Business Edge Newsletter – Fall 2017

Table of Contents

Greetings from the Division of Business!

We have ended a productive year and begin another with great excitement and energy. Students in various undergraduate and graduate programs completed internships and practicums with Central Ohio organizations throughout the past academic year.  As in previous years, faculty and students actively participated in several curricular and co-curricular activities including Ohio Dominican University’s (ODU) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, Business Dominican Scholars Program, seminars, and networking events, and we congratulated our 2016-2017 graduates!  We invite you to participate in upcoming activities hosted by the Boards of Advisors for all the academic programs in the Division. Our community partners provide exceptional opportunities for our students – and we thank you! 

Accounting Students Complete 153 Tax Returns in 2017

ODU’s Accounting students and faculty prepared 153 federal and state income tax returns during ODU’s 11^th annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. ODU is one of several sites around Columbus that coordinates with the United Way of Central Ohio to prepare tax returns free of charge. This year, 13 student volunteers participated in the program. Accounting professors, Dawn Hill and Jack Edwards, J.D., led the program.

The service was offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from February 25^th to April 12^th.  VITA offers free tax preparation to people with low to moderate income (generally $58,000 and below). Through this program, ODU Accounting students assisted with special credits, including earned income tax credit, child tax credit, and credit for the elderly. ODU faculty and students have helped prepare 2,745 tax returns since 2007.

In her own words: Investigating Life Design

Contributed by Emily Schofield, Public Relations and Marketing Communications & Business Double Major

As students, the closer we get to graduation, the more we panic. How do I find a job? How will I make money? We become racked with questions like, “What do I do with my life?” It’s easy to become overwhelmed and for me, it begged the question: Is there a solution? To help find an answer (and to complete the research requirement for ODU’s Honors program), I decided to investigate the theory of life design.

Life design was created to help people design the life they want. Popularized by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans in their best-selling book, Designing Your Life, life design uses design methods such as prototyping, mind mapping, and team building to stimulate personal life change. More than job-hunting, life design helps identify core values that lead to better decision making, improved happiness, and a better life.

As a senior graduating in December, this is incredibly relevant. While I have identified navigational guidance in transitioning from student to young professional as helpful, I am now taking a deep dive into life design thinking.

Over the next several months, I will engage in the process of life design. To avoid bias, I have recruited several ODU students to engage in life design principles with PR/Marketing Communications Professor Natalie Kompa and the PRS 479 Core class. I will administer surveys that identify if life design affects changes in behavior or thought process throughout the experiment. I hope to discover if life design improves overall happiness and productivity.

Public Relations and Marketing Communications Majors and Minors

As part ODU’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), a student run club for Public Relations and Marketing Communications majors and minors, ODU students toured NBC 4 Studios in Columbus. On January 26, 2017, students met with the Channel 4 morning news anchors and news directors, discussing the state of the news media and sharing tips on building relationships with the media.

Gamma Iota Sigma Beta Omega Chapter

On December 6, 2016, ODU’s Beta Omega Chapter became the 72^nd chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma. It is the only international business fraternity for students of insurance, risk management and actuarial science. ODU welcomed 32 charter student members this year. The ceremony was hosted by the Grand Chapter and supported by chapters from Arizona, Ohio, and Washington. It was sponsored by Westfield Insurance, and attended by Motorists Insurance, Nationwide Insurance, Quinn Associates and MAPFRE Insurance.



Business Etiquette Dinner

PRSSA, Gamma Iota Sigma, and the Career Development Center held a business etiquette dinner on April 20, 2017. The dinner included a presentation by Grady Campbell, Chief Operating Officer of Motorists Insurance, and ODU Board of Trustees member discussing the art of the business dinner.

Delta Mu Delta

The 2017 Delta Mu Delta Induction ceremony took place on April 11, 2017. Delta Mu Delta is International Honor Society in Business and Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accredited. Top performing business students were inducted into the Mu Beta chapter of Delta Mu Delta. Inductees were honored for academic excellence in business studies.

Master of Business Administration Program’s Spring Networking Event

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program’s first networking event was held on April 20, 2017. Joel Elvery, Ph.D.,  Economist, of Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland presented on current regional and national economic conditions. Current and prospective MBA students, alumni, and faculty attended.

Finance and Economics Board of Advisors’ Networking Event

The Finance and Economics Board of Advisors hosted a networking event on May 2, 2017. The event featured, Ben Ayers, Senior Economist, Nationwide Insurance. The event was sponsored by board of advisor members. Approximately 45 current students and 14 faculty, alumni, prospective students, and finance or economics professionals attended the event.

