School of Management @ UM-Flint Winter '24 Business magazine

Leading With a Spirit of Resilience

Dear Friends of the School of Management

We have faced with immense challenges in recent years that include a global pandemic, surviving conflict zones, and navigating an increasingly complex world. To say that I have pride in all that our students, faculty and staff have accomplished in the face of those challenges would be an understatement.

So it is fitting, with that in mind, that this year’s issue of Business @UMFlint is focused on resilience. In the pages that follow, you will read personal stories of students who have navigated tragic circumstances in regions of the world embroiled in conflict; how recent graduates have continued to navigate post-pandemic challenges in their businesses and careers; and how the School of Management and its people continue to achieve remarkable milestones and successes.

A few of those points of pride include a 10 percent growth in enrollment for our programs in the Fall of 2023, a top ranking of our online BBA degree, national successes of our student organizations, new academic programs, and new partnerships with the Genesee Intermediate School District, Michigan Business Educators Association, Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce, and Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

I hope you enjoy this year’s issue and the stories within it as much as I do. Please come visit us, meet our students, and connect or reconnect with our faculty and staff as we celebrate our 50th anniversary of the School in 2024-25.

GO BLUE! GO FLINT!

Best wishes,

Yener Kandogan, PhD

Interim Dean, School of Management

News & BRIEFS

There are always exciting things happening at UM-Flint School of Management (SOM). From emerging research panel discussions and award accolades to the launch of innovative new programs. Always thriving with academic excellence and professional development, here is a glimpse of just a few things happening at SOM.

DBA Faculty Research Presentation and IBSO Event

The School of Management’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Program hosted a research panel discussion series on October 24th of 2023 with presentations focused on contemporary business strategies in an uncertain world. This hybrid event was attended by doctoral students and the School’s faculty members. Distinguished panelists included:

• Dr. Asda Chintakananda, Associate Professor of Strategy, NIDA University (Thailand)

• Dr. Maria Andrea De Villa, Professor of Strategy, EAFIT University (Columbia)

• Dr. Tazeeb Tajwani, Chaired Professor of International Business & Strategy, University of Surrey (United Kingdom)

The panelists presented insights on doing business in Asia, Latin America, and Europe to a group of international business students.

Annual Economic Forum

The School of Management and the Rotary Club of Flint welcomed members of the university and community to the annual Economic Forum held at UM-Flint’s Northbank Center on December 8th of 2023. The event featured Christopher Douglas, PhD, professor of economics and chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities; Yener Kandogan, PhD, interim dean of SOM and professor of international business; and Steve Chenenko, MBA, former chief investment risk officer for Nationwide Insurance.

School of Management Beta Alpha Psi Receives Superior Chapter Recognition

The University of MichiganFlint School of Management Beta Alpha Psi Chapter was recognized as a superior chapter for 20222023. To become a Superior

Chapter, chapters must meet four criteria. First, they must have members attend at least 12 professional development meetings throughout the year. Attendance at meetings must be 25% of the membership in order to count. The School of Management chapter had local CPA firms present to the membership as part of these development meetings. This year they hosted a CPA partner from Plante Moran who spoke on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Secondly, the chapter must have members perform six service activities throughout the year. Members participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and created cards to encourage students to participate. Thirdly, the chapter must perform 11 outreach activities, which include attendance and presentations at the annual and midyear national meetings, have careers in accounting and finance presentations, collect 100 books for local schools, and other activities. Finally, the chapter must have at least one essential skills professional development meeting.

DBA program director, Dr. George O. White III, introducing panelists.

UM-Flint Online BBA Degree Ranked #1 in Michigan

The University of Michigan-Flint's Online Bachelor of Business (BBA) program has been named the top online business program in the state of Michigan, and one of the top programs in the country for the last four years (2021, 2022, 2023, & 2024) by U.S. News & World Report. The UM-Flint School of Management's Online BBA program was also ranked 58th nationwide.

“We are very gratified that our Online BBA program is so highly ranked and recognized,” said former School of Management dean, Scott D.

Johnson, Ph.D. “Our faculty are knowledgeable in their disciplines and are experienced in providing high-quality online instruction. Our students often have jobs and families. They appreciate the flexibility to learn in a convenient online format.”

In 2020, the School of Management announced a lower out-of-state online tuition and offers seven business majors that are fully online, cutting-edge, flexible, and career-ready including: Accounting, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Finance, General Business, International Business, Marketing, and Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management.

U.S. News is an independent global publisher of news and education rankings for various higher education institutions. The U.S. News & World Report methodology for the Best Online Bachelor's Program rankings were determined by the quality of education, time of completion, and W of the program for working professionals looking to progress or change careers. Additionally, school rankings were also based on four categories: engagement, service and technologies, faculty credentials and training, and expert opinion.

AIB Fellow Visits SOM to Present 'Building Corporate Reputations in Emerging Economies' Research

Last September 25th, Professor William (Bill) Newburry, Academy of International Business (AIB) Fellow, and the Ryder Eminent Scholar of Global Business at Florida International University (FIU), visited the School of Management and delivered a lecture on the reputational issues emerging economy firms face when investing abroad. The discussion identified specific difficulties faced by emerging economy firms, while also suggesting methods through which the firms can overcome home country and other reputation barriers in the global business environment. Bill is a non-resident senior research fellow at the Nanyang Business School Center for Emerging Markets, the founding chair of the FIU Department of International Business, and editor of AIB Insights.

Bill Newburry, PhD

Keith Kelley, PhD and Bill Newburry, PhD

Left to right: George O. White III, Tom Hemphill, Bill Newburry and Keith Kelley

Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship is Focused on Student Success

The Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (HCEI) generates excitement about entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the UM-Flint campus and community by taking a comprehensive three-pronged approach to ensure student success.

1. Winning Awards

The HCEI is a finalist for the 2024 United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Excellence in Co-Curricular Innovation Award. USASBE is the premier association focused on university entrepreneurship programs and has thousands of members. Thanks to the ongoing support from the UM-Flint community, Hagerman Foundation, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, USASBE has selected the Center as a finalist for the last two years. HCEI earned the 2024 Excellence in Co-Curricular Innovation Award from USASBE.

2. Spreading Innovation Across Campus

The Center runs six initiatives all designed to promote the innovation at UM-Flint and in Genesee County High Schools. For example, Zillion Solution (ZS) is an easy to enter competition in which students develop a simple fiveslide presentation or short selfie video suggesting an idea for a product or service. The low barriers to entry allow students from all backgrounds to solve problems they are truly passionate about. Last year, hundreds of students from each of UM-Flint's academic units (e.g., School of Management, School of Nursing, etc.) and Genesee County high schools entered. This year's submissions are due in March of 2024 and the finalists will be announced at the award ceremony on April 4th, 2024.

HCEI has partnered with dozens of faculty members, staff, and student organization officers across the University, helping them infuse innovation into their activities. For example, faculty offer extra credit opportunities and assignments related to the ZS submission criteria. We also hold classroom and student organization competitions in which we give awards to students who think of innovative solutions to problems related to a class's or student organization's focus. In 2023, a partnership was formed with the Honors College in which all their students submit to ZS as part of the College's official assessment criteria to evaluate how well it is teaching students to be innovative.

The Hagerman Center continues to give nine or more Faculty Innovation Awards annually. The main selection criteria are the extent to which they are conducting an

activity that generates excitement about innovation in UM-Flint and the local community. For example, one awardee, Yasser Aboelkassem from the College of Innovation and Technology, used the funding to bring a group of 40 high school students to take part in a workshop focused on the Internet of Things (IoT). The students then developed innovative IT kits.

3. Working With High School Students

The Hagerman Center, in partnership with SOM, has worked with hundreds of local high school students from various schools. For example, SOM’s recruiter and Hagerman Center representatives led five tours of downtown Flint for dozens of students. The high schoolers visited 100K Ideas, an organization that helps people launch new companies, learned more about SOM majors, became familiar with entrepreneurial opportunities at UM-Flint including student organizations and scholarships, toured campus, had lunch at the Flint Farmers Market, and dropped by Factory Two where future entrepreneurs build prototypes.

The Hagerman Center also worked with nearly 25 high school students in its Summer Entrepreneurship Institute, where they heard from professors, networked with entrepreneurs, and visited local organizations and presented their new venture ideas to peers and parents. HCEI also hosted 22 local high school entrepreneurship club advisors and teachers. As a result of the meeting, HCEI will be visiting an estimated 15 high school classes reaching roughly 200 students. During the visits, HCEI will conduct fun innovation workshops, explain the importance of innovation and what UM-Flint has to offer. Collectively, this year, the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will touch the lives of hundreds of high school students!

School of Management Partners with Genesee Intermediate School District

The School of Management and the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) have unveiled a new collaborative partnership. The goal of this partnership is to eliminate the necessity for duplicative college courses for GISD students entering SOM academic programs by allowing certain career tech education credits to be recognized.

Yener Kandogan, currently serving as the interim dean of the School of Management, provides additional insights into the significance of this collaboration.

“GISD offers quality career technical education courses for students and this agreement signifies that the students completing CTE business courses have received preparation equivalent to our marketing and entrepreneurship offerings. Allowing them not to have to repeat these courses when they start college and can quickly advance to higher-level business courses.”

To learn more about SOM’s undergraduate business programs or for additional information on GISD, scan the QR codes!

SOM Undergraduate Genesee Intermediate Business Programs School District

Lights, Camera, Barbie: Marketing Wisdom from a Professor’s Perspective

On July 24, 2023, Professor Erin Cavusgil, professor of marketing, joined ABC 12 to discuss the Barbie movie and the factors that contributed to making the movie a cultural phenomenon.

“First, the timing was right for this movie, as we eagerly welcome social experiences post-pandemic. Moviegoers celebrated by wearing pink, the movie’s signature color. Second, Warner Bros. invested heavily in marketing the movie. This included a number of product tie-ins, as well as advertising on social media platforms. Last, for many, Barbie is an iconic, familiar brand from childhood. The nostalgia factor also contributed to the movie’s considerable success. Overall, the marketing of the Barbie movie is a good example of a successful promotional campaign – in essence, ‘what to do right.’”

Inspiring High School Educators

Interim Dean Yener Kandogan has spearheaded a drive to strengthen School of Management’s ties with high schools, marking a pivotal moment in education outreach. On November 9, 2023, Kandogan took center stage at the Michigan Business Educators Association conference, delivering two compelling presentations to high school business-subject teachers. Focused on the intricacies and opportunities within international business, his talks provided valuable insights into the issues and career paths within the global marketplace. This involvement highlights SOM’s dedication to building relationships, supporting educators, and equipping the upcoming generation for success in the ever-evolving landscape of international business.

