams are coming true because of help he has received, especially from his parents “who always told me to work hard and follow my dreams.” He also credits his success to the help of Rick Bay, who taught him graphic design at the Mercer County Technical Education Center, and Jim Holland, his mentor/ supervisor and General Manager of the Princeton Rays minor league baseball team.
“Hopefully we we’ll be on top by end of season,” Hypes said. For Hypes, the internship is a dream-come-true. He called the job “one of the best internships throughout major league baseball,” and said interns with the Rays are treated as part of the marketing staff. “We are encouraged to get involved like full-time employees, and that’s nice.” He’s been a sports fan since he was young, and he hopes to pursue sports marketing as a career. Already he has begun a project for the Rays to draw more college students to games. “There are about 60,000 to 70,000 students in college in the area,” he said, “So I’ve been working on promotions such as a college night and other ideas to reach them.”
“These two not only taught me to work hard, but to do so with passion and dedication. Without these people, and my family’s support, I never would have had the skills, initiative or drive to succeed to have gotten this internship.” For Hypes, the best part of his internship is taking part in the nation’s pastime. “Not just being a spectator is great,” he said. “I’m part of the team, albeit behind the scenes, and I’m really having a great experience. I know that I definitely want to do sports marketing as my career.”
GOV. MANCHIN HONORS B&E SENIOR In July, Gov. Joe Manchin honored WVU management senior and Student Government Association President Chris Lewallen with the Governor’s Service Award for volunteer work in Sunnyside, a section of Morgantown near the downtown campus.
“I am very honored, not just for myself, but for the Sunnyside community,” said Lewallen. ”It is important to give the students ownership of the community. They need to recognize that it is not just a place to go to college, but it is their community and their neighborhood,” he said.
Lewallen said he has noticed some considerable change in the Sunnyside area, and he plans to continue to encourage student participation to help make improvements. After graduation, Lewallen plans to attend law school and use his degree to continue to serve his community.
Sunnyside Up Executive Director Jim Hunt nominated Lewallen, who is from Alderson, W.Va, and the award was presented during the Faces of Leadership conference in Charleston. Lewallen’s award is for the young adult category.
Lewallen organized several cleanup activities, started the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association and has helped get students together to paint dumpsters in the area.
The Governor’s Service Awards are presented in a variety of age groups including youth, young adult, adult, senior, national service, lifetime achievement, family and organization.
4
|
WVU College of Business & Economics
FINANCE COURSE TO
ADD VALUE FOR REAL WORLD
A new focus area in finance will soon give undergraduate students in that department a boost toward careers in financial planning. Dr. Naomi Boyd, with the help of Drs. William Riley and Terry Rose, has designed a new curriculum track for finance students that will help them bridge the gap between classroom theory and client relations. “We had the sense that our undergraduates weren’t sure of where they wanted to go when they graduated,” Dr. Boyd said. “A large percentage of them goes into financial services, and we wanted to offer them more direction, greater experience with actual one-on-one client work, and a better understanding of how financial theory is applied in the real world.” The track will include much of the same coursework as the regular, undergraduate finance curriculum, but will allow students
to take new electives that emphasize case studies on how financial planners help their clients with comprehensive individual or family financial planning. The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards approved the curriculum as a board certified financial planning program in February, which will allow students who complete the program to meet the educational requirements to sit for the certified financial planner exam. Students will begin taking the new courses this fall and are required to show that they can create a comprehensive financial plan for an individual or family in order to graduate, Boyd said. This month she is presenting "Bridging the Gap: From Theory to Application,” a synopsis of the new curriculum, at the CFP 2010 Program Director’s Conference in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Naomi Boyd designed the Certified Financial Planner curriculum track.
