Moore Magazine 2023

MOORE

LEVERAGING MBA SKILLS

Professional MBA and USC engineering alumnus climbs ranks with Dominion Energy

SPRING 2023

Jan Bass — Interim Dean

Bo Hart — Interim Senior Director of Alumni Engagement

Adam Brown — Director of Marketing and Communications

Editors: Adam Brown, Marjorie Riddle Duffie

Contributing writers: Marjorie Riddle Duffie, Sydney Hankinson

Photographers: Jason Ayers, Jeff Blake, Michelle

Rashid, Dominion Energy, self-submitted

Designer: Gracie Newton

Office of Alumni Engagement

Darla Moore School of Business

University of South Carolina

1014 Greene Street

Columbia, SC 29208

sc.edu/moore/alumni

On the cover: Cedric Green

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities on the basis of race, sex, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetics, veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

INTERIM DEAN JAN BASS

DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

My name is Jan Bass, and I am serving as the interim dean of the Darla Moore School of Business. I have some great news to share with you about the Moore School, but first let me take a moment to introduce myself.

I joined the Moore School in August 1987 as a faculty member in the economics department after completing my Ph.D. in economics from “the other Carolina (UNC).” I have had the joy of teaching in the undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. programs and may have taught some of you! In 2018, I was appointed the associate dean of undergraduate programs by Dean Peter Brews.

As interim dean, I look forward to continuing the successes and momentum the Moore School has accomplished across undergraduate and graduate programs in job placement outcomes and in program and research rankings. The credit is owed to many, including Brews and our faculty and staff, for the outstanding news I report:

• Outstanding record undergraduate job placement and salaries: Our undergraduate reported job placement rate was strong in 2021 at 90 percent and climbed even higher to 96 percent in 2022. Reported average salaries increased to $66,159 in 2022 from $58,940 in 2021.

• Phenomenal graduate job placement and salaries across all programs. In 2022 for the International MBA, reported job placement was 96 percent three months after graduation, with average salaries reported at $96,435. Master of International Business outcomes are also impressive: 95 percent job placement six months after graduation with an average salary of $74,302. The Master of Accountancy, One-Year MBA and the Master of Human Resources reported placements in 2022 that are close to or exceed 90 percent at the six-month mark. The Master of Science in Business Administration, in its inaugural year, boasted a 100 percent job placement with an average salary of $85,873 six months post-graduation.

• We remain top-ranked in international business and have additional rankings to be proud of. See page 37 for a full list of rankings.

• Thanks to our outstanding faculty, our research is among the best in the world. According to Google Scholar, we have two of the most-cited scholars at USC on our faculty, ranked at No. 3 and 4, with five others in USC’s top 30. Five of seven departments are ranked in the top 25 worldwide for research productivity in their defined niche areas.

To learn more about the Moore School’s impressive work over the past year, read the 2022 Annual Report at bit.ly/mooreAR22.

I also extend a gracious “THANK YOU!” for the many ways our alumni support the Moore School. I look forward to working with you during this interim period.

Forever to thee!

Best, Jan

MAKE ME A MATCH

Alumni and student Mentor Program mutually beneficial

SPRING 2022 MENTOR PROGRAM PAIRS

(SC) Susan Cotter, mentor, ‘92 USC international studies and Spanish, currently serves on the USC-Business Partnership Foundation Board of Advisors

(GW) Grace Weismantel, ’25 expected graduation economics

WHY DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE MOORE SCHOOL’S MENTOR PROGRAM?

SC: I learned about the Mentor Program through my service on the USC-Business Partnership Foundation Board of Advisors. As an advisor, my role is ultimately to support Moore School students. Mentoring is a very direct and individualized way to do that.

GW: I wanted to interact with people who have had hands-on experience within the careers that I was interested in. While I am fascinated by the work that is completed in the classroom, I knew that the Mentor Match program would offer a different perspective on what it would mean to be a part of certain industries, like marketing and supply chain.

SB: I have been involved in the mentoring program for 20 years. I have been very fortunate to mentor many wonderful students at the Moore School.

TS: During and after COVID-19, it was hard for me to network being isolated for so long, especially since the only people I was in contact with were those around my age. Not only that, but I also felt as if I was a little lost on where to start when it came to finding a career path.

(SB) Scott Blackmon, mentor, ‘73 management, currently serves on the USC-Business Partnership Foundation Board of Advisors, previous Moore School Distinguished Alumnus Awardee

(TS) Tyler Southard, ’23 expected graduation finance

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART OF THE MENTOR MATCH PROGRAM?

SC: Hands down, the relationships I have with my mentees. We’ve continued to stay in touch beyond the timeframe of the program. I can’t wait to see the impact they will make on the world!

GW: The best part was going with Susan to the Anne Frank Center. If it was not for Susan, I never would have made my way to that building or have learned all that I did about Anne Frank. I also enjoyed that trip; Susan invited me because she had taken the time to get to know me well enough to know I would find it interesting.

SB: The best part has been being able to share my experiences as a banker for nearly 40 years, as well as my experiences in serving our business community. I have also been able to follow my mentees’ careers after graduation.

TS: The best part of this experience was the relationship that was built between Scott and me. I am comfortable going to him for any questions or advice regarding my career that I might have in the future. That is something that I did not have before starting this program.

WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN SO FAR WITH THE MENTOR MATCH PROGRAM?

SC: I learn as much as I give. I have had the pleasure of mentoring two students, both of whom are bright, energetic and full of potential. We discuss specific topics to help them optimize their Moore School experience. We also have broader conversations about philosophical views, life experiences and aspirations for the future — which give me optimism that society will be in good and capable hands.

GW: It has been wonderful! The questions in the application really made me feel confident about the mentor that I would be matched with, and I knew that the Moore School had my best interests at heart when pairing me with Susan. The Mentor Program really highlights one of the biggest benefits of the Moore School: the faculty care about us and want us to become the best versions of ourselves by learning from others.

SB: The program is amazing. The students my wife and I have met are professional, hardworking and dedicated. I have learned as much from them as they have from me.

TS: Scott and I met weekly, whether it was at lunch, a phone call or attending baseball games. I even attended a Moore School alumni meeting. Through these meetings, we talked about the pathways in finance that I would like to pursue, how to network for them and what those careers could look like. He also introduced me to multiple individuals in different careers that may interest me. Aside from that, we had great conversations with each other, and he even arranged a tour of the baseball facilities during one game. Scott and I developed a great relationship; we keep in touch today and plan to in the future.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE STUDENTS AND/OR MENTORS TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM?

SC: Many, many people have helped me along the way in my career. It is a privilege, in turn, to do my part to support the next generation of business leaders.

GW: You get out what you put into it. Placing time and effort into these meetings has created a foundation for the wonderful relationship that I have with Susan. Although the program has ended, I continue to see Susan because I enjoy hearing about her life, and I know she enjoys hearing about mine. She is one of the best parts of my university experience, and I owe it to the Mentor Program.

SB: The program gives the students insight into career possibilities in addition to getting to know a businessperson, not a family member or professor. There is such incredible talent at the Moore School, and the program gives those students with that talent a chance to learn from mentors’ real-life experiences.

TS: Something that every student should know about the mentorship program is that it is never too late to join. I was a second-semester junior when I began this program, which seemed to me like I was one of the older participants, but I would be nowhere near as prepared for the start of my career without it.

If you're interested in participating in the Mentor Program, please contact Corey Mikels at corey.mikels@moore.sc.edu.

CREATING THEIR OWN SUCCESS Alumni entrepreneurs

Some Moore School alumni choose to work for themselves. These alumni successfully run their own businesses using skills they developed at the Moore School.

AURORA DAWN BENTON

Benton (‘96 MIBS) applied the skills and knowledge she gained from the Moore School to start Astrapto LLC. Founded in 2016, Astrapto’s mission is to shed light on opportunities to solve social and environmental issues. The company offers sustainability consulting, training and online courses. Benton said starting her own business was not easy, but the skills she gained from the Moore School assisted her in many ways when first opening and now operating Astrapto.

WILLIS CANTEY

Cantey (‘99 MIBS) utilized the skills he gained from the Moore School to start Cantey Tech Consulting 15 years ago in Charleston, South Carolina. During his time at the Moore School, Cantey said he learned the fundamentals of business and Spanish while interning for Xerox in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also enjoyed working on project teams with students from around the world and the entrepreneurship course. Most importantly, he made lifelong friends and had a great time, he said.

JOSH GATEWOOD

Gatewood (‘10 MIB) created his own successful food truck business, Yankee Doodle Dandy’s, in New York City, after winning $25,000 in 2012 on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? After persevering through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gatewood continues to run three food trucks around the Big Apple. His Moore School training and learning helps him make analytical decisions to guide his company.

CARL HAMMOND

Hammond (‘11 PMBA) started AmeriCare Midlands Home Care in 2020 after realizing the need for more in-home caregiving for seniors. Hammond and his wife, Rachael, started the business so they would have the ability to control their own destiny and be responsible for their successes and failures. Despite the challenges that COVID-19 presented in their first years, Hammond said the skills he gained from the Professional MBA program helped him avoid missteps in his business.

LANDRY PHILLIPS

Phillips (‘19 PMBA) first thought of opening Regal Lounge, a barber shop and spa catering to men in Columbia, South Carolina, during one of his Professional MBA courses at the Moore School. His MBA skills came in handy during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Regal Lounge’s grand opening was delayed, and their first full year fell in the shadow of the world health crisis. He said opening in May 2020 during the pandemic presented the business with a lot of unforeseen challenges. However, giving up has never been an option for Phillips, he said, and his MBA skills helped him see his business through the rough first year.

BERNIE SHEALY

Shealy (‘75 management) applied the skills he gained from the Moore School to start his own restaurant, Bernie’s Chicken, in Columbia, South Carolina. During his time at the Moore School, Shealy said he was able to gain valuable management and business skills that he still uses to run his restaurant today. The restaurant celebrated its 43-year anniversary in 2022; it has been a staple in the Gamecock tailgating community with its location so close to Williams-Brice Stadium.

TOBY SKARKE and NICHOLAS MACUCH

Skarke (‘19 finance and operations and supply chain) and Macuch (‘19 finance and marketing) combined their talents to start Red Lab Logistics, a third-party logistics company dedicated to providing exceptional services and transparency in all aspects of the transportation timeline. Both Moore School graduates credit the knowledge and support they gained during their undergraduate years at the Moore School. In 2020 when they hired two full-time employees, the company increased its 2019 baseline revenue by 1,000 percent. Red Lab has continued this growth by eclipsing a 4,000 percent growth rate between 2019 and 2022. With 13 full-time employees and two more being hired in 2023, the alums are excited to see what the future has in store.

37th Annual LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNERS

Whye joined Apple in 2021, after spending 27 years with Intel Corporation where she held several leadership roles, including serving as the company’s Corporate Vice President of Social Impact and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. At Apple, she partners extensively with senior leaders around the world and leads the company’s work to build inclusion and diversity into every system and process.

Whye has championed efforts to ensure all have equitable access to opportunities and career growth.

Distinguished Alumni Award BARBARA WHYE

(’89 USC electrical engineering, ’95 MBA) Vice President of Inclusion & Diversity

Apple

Moore School Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Barbara Whye is Apple’s vice president of Inclusion & Diversity. At Apple, she leads the company’s commitment to building a more equitable and inclusive world by increasing diverse representation at every level, fostering an inclusive culture that brings everyone in and ensuring equitable pay and access to opportunity for all.

A globally recognized leader on issues of workforce representation and inclusion in the technology industry,

She said of her time at the Moore School of Business, “The MBA program propelled my career growth and experiences by rounding out my strong engineering skills with leadership development capabilities to globally lead complex and cross-functional teams to successful results.”

Fortune recognized Whye as one of the Most Powerful Women in Business in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, she was recognized as one of Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America, and in 2023 as one of the Most Influential Executives in Diversity & Inclusion. She also sits on the Board of Directors for BlackLine, Inc., and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence and Ethics at Arizona State University and is expected to defend her dissertation in 2023.

Barbara credits her mother and siblings as her role models. She is inspired by her husband and best friend, Demetrius. They have one son, Carlton, and he is married to Faith, and they have one son, Caleb.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award

ANN-STANTON C. GORE

(’07 finance and marketing)

Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

Primis

Moore School Distinguished Young Alumni Award recipient

Ann-Stanton C. Gore was named in September 2021 the executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Primis, a Virginia-based financial institution.

As the EVP and CMO, Gore leads Primis’ marketing, digital and promotional programs, advancing the bank’s digital transformation and V1be, Primis’ proprietary banking-delivery service.

In addition, she oversees the bank’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, including Primis Works, the company’s flagship program that empowers single mothers by providing a fully paid, lifechanging opportunity to establish and grow meaningful careers.

Gore attributes her part of her journey to the C-suite with Primis to the “well-rounded business acumen” she gained from her time at the Moore School.

“My finance and marketing concentrations are directly correlated to my career growth in the financial industry,” she said. “I believe my business creativity, ingenuity, innovation and graceful pivoting skills were ignited at the Moore School and seriously honed immediately upon graduation in 2007, which was right at the beginning of the Great Recession in the U.S.”

Prior to joining Primis, Gore was Ameris Bank’s head of marketing and then director of corporate communications as the company grew from $1 billion in assets to more than $20 billion. During her 14-year tenure, she led the marketing and communications efforts for 18 mergers and acquisitions and launched the bank into a new era with a new bold and humanized brand.

A 2018 Best and Brightest award recipient by Columbia Business Monthly, Gore is on the faculty with the South Carolina Bankers School. She was recognized as Ameris Bank’s Enterprise Services Banker of the Year in 2016, among other internal accolades. She has volunteered with the Junior League of Columbia since 2008 and served on the organization’s executive management board from 2019-21.