Navigating Opportunities at the Annual College Career Fair

In the dynamic landscape of higher education, where knowledge meets ambition, the School of Management holds its annual Career Fair for students eager and ready to embark on their professional journeys. This annual event transforms Riverfront into an energetic marketplace, companies set up booths, and students are dressed in their best professional attire while exchanging resumes for business cards. Join us for an opportunity to learn about many internship and job openings available from employers across the state.

Professor Erin Cavusgil

Dean Yener Kandogan

Leading With a Spirit of

RESILIENCE I I C

How the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management has embraced uncertainty –and thrived in it

Over the last decade, Flint native Jeron Dotson has traveled thousands of miles chasing his entrepreneurial and creative dreams with the assumption that in order to accomplish his goals, he’d need to leave Flint.

Today, the 2020 University of Michigan-Flint International Business graduate and his brother recently opened their business, the Poké Bowl – and they did it right here in Flint.

“I still love the allure of travel and seeing different destinations, but I realized home is where the heart is,” Dotson said during an interview after the Poké Bowl’s grand opening in 2023. “I figured out that I didn’t have to leave and go 2,000 miles out of the way to create opportunity, that Flint is a place I could do that at.”

Dotson’s journey to opening his own eatery was not an easy one. He and his brother, Justin Bush, got the idea for the Poké Bowl during a trip to California in 2017. Poké is a Hawaiian-style cuisine that typically includes marinated fish or other protein over rice or salad with fresh vegetables, sauces, and other ingredients. Dotson tried it for the first time on that trip and began plans to bring a similar concept to his hometown.

That required building new relationships within the business community, promoting the business even before it opened, navigating an unprecedented global pandemic that had a major impact on small businesses, securing funding, and much more.

His education at UM-Flint laid the groundwork for him to manage all those challenges and eventually make his

“It (UM-Flint) is a great place to go and get an education if you want more of an intimate vibe and closer relationship with your instructors,” Dotson said. “I was able to go to school here in Flint, right outside of where I live, meet people from the area and from outside the area. In business you learn that many opportunities come from networking and relationships, and that’s what I was able to gain from UM-Flint.”

The personal details of Dotson’s story are unique, but the experience of overcoming significant hurdles and challenges to accomplish major goals is woven into the makeup of students, faculty, and staff at the School of Management.

A curriculum that fits all students

Like most college programs around the country recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the School of Management was faced with a significant challenge: how to adapt learning environments, degree offerings, and other curricular components to a student base that increasingly needs flexibility and customization at the forefront of any college degree they pursue.

As part of the School of Management’s Strategic Transformation Plan, administration, faculty, and staff have worked to reposition the School and its programs as the business school of choice for career-minded, busy students looking for flexible programs that meet the needs of emerging industries in a global economy.

“Students are busy with life, family, and work obligations,” said Yener Kandogan, the interim dean of the School of Management. “Our programs provide students the option to take their courses in flexible formats that fit their schedule and

“In business you learn that many opportunities come from networking and relationships, and that’s what I was able to gain from UM-Flint.” – Jeron Dotson

learning style. This could be in-person, online-synchronous for students that want to experience live class sessions but face location constraints, or online-asynchronous for students that have time constraints with their schedule.”

New degree programs are now being developed that provide specialized knowledge in accounting, finance, human resources, international business, marketing, and operations and supply chain management. These programs will be embedded with certificates for in-demand skills, and cocurricular career development activities. Discussions among School of Management faculty directly resulted in new degree proposals that include:

• BBA in general business in Accelerated Online Degree Completion (AODC): This program, geared toward adult students with credits but no degree, helps leverage previously earned college credits to finish a quality bachelor’s degree in business with an expedited timeline.

• BS in various business disciplines: For local, international, and online students looking for specialized business degrees, these degrees differ from the prior Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) majors by offering more specialized courses. These programs share a core and are offered in flexible formats, allowing local and international students to take the classes in-person and at the same time online for remote students. BBA in each major will be terminated, and BS programs in each area will be introduced.

• MS in marketing, finance, and supply chain management disciplines: Introduced for graduate students looking for specialized business degrees, these programs will offer specialized 30 credits in each of these disciplines. MS programs will be bundled with BS programs in the same disciplines.

These changes have already helped make a dramatic impact on enrollment for the School of Management. As of the fall of 2023, the School of Management saw:

672 total undergraduate students, the largest number since the fall of 2019

350 graduate students, the highest number in more than five years

7,600 total credit hours, the most since the fall of 2019

Students at the Center

Programmatic changes and enrollment growth are critical to the School of Management’s success, but continuing to help students persevere and succeed in their goals is the ultimate purpose of all of the School’s programs.

Seven years ago, Yuliia Lane began in a new journey in her life by moving to the United States from Ukraine. As a student, she’s had to remain focused on her studies and career goals despite her country being embroiled in war and conflict since 2022.

At UM-Flint, she’s found an environment that is conducive to her goals and supportive – especially for international students.

“Being an international student came with its set of challenges, particularly in overcoming language barriers and adapting to a new culture,” she said. “However, my passion for my degree became a driving force, enabling me to navigate and triumph over these obstacles. My family here in the USA and back in Ukraine were very supportive and encouraging. I value everyone who came along on this journey with me and offered a hand of support.”

Lane completed her bachelor’s degree in International Business with a minor in Marketing in 2023. She graduated with honors, was a Maize and Blue recipient, and was a commencement speaker. She currently works as a project manager, plans to pursue her MBA, and wants to continue advancing her career in organizational leadership. In particular, she cited UM-Flint’s study abroad opportunities as immensely valuable in her education.

“The decision to pursue my degree at UM-Flint was driven by the appeal of a smaller campus and the highly regarded International Business program,” Lane said. “Many people recommended it to me knowing that I am bilingual and have a strong interest in business. What stood out was not only the academic excellence but also the promise of study abroad opportunities. I embarked on an educational journey to Morocco and participated in an internship at Wuppertal University in Germany in my undergraduate senior year, which provided me with invaluable insights and life experiences. Now as I am pursuing my career I look back on those opportunities and how much I have learned from them. UM-Flint offers a large selection of resources that can significantly contribute to skill advancement and building invaluable connections, ensuring that your time here is not just about learning but also about personal and professional growth.”

“The decision to pursue my degree at UM-Flint was driven by the appeal of a smaller campus and the highly regarded International Business program.”

Henrietta Nwokeabia, who is originally from Nigeria and completed her master's in business administration with a concentration in healthcare management at UM-Flint, hopes to use what she’s learned in her education to improve the healthcare system in her home country.

“I hope to one day do my part in bettering the healthcare system in Nigeria,” said Nwokeabia, who has an undergraduate degree in nursing. “I want to focus on making primary care and community healthcare accessible through education and creating a more efficient system for the delivery of care. I also want to make geriatric care and assisted living a more palatable option for families. She feels combining her nursing and healthcare background with a business degree gives her even more expertise to accomplish her career goals. She also felt particularly welcome in UM-Flint’s business courses, even as a graduate student who didn’t enter the program with an undergraduate background in business.

“Mariam Iskandarani, Yener Kandogan, and Gerald Knesek, these were my favorite professors,” she said. “For the type of courses they taught, I didn't feel like an outsider since I had just a healthcare background, and this is because they taught in such an engaging and clear way that I easily understood the topics. I appreciated the discussions via email or after class, and I appreciated the vast amount of knowledge that they had in their subject areas. I will remember their courses dearly.”

Celebrating the Past and the Future

The 2024-25 academic year will mark the 50th anniversary of the UM-Flint School of Management. Planning is underway for a series of events to properly commemorate the milestone.

“The goals of these events will include raising awareness for future students, connecting with alumni and current students, and expanding or creating new partnerships with companies,” Kandogan said.

As plans for events are finalized, details will be added to the UM-Flint School of Management 50th anniversary web umflint.edu/som/50years. The goal of the events is to celebrate accomplishments of the past while looking to the future impact the School will continue to have on students.

“This university is more than an educational institution,” Lane said. “It is a home where smiles and support await at every step. You are not just a student; you are part of a welcoming community ready to support and guide you on your path to success.”

School of Management

TIMELINE

1956: University of Michigan-Flint is established under the original name of the Flint College of the University of Michigan. In the same year, the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program starts.

1975: School of Management (SOM) is established as a separate academic unit.

1981: Master of Business Administration (MBA) program starts.

1992: The University received AACSB accreditation in business administration.

2001: Netplus! MBA program starts.

2002: SOM moves to the William S. White Building; SOM organizes first faculty-led study abroad program to Russia.

2005: BBA online program starts.

2006: Number of tenured business faculty grows to 10; SOM signs its first dual degree program with Tamkang University of Taiwan.

2008: Number of full-time business faculty grows to 20.

2009: SOM signs its first student exchange agreement with Zagreb School of Economics and Management of Croatia.

2010: MBA program is recognized for the first time among top 50 part-time programs by Bloomberg BusinessWeek in the US.

2012: SOM moves to the Riverfront Center in January; Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) program starts in September.

2017: Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Dynamics (MSLOD) program starts.

2023: Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program starts.

New Doctorate of Business Administration Program Launches

The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management launched its new Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program in the fall of 2023, with 15 students enrolled in the program. The program is the only DBA program in the state of Michigan accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Similar to curriculum across the School of Management, the DBA program is designed to blend a strong grounding in business principles and theory with opportunities to mix in practical, real-world experiences. It is also intended to meet the needs of people currently working in business careers.

“The DBA program is designed for working professionals so that they can advance their careers without disruption,” said Dr. Yener Kandogan, interim dean of the School of Management. “In this competitive business world, graduates of our DBA program will be equipped with a deeper applied knowledge and skills, setting them up for more career advancement opportunities and greater earning potential in their fields.”

The program was designed with mid-career professionals like mid-level managers, consultants, or analysts or college lecturers wanting to transition into a full-time tenure track position in mind. The curriculum includes three phases, with the first year focused on theoretical and methodological foundations of business strategy; the second year on practical applications of business strategy concepts; and the third year emphasizing the design and execution of a research project as part of a student’s dissertation. Coursework draws from faculty strengths across the School of Management and offers an applied research model, with the goal of helping DBA students either grow in their current careers or equipped with the skills and experience necessary to make a career change.

The accreditation through AACSB is another major differentiator for the program. AACSB is a global nonprofit founded in 1916 that is focused on connecting students, educators, and industry around a central goal of creating great business leaders. The organization provides quality assurance of business schools including UM-Flint’s School of Management worldwide.

Dr. George O. White III, director of the DBA program, notes that a major goal of the program is for graduates to have skills that are directly transferrable into a workplace. He’s also been pleased with the interest in the program so soon after launching.

“The primary focus of our program is on business strategy, with a global focus.“

– Dr. George O. White III

“It’s been very interesting seeing the demand in the program. It has exceeded our expectations rather substantially,” White said. “DBA programs are becoming more popular for a number of reasons. We wanted to create a very focused program that had an identity. The primary focus of our program is on business strategy, with a global focus. Our faculty teaching in the program are thought leaders globally. A lot of our research is internationally oriented. We wanted to provide a platform in our program so that anyone in the world could actually take courses with us if they wanted to. We want to be accessible to individuals all over the world, who have the chance of entering and taking courses as students in our program.”

