2020
Volume 1
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
Welcome to the spring 2020 issue of the College of Business newsletter! We find ourselves in challenging times. This spring, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic altered the way that we learn, work, and interact with each other. The rapidly evolving situation required us to respond quickly to ensure the health and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and community at large. Throughout these uncertain times, our Eagle community demonstrated its resilience and commitment in the face of adversity. Administrators, faculty, and staff worked together to rapidly adjust schedules to move winter quarter finals. The Instructional Technology and Design team worked with faculty to transition face-to-face courses to an online format. Faculty and staff shared their knowledge and expertise to help each other adapt to the new environment. Departments from across the university found creative and innovative ways to support students and each other as we navigated the crisis together. In this issue of COB News, we celebrate some of our many student, faculty, staff, and alumni accomplishments. Our exceptional programs and students have been earning recognition at a national level. Students are engaged in service learning and are contributing their time and expertise in our local community. Faculty continue to impact their disciplines through their research publications and presentations. We have much to be proud of in the College of Business, and I am excited to share the good news with you! As always, I invite you to contact me if you have any comments, suggestions, or stories that you would like to share. Sincerely,
Jon Anderson, PhD Acting Dean, College of Business
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS LEADERSHIP UPDATE Ahmad Tootoonchi, PhD, recently announced his upcoming retirement as the dean of the College of Business (COB) and will be off-campus, taking some time off between now and the rest of the academic year. Jonathan Anderson, PhD, dean of the College of Social Sciences, is serving as the acting dean for the College of Business until a transition plan is developed and new leadership is identified. We would like to thank Dean Tootoonchi for his service to Eastern Washington University, our College of Business and its faculty, staff and students, and acknowledge his leadership in successfully attaining our AACSB accreditation.
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EWU ENTREPRENEURSHIP NAMED TOP EMERGING PROGRAM
EWU Entrepreneurship has received the 2020 Top Emerging Entrepreneurship Award from the U.S. Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). The national award is given annually to the top college entrepreneurship program that is in its first three years of development, or has undergone a major revision during the same period. Factors considered include the program’s innovation, boldness and student impact. Bruce Teague, the founding director of the EWU Center for Entrepreneurship, Gabriella Williams, senior, communications studies, and Rachel Anne Backell, senior, entrepreneurship, traveled to New Orleans to make the final presentation to the judges on Jan. 5. EWU competed through three rounds of evaluation to be named a finalist, ultimately beating out programs at Wake Forest University, Iona College and Florida Gulf Coast University in the finals.
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ALUMNI SUCCESS
Larry Soehren, ’81 marketing and management, recently retired from his role as president and CEO at Kiemle Hagood, and moved to an “of counsel” role with the company. A feature article in the January 12, 2020 edition of The Spokesman-Review celebrated Soehren’s successful 37-year career in commercial real estate with Kiemle Hagood. Soehren is an active member and past-president of the EWU College of Business Advisory Board. He is also involved with several trade, civic and community organizations, such as Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Association of Washington Business, the Providence Health Care Community Ministry and the Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital Foundation boards, and he has served on YMCA’s corporate board. In his semi-retirement, Soehren is looking forward to traveling with his wife, seeing the rest of the world, and enjoying life. Read the full Spokesman-Review article.
MBA ALUMNI SUCCESS Several recent MBA graduates are giving back to Eastern by teaching as quarterly faculty in the College of Business: Nicholas Brown, ’19 teaches Information Technology in Business (MISC 311). Prior to earning his MBA, Brown received his Bachelor of Arts in graphic communication from Eastern. He is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society for AACSB-accredited schools. Brown also serves as supervisor in Instructional Technology and Design at EWU. Carson Jones, ’16 teaches Essentials of Accounting in the MBA program and is currently working on his doctorate
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from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. Prior to pursuing his MBA at EWU, Jones earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting and international business management from Brigham Young University – Hawaii. He graduated with honors from the MBA program, and was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society for AACSB-accredited schools. Sue Nelson, ’18 teaches Finance and Corporate Finance in the MBA program and is currently working on her doctorate at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. In addition to the Master of Business Administration, Nelson also earned a Master of Public Administration degree at Eastern. Professionally, Nelson has experience in designing and teaching educational programs for insurance agents across five states. William Shaw, ’17 teaches courses in the professional accounting program, including Principles of Financial Accounting and Accounting for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Entities. Shaw also serves as Executive Director of Academic Business and Operations at Eastern Washington University. An Eastern employee since 2008, Shaw has served as the budget officer in multiple colleges and was recently awarded the 2019 Administrative Exempt Distinguished Service Award. Jeremiah Smiley ’20, teaches Operations Management, Global Supply Chain Management, and Warehouse and Distribution Management. Smiley is also Manager of Supply Chain MultiCare Health Systems Deaconess Hospital. Doug Vandenboom ’19, teaches Operations Management. Vandenboom is also the Director of Procurement and Contracts at Eastern Washington University, and he previously worked at Community Colleges of Spokane and University of Idaho. Vandenboom serves on the National Association of Educational Procurement and as President of the Board of Directors for Tau Epsilon Housing Corporation.
MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTING (MPACC) ALUMNI SUCCESS
We recently surveyed graduates of the MPAcc program, to see how their careers have progressed post-graduation. • 92% of MPAcc graduates live locally in the Spokane area. 100% live in Washington state. • 38% of MPAcc graduates were employed in the accounting field prior to beginning the MPAcc program. • 85% are now employed in the accounting field. • 92% of MPAcc graduates were employed within 2 months of graduating. • 50% of MPAcc graduates who remained with the same company received a promotion after earning their MPAcc degree. • Employment organizations include: CLA, Eide Bailly, DZA, Stauffer & Associates, Department of Treasury, Spokane County, Collins Aerospace, etc. Some of the comments included: “I felt well prepared to study for the CPA exams. The material covered in the CPA review course were topics that had been part of my experience in the program.” “The MPAcc program helped further enhance my knowledge of accounting and GAAP. Additionally, the study skills I picked up while keeping up with the MPAcc workload have helped me balance studying for the CPA while working full-time in public accounting.” “I am grateful for the education that I received and enjoyed being in the program. Although I have continued in my current job I discovered how much I enjoy financial information while in the accounting program. I am excited to find an opportunity to continue learning and gaining new skills.”
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NORTHWEST ENTREPRENEUR COMPETITION This year EWU has 20 student teams who applied for the Northwest Entrepreneur Competition in Spokane. This is the first time that we have had this many teams participate, and we tied the University of Idaho for the most entrants in the competition. Overall, 111 student teams submitted applications for the 2020 competition, which is the largest group in the 16 years since the Northwest Entrepreneur Competition was formed! Two EWU teams were selected as finalists at the competition, including: Team MicroMalthouse: Members: Jake Hays, senior, mechanical engineering and Cody Fox, senior, management information systems Faculty Advisors: Bruce Teague, PhD, Professor of Management and Philip Appel, PhD, Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering Team Vital Solutions: Members: Nathaniel Grey, senior, mechanical engineering and Courtney Evans, senior, communications studies Faculty Advisor: Hessam Gharavi, MS, Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology The Northwest Entrepreneur Competition (NEC) is the largest collaborative business plan competition in our region. The competition welcomes between 60-100 student team submissions each year from seven institutions of higher learning. The competition has been a part of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for more than 15 years and includes categories that integrate college student ideas, community member involvement and ways for high school students to participate. The NEC is community supported; more than 30 businessmen and women serve as judges and multiple organizations who value and support entrepreneurship in the Spokane community sustain the competition as sponsors. The Northwest Entrepreneur Competition seeks to: • Provide students and their teams with constructive feedback and encouragement to proceed with building a sustainable enterprise based on their submitted business plan. • Be a competitive and compelling launch pad for student teams who wish to continue on the regional and national business plan circuit. • Create businesses that will directly benefit the Inland Northwest region through increased economic impact and employment opportunities.
CFA RESEARCH CHALLENGE AND CFA SOCIETY SPOKANE FORECAST DINNER Each year, EWU participates in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Research Challenge for college students. The CFA Research Challenge is a rigorous event that includes a written paper and an oral presentation of the paper. The Challenge is sponsored by the CFA Society Spokane, a member of the CFA Institute Global Network of Societies. This year, Professor Wensheng “Vinson” Cai and students from the EWU team also had a chance to attend the CFA Society Spokane Forecast Dinner at the Historic Davenport Hotel. The event featured prominent practitioners in investment management, including keynote speaker Jim Bianco, President and Macro Strategist at Bianco Research, LLC. The students who attended included Taylor Brown, senior, finance; Brandon Driscoll, senior, finance; Aleas Gomez, senior, finance and accounting; Anthony Sowder, post-baccalaureate, finance, and Daniel Klega, senior, finance and marketing.