Conversations with Entrepreneurs

The Division of Business hosted an event for its Conversations with Entrepreneurs series.  On April 11, 2017, Tom Burden, of Grypshon Industries and Charles Hill of Rev1, spoke to students regarding their experiences in their industries

Master of Business Administration Program Offers Data Analytics Concentration

The MBA program now offers Data Analytics as a concentration. This concentration will prepare students and allow them to compete in the labor market in and around Columbus. Courses within the concentration include Econometric Modeling (MBA 647) and Financial Modeling (MBA 650). Please contact Dr. Steven Vickner, Program Director for more information about Data Analytics and other MBA programs!

Students Complete Audit

In Spring 2017, seven Audit (ACT 430) students, led by Professor John Edwards, gained hands on experience completing an audit for a local business with the Association of Governmental Accountants (AGA) Greater Columbus Chapter. In 2004, the Central Ohio Chapter focused on state and local government. It was determined a chapter with a federal focus was needed to compliment the Central Ohio Chapter, and so the AGA was formed. The chapter has grown to 100 members. The chapter prides itself in offering opportunities related to professional development, education, community service, and leadership development for its members. The Greater Columbus chapter has achieved gold and platinum status with the AGA, which demonstrates commitment to carrying out AGA’s mission and vision.

Insurance & Risk Management Program Ranked 8th in U.S.

ODU’s Insurance & Risk Management progracapsm ranked eighth among most valuable programs in the nation, according to Online Accounting Degree Programs. Click here to read more.



MBA 690 Capstone Students Crushed the Worldwide Competition

The students in both the online and on-campus sections of the MBA 690 Capstone Strategic Management course crushed the worldwide competition in the Spring Two 2017 term in the GLO-BUS business simulation model (https://new.glo-bus.com/). Over the last 12 months, GLO-BUS has been used by 30,164 students in 29 different countries. Many of these programs are AACSB-accredited. In Dr. Steven Vickner’s online course, three teams achieved Top-100 performances and one team, Ian Bailey, Je Cire, Tiffany Cordell’s, came in 20^th overall. In Dr. Patricia Hohlbein’s on-campus course, three teams achieved Top-100 performances and one team came in 21^st overall. Dr. Vickner and Dr. Hohlbein collaborated with Dr. Arlene Ramkissoon to completely redesign and synchronize both the online and on-campus sections of MBA 690 – an effort that started in November and ended in early March. Congratulations to the MBA 690 student teams for a job well done!

Academic Awards for Division of Business Students

ODU students were recognized for their outstanding academic achievement and contributions at the University’s annual Academic Awards Ceremony, held on May 2, 2017.

The following awards were presented from the Division of Business:

Outstanding Student in Accounting – Tanner Ebright
Outstanding Business Administration Major – Jeff Paul
Outstanding Economics Major – Robert Sponseller
Outstanding Finance Student – Courtney Kozak
Outstanding Insurance & Risk Management Student – Darryl Johnson
Outstanding Public Relations and Marketing Communications Major – Emily Schofield
Outstanding Sport Management Student – Thomas Nugent
Outstanding Student in International Business – Allison Pavlik

Students and Alumni News

John Kostry ’18, MBA, Leadership Concentration, was profiled in an August 3, 2017 article on plasticsnews.com. Kostry helped develop a next-generation, Class A, sheet molding compound system for Core Molding Technologies Inc., Columbus.

Kostry is a member of Delta Mu Delta, an international honors society in business. He won a highly coveted Delta Mu Delta scholarship based on his superior academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, service to ODU and the community, and his outstanding character. We would like to congratulate John on this wonderful achievement.

Ryan Mills ’09, MBA, was featured in the February 19, 2017 edition of the Newark Advocate. Mills is the vice president of The Granville Investment Group.

Jacob Saliba ’18, Economics Major, Political Science and Finance Minors, was interviewed about his ODU experience, which follows below.

Hometown: Powell, Ohio.
Organizations: Honors Program, Scholars Program
Activities: Former Baseball Player

I attended Ohio Dominican for the challenge. I enjoy the small classroom setting where a broad range of information can be learned, achieved, and applied. 

How do you stay involved at ODU?
Through the Scholars Program and Honors Program, I access opportunities outside of the classroom. These programs help me evolve professionally. 

Have you participated in any internships?
I was an intern for the Ohio Senate Page for a year, and then interned at the Ohio Casino Control Commission. After that, I interned for U.S. Senator Rob Portman, where I dealt with campaigning and constituent relations. 