The application deadline for the Fall 2024 cohort is April 1. Requirements include a master's degree in the arts, sciences, engineering, or business administration from a regionally accredited institution, or significant professional experience. Students also must have at least 10 years of progressive business experience, with a minimum of five years in midlevel management, consultancy, technical, or college teaching.

DBA Information

Information about the program, application process, and requirements are available on the School of Management’s website or by contacting Anna Swartz at annas@umich.edu or 810.424.5587.

BBA Degree Now Offered in Accelerated Format

Completing a bachelor's degree can be a difficult process for any student. And when real-life complications like a need to work fulltime, family responsibilities, trying to manage transfer processes and credits, and other variables enter the equation, that degree completion process can become even more daunting.

The University of Michigan-Flint’s Accelerated Online Degree (AODC) format was designed to alleviate some of those stresses for working adults, transfer students, and other students who have run into barriers completing their degrees. The program launched university-wide in 2022, with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration added to the fast-track program shortly after the AODC launch.

“We’ve recognized different needs and preferences in our students in terms of how they want courses to be offered,” said Yener Kandogan, interim dean of the School of Management. “Being flexible in our course offerings and delivery can address the preferences of each student, without forcing them into a modality. We are giving them options that fit their learning styles, schedules, and other unique needs that they may have.”

The SOM’s AODC program allows students to leverage previously earned college credits at UM-Flint or other accredited institutions to finish a bachelor’s degree faster. Students still receive the core components of a UMFlint SOM education – expert faculty, rigorous curriculum, and hands-on applied education mixed in with a strong grounding in business theory. Courses are just offered to AODC students in a 7-week online format.

Classes are offered in an asynchronous format with no set class times, so students can complete course requirements when and where it is convenient. Students also receive 24/7

“Being flexible in our course offerings and delivery can address the preferences of each student, without forcing them into a modality.” – Dr. Yener Kandogan

support from the Office of Online & Digital Education to improve their learning experience. Helpful resources such as tutoring, workshops, and academic advising are available as well. Virtual services also include tutoring, academic advising, and workshops.

Before beginning the program, students meet with an advisor to ensure their college credits will transfer to UM-Flint. But the program also considers more than just previous college credits –professional training and certifications, standarized exams (like AP, IB, and CLEP), military exams and training, and a review of a portfolio that shows documented non-classroom learning are also considered for credit.

Completing a BBA through the AODC program also sets students up to further their education. Accelerated BBA students can waive five Master’s of Business Administration courses by earning a B or higher in the equivalent BBA course, which means they could earn their MBA in as few as 30 credits.

“We recognize that for many students, time is the biggest consideration in completing a degree,” Kandogan said. “This program is tailored specifically for those students, intended to save them time while also helping them complete a degree that will directly support and be in line with their career goals and set them up for greater earning potential and success in their fields.”

The first group of AODC students to graduate from the program received degrees at the May 2023 UM-Flint commencement ceremony. Roy Barnes, program director for AODC, was excited to see the first cohort achieve their goals and for the future of the program.

“Seeing these students graduate reinforces the significance of this program for people's lives and serves as a reminder of the value of this program that the University of Michigan-Flint developed just last year,” Barnes said. For more information about the program, visit umflint.edu/aodc.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS:

Opportunities Igniting in Our Business School Network

Every month, the School of Management curates a dynamic event featuring distinguished speakers who are leaders in business. The goal is to provide students with invaluable insights as well as an opportunity to ask questions, foster connections, and cultivate a community driven by shared learning experiences.

October Events

November Events

GALA Hispana

December 1, 2023, School of Management sponsored and attended the 34th Annual Gala Hispana, celebrating the stars of the Hispanic community.

October’s guest speaker was Mark Moreno, Executive Director of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

November’s guest speakers were Jill Carr from Stephens Wealth Management, along with Patricia Walton and Tod Fisher from Rachor Financial.

Expanding Student Opportunities Through the Flint & Genesee Chamber

In an effort to provide more opportunities for University of Michigan-Flint School of Management students to receive mentorship, network, and learn more about careers and business opportunities, the School of Management and the Flint & Genesee Chamber, a division of Flint & Genesee Group, recently reached an agreement on a wide-ranging partnership that should benefit students and Chamber members.

“The Flint & Genesee Chamber is thrilled to welcome college students to participate in our networking events and initiatives,” said Andrew Younger, executive director of the Flint & Genesee Chamber. “We have so many highly talented young people right here in our community, and a significant percentage of them are students at the University of Michigan-Flint. Our goal is to keep as many of them as possible here to build their careers and lives. We are working hard to change the out-of-date perception that there are not good career opportunities right here in town. Today, for just about any industry, graduating students can find many great careers with paths of growth and success, without having to move away. The Chamber has the unique position of being able to bridge the gap between businesses that are seeking to employ young talent and the students looking for careers in those fields. We take that role seriously and are honored to have UM-Flint students engage with us and our members.”

In 2022, the collaboration began with a podcast series called “Genesee County Visionaries.” The School of Management and Entrepreneurs Society at UM-Flint worked with the Chamber to feature business leaders in the Flint area, interview them, and gain insights about their visions, what drives them to succeed, and other information that can be shared with students, faculty, and other interested stakeholders in the community.

Last year, that partnership deepened with two opportunities for students to attend Chamber events and learn directly from experienced business professionals in a wide range of industries. The School of Management now covers expenses for all SOM students to attend the Chamber’s monthly luncheon and program. Each luncheon includes a speaker, networking, and information about new and existing Chamber members and their businesses. The School of Management now also provides support for seniors and graduate students to join the Chamber’s Young Professionals Network and attend events. Students must apply for membership on the Chamber’s website, FlintandGeneseeChamber.org, and then are able to attend Young Professionals events with costs covered by the School of Management. The Young Professionals group encourages and supports young

“We have so many highly talented young people right here in our community, and a significant percentage of them are students at the University of Michigan-Flint.“

– Andrew Younger, Flint & Genesee Chamber

professionals through placemaking, building personal and professional networks, community involvement, and fostering educational opportunities with the ultimate objective of attracting and retaining talent in Genesee County.

“Participation from UM-Flint students has been terrific so far, and we have received very positive feedback from students and our member businesses,” Younger said. We have been pleased to help connect some students with businesses to help with growth opportunities and address challenges, which is a win for both sides.”

Networking Opportunities

Monthly Luncheons: All students are able to participate in monthly Chamber luncheons, with the reduced associated fee covered by the UM-Flint School of Management. The luncheons provide an opportunity to grow business knowledge, connect with members, and gain insight into the business community. Students must register to attend. Please email Jennie Main at jmain@flintandgenesee.org.

Young Professionals Network: Senior and graduate students are able to join the Flint & Genesee Young Professionals Network for no cost. Students who are interested should complete the Young Professionals Application on the Chamber website, FlintandGeneseeChamber.org.

The School of Management covers fees associated with Young Professionals events, but students need to register on this form to have fees covered.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

First Career Development

Summit Pairs Students With Career

Resources and Insight

For the first time, the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management hosted a day-long Career Development Summit in 2023, and plans for the successful event to become annual.

In June, approximately 80 people attended, with around half attending virtually and half in-person. The event included a panel discussion with leaders from a wide range of businesses and fields, and breakout sessions on several business and career-focused topics.

“We had great feedback from the students and alumni that attended in addition to the employer/alumni panelists that participated,” said Justin Skibin, Career Development Manager for the School of Management. “The attendees appreciated the level of preparation and the quality of instruction given from the Summit presenters and staff organizing the event.”

Participants in the ‘Careers in Business’ panel were Martha Everett, Director of Procurement Governance, Compliance & Supplier Quality at Quest Diagnostics; Jill Carr, Wealth Advisor & Certified Financial Planner at Stephens Wealth Management Group; Brandee Cooke-Brown, Executive Director at 100K Ideas; Sarah Harper, Human Resources Director at Advance Plumbing & Heating; Paul Bryant, Partner at Plante Moran; and Danielle Mauter, Chief of Marketing and Communications at Metro Parks.

Session topics after the panel discussion and keynote speech were Women in Business; Minorities in Business; Business Etiquette; Careers in Tech; Careers in Healthcare; and Careers in Law.

“The topics were brainstormed through generating relevant topics that all UM-Flint students can benefit from via student suggestions from past appointments, feedback from faculty and employers, and based on the current business environment with industry trends and concepts,” Skibin said. “We also wanted to feature topics outside of the School of Management (Careers in Healthcare, Tech, and Law) to help extend an invitation to non-business students and also due to Law being an applicable field for business students to approach after graduating.”

In addition to providing students with access to insights from successful professionals, the event also gave those industry representatives a chance to meet and interact with future workforce talent, and for those who were alumni the chance to come back and support their alma mater.

“We received solid feedback from the industry professionals participating in the Summit,” Skibin said. “About half of them were alumni of the School of Management and all of them were employer partners, so it was a way to provide multiple incentives for alumni to get involved in addition to strengthening the existing employer relationships.”

Internship Scholarships

In the spring of 2022, the Joubran Career Readiness Fund was established. One purpose of the fund is to provide scholarship assistance to students in the UM-Flint SOM internship course. The course is a three-credit “pass/fail” course that allows students with a 2.5 GPA and 55 credits to use their in-field employment for three credits.

The Joubran Career Readiness Fund provides about $3,000 per semester for students enrolled in the course, with amounts varying per student based on their applications.

“I cannot express how grateful I am for this not only for the financial relief that it will bring but also for the confidence you have in me and my academic journey,” recipient Morgan Pierce wrote in a thank you letter after receiving the scholarship.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to participate in the internship course and to further my professional career. I am currently working at a local credit union that allows me to build relationship, communication, and teamwork skills.”

Fall 2023

Recipients:

• Caitlin Belleville $500

• Ashley Dameworth $500

• Skyler McCurry $500

• Madison Speer $500

• Anna Densmore $200

• Savannah Foster $200

• Arielle Hermann $200

• Morgan Pierce $200

• Adisson Willford $200

Winter 2024

Recipients:

• Hailey Lane $500

• Erik Legault $500

• Nicole Parker $500

• Zoe Graham $250

• Emily Nelson $250

• Angela Palmer $250

• Harmony Saad $250

• Taylor SekRenes $250

• Ashley Tipton $250

Justin Skibin

2016 Alum Recognized for Impressive Early Career Accomplishments Alumni AWARDS

In 2016, Holly Kilburn graduated from the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management with a degree in business administration.

As the student commencement speaker, she shared her own personal motivations for enrolling at UM-Flint, including a desire to create a better life for her and her son.