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EAGLES $40,000 STARTUP CHALLENGE
Students from across the university are competing in the Eagles $40,000 StartUp Challenge, a fun, collaborative startup pitch competition for students of any major, experience, and class-standing. Participants gain resume-worthy experience, receive valuable mentoring, and have the opportunity to win money to help start their business. The $40,000 StartUp Challenge consists of four stages, each providing a unique entrepreneurial experience. Stage 1, The Idea and Value Proposition Challenge was held on January 28 on the Spokane Campus. Fifty student teams presented their business ideas to industry professional judges in the form of a 2 minute elevator pitch. The top 20 teams from Stage 1 advanced to Stage 2, The Product/ Service Design Challenge, where they created a trade show presentation to showcase their business. The top 10 teams prepared proposals to apply for up to $2,500 per team in development money that is to be used by Stage 3. Stage 3, The Business Design Challenge, is a Shark Tank style event and the judges are investor level members of the Spokane entrepreneurial ecosystem. Every team that qualified for Stage 3 can automatically qualify for Stage 4, The Catalyst Award, by legally forming their business. Qualifying student startups will submit plans for how they would use $10,000 to launch and grow their business. The winning team of Stage 4 will be our first Catalyst prize winner. The Entrepreneurship Program continues to grow, with more than sixty teams applying to participate in this year’s competition. Students from across the university are combining their interests and talents to create innovative problem-solving and business ideas. The EWU Entrepreneurship Program was recently named the 2020 Top Emerging Entrepreneurship Program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE).
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CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL PITCH COMPETITION
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On December 2, students from ENTP 311 – Entrepreneurial Thinking and Behavior, ENTP 387 – Business Startup Research, and MISC – 371 Business Applications Program Design participated in a business pitch competition. More than 75 students participated, forming 22 teams. Teams presented their business ideas to local business professionals, who served as judges for the competition and provided developmental feedback as well as networking opportunities for students. The top 3 teams were awarded cash prizes, totaling $1,000. Top honors went to: 1st Place Mr. Fix-it: Brittney Smith “My product is designed to send engine codes through an application directly to an independent automotive repair shop in real time. My customer is a typical independent shop. My product will provide a managerial tool which can help aid in the decision-making process, save valuable time of management, provide an on-demand monitoring system to their customers and assist them in educating their customers.” 2nd Place Kitchenware Assistant Drawer: Leya Depriest, Eric Eide, Nathan Clark “Our project was the kitchenware Assistant drawer. The Assistant will help with full utilization of the drawer and its contents. The drawer will be a drop-in unit with no install required. The target market will be anyone with a drawer that needs help accessing it or want a cool upgrade to their kitchen. The drawer could be recessed into the top of the counter and accessed by pressing down on it. The drawer will pop up and will, on the other hand, be depressed and lock into place when not in use. The counter will be sleek, and vertical storage of kitchenware makes the organization of the utensils cleaner and less messy while adding a unique new twist to storage.” 3rd Place The Boozy Bee: Brenna Bayless, Taylor Scott, Mariah Stearns “The Boozy Bee is a sit-down bar and bakery that is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth, help you unwind from your day, or kick off your night out. We are an innovative bakery that will bring some sugar and spice to the Pacific Northwest, through an array of cupcake and alcoholic drink combinations. We pride ourselves on using the finest ingredients including fresh fruits, organic flavorings, and of course the tastiest alcohol, which will have you experiencing sweetness and the warm fuzzies whenever you enter our bubble of joy. Our cupcakes are uniquely designed with creative flavors that taste great for any occasion.”
