F A L L 2017
SIG MUND WEIS SCHOOL OF BUS INESS AT SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSIT Y TOP STORY
London Program Adds Internships I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N T E R N S H I P S E L E V AT E S T U D Y A B R O A D E X P E R I E N C E for One -Third Of SWSB Students | p.8
D E A N’S CO RNER
W ITH MAT THE W R O U S U FALL 2017 It is a time of transition in the Sigmund Weis School of Business (SWSB) and Susquehanna University, but it is not a time to stand still. The past 12 months have brought us tremendous change, with L. Jay Lemons stepping down after 16 years of the presidency and former business school dean Marsha Kelliher assuming a presidency of her own at Walsh College. At some institutions, this type of change would cause a “wait-and-see” approach. Not here. The 2016–17 academic year was one of the most successful in the history of the Sigmund Weis School of Business. Our graduates took fantastic positions at some of the top firms in the world. Our current students landed prestigious internships. The school’s faculty implemented innovative teaching methods while also publishing their scholarship in some of the top outlets in the world. Other highlights from last year include: • SWSB becoming an affiliate member of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute. • A third successful year of the Women’s Leadership Symposium. (And planning has already begun for the 2018 symposium!) • A redesign of the entrepreneurship minor. • A great recruiting year, with almost 170 students starting out in Global Business Perspectives. We are committed to continuous improvement, and one key improvement we are implementing this semester is detailed in our cover story. Now, every student who enrolls in the London Program will get a 10-week internship while abroad. When the spring 2019 graduation rolls around, about one-third of SWSB students will have completed an international internship. I am not sure if any other school in the world can claim this. There are other ways we are looking to improve as well. We are working on new majors and minors; additional international partnerships to expand student opportunities; and ensuring the success of our newly formed Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship Education. Our goal, as always, is to figure out how we can best serve students. It is an honor for me to serve as the interim dean of the Sigmund Weis School of Business. I think we are one of the best places in the world for an undergraduate business education, and I look forward to helping make 2017–18 our best year ever.
S I N C E R E LY,
Interim Dean of the Sigmund Weis School of Business
MATTHEW ROUSU Editor
VICTORIA KIDD Associate Director, Advancement Communications Contributing Writers
AMANDA O’ROURKE Digital Communications and Media Specialist
ANGELA BURROWS Former Chief Communications Officer
HOPE MARTIN ‘19 Design and Layout
AMANDA LENIG ‘07 Creative Director
ERICA HOOVER Graphic Designer Lead Photography
GORDON WENZEL HEATHER NECESSARY Copy Editor
BETSY K. ROBERTSON Director, Digital and Print Communications
KATHLEEN FLORIO
SIGMUND WEIS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Susquehanna University 514 University Ave. Selinsgrove, PA 17870 570-372-4455 As one of the few undergraduate business programs in the world to earn AACSB accreditation, we pride ourselves on our highly qualified faculty, rigorous curriculum, and continuous assessment and improvement processes.
Matthew Rousu Interim Dean, Sigmund Weis School of Business
SUSQU.EDU/BUSINESS
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2 | Student Spotlight Accounting Majors Intern At the Big Four
4 | Faculty Spotlights New Faces Join Business School
6 | Guest Spotlight Q&A with President Jonathan Green
8 | Top Story
12 | Campus News New Members and Chapter Honors for Beta Gamma Sigma Susquehanna Joins CFA Institute Program Stein Fellows Travel the Globe for Internships
16 | Alumni News Alumna Finds Business Niche in Most Unexpected Place and Time Grad Puts Business Sense To Work in New Law Firm
14 | Student Spotlight Luxury Brand Marketing Majors Interning Around the World
International Internships Elevate the Student Experience
VENTURES | SUSQU.EDU/BUSINESS | 2017
S T UDEN T SP OTLIGHT
OUR BEST AND B R I G H TE S T
MICHAEL DOLAN accounting
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ACCOUNTING MAJORS INTERN AT THE BIG FOUR BY AMAN DA O’R O U R K E Our accounting majors received invaluable realworld experience this summer at the nation’s Big Four accounting firms—Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC.
their colleagues as first-year associates in both the type of work they completed and the way in which moresenior employees communicated with them.
Senior Megan McFadden, of Glen Brook, N.J., worked as an auditing intern at PwC (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers), a position she was offered after completing the company’s three-day leadership program last year. Both experiences bring her closer to her dream of working at one of the Big Four accounting firms.