“One day while I was flipping burgers on the grill, I was thinking about my son and realized that even in the face of the odds, I needed to do better than I was for him,” she said. “Not too long after that, I enrolled at the University of Michigan-Flint's School of Management and this was the point where my life began to change.”

Kilburn, a Flint native, was a high-achieving student. She received a Maize & Blue Award, the highest academic recognition given to undergraduate students. She was also a James B. Angell Scholar.

Now, Kilburn has been recognized once again, as the recipient of the UM-Flint School of Management Early Career Alumni Achievement Award.

Kilburn, who majored in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, is currently the Grants and Special Initiatives Manager for CS Partners. She manages grant requests for schools across the state, serving more than 11,000 students and managing over $40 million in grants for the 2022-23 school year. In total, she’s managed approximately $250 million in grants, has helped open three new charter schools, and contributes to other company strategic priorities.

“Holly not only possesses a great intellect and is a fantastic teammate, but she also embodies one of our organizational habits by consistently ‘getting stuff done’ at a very high level,” said CS Partners CEO and UM-Flint Alumnus Chris Matheson. “Her efforts make us better.”

Kilburn’s role also includes ensuring that grants are implemented appropriately at the school level. “The world of grants and school funding can be overwhelming when trying to juggle all of my school leader responsibilities, but Holly's expertise, dedication to school success, and exemplary attention to detail have made things significantly easier,” said Huron Academy Superintendent Joshua Sobczak. “Her hard work has saved hours of time while also saving our school hundreds of thousands of dollars – and she makes what could be a painstaking task a fun one in the process with her huge heart and warm personality.”

Kilburn serves on the board of the Michigan Association of State and Federal Program Specialists (MASFPS) representing Congressional District 7. She chaired the Congressional District Committee, which standardized information and resources provided by the organization across all congressional districts in Michigan. She’s remained involved at her alma mater. She has served as a panelist during School of Management Alumni Career Panel events, collaborated with the school to start an internship program with her company, and mentors students by sharing her experience and knowledge, living by the words she delivered in her closing remarks in 2016.

“Remember to be you,” she said. “Empower yourselves to achieve more than the statistics say, and don’t let stereotypes tell who you are. Chase your dreams, live with passion, and simply find out who it is you truly are.”

The School of Management honors its exceptional alumni with the Early Career Alumni Achievement Award given to graduates of its bachelor’s programs who have achieved great success in their first 10 years in their careers after graduation, and with the Outstanding Alumni Award, given to graduates of any SOM programs. Each fall and winter term, one alumnus is selected by the School’s executive committee.

Following the selection, the awardee is expected to give a speech to current students during the term and speak at the School’s honors dinner that term.

About the Award

This award recognizes outstanding alumni who have distinguished themselves at this stage of life through:

• Exceptional accomplishment in their chosen profession.

• Exceptional community service.

• Exceptional service in support of the School and the University.

The Early Career Alumni Achievement Award serves as an opportunity for current and future School of Management students to recognize the notable success the School’s alumni achieve in their early career following graduation.

Nominate a Graduate Nomination is available to all faculty, staff, alumni, and other constituents of the School of Management. Nominators must provide their own name, contact information, the nominee’s name, professional achievement, service to community, and examples of how the nominee supports UMFlint SOM. Scan QR code to make your nominations.

BEYOND GRADUATION: A Spotlight on University Alumni Events

Welcome to the dynamic world of networking, camaraderie, and celebration within the School of Management! In the heart of our academic community, alumni events serve as vibrant threads weaving a tapestry of connections and shared experiences. From the annual alumni career panel that illuminates diverse professional pathways to spirited holiday happy hours, where alumni come together during occasions like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day, the SOM cultivates a thriving culture of engagement. Adding to the excitement, our alumni rally behind our local Flint City Bucks and Flint Firebirds, turning sporting events into reunions. In this article, we delve into the significance of these events, exploring how they not only foster connections but also play a pivotal role in shaping the identity and enduring legacy of our esteemed SOM alumni community at UM-Flint.

Alumni Insights

Annually, the SOM organizes a distinguished alumni career panel speaker session. Accomplished graduates representing diverse industries generously share their career journeys and insights with current student. Not only does this occasion provide students with invaluable networking opportunities, real-world career advice, and a chance to gain practical knowledge about various career paths, it also helps alumni make informed decisions about their future.

Panelists for the 2023 Alumni Career Panel included:

Bethany Brooks Manager – Major Account Services, DTE Energy

Holly Kilburn

Grants and Special Initiatives Manager, CS Partners Partner Solutions

Matthew McDaniel

Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations/FOIA Coordinator, Rochester Community Schools

Tyra Stowe

Talent Acquisition Specialist, Genesee Intermediate School District

Festive Holiday Reunions

Whether it’s a hauntingly good Halloween, or the green-themed fun of St. Patrick’s Day, SOM’s holiday social hours offer a chance to unwind and reconnect with fellow alumni. These gatherings provide a delightful opportunity for our alumni community to come together and create lasting memories in a relaxed and friendly setting. Whether if you’re catching up with old friends, or making new ones, these holiday social hours are a testament to the enduring bonds formed during your academic journeys.

Halloween Social Hour

Alumni Career Panel

Cheering Together

Each season, our local Flint Firebirds and Flint City Bucks host an alumni night for School of Management. These spirited gatherings not only fortify the connections among our alumni but also stand as a testament to the enduring influence of our university experience on the wider community. We invite you to join us in cheering for our local teams, fostering a sense of camaraderie, and celebrating SOM’s legacy. Let’s come together and cheer on our beloved Firebirds and Bucks!

Alumni Updates

To submit an alumni update, complete the form at go.umflint.edu/alumni_updates. We look forward to hearing from you!

Flint Firebirds Alumni Night

Flint City Bucks Alumni Night

St. Patrick's Social Hour

Connected JOIN THE ALUMNI CLUB!

Since the beginning, graduates of the University of Michigan have sought to maintain a strong connection with both their alma matter and fellow alumni. The inaugural commencement in Ann Arbor in August 1845, which saw the graduation of 11 students, led to the immediate formation of the Society of the Alumni. In 1958, the Flint Senior College of the University of Michigan (now the University of Michigan-Flint) celebrated its first graduating class, welcoming 86 students into the U-M alumni community. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of U-M alums worldwide. As a graduate of the University of MichiganFlint, you are part of this U-M network! Become a member of the Alumni Association, and join your local alumni club today at alumni.umich.edu/join

The UM-Flint Alumni Relations team is here to help you stay connected to everything you love about the University of Michigan-Flint.

Here are a few other ways to stay engaged with the School of Management and the University of Michigan-Flint.

Share It

Follow UM-Flint social media. Share your photos, tweets, and videos on our official social media sites. And be sure to like the UM-Flint School of Management page on Facebook!

Give Back

Consider making a gift to SOM! Every gift to our entire campus matters, regardless of size. Support the university’s efforts to prepare the next generation of Leaders and Best. Visit umflint.edu/som/ and click “give now”.

Recruit from Within

UM-Flint has a deep talent pool that has been producing leaders for more than 60 years. SOM alumni can post internship/job postings as well as utilize career counseling and gain assistance finding a job. For more information, contact Justin Skibin, SOM career development manager, at 810.762.3366 or jskibin@umich.edu.

Share the News

Stay up-to-date with the latest UM-Flint news and stories with your friends and fellow alumni. Check out news.umflint.edu

Wear It Proudly

Check out the UM-Flint Bookstore for the latest UM-Flint and Wolverine gear and show off your UM-Flint pride. Visit umflint.bncollege.com

Take Us Along for the Ride

UM-Flint is in the Vehicle City. Show your UM-Flint pride with a UM-Flint license plate available from the Michigan Secretary of State michigan.gov/sos.

Whether you are interested in volunteering, networking, or attending upcoming events, we would love to hear from you! Explore the opportunities provided throughout the year by visiting our webpage at umflint.edu/ advancement/alumni-relations/

New Staff & FACULTY

FOCUS:

Business Law

BACKGROUND:

Dr. Cameron teaches a variety of business classes in law, cybersecurity, and management. Her educational background includes a J.D, an MBA in Management, and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in writing. She also holds a certificate in International Business and Sustainability and is licensed to practice law in Michigan, District of Columbia, and before the United States Supreme Court. Her business background includes working as an attorney, in a managerial role, as an entrepreneur, and as a consultant. She is also active in research and publishes on employment issues, health care concerns, consumer protection, real estate, and cybersecurity matters. Her recent book chapter, "Liability for breach of trust and privacy: torts, contracts, and cybersecurity," written with Monroe J. Molesky, George Washington University and Norman W. Hawker, Western Michigan University was published in Communications, Leadership,

and Trust in Organizations, by Routledge, October 2023.

Dr. Cameron is an outstanding teacher who has twice received the Master Teacher Award from the Midwest Academy of Legal Studies in Business and the Andison Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has been recognized for exemplary research with the MBAA International Best Paper Award and other research awards. She works diligently to ensure that her legal research gives greater protection to employees and consumers. However, her greatest joy is helping students find their vocation and success in their work. She is passionate about helping students understand the deep impact that business students have on society.

INTERESTS:

Dr. Cameron loves to read, restore old furniture, and swim. She enjoys spending time with her family and her Goldendoodle.

FOCUS:

Supply Chain Management

BACKGROUND:

Zaher Charara has a Doctorate of Business Administration in business strategy and supply chain management from Grenoble Ecole de Management in France. In addition, he has an MBA in International Marketing from University of California Irvine, and a Master of Science from University of Florida. He is a Certified Supply Chain Professional from the Association for Supply Chain Management.

Zaher Charara’s corporate experience with Dow Chemical and ConAgra Foods in the United States is complemented with teaching the following undergraduate and graduate courses in business schools: business strategy, marketing management, and supply chain management. He also provided training workshops to professionals and managers.

INTERESTS:

Dr. Charara enjoys reading, photography, and music.

FOCUS:

As Hagerman Center Program Manager, she oversees student scholars, assists with operations, manages events, and communicates with internal and external stakeholders.

BACKGROUND:

Anna Church joined the School of Management staff in July of 2023 as the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program Manager. She graduated with a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management in April of 2023. As a student, Anna worked as a program lead for the Center and gained experience and knowledge in entrepreneurship, leadership, and communications.

INTERESTS:

Anna enjoys photography, soccer, and spending time with friends and family.

Contributing to Diversity of Educational Experience

Dr. Elizabeth A. Cameron Leo Lecturer I

STAFF

Anna Church Hagerman Center Program Manager

Dr. Zaher Charara Lecturer III

FACULTY

Maize & Blue RECIPIENTS Beta Gamma Sigma Inductees

Beta Gamma Sigma is the honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a business program accredited by ACCSB International.