EWU YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK Mentorship Matters On February 12, students and alumni attended the Young Professionals Network event, Mentorship Matters: How to Put This Powerful Career Development Tool to Work for You. The event featured a panel of experts, including a mentor/mentee pair from ENGIE Impact. Participants explored the topic of navigating the workplace through mentorship and the powerful role it can play in career development. Panelists included: Michelle Hege, MS, APR, President & CEO at Desautel Hege; Molly Berry, Sr. Director, Resource Data Management at ENGIE Impact; Dragana Perkovic, Sr. Manager, EDM at ENGIE Impact The Young Professionals Network (YPN) is a community of Eagle alumni who’ve graduated within the last ten years, engaging in professional development opportunities and networking. For more information about YPN, please visit the EWU Alumni website: alumni.ewu.edu.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SERIES
On October 10, 2019, the College of Business presented the Leadership Development Series, featuring Paul Stringer, Executive Vice-President Nicklaus Design and President Nicklaus Companies Asia-Pacific. The event was free to all EWU students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Nicklaus Design is regarded as the world leader in golf course design having designed 425 golf courses in over 45 countries. In his role overseeing Nicklaus Design, Stringer meets with international and domestic developers to assess their development goals for the property reviewing their master plan and location for the golf course. He then discusses the company’s scope of services including: golf course design, branding, apparel and other deliverables until a contract is negotiated and executed. Throughout his 16-year tenure at Nicklaus Design, Stringer has built a reputation for developing business strategies and securing international partners within the golf industry. He is considered one of the leading experts in the golf space and is often asked to speak about golf, resort and residential development at various international conferences, trade shows, and has written several articles for numerous golf publications. Stringer holds a B.A. degree in education from Eastern Washington University. He is a former Senior Vice President of Troon Golf, a golf management and development company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was responsible for establishing and operating their Asia Pacific region and opened offices in Sydney, Australia and Tokyo, Japan. He is a PGA member, member of the National Club Association, and a former two-term board member of the Southwest Section PGA, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Stringer has traveled to nearly 90 countries over his span of 35 years in the golf business.
COB STUDENT SUCCESSS
Capsim Teams Students in Management 490: Department Senior Capstone, utilize Capsim business simulation software, which place individuals in the role of executive management at a multi-million dollar company, competing directly against other real or simulated teams to grab market share and grow their business. Student teams analyze the industry, markets, and competition, and then formulate and execute a strategy to grow their business. Students make key decisions across the four major functions including research & development, marketing, production, and finance. During winter quarter 2020, the following teams, taught by Dr. Yanxin Liu and Mr. James Clanton, finished in the top ten percentile: Andrews Team (Industry ID C115189) Danny Allen, senior, spanish and management; Peter Bowe, senior, entrepreneurship; Michael Childers, senior, business analytics; Westin Montgomery, senior, marketing; Madeline Sanders, senior, marketing Baldwin Team (Industry ID C115190) Steven Beo, senior, management; Chaise Cole, senior, management; Connor Fitzpatrick, senior, management; Tony Whitmer, senior, finance Baldwin Team (Industry ID C115421) Jeffrey Dean, senior, management; Andre Fayette, senior, management and finance; Carson Knepper, senior, marketing; Melissa Sherrill, senior, management Chester Team (Industry ID C115190) Hakem Al Habahbeh, senior, finance; Mitchell Beeman, senior, management; Jenny Borland, senior, marketing; Jimmy Garcia, senior, management Chester Team (Industry ID C115422) Almouhanad Alhussini, senior, finance; Abdullah Alreidan, senior, management information systems; Khalid Alrumih, senior, management information systems;
Abdulaziz Alsugair, senior, management information systems; Alex Armstrong, senior, management information systems In addition to the team challenge, students take the CompXM final exam, which is a comprehensive simulation-based exam to determine business aptitude and measure program learning outcomes. Subject areas include strategy, finance, accounting, human resources, operations, and marketing.
STUDENT SUCCESS Eric Weaver, ’20 Master of Business Administration, has been accepted to Gonzaga Law School, and plans to start pursuing his law degree this summer. After earning his law degree, Weaver intends to work in corporate law – intellectual property. He is “thankful for the foundation Eastern gave me in both grad and undergrad as well as the great professors who always made me strive for more and push myself hard.” Green Filter Guys A team of entrepreneurial EWU students has been selected to participate in the TCU Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures® Competition, one of the largest and most highly regarded competitions in the world. Students Lloyd Dees, senior, psychology and interdisciplinary studies; Ryan Van Meter, freshman, mechanical engineering; and Tanner Cunningham, master of business administration, are competing with their business idea, Green Filter Guys (GFG). Their product utilizes a protein-based nanofiber to develop a biodegradable filter for smoking tobacco or cannabis that removes carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and unhealthy particulate matter. Team GFG won the distinction of Most Promising Business of the EWU 2019 Technology Commercialization Fellowship program last summer.