“The most pleasant surprise of my internship was just how much mentoring was involved,” Witter says. “I regularly had one-on-one discussions with different mentors and senior associates about topics ranging from underlying accounting concepts to my professional goals to best practices as I start my career.”
“I think this internship absolutely prepared me for my future career as a certified public accountant,” McFadden says. “A lot of the work that I did for PwC is actually at the level of difficulty an experienced associate would receive, which has given me a great opportunity to learn a lot.”
Senior Michael Dolan, of Egg Harbor City, N.J., spent his summer as a tax intern for Deloitte, doing tax planning for hedge and mutual funds clients. He credits lecturer Barbara Martin with setting him up with the right classes early on so that he would be prepared to step in to a demanding internship.
Senior Jeremy Witter, of Shippensburg, Pa., was accepted into KPMG’s Build Your Own Internship program, which allowed him to gain experience in two accounting practices as opposed to one. Witter chose tax and audit.
“She pointed me in the right direction,” he says. “I’m doing the things right now that I want to do in my career. I could see myself here for a while.”
“Having a rotation into a new area during the internship naturally brought with it a steeper learning curve and new challenges,” Witter says. “But I was prepared to navigate that.” He worked alongside fellow senior Chris Stutzman, of Gilbertsville, Pa., and said they were treated by
Chris Stutzman
Additionally, juniors Ryan Seibert, of Harrisburg, Pa., and Megan Duck, of Madisonburg, Pa., completed externships with both KPMG and EY (formerly Ernst & Young) this summer. They will both intern with KPMG next summer. Juniors Seth Berger, of Lafayette Hill, Pa., and Noah Schairer, of Lititz, Pa., will intern with KPMG in the winter. ■
Megan McFadden
Jeremy Witter
Finley
Zhang
Park
Liu
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Hutchinson
FACU LT Y S P OT L I GHT S
IN T H E CLA SSR OOM
NEW FACES JOIN BUSINESS SCHOOL BY VIC TOR I A K I D D The business school began the 2017–18 academic year by welcoming five new members to its faculty. Meet them here:
M I N J U N G PA R K
Assistant Professor of Marketing Park earned a doctorate and master’s degree in retail merchandising and consumer studies from the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include luxury brand marketing, omni-channel retailing and social responsibility. She won the Best Paper Award at the 2016 American Collegiate Retailing Association conference. Park taught while at the University of Minnesota and received the Mary Hoover Award for Teaching Excellence. This fall, Park is teaching courses in luxury brand marketing and management and marketing research.
BO LIU
Assistant Professor of Accounting Liu earned his doctorate degree in management science with a concentration in accounting this year from the Naveen Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas, where he also obtained his Master of Science in accounting in 2010. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business English in 2009 from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China. His research interests include internal auditing, disclosure, aggregate earnings and financial regulation. Liu is currently teaching classes in financial accounting and cost management.
DANA ZHANG
Assistant Professor of Accounting Zhang earned a doctorate degree in accounting from the University of Houston this year. She also holds a master’s degree in accounting from The Ohio State
University. Zhang conducts research on financial reporting quality, corporate governance, managerial incentives and team dynamics. She has an academic paper forthcoming in Contemporary Accounting Research, and she has presented at both international and regional accounting conferences. Like Liu, Zhang is teaching classes in financial accounting and cost management this fall.
THERESA FINLEY
Assistant Professor of Economics Finley earned her doctorate degree in economics from George Mason University in May. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in economics from James Madison University (2010) and a master’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte (2012). Prior to joining Susquehanna, she taught as a graduate lecturer at George Mason University. Her teaching and research interests focus on economic history, development economics, applied microeconomics, political economy, geospatial statistical analysis, and the economics of religion and religious organizations. Finley is currently teaching macroeconomics and applied research methods.