Congratulations to the 2022/2023

Beta Gamma Sigma Inductees:

Cody Alexander

Hana Alnounou

Amy Andrews

Natasha Baig

Jaime Bishop

Britney Campbell

Anna Church

Amy Clolinger

Branden Cook

Joseph Corey

Claudia Dahlberg

Laura Denton

Liza Derev

Rick Dvksterhouse

Theo Ellis

Laurel Ferguson

Aaron Foegelsonger

Stacy Giroux

Emily Guido

Jennifer Hagerman

Emma Howell

Joshua Jones

Melissa Kelley

Chandler Kielbas

Brendon Kuch

Elaine LaFavor

Jessica Lamoreaux

Yuliia Lane

Dakota Lindsey

Stephanie Lopex

Kim Lund

Ross McEacheron V

Madison McFall

Sarah Miller

Kellie Nash

Tracy Pemberton

Victoria Radke

Jared Ralph

Rocio Rivera Mercado

Amanda Roest

Nicholas Scharrer

Silvana Serafimovska

Ryan Smith

Phil Tambouridis

Al Viera

Chelsea Wagner

Mary Wagner

Lydia Williams

Amy Wisenbaugh

In December, five University of Michigan-Flint School of Management students were recognized as Maize & Blue Award recipients.

The Maize & Blue Award is the highest academic recognition given to undergraduate students during the commencement season. The award is presented to no more than 26 students per year who excel academically and exemplify intellectual maturity and depth, character, talent, and service to the university and the community. The recipients are selected by a faculty committee, with both faculty and staff writing letters of recommendation for students who apply for the award. Recipients are:

DECEMBER 2022

Hana Alnounou

Indianapolis, Indiana

Hana graduated from UM-Flint with a double major in Finance and International Business with a concentration in Finance. While in college, she worked for the Recreation Center, managing finances for nine club sports teams. She’s currently working at Michigan Medicine’s OBGYN Department as a financial specialist associate, where she’s managed over 60 budgets of sponsored and discretionary funding with the overarching goal of advancing women’s health.

“My college experience was very valuable in that I felt adequately prepared to take on the professional world upon graduating,” Alnounou said. “I have learned so much, not only from the rigorous curriculum, but also from studying alongside self-driven, hardworking, intelligent, and supportive classmates. The highlight of my involvement with SOM was being president of the Flint chapter of the Financial Management Association (FMA). Under the guidance of Dr. John Stephens, this club opened an avenue of networking with professionals from the finance world, participating in national conferences, collaborating with other student organizations, and practicing stock valuations. Getting awarded the Maize & Blue Scholar Award was the “cherry on top” so to speak! I was very excited putting together my application for the award; writing out my personal statement and organizing my CV made me reflect on how much I’ve grown over the course of my college years, thanks to the support of my family, the resources offered by our campus, and the connections I made along the way.”

APRIL 2023

Yuliia Lane

Ukraine

Yuliia graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in International Business and a minor in Marketing. She was also a commencement speaker. She is currently working as a project manager for Trent Creative in Rochester, Michigan.

“Looking forward, my career goals extend beyond my recent graduation,” Lane said. “I aspire to further my education by completing an MBA program, envisioning a future in leadership positions where the knowledge and credentials I obtain will enhance not only my resume, but I get to use it in a hands-on way. I am currently employed as a project manager and see myself advancing in the organizational leadership field.”

Chelsea Wagner

Essexville, Michigan

Chelsea double majored in Human Resource Management and Finance as an undergraduate and is currently in the Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Dynamics program. She currently works for Dow in their HR Development Program, with her first rotation in talent acquisition.

"I received a call saying that I received the Maize & Blue Award while I was on a spring break study abroad trip in Japan!" Wagner said. "I woke up to a voicemail on my phone, and immediately called back as I was so eager to learn more. It was such a special way to learn that I received the award and a memory that will always stay with me."

Megan (Duncan) Woodward Davison, Michigan

Megan graduated with a major in finance and minor in communications. She was recently promoted to a Retail Store Manager position with AT&T.

“It meant a lot to me to receive the Maize & Blue Award," she said. "My whole college journey I worked very hard to both be successful in school and work at the same time while also giving back to the community. To be rewarded in such a high manner was fulfilling. I will always be grateful to be selected for the Maize & Blue Award."

DECEMBER 2023

Timothy J. Brooks

Linden, Michigan

Timothy graduated as a double major in International Business and Supply Chain Management. He’s currently hoping to find a rewarding career in which he can help people and enact change. He also hopes to make an impact in Flint and in Michigan as he enters the workforce.

“My reaction to receiving the Maize & Blue Award was an incredibly humbling and validating experience, that my peers as well as my professors saw the impact and growth that I had made during my short time at UM-Flint,” Brooks said. “That I had helped to create a better environment for learning and growth. My own growth towards intellectual maturity and academic excellence has been greatly impacted by the kind faculty and staff that have helped to mold me into the individual that I am today.”

Theo Ellis, Sr.

Port Huron, Michigan

Theo dual enrolled in the joint BBA/MBA program. He completed his BBA in August of 2023 and will finish his MBA in August of 2024. Ellis is already a business owner, and hopes to use his degrees to continue the growth of ProSound Media, a music company that includes brand marketing, digital marketing, publicity, film/TV and commercial synchronization, publishing, and worldwide distribution. He also has an interest in working for a Fortune 500 company as a business analyst.

“I was humbled when I found out I was nominated for the Maize & Blue Award,” Ellis said. “Upon notification that I had received the award I was left speechless and full of gratitude. Upon being asked to speak at commencement I was nervous but I was up to the challenge. I wanted to set an example for my children (one of whom is also currently attending UM-Flint), and for any other ‘non-traditional’ students who may be thinking about returning to school. If I can do it ... you can too!”

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

George O. White III

Preparing Students to Lead Strategically

The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management prides itself on preparing students for a global business landscape. A key component of that preparation is having world-class faculty who bring a wealth of international experiences to the subjects they teach.

at the University of MichiganAnn Arbor, a Non-Resident Research Fellow with the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines, and as a Visiting Professor at NIDA Business School in Thailand. He is also the director of the SOM’s newly launched Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program.

George O. White III, PhD

Dr. George O. White III, who was a faculty member at UMFlint from 20082010 and then returned to the school in 2017, is a great example of a faculty member whose research and expertise is global in scale.

“I actually left for a position at Old Dominion University in 2010 and then came back (to UM-Flint in 2017), because it’s a great university,” White said. “I had very strong roots and connections here, and so I came back because it’s a very supportive university that is geared toward making sure students not only learn but can be successful as individuals and develop careers. And the School of Management has always been very supportive of what I’m trying to accomplish not only teaching, but also conducting my research.”

White is a Professor of Strategic Management. He also serves as a Core Faculty member in the International and Global Studies Program at UM-Flint, a Faculty Affiliate with the Center for Southeast Asian Studies

White's expertise is in global strategy, with his research focused on ways legal and regulatory environments influence multinational enterprise (MNE) strategic behavior and performance outcomes, particularly in Southeast Asia. Research he explores within this framework includes:

• Phenomenon associated with MNE foreign subsidiary nonmarket strategies (business-government interaction, political ties, corruption),

• How dimensions of legal and regulatory institutions affect foreign subsidiary strategic behavior and performance, and

• MNE foreign subsidiary strategic initiatives as they relate to cooperative relationships and formal contracting. He is currently conducting a multi-year research study investigating the effects of legal and regulatory institutions on MNE strategic behavior and performance outcomes in the Philippines and Thailand. He has performed extensive fieldwork in Southeast Asia surveying senior executives of MNE foreign subsidiaries with regard to strategic behavior and performance outcomes.

White’s research has been published in more than 30 journal articles and book chapters, including the Journal of World Business, Journal of International Management, International Business Review, Management International Review, Multinational Business Review, Thunderbird International Business Review, the European Journal of International Management, and the International Journal of Emerging Markets, as well as leading international law journals such as the Texas International Law Journal and

“Dr. White is an internationally recognized scholar that brings a wealth of expertise to his classroom at the intersections of strategy and international business.”

– Dr. Yener Kandogan

North Carolina Journal of Law & Commercial Regulation, among other respected outlets. He has been ranked by the Journal of International Business Studies (Sun, Doh, Rajwani, and Siegel, 2021) as a leading scholar in the field of multinational nonmarket strategy.

Among the awards he’s received in his career are the Best Reviewer Award from the Academy of International Business and Best Reviewer Award from the Academy of Management. At UM-Flint, he’s received the Win Cooper II Faculty Excellence Award, the Hagerman Faculty Entrepreneurship & Innovation Award, the Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching, and several Golden Apple awards for teaching excellence.

“Dr. White is an internationally recognized scholar that brings a wealth of expertise to his classroom at the intersections of strategy and international business,” said Dr. Yener Kandogan, interim dean of the School of Management. “His research on global strategy studies ways the legal and regulatory environment influences multinationals’ strategy and performance, and his connections globally have brought immense experiences for our students to classrooms he’s taught in and as well as through bringing guest speakers to campus.”

White earned a Ph.D. in International Business, with an emphasis on international strategy, from the College of Business Administration at the University of Texas at El Paso; an MBA in General Management from the College of Business Administration at the University of Texas at

El Paso; an LL.M. in International Commercial Law from the Graduate School of Law at Emory University; a J.D. in Law and Certificate in International Law from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School; a Certificate in Mandarin Chinese from Feng Chia University in Taichung, Taiwan; and a B.A. in History, with an emphasis on Asia, from the University of Alabama. He was also a postgraduate student in Asian studies at the Center for Asian Studies, University of Alabama.

While in China, he worked as a strategy consultant and was appointed by the municipal government as an Economic Adviser to the Shijiazhuang National Hi-Tech Industry Development Zone. During graduate school, he interned with the Office of the General Counsel at the United States Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C. and taught English as a second language in Taiwan. He has consulted on a wide variety of projects concerning MNE nonmarket strategy, foreign direct investment, and WTO rules, regulations, and policies in Southeast Asia and China. Dr. White has also acted as a strategy facilitator to organizations in fostering new insight concerning strategic thinking and planning. He has studied, worked, and lived in the Philippines, Thailand, China, Taiwan, and Hungary.

“The state of Michigan in general has been very good to me and my family,” White said. “It’s a great state to live in. There’s a lot of wonderful things going on here.”

Research informs resilience in job markets, access to resources, and investment in turbulent environments

Sink or Swim?

Empowering trainees for informal learning and transfer

Runnalls, B., Blume, B. D., Huang, J., Wang, Z., & Ford, J. K. 2023. Sink or Swim? Empowering Trainees for Informal Learning and Transfer. Presented as part of symposium, ‘Training as a Multilevel, Emergent Phenomenon: A Systems Approach to Better Training’ at SIOP Conference. Boston, MA.