Gore and her husband, Bennett (USC J.D. ’05 and MBA ’17), live in Columbia with their two children, Beverly Julia, 5, and Bennett, 2.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award

DREW D. STEVENS

(’10 finance and risk management and insurance)

Certified Financial Planner

G3 Wealth Advisors

Moore School Distinguished Young Alumni Award recipient

Drew D. Stevens is a certified financial planner with Northwestern Mutual and a partner in the G3 Wealth Advisors firm. Stevens began interning with Northwestern Mutual as a sophomore after meeting their representatives at a Moore School Business EXPO career fair.

Northwestern Mutual’s top intern in 2009, Stevens passed his Series 7 General Securities Representative Exam while a senior at USC and was one of the youngest stockbrokers in the state at the time.

“The Moore School taught me the importance of commitment, discipline and follow through — all of which have been instrumental in growing my financial planning practice,” he said. “I knowingly chose a harder path double majoring at the business school; the grit I learned gave me the confidence to bet on myself in an all-commission role building a business from scratch. Nothing worth having comes easy, and my time at the Moore School helped me learn this.”

He has worked as a financial advisor and wealth management advisor for Northwestern Mutual in Columbia since graduating in 2010.

Stevens currently serves the Moore School through their mentorship program, as a Moore Ambassador and member of the USC-Business Partnership Foundation Board of Advisors. In 2017, he was named by the Columbia Metropolitan Magazine as one of Columbia’s “Top Ten Young Professionals.” He served for more than four years on the Moore School’s Young Alumni Board, including as chair in 2018-19.

Stevens has also volunteered for and served on boards for numerous community organizations, including United Way of the Midlands, the American Heart Association, Lexington Medical Center, Columbia Opportunity Resource, Harvest Hope food bank, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, Special Olympics, March of Dimes and Transitions.

He has been married to Reece for two years, and they anticipate welcoming their first child soon.

Distinguished Corporate Partner Award

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE (UPS)

Moore School Distinguished Corporate Partner Award recipient UPS is an invaluable partner. Two of their top executives share their expertise while serving on center boards and inform the school’s course curriculum, thought leadership and research; UPS participates in master’s-level and undergraduate courses; their generous donations have funded the UPS Global Scholars Program; they hire interns and alumni for a variety of positions; and they mentor students.

UPS consistently works with the Master of International Business and operations and supply chain programs on semester-long projects to give students real-world experience, and the students provide top-level recommendations to enhance UPS processes. Learn more by visiting bit.ly/mibups21, bit.ly/mibups22 and bit.ly/upsosc. Executives have also participated in professional development programming and entrepreneurial leadership.

Funded by The UPS Foundation, the UPS Global Scholars Program’s purpose is to broaden participation by underrepresented populations in international

business programming. The UPS Global Scholars Program is the first — and so far, only one — of its kind funded by The UPS Foundation. Including the 2022-23 academic year, the UPS Foundation has provided $750,000 during the first five years of the program for undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships. Learn more by visiting bit.ly/upsscholars.

Since 1989, UPS has been proud to partner with the Moore School in internship and job recruitment and leadership development. While most people think of the company’s package delivery function, UPS has transformed into a much more complex global corporation. Over the past couple of decades, the organization has made significant strides to increase its international reach. Today, UPS operates in more than 220 countries and territories and employs more than 534,000 people worldwide.

Nominations for these awards are accepted annually on a rolling basis. To nominate someone for a Distinguished Award, please visit bit.ly/MooreSchoolalumniawards.

MOORE SCHOOL EVENTS

Leadership Awards

Network with Moore

Shuck and Shag

DEVOTED GAMECOCK ENGINEER LEVERAGES MBA SKILLS

Alumnus combines engineering expertise with MBA to maximize opportunities at Dominion Energy

MBA alumnus Cedric Green and his family are dedicated Gamecocks — and they have the degrees to prove it.

Green, a four-time USC alumnus (‘97 mechanical engineering; ‘02 MBA; ‘08 Master of Mechanical Engineering; ‘15 Ph.D. mechanical engineering), and his five sisters have a total of 15 USC degrees. They range from business administration and the MBA, education and history to broadcast journalism, anthropology, library science and law.

Currently, the oldest is pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership as her fourth degree from USC. The second oldest of the seven siblings, Green’s brother, is the only sibling who was not a Gamecock; he successfully graduated from a university in Georgia instead.

The six Gamecocks followed in their parents’ footsteps; Green’s mother has a bachelor’s (‘84 USC education) and a master’s (‘94 USC counselor education); his father attended USC while working at UPS, serving as a master sergeant in the Army National Guard and raising his family, which included helping to send them to USC.

Green emphasized that his parents instilled in him and his six siblings the significant value of education.

“Combining academic pursuits with a strong work ethic sets you apart from others,” Green said. “My father was a drill sergeant in the Army while my mother ran a tight unit at home. She instilled in us that an impeccable work ethic is the only opportunity we

would have for success, and she demonstrated it as she studied at night to complete her master’s degree after a long day of teaching and parenting seven children.”

USC is even in the blood of his and his sisters’ spouses. One sister’s spouse has a bachelor’s degree from USC in liberal arts. Another has a Ph.D. in public health. Green’s wife has a bachelor’s in English and master’s degree in educational leadership and was a Gamecock basketball player.

While working on his four USC degrees, Green has spent close to 30 years with Dominion Energy, working his way up from student intern in 1994 in Columbia to his current role as senior vice president of generation in Richmond, Virginia.

In the early 2000s, Green chose to get his MBA while continuing to work full time, so he wouldn’t lose momentum in his career.

Green in his Ph.D. cap and gown with his wife, parents, daughter and brother

He said the business and leadership experiences he gained from the Professional MBA program have been invaluable in his roles over the years.

“Throughout my career, some of the main PMBA classes like financial accounting and managerial economics continue to be helpful for me because of what I do,” Green said. “We are a heavily regulated industry at the federal level and state level, and any and everything we do ties back to financials.

“As I collaborate with our team, the skills I learned in the PMBA and graduate engineering courses help me to get to the big picture, assess risk efficiently and to recognize how that all works together to solve the technical issue at hand. When accounting and finance folks are sharing information, I understand the technical side and also have a good understanding of business, which helps me ask informed, thought-provoking questions like ‘How do our choices impact the customers and our company?’”

Before earning his advanced degrees and building his career with Dominion Energy, Green was able to get hands-on experience with the energy industry and engineering as an undergraduate. Green credits two engineering mentors, Randy Nimmons and Wayne Lynn (’88 USC electrical engineering), for inspiring him to pursue a career in energy and engineering.

“The two of them took me under their wings and allowed me to spend time in the field, which gave me real awareness about the industry even though I was still a student,” Green said. He still considers the two as mentors; these “impactful” relationships inspired him to make the academic and career choices that set him on his career path. Both mentors were Black men.

“As an undergraduate, recognizing folks who looked like me were doing this work and leading colleagues was important for me,” Green said. “My two mentors spoke to me a lot about

Green in his Ph.D. cap and gown with his family

Green’s children: Cedric Jr., 7, Madeline, 10, and Jonah, 4

Green with his parents, siblings, wife, daughter and sons

“As an undergraduate, recognizing folks who looked like me were doing this work and leading colleagues was important for me. My two mentors spoke to me a lot about how to handle myself in a corporate environment, gave me an understanding of the culture of a company and how you can best contribute.”

- CEDRIC GREEN

how to handle myself in a corporate environment, gave me an understanding of the culture of a company and how you can best contribute.”

Green wants to pay forward the support that was and has made a commitment to work with minority students. He serves on the Black Alumni Alliance, an African American alumni group at the Moore School. One of their main objectives is mentoring Black students.

“I’m a big believer in exposure. Within the Black Alumni we really focus on students and are trying to make an impact in secondary schools, to make sure students are prepared for college,” he said.

Green’s Dominion colleague Iris Griffin, a Dominion vice president for power generation in South Carolina, is working with the Moore School on the Dominion Energy Power Forward Program.

The program began in fall 2021 with partnerships with Richland County School District One and Richland School District Two. During the first year, high school students in both districts participated in virtual activities to heighten their knowledge and awareness around college preparation, financial literacy, goal setting and demonstrating leadership through service.

The financial support provided by Dominion Energy enables the Moore School to reach

South Carolina-based high school students before they apply to college. Program managers hope to extend the program to other school districts across South Carolina in the coming years. Green said he also hopes more opportunities like the Black Alumni Alliance and the Power Forward Program continue to grow to help the next generation of Black and minority students to see themselves in college classrooms, graduate with degrees and build fulfilling careers.

BLAZING A TRAIL

Moore School alumna’s mentoring role guides next generation of Black students

For Moore School alumna Natalie Wright (’03 finance), inspiration from her first real estate class took her on a path she’d never considered.

As the real estate broker in charge and CEO of her company, The Real Estate House International Inc., Wright calls her focus on real estate as a Moore School undergraduate “one of the best decisions I made for my career and investment portfolio.”

A successful business owner now living in Huger, South Carolina, Wright wants to give back to the Moore School that ignited her career journey and help guide today’s students to find their inspiration.

One of her newest volunteer roles with the Moore School is serving on the Black Alumni Alliance, launched in fall 2021 to provide mentoring, financial support and assistance with the internship- and job-search process, among other things.

“I am involved in the Black Alumni Alliance because I know how vital it is to the African American students and their success,” Wright said. “Having an organization or group where the students can ask questions they may feel too embarrassed to ask in other settings is great. To have a network of examples of what you can become or go beyond is wonderful.”

Wright said that having a mentor invested in a student’s future and success, especially someone who looks like them, is critical.

“Culturally, there are differences that we all have, and sometimes those are not understood or even said aloud,” Wright explained. “Having the Black Alumni Alliance to provide support and insight into university nuances can yield a great return on cultivating and increasing the Moore School’s overall culture.”

Wright serves as the co-chair of the Black Alumni Alliance’s mentoring committee. She said she also sees the vital need to provide financial support through scholarship and fellowship opportunities. The alliance also hopes to connect students to networks for internship and job possibilities and be a sounding board for their triumphs and challenges.

the Black Alumni Alliance to provide support and insight into university nuances can yield a great return on cultivating and increasing the Moore School’s overall culture.”

- NATALIE WRIGHT

Along with sharing her time and talents with the alliance, Wright serves on the Moore School’s Charleston alumni and Shuck and Shag committees.

Wright is also eager to share her story with students about how one class shifted the entire focus of her career.

“When I sat in one of my finance classes and learned about real estate, my ears began to pay closer and closer attention. I became intrigued,” she said. “I knew nothing about real estate until I came to the Moore School. It took me a while to enter the industry, but I knew I never wanted to let go of the spark that began in that class.”

She attributes the skills she uses daily in managing her real estate firm to her time at the Moore School, including critical thinking, management, sales, presentations, communications and leadership. She said those skills have been necessary to excel, grow and sustain a successful brokerage firm.

“Having

RISING TO SUCCESS

The first Rising Scholars students to graduate from the Moore School are already realizing bright futures and are on the path to fulfilling careers.

The Rising Scholars program, which entered its fifth year in 2022-23, connects underserved South Carolina students pursuing degrees within the Moore School with key opportunities and resources across campus. In the program, students attend a tailored session of the University 101 first-year experience course; participate in social, academic and professional development activities; network with successful alumni; connect with faculty and peer mentors; receive personal finance education; and more.

Students in the program with financial need receive a renewable scholarship each academic year. Rising Scholars reside in a living and learning community during their freshman year and have access to peer tutors and ad hoc academic resources.

SYNOVIA BELL

(’22 business administration and finance)

Began working in June 2022 as a wealth analyst at Truist in Charlotte, North Carolina.

ALISA BERINDEA

(’22 marketing, ’22 MIB)

Graduated in December 2022 with her Master of International Business degree focusing on global strategy and is currently job searching in New York City.

EUDREON “KING” CURRY

(’21 operations and supply chain, minor in sport and entertainment management)

Began a position in January 2022 as a transportation manager for Werner Enterprises in West Columbia, South Carolina.

KIARA FLEMING

(’22 management and finance, ’23 expected graduation MHR)

Currently enrolled in the Master of Human Resources program.

GABBI RHUE

(’22 management, ’23 expected graduation MHR)

Currently enrolled in the Master of Human Resources program and works full time as an administrative assistant in the Moore School.

Here’s what some of the first graduates of the Rising Scholars program are doing now:

The Moore School would like to continue growing the Rising Scholars program. If you would like to make a strategic investment in this crucial program, go to donate.sc.edu/MSBDEIfund

DOING THE RIGHT THING

How Moore School faculty’s corporate social responsibility research sees the practice paying off for corporations

Multiple Moore School faculty members’ research explains the importance of socially responsible practices for companies’ images — and their bottom lines.

Corporate social responsibility is the business model companies large and small use to hold themselves accountable to their stakeholders and customers. CSR is largely judged by an organization’s environmental sustainability initiatives, philanthropic endeavors, ethical behaviors or their staff well-being considerations.

Examples of CSR include renewable or environmentally friendly energy practices; ensuring fair labor practices within their entities; increasing or emphasizing employee benefits; or on a smaller scale, supporting local charities and sponsoring neighborhood-unifying initiatives.

STRATEGIC CSR

“Early research established that CSR impacts Corporate Financial Performance (CFP),” said Marc van Essen, associate dean of international programs and partnerships and international business professor. “My current research focuses on how and why CSR matters in positively influencing financial

outcomes. Based on CSR research so far, the question still remains, ‘what are the key mechanisms through which CSR positively affects CFP?’”

In his Journal of Management Studies article “Strategic CSR: A concept building meta-analysis,” van Essen and his co-authors performed a large-scale study on the CSR/CFP relationship over the past five decades. They concluded that CSR enhances company performance through four key mechanisms: reputation, stakeholder reciprocation, innovation capacity and risk mitigation.