TAU R E A N H U T C H I N S O N
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Hutchinson earned a doctorate degree in economics from Southern Illinois University in August. His research interests are in the areas of sports economics, applied microeconomics and health economics, and he has published his research in Applied Economics Letters. His teaching interests include microeconomics, macroeconomics, development economics and sports economics. He is currently teaching classes in economics and macroeconomics. ■
VENTURES | SUSQU.EDU/BUSINESS
GUEST SPOTLIGHT
Q&A WITH JO N ATH A N G R E E N
J O N AT H A N G R E E N president
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BUSINESS TALK SUSQ UEH A NNA’S N E W P R E S I D E N T, J O N AT H AN D. GRE E N, S AT D O W N WITH FOR M E R C H I E F CO M M U N IC AT IO N S O FFICE R AN GE LA B U RR O W S TO TAL K A B O U T TH E B E NE F I TS O F T H E B U S IN E S S S CH O O L. BY A NGE L A BU RROWS A B: Susquehanna is distinctive as a liberal arts school with an AACSB-accredited business school. What do you see as the major advantages of this combination of the liberal arts and business? (Note: Accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, granted to only the top 5 percent of business programs, is a mark of excellence.) J G: Susquehanna is one of only six private, undergraduate-only liberal arts colleges in the nation with AACSB accreditation. This provides our students with the “best of both worlds.” They are immersed in a rigorous and sophisticated professional business program, and they concurrently benefit from the breadth of our liberal arts curriculum and the intrinsic developmental programs associated with residential liberal arts institutions, which prepare students to become leaders of consequence and give them the ability to adapt to the ever-evolving contemporary career world. A B: Why is AACSB accreditation so rare among undergraduate-only institutions? J G: Few undergraduate institutions are capable of making the investment in highly qualified faculty and the depth and rigor of the curriculum necessary for AACSB accreditation. Susquehanna’s commitment to student success has made this a priority, and we have benefited from visionary supporters of the university who have provided the resources to develop and sustain a program of national prominence. A B: What do you see as the business school’s greatest strengths? J G : Susquehanna prepares students for lives of meaningful leadership. In the Sigmund Weis School of Business, our students build a foundation of analytical and managerial skills that allow them to
be productive leaders across the gamut of business and financial endeavors. Upon graduation, they have had the opportunity to apply these skills in the “real world” and to develop a hands-on understanding of international business. AB: With the addition of an internship for students enrolled in the London Program, about a third of SWSB students will have had an international internship prior to graduation. Why are global experiences so important for students? JG: We live in a truly cosmopolitan society. Goods and
services exist in a world of permeable borders. It is critically important that future business leaders have the facility to act transnationally. Our programs build on the foundational course, Global Business Perspectives, which sets the stage for students to derive the greatest benefit from their curricula and the GO program. The London internship gives our students the added opportunity to work internationally and to be able to interpret those experiences to the greatest benefit with their faculty sponsors. AB: What edge do SWSB graduates bring to the table? JG: Sigmund Weis School of Business graduates are among the best-prepared in the nation:
• Susquehanna is one of the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions. • Only the top 5 percent of business programs receive AACSB accreditation. • We are one of only six institutions that can claim both. • We are one of only two AACSB undergraduate institutions accepted into the University Recognition Program of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute. • We are one of three institutions with a universal study-away requirement. ■ VENTURES | SUSQU.EDU/BUSINESS
Susquehanna’s exceptional London program, offered through the university’s Sigmund Weis School of Business (SWSB), became even more robust this fall with the addition of London internships for all students. Current and future students enrolled in the London Program will now complete a 10-week internship in addition to their coursework. The integration of an internship into the already strong, semester-long London Program means that beginning with the current junior class, about a third of the business school’s students will have completed an international internship by the time they graduate. The school has long had students interning in various parts of the world, but the London internship requirement bolsters the international exposure the school provides its students at a time when global experiences are increasingly important, according to the school’s leadership. “This is incredibly exciting,” says Interim Dean Matthew Rousu. “The London internships represent the fruits of a lot of effort by many people over the years.”
Started in 1995 by the late emeritus faculty member Bill Ward, the London Program was a forerunner for Susquehanna’s Global Opportunities (GO) initiative, which began in 2009. One of only a handful of schools to require all students to study away, Susquehanna has garnered increasing national recognition for the GO program. Rousu, also a professor of economics, served as faculty coordinator for the London program in spring 2012, spending a semester with students learning about British and European business, as well as British history and theatre. Enrolled students also participated in a seminar that involved field trips to other parts of Europe, including Prague, where they presented recommendations to Czech companies that served as the students’ consulting clients. “I saw firsthand how meaningful [the program] was for students. The internships and the increased opportunity they provide for cultural immersion will further enrich the London experience. The students are serving in professional roles, working with British co-workers, and may have an opportunity to socialize with them, which is fantastic,” Rousu said.
