Doermer Difference Summer 2016

THE DOERMER

DIFFERENCE THE DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS – SUMMER 2016

Published by

OUR MISSION is to provide quality business education to meet the higher education needs of northeast Indiana. We offer business programs that enrich professional knowledge, problem solving, global awareness, communication and ethical reasoning skills to students from the northeast Indiana region and beyond. The school strives to produce quality intellectual contributions that primarily focus on management practice and learning pedagogy.

PHOTO FROM THE SPECIAL STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COURSE TRIP TO CUBA IN SPRING 2016.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STUDENTS’ TRIP TO CUBA, CHECK OUT THE “INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES” ARTICLE ON PAGE 20.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

1

PUBLISHER

Michiana Business Publications Inc.

EDITOR

Stacey Root

ART DIRECTOR

Danielle Hoelle

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tammy Davis

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Crane

MICHIANA BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS INC.

7729 Westfield Drive Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825 (260) 497-0433 businesspeople.com © 2016 Michiana Business Publications Inc. BusinessPeopleM BusinessPeopleM FortWayneLiving

CONNECT WITH THE DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: IPFW

Richard T. Doermer School of Business

ipfwBusiness

IPFW

Richard T. Doermer School of Business

ipfw.edu/business

IPFW is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access University.

2 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 1 | SUMMER 2016

Contents 4 Letter from the Interim Dean

10 Small Business

Development Center

5 Announcement for Alumni

12 Redesigning of the

MBA Programs

6 Our Faculty

13 Center for

Economic Education

26 Real World Experiences

Decision Driven® Solutions

14 Career Stats

28 Alumni in Action

Jamal Robinson

7 Business & Alumni Advisory Council Members 8 Where in the World

16 Cost Comparison 18 In the Classroom

20 International Experiences 23 Upcoming Events 24 Student Involvement

30 2015-2016 DSB Graduates 32 Glimpse of the Grads

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

3

Interim Dean LETTER FROM THE

Over the past several months, Indiana UniversityPurdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) has received a lot of coverage in the local press.

A lot of it has had to do with the recommendations of the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) that were released in January 2016 calling for the splitting of IPFW into two, placing the nursing program under Indiana University (IU) and the rest of the academic programs under Purdue University. The LSA recommendations followed hard on the heels of the 2015 designation of IPFW as a multi-system metropolitan university by the Indiana General Assembly, and the 2014 Sheldrake report commissioned by the Regional Partnership at the request of the northeast Indiana legislative delegation which called for IPFW to be fully integrated within the IU regional campus system. Without a doubt, these recommendations have had a significant impact on many facets of the institution’s life and operations and it is, therefore, fitting for us to field the question: what does the future portend for the Doermer School of Business (DSB) in light of these recommendations?

Multi-system metropolitan university status: Hardly a year has passed since IPFW was designated as Indiana’s only “multi-system metropolitan university” by the state legislature, a change in designation requested

by Purdue University President Mitch Daniels. One would expect that the institution would be afforded some reasonable length of time to figure out what this designation means, its impact on the institution’s mission, the changes on the ground that said designation would call for and the impact these changes would have on the student body and the institution’s life. At the moment, it is very difficult to see how the LSA recommendations can be implemented in a manner that does not, in effect, reverse the 2015 legislatively mandated change in the university designation. This, in turn, begs the question: what was the compelling reason(s) to justify such a speedy reversal of the 2015 legislation?

Value added: The primary reason for the existence of IPFW is to serve the educational needs of northeast Indiana. Through IPFW, the citizens of northeast Indiana have had local access to globally recognized degrees conferred by this state’s two great universities at a relatively lower price than any alternative. The students, faculty and the local community have had access to 4 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

some of the resources of both IU and Purdue systems.

While there is always room for improvement, without a doubt there are numerous things that are right about IPFW. One would expect that a monumental change such as the one called for in the LSA recommendations should have clear and demonstrable benefits. The LSA report, however, does not indicate how its 22 recommendations will address/tackle any of the perceived “shortcomings” at IPFW. In effect, it does not spell out any “valueadded” or articulate how student success will be enhanced or how the community will be better off by implementing its recommendations. There is a lot of wisdom in the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Competitive advantage: The mix of academic programs offered, the number of faculty and the composition of students at IPFW are almost equally divided between IU and Purdue missions. This 50/50 IU/Purdue characteristic delivers a unique competitive advantage to IPFW that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere in the world (not even at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis which is at about 80/20). For instance, IPFW is literally the only place in the world where a student can theoretically earn a Purdue undergraduate engineering degree and an IU MBA degree in five years. The compelling reason(s) that would result in voluntarily throwing out a unique competitive advantage is not clear to any impartial observer.

DSB will exist post LSA recommendations: We recognize that the decision about IPFW’s governance is above the school’s “pay grade.” Nevertheless, DSB will still be here, regardless of whether the final decision would have IU or Purdue (or neither of the two) exercise fiscal control over IPFW. DSB will still be the only AACSB-accredited business school in northeast Indiana.

DSB’s various stakeholders (faculty, staff, advisory councils, community, etc.) and what we all do will still determine the success of the IPFW business students whom we all serve. While we may all be opposed to most of the contents of that LSA report, I would urge that we remain open to the very real possibility that some of the report’s recommendations may indeed come to pass. The real question is: how do we make the best of that happenstance and ensure that our students’ success and service to the community are not compromised going forward if all or some of the LSA report’s recommendations are implemented?

