Greetings from the School of Business at Emporia State. Our fall semester is off and running. It looks a lot different this year, but I am proud of all our faculty and staff for their hard work in getting ready for the semester. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve done a great job preparing, and I can honestly say we are hitting it out of the park! Despite Covid-19, we’ve managed to see an enrollment increase of almost 6% from last year. Although some of our classes were forced to move online, we have over half of them offered face-to-face. Everyone is doing a great job wearing their mask and social distancing, and the students have been patient as we clean each room between classes.

Our normal events are either not able to be scheduled or they are moving to a virtual format. We sure did miss hosting our annual Ice Cream Social and our first home football game Tailgate Party. We hope life can resume to normal soon! We are gearing up for our third cohort of our Dean’s Leadership Class, and I’m looking forward to some in-depth conversations with our outstanding seniors.

As always, please keep us updated on your professional achievements.

Stay Healthy, and Go Hornets!

2020 Outstanding Recent Graduate and Distinguished Alumni from the School of Business

Virtual interview: September 30 at 10 a.m. Interviewed by Dean Ed Bashaw and Beth Ginter. Register for her interview at emporia.edu/live. Learn more about Miranda here.

Virtual interview: October 15 at 7 p.m. Interviewed by Dr. Mary Teal and Denise Kruse. Registration information coming soon at emporia.edu/live. Learn more about Karen here.

 

Virtual interview: October 29 at 7 p.m. Interviewed by Dr. John Rich, Dr. Aswad Allen, and Dr. Michael Smith. Registration information coming soon at emporia.edu/live. Learn more about Ron here.

 

Virtual interview: November 5 at 7 p.m. Interviewed Dr. David Cordle and Ed O'Malley. Registration information coming soon at emporia.edu/live. Learn more about Steve here.

A Rich Legacy

This past spring, Dr. John Rich announced his retirement after 50 years of teaching and mentoring students. More than half a century has passed since Dr. John Rich first came to Emporia State University (then Kansas State Teachers College). Many things have changed since then, but one thing has remained constant, Dr. John Rich has been devoted to helping students prepare for their careers and their lives. His commitment to his students’ successes is evident when examining the outpouring of support to an endowed professorship in Dr. Rich’s honor, the Dr. John C. Rich Distinguished Accounting Professorship, established in 2017.

Listen to "Live With Dr. John Rich - An Interview With a Legend" that aired July 24, 2020.

Read the article "A Rich Legacy" in the Spring 2020 Alumni Spotlight magazine.

 

Dean’s Advisory Council Meeting

The above picture may look too familiar for some of you; it’s been no different for the School of Business. The Spring meeting for the Dean’s Advisory Council was postponed due to COVID-19, but we held it virtually in June. The Dean discussed the planning that went into the School’s fall semester, enrollment trends, new programs, and an AACSB update. The meeting ended with time with Dr. John Rich. Many thanks to our members who joined in on this important conversation.

 

The Emporia Entrepreneur Challenge Results 

Because of classes moving to online after spring break, the Entrepreneur Challenge took a virtual turn with the teams submitting their oral pitches electronically. Mitchell DeWalt, a junior business administration student from Overland Park, took first place and $2,500 for Overland Camping Equipment, the company he started three years ago. Second place and $1,500 went to Aren Trost, a sophomore business administration student from McPherson, with Falls Craft Furniture, a company that offers custom welded furniture designs for the modern homeowner with the ability to make completely new custom pieces based on the needs and desires of the customer. Students Hayden Schaeffer, senior management student from Thornton, CO, and Brigham Mooney, senior business administration student from Lees Summit, MO, took third place and $500 with Bioplastic Solutions, a single use biodegradable plastic product. Click here to read the full press release.

 

Students Place Well at National PBL Event – 8 Top 10 Finishes 

Eight participants from ESU competed in the National Phi Beta Lambda virtual conference. Six Emporia State students took home eight, top 10 finishes in the National arena, including one first place finish. PBL advisor Leticia Rust was also recognized as 1 of 14 Outstanding Local Chapter Advisors for Kansas and stated, “I am so proud of this group of students, they have endured so much in the last few months. This hurdle was no match for them. It just shows that our ESU students are well prepared to take on any new environment and thrive.” Click here to read the full press release.

 

Student Organizations Receive High Honors

For the last five years, our Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma has achieved the designation of Highest Honors - the ultimate ranking a school can receive and is indicative of a campus where academic excellence is highly valued. Beta Gamma Sigma is the business honor society reserved for AACSB accredited schools. AACSB accredits the world’s top 5% of business schools. Our chapter has received this society’s highest honor for five years in a row. We are the only school in Kansas to receive that honor in the state.

 

New on YouTube – Technology Program Video

The BizHornet Center launched a video this summer featuring Dr. Will Senn talking about our technology degrees at the School of Business. Check it out here! We offer three bachelor’s degrees in technology:  Business Data Analytics, Information Systems, and Computer Science, and also a Master of Science in Information Technology and a new dual degree, a Master of Science in Information Technology with a Master of Business Administration.

 

Mayra Aguirre Named Hall Family Foundation President

The Board of Directors of the Hall Family Foundation recently announced the appointment of Mayra Aguirre as the Foundation’s new president. Mayra will assume the full-time duties of her new position on September 22. For the past four years, Mayra has served as the Foundation’s vice president and secretary. Mayra was our Honorary 2019 Beta Gamma Sigma inductee and is a proud first generation student who also earned her Juris Doctorate after graduating from Emporia State with her BSB in Management. Click here to read the full press release.