International Internships
The Student Experience T H E LO N D O N P R O G R A M A D D S I N T E R N S H I P S BY ANGELA BURROWS
“THE LONDON EXPERIENCE OVERLAYS THE TRADITIONAL INTERNSHIP WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE.
S T U D E N T S M AY B E D O I N G S O M E OF THE SAME THINGS THEY’D D O I N A T Y P I C A L I N T E R N S H I P, BUT THEY’LL BE DOING IT IN A N O T H E R C U LT U R E .” — R I C K D AV I S
STUDENTS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT INTERNSHIPS AND SU Students enrolled in the inaugural program are excited about the London internships, expecting them to enhance their study-abroad experience. Junior Ben Ornstein, a finance major with a marketing minor, calls the London opportunity “incredible.” The Chappaqua, N.Y., native says it was the promise of an internship that drew him to the program. Since September, he’s spent two days a week as an analyst for Holiday Crowd Group, a London-based, vacation-home real estate company. A few weeks before leaving for London, Ornstein said he was looking forward to meeting British colleagues and establishing relationships he hopes to maintain going forward. He believes the internship will increase his marketability when he graduates from Susquehanna. Ornstein’s classmate Leah Kassalen received word of her internship with the Young Adults Theater in Islington (YATI) in mid-summer. The Pittsburgh native, who is working in YATI’s accounting department, said she was attracted to Susquehanna because of the GO program, the opportunity to study in London, and the ability to accumulate the 150 hours of accounting credits required to sit for the CPA examination. “Normally, it would take five years and a master’s degree before I could sit for the CPA. I’ll be able to save a year’s tuition.”
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The fact that the business school is embedded in a liberal arts college is an added bonus, says Kassalen. “The core curriculum has made me more well-rounded. Even in science class, we were exposed to different points of view.” She looks forward to further broadening her experience in London. A central Pennsylvania native, Megan Duck ’19 says she was attracted to the business school because of its commitment to study abroad, its exceptional placement rate for accounting majors, and the chance to join the university’s swim team. The opportunity to intern in London was an added bonus. Duck is spending the semester working in the London office of EducAid, an educational network in Sierra Leone. Junior finance major Kris West is ecstatic about his internship with Hetherley Capital Partners, a specialist hotel investment, operations and asset management firm in London. The Roselle, N.J., native says his sister studied in London through another university and had a great experience. He had considered the London program from the time he was a first-year student, but the internship opportunity made it all the more attractive. “The GO program is unique, and these internships are not typical internships. They’ll provide an opportunity to interact with co-workers from another culture.”
INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS PROVIDE ADDED VALUE Professor of Accounting Rick Davis, who served as London program coordinator until midterm, sees the London internships as providing a dual value. Students get the benefits of working in professional settings while also stepping out of their comfort zones to experience new cultures, says Davis, who will be succeeded by Jerry Habegger, associate professor of accounting and London program director. “The London experience overlays the traditional internship with international exposure. Students may be doing some of the same things they’d do in a typical internship, but they’ll be doing it in another culture. The cross-cultural experience helps to accomplish one of the goals of the GO program,” Davis says. The London internships will also encourage the 19 Susquehanna students enrolled in the program this fall to branch out in new ways. “Each of our students will be flying solo,” Davis says. “They’ll be placed with different companies and organizations, so it will be an opportunity for immersion. They’ll be interacting with Brits, sharing lunch with them and maybe even some social time,” Davis says.
At right: Jerry Habegger and Rick Davis (back row) with the inaugural class of London Program students who are performing international internships while abroad.
The internship requirement will truly set Susquehanna students apart, adds Davis, a tax accountant and lawyer. Combine the international travel and internship with a university experience that couples the liberal arts with a business school accredited by AACSB, along with faculty mentors and a strong alumni network, and SWSB students are poised for success, he says. “Our students’ résumés will be very strong,” says Davis, who also led a trip to Ireland with the students before he returns to the United States. Habegger agrees that exposure to the London business community will give students a leg up when looking for opportunities following graduation. “Anyone with an international internship on their résumé will have an edge, and these are really good internships. Not only are students working in another country, they’re getting great professional experience.” Habegger credits former business school dean Carl Bellas with being the first to recognize the value of international exposure for business students. Even before the GO program, Susquehanna had a longstanding commitment to study abroad, but business students typically did not study away, says Habegger. “There were limited opportunities for business students, and many of the first-generation students we were attracting weren’t interested in going abroad.”