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GLOBAL EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
On March 6, 2020 the Faculty Development Committee presented “Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs,” featuring speakers Abrahim Soleimani, PhD, Associate Professor of Management; Pui-Yan Lam, PhD, Director of Faculty Commons, Professor, Sociology and Justice Studies, and Associate Dean, College of Social Sciences; and Beth Torgerson, PhD, Professor and CoDirector of English Secondary Education. The brown bag session provided insight and information to College of Business faculty who may be interested in leading an international trip as part of our Global Experiential Learning program. The mission of the program is to assist students in developing a sense of global citizenship and increasing their capacity to participate effectively in global business environments. We do this by providing opportunities for students to expand their global awareness, knowledge, and engagement through participation in experiential learning activities.
GUEST SPEAKER – TONY RUBLESKI On January 9, 2020, the College of Business hosted bestselling author Tony Rubleski. Rubleski’s presentation, titled Trailblazer Leadership Lessons to Take Your Life & Career to the Next Level, was free to all EWU students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Rubleski is the bestselling creator of the Mind Capture book series. He is a 1994 graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in marketing and has also been a faculty member and instructor with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (IOM) and CEO International. His core expertise and message is designed to help people ‘Capture’ more minds and profits.
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IN MEMORIAM
GIVING JOY
Alex Cameron, a long-time professor and administrator in EWU’s Department of Accounting, died on Dec. 1. He was 76. After graduating from EWU with an MBA in 1970, Cameron joined the Bunker Hill Mining Company in North Idaho, where he served as director of corporate planning. After seven years at Bunker Hill he resigned to pursue his true passion of teaching, obtaining his doctorate from the University of Utah in 1981. Cameron returned to EWU to join the accounting faculty. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of professor, while also serving terms as interim dean and the department’s business manager. He retired in 2009. A celebration of life will be held in the spring of 2020 at Surprise Funeral Home in Surprise, Arizona where Cameron resided in retirement. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Hospice of the Valley (1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ, 85014) or a charity of choice.
EWU celebrated Giving Joy Day on April 3, 2020 in recognition of its 138th birthday. This is a fabulous way of acknowledging what people are doing in support of their communities, and encouraging individuals and organizations to help others in meaningful ways. One of the areas that is highlighted by Eastern is giving to scholarships. Tuition, books and fees for a single academic year is now over $7,300 per student. This does not include room and board or other living expenses, which takes the total to over $21,000 annually. Gifts to scholarships make it possible for students to focus on their studies, rather than on how they will pay for their education. Lynn Dicus Stephens, professor emerita of accounting, established a scholarship to assist highly qualified students in obtaining their degree. Stephens taught at Eastern Washington University from 1981 until her retirement in 2007. She served as accounting professor, department chair, and the E. Clair Daniels Endowed Professor. The scholarship was named the Accounting Anonymous Scholarship when it was first endowed in 1995, and renamed when Stephens retired in 2007. The Lynn Dicus Stephens Accounting Scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior student majoring in accounting. Recipients have demonstrated academic achievement, commitment to public service, and a recognizable probability of a successful career in accounting. We thank Stephens, and the other generous alumni and friends of the College of Business, who support our students with their financial gifts. For more information on providing scholarship support, or contributing in other areas, please contact Ken Tucker, Director of Philanthropy, at 509.359.7030 or by email at ktucker10@ewu.edu. Thank you.
SERVICE LEARNING GUARDIANSHIP MONITORING PROGRAM The EWU Accounting Department has partnered with the Spokane County Superior Court to provide service-learning opportunities for students, as part of the Guardianship Monitoring Program. The Guardianship Monitoring Program was implemented to improve the Superior Court’s ability to monitor guardians’ handling of the ongoing care and financial affairs of Spokane County’s incapacitated citizens under court-supervised guardianships. The court utilizes trained volunteers as records researchers, financial auditors, and court visitors. The following professional accounting majors from Arsen Djatej’s Auditing class contributed over 68 hours of volunteer service in the program: Abdullan Alrajabi, Haley Busby, Madison Doepker, Bethany Griffitts, Kassandra Huss, Rachel Langford, Thomas Renault, Brianna Richey, Sophie Saurette, Alexander Simmons, Erin Smith.