 

Career Announcements:

Connor Burns (BSB 19-Management), Emporia, was named baseball coach at Sherwood Park Minor Baseball.

Zach T. Carlson  (MBA 13-Accounting, MBA 13-Business Administration) started a new position as senior controller at InfoSync Services. 

Alex J. Carvalho (MBA 96-Business Administration), Hutchinson, is the president of Probitas Wealth Management.

Shayla Cotman (BSB 17-Accounting, Information Systems, MBA 18-Business Administration), Wichita, was promoted to supervising associate at Allen, Gibbs & Houlik, L.C.

Kim M. (Gibson) Grooms (BSB 01-Business Administration), Lawrence, was promoted to manager of Investments Reporting at Security Benefit.

Ken L. Harmon (BSB 95-Computer Information Systems), Maize, has been hired as the new chief information officer for Wichita State University.

Melissa D. Kersey (BSB 95-Marketing), Elmhurst, Ill., was named executive vice president, chief human resources officer for Tractor Supply Company.

Greg H. Kossover (BSB 85-Accounting), Wichita, has been named chief operating officer of Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Oscar A. Lemus (BSB 16-Accounting, MA 17-Accountancy), Park City, started a new job as a consultant at Bangert, Inc.

Brandon E. Mauler (BSB 06-Business Administration), Fort Myers, Fla., started a new position as an insurance agent at State Farm.

Bill F. McKernan (BS 01-Business Administration), Emporia, was promoted to director of Facilities at Emporia State University.

Retirements: 

Dan K. Coup (BSB 69-Business Administration), Hope, retired after 51 years as president & CEO of The First National Bank of Hope.

Paul J. Haltom (BSB 74-Business Administration), Frisco, Tex., has retired from Premier Pipe.

James Hand (BSB 70-Accounting), Wichita, partner with Koch, Siedhoff, Hand & Dunn retired on June 30, 2019 after 49 years in accounting. He has been a longtime community volunteer and was honored by being selected Admiral Windwagon Smith XXI in 1994 for the Wichita River Festival.

Coach James H. Mathis (MS 68-Business Education), Leavenworth, retired from Leavenworth USD after working 53 years as a teacher and tennis coach. He also wrote a book titled Leavenworth, A Legacy of Tennis about famous tennis players who passed through Kansas.

Awards:  

Ben L. Ford (BSB 71-Business Administration), Kansas City, Mo., was inducted into the 2019 United States Tennis Association Heart of America's Hall of Fame.

 

Summer Internship Dream Come True – Even From Home

Ryan Wagner, a senior marketing student at Emporia State University from Silver Lake, landed the internship of his dreams — working with NBC Universal’s Stamford Media Center as a digital marketing and operations intern. The current environment and COVID-19 restrictions didn’t stop him from getting an amazing experience, despite doing all of his work from home in Emporia. Click here to read Ryan's story.

 

Students Raise Money for Class Project

Students in Dr. Tanja Steigner’s MBA class (FI850 – Advanced Financial Management) participated in a hands-on online crowdfunding project to raise capital. Grouped into four teams, students successfully raised about $1,000 for the following causes: Corky's Cupboard, Direct Relief, St. Luke’s in KC, UNICEF, and Laps for Landon - Cystic Fibrosis.

  

New Faculty

Dr. Mary Teal, Chair, Accounting, Information Systems, and Finance Department

The School of Business welcomes Dr. Mary Teal. Dr. Teal is the newly named Chair of the Accounting, Information Systems, and Finance Department and ESU's first Dr. John C. Rich Distinguished Accounting Professorate. Click here to learn more about Dr. Teal.

 

Mr. Butch Sim, Instructor, Business Administration

Mr. Woojong (Butch) Sim received his MBA (2017) and his BA in Marketing and International Business from Saint Louis University (2015). Professor Sim is currently completing his PhD in Marketing and International Business with an emphasis on Corporate Political Advocacy, Social Media Marketing, and Brand Community at Saint Louis University.

Mr. Sim is teaching Principles of Marketing and Sales Management here at Emporia State University. He was previously a Research Assistant for Boeing Institute of International Business (2018) and an Assistant of the Marketing Department for the Korean Foundation for International Healthcare (2014). Mr. Sim also received the U.S. Army Achievement medal in Combined Force Command (2013). He has two published works and has many current works in process and is currently working on is Dissertation for his PhD.

 

Ms. Sherri Wall, Visiting Professor, Professor of Economics

Ms. Wall received her MS in Resource and Applied Economics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) (2005), her Bachelor’s of Technology with an emphasis in Business and Finance from UAF (2002), and her AA in Business and Accounting from Trinity College. She was a full-time faculty member in the School of Management at UAF from 2006 to 2018, where she twice received the The Associated Students of UAF Outstanding Faculty member award. Ms. Wall has taught classes ranging from Political Economy to Accounting and Information Systems. Sherri has been credited with various published works, including McGraw-Hill’s textbook The Economy Today (2013).

She is currently teaching Principles of Economics I and Money and Banking and is also working with Dr. Derek Yonai, Director of The Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics. Ms. Wall is completing her PhD in Natural Resource Sustainability at UAF as part of a research fellowship with the Arctic Center for Climate Assessment and Policy in the International Arctic Research Center.

 

Announcements

Congratulations to Dr. Marian Riedy and Dr. Tanja Steigner for releasing their first novel, Fatal Accusation: A Stein & Associates Thriller, by Black Rose Writing.

 

Retirements

Congratulations to Dr. Mohammad Chowdhury on his retirement. Thank you for your 23 years of service to the School of Business.

Congratulations to Dr. John Rich on his retirement. Thank you for over 50 years of service to the School of Business.