“Businesses with a strong CSR track record typically have better overall reputations,” van Essen emphasized. “Customers, for example, will derive more satisfaction from buying products from reputable organizations. Similarly, investors perceive CSR as a legitimate, positive signal of future profitability, which often results in increased investment and a higher stock market value.”

CSR encourages more positive and enduring relationships, so stakeholder reciprocation means that organizations take care of their stakeholders, and their stakeholders take care of them in return.

For example, employees who benefit from CSR activities are generally more satisfied and engage in favorable “citizenship” behaviors, van Essen said.

“In turn, local communities will engage in fewer protests, and governments will enforce more favorable regulations,” he said. “By cultivating more cooperative, productive and enduring stakeholder relationships, CFP is enhanced.”

For further enhancement, CSR increases innovation capacity of a firm. Sincere CSR organizations engage in frequent stakeholder dialogue and adopt a broader societal perspective, van Essen said.

“This affords them access to larger bodies of knowledge, enabling them to identify new opportunities for innovation,” he said. “CSR-based innovations, in turn, are likely to enhance CFP because businesses can use it to differentiate themselves from their competitors, reduce production costs and develop new business models.”

The final mechanism identified in van Essen and his co-authors’ strategic CSR research is risk mitigation.

“Many CSR activities such as pollution prevention and employee health and benefit programs directly reduce an organization’s overall risk exposure,” he explained. “But CSR reduces risk indirectly as well. When engaging with a broader range of stakeholders, organizations have access to more information and become more risk aware. As a result, they can better anticipate and mitigate risks.”

Through the four key mechanisms the researchers identified, they found that companies can create both social and financial value through CSR, including those activities that appear to further some social good. At the same time, the activities benefit the organization financially by either enhancing its reputation, increasing stakeholder reciprocation, improving innovation and/or mitigating risk, van Essen concluded.

CSR PERCEPTIONS AND PERFORMANCE

Like van Essen’s focus on a company’s reputation after sharing its CSR efforts, international business professor Omrane Guedhami’s research has similar reputation implications. His research considers institutional factors like culture and media representations that contribute to a better understanding of what drives CSR practices for organizations and that CSR overall adds value to organizations.

Guedhami’s most recent CSR research shows that national culture, especially those nations that are more individualistic like the U.S., is a major driver of cross-country differences in firmlevel environmental and social performance. Environmental and social performance is value-enhancing in individualistic countries.

In “National Culture and the Value Implications of Corporate Environmental and Social Performance” published in the Journal of Corporate Finance, Guedhami and his research team’s piece on national culture and CSR identifies channels that link a firm’s culture, their environmental and social (E/S) performance, and their overall worth.

“This research is important because the existing literature largely focuses on the value implications of environmental and social performance in the U.S., with little attention paid to the questions of why E/S performance varies across countries,” he said. “In this research, we uncover the role of the national culture dimension of individualism and delineate the countryand firm-level channels linking individualism to E/S performance and then those firm-level channels relating E/S performance to firm value.”

Another recent study by Guedhami and his co-authors examined whether CSR performance can impact shareholder wealth during down times like during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their evidence in “Does CSR matter in times of crisis? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic,” also published in the Journal of Corporate Finance, indicates CSR was not related to performance during the pandemic period.

“This lack of correlation suggests a potential disconnect between firms’ CSR orientation or ratings and their actual actions in the vein of CSR,” Guedhami said. “We conclude that investors can distinguish between genuine CSR and firms engaging in cheap talk.”

In CSR-related research prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guedhami and his research team looked at the impact of CSR on firms’ interactions with customers and competitors and whether CSR can reduce the costs of firms’ high leverage, i.e., high long-term debt-to-assets ratio relative to its industry.

They found in their study that CSR can reduce losses in market shares growth for highly leveraged firms.

FACULTY RESEARCH

“By reducing adverse behavior by customers and competitors, CSR helps highly leveraged firms keep customers and guard against rivals’ possible predation,” Guedhami said. “Our results support the risk management role of CSR and improve our understanding of the channels through which CSR affects firm value.”

In related CSR research focusing on perceptions, Guedhami and his co-authors investigated the role of media in influencing firms’ engagement in CSR activities. Considering 42 countries between 2003-2012, the research team found compelling evidence that firms engage in more CSR activities in countries where media has more freedom, like in the U.S. and in the U.K. “In additional analyses, we find that the positive relation between media freedom and CSR engagement is stronger for better governed firms and larger firms, which suggest important policy implications,” Guedhami said. “Since a free media can affect reputations of firms, managers and directors, we conclude that media freedom increases firms’ incentives to engage in CSR activities.”

CSR AS A BRIDGE FOR FIRMS AMID POPULISM

Similar to Guedhami’s research on CSR from the media’s — or popular opinion’s — perspective, international business associate professor Stanislav Markus and his co-author recently

researched how CSR can help mitigate the complexities and institutional risks for firms under populism.

Populism, the political approach that appeals to “the pure people” versus the “corrupt elite,” needs further research, Markus writes in his scholarly paper, “Populist Syndrome and Nonmarket Strategy,” published in the Journal of Management Studies

“More than two billion people live under populist regimes,” Markus explained. “The populism ideology gives rise to the ‘antisystem politics,’ which are increasingly experienced in advanced and developing democracies.”

Markus and his co-author suggest “political ties and CSR activities, aimed at the populist leadership, bureaucrats, political opposition and societal stakeholders, minimize risk under populism.”

Modern-day examples of populism include former U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to radicalize conservative voters or Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s assault on democratic institutions under the banner of fighting bureaucratic elites, Markus added.

What unites these examples of politicians being populist is their “anti-elite/anti-enemy” stance and ideology. As Markus’s research explains, who counts as “elite/enemy” varies strongly across populist populations; it is a broad umbrella term that can encapsulate multiple meanings.

CSR activities can create collaboration between firms and government officials on certain economic, environmental and social issues. In turn, politicians may be more willing to collaborate with firms that have strong CSR records to encourage the perception the government is concerned with those same issues.

“Given populist leaders' claim to represent the will of the people, firms' ability to cultivate independent support among the people (as defined by the populist regime) can become a crucial tool of influence and risk mitigation,” Markus said.

OTHER FACULTY CSR RESEARCH:

Priyank Arora, management science assistant professor, and his co-authors published “When do Appointments of Corporate Sustainability Executives Affect Shareholder Value?” in the Journal of Operations Management.

Tatiana Kostova, Carolina Distinguished Professor, Buck Mickel Chair and international business professor, and her co-authors published “Walking the walk or talking the talk? Corporate social responsibility decoupling in emerging market multinationals” in the Journal of International Business Studies

Donald “D.J.” Schepker, management associate professor, and his co-author published “Antecedents of Corporate Social Performance: The Effects of Task Environment Managerial Discretion” in the Social Responsibility Journal

Matthew Souther, finance associate professor, and his coauthor published “Stakeholder Value: A Convenient Excuse for

Underperforming Managers?” in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis.

Andrew Spicer, international business professor, and his coauthors published “More than an umbrella construct: We can (and should) do better with CSR by theorizing through context” in Business and Society.

TEACHING CSR

Students also learn the nuances of corporate social responsibility in their IB and other courses.

As an example, international business clinical associate professor David Hudgens weaves CSR themes throughout his international business courses, including IBUS 301: Introduction to International Business and IBUS 310: Globalization and Business.

The courses consider the range of themes and questions around corporate social responsibility with respect to addressing dilemmas in social, economic, political and environmental contexts of global markets. They explore the roles of international business stakeholders, which include a range of communities directly and indirectly related to a firm's business, Hudgens said.

“Also, we dedicate a full third of the semester to address nonmarket strategies using cases that illustrate and highlight the challenges of managing enterprise in the socio-cultural and political complexities of global value chains, and thus, CSR is central to each of these topics,” he said.

ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Moore School courses, research follow a sustainability road map

Tied in with corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is featured on page 18, sustainability is a hot topic in business. Globally, companies are integrating sustainability into their corporate strategy, recognizing the potential opportunities for cost-savings and risk mitigation, and working towards lofty social and environmental goals through their products and services. Due to the significant impact that companies can have, positive as well as negative, stakeholders are paying attention to corporate sustainability initiatives that extend well past CSR and have become a source of competitive opportunity.

Most company CEOs have identified sustainability as a top priority for their businesses. As an organizational priority, sustainability has implications for all functional areas of business, including strategy development, human resources, product development, operations and supply chain, risk assessments, market identification, communications, financing, investor relations, auditing and reporting.

SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS UNDERGRADUATE CONCENTRATION

The Moore School is preparing students to address the role that sustainability will play in their future careers. In 2022, the Moore School launched the Sustainability in Business Undergraduate Concentration, which can be added on to any business major.

The Sustainability in Business Undergraduate Concentration allows students to deepen their understanding of the key environmental, social, economic and governance issues facing society today. Through the program, students will learn about business challenges, risks and opportunities related to sustainability. Taking a multiple stakeholder approach, the concentration will give students the skills they need to critically analyze trade-offs and develop effective sustainability strategies. In the first semester that it was offered, 14 undergraduate students added the sustainability concentration to their program of study.

A WIN FOR WILDFIRE RESILIENCE

International MBA candidate Drew Gatch and operations and supply chain junior Addison Vaughn won the international Net Impact Wildfire Resilience Case Competition in summer 2022. Participants in the competition proposed innovative nextgeneration solutions that support forest ecosystem restoration, community resilience and economic opportunity in forested communities affected by wildfire.

FACULTY RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABILITY

Moore School faculty across business disciplines incorporate sustainability into their scholarly research. While the faculty research covers a wide range of topics including sustainable development, recent publications focus on optimizing nonprofit humanitarian services, developing environmentally friendly consumer packaging, reducing CO2 emissions in building materials, and maximizing electric vehicle benefits. A sample of recent research follows:

Priyank Arora, management science assistant professor

• Arora and his co-authors published “Doing Less to Do More? Optimal Service Portfolio of Non-profits that Serve Distressed Individuals” in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.

Kealy Carter, (’07 IMBA, ’14 Ph.D. marketing) marketing clinical associate professor

• Carter and her co-authors published a book chapter “Energy Saving Materials” in the Handbook for Sustainable Concrete and Industrial Waste Management, Woodhead Publishing (Elsevier).

Mark Ferguson, senior associate dean for academics and research and the Dewey H. Johnson Professor of management science

• Ferguson and his co-authors published “Strategic Production and Responsible Sourcing Decisions under an Emissions Trading Scheme” in the European Journal of Operational Research.

• Ferguson and his co-authors published “Retailer Strategies to Encourage Reduced Packaging Adoption” in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

Tamara Sheldon, economics associate professor, and Crystal Zhan, economics associate professor

• Sheldon and Zhan published “The Impact of Natural Disasters on Domestic Migration” in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.

• Sheldon and her co-author published “How Cost-effective are Electric Vehicle Subsidies in Reducing Tailpipe-CO2 Emissions? An Analysis of Major Electric Vehicle Markets” in The Energy Journal.

• Sheldon published “Evaluating Electric Vehicle Policy Effectiveness and Equity” in the Annual Review of Resource Economics.

• Sheldon and her co-authors published “The Economic Impact of School Closures during the 2015 flood in Richland County, South Carolina” in Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy.

NET IMPACT STUDENT ORGANIZATION

Net Impact is a global organization that empowers a new generation of young professionals to drive transformational change towards sustainability in the workplace and beyond. The USC Net Impact chapter focuses primarily on responsible business and sustainable practices.

The joint undergraduate/graduate chapter at the Moore School achieved Gold status for the first time in 2022. Gold status recognizes chapters that go above and beyond in providing their members with opportunities to make an impact in their community, learn and grow as individuals and engage with the larger Net Impact community.

Priyank Arora

Kealy Carter

Mark Ferguson

Tamara Sheldon

Crystal Zhan

ENCOURAGING BUSINESS CREATION AND INNOVATION

New Moore School Faber Center director leading a host of entrepreneurial initiatives

Management and entrepreneurship assistant professor

Jeff Savage took over the helm of the Faber Center in 2022 after longtime Faber director Dean Kress retired.

Savage joined the Moore School in 2016, initially earned a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting from Brigham Young University but decided early on he didn’t want to be an accountant. Growing up with two entrepreneurial parents — his mom managed a sing-and-dance nonprofit and his dad was an independent consultant — Savage was exposed to the entrepreneurial, can-do mindset early in life.

Savage himself dabbled in entrepreneurship with his own window-washing business he and his brother began while they were undergraduates. Savage also mowed lawns, and as the oldest of five kids, he babysat to earn extra money.

After a missionary trip to Chile where he taught English, Savage said he “fell in love with teaching.” Knowing he didn’t want to teach accounting, he realized that he could earn his Ph.D. in entrepreneurship and strategy.

“I initially thought you had to be old to teach at a university,” Savage added chuckling.

While enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Savage was an instructor of business policy and strategy. He met his wife, Emily, while at Brigham Young, where she earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering; she earned her master’s at the UofI at Urbana-Champaign in entrepreneurial engineering.

As Savage was nearing the end of his Ph.D. program and with four small children, he and his wife moved to Lexington, South Carolina, so he could teach at USC. The couple decided they wanted to build a mini “homestead,” so they purchased nine acres for their three daughters and newborn son after Savage completed the Ph.D. program. The Savages approached building their home with the same free-spirited and adventurous attitude that suits them as entrepreneurs.

Along with four children, their “homestead” now includes three dogs, three cats, two snakes, one beehive and six chickens. They’ve lost some chickens — and several ducks — to coyotes and re-homed their goats in recent months. The Savages homeschool their children and are part of a “strong community” with their Midlands homeschool co-operative; she is the director of their co-op.

When the family settled in South Carolina, Savage began teaching Moore School courses that include advanced issues in entrepreneurship, strategic management, global strategy, and management and leadership. He has also continued dabbling in entrepreneurship with his own consulting company and as a minority owner of Soda City Sawmill in Northeast Columbia.