- Joseph N. Khamalah, PhD Interim Dean of the Doermer School of Business

DSB ALUMNI, The Doermer School of Business likes to keep its alumni close. If you’ve had a recent career change, promotion, accomplishment or simply want to tell us what you’ve been up to, please let us know. We also ask that you send any address or contact information changes that may have occurred since your time at DSB, so we can keep you updated on all of our exciting news.

To stay in touch, visit ipfw.edu/offices/alumni/in-touch.

IPFW Richard T. Doermer School of Business

ipfwBusiness

IPFW Richard T. Doermer School of Business

ipfw.edu/business

The Doermer School of Business is pleased to welcome Melissa L. Gruys, PhD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, as our new dean. Dr. Gruys comes to us from Wright State University where she was a professor and chair of the Management and International Business Department in the Raj Soin College of Business. She has taught courses in human resource management, management and organizational behavior; received numerous awards for teaching, research and service activities; and published over 20 journal articles. Effective July 1, 2016, Dr. Gruys has started her new role as dean of the Doermer School of Business.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

5

Faculty & Staff THE DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION

Nodir Adilov, Professor of Economics

Melissa Gruys, Dean

Shayla Anderson, Secretary

Joseph Khamalah, Associate Dean

John Kessler, Continuing Lecturer in Economics

Holly Lara, Assistant to the Dean

Jiyoon (June) Kim, Assistant Professor of Economics Myeong Hwan Kim, Associate Professor of Economics

MBA PROGRAM

Zafar Nazarov, Assistant Professor of Economics

Nodir Adilov, Acting Director

Carolyn Stumph, Continuing Lecturer in Economics

Mary Remenschneider, Secretary

Heather Tierney, Assistant Professor of Economics

STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER

MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING

Susan Byers, Director of Student Success

Nichaya (Nan) Suntornpithug, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Marketing

Karin Casazza, Academic Advisor Buck Jordan, Academic Advisor Kari Smith, Academic Advisor Jo Tulley, Secretary ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE Janet Papiernik, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Accounting Otto Chang, Paul Shaffer Professor of Accounting Hui (Ada) Di, Associate Professor of Accounting

Swathi Baddam, Assistant Professor of Management Prasad Bingi, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems Andrea Burkhart, Secretary Sheena Choi, Associate Professor of Management Melissa Gruys, Professor of Management Cigdem Gurgur, Associate Professor of Management Jim Hess, Visiting Instructor in Management and Marketing

Steven Hanke, Associate Professor of Accounting

Joseph Khamalah, Associate Professor of Management

Jane Hirschbiel, Secretary

Bridget Leonard, Assistant Professor of Marketing

Kent Kauffman, Associate Professor of Business Law

Jun Ma, Associate Professor of Marketing

Haoween (Logan) Luo, Assistant Professor of Finance

Geralyn Miller, Associate Professor of Management

Susan Minke, Continuing Lecturer in Accounting Kathy Pollock, Associate Professor of Accounting

Rob Palevich, Continuing Lecturer in Management and Marketing

Michael Reffeitt, Continuing Lecturer in Finance

Xia Pan, Visiting Assistant Professor of Management

Mike Slaubaugh, Associate Professor of Accounting

Ahmed Rachdi, Continuing Lecturer in Management and Marketing

ECONOMICS

William Todorovic, Associate Professor of Management

Hedayeh Samavati, Department Chair and Professor of Economics

Cynthia Wilson, Continuing Lecturer in Management

6 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

2015-16 Business Advisory Council Keith Busse, Steel Dynamics, Inc.

Mike Motter, GT Automation Group

Kathy Callen, Old National Bank

Eric Ottinger, Lake City Bank

Wendall Bontrager, Old National Bank

Michael Packnett, Parkview Health

Dick Conrow, C&A Tool Engineering Inc.

Nelson Peters, Allen County Commissioner

James Cook, Chase

Kathleen Randolph, Northeast Indiana Works

Thomas Cottrell, BKD LLP

Jane Rich, Northeast ISBDC

Timothy Eubank, BAE Systems Electronics & Integrated Solutions

Ian Rolland, National City Center

Scott Glaze, Fort Wayne Metals Christine Hootman, Baden Gage & Schroeder LLC Nancy Jordan, Lincoln National Life Insurance Company Robert Kniskern, Adaptive Micro-Ware Inc. Karl LaPan, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center Larry Lee, Leepoxy Plastics Inc. Thomas Marcuccilli, STAR Financial Bank

Bob Taylor, Do it Best Chad Towner, Dupont Hospital Don Wood, 80/20 Inc. Lena Yarian, Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana Rob Young, The Hagerman Group Chuck Surack, Sweetwater Doug Wood, PNC Bank Maclyn Parker, Faegre Baker & Daniels

Andy Veenstra, Wells Fargo Marilyn Moran-Townsend, CVC Communications

2015-16 Alumni Advisory Council Mike Coil, Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana, Retired Michael Earls, BKD LLP Karan Flick, FW Area Association of Realtors, Retired Mark Franke, IPFW, Retired James Griffin, IPFW, Annual Fund Janet Iden Kamdar, IPFW, Alumni Relations Gregg Kiess, Northeastern REMC Jason Knothe, JH Specialty Inc. Debi Krabach, Connor Corporation Laurie Mitchener-Oncheck, 3Rivers Federal Credit Union Jamal Robinson, Desiar Eyewear Nick Staker, Academy Mortgage Corporation Becky Teagarden, The Waterfield Foundation Lisa Waterman, Waterman Financial Services Mary Ann Ziembo, PNC Wealth Management, Retired INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

7

WHERE WORLD

IN THE

Doermer School of Business faculty share where they are from and how they came to be at IPFW.