MBA STUDENTS
HELP CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL Students in the MBA Program held their annual fundraising event for a local non-profit organization in June, raising more than $10,000 for WVU Children’s Hospital. Two years ago the class held a golf tournament and raised approximately $2,500 that they donated to Stepping Stones, an organization that provides recreational activities for people with disabilities. Last year the class held an elimination dinner and raised more than $6,000 that they donated to the hospital. This year, the class held a "casino night" to raise money for the hospital. The event included dinner, dancing, prizes and charity casino games. Winners of the games were given prizes donated from the community. “Activities such as this not only allow our students the opportunity to organize and conduct a major project, but also to raise money for a very worthwhile cause,” said Dr. Gerald Blakely, faculty advisor. “Based on feedback from students the past two years and current students, this activity allows them to develop their leadership skills as well as get involved in the community, and it has been a tremendous learning experience.”
WVU Children's Hospital is on the sixth floor of Ruby Memorial Hospital. It provides maternal, infant and pediatric care for families in West Virginia and the surrounding region. Physicians and staff care for high-risk mothers, premature infants and children with lifethreatening conditions through adolescence to adulthood.
Attendees at the MBA Casino Night could play casino games with fake money to win prizes donated by the community.
More than 6,000 children are admitted annually to the WVU Children’s Hospital. The hospital delivers more than 1,500 babies at its Infant Care Center each year. August 2010 BottomLine
|
5
Busy Bureau Eyes Frantic Fall
The College’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) is headed for a hectic fall after an eventful summer. In May, WVU President James Clements issued the Bureau’s study showing that direct expenditures from West Virginia University and its affiliated institutions led to a total economic impact of approximately $8.3 billion in business volume in West Virginia. This study also showed that WVU and its affiliated organizations directly employed 22,500 faculty and staff and had a total employment impact of 45,500 jobs in the state for fiscal year 2009. State appropriations to West Virginia University totaled $206.4 million in fiscal
year 2009, which means every dollar the Legislature appropriated to WVU turned into $40 in the state economy, according to the study. The study was authored by Amy Higginbotham, economist, Dr. Christiadi, demographer, Eric Pennington, graduate research assistant and Dr. Tom S. Witt, Bureau director and associate dean for research and outreach. As the 2010 census geared up, Dr. Christiadi was busy with population updates. In 2008, Gov. Joe Manchin designated the Bureau as the state’s partner for population estimates with the federal Census Bureau, and this summer Christiadi reported dorm population counts, birth and death rates for the state, and counts of juveniles and incarcerated individuals. Population estimates are an important component used as the basis
ANNUAL AWARDS FOR B&E STANDOUTS
OUTSTANDING SERVICE
OUTSTANDING STAFF
OUTSTANDING RESEARCH
Brian Cushing, associate professor of economics, does research on issues related to population migration and poverty. This includes analysis of Appalachian poverty, consideration of appropriate methods to measure the true extent of poverty, the effects of poverty and of public policy - especially social welfare programs - on migration decisions of low-income households, and the role of race relations in population migration. He received his Ph.D. and master’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Martina Bison-Huckaby, is the director of the Center for Executive Education for the WVU College of Business and Economics. She previously served as the Center's associate director from March 2005 to June 2008. As the Director, Bison-Huckaby is responsible for the daily operations of the Center as well as for the development, marketing, recruiting, logistics, and delivery of the Center's programs. She earned an MBA degree at WVU and a Certificate in Export Management. She also holds a Paralegal Certificate in Litigation from UCLA Extension and a Laurea in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy.
Ron Balvers, dean's professor of economics, specializes in the macroeconomic factors affecting the returns of financial assets and the optimal choice of investment portfolios. In particular, he concentrates on variables that affect stock market indices in an environment of incomplete information and the optimal response of investors to the related return predictability. Dr. Balvers earned an economics Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree in economics at Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
6
|
WVU College of Business & Economics
to distribute billions of dollars in federal funding as they help determine regions' eligibility for many social programs.
Dr. Christiadi provides population estimates which help determine federal funding.