After working in the public sector, I shifted my focus to the private sector for diversity. I was accepted into the Ohio Export Internship Program, led by the Ohio Development Services Agency and hosted by The Ohio State University. I was an export intern at an international company, Blast-One. There, I was responsible for all market research in Canada, China, and the United Kingdom. I initiated and continued contact with 1,100 companies to expand Blast-One's exporting reach and increase sales. During this time, the exporting reach grew exponentially and sales grew to about $16 million. Recently, I was accepted for an internship at the Ohio Bankers League where I help lead a statewide banking internship program, and I am involved with legislative matters affecting government and Ohio industries.

These internships have helped define who I am today: a hardworking, determined, and well-rounded young professional as well as a dedicated and focused student in the classroom.

What is your most memorable moment at ODU?
My most memorable moment is not defined by one specific instance, but rather, it is having the opportunity to learn and have success in the classroom at ODU. I enjoy knowing that the faculty in my program are invested in my well-being as a student and a human being. I am proud to be an ODU student. What I learn in the classroom and the people I meet along the way will positively affect me as I take the next step in my professional career.

Myrissa Stalter ’20, Public Relations and Marketing on why she attends ODU:

Hometown: Reynoldsburg, Ohio

I chose ODU and PRSSA, because I love the small campus environment. Recognizing familiar faces throughout the day makes me part of a strong community. ODU has provided me with the opportunity to join PRSSA. This organization has shaped my career path through experience and exposure. PRSSA pushes me to new limits and will lead me to a strong future career.

Faculty and Staff News

Carol Blaine was quoted in an International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) story. The Ohio Department of Higher Education released an edition of their business newsletter, and the IIRC is featured! Please see the links below and check out page 6.

https://issuu.com/ohiohighered/docs/spring-2017-connected_6_

https://www.ohiohighered.org/connect-ed/5/2

Jack Edwards, CPA, J.D., MBA, Accounting, presented “Critical Thinking in Accounting/Auditing” to a group of 100 from the Association of Government Accountants’ Columbus Chapter on October 26, 2016.

Ken Fah, Ph.D., Economics and Business, reviewed Greening the Global Economy, by Robert Pollin, for The Journal of Economics (MVEA), 42, 2, 2016. Ken Fah and Edward Lukco, MBA participated in a Professional Development Economics Teaching Workshop, Columbus, OH, October 2016.

John Grant, Ph.D., attended the 53^rd annual Midwest Business Administration Association (MBAA) International Conference, which was held March 22-24, 2017, The Palmer House, Chicago. During the conference, Dr. Grant was elected to serve as the treasurer for the North American Management Society. He also served as a session chair and paper discussant in the conference proceedings. 

Gregory Lott, Ph.D., Sport Management, was featured in “Ask the Experts” section of a sport fandom/finance study on Wallet Hub. Click here to view the article. He was invited to speak at Denison University, Granville, OH, on “How to Combine Emotional Intelligence Training and Sport Participation to Further the Educational Mission,” and on “Coping Mechanisms to Optimize Holistic Performance for Student-athletes.”

The following have been accepted for two refereed scholarly presentations: Lott, G. “Building Emotional and Social Competencies through Collegiate Sport Participation”, Presentation, 20^th Annual National Coaching Conference, May 22 - 24, 2017, Atlanta, GA; and Dahlin, S., Pastore, D., & Lott, G. “How Coaches Develop: The Proposed Model of Coaching Effectiveness Redevelopment”, Presentation, 20^th Annual National Coaching Conference, May 22 - 24, 2017, Atlanta, GA.

Natalie Kompa, Assistant Professor and Program Director of Public Relations and Marketing Communications, presented “Managing Relationships” on June 29, 2017 as part of the Central Ohio Public Relations Society of America’s series on preparing for the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) exam. The APR exam is designed to certify professional competence and reflect progressive public relations industry practices and high standards. Kompa has held the APR designation since 2008. 

Arlene Ramkissoon, DBA, Business, attended the 53^rd annual MBAA International Conference, which was held March 22-24, 2017, The Palmer House, Chicago. She presented “Millennials and Role Innovation,” and received the McGraw-Hill best paper award in the Management track of the conference.

Dr. Ramkissoon authored a manuscript, “The Impact of Generational Perceptions of Interactional Justice on Workplace Citizenship Behavior,” accepted for publication in Spring 2017 issue of Journal of the North American Management Society.

Douglas Ruml, DBA, Assistant Professor, received his Doctorate in Business Administration. He attended the ACBSP Conference in June 2016, and served as a McGraw-Hill Education reviewer for the 11th edition of "International Business, Competing in the Global Marketplace" by Charles W.L. Hill and G. Tomas M. Hult. 