Most competitive sales jobs require employees to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Most organizations fill those knowledge gaps through formal orientation and training materials, but a recent study co-authored by University of Michigan-Flint David M. French Professor of Organizational Behavior & HR Management and Associate Director of Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Dr. Brian Blume, examines the impact of informal, on-the-job learning.

“We wanted to look at the connection between formal training transfer and informal learning,” Blume said. “For example, it is likely that successful sales employees connect formal training elements from their onboarding activities with subsequent key informal learning moments on the job through feedback and reflection as well as learning through experimentation. In this way, they can maximize their transfer of newly acquired knowledge or skills to the job.”

“We also wanted to offer insights for organizations to better understand the consequences of their investment in learning and development. We consider how employee engagement in both informal learning and the transfer of their formal training impacts employee work outcomes. For example, how might both formal training transfer and informal learning impact employees' job performance, as well as their subsequent promotion and amount of time they would remain with the organization.”

The research investigates how supervisor empowerment interacts with employees’ goal orientation to impact Informal Field-Based Learning (IFBL), which serves as a conduit to further influence training transfer and employee outcomes (i.e., supervisor-rated performance, promotion, and turnover). The research is particularly relevant in the current employment

landscape, with companies competing for talent and in some cases struggling to retain employees. The cycle of hiring and retraining is costly, so a focus on effective IFBL is crucial.

Findings demonstrate that IFBL promotes formal training transfer, which influences newcomers’ subsequent job performance, promotion, and turnover. Factors like supervisor empowerment also have an indirect effect on employee promotion and turnover sequentially through IFBL, training transfer, and performance, and this indirect effect is moderated by employee goal orientation.

The conclusion finds that IFBL is associated with higher transfer of training and is important for sales newcomers to achieve better performance.

“It is essential for companies and managers to consider how their formal training and support of informal learning impacts the talent development of employees,” Blume said. “Our study and research demonstrate that employees who engage in IFBL are also more likely to increase their skills and job performance, take advantage of career development opportunities, and be more likely to stay with the company. Therefore, companies should think strategically about how their onboarding processes and formal training impact employee performance and retention. They should consider how they can best support the informal learning of their employees.”

Social cost-vehicle routing problem and its application to post-disaster water delivery

Sadeghi, A., &

Felipe Aros-Vera, F., Mosadegh, H., & Sinaki, R. 2023.

Social Cost-Vehicle Routing Problem and Its Application to the Delivery of Water in Post-Disaster Humanitarian Logistics. Transportation Research Part E (TRE). Forthcoming.

In the aftermath of a disaster, the efficient delivery of critical supplies, particularly water, emerges as a paramount challenge. Diverse transportation methods exist for conveying water. Bottled water has the advantage of self-storage and easy distribution compared with bulk water, but it needs to be brought in from outside of the impacted area and has high logistics costs. Bulk water can be accessed from local streams and water purification stations but requires survivors to have containers. The logistics cost and form of transportation necessary for these two different water distribution strategies create tradeoffs normally overlooked in the literature.

This research introduces the Social Cost Vehicle Routing Problem (SCVRP), a mathematical optimization model designed to ascertain the optimal mix of water formats in terms of transportation, routing, and delivery while incorporating social costs into the objective function. Social Cost is a response to the need to incorporate the cost imposed by the lack of access to goods or services. Social cost incorporates operational costs and social welfare in the objective function of PD-HL problems.

SCVRP falls under the category of NP-hard problems, signifying that

“I am currently evaluating water distribution strategies following the Flint water crisis in 2014, with a specific focus on drawing lessons from the crisis that occurred in our community.” – Dr. Azadeh Sadeghi

as the number of destinations for vehicles increases, the potential routes for the vehicles grow exponentially. To illustrate, with five vehicle destinations, there are 60 roundtrips, but when dealing with 10 destinations, the number escalates to over 1.8 million roundtrips. As the problem becomes too intricate for commercial solvers to handle, the development of algorithms becomes imperative.

To tackle the inherent complexity of the NP-hard nature, a novel hybrid metaheuristic algorithm is introduced, integrating tabu search, simulated annealing, and variable neighborhood search. This algorithm is specifically designed to handle large instances of the problem. Importantly, the proposed algorithm successfully addresses SCVRP within a reasonable

execution time, making it well-suited for practical implementation.

“For this research, I collaborated with executive managers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),” said Dr. Azadeh Sadeghi, assistant professor of operations and supply chain management for the UM-Flint SOM. “Their primary focus and challenge were to devise a water distribution strategy and vehicle routes based on the characteristics of the disaster. Applying this model to a real-world scenario, specifically the post-disaster water distribution in Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, reveals that a combination of bottled and bulk water maximizes assistance to survivors while minimizing overall response costs.”

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RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Continued from previous page

The inspiration for Sadeghi’s research on this topic stemmed from the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, two of the most economically devastating hurricanes in United States history. Puerto Rico faced catastrophic infrastructure damage: the entire power grid was down, 95% of cellular sites were destroyed, 97% of all roads became impassable, and 95% of the island’s residents lost access to clean water.

“The research group I collaborated with visited Puerto Rico a few months after the disaster, collecting primary sources of data for this study,” Azadeh said. “Inspired by the aforementioned research, I am currently evaluating water distribution strategies following the Flint water crisis in 2014, with a specific focus on drawing lessons from the crisis that occurred in our community. It is my sincere hope that these findings will empower relief agencies to reduce logistics costs while simultaneously saving lives through the efficient distribution of water, recognized as the most critical supply.”

Research explores reaction of financial markets to Ukraine invasion

Diaconaşu, D., Seyed M. Mehdian, S., & Stoica, O. 2022. The Reaction of Financial Markets to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Evidence from Gold, Oil, Bitcoin, and Major Stock Markets. Applied Economics Letters.

Mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine were welldocumented in international media in 2021 and early 2022, so the invasion of Ukraine by Russia wasn’t unexpected in February of 2022, but the timing, scale, and precise actions taken during that invasion were not predictable.

In a paper co-authored by Dr. Seyed M. Mehdian, professor of finance in the UM-Flint School of Management, he and his co-authors investigate the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the global commodity and stock markets using an event study methodology. The study is intended to contribute to existing literature on the topic in three key ways:

• The focal research point is on a large picture encompassing major global commodities and stock markets, providing useful information for investors’ decisions;

• It is associated with emerging literature examining the impact of extreme geopolitical events on the cryptocurrencies market; and

• It is among the first studies to address the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war on financial markets in an integrative manner.

Authors of the paper examined daily prices of gold, oil, Bitcoin, advanced economy market indices (S&P500, DAX, FTSE100, NIKKEI225, CAC40), and the Morgan Stanley Capital International Index from Nov. 2, 2020, to March 17, 2022.

The results of the study suggest that the invasion has put pressure on global gold, stock, and bitcoin markets, with oil being the only asset that seems to be a safe haven for investors post-invasion.

“Our findings suggest that investors in the gold and stock markets of the U.S., Germany, and France perceived the risk of war before it broke out,” the authors state in the conclusion. “However, the outbreak of this catastrophic event has put even more pressure on global gold and equity markets.” They highlighted that the conventional gold was perceived as a safe haven, nor was not Bitcoin seen as a ‘digital gold,’ but oil demonstrated itself as a reliable safe haven.

2022-2023

Scholarly Publications & Presentations

Refereed Journal Publications

Banerjee, S., Sultan, F. & Hofacker, C.F. (2022). Discovering Synergies and Conflicts in Online and Offline In-store Engagement. Journal of Marketing Analytics.

Salamon, J., Blume, B. D., Tóth-Király, I., Nagy, T., & Orosz, G. (2022). The Positive Gain Spiral of Job Resources, Work Engagement, Opportunity and Motivation on Training Transfer.

International Journal of Training and Development, 26, 556-580.

Buccieri, D., Javalgi, R., & Cavusgil, E. (2023). Role of Opportunity Creation Between Reconfiguration and Innovation: Insights from Emerging Market International New Ventures. International Business Review, 32(4).

Chen, C., Jones, K., Lawrence, M., & Simpson, J. (2022). Can Educators Prevent a “Wild West” Scenario In Giving Online Exams? Quarterly Review of Distance Education. 23(2).

Hemphill, T., Longstreet, P., & Banerjee, S. (2022). Automotive Repairs, Data Accessibility, and Privacy and Security Challenges: A Stakeholder Analysis and Proposed Policy Solutions. Technology in Society, 71.

Hemphill, T. (2023). The ‘Metaverse’ and the Challenge of Responsible Standards Development. Journal of Responsible Innovation, forthcoming.

Kandogan, Y. (2023). Former Soviet Union Republics’ Emerging Place in International Institutions Network and International Trade Patterns after the Disintegration. Journal of East West Business, 29(2).

Liu, W., M. Ma, Liu, Z., & So, C. (2023). Auditor Tax Expertise and Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from Taiwan. Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance, forthcoming.

Liu, Z., Kang Y., Lin, S., & Tuo, L. (2023). The Impact of Accelerating 20-F filing. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, forthcoming.

Du, R., Liu, Z., & Tuo, L. (2023). CFO Accounting Education on the Choice of Earnings Management. Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance, forthcoming.

Liu, L., Griffin, H., Aguir, W., & Liu, Z. (2023). Long-term Analysts Forecasts and Real Earnings Management. International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, forthcoming.

Diaconaşu, D., Mehdian, S., & Stoica, O. (2022). The Reaction of Financial Markets to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Evidence from Gold, Oil, Bitcoin, and Major Stock Markets. Applied Economics Letters

Diaconaşu, D., Mehdian, S., & Stoica, O. (2023). The Global Stock Market Reactions to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.

Sadeghi, A., Felipe Aros-Vera, F., Mosadegh, H., & Sinaki, R. (2023).

Social Cost-Vehicle Routing Problem and Its Application to the Delivery of Water in Post-Disaster Humanitarian Logistics. Transportation Research Part E (TRE), forthcoming.

Simon, M., & Shrader, R. (2022). Financial Forecasting, Risk-Taking and Venture Performance. European Journal of Business and Management Research. 7(6).

Stephens, J., Mehdian, S., Gherghina, S., & Stoica, O. (2023). The Reaction of the Financial Market to the January 6 United States Capitol Attack: An Intraday Study. Financial Research Letters, 56.

White III, G. O., Rajwani, T., & Krammer, S. (2022). Legal distance and entrepreneurial orientation of foreign subsidiaries: Evidence from

South-East Asia. Journal of World Business, 57(6), 101382.

Tangdenchai, C., Chintakananda, A., & White III, G. O. (2023). Active and Passive Bribery’s Impact on Firm Relational Embeddedness: Evidence from Thailand. Asian Business & Management, forthcoming.

Conference Presentations

Ahmed, M. U., & Shafiq, A. (2022). “Maximizing Benefits of Sustainable Products: Investments in Sustainable Sourcing and Governance.” Presented at: Decision Sciences Institute’s Annual Conference in Houston, TX.

