5 minute read
SHAPING STUDENT SUCCESS
from College of Business Administration - Fall 2024
by Central Michigan University College of Business Administration
CBA faculty make a difference in and out of the classroom
At CMU, faculty do more than teach and conduct research — they also inspire, mentor and equip students with the skills and insights to thrive in an ever-evolving business world.
Meet four CBA faculty members who have paved their own paths and use their life experiences and expertise to ensure CMU students are prepared for their careers and their lives.
Evelyn Smith
Marketing, hospitality and logistics
Blending practical experience with student mentorship
Evelyn Smith’s journey as an undergraduate student at CMU started with aspirations of becoming a high school teacher. But after an economic downturn and a nudge from her father to explore business, she discovered a passion for logistics that shaped her career and took her to companies including Domino’s Pizza and Ryder.
Little did she know that 20 years later she’d merge her early interest in education with her passion for logistics when she became a faculty member in the marketing, hospitality and logistics department in 2015. Today, she guides students in the classroom, as the faculty advisor of the Logistics Management Council — which she was part of as a student — and in case competitions that have taken her and her students from Detroit to Colorado.
To her students, she’s known by her tagline: logistics in action. She strives to show students how logistics shows up in everyday life to further prepare them for successful careers. She’s also a friendly face, a mentor, and a go-to for those in need of feedback and support.
“I really try to balance being approachable and honest with students,” she said. “If a student sends me a message, I’m responding. If they need me, I’m there. Yet they also know I hold them to high standards, and I think that makes for really meaningful relationships.”
JASON TAYLOR
Economics
Leveraging economic history to shape future leaders
Jason Taylor’s path to academia was sparked by the encouragement of one of his own professors. Now an accomplished economics faculty member, Taylor finds fulfillment in mentoring the next generation of leaders and bringing historical economic insights into the modern day.
“I love seeing students succeed, and, in many cases, serve as academic economists like myself,” he said. “It’s rewarding to know I’ve played a part in their journeys just as my mentors did for me.”
In the classroom, Taylor focuses on fundamental economic ideas and concepts and how they can be applied in the real world. In his research, he often travels back in time to the Great Depression era, a period of vast economic policy experimentation. His extensive publications have cemented him as not just an educator dispensing knowledge to his students, but a scholar at the forefront of understanding how economics shapes the world.
His newly released book, “The Brew Deal: How Beer Helped Battle the Great Depression,” is his latest contribution to using the lessons of the past to guide the economy of the future.
Hayam Alnakhli
Marketing, hospitality and logistics
Inspiring resilience and confidence through storytelling
When Hayam Alnakhli arrived in the United States from Saudi Arabia in 2014, she faced not only an uncertain career path but also the challenge of learning a new language and culture.
Today, teaching professional sales as a faculty member in the marketing, hospitality and logistics department, she calls upon lessons from her personal journey to inspire her students to realize their own potential.
“I’m very passionate about helping people find their unique strengths,” she said. “You are smart in your own way. You are great in your own way. You can succeed at whatever you set your mind to.”
Alnakhli’s courses extend beyond sales techniques; they emphasize self-confidence, open-mindedness and empathy. Her sales simulations provide a realistic arena where students build practical skills, tackle competition and make strategic decisions, preparing them for the demands of a professional environment.
“No matter what you do as a career, you have to be able to sell yourself,” Alnakhli said. “My goal is to help students succeed in whatever path they choose.”
Christine Witt
Business information systems
Giving back to the next generation of CMU Chippewas
To say business information systems faculty member Christine Witt is fired up might be an understatement. She is a CMU alumna, and her husband, parents and more than a dozen other family members also are proud CMU Chippewas.
“My parents attended CMU and met at the University Center. My husband and I met here. Between our two families, we’ve tallied 15 CMU degrees — and counting,” she said. “CMU is a special place, and being able to work here and support students is truly my calling.”
Witt motivates students to learn by using real-world simulations and project-based learning. That’s why her teachings offer a mix of learning experiences such as using SAP, an enterprise resource planning system, and giving students real-world projects to foster a deep understanding of the practical applications of the tool.
“I love teaching others how to use systems, so we start with the basics and build from there,” she said. “Students often start the semester having never logged into the system, and by course-end, they’re synthesizing what they have learned through extensive reporting and high-level decision-making. It’s incredible to watch their deep learning and growth.”