Janet Papiernik, Chair of the Accounting & Finance Department Where are you from originally?

I was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After graduating from Purdue University, I moved to California for two years, and then to Ohio where I lived and raised three boys for 20 years. I moved back to Fort Wayne to teach at IPFW in 1999.

What sparked your interest in accounting and finance?

I became interested in accounting and finance as soon as I took my introductory courses. Accounting is a great field to gain understanding of financial data and how to make decisions based on what the numbers represent. I use my accounting and finance skills throughout my professional and personal life.

Have you ever had a mentor?

My mentor was a professor who had gotten her PhD in accounting from the University of Pittsburgh. She was the first woman to graduate with a PhD from that program and one of the few women to have a PhD in accounting at that time in the early 1980s.

She supported me and strongly encouraged me to pursue my doctorate in accounting.

What do you like most about IPFW students?

I admire the IPFW students for their persistence and ability to beat the odds. Many are balancing their studies along with work and family obligations. These challenges are difficult to overcome, yet these students are successful.

8 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

Hedayeh Samavati, Chair of the Economics Department Where are you from originally?

I am originally from Iran.

What do you like most about Fort Wayne?

Fort Wayne is home to me. I consider it my base where I feel safe, in my element and where I lead a peaceful life.

What sparked your interest in economics?

I like economics because it is the study of well-being, creation, the distribution of wealth and a search to promote happiness through the provision of material goods.

What do you enjoy about teaching?

I enjoy interaction with students: learning from them, watching my students grow intellectually and seeing them achieve and accomplish their goals.

What do you like most about IPFW students?

IPFW students do not act as though they are “entitled.” Many of them are hard workers and resilient. I admire them because many accomplish their goals even though they face major adversities.

How important is mentorship to you?

Mentorship is immensely important to me because I have benefited from it personally. I do not hesitate to mentor my students and have, over the years, had many opportunities to contribute and play a positive role in my students’ successful pursuits.

Nichaya “Nan” Suntornpithug, Chair of the Management & Marketing Department Where are you from originally?

Thailand What drew you to IPFW? One university with two great names.

What do you like most about Fort Wayne?

It’s a city of amazing restaurants and wonderful activities to grow a family.

What do you enjoy about teaching?

I enjoy playing a positive role in my students’ lives by instilling lifelong learning skills.

What does it mean to you to be a Mastodon?

I am proud to be a Mastodon. Our students have won many competitions academically and athletically.

What do you like most about IPFW students?

Perseverance and innovation. Many of my students are first-generation college students and work full-time or part-time jobs.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

9

TO BUSINESS The Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center offers help to local entrepreneurs. article by Tammy Davis

Tucked behind the Speedway gas station on the east edge of campus sits a tidy brick and vinyl building known as Hobson Center. Without a reason to look for it, it’s easy to drive by without giving the IPFWowned building a second glance—or noticing it at all. Most people don’t know that this building houses one of the community’s most valuable resources: the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center (Northeast ISBDC).

Wes Shie

10 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

Part of a network of 10 similar offices around the state, the Northeast ISBDC serves Fort Wayne and the 10 surrounding counties, providing free business services to people who want to start or expand a business. Services include business counseling, strategic planning, business plan support, financial projections, loan packaging, marketing support and access to market data. The only criteria to receive services is that the company (or prospective company) must qualify as a small business under the rules of the Small Business Administration—

which generally means it has less than 500 employees—and be located in Northeast ISBDC’s service area.

Simply put, according to Northeast ISBDC Regional Director Wes Shie, “We’re an economic development organization that works with everyone.

We take all comers; it doesn’t matter what size or what stage of business.”

The Northeast ISBDC is staffed with seasoned professionals who work one-on-one with clients. Each of the five full-time advisors has at least 15 years of experience in the business world and brings a different area of expertise to the team. Shie, for example, worked as a banker for many years before joining the Northeast ISBDC in 2010. Now, he often helps clients craft business plans, understand financing options and learn how to present themselves to banks.

Clients can meet with Northeast ISBDC advisors as often or as little as they like, and there is never a fee. “Some people meet with us

Wes Shie (center) along with the former Lt. Governor of Indiana Sue Ellspermann and former head of the ISBDC Jacob Schpok. In 2015, Northeast ISBDC lead the state in capital investment by clients and Shie was the business advisor with the most capital infusion by clients into projects.

regularly,” says Shie, “and others will meet with us once and we won’t hear back from them until they hang out the open sign. The client drives the process.”

The center boasts an impressive portfolio of success stories. “We’re just as proud as they are when they get that business started or accomplish a goal,” says Shie.

One of those stories involves Jeremy Kelsey, a 2015 IPFW graduate who worked at an auto repair shop during his college years. As he worked his way up in the business, an ownership opportunity arose and Kelsey turned to the Northeast ISBDC for assistance. Advisors helped him put together a business plan and a budget and, by the time he graduated, Kelsey was able to buy the company.

Local restaurant Wine Down represents another success story for the Northeast ISBDC. When a local teacher wanted to open a wine and tapas venue, Shie and his team helped study demographics, evaluate locations and develop a business plan. Now, a year after Wine Down’s grand opening, the company has surpassed its first year sale projections.

Shie stresses that although many of the center’s clients are individuals who want to start their own businesses, the Northeast ISBDC’s services are also available to existing companies in any stage of their existence.

“There’s really no common demographic of our clients,” explains Shie. “We work with all ages, genders, industries and experience levels. People should never be afraid to ask us questions.”