Banerjee, S., Sultan, F. (2023). Digital Disembodiment: The Impact of In-store Experiences on Competitor Visits, Marketing Science, INFORMS.

Runnalls, B., Blume, B. D., Huang, J., Wang, Z., & Ford, J. K. (2023). “Sink or Swim? Empowering Trainees for Informal Learning and Transfer.” Presented as part of symposium, ‘Training as a Multilevel, Emergent Phenomenon: A Systems Approach to Better Training’ at SIOP Conference. Boston, MA.

Kandogan, Y. (2022). “A Comprehensive Multi-Country Study of Country-Of-Origin Effects Using Actual Product Ownerships.” Academy of International Business Annual Meeting, Miami, FL.

Choi, D., Gam, Y.K., Kang, M. J., Shin H. (2022). “The Effect of ESGmotivated Turnover on Firm Financial Risk.” International Risk Management Conference. Bari, Italy; Paris, France; Busan, Korea; Hong Kong; Seoul, Korea; New Zealand; University of Virginia; Ningbo, China.

Lin, S., Ling, R., Liu, Z., & Tuo, L. (2022). “Market Reaction to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.” The Ninth Conference of the Journal of International Accounting Research.

Lin, S., Ling, R., Liu, Z., & Tuo, L. (2023). “Market Reaction to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.”

2023 American Accounting Association Midyear Meeting - International Accounting Section, Las Vegas, NV.

Mehdian, S., Rezvanian, R., & Teclezion, M. (2023). “The Cost Efficiency of US Small Banks after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.” The 30th Annual Global Finance Conference, Treviso, Italy.

Miller, C. (2023). “Peer Review and Audit Quality: Should we Expand its Scope.” AAA Auditing Section Midyear Conference.

Miller, C. (2023). “Peer Review and Audit Quality: Should Peer Review of Governmental and Employee Benefit Plan Audits Continue as Self-Regulated in Light of Passage of the SarbanesOxley Act (SOX) of 2002?” North American Accounting Society-MBAA Annual Conference.

Sadeghi, A., & Felipe Aros-Vera, F. (2023). “Vehicle Routing Problem in PostDisaster Humanitarian Logistics.” POMS Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.

Simon, M., Blume, B. D., & Shrader, R. C. (2023). “Increasing the Inclusivity of Entrepreneurship at UM-Flint.” USASBE Conference. Tallahassee, FL.

White III, G. O., Rajwani, T., Benischke, M. & Lawton, T. C. (2022). “Laying down the law: Assessing the effects of ethical codes and legalism on MNE monitoring of foreign subsidiary supply chain partners in emerging markets.” Academy of International Business Annual Meeting.

White III, G. O., Jimenez, A., Chintakananda, A., Choi, S. J., & Lee, J. Y. (2022). “A marriage of convenience? Organizational guile, resource protection, and legal tie intensity in emerging markets.” Academy of International Business Annual Meeting. Dieleman, M., Stanislav, M., Rajwani, T., & White III, G. O. (2022). “Revisiting institutional voids: Advancing the international business literature by leveraging social sciences.” Academy of International Business Annual Meeting.

Xu, S. (2023). “Knowledge Dimensions and Innovation: Testing the Ambidexterity Concept in Pharmaceutical Industry.” 13th International Conference on Business and Economics Research.

Receiving and Giving Comes Full Circle for Larry and Janet Nichols

When Larry and Janet Nichols graduated from the University of Michigan-Flint in the 1970s, they hoped their education would set them on a path to earning a good living. Little did they know how transformative the experience would be, and how important a role their university of choice would play in their education, careers, and interest and ability to give back.

Their UM-Flint education provided the Nichols with a solid foundation in the rigors of political science, business, and accounting. UM-Flint was more affordable and allowed them to exit college debt free, and at a smaller school there weren’t many distractions, allowing them to focus on obtaining their degrees. The convenience of being in downtown Flint where they both worked helped too. They credit their UM-Flint experience for long, successful careers in business.

“Your education starts and finishes with you and how you apply it,” said Larry. “Your education continues in the real world where you have to prove yourself with hard work and determination. The knowledge and information you gain in school is critical, but it ultimately boils down to your drive to acquire knowledge and more importantly how you apply it. The foundation of any career is aptitude and application can be just as important as scholarship.”

Larry had a successful career in commercial banking, working his way up at Genesee Bank and continuing when the bank was acquired by the National Bank of Detroit and then Bank One. From there, he held leadership roles with National City and Huntington Bank. He eventually retired as the president of a small bank in Oakland County and still serves on the economic roundtable of the Federal Reserve Bank of Detroit, the advisory board for the UM-Flint School of Management, and the board of a bank based in Washtenaw County. He is also a vice chairman of the PGA Tour’s Ally Challenge.

Janet, was one of the first few women to graduate from UM-Flint with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a minor in accounting. She began her career with Dupuis & Ryden (now Plante Moran) as a start to a lifelong career

working her way up into a management position in finance at Blue Care Network, Blue Cross, and Blue Shield’s HMO.

“Back in the day not many women were studying business,” Janet said. Dr. Robert H. Cojeen, a professor and advisor, helped her land her first professional job with Dupuis & Ryden. From there her skills flourished as she took the theory she learned at UM-Flint and applied it in the real world across a range of accounting practices that ranged from payroll and retirement plans to monthly financial reports and tax preparation.

“What’s special about our experience that I don’t think you would find at other universities is that Janet’s professor and advisor, Dr. Cojeen, had relationships with local business leaders and reached out on her behalf to suggest this is a student you should speak with,” Larry said. “Those kinds of personal relationships were the gateway to her success and because of that they believe in paying that kind of gift forward.”

“We see the value of what a UM-Flint School of Management education can provide over a lifetime and that is why we continue our involvement and support.” – Janet Nichols

Larry had always wanted to teach and when approached, by Dr. Jack Helmuth, to speak with a group of School of Management students he was interested. That led to getting involved with the SOM teaching business concepts and career strategies, as well as personal and corporate finance. Nichols became involved as an instructor for personal finance at the Grand Blanc High School Early College which is a phenomenal success story with great kids and a strong program. Larry also serves as the School of Management’s executive-in-residence. He enjoys the energy of the students and feels he learns more from them than

Nichols Success Fund Guidelines

• Eligible applications will be full or part-time students pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree or another business major within the School of Management (SOM).

they may learn from him. Many of his students have now learned the mantra of Larry’s father: “Take care of the nickels and dimes and the dollars will take care of themselves.”

Both Nichols are passionate about student success, and as Larry became more involved with teaching, he began to strongly advocate for the School of Management to think about ways they could differentiate their graduates in the marketplace beyond just strong academics. The School offers innovative, high-quality business programs, but the attributes that are going to differentiate a UM-Flint business degree holder in a national and global marketplace are also vital. That is how the Career Development Requirement (CDR) was born. The Nichols were early advocates for the CDR, which requires students to have a 30-point requirement in areas that help them develop the soft skills necessary to succeed in business. Today, the Nichols are more focused on spending time with family and friends in warmer climates, but they still feel strongly about what guided their success – rigorous academic preparation combined with drive, aptitude, and perseverance for career success at UM-Flint. In support of the School of Management’s Career Development Requirement, the Nichols Student Success Fund was established as part of their charitable giving strategy to help provide resources to help future business leaders develop the skills required in today’s competitive business environment. As the School provides graduates with academically based success ready degrees, the Nichols Fund helps with value-added experience beyond the classroom, which makes them stand out in today’s competitive landscape.

“We see the value of what a UM-Flint School of Management education can provide over a lifetime and that is why we continue our involvement and support. We want today’s graduates to benefit from the same foundational education that we enjoyed, while elevating it for today’s global economy,” stated Janet. What started out as a desire to gain a university degree has grown into a lifelong pursuit of learning and growing knowledge that has evolved into the sharing of resources that allow the Nichols to pay it forward full circle –helping students make the same kind of achievements.

• Eligible application will demonstrate membership and involvement in one of the recognized School of Management student organizations (e.g., Financial Management Association, Entrepreneurs Society, or the Marketing Club).

• Eligible application must have a GPA of 3.0 or greater.

• Preference is given to students excelling in achieving the Career Development Requirement (CDR) within the School of Management.

• Students can apply by visiting umflint.edu/finaid/scholarship.

For more information about endowed funds or other opportunities to support student success in SOM, contact Stephens-Farrell at 810.424.5480 or msfarrel@umich.edu.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Belief in Education Fuels Longtime Scholarship Support from George Family

Avital component of a well-rounded education is mixing theory with practice, and longtime UM-Flint donor Nick George knows the importance of real-world experience as well as anyone. George spoke no English when his family moved to Michigan from Macedonia when he was just eight years old, and it wasn’t long before he was working at his family’s restaurant, Flint’s Original Coney Island.

George eventually graduated from Flint Southwestern, and launched and managed several successful businesses in industries ranging from furniture to real estate to technology that did business all across the United States.

Through all of his success in business, he never lost sight of the importance of education in his journey. “I truly believe in a good education and being exposed to new ideas and ways of doing things,” he said.

George is particularly passionate about combining education with hands-on, real-world opportunities that students sometimes lack while in college or shortly after graduating.

“A lot of students have never been in the real world,” George said. “They haven’t learned how to start a business, or do well in a job interview. They need real-world experience and are sometimes lacking in soft skills like business etiiquette, resume writing, and networking.”

He sees UM-Flint and the School of Management programs as helping bridge that gap between theoretical and practical experience. He noted that he’s hired students through the UM-Flint School of Management co-op program, and he and his wife Sharon started the Nick and Sharon George Success Fund at UM-Flint in 1996 to help even more students. It has since grown to three or four times its original value, providing even more scholarship support for students each year.

“Business is the backbone of any community, and education and career readiness training is priceless,” George said. “My mentors taught me so much of what I learned by sharing their experiences, their knowledge, and their contracts. They set me straight when I needed it. Students need to network and develop relationships with mentors and finance people who will guide them.”

Providing new generations of students with education opportunities allows George to give students something his self-made family didn’t have when they first immigrated to the U.S.: access to higher education.

“When my grandfather came to this country, he did anything and everything for work,” George said. “He and his family started Flint’s Original Coney Island, selling hot dogs for a nickel. He saved those nickels and dimes and used them to bring us here to enjoy a new life of prosperity. What my family lacked in education, they made up for in hard work.”

Scholarship requirements include excelling in the School of Management’s Career Development Requirement (CDR), which has students earn points by attending or participating in internships, presentations, workshops, seminars, or online tutorials that help them attain the eight competencies that the National Association of Colleges and Employers deem necessary for career readiness. These include: critical thinking/problem solving, oral/ written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, career management, and global/intercultural fluency.

“Students need to network and develop relationships with mentors and finance people who will guide them through this jungle,” George said. “The CDR requires them to do this. That is one of the reasons Sharon and I reached out –to help our next generation of business students excel.”