2019-20 FACULTY INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS College of Business faculty use their expertise to contribute to their discipline by publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals, books and book chapters. Their research is published in academic and professional conference proceedings, and they are often invited to present their papers at national and international conferences. Faculty write grants that provide funding for academic and co-curricular activities. Samples of recent intellectual contributions by College of Business faculty can be found at ewu.edu/cob/about/intellectual-contributions/
MASKS DONATED The Spokane Chinese Association recently gathered and donated more than 400 masks to the Spokane Police Department. The gift was featured in the Spokesman-Review on Monday, March 23. It highlighted the work of Duanning Zhou, chair of the Information Systems and Business Analytics Department and professor of management information systems at Eastern Washington University, and his wife Ping Ping, president of the Spokane Chinese Association and sociology instructor at Spokane Falls Community College. Ning Li, director of the Master of Public Administration Program at EWU, also helped with the effort. Read the full Spokesman-Review Article.
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FACULTY TEACHING AND SOCIETAL IMPACT In the fall of 2019, Christine Kuglin, JD provided her business law students with an opportunity to attend court sessions in the Spokane County Court to add real-life relevance to their classroom experience. While the students were often not able to find specific business law cases, they came away understanding how a courtroom or lawsuit can impact an individual’s life. The students were required to write a 3-page qualitative description of their experiences. Many students commented that their experience in the court was significantly different than what they expected: “Before attending I had a totally different perspective of how the court system would function. The way I thought it would go would be similar to the movies ...” “The experience of attending a court case was much different than I originally expected it to be. I think the exposure we are accustomed to seeing in the media and film portrays courts and the entire world of law and business as such a formal, put together scene, when in reality the environment, at least from what I have witnessed, is much more laid back...The judges and attorneys did not seem to have rehearsed replies and it seemed to be more of just a presentation of the information.” “I understand that our government likes to claim Innocent Until Proven Guilty however, the majority of the population thinks that once blame is placed on someone it is the opposite. In the cases that I viewed, the judge was VERY lenient, and honestly makes me wonder if that is the reason why we have so many repeat offenders. I was shocked by the kindness that came off of the judge, it was nothing like TV shows or movies.” “Court seems like a place I never want to be forced to go to. A judge I do not know, and a jury I have no connection to, are not the best people to decide my fate if I were to get caught up in the justice system. However, attorneys have a chance to do good for people and represent people who may not be able to represent themselves. On the flip side, judges and juries could ruin peoples’ lives. For example, a court might find a truly innocent person guilty of a crime and send them to jail for 20 years for a crime they did not commit.” “With regards to my specific and most recent visit, the first impression I was met with was one of dismal feelings and somewhat despair...On my way to the courtroom, there were huddles of people consisting of families and lawyers, and you could see and hear the somberness coming from each of their situations. Almost every group of huddled people had at least one person sobbing. This made me feel pity for their situation, even without actually knowing their situation.”
BETA ALPHA PSI EVENTS On October 1, 2019, Beta Alpha Psi and the EWU Career Center hosted their annual Meet the Professionals event. Meet the Professionals is a career fair where students have an opportunity to make meaningful connections with accounting and finance professionals. More than 20 firms and organizations were represented at the event. On March 5, 2020, Beta Alpha Psi hosted a LinkedIn Profile Photo Fundraiser event. Research shows that having a photo makes your LinkedIn profile 14 times more likely to be viewed by others. BAP members were there to take multiple photos and help students choose the best one for their intended career path. BAP also provided tips and guidance for choosing the profile photo that would stand out to employers or other professionals in the network. The event was open to all EWU students, and photos were only $2 each.