Even though the center’s advisors provide guidance, their first responsibility to clients is to listen. “You can’t help someone until you learn what their challenge is,” says Shie. “You learn fast that you need to listen.”

The best thing about the ISBDC is that its free services help put entrepreneurial opportunities within reach for everyone from individuals with a good idea to established companies, keeping the community poised for growth. “We’re easy to work with,” says Shie. “There’s real value here, even though there’s no cost.”

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

11

Redesigning of the MBA Programs

A team of MBA students presenting to their Revenue Management class.

This is an exciting time for the MBA programs in the Doermer School of Business. The school—using the feedback from students, alumni and local employers—is revising the curriculum and redesigning the programs so that graduates have the knowledge, the skills and the determination to face the challenges encountered by businesses in today’s economy. We aim to prepare cutting edge thinkers and business leaders who contribute to the economic development of northeast Indiana and beyond.

The Doermer School of Business offers two MBA programs: MBA+ and Professional MBA. The MBA+ program offers a flexible schedule with evening classes and an expected graduation in 24 months. Hybrid classes allow students to enjoy both the benefits of face-to-face interaction and the scheduling convenience of online instruction. In the 2015-16 academic year, DSB introduced two concentrations: business analytics and finance. Former MBA graduates can also benefit from the curriculum redesign by taking the business analytics or finance course if they wish. Furthermore, executive mentoring and organizational action project courses have been added to the curriculum and

12 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

will be offered in Fall 2016. These courses allow students to get mentorship from high-level managers and apply information learned in class to real world problems faced by industries in the region.

The Professional MBA program allows students to take classes on an accelerated basis and complete their degree within a year. Classes meet on Saturdays to accommodate busy work schedules of our students.

Unlike the MBA+, the Professional MBA does not offer concentrations. However, students in the Professional MBA have the option of taking business analytics or finance concentration courses if they wish.

In addition to curriculum changes, the Doermer School of Business is hiring new faculty to infuse recent developments in business theory and practice into its business programs. Our faculty are experts in their fields and satisfy the demanding qualification requirements of the AACSB accreditation. We are proud to contribute to the educational needs of northeast Indiana.

IPFW CENTER FOR

ECONOMIC EDUCATION Most people think of economics as being only about money, interest rates and unemployment numbers.

But economics is about much more; it is about making the best decisions possible with limited resources. As citizens of an ever-complex global economy, we are all asked to make important economic decisions that affect our individual success and that of our community, state and nation. Understanding the economic way of thinking has implications for public policy, personal finance and everyday life. In the Doermer School of Business, we are helping northeast Indiana succeed by increasing the economic literacy of the region through the IPFW Center for Economic Education.

John Kessler receiving the Peter Harrington Award from the Indiana Council for Economic Education.

The Center for Economic Education was founded at IPFW on July 1, 1977, and has been under the leadership of John Kessler since 2009. The center is housed in the Doermer School of Business and is one of 11 centers in Indiana under the leadership of the Indiana Council for Economic Education. The center is also part of the Council for Economic Education’s national network of state councils and local centers that promote economic education. In 2010 and 2012, the IPFW center won the Peter V. Harrington Award for the best universitybased center for economic education in Indiana.

The Energy, Economics and the Environment summer course participating in a field trip to NIPSCO.

The goal of the Center for Economic Education is to help increase the economic decision making ability of the citizens of northeast Indiana. In support of this goal, the center provides a variety of programs along with the Indiana Council for Economic Education. We have been involved in setting economics standards for Indiana K-12 schools, training teachers, developing curriculum and awarding excellence in teaching economics. The center provides workshops for K-12 teachers that are designed to help them teach economics in their courses.

Economics is required as part of the Indiana State Content Standards starting in kindergarten and many teachers feel under prepared to teach it. To help them, the center holds after school workshops and summer classes for teacher professional development.

These workshops introduce teachers to the ideas of economics as well as give specific curriculum to use in the classroom. Past workshops have ranged across the spectrum of grade levels and subject matter—from using playdough and children’s literature to introduce economic concepts in lower grades, to teaching economics in high school history, government, geography, math, environmental science and AP economics classes.

During the summer, with a grant from American Electric Power, the center also hosts a class for teachers on Energy, Economics and the Environment where teachers are introduced to how the economic way of thinking can be applied to solving environmental issues.

Beyond teacher programs, the center reaches out to the broader northeast Indiana region through media appearances, publications, speaking engagements and events open to the general public. The Center for Economic Education also has a national presence through presentations to students, teachers and civic and business leaders across the country.

For more information or to support the work of the Center for Economic Education, contact John Kessler at kesslerj@ipfw.edu or (260) 481-6493.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

13

Career Stats THE DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

ALL IPFW MAJORS: ACTIVITY UPON GRADUATION of graduates were employed or continued their education

46%

18%

13%

18%

5%

employed full-time

employed part-time

continued education

seeking employment

other

DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: ACTIVITY UPON GRADUATION of graduates were employed or continued their education

60%

13%

9%

14%

4%

employed full-time

employed part-time

continued education

seeking employment

other

14 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

of DSB graduates employed or continuing education within one month

of DSB graduates employed in a position related to career goals

of DSB undergrad students report being satisfied with the quality of the IPFW Business Program

of DSB undergrad students participate in experiental education

WHERE DSB STUDENTS ARE EMPLOYED 1 Ash Brokerage

6 Franklin Electric

2 Best Buy

7 JH Specialty

3 BKD

8 Lincoln Financial

4 Coca-Cola

9 Medical Protective

5 Crowe Horwath

10 Vera Bradley 11 Zimmer-Biomet

Source: 2015 survey of graduates provided by IPFW Career Services

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

15

Cost Comparison OTHER AACSB ACCREDITED SCHOOLS IPFW

PURDUE WEST LAFAYETTE

Total: $4,180.00

Total: $5,718.00

Tuition: $4,039.00

General Tuition: $4,603.00

BUS Course Fees: $141.00

Technology Fee: $94.00

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

Repair & Rehabilitation Fee: $161.00 Student Wellness Fee: $122.00

Total: $4,831.00 Student Activity Fee: $20.00 General Tuition: $3,771.00 BUS Major Differential Fee: $718.00 BUS Course Fee (for 300 & 400 Level): $132.00 Health Services Fee: $76.00

INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON

Technology Fee: $165.00

Total: $5,793.38

Student Service Fee: $600.00

General Tuition: $4,543.00

Rec Center Fee: $87.00

Activity Fee: $101.79

IUPUI

Health Services Fee: $111.54 Technology Fee: $189.75

Total: $5,104.00 Transportation Fee: $64.60 General Tuition: $4,004.25 Repair & Rehabilitation Fee: $182.70 Flat Service Fee: $361.10 BUS Major Differential Fee: $600.00 Repair & Rehabilitation Fee: $162.60 BUS Major Differential Fee: $576.15 16 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

Tuition and fees per semester for business majors carrying 15 credit hours in Fall 2015 with no housing costs included.

NON-AACSB ACCREDITED SCHOOLS INDIANA TECH

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY

Total: $13,185.00

Total: $14,810.00

General Tuition: $12,970.00

General Tuition: $14,420.00

Student Fee: $215.00

Programming Fee: $80.00

UNIVERSITY OF ST. FRANCIS

Faculty Fee: $310.00

Total: $13,610.00

TRINE UNIVERSITY

General Tuition: $13,125.00

Total: $15,230.00

Semester Fee: $210.00

General Tuition: $15,000.00

Technology Fee: $275.00

Student Fee: $155.00 Health & Wellness Fee: $75.00

IPFW fees are subject to change by action of the Board of Trustees. Each university’s website can be consulted for current fees.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

17

IN THE

CLASSROOM

Collegiate Connection High School Students Visit and Partner with Doermer Students A group of dual-credit students taking Principles of Business Administration (W100) at Bishop Luers High School visited campus on April 12 and worked in teams with students in a section of BUS W100 taught

by Professor Ahmed Rachdi, continuing lecturer in management. The Bishop Luers students shared class time with the Doermer students, then had lunch with the students and took a campus tour.

18 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

The in-class interaction time was especially valuable.

Luers students joined on-campus student teams for progress reports on the business plan project that both classes are doing. The project involves identifying an idea for a product or service, developing a full-scale business plan on the concept for investors, and giving a presentation with the finished plan. The project gives students the opportunity to apply the principles and concepts of the course in a real world manner.

Increasing Student Success and Personal Engagement with Minimal Effort and Maximum Impact Professor Cynthia Wilson felt called to help instill more hope and a positive outlook in her students.

Knowing that research shows students succeed when they have a sense of connection to instructors, Professor Wilson decided to dedicate 10 minutes of time each week in her spreadsheets class to helping her students develop positive outlooks and life skills.

sense of belonging and further prepare them for longterm success both in and out of the classroom.”

Trina Bauer, a junior level business major wrote Professor Wilson to say, “I loved the Tuesday Tidbit section of this course. It was always encouraging and helpful during a stressful day. I appreciated the extra time and effort that went into those little 5-10

These 10 minutes have come to be known as Tuesday Tidbits and use a variety of methods such as video clips, professional guest speakers, verbal discussion and even presentations from the students’ peers. Professor Wilson strives to help students develop positive habits, embrace hope and look beyond the here-andnow to visualize who they want TO BE-come rather than focusing on the ever present TO DO list.

Topics have included:

• Understanding what it means to be a person of integrity

• Developing personal financial strategies

• Thinking and speaking

positively about themselves and others

• Learning to play to their strengths • Never giving up hope, no matter what Professor Wilson says, “I have received feedback from students that lets me know they really feel I care about their well-being rather than seeing them as just another face in the classroom. I believe these 10 minute encounters each week enhanced my students’

minute segments and I’m sure many other students did as well. I haven’t experienced another professor that takes the time to uplift students like that, and I hope you continue to do that in the future. It’s important to give people the book knowledge to help them in their career, but those segments will help everyone throughout their entire life.”

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

19

20 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

International Experiences article by Zafar Nazarov, PhD

Each spring, a group of top business students are enrolled in BUS D490 Special Studies in International Business. The main goal of the course this year was to provide students with the opportunity to gain in depth knowledge about the Cuban economy. For this purpose, DSB selected 11 students through a rigorous selection process. In addition to the traditional methods of studying the topics, DSB provided a unique opportunity for those students to travel to Cuba during spring break and learn about the political, cultural, economic and business environments and opportunities in Cuba firsthand.

Study of the Cuban economy is an interesting case because it is one of the only non-market economic systems in the world today. Students had the opportunity to observe the functioning of a non-market economic system and make a comparison with a market-based system such as the one in the U.S. Cuba has a current population of 11.5 million individuals with the annual monetary value of all goods and services produced within its geographic borders (Gross Domestic Product or GDP) reaching $80 billion. To put things into perspective, it is observed that Cuba (42,426 square miles) has roughly the same land mass as Ohio (44,825 square miles).