Bellas planted the seeds that led to establishment of the London program. After the GO program was launched, it made sense for the London program to move under the GO umbrella, Habegger continues. “It met the GO learning goals and led to the desired outcomes.” The newly designed London program provides students with “tremendous experiences and a major talking point when they’re meeting with prospective employers,” Habegger says. “It is a global society. Students must understand other cultures, other environments, and most London businesses are global. These internships will set these students up for professional opportunities and success.” ■
“ I S A W H O W M E A N I N G F U L [THE PROGRAM] WAS FOR STUDENTS. THE INTERNSHIPS AND THE INCREASED OPPORTUNITY T H E Y P R O V I D E F O R C U LT U R A L IMMERSION WILL FURTHER ENRICH T H E L O N D O N E X P E R I E N C E .” — M AT T H E W R O U S U
VENTURES | SUSQU.EDU/BUSINESS
2017 Beta Gamma Sigma Class
NE W M E MBER S AND CH APTE R HONORS FOR B ETA G AMMA SIGMA Each spring, new members are inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma national business honor society at Suquehanna. To be eligible to join, students must rank in the top 10 percent of their class and display good moral character.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST STUDENT MEMBERS: James Abramo ’19, a finance major from Millstone Township, N.J. Gabrielle Alguire ’17, an accounting major from Tunkhannock, Pa. Matthew Bershefsky ’19, a finance major from Factoryville, Pa. Ryan Butterworth ’18, a business administration major from Moorpark, Calif. Megan Duck ’19, an accounting major from Madisonburg, Pa.
“It is the highest academic honor that we can give in the business school, and students can be proud of this award for the remainder of their life,” explains chapter advisor Rick Davis, professor of accounting.
Julia Ernst ’19, a business administration major from Mechanicsburg, Pa.
This summer the members received news that made them prouder yet. The Susquehanna chapter received Highest Honors status among all chapters in the international business school honor society. The distinction is reserved for only the top 10 percent of chapters internationally.
Anne Horting ’19, an accounting major from Elizabethtown, Pa.
“We are honored by this recognition from Beta Gamma Sigma’s national organization,” says Davis. “For our students, it’s confirmation that they are among the best and the brightest, both in the nation and around the world.” Nineteen students, along with Assistant Professor of Finance Peter Dadalt and Assistant Professor of Management Amir Bahman Radnejad, were inducted into the honor society for the 2016–17 academic year. ■
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Brittany Henry ’17, an accounting major from Mifflintown, Pa. Benjamin Hollinger ’19, a finance major from Hanover, Pa. Christa Kretzing ’19, an accounting major from Loysville, Pa. Morgan Lowe ’18, an accounting major from Mountville, Pa. Alaina Magnotta ’17, a marketing major from Tafton, Pa. Evan Marquis ’17, a finance major from Somersworth, N.H. Nicholas Meale ’19, an accounting major from Williamsport, Pa. Robert Richardson ’18, an accounting major from Selinsgrove, Pa. Christopher Stutzman ’18, an accounting major from Gilbertsville, Pa. Kelly Tully ’19, a business administration major from Brick, N.J. Charles Virtu ’17, an accounting major from Blue Bell, Pa. Shaye Wisse ’18, a finance major from Saddle Brook, N.J.
C A M P US NE W S
C ATCH IN G U P W IT H T H E B U S IN E S S SC HOOL
SU JOINS CFA INSTITUTE PROGRAM Susquehanna University has been accepted into the University Recognition Program of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute.
The CFA Institute is a global association of investment professionals that offers the Chartered Financial Analyst professional credential.
The recognition makes Susquehanna one of only two undergraduate liberal arts colleges in North America that have been accepted into the CFA recognition program and are accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Academic institutions that are accepted into the CFA program must include in their curriculum at least 70 percent of the material tested in the first level of the rigorous CFA credentialing exam. The exam has three levels that must be passed sequentially.
“CFA recognition status signals to our students and to their future employers that our curriculum is aligned with the requirements of the largest credentialing institution that defines best practices for the financial industry,” says Peter DaDalt, assistant professor of finance and a CFA Charter holder.
