News Briefs and Back Cover

FALL 2018 | DIVIDENDS

briefs news

MSU National Alumnus of the Year

College of Business Executive Advisory Board member R.L. Qualls was selected as MSU’s 2018 National Alumnus of the Year. A Little Rock, AR, resident, Qualls is the retired President and CEO of Baldor Electric Company. He presently serves as Co-chairman of Taylor Companies of Washington, DC, and recently retired as Presiding Independent Director of Bank of the Ozarks Inc. Qualls was a cabinet member in Bill Clinton’s first gubernatorial administration. He has also served as a faculty member or research fellow at Rutgers University, Louisiana State University, Southern Methodist University and Vanderbilt University. Qualls holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from MSU and a doctorate from LSU. He has published a number of books and articles.

COB Alumnus of the Year

Paul Karre was named the 2018 Alumnus of the Year for the College of Business. Karre is the former Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Communications for International Paper (IP). The 1974 alumnus began his 41-year career as an Industrial Relations Specialist at IP’s Georgetown, SC, mill. Karre served in a variety of business and corporate roles and in 2000 was appointed an officer of IP. In 2009, he was elected to the Senior Vice President position, which he held until retirement in 2015. Karre is a member and past President of the COB Executive Advisory Board, a Top 100 COB Alumnus, the 2012 COB Alumni Fellow and an MSU Foundation board member. He and wife Mary Jo have graciously endowed both a faculty fellowship and a professorship in the College of Business.

COB Alumni Fellow

Thomas G. “Tom” Hixon, Sr. was selected as the 2018 Alumni Fellow for the College of Business. Hixon, a 1967 accounting graduate, is chairman of Phoenix Development Company LLC. After college, he worked for the U.S. Army and Air Force Exchange Service, dealing with retail stores and distribution in the annex of the Pentagon. He later became CFO and Director of Operations for Valley Food Service. Next, he held several roles for Forestry Suppliers Inc., among them co-owner, CFO, President and General Manager. Following his time there, Hixon helped found Gulf South Medical Supply, achieving success before the company merged with First Choice Medical Supply, for which he was founder, co-owner and Chairman. The Ridgeland, MS, resident serves on the boards of the MSU Foundation and the Bulldog Club.

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briefs news

New Faculty and Staff

Welcome 2018 new College of Business Faculty and Staff!

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MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Jana Berkery

Assistant Director, Development

Kendall Kennedy, PhD

Assistant Professor, Finance & Economics

Haylee Crouch Academic Records Assistant

Kimberly McLeod Academic Coordinator

Emily Hunt, PhD

Assistant Professor, Adkerson School of Accountancy

Michele Medina, PhD

Assistant Professor, Management & Information Systems

Joshua Hunt, PhD

Assistant Professor, Adkerson School of Accountancy

Renata Roberts

Instructor, Management & Information Systems

Adam Scott

David Sikolia, PhDLaura Walton, PhD

Matthew Whitledge, PhDHead Golf Professional, MSU Golf Course

Assistant Clinical Professor, Management & Information Systems

Instructor, Marketing, Quantitative Analysis & Business Law

Assistant Clinical Professor, Finance & Economics

DIVIDENDS | FALL 2018

FALL 2018 | DIVIDENDS

COB Programs Earn Top Rankings

Grisham Keynotes Fall Convocation

Author and 1977 accounting graduate John Grisham offered the keynote address at Mississippi State’s Fall 2018 Convocation. Grisham, the author of best-selling novels such as The Firm and A Time to Kill, has sold more than 300 million books in his 30-year career. His novel Calico Joe is this year’s selection for Maroon Edition, MSU’s common reading program for new students. Approximately 5,000 copies of the book were given to this fall’s freshmen and transfer students. Grisham’s A Painted House was the first ever Maroon Edition selection when the program started in 2009.

The Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy’s graduate and undergraduate programs rank in the top 10 for universities with 16 or fewer full-time accounting faculty. The 2018 Commerce Clearing House Public Accounting Report’s Annual Professors Survey lists MSU at sixth among undergraduate programs and seventh among master’s programs. The survey also ranks both programs among the best in the South, regardless of faculty size.