However, its GDP is only one-sixth or about 17 percent of Ohio’s GDP. Despite the recent market-based reforms, Cuba experiences a very moderate economic growth rate at the rate of 2-3 percent annually. As in many non-market based economies, Cuba experiences a relatively low unemployment rate (around 3 percent).

The trip started in Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded in 1519, by the 18th century, Havana was one of the most important economic centers of the Caribbean region.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

21

DSB students spent many hours walking Old Havana defined by its old city walls. Old Havana is an interplay of very unique Baroque and Neoclassical monuments.

They also visited many places associated with Ernest Hemingway, the world-renowned American Noble Prize winning novelist. On the third day of the trip, the students moved to the Province of Pinar del Rio, the City of Vinales, where they stayed two nights in privatelyowned family residences very similar to the concept of bed-and-breakfast in the U.S. They learned about the new form of credit and service cooperatives, a part of the recent market-based reforms aimed at increasing legalized self-employment among the Cubans. The Province of Pinar del Rio is the place where the world’s finest cigars originate. DSB students visited one of the leading tobacco plantations and met with its owner, Hector Luis. For the final two days in Cuba, they moved to the Varadero Peninsula, which is a renowned tourist resort area in Cuba with pristine blue waters and white sandy beaches. They also visited the city of Cardenas which is one of Cuba’s sugar cane centers and the site of the second railway station built in Cuba. Students learned about the sugar cane production and transportation, and sampled freshly squeezed sugar cane juice.

22 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

Recent changes in Cuban-American diplomatic relations have provided potential lucrative opportunities for American businesses in Cuba. During the trip, students were asked to make their observations about Cuba’s economic system from the perspective of potential investors. At the end of the semester, the students (who were divided into two groups) submitted business plans regarding their proposed potential business start-ups in this country. Each group had the freedom to select any industry in which their prospective start-up would operate.

The reports were assessed from the perspective of economic feasibility. The first group of students observed the shortage of reliable water distribution systems in Cuba and came up with an idea to distribute solar pump systems for residential and agricultural users. Their start-up intended to provide a much more reliable water system to both the large scale agricultural operations and residential units. The second group of students noted the possibility of increasing demand for structural steel products in Cuba. The possible normalization of economic relationships between the U.S. and Cuba would increase the presence of American investors in Cuba, especially in the commercial segment of the construction industry. This, in turn, will lead to increasing the overall demand for steel products. The second group of students proposed a start-up that would meet this possible increase in demand for a wide variety of structural steel products by producing them in Cuba.

Upcoming Events

Doermer School students and alumni enjoyed an excellent panel presentation on business ethics at one of the Doermer School Alumni Connections events. Panelists included Jeff Sanderson of Baden Gage & Schroeder, Jeff Caine of General Motors, Kristin Marcuccilli of STAR Financial Bank and Marjorie Stephens of the Better Business Bureau.

For details about upcoming Doermer School of Business events, visit ipfw.edu/business.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK PANEL

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

The Economic Outlook Panel takes place every fall and provides an international, national and local economic forecast, as well as an audience-panel Q&A with some of Fort Wayne’s leading financial economists. The Economic Outlook Panel will be Friday November 18, 2016, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the IPFW International Ballroom.

Several members of this year’s DSB Alumni Advisory Council saw a need to help our current students learn how to network and become connected with alumni and leaders in the business community. This group hosted three events during the past academic year. Most of the events started with a presentation, like the panel discussion on Ethics in Business, followed by time for networking. One event started with a training session by Kayla Klimesko from IPFW Career Services. She gave the students a quick lesson on how to network and then sent them out to mingle with alumni to put their new skills in action. Each event was bigger and better than the one before and this committee is looking forward to continuing with 2-3 events during this upcoming academic year. We hope you’ll join us!

MEET ME @ 5 Meet ME @ 5 is an annual networking event in honor of our founder, Richard T. Doermer. The purpose of the event is to give the DSB Alumni Board, DSB Advisory Council, students, faculty, staff and the business community an opportunity to engage in social networking. This year’s Meet ME @ 5 will be held on November 30, 2016, at 5 p.m. in the IPFW Alumni Center.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

23

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT Graduating seniors Amanda Leaders and Matt Furge both completed honors research projects with the support of a guiding faculty member.

Amanda Leaders worked with professor Bridget Leonard and completed research about the effectiveness of reminder cues in oral health programs for children.

Matt Furge worked with professor Nodir Adilov on research regarding the local housing market.

In May 2016, IPFW celebrated the inaugural class of Top 50 students. This award recognizes the achievements of junior, senior and graduate level students who excel both inside and outside of the classroom. Eleven of the Top 50 students were from the Doermer School of Business.

Madison Seifert, junior student, celebrates with friends and family.

IPFW staff member Lisa Courtney and MBA student Narendra Ghimire

The inaugural IPFW Top 50 class

24 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

The IPFW sales team competing at the Ball State Sales Competition with coach by Sal Lomagro (fourth from left) of Federated Insurance.

The group of students that attended the Immersion Excursion to Parkview Field to learn about the business behind the Tin Caps.

Doermer School students receive a quick lesson on continuous improvement during an Immersion Excursion to Lincoln Financial.

Professor Kent Kauffman with Jenna Meyer. Meyer was selected to received the Better Business Bureau’s Student of Integrity Scholarship.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

25

Ryan Cooley, Sierra Grayson and Landon Reeve, IPFW co-operative interns

REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES A Win-Win Solution IPFW interns bring new skills and ideas to Decision Driven® Solutions for a win-win situation. article by Tammy Davis • photography by Jeffrey Crane When a local software company designed an intelligent decision-making tool for the U.S. Army, its biggest challenge lay in creating the product itself. After it mastered the technical specifications required for the military, however, Decision Driven® Solutions found itself facing a new challenge: learning how to take the product to market in the commercial sector. As a startup, the company had little marketing experience and needed to get the most from its limited resources.