Susquehanna’s curriculum prepares students to sit for the first level of the exam during their senior year. Fees for the first level of the exam can exceed $1,300. As a participant in the CFA program, Susquehanna students can take the exam at a significantly reduced cost. ■
S TE IN FELLOWS TR AVEL TH E G LO BE FO R I N T E RN S H I P S Every summer, a cohort of students are afforded the opportunity to complete international internships through the Stein Fellowship Program, supported by the Eric Stein Fund for International Experience. Through this initiative, students’ expenses are covered and a stipend is also included. This year, five Stein Fellows were chosen to intern abroad. They include seniors Bailey Baralt at NoLogo in Milan, Italy, and Elise Salada Hazlett at StyleTheory in the Republic of Singapore (see related story pp. 14), along with Anna Dunn at Ecratum in Berlin; Jude DiGiacomo at All Accounted For in Wellington, New Zealand; and Damian Munoz in Beijing. Munoz, a self-designed creative marketing and fashion studies
major and an art history, photography and business minor, worked on a wide variety of different endeavors for his position as a project manager at G2 Studio Creative Workshop. This included such tasks as managing the development of the European Union’s Video Animation Series project, for which he oversaw a team of designers and animators, to working on and writing pitches for various endeavors, such as the Israel Tourism Bureau and a series of documentaries that focus on the Xianju National Park. Having a variety of academic interests has influenced Munoz’s career path. Wanting to take his interests in music, art, fashion and design with him into a career in advertising, he found an ideal internship to incorporate it all. “Creating content with a meaningful purpose has always been my primary motivation. My internship at G2 Studio Creative Workshop has taken this motivation to the next level,” he says. ■
Jude DiGiacomo VENTURES | SUSQU.EDU/BUSINESS
S T UDEN T SP OTLIGHT
OUR BEST AND B R I G H TE S T
SARAH DERRICK
LUXURY BRAND MARKETING MAJORS INTERNING AROUND THE WORLD BY AMAN DA O’R O U R K E The first class of luxury brand marketing and management majors are set to graduate in 2018, and they have had some amazing experiences. This summer alone found students interning all over the world in preparation for their careers in a range of high-end industries—from fashion, to automobiles and resorts. Senior Bailey Baralt, of Selinsgrove, Pa., spent her summer in Milan, Italy, where she interned in the women’s division of modeling agency NOLOGO MgMt. “To most children, picking out their outfit for school was just another chore, but for me it meant time to play,” Baralt says. “I have always loved putting outfits together and styling the same clothes I owned in different ways.”
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At NOLOGO MgMt, she photographed models in the agency’s professional studio, promoted the agency’s new website and its models through Instagram and other social media platforms, and tracked a model’s success to determine if she will remain with the agency.
H IGH - E N D E VE N T MA N AGE M E N T IN NYC Meanwhile, senior Sarah Derrick, of Flanders, N.J., spent her summer a little closer to home at LDJ Productions, an event management and production agency in New York City that specializes in technical production, creative services, show direction and event management. The company produces conferences and other events in fashion, beauty, corporate and entertainment.
B A I L E Y B A R A LT
ELISE SALADA HAZLET T
“I learned the process of planning an event from concept to execution,” Derrick says. “I sourced venues, assisted with production needs onsite during events, and created spreadsheets and creative documents.”
integrates with the mobile app.
Derrick expected a Devil Wears Prada atmosphere, but she was surprised by the friendliness and support she encountered.
“The exciting thing about SWSB requirements is, you don’t realize they are going to help you as much as they do,” she says. “But I was able to take the skills I’ve learned at SU and apply them with confidence.”
“Though they work with high-end clientele, the people in my office were extremely down-to-earth and goaloriented,” she says. “They love what they do and helped me through tasks.”
RENT THE R U NWAY, SING APOR E S T YL E Finally, on the other side of the world was Elise Salada Hazlett ’18, who worked in the marketing department at StyleTheory in Singapore. Think of it as a kind of Rent the Runway mobile application for Singapore. At StyleTheory, Salada Hazlett conducted market research to help the company better identify and target its consumers. She also created a consumer survey that
Her biggest surprise during her internship? Those required major classes really do come in handy.