In a recent entrepreneurship course, Savage and management lecturer Kasie Whitener worked with students, who consulted with and supported 12 local startup and nonprofit companies.

“In order to help students get an insider’s look into entrepreneurship, [Whitener] and I sourced local companies that could use some help building and refining their business plan. The students and companies have had a wonderful learning experience working shoulder to shoulder with local entrepreneurs, which we hope will build not only strong future entrepreneurs but improve our local existing small businesses!”

- JEFF SAVAGE

The Savage family with some of their animals

“When you ask 20-something-year-olds to come up with a business, many look at their lived experience — businesses involving sports, mobile apps, alcohol, travel — or some combination of those things,” Savage said. “In order to help students get an insider’s look into entrepreneurship, [Whitener] and I sourced local companies that could use some help building and refining their business plan. The students and companies have had a wonderful learning experience working shoulder to shoulder with local entrepreneurs, which we hope will build not only strong future entrepreneurs but improve our local existing small businesses!”

Savage is working on an assortment of entrepreneur-focused programs involving USC students and alumni and military veterans. They include:

FABER CENTER SPEAKER SERIES & PODCAST

Savage asked Moore School and USC alumni to engage with his students about creating a business during this fall 2022 series. The entrepreneurs who participated:

• Write | Publish | Sell publishing company owner Alexa Bigwarfe (’10 USC MPA)

• Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles restaurant owner Kiki Cyrus (’09 marketing)

• Maxient higher education software owners Aaron Hark (’02 USC computer science) and Candace Hark (‘03 USC biology)

• Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit restaurant owner Carrie Morey (’95 USC education)

• Foxfire fire safety equipment owner Zach Green, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and retired firefighter

The Moore School will hold the speaker series again in fall 2023 with more entrepreneurs, including Tim Faber (’83 USC computer science), the founder of the Faber Center; Chastity Rice, founder of food nonprofit C2Life; and Dan Ballister, Navy veteran and founder of “The General’s Hot Sauce.”

Joined by two “amazing” SC Honors College and Moore School students, Savage is working to create a new podcast using the interviews from the speaker series. Caroline Byrd (’23 expected graduation international business and operations and supply chain) and Rahithya Meda (’23 expected graduation finance and marketing) are creating the podcast for their Honors thesis project. Plans for the podcast, which interviews guests from the speaker series about entrepreneurship and strategy, will begin releasing in fall 2023.

STRIVE FOR VETERANS

In partnership with Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the Faber Center hosted in 2022 the inaugural STRIVE entrepreneurial program exclusively for military personnel and veterans interested in becoming business owners. The free 32-hour program outlined how to start a business. USC will continue hosting the STRIVE program each January and June. Learn more by visiting bit.ly/uscstrive.

YOUNG ALUMNI BOARD STRATEGY

In the past year, the Faber Center also worked with the Young Alumni Board to recraft their vision, mission and strategy for the next five years. Savage said the YAB is different than the typical board because “they want their own place in the world.” They did a lot of thinking about where they can provide the most value for students, what are their unique skills and what are they excited about as a board, Savage said.

2022 EVENTS

See Moore News page 38 for info on the Faber Center’s 2022 entrepreneurial events: The Proving Ground and the SEC Student Pitch Competition.

Learn more about the Faber Center by visiting bit.ly/moorefabercenter.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE USING DATA AND ANALYTICS

Moore School and USC students create solutions for animal rescue so more dogs find homes

A group of Moore School and USC students got to help littleknown victims of the COVID-19 pandemic during the fall 2022 Data for Good Hackathon. The competition was organized by the Moore School’s Center for Applied Business Analytics (CABA) and Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. Post-COVID-19, animal shelters around the country have been facing a slew of obstacles. The pandemic saw a spike in adoptions while people were isolated at home. Now, however, many of those pet owners have returned to work and realized they can no longer care for those pets.

This trend has led to pets being returned to shelters, which has caused overcrowding and higher euthanasia rates. Additionally, inflation has caused a decrease in funding and donations, less staffing as well as increased overall operating costs. Most rescues are nonprofits with very minimal space and few resources even during normal operations.

Wanting to work with a nonprofit for the hackathon, Necati Tereyagoglu, the CABA academic director and a management science associate professor, found the partnering organization on his coffee break. Just passing by the Final Victory Animal Rescue (FVAR) facility, then at their Sumter Street location, Tereyagoglu saw a group of dogs barking from the facility. He went into the rescue facility and met Mary Grigsby, outreach manager for FVAR, and proposed a collaboration on the competition.

To prepare for the hackathon, Tereyagoglu and Joonyuk Seo (’22 MSBA and MS in Fintech), CABA’s graduate assistant, first collected and structured the data provided by FVAR. Then, over a two-month period during the fall semester, USC students had the opportunity to participate in the hackathon. Students could choose to build a functioning prototype or submit a data science report with recommendations that would increase adoption rates. The competition had 35 participants who could work alone or in teams of up to four.

The teams with the top five projects were chosen to present during a November event. The projects were scored on creativity, usefulness and presentation quality. The top three winners were:

• 1st place: Jenkins O’Malley (’25 USC cyber intelligence)

• 2nd place: Sunwoo Shim (’23 MSBA and MS in Fintech), Becca Babineau (’23 MSBA), Donghyun Won (’23 MSBA and MS in Fintech), Joachim Sagayaraj (’23 MSBA)

• 3rd place: Prithvi Samayamantri (’23 MSBA), Jason Goodman (’22 finance, ’23 MSBA), Jennifer Starkmann (’22 international business and operations and supply chain, ’23 MSBA)

First-place winner O’Malley said she participated in the hackathon because it combined her passions for computer science and animals and challenged her with an impactful, real-world project.

“My solution employed the perspective of determining which adoptable animals could utilize more attention — based on areas such as the length of stay, the number of views and the number of inquiries — to effectively allocate resources and energy toward those individual pets,” she said.

Third-place winner Samayamantri agreed with O’Malley that the competition helped his team relate in-class concepts to a realworld setting.

“We built a model in Python [business analytics software] that can identify the animals with the highest risk of non-adoption,” he said.

Grigsby said the animal rescue organization was impressed by the thought and analytical processes that went into the finalists’ presentations.

“We were very excited to have this opportunity to really go more in depth with our current data and figure out how we can improve our processes,” Grigsby said. “I was very excited to see things from the outside viewpoints of each team, to get an unbiased perspective of how FVAR can improve its operations and potentially expand into new processes or technologies.”

Data-driven decision-making is critical in every sector, and nonprofit applications give an opportunity to make positive societal impact with business analytics, said Pelin Pekgun, the MSBA faculty director and a management science associate professor.

“The theme of the hackathon was truly inspiring, helping FVAR with increasing adoption rates,” Pekgun said. “Based on their analyses, students needed to effectively communicate their findings to a panel of industry and academic experts, which is an important skill to become a successful business analytics professional.”

Pekgun said as a judge in the hackathon, she, too, was impressed with the creativity and the different perspectives that students from various disciplines were able to bring to their solutions.

Along with FVAR, hackathon partners included IBM, who generously provided cloud support to the student participants; SC Student Loan; NTT Data; and Capgemini.

Images from Final Victory Rescue’s Instagram

TRANSFORMING IDEAS INTO BUSINESSES

Moore School-supported SC Small Business Development Centers guide entrepreneurs to start their own ventures

The “Great Resignation” trends happening across the U.S. during and just after the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged driven individuals to risk quitting their day jobs to pursue their true passions. This mass quitting of workers — and the subsequent labor market shortage — led to an increase in new smaller, locally owned businesses in some areas.

In South Carolina, plenty of budding entrepreneurs tried launching their own small businesses. Thankfully some of them had a robust support system through the South Carolina Small Business Development Centers (SC SBDC).

The centers, located around the state serving all 46 South Carolina counties, assist entrepreneurs at every stage from just starting out to already established entities. Their no-fee consulting services provided by 50 staff members include: free, confidential consulting on financing, marketing, employee management, importing and exporting, technology, market expansion, bookkeeping, manufacturing, government procurement and new productdevelopment opportunities. They also offer programs for veterans and minority-owned businesses.

BY THE NUMBERS

2022

4,700 TOTAL entrepreneurs served, with underserved populations being a focus

2,455 JOBS created and retained by small businesses with SC SBDC assistance

$128.7 MILLION in capital formation obtained by small businesses with SC SBDC assistance

206 NEW BUSINESSES established with SC SBDC assistance

$61 MILLION in government contracts won with SC SBDC assistance

IN THE PAST DECADE

406 MOORE SCHOOL international business students have worked over the past 10 years on class projects as consultants for SC SBDC

85 SC SBDC clients served by IB students

A MOORE SCHOOL ALUMNUS AND A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR’S SC SBDC SUCCESS STORIES

Electronics repair company and digital marketing agency

“As a client, I was connected with a skilled and experienced SC SBDC business advisor named Robert Jones. With Jones' help, I was able to create a comprehensive business plan that included detailed financial projections. These projections were crucial in securing a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan that provided me with the necessary capital to grow and expand my business. Throughout the process, Jones provided invaluable advice and guidance, providing me with the tools and resources necessary to succeed as a small business owner.”

- CHANDLER KELLOGG (’20 international business and entrepreneurship)

Moore School alumnus

Chandler Kellogg

Owner and operator, Green Screen Repairs; director of growth marketing, hotbutton.io

Learn more by visiting greenscreenrepairs.com and hotbutton.io.

A 7-year-old girl launches hair accessory company

“SC SBDC consultant Allen Brown has always been a source for guidance, reason, encouragement and knowledge for our business. He’s always accessible and seeking opportunities to help us reach our potential.”

- ROZALYNN GOODWIN , who co-owns Confidence with her daughter, Gabby Goodwin, currently 15 years old and the youngest ever South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year and a Black Enterprise Teenpreneur of the Year. Learn more about Confidence hair accessories by visiting gabbybows.com.

Gabby and Rozalynn Goodwin with their patented non-slip Confidence barrettes

EASING THE BURDEN

Inaugural scholarship award helps freshman focus on her success

Susan Jacobs Bichel (‘73 management, ‘75 MBA) initially created the scholarship in her name for a Moore School student who had been in the foster care system. Having participated in a mentoring program for foster children, she knew the struggles these children face in affording a college education. A resident of Greenville, South Carolina, Bichel agreed the scholarship could also be awarded to a student with financial need.

Raised by a single mom, Mara Voloder (‘26 expected graduation marketing) was all too aware of the expense of her freshman year in college. She said she was overjoyed when she learned she was the first recipient of the Susan Jacobs Bichel Scholarship.

Voloder said she and her mom jumped up and down in their living room hugging each other when she received the email that she had been awarded the scholarship.

“This scholarship opened the door for me at USC and at the Moore School. I’ve made awesome friends, met amazing professors and have joined multiple clubs on campus. At the Moore School, I love being surrounded by people who constantly look

“My family means the world to me, especially my mother,” she said. “At that moment, celebrating [the scholarship] with my mom, I knew the future was already looking brighter.” Voloder, who attended high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, and grew up in Long Island, New York, said she is “eternally grateful” to Bichel for supporting her in her first year at USC.

“This scholarship opened the door for me at USC and at the Moore School,” she said. “I’ve made awesome friends, met amazing professors and have joined multiple clubs on campus. At the Moore School, I love being surrounded by people who constantly look to succeed and want to become the best version of themselves.”

to succeed and want to become the best version of themselves.”

- MARA VOLODER

ENCOURAGING THE NEXT GENERATION

Alumni couple creates scholarship for underrepresented students

Alumni Bruce and Lynn Felt jumpstarted their successful careers in the technology industry with degrees from the Moore School.

Bruce (’80 accounting) and Lynn (’80 management science) chose California for their post-undergraduate plans. He earned his MBA from Stanford and later worked for several high technology companies in management and financial operations; she began what would be a 20-year career in Silicon Valley as a software engineer.

“That move to California for Bruce to attend Stanford and for me to work in Silicon Valley would not have happened without our very well-respected degrees from USC,” Lynn said.

Bruce, the chief financial officer for the Domo software company since 2014, and Lynn decided to create the Bruce and Lynn Felt Endowed Scholarship to acknowledge the impact their USC degrees had on their success and to support future underrepresented students at the Moore School.

“We wanted this current generation of students, no matter their background, to have the same opportunities we did after graduation without the burden of overwhelming debt,” Bruce said. “We also very much support the school's objective to build an even more diverse student experience and hope that our support will contribute to this objective.”

Across the country in California where the Felts still reside, USC has “become even more well known as a world-class university in a college town that now rivals the best in the country,” Bruce said. The Felts noted that USC is holding its own in a highly competitive college-choice environment.

They said in California, students are leaving the state to enroll in schools that “have exactly what USC has to offer: strong academics, a beautiful campus in a charming college town and world-class athletics. We have personally encouraged many interested, local, highly qualified students to explore USC with several choosing to attend in the last few years.”

In addition to their endowed scholarship, Bruce has served as a USC-Business Partnership Foundation trustee. He has also formalized a collaboration between Domo and the Moore School’s business analytics training efforts. Domo has provided financial and operational support for student projects in the Center for Applied Business Analytics.

HONORING A ‘REMARKABLE MAN’

Australian high jumper and later SC accountant builds lifelong bond with the Moore School and his mentor

with financial need with preference given to first-generation students from underrepresented populations.

“The main thing Hadlock taught me was to listen a lot more than I used to and not be quite so quick to reach conclusions — patience is what he taught me,” Callander said. “He also said health and family were far more important than what you do for a living.”

Toward the end of his career, Hadlock switched gears and began teaching accounting at USC; Callander was named as his successor as managing partner.

Alumnus Tony Callander (’71 accounting, ’72 MACC) came to the U.S. from Australia on a USC track team scholarship in 1967. He turned 20 a few days after that first flight to South Carolina not knowing a soul in the States. He would go on to lead the track team as captain his senior year as a Gamecock.