Publications: Ruml, Douglas and Steven Tippins, “A Quantitative Study of the Effect of Catastrophes on United States Insurance Company Impairment.” in the Franklin Business & Law Journal; and co-authored “Cyber Insurance: Recent Advances, Good Practices and Challenges,” published October 2016 by ENISA.

Steven S. Vickner, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of the MBA program had the following publication: Vickner, Steven S. “Friend or PHO? On the Marginal Valuation of Reducing the Content of Trans Fat in Processed Food.” Advances in Management & Applied Economics. 7(Number 2, 2017):23-44.  Another work, “On Estimating the Determinants of Yearling Thoroughbred Racehorse Prices,” will be published in an upcoming volume of the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing in a special issue called Advances in Sport Management in the Global Marketplace: Theory and Practice.

New Division of Business Board of Advisor Members

Finance and Economics, Lynnsee Doran
Lynnsee has worked at The Geiger Team at Merrill Lynch since 2011. She is dedicated to understanding the financial complexities faced by high net-worth individuals, particularly medical professionals and surgical practices, businesses, and individuals who are in the process of or are considering divorce. She assists in identifying and prioritizing goals—including estate planning services, investments, tax minimization strategies, wealth transfer and retirement income—then develops in-depth, customizable strategies to suit personal circumstances. Lynnsee graduated from ODU with a B.A. in Finance and an MBA.

Master of Business Administration, Montana Fishel
Graduated from ODU with a B.A. in Business Administration and an MBA. While attending ODU, she played softball for four years, received the Pride of the Panther Award, and an academic all-American award. In summer 2016, she interned at Alliance Data, Card Services. During her internship, she worked with credit risk and collection strategies within Card Services. In August, Alliance Data offered Fishel a full-time position as an Interaction Analyst.

Master of Business Administration, CSM(R) Albert M. Whatmough
Command Sergeant Major Albert M. Whatmough, (USA, Retired), Deputy Director, Operations and Shared Services, Wright State Research Institute. He supports the executive management team. He was the Associate Director for Curriculum Development and Delivery of the Institute’s, National Center for Medical Readiness division, CSM(R). He has 20+ years in military, national security and homeland defense experience, operational leadership, policy development, and executive strategic planning. He was the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Ohio National Guard providing oversight to 14,000+ Army and Air National Guard Enlisted service members. CSM(R) He is an Executive Board Member of the USO for Central and Southern Ohio supporting military members and their families. 

Sport Management, Danielle Ghiloni Walter
Danielle Ghiloni, Of Counsel, Carpenter, Lipps and Leland. She heads the firm’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Title IX compliance practice.  She has experience with issues facing colleges in these areas.  She spent six years at the NCAA national office and served as Associate Director of Academic & Membership Affairs. Danielle worked in the athletics compliance offices at DePaul University and The Ohio State University.  Danielle is a member of the Columbus Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA).

Public Relations and Marketing Communications, Lauren Schultz
Lauren Schultz is excited to join the ODU Public Relations and Marketing Communications Board of Advisors. She began her career in education policy and research institutions. Schultz relocated to Columbus and worked in digital marketing where she drove social strategy for startups. Recently, Schultz accepted a position at Fathom. There she is a project manager for hospitals and health systems. She volunteers presenting branding strategy and social media to nonprofits and college students.

Insurance and Risk Management, Dale Halon
Dale is founder and President of Analytics ROI, LLC. He is a data and predictive analytics expert consulting with insurers. Prior to his role, Dale was Vice President of Business Development at EagleEye Analytics. His background has a mix of technical and executive level insurance company experience and more than twenty years’ experience in data and analytics. He chaired on committees at the national level for the Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and is Vice President of the Columbus CPCU Chapter.           

Insurance and Risk Management, Josh Thompson 
In his current role, Claims and Risk Engineering Shared Services Director, State Auto, Josh is responsible for leading State Auto’s Special Investigative Unit, Training, Quality Assurance, Workflow/Technology, Vendor Management, Agency CARE Consultants and Customer Service teams. He completed his MBA at Franklin University and B.A. at The Ohio State University. He holds the CPCU, SCLA, PLCS, CLCS, AIS and API designations.  Josh was the President of the Columbus CPCU Chapter in 2016. 

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration, Taurai Pahuwa
Pahuwa is a Diagnostics Cardiovascular Technologist at OhioHealth. Pahuwa has over five years of experience in healthcare settings providing direct patient care. He is a member of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). He graduated from ODU’s Master of Science in Medical Practice Management (MPM) program in 2015.