The Distance MBA program remains one of the best in the country at No. 22 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online MBA Program rankings, again making MSU’s online MBA program the highest ranked in Mississippi. This marks the fourth consecutive year the program has made the top 25. Additionally, SR Education Group’s 2018 Best Online Colleges rankings list the Distance MBA program as second in the country and the Online MBA - Project Management program as third.

The COB’s Risk Management and Insurance program was recognized as one of the Top 20 RMI programs in the country for 2018 by Best’s Review.

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COB Students Named Spirit of State Winners

In April, 14 students were honored as 2018 MSU Spirit of State Award recipients. Four of them were from the College of Business: senior accounting major Nicholas Cobb, MSU-Meridian senior business administration major Mariam Khmaladze, senior marketing major Chasten McCrary and senior marketing major Jailand Williams. The Spirit of State

Award is the premier student recognition for exceptional contributions to campus life.

briefs news

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MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Dean Oswald Honored by Vet School

Reuben Moore, Interim Associate Vice President for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, recently presented COB Dean Sharon Oswald the Vice President’s Pegasus Award for her contribution to veterinary medicine in Mississippi. She was recognized at an October ceremony at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Oswald endowed a private client waiting room in the MSU Animal Health Center (AHC) in memory of her late Shih Tzu,

Quinn, who was loved and cared for by members of the College. The Quinn Oswald Client Consultation Room offers clients and clinicians a comfortable, private space to discuss veterinary care. Today, every client room in the AHC has been named by generous alumni and friends following the Dean’s lead.

Grimes Inducted into MCEE Hall of Fame

Dr. Paul Grimes, Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Finance & Economics and former Associate Dean of the College of Business, was selected by the Mississippi Council on Economic Education (MCEE) for induction into the 2018 MCEE U.S. Senator Thad Cochran Hall of Fame. This selection was based on his extensive work to launch the state’s first Center for Economic Education at MSU, the creation of the Master Teacher of Economics program and the impact these achievements had on creating the foundation from which MCEE was built. Grimes retired from MSU in 2011 to become Dean of the College of Business at his alma mater, Pittsburg State in Kansas. Shown here are Dean Sharon Oswald, Associate Dean Kevin Rogers, Director of MSU’s Extension Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy Becky Smith, Grimes and Finance and Economics Department Head Kathleen Thomas.

DIVIDENDS | FALL 2018

FALL 2018 | DIVIDENDS

Kathleen Thomas Named Finance & Economics Department Head

Mississippi State Professor of Economics Kathleen Thomas is now leading the

University’s Department of Finance and Economics. Thomas joined the Department as an Assistant Professor in 2002. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Birmingham-Southern College, a master’s degree from the University of Alabama and a doctorate from Georgia State University. A distinguished researcher in economics, Thomas has been involved with over $750,000 in funded research grants, contracts and awards.

She specializes in public finance and education policy. She enjoys merging her teaching and research in a way that keeps students up to date on current trends and policies.

COB Students Elected to Homecoming Court

Boots to Business SBA Grant

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has exercised Mississippi State’s Boots to Business Revenue Readiness Program’s Option Year One cooperative agreement contract for $824,099. The University will continue providing “Boots to Business Revenue Readiness – Business Model to Business Plan” entrepreneurship training to U.S. military service members, military spouses and veterans within the United States and overseas.

Four College of Business students were elected to MSU’s 2018 Homecoming Court. Homecoming Queen Emily Turner is a senior accounting major from Madison, MS. Junior Maid Riley Vergara-Cruz is a marketing/international business and French double major from Franklin, TN, and Sophomore Maid Ashley McLemore is a Business Administration and Fashion Design & Merchandising double major from Starkville. Shelby Baldwin, a senior marketing major from Ridgeland, MS, is 2018’s Miss MSU. All were presented formally during halftime of the MSU v. La Tech football game on November 3.