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BETA ALPHA PSI RECOGNIZED AS A DISTINGUISHED CHAPTER
EWU’s Delta Sigma Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has been recognized as a Distinguished Chapter based on their outstanding efforts during the 2018-2019 academic year. Dr. Brian McGuire, 2019-2020 President of Beta Alpha Psi, wrote to congratulate the College of Business on this accomplishment: Recognition as a Distinguished Chapter is a significant accomplishment. Under the leadership of Nikki Schroeder, the Delta Sigma Chapter has far exceeded the baseline requirements of Beta Alpha Psi and has excelled in the areas of academics, professionalism, and leadership. As Faculty Advisor for the chapter, Nikki Schroeder has provided an invaluable service to your academic institution. Beta Alpha Psi is an international honor organization for financial information students and professionals. The purpose of Beta Alpha Psi is to: • Recognize outstanding academic achievements in the field of accounting, finance, and information systems; • Promote the study and practice of professional fields related to these disciplines; • Provide opportunities for self-development and association among members and practicing financial professionals; • Encourage a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibilities. Membership is open to all EWU undergraduate, graduate, and postbaccalaureate students with an interest in accounting, finance, or information systems.
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GUEST SPEAKERS Throughout the year, guest speakers from business and industry visit students in Dr. Fred Liu’s Entrepreneurship 311 and Management 490 classes to share their insight and experience with students. Some of the guest speakers who visited Dr. Liu’s classes in fall and winter quarter included: Philip Appel, PhD, lecturer Mechanical Engineering EWU, founder and chairman of Board of Directors at Ag Energy Solutions, Inc. Mike McCarty, Spokane SCORE mentor Joel Nania, Branch Manager, Small Business Administration Spokane Mark Pond, Business Research Librarian, Spokane Public Library Brady Ryan, manager at CoMotion Labs @ Spokane, University of Washington Alan Stanford, Business Advisor, Small Business Development Center at WSU Raylene Swan, Fiduciary Trust Officer for the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians
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E CLAIR DANIELS SYMPOSIUM FEATURING JUSTIN PAPERNY
On November 7, 2019 The Department of Accounting and Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants presented The 21st Annual E. Clair Daniels Symposium 2019, featuring renowned author, speaker, and consultant Justin Paperny. Paperny graduated from the University of Southern California in 1997, then he built his career as a successful stockbroker. His practice at notable firms—that included Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, and UBS— specialized in representing professional athletes and hedge funds. Some bad decisions led Paperny into problems with the criminal justice system, including a felony conviction for violating securities laws. In federal prison, serving an 18-month prison term, he grew determined to make amends, not through talk, but through daily, incremental action. Believing others could benefit from his experience, he began documenting his journey through a daily blog and through his book, Lessons From Prison. Paperny concluded his obligation to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2009. Preparations that he made while serving his sentence empowered Justin to build a thriving career, despite the loss of his licenses to sell securities and real estate. He worked alongside Michael Santos to develop lessons that others can use to prepare for success through struggle. Those lessons became the foundation for White Collar Advice, and they’re available through his website. As a result of preparations that Paperny made in prison, income opportunities opened for him upon his release. He lectured in universities across the United States. He published his second book, Ethics in Motion. He did work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including lecturing at The FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. Paperny’s story has been featured on national news stations. In June 2015, NBC Universal aired “My Deal With the Devil,” a 60-minute TV show about his story. The event was open to all EWU students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Scott Tate, President at Tate Technology Tyler Vinson, ‘03 BAB marketing, founder at easyapartmentsell.com Christopher Wood, President at Ten X Strategies, LLC Qin Zhang, Ph.D. professor, director of the Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems, Washington State University
Amy Shadd, Editor Eastern Washington University College of Business and Public Administration
Please recycle.
AACSB ASSESSMENT UPDATE AACSB Accreditation is the gold standard of quality business education worldwide. Assurance of Learning (AoL) Assessment, a critical component of earning accreditation, is a systematic and well-documented process that allows us to evaluate how our mission-aligned business programs are meeting the learning goals and objectives that we have established, and to make meaningful changes toward achieving these goals using a continuous improvement model. In fall 2019, Associate Dean Dr. Bai led COB assessment and curriculum committees and collectively developed learning goals and objectives, created Ethics Test Banks for undergraduate and MBA, and developed the assessment rubrics and master schedule for 2019-22. Faculty have successfully implemented and collected data for winter 2020 as scheduled despite the pandemic. From spring 2020 – fall 2022, we will continue to collect data, analyze results, implement improvements, re-assess and close the loop.
College of Business 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Suite A Spokane, WA 99202 ewu.edu/cob COB Spring 2020 NL