When he graduated with his MACC, Callander went to work for Ernst & Young in their Columbia office. Soon after joining the E&Y team, Callander was assigned a new boss, Bruce Hadlock, who became the managing partner for their office.

Callander considers Hadlock a mentor and friend; Hadlock later signed Callander’s partnership nomination for E&Y. Hadlock, now deceased, “was an outstanding CPA and an outstanding gentleman, too,” Callander said. “You could never find anybody who would say a bad word about him; he was just a remarkable man.”

In honor of Hadlock’s impact on him and his career, Callander began the Bruce W. Hadlock Endowed Scholarship for the Moore School. The scholarship is awarded to business students

When the Columbia E&Y office closed in 1993, Callander transferred to the Greenville, South Carolina, office, where he was also the managing partner until he retired in 2008.

Along with creating the endowed scholarship, Callander has held a number of volunteer roles with the Moore School, including serving as a co-founder and board member of the Friends of the Accounting Department (FAD) and as a USC-Business Partnership Foundation trustee, vice president, president and immediate past president. He is also a 1999 recipient of the Moore School Distinguished Alumni Award.

Tony Callander competing on USC track team

Tony Callander Bruce Hadlock

YOUNG ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP ACHIEVES FUNDRAISING GOAL OF $25,000

Each year since its inception in 2014, the Moore School’s Young Alumni Board engages in a project or cause to address areas of need for the Moore School. In 2020-21, the board decided to establish and raise money for the Young Alumni Scholarship.

“The board wanted to create a legacy for future generations of alumni who share the same passion in seeking to make an impact while also building our Moore community,” said Yogini Intwala (‘12 management and marketing), the 2020-21 YAB board chair. “During my term, I wanted to invest in a project that would have long-term gains for Moore School students.”

The board decided financial need would be a stipulation for students to receive the scholarship.

“Financial limitations should never be the reason for not pursuing an elite education to create a strong foundation for professional growth,” Intwala said. “One unique quality about our scholarship is that it is a continuing effort, which will also allow monetary contributions by alumni, ultimately creating an everlasting gift-giving program. I hope that the scholarship allows students to gain confidence in pursing their academic goals regardless of their financial situations.”

Fundraising for the Young Alumni Scholarship was challenging since their main funding drives occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The board created this scholarship fund when in-person activities were limited, and the board functioned on virtual outreach,” said Caroline Larimore (‘18 operations and supply chain), current YAB chair. “The board was challenged to make a tangible difference despite the ‘new normal’ at the time and succeeded in creating a scholarship funded by young alumni with a similar mindset of making a difference from afar.”

Providing scholarships to well-deserving Moore School students is one of the many goals of the YAB, Larimore added.

“We will give to this scholarship fund in hopes that graduating students pay it forward in the future by staying involved as alumni and giving back to the Moore School throughout their careers,” she said.

As of 2022, the board was able to meet their $25,000 goal to kickstart the scholarship. Plans for the first student recipients are still underway. Scan

50 YEARS of International Business LEARNING LEADERSHIP LEGACY AND YOU.

Celebrating 50 years of international business

1974: The Master of International Business Studies (MIBS) is established. MIBS later becomes part of the International MBA program.

1990: The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) is created.

1998:

The undergraduate international business program is ranked No. 1 for the first time by U.S. News and World Report.

2000: The International MBA program launches.

2004: The first Bachelor of Science in International Business is awarded.

2010: The first Master of International Business (MIB) degree is awarded.

2015:

The Folks Center for International Business is founded.

2019: The school is ranked as one of the top three graduate international business programs in the United States for 30 consecutive years by U.S. News and World Report.

2022:

The MIB program is ranked the No. 2 program in the U.S. by Financial Times.

2023:

The undergraduate international business program reaches its 24th consecutive year at No. 1, according to U.S. News & World Report.

We’re telling our story, and we want to include yours.

MOORE NEWS

ACADEMIC RANKINGS

NO. 1

Undergraduate International Business Degree for 24

Consecutive Years

U.S. News & World Report, 2023 America’s Best Colleges

NO. 1

Professional MBA program in South Carolina, No. 27 in the U.S.

NO. 3

Undergraduate Supply Chain Program in North America

Gartner, 2022

NO. 1

Best International MBA program, No. 1 for nine consecutive years; in top 3 overall for 33 Consecutive Years

U.S. News & World Report, 2023

NO. 2

U.S. News & World Report, 2023

Master’s in Management (MIB) program in the U.S. Financial Times, 2022

NO. 11

Five-Year Return on Investment (ROI), No. 41 overall among 94 public and private institutions

Poets & Quants, 2022

MOORE SCHOOL SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

NO. 6

Graduate Supply Chain Program in North America

Gartner, 2022

NO. 47 overall in the U.S.

U.S. News & World Report, 2023

Mark Richter became the Moore School’s senior director of development in November 2021. Richter brings more than 20 years of higher education development experience and has a solid track record of data-driven major-gift fundraising and program building. As a first-generation college graduate from Elon University, his life was positively changed by his college degree, and that became the driving factor in dedicating his life to higher education philanthropy. After completing his advanced degree in higher education leadership from George Washington University, Richter began his career at Yale University School of Management, spending 11 years in their central development office before being recruited to the Moore School in 2012 to create a formal annual giving program. To discuss an investment in the Moore School, contact Richter at mark.richter@moore.sc.edu

FOLKS CENTER ON BUSINESS AND THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

The Folks Center for International Business featured a special address in March 2022 by David Beasley, former South Carolina governor and executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme, which was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. Joining him for a panel discussion on “Business and the World Food Programme” were Johann Baar, an executive board member and the director for affordable housing and technology for the Hilti Foundation, and Val Dolcini, head of the business sustainability and government affairs North America for Syngenta.

Beasley (’79 USC interdisciplinary studies, ’83 USC J.D.) shared global insights as to how the conflict in Ukraine has driven hunger around the world and has been creating the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.

MOORE SCHOOL HOSTS

THE PROVING GROUND ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETITION

USC’s entrepreneurial contest

The Proving Ground in March 2022 awarded $45,000 in total seed money to four winners, who were comprised of USC undergraduates, graduate students and recent alumni. The winners presented their concepts to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs in two categories.

For the Maxient Innovation Category, Crescent Moon Vans won first place and $15,000 to develop their product. Also for the Maxient category, Spuradix won second place and $7,500 to develop their product. For The Proving Ground Caliber Discovery Category, Elite Support Americas won first place and $15,000 to advance their idea. Also for Caliber, Lu Learning won second place and $7,500.

MOORE SCHOOL HOSTS SEC ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETITION, USC TEAM WINS SECOND PLACE

The University of South Carolina invited budding entrepreneurs from across the Southeastern Conference to share their innovative and original ideas with the SEC Student Pitch Competition in April 2022 in a “Shark Tank”-style competition. USC also had their best-ever showing in the competition winning second place.

The South Carolina team included Max Wile (’23 expected graduation finance and international business), Stephan Voelk (‘23 expected graduation economics and operations and supply chain), and Parth Vashi (’23 expected graduation USC public health and business administration minor). Winning second place and $3,000 to help them develop their idea, Wile, Voelk and Vashi promoted Spuradix, a carbohydrate and menthol oral rinse that activates brain circuits responsible for feeling more energetic and less fatigued to improve athletes’ performance.

MOORE SCHOOL PARTNERING WITH BENEDICT COLLEGE FOR HBCU MASTER’S PATHWAY PROGRAM

The Moore School formalized in summer 2022 a new pathway for students from Benedict College, a Historically Black College and University, to earn Master of Accountancy degrees. As part of the MACC Emerging Leaders Program, students will receive financial support that covers their tuition for the year-long degree program and a $5,000 stipend to assist with living expenses while they are enrolled. The inaugural MACC Emerging Leaders Program was made possible by the generous support of accounting firm Dixon Hughes Goodman, now known as FORVIS after a recent merger.

CENTER FOR EXECUTIVE SUCCESSION WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR

The Moore School’s Center for Executive Succession hired in June 2022 retired Trane Technologies executive vice president and chief human resources, marketing, and communications officer Marcia Avedon as its new executive director.

Avedon brings more than 35 years of global experience leading Fortune 500 companies’ human resources practices in diverse sectors that include industrial, health care and consumer products. She served as the executive vice president and chief human resources, communications, and corporate affairs officer at Ingersoll Rand, which separated from Trane in 2020, for more than 13 years and previously was the chief human resources officer at Merck science and technology company.

IMBA POZEN SCHOLARS

Two International MBA students from South Carolina and underrepresented backgrounds received in 2022 the first gift from former financier Robert “Bob” Pozen, a former president and vice chairman of Fidelity Investments. The recipients were Troy Etta Knox (‘22 USC political science) and Sajion Moore (‘16 management and economics), both expected to graduate in 2024.

To enhance the Moore School’s diversity and inclusion efforts within the two-year full-time International MBA program, Pozen agreed in 2022 to sponsor two full-tuition fellowships for students who are from underrepresented backgrounds. He specifically wants the students to be from South Carolina so they can earn their IMBAs and hopefully stay in the state to positively contribute to South Carolina’s workforce.

FOLKS CENTER OFFERS A PATHWAYS SERIES FOR STUDENTS

The Folks Center for International Business hosted three Pathways series events in fall 2022 for students about managing global businesses and entrepreneurial pursuits. Two featured international business graduate alumni.

Whit Richardson (’94 MIBS) discussed his role as the executive vice president of Warner Bros. Discovery. Fellow MIBS alumnus Jose Salibi Neto (‘82 finance and marketing and ’86 MIBS) created the biggest executive education company in Brazil and is the co-author of eight best-selling management books. The final Pathways in the fall featured Sonoco Visiting Fellow Nicole Wong, the former director general of foreign policy for the Government of Panama.

SIXTH ANNUAL CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER SUMMIT

The Center for Marketing Solutions hosted the 6th annual Chief Marketing Officer Summit in October 2022. The 2022 summit’s focus was helping marketers understand what the customer journey is, how to identify it and, most importantly, how to navigate it to build lasting customer loyalty and drive sales and profits. Representatives from companies including Mattel, Inc., E. & J. Gallo Winery, Oracle NetSuite, Salesforce and others participated in the summit. 2022 marked the 10th anniversary for the Center for Marketing Solutions and the fifth anniversary for the Center for Sales Success.

2022 LEADERSHIP LEGACY AWARD GIVEN TO AMEX CHAIRMAN AND CEO

The Moore School presented in November the Center for Executive Succession’s 2022 Leadership Legacy Award to Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express, one of the world’s most-respected companies. The Leadership Legacy Award recognizes a CEO who has personally invested their time and effort in building a legacy of leadership talent in their organization while simultaneously delivering strong financial, reputational and social performance.

MILITARY AND VETERAN SUPPORT

Over the past seven years, the Moore School’s Executive Education department has annually taught about 16 graduate certificate and noncertificate courses to 500 military students, mostly from the U.S. Army and Defense Finance and Accounting Service, as part of their professional development.

OTHER MOORE SCHOOL MILITARY AND VETERAN EFFORTS INCLUDE:

• Developing agreements with the U.S. Army Financial and Comptroller School as well as the U.S. Navy Supply Corps to award transfer credit for military education toward the Moore School’s MBA and operations and supply chain degrees.

• Offering the STRIVE entrepreneurial program exclusively for military personnel and veterans interested in being business owners. This 32hour program was free to attend and covered all the critical aspects of starting a business.

• Creating a new scholarship in honor of Marine 1st Lt. Jason Mann, (‘05 economics and finance) who was killed in action in 2008 in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. The scholarship will support a Moore School student with a direct connection to the military.

U.S. AGENCY RENEWS USC INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTER’S FEDERAL FUNDING

The University of South Carolina’s Center for International Business Education and Research program was renewed in 2022 for four years by the U.S. Department of Education, which provides a $1.46 million grant to the university to support CIBER activities for academic years 2022-26. USC is one of only 16 universities in the U.S. to receive this funding and CIBER designation.

SOUTH CAROLINA SMARTSTATE® PROGRAM CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

The South Carolina SmartState® Program celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. The SmartState® Program creates incentives for the state’s three research universities: the University of South Carolina, which has 18 SmartState® Centers of Economic Excellence; Clemson, which has 13; and MUSC, which has 20. Of the 51 SmartState® Centers, 16 are shared between one or more universities. The Moore School is home to the SmartState® Center for Innovation + Commercialization.

Marine 1st Lt. Jason Mann

STUDENT EXCELLENCE

ACCOUNTING STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

Accounting undergraduate and graduate students received scholarships and fellowships from the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants for the 2021-22 academic year: Jackson Ashley, Lucas Gorbing Aver, John Boyar, Sebastian de Anda Perez, Macie Doyle, Mattingly Anne Sato Easley, Rachel Evatt, Alyssa Garofalo, Sebastian Kley, Gavin Mahony, Ben Marlow, Rebecca Mason, Sydney Torbett, Russell Young.

IMBA STUDENTS WIN SUPPLY CHAIN CONTEST

A team of Moore School International MBA candidates bested 309 teams to win first place in the two-year Association for Supply Chain Management 2020 Case Competition virtually held in October 2021. Now IMBA alumni after graduating in May 2022, the winning team includes Michael DeLadesmo, Olivia Lynch, Michael Neddo and Cameron Butler

BOEING CASE COMPETITION

Daeeun Nam (‘24 expected graduation finance) and Julian Sikkes (‘24 expected graduation management) won first place in the Boeing Case Competition at the Moore School in February 2022.

BEST Q&A IN THE SEC

Kevin Joyce (‘23 expected graduation IMBA) won the Best Q&A at the ninth annual Southeastern Conference MBA Case Competition hosted by Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky in spring 2022.