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Retirements

Tim Barnett, PhD Professor of Management

Michael Goree Instructor of Marketing

John Thomas Rigsby, Jr., DBA Associate Professor of Accountancy

Three of our College of Business faculty members retired this year. The College extends a heartfelt “thank you” for the positive impact they have made on students and colleagues alike during their years of service. Best wishes for a long and happy retirement!

briefs news

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Starkville’s First Lemonade Day

Children set up more than 60 lemonade stands on August 18 for Starkville’s Lemonade Day. Sponsored locally by the MSU College of Business, the MSU Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach, Castle Properties and Cadence Bank, Lemonade Day is a nationwide program that teaches children how to start, own and operate a business. Winners of Cadence Bank’s Best Business Contest were “Rally Lemons” for greatest profits and “Keep Calm and Lemonade On” for best slogan. “EZ PZ Lemon Squeezy” won a bike in the participant raffle. Shown here are the winners from Rally Lemons, EZ PZ Lemon Squeezy and Keep Calm and Lemonade On with (back) Lemmy, COB Director of Outreach Jeffrey Rupp, COB Dean Sharon Oswald, Cadence Bank’s Jimmy Abraham and Castle Properties’ Mark Castleberry.

USDA Grant for Entrepreneurship Makerspace

In August, Mississippi’s Senate delegation and officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $100,000 grant for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach to create a “makerspace” in downtown Starkville. The facility will house equipment to help entrepreneurs produce prototypes needed to get customer feedback and reach the marketplace. USDA Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett (second from right) and (from left) Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith joined Dean Sharon Oswald and MSU President Mark Keenum, who shared more about MSU’s efforts to bolster an entrepreneurial culture on campus and throughout Mississippi.

In Memoriam – Alan Crockett

We are saddened by the loss of COB Executive Advisory Board member Alan Clayton Crockett. He was a former Executive Vice President at Fred’s, Inc. He also taught accounting and finance at Northwest Mississippi Community College part-time for a number of years and served as finance chair for Tate County’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The Mississippi State alumnus earned his Bachelor’s in Professional Accountancy degree in 1990.

DIVIDENDS | FALL 2018

FALL 2018 | DIVIDENDS

• Associate Professor of Marketing Dr. Frank Adams, Contract Grant Specialist Schanna Beckham and marketing doctoral candidate Christian Barney were honored for excellence in research and creative endeavors during MSU’s Annual Research Awards luncheon in April.

• Alumnus and U.S. Coast Guard Commander Thomas Brian Bailey retired from service in Mobile, AL. He enlisted in the National Guard in 1986 before joining ROTC at MSU and ultimately earning an Army commission.

• Alumnus Tim Basel was named Professional of the Year by the Gulf States PGA. He is the Head Golf Professional at Reunion Golf and Country Club in Madison, MS.

• Alumna Lauren Black made the inaugural Forbes list of “America’s Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors.” She is a certified financial planner at Phillips Financial and Raymond James of Starkville.

• Alumna Kelly Brewer, who serves as Director of Engineering for the Portland, ME-based Tilson, was named a Top Young Professional in New England by Engineering News-Record.

• Alumnus Greg Bufkin and his wife Andrea founded El Roi Ministries to help the families of individuals in treatment for addiction.

• Alumna and COB Executive Advisory Board member Mary Childs was elected Chairwoman of the Mississippi Bankers Association for 2018- 2019. She is President and CEO of The Peoples Bank in Ripley, MS.

• As the author or co-author of seven highly cited papers among 2,140 analyzed by the journal Scientometrics, Dr. James Chrisman is tied for tenth among most cited scientists. The Head of the Department of Management and Information Systems was also named to the 2017 Clarivate Analytics “Highly Cited Researcher List,” and the Journal of Small Business Management ranked him as the sixth leading individual contributor to entrepreneurship research and MSU as the sixth in the world for the impact of its entrepreneurship research.

• May 2018 MBA graduate John Cordera won Best Q & A Session in his division during the 2018 SEC MBA Case Competition.

• Timothy Duncan – alumnus, founding member of the Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board and Talos Energy President and CEO – rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange on May 30, 2018.