He also assisted in reconciling the Census database of state housing units with local information on new housing units. In May, Dr. Randy Childs, Bureau research assistant professor, published a policy brief on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s effects on West Virginia. Dr. Tami Gurley-Calvez, Bureau research assistant professor, along with Higginbothan and Witt, are participating in Gov. Manchin’s Tax Modernization Project. In October, the Bureau will be host to the 64th Annual Association for University Business and Economic Research (AUBER) Conference, which will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston. Dr. John Silva, chief economist with Wells Fargo, will speak to the group on
the nation’s economic outlook and other speakers will address regional economic research. AUBER, established in 1947, is the professional association of business and economic research organizations in public and private universities. This fall the Bureau has scheduled economic outlook conferences in Martinsburg on October 26, Berkeley Springs on October 27 and Charleston on November 10. Dr. George Hammond, Bureau associate director and associate professor of economics, will present his regional and state economic outlooks at these meetings along with presentations from other speakers on the emerging U.S. economic outlook. More information on Bureau events is available at www.be.wvu.edu/bber. The Bureau also provides an e-mail newsletter - register online.
Annual awards for faculty and staff in the College of Business and Economics are announced just before the fall semester begins, and this year’s recipients come from the Division of Economics, the Center for Executive Education and the Division of Accounting.
OUTSTANDING TEACHING Presha Neidermeyer specializes in international accounting and her research investigates the way culture impacts auditor decision-making. She is also interested in gender studies and has co-edited a book studying work-life balance. Dr. Neidermeyer is a member of the AICPA and is an active participant in various organizations benefiting charities in Africa. She has led multiple teams of practicing professionals and students to Africa to help minimize the impact of the AIDS pandemic. She was recently recognized as a recipient of the WVU President’s Volunteer Service Award.
MBA PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR
BETA GAMMA SIGMA PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR
Nick Apostolou is a visiting professor of accounting. He is professor emeritus from Louisiana State University where he was LeGrange Professor of Accounting and the graduate coordinator in the accounting department for 20 years. He is a member of the editorial board of The Forensic Examiner and has published numerous articles in academic and professional journals. He earned a DBA in accounting from the University of Tennessee, an MBA in business economics from UCLA, and a BA in economics from Union College. He is a certified public and forensic accountant.
Jack Dorminey, accounting assistant professor, earned a Ph.D. in business from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MBA and BA in finance from Virginia Tech. His research interests include belief heterogeneity, capital markets and managerial systems. His teaching interests focus on financial accounting and managerial accounting. Dorminey is a member of the American Accounting Association, Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma.
August 2010 BottomLine
|
7
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage
College of Business and Economics
PAID
PO Box 6025 Morgantown, WV 26506-6025
Morgantown, WV Permit #34
www.be.wvu.edu
Got JOBS? Or INTERNSHIPS? September 16 Dean's Welcome Reception, Morgantown Event Center at Waterfront Place
October 26 Eastern Panhandle Economic Outlook Conference Martinsburg Holiday Inn
September 17 2010 Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament Lakeview Golf Resort
November 10 WV Economic Outlook Conference Embassy Suites in Charleston, W.Va.
September 18 WVU vs. Maryland Home Football Game B&E Hospitality Tent at Milan Puskar Stadium
November 18 WV Business Hall of Fame, Morgantown Event Center at Waterfront Place
October 23 WVU vs. Syracuse Home Football Game B&E Hospitality Tent at Milan Puskar Stadium
VIEW the BottomLine electronically at www.be.wvu.edu. Questions or Comments? Email becommunications@mail.wvu.edu
You can help our students and graduates in today’s tough job market by contacting our Center for Career Development online and listing your jobs and internships. Visit www.be.wvu.edu/career_development and create a company profile under MountaineerTRAK. Or call (304) 293-7818.
Stay
@
INFORMED
Keep up to date on the latest B&E news and events! Ensure that we have correct contact information for you and request to receive electronic publications. Go to www.be.wvu.edu and click the button to UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
ALUMNI:
Build a profile or update your information at www.members.be.wvu.edu. AlumNet is a great way to keep connected with the B&E online community!