As a member of the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (one of the country’s top entrepreneurial resource centers and business incubators), the company turned to IPFW’s co-operative education program for help.

After a brief series of interviews, three senior marketing students joined the Decision Driven® Solutions team. Since September 2015, Ryan Cooley, Sierra 26 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

Grayson and Landon Reeve have evaluated customer communications, designed brochures, updated the website, measured search engine effectiveness and created and managed digital marketing campaigns.

Company president John Fitch couldn’t have asked for a better team. “In the selection process,” recalls Fitch, “these three really rose to the top. They’ve brought fresh ideas and creative thinking. We got the cream of the crop.”

Ron Carter, principal consultant for Decision Driven® Solutions, feels the same. In fact, he notes that Cooley, Grayson and Reeve have brought more into the company than anyone anticipated. “They have other skills beyond marketing,” explains Carter. “For example, they’ve jumped into product testing with both feet.”

Adam Makinson, user experience designer

Their time at Decision Driven® Solutions has been equally beneficial for the students. The start-up environment has allowed them to take on a variety of roles and has exposed them to all aspects of running a business. Says Reeve, “It’s been a really great experience.

Everyone is very collaborative. It doesn’t matter how busy they are; they drop what they’re doing and help.”

The experience has also taught the interns as much about themselves as it has about business. “A co-op experience helps you figure out what you like and don’t like, as well as what sort of working environment you’d like to place yourself in,” explains Grayson. “It also highlights the skills you need to continue to develop.”

All agree that the co-op program has been successful at Decision Driven® Solutions because of a combination of several factors: an environment that encourages questions, a commitment to teamwork and the ability to work independently. Most importantly, students have been given real responsibility and the chance to generate meaningful results, not menial tasks that contribute little to the success of the company.

Of course, success also depends on students coming into the program with the right academic foundation, and IPFW has done a good job of making sure they are prepared. Fitch notes, “There are no gaps in their skillset and, if they didn’t know an answer, they knew where to find it.”

From the student perspective, Grayson adds, “There are definitely skills we learned in class that have been helpful. We get to apply the theory to real world situations and being comfortable working in teams is also really important.”

The co-op experience has been one of learning and growth for everyone involved. The Decision Driven®

John Fitch, president, with Grayson

Solutions interns have not only helped move the company forward, but also their own marketability as they transition from college to the workplace. “The experience they’ve gained gives them a real leg up,” says Carter.

Cooley adds, “When I graduate, I’ll already have real world experience. I’ve had other jobs, but not in the field where I want to build my career.”

Tangible proof of the program’s success lies in the fact that Fitch plans to make at least one of the interns a permanent employee. He also wants to continue to bring co-op students into the company. “I wish every college had a co-op requirement,” says Fitch.

“It’s a good transition from college to the real world and it turned out to be a great decision for us.”

For more information about the co-operative education program at IPFW, please contact (260) 481-6939 or cooped@ipfw.edu.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

27

28 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

ALUMNI IN ACTION: JAMAL ROBINSON article by Tammy Davis • photography by Jeffrey Crane

When Jamal Robinson graduated from Northrop High School in 2006, a soccer scholarship took him to Florida to pursue a college education. He had to shift gears when the program underwent a shake-up and he lost his scholarship. Robinson then decided to come back to Fort Wayne to continue his studies, but not before he started a fashion eyewear business that continues to grow.

Today, Robinson’s entrepreneurial spirit drives everything he does. In fact, he believes so strongly in the importance of entrepreneurism that he wants to help others develop the creative thinking and problem solving abilities that will help them pursue their own dreams.

With new projects always on the horizon, Robinson says, “My plate never gets full; it just gets bigger.”

How did you decide to start your own company? Why sunglasses?

I grew up pretty entrepreneurial; I’d rather make something on my own than work for someone else, so the leap was easy. One day I saw a video of R. Kelly wearing a pair of diamond-studded sunglasses I really liked. I couldn’t afford them, so I decided to make them for myself with Swarovski crystals. Other people saw them and wanted them—they desired them—and Desiar (pronounced Des-E-Air) was born.

When did making sunglasses become more than a hobby for you?

I made my first pair of glasses in 2007 and it didn’t take me long to realize that I couldn’t scale bedazzling glasses. I’d spend hours and hours making them.

I wasn’t charging enough to cover my costs or my time, so I had to change the process. I started looking up sources on the internet and spent a lot of time talking with them, asking questions. Everyone was really helpful.

Even now I continue to educate myself about materials, design and everything else. I don’t think I will ever stop learning.

Tell us about your foundation.

Unfortunately, some people never hear anyone say, “I believe in you.” I have a passion for making sure young people know how valuable and smart they are, and to hear that someone believes in their ideas.

That’s why I created Believe in a Dream Inc. in 2010. It uses experience-based learning to encourage young people to explore new ideas in business education, the performing arts and math and science. I want to give them a leg up to pursue their dreams.

What makes fostering an entrepreneurial culture so important?

The fabric of any successful city is entrepreneurism. It’s a mindset of creative thinking and problem solving. It isn’t just about starting a business; it’s bigger than that.

When you have a group of people who think that there’s no problem too large to solve, that’s really powerful.

Do you ever think, “I can’t do all this!”?

All the time! But I don’t look at doubt in a negative sense. I acknowledge those feelings because I’m human, but I’m not going to let them stop me. You know, starting something is the easy part, but sustaining it is the real challenge.