MASTER MODELER COMPETITION

Chanyong Yoo (‘24 expected graduation Ph.D. international business) and Kevin Enyekwe (‘25 expected graduation USC chemical engineering) won the Master Modeler Competition in March 2022. For the competition, they were were tasked with developing a model predicting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development voucher adoption for foster youths aging out of the system who were at risk of being homeless.

MIB STUDENTS CLAIM DOMO DATA ANALYTICS EVENT VICTORY

Tanya Parikh (‘23 expected graduation MIB) and Dhrupad Hindocha (‘23 expected graduation MIB), who both will also graduate with a master’s in management with ESCP, won the Moore School Domo Data Analytics + Decisions Competition in October 2022 sponsored by Domo, Inc.

CONSULTING CONFERENCE WIN

Gamecock Consulting Club members Jonathan Bryant (‘22 finance and risk management and insurance), Jack Marshall (‘24 expected graduation finance and operations and supply chain), Jennings Modla (‘22 economics and finance) and Tyler Beetle (‘24 expected graduation USC computer science, business administration minor) won The Wharton School's 2022 Undergraduate Consulting Conference and Case Competition in April 2022. The theme of the conference was Creativity for Change, and the conference events emphasized how working in consulting requires the ability to develop innovative business solutions that can adapt to changing trends.

ANALYTICS CHALLENGE

In July 2022, Master of Science in Business Analytics

dual-degree alumna

Seoyoung Yoon (‘22 MSBA and FinTech) was named one of eight finalists for the Wells Fargo Campus Analytics Challenge, held virtually for all U.S. degree candidates. Yoon was also in one of the first cohorts to enroll in the Moore School’s Master of Science in Business Analytics program.

BENJAMIN A. GILMAN SCHOLARSHIP

Several USC students with ties to the Moore School received the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship in 2022, which offers study abroad funding for students who otherwise might not have the opportunity due to financial constraints. Students with Moore School ties who were selected to receive the 2022 Gillman Scholarship include:

Stella Strength (‘23 expected graduation economics and international business) is a member of the SC Honors College and a McNair Scholar, as well as a UPS Global Scholar. She spent spring 2022 in Madrid.

Iuliia Tsilimbaeva (‘22 USC Spanish and business administration minor) also studied abroad in Madrid to prepare her for a career as a medical interpreter.

Anne Tumlin (‘23 expected graduation

USC computer science and business administration minor) is a SC Honors College student and McNair Scholar. She plans to pursue a career as a researcher or developer with a global tech company. She studied in Seoul.

Carlos Sanchez Julia (‘24 expected graduation economics and USC international studies) is in the SC Honors College. He was also selected as a Boren Scholar and combined both awards to study Portuguese in Brazil.

ANALYTICS SEMI-FINALISTS

Kapil Joshi (’23 expected graduation finance and international business), Yehor Shtanko (’23 expected graduation economics and international business) and Joonhyuk Seo (’22 MSBA) made it to the semi-finals in October 2022 of the Adobe Analytics Challenge, competing against more than 4,000 teams from all over the globe to examine Hilton Hotel’s reservation data.

HR STUDENT CHAPTER MERIT AWARD

The USC Society for Human Resource Management student organization received in August 2022 the Student Chapter Merit Award, which encourages the development of more effective student chapters and distinguishes outstanding activities and projects. Encompassing the 2021-22 academic year, chapters are recognized based on operations, chapter programming and professional development of members, support of the human resource profession and SHRM engagement.

FACULTY AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS

TOP FINANCE RESEARCHER

In recognition of his research expertise, finance professor Allen Berger was ranked No. 5 in December 2021 on Research.com’s inaugural list of Top Economics and Finance Scientists. Berger’s research explores patterns and business analytics from previous financial and banking challenges and successes to help inform bank and government leaders and finance scholars about future crises to avoid events like recessions or depressions.

SCHOLARLY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Management assistant professor Lynn McFarland received the Scholarly Achievement Award at the Academy of Management’s annual conference in Seattle in August 2022. McFarland and Youngsang

“Ray” Kim from Sungkyunkwan University won the award for their paper: "An Examination of the Relationship Between Applicant Race and Accrued Recruitment Source Information: Implications for Applicant Withdrawal and Test Performance," which was published in Personnel Psychology

APPOINTMENT TO A FEDERAL COMMITTEE

Robert Hartwig was appointed in December 2022 to the Federal Reserve Board Insurance Policy Advisory Committee, which provides information, advice and recommendations to the board on domestic and international insurance issues. Hartwig is the director of the Moore School’s Risk and Uncertainty Management Center and is a finance clinical associate professor.

TOP 50 UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS PROFESSOR

Operations and supply chain professor Sanjay Ahire was named among the 2021 Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors by Poets & Quants. Announced in spring 2022, Ahire was one of more than 1,000 faculty members from the world’s top business schools to be nominated for the Poets & Quants distinction. More than 25 recommendation letters for Ahire came from Moore School and university colleagues, administrators and industry leaders. More than 100 testimonials were submitted by his previous and current students. Ahire is also the co-director of the Operations and Supply Chain Center.

Ph.D. MENTORING

Orgul Ozturk and her regional colleagues were awarded a $50K grant from the Sloan Foundation to create a mentorship program for female and non-binary Ph.D. students at the November 2022 Southern Economic Association Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Moore School economics department chair and an associate professor, Ozturk has a reputation for providing a supportive and collaborative environment for Moore School Ph.D. students.

FACULTY PUBLISHING BOOKS

Leslie Hendrix: The management science clinical associate professor published in 2022 Modern Business Analytics: Practical Data Science for Decision-Making, which introduces more modern approaches to business analytics that intersect the concepts of data science and business analytics to inform decision-making.

Douglas Quackenbos

(‘92 MIBS): The marketing lecturer published in 2021 Foreign Market Entry and Growth, which simulates the foreign market entry and growth process of a sellable good. The simulation program considers marketing functions such as country entry selection and product pricing and branding considerations.

Wanda Chaves: The management clinical professor co-edited The Instructional Design Field Book, published in 2022, which includes real-world case studies with contexts that include K-12 education, higher education, corporate, health care, entertainment and nonprofits/government. Case studies and related material will steer instructional design and learning technology students and those entering or transitioning into specific areas of instructional design toward a real-world understanding of concepts.

A sample of Moore School faculty published research

Priyank Arora, management science assistant professor, published “Doing Less to Do More? Optimal Service Portfolio of Non-profits that Serve Distressed Individuals” in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.

Ai He, finance assistant professor, published “The rising tide lifts some interest rates: climate change, natural disasters, and loan pricing” in the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System International Finance Discussion Papers.

Alexander Matros, economics professor, published “Online Cheating Amid COVID-19” in Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.

Gerald McDermott, international business department chair and professor, published “Innovation in and from emerging economies: New insights and lessons for international business research” in the Journal of International Business Studies

Cem Ozturk, marketing associate professor, published “Consumer Tax Credits for Electric Vehicles: Some Quasi-Experimental Evidence on Consumer Demand, Product Substitution, and Carbon Emissions” in Management Science.

Orgul Ozturk, economics department chair and professor, and Nancy Buchan, international business associate professor, published “Parochial Altruism and Political Ideology” in Political Psychology

Robert Ployhart, Donald “D.J.” Schepker and Lynn McFarland, all management professors, published “A review and theoretical framework for understanding external team contexts” in Journal of Applied Psychology.

Donna Bobek Schmitt, accounting professor, and Chelsea Rae Harris, accounting associate professor, published “Does information about gender pay matter to investors? An experimental investigation” in Accounting, Organizations and Society

Luv Sharma, management science associate professor, published “Does the Office of Patient Experience Matter in Improving Delivery of Care? As Econometric study of US Hospitals” in Production and Operations Management.

Tamara Sheldon and Crystal Zhan, both economics associate professors, published “The impact of hurricanes and floods on domestic migration” in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

Scott Turner, management professor, and Sali Li, international business professor, published “Growing pains: The effect of generational product innovation on mobile games performance” in Strategic Management Journal

Lindsey Woodworth, economics assistant professor, published “Just a Minute: The Effect of Emergency Department Wait Time on the Cost of Care” in Economic Inquiry

Xiaojing Yang, marketing associate professor, published “The Pet Exposure Effect: Exploring the Differential Impact of Dogs Versus Cats on Consumer Mindsets” in the Journal of Marketing

ALUMNI BOARDS BLACK ALUMNI ALLIANCE MEMBERS

Clay Douglas, co-chair of Mentoring Committee (’76 accounting)

McKesson

Atlanta, Georgia

Danielle Gleaton, chair of Fundraising Committee (’06 management science)

Equifax

Atlanta, Georgia

Cedric Green, at-large member (’02 MBA)

Dominion Energy

Richmond, Virginia

Johnathan Jacobs, student member (‘23 expected graduation management and marketing)

Columbia, South Carolina

Wilson Johnson, at-large member (’89 finance)

Peachtree Planning

Atlanta, Georgia

Donald Murphy, at-large member (’78 accounting)

The Wesley Peachtree Group

Atlanta, Georgia

Edwin Neal, vice president (’83 accounting)

Wells Fargo

Charlotte, North Carolina

Terrance Williams, president (‘90 risk management and insurance)

Allstate

New Albany, Ohio

Natalie Wright, co-chair of Mentoring Committee (‘03 finance and management)

The Real Estate House International Inc. Charleston, South Carolina

YOUNG ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS

Korey Aukerman, Student Alumni Board liaison (’18 finance and marketing)

Textron Specialized Vehicles

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Paige Bachety McDermott (’12 accounting and economics)

Cherre

New York City, New York

Chandler Barrett (’21 marketing)

Qualtrics

Dallas, Texas

McNeil Bellamy (’15 management and marketing, ’16 MHR) Carrier

Charlotte, North Carolina

John Bernat (’11 accounting and finance, ’12 MACC)

U.S. Bank

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Rachel Booth (’15 accounting and management)

Aprio

Atlanta, Georgia

Dillon Chewning, immediate past chair (’15 accounting and finance)

Northwestern Mutual Columbia, South Carolina

Joseph Coliton (’19 finance) Merrill Lynch

Washington, D.C.

Virginia Davis (’15 MHR) Synchrony Fort Mill, South Carolina

Curtrice Dorsey (’04 marketing)

U.S. Agency for International Development Andrews, South Carolina

Sören Friede (’20 IMBA) Eastman

Johnson, Tennessee

Steven Gantt (’14 management and marketing)

TikTok

Austin, Texas

Jamesha Gore-Coggin, vice chair (’13 finance and marketing) State Farm

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Charles Gullion (’13 finance and international business) Blackstone

New York City, New York

Gunner Huggins (’17 accounting, ’18 MACC)

Elliot Davis

Columbia, South Carolina

Brian “Alex” Kean (’16 finance)

Blank Street

New York City, New York

Zachary Knight (’14 management)

PwC

Dallas, Texas

Hannah Kuntz (’11 MHR)

Sonoco

Hartsville, South Carolina

Kristin Lanham (’13 accounting)

Intertape Polymer Group

Columbia, South Carolina

Caroline Larimore, chair (’18 operations and supply chain)

Boeing

Charleston, South Carolina

Brennan Lyles (’16 finance)

Arthur State Bank

Greenville, South Carolina

Diana Martinez, recording secretary (’11 MHR)

Augusta, Georgia

Kate McHugh (’18 finance)

The Home Depot

Atlanta, Georgia

Ann-Marie Nunziata (’16 management science and marketing)

Unisys

Marietta, Georgia

Carlos Osorio (’18 IMBA)

Brownstone

Columbia, South Carolina

Gamble Ouzts (’16 international business and operations and supply chain)

ScottMadden Inc.

Raleigh, North Carolina

Zach Roth (’14 international business and real estate, ’15 MIB) Municipal Acquisitions

Washington, D.C.

Earnest Saylor Jr. (‘13 finance and risk management and insurance) Spectrum Enterprise

Charlotte, North Carolina

Leah Wade (’18 management science, ’19 MIB)

Mary Kay Global

Dallas, Texas

GET INVOLVED: VOLUNTEER

The Mentor Program connects alumni with students looking for advice on career planning, networking and transferring skills. To become a mentor, register on mooreconnect.com. For questions, contact Corey Mikels (‘18 marketing, ‘23 expected graduation PMBA) at corey.mikels@moore.sc.edu

BADM 301: Business Careers in a Global Economy class includes a personal branding speaker series where alumni share professional advice. To volunteer, contact Amy Dawson at dawson@moore.sc.edu.

Accounting alumni can mentor accounting students and help connect them with internships and other opportunities. Accounting alumni can also serve on the School of Accounting Advisory Board. To volunteer or learn more, contact Mark Cecchini at mark.cecchini@moore.sc.edu

As a research and partnership center board member, alumni help with everything from boosting students’ sales success to contributing insight on international business curriculum. To consider serving as a board member, contact:

• Marretta Franklin, Center for Applied Business Analytics, Marretta.Franklin@Moore.sc.edu

• Anthony Nyberg, Center for Executive Succession, anthony.nyberg@moore.sc.edu

• Mike Shealy, Center for International Business Education and Research, shealy@moore.sc.edu

• Jeff Rehling, Center for Marketing Solutions, jeffrey.rehling@moore.sc.edu

• Beth Renninger, Center for Sales Success, beth.renninger@moore.sc.edu

• Jeff Savage, Faber Entrepreneurship Center, jeff.savage@moore.sc.edu

• Karen Brosius, Folks Center for International Business, karen.brosius@moore.sc.edu

• Sanjay Ahire, Operations and Supply Chain Center, ahire@moore.sc.edu

• Pearse Gaffney, Operations and Supply Chain Center, pearse.gaffney@moore.sc.edu

• Audrey Korsgaard, Riegel & Emory Human Resources Center, korsgaard@moore.sc.edu

• Robert Hartwig, Risk and Uncertainty Management Center, robert.hartwig@moore.sc.edu

• Ellison “Butch” Smith, South Carolina Center for Real Estate, ellison.smith@moore.sc.edu

As recent graduates, the Young Alumni Board is a great way to stay engaged and make a difference at the Moore School through mentorship and meaningful initiatives. To learn more or join the board, contact Corey Mikels at corey.mikels@moore.sc.edu

The Alumni Hub Network represents a collection of cities and countries from around the world. Alumni hub leaders in these areas work directly with the Moore School to host networking and other engagement opportunities by connecting alumni and students. For information, contact Bo Hart (‘15 USC higher education business administration) at bo.hart@moore.edu.