The Georges also give to several other local organizations because of their longstanding love for and belief in Flint and its people.

“I love Flint, and we will support it in any way we can,” said George. “There’s something magical about giving and doing good things for people; it comes back to you many times over.”

Establishing A Scholarship

Q&A

Thinking about starting or supporting a scholarship?

Business@UM-Flint has featured countless stories recognizing the generosity of donors and the impact these gifts (often in the form of scholarships) have had on students and the school as a whole. As you read these articles, perhaps you wondered how scholarships get started – or maybe you’ve been thinking about starting one yourself. Learn more from gift officer Melissa Stephens-Farrell, as she shares answers to the most frequently asked questions about this rewarding opportunity.

QHow much money is needed to fund an endowed scholarship?

Individuals can make scholarship gifts at any level or support an existing scholarship if they so choose. To create a named scholarship, the minimum required is $25,000, which can be pledged over (up to) five years. At this level the fund would generate an approximate $1,125 award for a student annually.

QHow long does it take from the time the monetary gift is given until the time a scholarship is awarded?

For endowed scholarships, once the scholarship has reached the amount designated, i.e. $25,000 or more, the dollars that have been reinvested will be ready to disburse the following academic year. If someone has a scholarship that is fully vested in December of 2024, it would be awarded in the fall of 2025 or could be held until winter of 2025. The fund does have to reinvest to then disburse 4.5% to the student. Keep in mind this is the gift that keeps on giving if it has

been endowed. The principle of $25,000 is never spent and individuals can continue to build their fund to distribute the level of support they wish to go to students.

Q

How much input do donors have when determining scholarship requirements and naming the scholarship?

While there are a few rules that must be adhered to, donors get to determine the name and criteria for their scholarship and the type of student they want to help. We have a step-by-step process we walk them through. Donors often received scholarships themselves when they were students.

Q What part do donors play in the annual selection process for the scholarship?

Their role is in setting the criteria for the scholarship. The University then supplies an eligible pool of applicants (based on the donor’s criteria) to the SOM Scholarship Committee. Based on the criteria, students are selected by faculty on the committee.

Q What is the most rewarding part of starting a scholarship?

Most donors feel it is rewarding to hear from their student recipients. Most share the positive impact these gifts make in their lives and oftentimes on a person’s entire family.

Q What are some other benefits of establishing a scholarship?

It is truly inspiring to the students who receive an award. The acknowledgement is incredibly rewarding to them, and students are so grateful a stranger would care enough to help fund their education.

Starting an Endowed Fund

Are you interested in starting a scholarship? UM-Flint offers the option of establishing an endowed scholarship fund through a donation of $25,000 (or more), which can be pledged over five years. Unlike other gifts, an endowed fund offers long-term impact for students. It is invested in perpetuity, with interest income used to finance the corresponding scholarship(s) available to students.

For more information about endowed funds or other opportunities to support student success in SOM, contact Stephens-Farrell at 810.424.5480 or msfarrel@umich.edu

Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to our 2022/2023 scholarship recipients!

Baker-Roberson Service Scholarship

Melissa M. Bakkila

Michael Cronshagen

Cathrine E. Christopher

Maureen E. Lamberton

Shannda M. Markee

Tiyashia S. Poole

Robert Cojeen Scholarship

Michael Cronshagen

Kassidy D. Davis

Laurel L. Ferguson

Trevor R. Goins

Colton K. Goodman

Justin T. Irons

Cody S. Larson

Beyonce C. Sinclair-Woodward

Amy L. Wisenbaugh

J&D Cokley Family Scholarship

Alexander R. White

Pamela Hernandez Scholarship

Theodis C. Ellis

Dr. Walker E. Fesmire Scholarship

Felicia R. Weaver

Freeman NetPlus MBA Scholarship

Lorna M. Bills

Matthew J. Hall

Jinesh John

Joshua S. Jones

Brendon P. Kuch

Isaiah R. McLaughlin

Sarah Miller

Keith C. Saylor

Tushar Sharma

Debie Thao

Mary Sophia

Kaltsounis Wagner

Freeman SOM Scholarship

Jacob E. Bass

Achala J. Bunyan

Alexander T. Burant

Jacqueline E. Burant

Michael Cronshagen

Bailey N. Duvall

Theodis C. Ellis

Michael D. Fini

Trevor R. Goins

Colton K. Goodman

Arielle L. Hermann

Dillan P. Howard

Justin T. Irons

Patrick A. Johnson

Maureen E. Lamberton

Cody S. Larson

Shannda M. Markee

Logan McElwain

Madison R. McFall

Elayna M. Moore

Jordyn A. Morrish

Tiyashia S. Poole

Abigail N. Ramsey

Luke Schlanderer

Beyonce C. Sinclair- Woodward

Natalia H. Shango

Zoe J. Warren

Alexander R. White

Jessica Hagemeister

Memorial Scholarship

Shannda M. Markee

Hagerman Scholarship

Shbeib P. Dabaja

Yuliia Lane

Ross A. McEacheron V

Abigail M. Weycker

Cathleen E. Hale Scholarship

Henrietta C. Nwokeabia

K. Hale DNP/ MBA Scholarship

Julie Burbey

Amanda T. McGee

Heitmann Family Scholarship

Melissa M. Bakkila

Cathrine E. Christopher

Michael Cronshagen

Riane Griffin

Tiyashia S. Poole

Gerald C. Sims

Felicia R. Weaver

Joubran Career Readiness Fund

Chloe Ann J. Brown

Abraham P. Dabaja

Erik A. Johnson

Joshua P. MacPherson

Julian J. Melton

Katey E. Peterson

Abigail N. Ramsey

Kartha Family

Study Abroad SOM

Amy M. Andrews

Audrey L. Banks

Kimberly A. Beavers

Theodis C. Ellis

Christina Evans

Lindsay A. Felver

Drew F. Ferrari

Luke E. Giza

DeWayne L. Haneline

Urundi A. Knox

Shannda M. Markee

Alexis Menard

Maxwell D. Montney

Xiaowei Ng

Alexander R. White

L & R Leach Family Scholarship

Michael Cronshagen

Justin T. Irons

Cody S. Larson

Beyonce C. Sinclair-Woodward

The Cathleen Miller MSA Scholarship

Cody F. Alexander

I. Moon Douglas School of Management

Undergraduate Merit Scholarship

Achala J. Bunyan

Oliver, LaGore, VanValin (OLV) Investment Group Scholarship

Nicholas Savaya

Page, David A. CPA Scholarship Fund

Shannda M. Markee

Ruth J. Person Internship Scholarship

Tiyashia S. Poole

Timothy E. CPA Scholarship

Melissa M. Bakkila

Cathrine E. Christopher

Charles Erickson

Rachor Memorial Scholarship

Mikica L. Davis

Thomas P., and Thomas

P. Ryan Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund

Melissa M. Bakkila

Jacob E. Bass

Achala J. Bunyan

Alexander T. Burant

Jacqueline E. Burant

Samantha Cadotte

Cathrine E. Christopher

Kassidy D. Davis

Liza M. Derey

Theodis C. Ellis

Laurel L. Ferguson

Antonia C. Fiore

Trevor R. Goins

Arielle L. Hermann

Joseph R. Horetski

Dillan P. Howard

Patrick A. Johnson

Elaine M. LaFavor

Maureen E. Lamberton

Yuliia Lane

Shannda M. Markee

Ross Allen McEacheron V

Logan McElwain

Madison R. McFall

Elayna M. Moore

Jordyn A. Morrish

Maria F. Pasillas

Jacob A. Porrett

Abigail N. Ramsey

Luke Schlanderer

Natalia H. Shango

Zoe J. Warren

Felicia R. Weaver

Alexander R. White

Amy L. Wisenbaugh

School of Management

Alumni Scholarship

Amanda Bradbury

Tonya V. Brown

Chandler R. Kielbas

Elaine M. LaFavor

Sarah Miller

Maxwell D. Montney

Laci Whiting

David C. Tucker

CPA Scholarship

Rebecca A. Fletcher

Stephen A. Whitener Scholarship for Innovators

Timothy J. Brooks

Anna L. Church

Evan G. Johnson

Abigail N. Ramsey

The Resilience of Spring

Flowering trees herald the arrival of spring and serve as testimony to the resiliency of nature outside the Riverfront Center Resident Hall and Conference Center, home of the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management.

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT BUSINESS@UM-FLINT

2220 Riverfront Center

303 E. Kearsley Street

Flint, MI 48502-1950

University of Michigan-Flint School of Management ADVISORY

BOARDS

School of Management Advisory Board

Paul Bryant

Partner

Plante Moran

Jim Carney

Vice President Commercial Lending Team Lead, Choice One Bank

Jennifer Flagel

Principal Consultant Operational Solutions, LLC

Preet Gill

Head of Strategy Transformation, Digitalization, ZF Group –ADAS Division

Cathleen Hale Engineer (retired)

Champion Bus

Teri Irland Munley

Senior Vice President (retired)

Bank of America

Ron Justice President & CEO

The State Bank

Linda Leach Controller Genesee Ceramic Tile

Larry Nichols Lecturer & Executive in Residence UM-Flint

Sheila Smith City of Flint

Sheryl Stephens CEO

Stephens Wealth Management Group

Mike Strader Director & Consultant OneDigital

Michael Torrey

VP Rates and Regulations (retired)

Consumers Energy

Rick Tromble

Entrepreneur/CEO

Tromble Bay Farms

Paul Wenstrom

Financial Advisor

Merrill Lynch

Stephen Whitener Entrepreneur/Investor

Cazzie Williams Director

Kearney

Andrew Younger Executive Director Flint & Genesee Chamber

Department of Accounting, Finance, and International Business Advisory Board

Mike Braun

Partner

Andres, Hooper, Pavlik

Amanda Coon Tax Manager

Plante Moran

Kenny Rappuhn Manager Lewis & Knopf

James Terry Deputy Court Administrator Genesee County

Steven Treece Tax Manager Yeo and Yeo

Department of Management and Marketing Advisory Board

Michale Czop President

Domico Med-Device

Jennifer Hickmott Director of Operations

100k Ideas

Eddie Kindle

Associate Superintendent Genesee Intermediate School District

Brian Nicholson Supply Chain Director

Hurley Medical Center

Jeff Skaff

Vice President

Skaff Furniture

Carpet One

DeAnna Wallance

Senior Vice President

Human Resources and Member Experience

Financial Plus Federal Credit Union

Christopher Wise

Vice President

Randy Wise Automotive

University of Michigan-Flint is a non-discriminatory, Affirmative Action Employer. Regents of the University of Michigan: Jordan B. Acker, Michael J. Behm, Mark J. Berstein, Paul W. Brown, Shauna Rhyder Diggs, Denise Ilitch, Ron Weiser, Katherine E. White.

©Regents of the University of Michigan