What’s on the horizon for Desiar?

We’ve got a new collection of eyewear coming out this summer. The core of the business has always been sunglasses, but now we’re working on prescription frames, too. We’re also getting ready to open a showroom in the North Anthony Corridor. Until now we’ve been internet and wholesale sales; this will be our first retail space in Fort Wayne. It’s pretty exciting!

What role has IPFW played in your success?

I always felt that experience would teach me what I needed on the design side, so I turned to IPFW for the business side. From advisors to professors, everyone genuinely wanted me to be successful. For example, my math professor took a personal interest in making sure I had extra help when I needed it.

I’m sure most educators support their students, but it seems to be above and beyond here.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

29

Graduates

THE 2015-2016 DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

students graduated with MBAs

students graduated with bachelor degrees

30 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

students graduated with associate degrees

students graduated with certificates

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE |

31

Glimpse GRADS of the

Timo Rutkowski is an international student from Germany completing his bachelor’s degree in Economics. He first came to Fort Wayne through a high school exchange program. He loved it so much that he chose to come back to IPFW to attend college. He worked hard to earn the grades needed to earn a scholarship which allowed him to pay in-state tuition rates and his host family from high school graciously invited him to live with them again. Rutkowski worked as a peer advisor in the Mastodon Advising Center and as a supplemental instructor for Microeconomics courses.

As a result of his experience working for IPFW, he one day hopes to teach in a college setting.

Rutkowski participated in the Korean Economy and Culture class which allowed him to travel to and learn about South Korea. He also was a member of the Fed Challenge team, competing at the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago and is the recipient of the 2016 DSB Student Leadership Award. Rutkowski is the first in his family to graduate from college and is currently looking for work in the U.S. He hopes to work for a few years before pursuing graduate school.

Brenna Sherwood was the very first Doermer Distinguished Scholar, coming to IPFW from Elkhart, Indiana. Sherwood also was a member of the IPFW Women’s Golf team. She managed to complete all 150 credit hours needed to sit for the CPA exam in just four years by taking summer classes. She is graduating with a double major of Accounting and Finance with a minor in Psychology.

While at IPFW, Sherwood completed internships with Haines, Isenbarger & Skiba and Crowe Horwath. She was involved with the Accounting Society and Junior Achievement and was selected for the Summit League Academic All-Conference Team in both 2014 and 2015.

Sherwood will begin working with Crowe Horwath in Indianapolis as a staff tax accountant in October and will be studying for the CPA exam in the meantime.

Brenna’s favorite part of being a Doermer Distinguished Scholar was the opportunities it provided to represent the university and meet community business leaders.

32 | THE DOERMER DIFFERENCE - SUMMER 2016

Victoria Stroup started her pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Ivy Tech. It took her four years of part-time attendance to earn her associate degree. In 2010 she started at IPFW, within a month of registering for fall classes she found out she was pregnant and due to complications with the pregnancy she ended up only completing a couple classes.

Her daughter was born during the spring semester and had many complications in her first year of life, being hospitalized five times. Soon after, she and her husband also divorced. Yet, during all of this, Stroup continued to take classes and earn a 3.4 GPA. This past May, she finally completed the degree requirements for her bachelor’s degree in Accounting and will be working for the State Board of Accountants as a field examiner. Stroup attributes her success to the support of her friends, family and faculty. “The professors in the Accounting department not only knew me by name but knew about my kids, my job, my career aspirations and all my struggles. I’m going to miss the camaraderie and support of the faculty, my fellow students and all the campus events,” says Stroup.

Bradley Klotz came to IPFW with no idea what he wanted to do with his life. Klotz chose IPFW because it was close to home, affordable and provided a quality education.

Upon completing his associate’s degree, Klotz decided he had enough of college and this would be the end of his college career.

Klotz then spent a year working as a material handler. During that year, he thought long and hard about all the opportunities that a bachelor’s degree would provide. With the urging of several friends and family members, and with the help of his advisors and professors, Klotz returned to IPFW with one goal in mind: earning a bachelor’s degree in Management.

He matured and learned a lot about his character while he was away. Even his academic advisor, Kari Smith, noticed the change when Klotz returned. “He was a different person.” Upon his return Brad was on the Semester Honor’s List every semester. Klotz says, “The feeling is surreal.” As a recent graduate Klotz plans to continue learning and growing as he develops his career at Avery Dennison.

AT T E N D T O DAY. A C H I E V E T O M O R R O W.

Continuing Studies Classes

362 certificates offered 15 classes offered

IPFW OFFERS BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONALS A WIDE RANGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES EACH YEAR

Languages Taught

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

For more information

▼

Business/Management Computers Healthcare/Medical Languages

260-481-6619

▼

▼ ▼ ▼

learn.ipfw.edu

6

Manufacturing Onsite Employee Training Professional Certificates

RD T. DOERMER SCHOOL OF RICHARD BUSINESS T. DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS UNIVERSITY–PURDUE UNIVERSITY I NDIANA FORT UNIVERSITY–PURDUE WAYNE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE

t Coliseum Boulevard

2101 East Coliseum Boulevard

ne, Indiana 46805–1499

Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805–1499

N SERVICE REQUESTED

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

#10 BUSINESS ENVELOPE

Invest In An

IPFW MBA

AdvAntAge

you.

with an MBA from Indiana university-Purdue university Fort Wayne

ReAdy to PlAn FoR the FutuRe?

IPFW.edu/MBA

ContACt CAshdolj@IPFW.edu FoR MoRe InFoRMAtIon.