ALUMNI NEWS

1960s

Kae Harper Childs (‘63 business administration) just retired from teaching Shag, the state dance, a course offered in the USC physical education department. She said she taught 19 wonderful years in the Blatt PE Center, and working with outstanding students was a highlight of her life!

Phi Epsilon Pi Fraternity

In May 2022, members of the Phi Epsilon Pi Fraternity gathered in Columbia, SC, for a reunion. They traveled from all over the country to turn back the calendar and be fledgling collegians again. “We were all brothers then, we are brothers now, and we will always be brothers,” said Harry Goldberg (‘69 USC political science, ‘73 USC J.D.), one of the five organizers of the weekend. Other members of the planning group included Jeff Goldring, Ira Radin (‘69 USC biology), Bob Kurz (‘67 management) and Joe Wachter (‘69 USC history, ‘74 USC J.D.), who was credited for being the moving force behind organizing the gathering. A photo from the reunion:

Front Row (left to right): Sidney Gray (‘68 USC political science),

Arty Ruditzky (‘70 marketing), Phil Rovner (‘67 accounting), Vic Sorid (‘67 mathematics), Kenneth Rossen (‘69 marketing), Jamie Jones, David Grossman (‘69 USC biology)

Back Row (left to right): Wachter, Bruce Rothman, Goldberg, Jerry D’Ambrosi, Elizabeth West, USC archivist, Radin, Stuart Shubin (‘70 USC sociology), Miles Moss (‘70 USC energy conv.), Norman Marks, Goldring

1970s

The Honorable Charles J.L. Brooks (‘69 USC commercial education, ‘71 accounting) has been a successful real estate developer for more than 50 years for hotel chains, restaurants, offices, residential communities and country clubs. He spent his formative years working for several Fortune 500 companies in divisional accounting management. Brooks served on numerous public

boards and commissions, including Richland County, the city of Columbia and the state of South Carolina. He is the current chairman of the Board of Zoning for Columbia and was recently appointed a commissioner on the South Carolina Board of Accountancy by Gov. Henry McMaster. In recognition of a lifetime of service to the state of South Carolina and to his local community, the Citadel Board awarded Brooks the honorary Doctor of Commerce degree.

Joe Calcutt (‘78 finance, ‘80 MBA) was named to the Financial Managers Hall of Fame of the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association of the National Association of Home Care and Hospice in July 2022.

Thomas K Emery (‘79 MIBS) switched jobs and cities; he is now chief financial officer for Catilize Health, which is based in Sewickley, PA, a northern suburb of Pittsburgh.

and when it came down in 2015 after the murders in Charleston at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. A two-hour documentary, the film has also been nominated for a Peabody Award and two Telly Awards.

Ben Henderson (‘77 finance) is so proud of his son Gray Benjamin Henderson, who has been accepted into USC’s International MBA program, which is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Henderson said, “Here’s to legacy!”

Robert Petrocelli (‘76 management) was named as the chair of New York Life’s 2021-2022 Agent Advisory Board of Directors.

Ray Smith, Ph.D., (‘78 MIBS) of Dalton State College received a Fulbright Specialist Award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. With the award, he completed a project at Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions and communities, both in the U.S. and overseas.

1980s

Candy S. Fletcher (‘74 marketing) received an Emmy nomination for a film that she produced with her partners at Strategic Films named Downing of a Flag. It is the history of the Confederate Flag in South Carolina, when it was hung at the Statehouse in 1961

Zubin Bamji (‘89 management, ‘91 USC master’s mass communications) is a manager for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and was recently selected to lead a team supporting governments with their efforts to decarbonize oil and gas production, especially reducing gas flaring and methane emissions.

Kathy L. Bickham (‘83 accounting, ‘86 USC M.Ed.) has been selected to serve as the next Commissioner of Banking for the office of the South Carolina Treasurer. She is the first woman to serve in this capacity at the agency.

Lisa Renee Bland (‘89 accounting, ‘90 MTAX) recently accepted the position of tax instructor and audit training coordinator for the SC Department of Revenue. She came to the DOR from Midlands Technical College, where she was an adjunct Instructor teaching accounting, finance and tax courses.

Mary Martha Greene (‘80 marketing) published through the University of South Carolina Press the 2021 cookbook: “The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All” and hosts cooking classes. Learn more by visiting thecheesebiscuitqueen.com.

Steve Hass (‘93 MIBS) was named in June 2021 CEO of Banco FINCA Ecuador, based in Quito, Ecuador. BFE is a regulated bank operating 12 full-service branches throughout the country. This new role is in addition to Hass’ existing duties as CEO of FINCA Microfinanzas Nicaragua, based in Managua, where he has served since May 2018. FINCA is a leading microfinance organization based in Washington, D.C., operating a network of 20 microfinance subsidiaries throughout five continents.

Daryl Haegley (‘87 finance and USC Naval ROTC) was promoted to Technical Director-Control Systems Cybersecurity for the Department of the Air Force. He serves as the senior executive service expert and director of critical infrastructure, control systems, cybersecurity and cyber resilience; and provides technical oversight for world-wide operations for Air Force and Space Force objectives for cybersecurity, defense and infrastructure resiliency.

Buck Jones (‘88 USC interdisciplinary studies, ‘94 MIBS) published a new novel in March 2022. Of interest to the Moore School community, the novel is set in the South of the 1960s, and it is the story of a young idealist who must choose between his promising political career or pursuing the love of his life. With much of the action taking place in Columbia (the historic Horseshoe) and Charleston, The Last Good Republican is receiving great reviews and is being considered for several literary awards.

Carolyn Hoffman (‘89 marketing) is the creator and owner of North Pole Helper; she used her business marketing degree to form this womanowned company that she runs out of her house that offers relief for families that have an Elf on the Shelf that visits for the holidays. Her upscale boutique kits come with EVERYTHING needed for all the daily antics and activities. Visit northpolehelper.com for more information or follow on social media @northpolehelper. GO GAMECOCKS!!!

Don Locke (‘86 MBA, ‘87 USC J.D.) has been named as general counsel for Covenant Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited-liability company located in Raleigh, North Carolina; he is in charge of acquiring companies in the solar-power generation space. He was previously an attorney with large firms in Houston, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina. He can be reached at dlocke@ covenantholdings.com and 919-264-4081.

Chris N. Lane (‘84 finance, ‘86 MBA) began a position as a mortgage loan officer with Mortgage Network, Inc.

John Pressley Jr. (‘81 marketing) opened My Mobility Medics in Greenville, SC, in 2019. The business offers repairs, services, rentals and sales of mobility equipment, no matter where the product was purchased. Having grown into a thriving business serving not only the senior industry but also anyone with limited mobility, they help people find mobility solutions that will work for them and welcome fellow alumni to learn ways they can stay mobile.

shutdown of her business. She wrote the book to help other women be ready financially, physically and mentally for the next crisis they face.

1990s

Denise Demarest Ryan (‘87 USC art history, ‘98 MBA) is a Raleigh, NC,-based motivational speaker who pulled a pandemic pivot and published a book, Pink Prep, A Woman’s Best Guide to Preparing for the Worst. Putting her MBA to good use, she was well positioned financially to weather the unexpected

Ryan Agostinelli (‘92 USC political science, ‘08 MBA) recently accepted a position with Apollon Wealth Management as the information technology manager. Apollon Wealth provides financial guidance across the country and employs more than 120.

Amy Bashor (‘97 USC international studies, ‘99 MHR) recently left corporate life to build a new, high-end RV resort and campground in Hartsville, SC, with her family. Opening in 2024, the new park will offer more than 100 campsites, hiking trails, water sports, cabins and new, familystyle bathrooms for those seeking a relaxed vacation experience. Learn more at campstandingpines.com

James Marshall Biddle (‘98 management, ‘01 USC J.D.) recently opened the Biddle Law Firm, LLC, which is a general practice law firm located in downtown Conway, SC. Learn more by emailing marshall@biddlelawfirm. net or visit biddlelawfirm. net.

Rodney Cullum (‘90 finance) moved to Peoples First Insurance as claims director in Rock Hill, SC.

Kristin Davis (‘94 USC mathematics, ‘97 MBA) joined the commercial banking team of Wells Fargo Bank as a relationship manager in the Columbia, SC, office.

Lori C Hair (‘99 accounting, ‘00 MACC) was promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

Russ Laraway (‘94 business administration) published the 2022 book: When They Win, You Win (Being a Great Manager is Simpler Than You Think) and is currently the chief people officer for Goodwater Capital.

developing and delivering innovative learning solutions for technology companies in Europe, Asia and the U.S. She’s also CEO of a startup that is an award-winning learning platform for business communication skills.

Stacy S. Stokes (‘94 accounting, ‘95 MTax) joined Central Carolina Community Foundation as a member of its Board of Trustees.

Nick Annan (‘08 accounting, ‘14 MBA) was promoted to director at Elliott Davis.

Heather J. Broadwater (‘94 USC sociology, ‘96 MHR) joined Stanton Law, LLC, of Atlanta as a senior employment attorney.

Jay Hewitt (‘94 MIBS) was named CEO of Aigent.ai, an AI live-call solution that helps banks and insurers meet compliance obligations, reduce risk and identify fraud, and meet audit requirements. Aigent.ai is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Amsterdam and operations in the Philippines.

Karen R. Jenkins (‘90 management) was named incoming chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Kris McVey (‘96 USC J.D. and MHR, ‘02 USC French) was recently promoted to SVP and chief administrative officer for Piedmont Lithium, a lithium-mining and specialty chemicals company based in Gaston County, NC.

Louie Nguyen (‘98 MIBS), CFA, the chief investment officer for Catalyst, was recognized as one of San Diego Business Journal’s Top 50 Asian Pacific Islander Leaders of Influence.

Joseph Brown Wallace II (‘91 marketing) was recently promoted to a principal in the MetLife Vendor Management Office and was assigned to global risk management.

2000s

Didi Caldwell (‘98 IMBA) is the founder and owner of Global Location Strategies, a site selection firm, that was named for the first time to the 2021 Inc. magazine top 5000 private companies list, which is the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

Kim Buckner Land (‘98 USC public relations, ‘02 MBA) was recently promoted to marketing senior instructor at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, SC. She was also named the director of the Honors Program for USC Upstate.

Danielle Rowley (‘99 IMBA) was promoted to global sales enablement manager for NI, formerly National Instruments. She leads a global team transforming NI from a hardware-focused directsales organization to a software data-strategy and channel organization. She has 20+ years’ experience

Shaun Abraham (‘08 IMBA) and Christopher Scheidel (‘08 IMBA) recently celebrated three years for their startup Transaction Insights; with partner Wendy Humphrey, they provide modern market and competitive intelligence services to the likes of JPMorgan and other large financial institutions and global payments companies. As former IMBA program graduates from the global (Abraham) and Japanese (Scheidel) tracks, they are leveraging their global perspectives gained from the Moore School to build a unique technology firm.

Sean Bishop (‘04 finance and management) was promoted to the role of vice president general manager PepsiCo customer team lead for Dollar General. He will lead sales and strategy to drive accelerated growth across the $2.5 billion PepsiCo portfolio at Dollar General. He and his wife, Brooke, have four children: Everett (12), Andrew (10), Abel (7) and Caroline (6).

Selena Dennis (‘04 management science) and her husband Antavis Dennis (‘05 management) competed on the Food Network Christmas Cookie Challenge in November 2022. She is the owner of Embellished Dough, a mobile cookie company based in Columbia, SC.

Haley Holzworth (‘09 international business and marketing) recently opened her second retail location of Hermosa Jewelry in Charleston, SC. The mission at Hermosa Jewelry is to make women feel beautiful and confident through wearing unique, handcrafted jewelry. Holzworth was the first to introduce Charleston, SC, to Permanent Jewelry, which is custom-fit delicate jewelry chains that are welded together without a clasp. An entrepreneur who started her jewelry business in high school in 2002, she was a founding member of the USC Entrepreneurship Club and a graduate of the USC Technology Incubator program in 2010.

Shawn Kelley (‘09 MBA) directed and produced a Vietnam War documentary, My Father’s Brothers, that is now in distribution. Based on a June 29, 1966 event when a platoon of American soldiers stumbled upon a large enemy force in the dense jungles of Vietnam. Outnumbered 10-to-1, they faced the darkest hours of their lives. The filmmaker interviewed his father and other survivors about what happened on that fateful day and the effects it had every day since. Learn more: myfathersbrothers. com.

Samantha Smith Ostendorf (‘09 international business and marketing) was appointed as senior director of eCommerce business development at Prosentyx LLC in June 2022.

2010s

Bill Young (‘03 management and marketing, ‘06 USC J.D.) opened Young Law Firm, LLC, in Greenville, SC, where he primarily represents personal injury victims and their families.

Mary Ellen Perretta

(‘02 marketing, ‘04 USC MPH) launched in 2021 Grit & Grace Children’s Boutique, LLC. Her boutique carries SC-themed baby items along with products made in SC. Find her business locally at The Collective located at 3128 Carlisle St. Columbia, SC 29205; she has three other locations throughout SC.

Nikki Zimmerman (‘04 IMBA) was promoted to partner in IBM Consulting as part of the 2021 Global Partner Cohort. She leads IBM Consulting’s supply chain risk and resilience services for clients across all markets and geographies.