After graduation, Salada Hazlett hopes to earn a degree in fashion design and pursue a career in the fashion industry, maybe one day opening her own company. Baralt would like to become a fashion sales representative for a small boutique or retail store in the greater New York City area, and Derrick plans to pursue a career in luxury event planning. “I love the luxury market. I found that within this major, I can combine all of my interests: luxury, fashion and event planning, while keeping my options open with possibilities,” Derrick says. “Luxury is constantly trending, changing and fast-paced. I like the challenge and competitiveness of entering the elite market and love being kept on my toes.” ■
VENTURES | SUSQU.EDU/BUSINESS
T I F FA N Y T R O I A N O ’ 08 B A R D
A LUMN A FINDS BUSINESS N I CH E I N MO ST UN EXP ECTED P L ACE A N D T I M E
BY HO PE MA R TI N ’19
Tiffany Troiano ’08 Bard has always been a fashionista at heart.
the company’s website, tiffmariematernity.com, “I spent my earlier career burning the midnight oil on Wall Street.”
“My favorite pastime had always been drawing fashion sketches and dreaming about one day owning my own line,” Bard says. “I never would have imagined, though, that it would be in maternity wear.”
Along the way, she worked for companies like Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and GE Capital. But after returning every piece of maternity wear she bought online, she decided to take the plunge and start her own business.
But, as the business administration major quickly realized while pregnant with her firstborn, there was a definitive business opportunity in maternity fashion. Unable to find stylish, versatile and well-made maternity clothes, Bard says, “I decided to draw and develop some styles of my own.”
After polling other new moms with similar frustrations and receiving positive feedback on her own fashion, she knew she’d found a viable business niche. Putting her marketing and finance background to work, she created a company website and social media presence, and found a local seamstress, manufacturer and fabric company to launch her line—all while on maternity leave.
Hence, Tiff.Marie Maternity was born. The Chicago-based brand produces fashionable maternity clothing made for use throughout the trimesters of pregnancy, and while postpartum and nursing. Bard says her “keen eye for design” was inherited from her grandmother Rose, who worked as a costume designer for 1940s figure-skating champion Sonja Henie. Yet, upon graduating from Susquehanna, Bard initially took a more traditional career path. As she explains on
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“By identifying and meeting a market need, my business continues to grow through word-of-mouth and social media outreach,” Bard says. Since launching the line, Bard has taken what she calls a “mom-preneurial” hiatus from the corporate world to fully dedicate herself to her company and raising her son. ■
A LU M N I NE W S
O U R B E S T A N D BRI GHTE ST
GRAD PUTS BUSINESS SENSE TO WORK IN NEW LAW FIRM
BY HO PE MA R TI N ’19
Brandt Bowman ’09, an attorney recognized on the 2017 Pennsylvania Rising Stars list, recently co-founded a new law firm in Harrisburg, Pa., that is taking an innovative approach to the attorney-client relationship. The firm, Penwell Bowman + Curran, works primarily on fixed-fee and not-to-exceed quotes rather than the billable hour that can often strain the attorney-client relationship.
Susquehanna—in particular, how to interact with others in an open-minded way, which in turn allowed him to learn from both classmates and professors. “There are countless books that purport to explain how to succeed in law school, but I opted to continue to do what was successful for me at SU. I’d say it worked.” ■
Bowman’s partnership with attorneys Scott Penwell and Matthew Curran was introduced to the regional business community in an Aug. 9 article published in Central Penn Business Journal. In it, Bowman said: “Our goal is to provide legal services to clients in a way that we would want to purchase them as entrepreneurs and business owners.” As explained on the firm’s website, “Used in the wrong situations, the billable hour can drive a big wedge between clients and their lawyers, which is why we’ve decided to avoid it as much as possible. Today’s world operates on fixed-fee or not-to-exceed quotes; the delivery of legal services should not be any different.” Bowman, who majored in business administration and economics at Susquehanna, devotes most of his practice to business clients. He counsels startups, financial institutions and businesses, as well as investors, in a range of matters related to corporate and securities law. “My SU business education gave me a solid business foundation, which allows me to more effectively interact with and represent business clients. Additionally, that business foundation has been valuable in setting up and beginning to operate our new firm,” Bowman says. Bowman graduated summa cum laude from Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law. He attributes much of his law school success to skills he honed during his time at
B R A N DT B O W M A N ’ 09
“ T HERE ARE COUNTLESS BOOKS THAT PURPORT TO EXPLAIN HOW TO SUCCEED IN LAW SCHOOL, BUT I OPTED TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR ME AT SU. I’D SAY IT WORKED.” —Brandt Bowman
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