Brad Ansley (‘13 management) is building 1801 Venture Club, a private digital community built on web3 technologies with tools for networking, investment opportunities and hiring among USC alumni and supporters. Learn more or get involved at 1801vc.com.

Jonathan Antonio (‘10 accounting) was named as head of healthcare mid-corporate and middle market underwriting and portfolio management for Wells Fargo Commercial Banking. He’s focused on cash flow health care lending to health care companies with less than $2 billion of revenue globally.

Dan Houck (‘08 IMBA) was named chief financial officer at Simply NUC in Austin, TX. (Photo, left to right, Dan Houck with Aaron Rowsell, CEO of Simply NUC)

Luke Lorick (‘04 management) created a new brand, Tailgating Challenge, to assist sports enthusiasts with their tailgating needs like equipment reviews, where to buy tailgating gear and tips for a successful tailgate. Lorick also created in 2016 National Tailgating Day on the first Saturday in September with the official National Day Calendar. Lorick holds the Guinness World Record for the longest cornhole backwards toss at 36 feet 7 inches, as of June 18, 2022.

Raymond C. Shelton (‘00 MIBS) relocated from Japan after eight years, where he led corporate communications, ESG and investor relations at CocaCola Bottlers Japan. His new position is senior director, ESG operational finance at The Coca-Cola Company.

Ashley Dixon (‘08 finance and marketing) launched her solo RIA, My Money Person, in 2022; she is a virtual financial planner providing one-time and on-going financial guidance to U.S. citizens anywhere in the world.

Korey Aukerman (‘18 finance) participated in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah.

Nicole Bartuch

(‘19 marketing and ‘20 MHR) has been excited to see her experience come full circle in the MHR program. She was first an intern and was later hired full time for PepsiCo. Exactly three years after her first internship interview, she returned to campus to recruit MHR candidates with PepsiCo. She said this reflection speaks volumes to what MHR’s program can offer in terms of opportunity, support and overall education. She’d like to express A HUGE thank you to the MHR professors.

Barbara Mchenry Brown (‘13 MBA) recently celebrated 10 years of managing and owning Brown Consultants LTD with her husband, Westfield. The Browns had another baby boy in December 2022.

Christa (Schuping) Carter (‘18 USC public relations, ‘19 MHR) left her role at Boeing and now works for Amtrak (National Passenger Railroad Corporation) as the lead diversity programs recruiter.

Noah Clark (‘13 finance and international business) received a promotion to health client manager at Alight Solutions.

evolved as a catalyst for the development of the Latinx small and medium business community with initiatives in-flight to serve as a partner of growth for diverse entrepreneurs.

Zach Coggins (‘17 finance) married Sullivan Coggins in August 2022 in Ridgeway, SC.

Chuck DePont (‘18 management science) married Jessie Heinrich (‘18 USC education) in June 2022 in Baltimore. They met freshman year in Columbia, and many Gamecocks and Moore alumni were in attendance at their wedding.

Jonathan Biddle (‘15 IMBA) published a book, Supply Chain for Startups: Building Your Business from Zero to Scale, which is designed to help startups and small businesses design a great supply chain for their product from the ground up. It is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks and Google Play.

Cynthia Burleson (‘11 MBA) received in August 2022 the Engaged Teaching Outstanding Faculty Excellence Award from the University of Central Arkansas College of Business; she recently accepted a position as the audit and compliance manager for San Diegobased K2 Insurance Services.

Nicholas Cottrill (‘17 finance, ‘19 MBA) recently started in a new role as M&A integration manager at Dotmatics and welcomed a son named Brooks.

Bryan Funderburg (‘15 finance, ‘16 MACC) welcomed Paige Marie Funderburg born on March 28, 2022!

Nancy Ginger (‘11 MHR) was named to a three-year term on the Wake Forest (NC) Historic Preservation Commission.

Hannah Horne (‘12 MBA) has been named the executive director of the Gravity Center, a center dedicated to entrepreneurial growth in downtown Rock Hill, SC. Stephanie Hoyt (‘14 international business and marketing) was awarded in 2020 the annual Law Group Impact Award, which provides recognition and reward for Law Group associates worldwide who have demonstrated significant leadership, impact and value. The award is given to those who have significant and measurable impact on the business and live their values, cultural priorities and leadership standards.

Jonathan Jackson (‘07 USC English, ‘11 IMBA) is a teaching faculty member in marketing at the Florida State University College of Business.

Joey Kimball (‘18 management science) was promoted to supplier performance manager at KeHE Distributors LLC.

Clinton Canady IV (‘11 IMBA), in the past year, celebrated the birth of his first child, earned his officer’s commission and was selected for promotion to the next rank. So he is now a father and a mid-level, Commissioned Foreign Service Officer at the Department of State.

Savannah Green (‘17 finance) received a promotion in June 2020 to regional vice president of annuities sales for the southeast territory for Protective Life Insurance Company.

Carlos Cueto (‘18 MIB) led a UPSsponsored panel “Cultivating the Future for Latinx Creators,” which shared at New York Fashion Week how UPS has

Alison Lake (‘16 management and marketing) married Alex Ravitz (‘16 USC environmetal science) in February 2022. They not only met as freshmen at

USC but also met the very first week of freshman orientation during the tour of the Thomas Cooper Library. They have been inseparable ever since. They’re so grateful to USC for bringing them together and for all of the wonderful memories they made as undergraduates. Forever to thee!

$300 million in the sales pipeline over the course of the fiscal year.

Jonathan Layer (‘10 IMBA) accepted a new role as director of commercial business development and marketing for Fibertex Nonwovens; he re-located to their headquarters in Aalborg, Denmark, in January 2023.

Jordan Lim (‘19 operations and supply chain) won Microsoft Gold Club, Microsoft’s highest award. Gold Club is a global award that rewards individuals who perform, transform and contribute to the overall success and growth of Microsoft. Her role as a Microsoft U.S. marketing manager helped drive more than

Will Lynch (‘19 operations and supply chain) started a new job as the chief operating officer at Wellsdale Home Care.

Fallon Meyer (‘10 accounting and finance, ‘15 MBA) was honored as part of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s 25th annual 40 under 40 for 2022. The magazine selects an elite group of young professionals making their impact felt in the community. She was also selected as one of Charleston Business Magazine’s Best & Brightest 35 and Under Class of 2022 for excellence in both career and community work.

Brittany Mitchell (’12 IMBA) published the 2021 book: Spoken Art: Too Brave To Back Down with her mother, Rita Mitchell. Brittany Mitchell is also the sales enablement lead for LiveRamp.

Atisha Patel (‘17 management) married Mike Utsey (‘12 USC criminology and criminal justice) on Knik Glacier in Alaska in May 2022.

Natalie Pita (‘17 international business and USC spanish) recently began as a second-year associate at Latham & Watkins in New York.

Kasey (Thomas) Rosenhaus (‘10 marketing) and her husband, Rob, welcomed Kamden “Kami” Brooks Rosenhaus on April 27, 2022; born six weeks early, measuring 4lbs 13oz and 19 inches long. After 53 long and trying days of growing and learning in the NICU, they welcomed their baby girl home on Father’s Day. Big fur-sister Kona is in love with the new addition.

Dallas C. Meacham (‘16 finance, ‘19 USC J.D.) joined Turner Padget as an associate to the litigation practice group in Greenville, SC.

Nicholas Myers (‘14 finance and marketing) moved to Greenville, SC, with his wife, Mary Grace (Seaton) Myers (‘16 USC education) in April 2020 from Charleston, SC. They had their first child in August 2020. He currently works for PulteGroup as a manager of land acquisition.

Gary T. Pope Jr. (‘09 IMBA and USC J.D.), a public finance attorney with Pope Flynn, was elected president of South Carolina’s John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court.

Petra Robinson (‘18 management) was promoted to work as a recruiter at PwC. Her new role is focused on entrylevel talent at universities in the southwest and creating strategy for community college pipelining.

Rebecca Gary Rush (‘10 IMBA) and her husband, Rod, have welcomed four children and a Mastiff to their family. Initially working for HSBC as part of its international management cadre, she has now worked for 11 years with the bank across commercial and retail banking in the Middle East, U.K., New York City, Miami and now Hong Kong. She was recently promoted to chief of staff for the Asia-Pacific Wealth and Personal Banking business and is also responsible for strategy, planning, sustainability and cost management.

Steven Lastauskas (‘10 finance and management) graduated from the SC Banker’s Association three year banker’s school program.

Brennan C. Lyles (‘16 finance) was promoted to trust officer at Arthur State Bank in 2022.

Russ Sandifer (‘17 MBA) successfully defended in summer 2022 his dissertation, “S&P 500 vs Peer Firms: Does Index Inclusion Matter?” and earned his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from the University of Florida (he’s still a dyedin-the-wool Gamecock at heart (#ForeverToThee)!) He was also named an assistant professor of business and finance at Wofford College. Observing his USC professors at work in their craft and getting to know some of these faculty stirred in him a passion for teaching, research and service in business and finance.

Jessica Sharp (‘11 marketing) graduated from William James College with a Psy.D. on leadership psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience and moved to Houston.

Collin Shaw (‘10 IMBA) was recently promoted to president and COO of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association, which is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Claire Thompson (‘15 international business and management science) was promoted to the head of real estate at Popeyes to lead new restaurant growth in the U.S. and Canada. She has worked at the parent company, Restaurant Brands International, since 2018 and has held various roles across the Burger King and Popeyes Brands, most recently the head of training for the U.S. and Canada at Burger King.

2020s

Pete Barnett (‘21 MBA) was recently promoted from senior product manager to director of product at Northspyre.

Meaghan Sansbury (‘12 management and marketing) was promoted to National Assurance Campus Recruiting Leader at Ernst & Young. She met her husband, Daniel Sansbury (‘05 USC classics), at the alumni bar in Boston during a football game watch party in 2015. They enjoy following Gamecock football with their two sons, Liam (3) and Henry (1).

Gavin J. Smith (‘16 management and marketing) married his husband on May 7, 2022 at the South Carolina Lace House. The wedding was attended by many of his former Moore School professors and current staff. He was also named a 2022 Forbes Communications Council Contributor and is regularly contributing for CNN and MSNBC on political topics and has been an outspoken advocate for the Respect for Marriage Act.

Photo: Gavin Smith (third from left)

Cole Smith (‘18 risk management and insurance) accepted in May 2022 the role of associate attorney at Yvonne M. Kaminski & Associates, house counsel for State Farm Automobile Insurance Company out of Chicago.

Kelley White (‘18 management) and Austin Oleszczuk (‘19 risk management and insurance) were married April 9, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas, and several other Moore School and USC alumni attended the wedding.

Back row (left to right): Steven Norelli (‘19 accounting, ‘20 MACC), James Huey (‘19 management), Austin Oleszczuk (‘19 risk management and insurance), Jordan Harrington (‘19 finance), James Harrington (‘19 finance)

Front row (left to right): Ashley Sajecki (‘19 USC advertising), Emily Knopf (‘17 USC biological sciences), Kelley White (‘18 management), Alice Freeman Lindsay (‘18 USC sport and entertainment management), Lauren Froneberger (‘18 management)

Alexa Capozzoli (‘20 management and marketing) just received a promotion with the Florida Panthers to be an account manager for premium membership services. With the team since August 2020, she started in the inside sales program, and after six months, was promoted to an account manager of membership services.

Alex Conley (‘21 finance and operations and supply chain) was recently hired at The Vanguard Group in Charlotte, NC, as a client relationship associate.

Gabrielle Pierce Cranford (‘18 USC pharmaceutical sciences, ‘20 MBA, ‘20 USC Pharm.D.) began a new position as director of member relations for the section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners at the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.

Nicholas Fernandez (‘20 MBA) recently joined First National Bank as a middle market executive covering the Carolinas market located in Charlotte, NC. First National Bank’s middle market/corporate banking team offers innovative products and solutions for large-scale corporate clients while retaining a relationshipcentric approach.

Daniel Garrett (‘22 MBA) received two promotions with two new companies during his attendance in the PMBA program.

Josh Glynn (‘21 finance) began in June 2022 his professional career with Fifth Third Bank in Charlotte, NC. He is currently part of their Commercial & Credit Leadership program. This is a rotational program within the bank.

Hunter Harris (‘21 marketing) graduated in December 2021 and began working for Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of dental technology.

Meliah Bowers Jefferson (‘02 finance and marketing, ‘05 USC J.D.) was named the executive director of the Jolley Foundation, responsible for guiding grantmaking, investments and community engagement to advance the Foundation’s vision of a just, compassionate, and vibrant community for all.

Emily R. Kendrick (‘21 international business, operations and supply chain) has accepted an inventory procurement specialist position at JAARS in Waxhaw, NC. JAARS works to make Bible translation and language development possible, especially in the remote areas of the earth and does so by enabling solutions in transportation, technology, media and training.

Chamal Mediwaka (‘21 MIB) has accepted over the past two months two board member positions with the American Marketing Association as the programming chair and Share One Love, a nonprofit that works with the Department of Juvenile Justice. He was also promoted to director of marketing for Strom Law Firm after one year at the law firm.

Peter Rumm (‘20 risk management and insurance) accepted an offer to work for Chubb Insurance as an aviation underwriter in New Orleans.

Macy Skinner (‘21 management and marketing) started her first full-time position with PepsiCo in sales management.

Shane Sweeney (‘21 finance) was the first person in his family to receive their bachelor’s degree.

David E Winkler (‘21 MIB) accepted a position as a business analyst at Wavestone.

MooreConnect is the exclusive digital platform for alumni, faculty, staff and students of the Darla Moore School of Business. Members enjoy a direct connection to more than 50,000 alumni and 300 faculty and staff in nearly 100 countries in countless organizations and businesses worldwide. This free service helps alumni find or share job opportunities, connect with classmates and fellow alumni, explore other networkbuilding tools that can move your career forward and mentor current students.