• Alumnus Kevin Enroth was appointed as Director of MSU’s Office of Sponsored Projects.

• Alumnus Aaron Feld was named Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the University of Oregon’s football program.

• Alumnus William P. “Bill” Gardner was named a Forbes Coaching Council Contributor. He owns a leadership coaching and development business in Austin, TX.

• Alumnus Bob Glover was elected President of Mississippi Young Bankers. He is Vice President, Investment and Security Officer at The Peoples Bank of Ripley, MS.

• Alumna Janna Hadden was named Deputy Director for the Mississippi Department of Transportation Budget Division.

• Trustmark promoted alumnus Adam Hargett to First Vice President at the bank’s corporate headquarters in Jackson.

• Associate Professor of Management Dr. Daniel T. Holt and former Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Kincy Madison were awarded the 2018 Family Business Review’s Best Article award along with co-author Dr. Franz Kellermanns from UNC-Charlotte.

• Alumnus Larkin Kennedy was named President and CEO of Rush Health Systems in Meridian, MS, having served there for 10 years in other leadership roles.

• Alumnus Kellon Lawrence, CFA, joined Morgan Stanley in Jackson as a Financial Advisor.

• Alumna Dr. Deborah Lee was named Associate Dean for Public Services in the MSU Library System.

• BankFirst Financial Services’ Board of Directors approved new titles for alumni Marcus Mallory, now Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer; Jim McAlexander, now Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Officer and Luke Yeatman, now Chief Financial Officer.

• Alumnus Stephen Masley of McGinchey Stafford in Jackson was named a Rising Star by Mid-South Super Lawyers.

• Alumnus Drew Mattox was named a partner at Colorado accounting firm EKS&H, now joined with Plante Moran.

• Alumnus Jeff McCoy was elected to Mississippi Bankers Association Board of Directors. He is President and CEO of Great Southern Bank in Meridian, MS.

• Alumnus Brooks Mosley was elected Chairman of the Mississippi Council on Economic Education’s Board of Directors. He is President of Ballew Wealth Management.

• MSU-Meridian students excelled at the DECA International Career Development Conference. Steve Pamplin placed in the top 10 in the Sales Management Meeting event; Steven Miller made the top 10 of the preliminary round of the Retail Management event and Mariam Khmaladze, Steven Miller, Steve Pamplin and Daniel Johnson received Award of Excellence honors.

• Angela Pannell, Instructor of Accountancy, was appointed to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy Continuing Professional Education Committee for the 2018-2019 year.

• MSU’s Pi Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) was honored with awards in Alumni Relations, Chapter Management, Membership Development and Public Relations at the 47th Annual GIS International Conference in Chicago.

• Alumnus and Editor and Publisher of the Neshoba Democrat Jim Prince received the J. Oliver Emmerich Award for Editorial Excellence, the Mississippi Press Association’s highest editorial writing award.

• Accounting alumnus John Scott was elected to the Board of Directors of Horne, LLP.

• Louisville, MS-based Taylor Machine Works represented Mississippi at the White House’s Made in America event in Washington, DC. The company is led by alumni William A. “Lex” Taylor, III, CEO, and Robert D. Taylor, President and Chief Operations Officer, and was previously led by alumnus W.A. “Bill” Taylor, Jr.

• Chip Templeton, Director of the MSU Small Business Development Center, was appointed by the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Center of Performance Excellence to its 2018 Board of Examiners.

• Alumnus and Lucedale, MS, Alderman Louis Valentine was named to the Mississippi Municipal League Hall of Fame.

• Alumnus Bobby Waldrop was named Associate Dean of Academics at Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business.

• Hagan Walker, former MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach student and co-founder of Glo, is one of Mississippi Business Journal’s Top Entrepreneurs in Mississippi for 2018.

• Dr. Merrill Warkentin, James J. Rouse Endowed Professor of Information Systems, was selected as an Association for Computing Machinery Distinguished Member.

• Alumnus Doug Wert was named PGA Junior League Regional Manager for the Mid-Atlantic, Tri-State and Western New York sections of PGA of America.

ASSETS

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Mississippi State University College of Business P.O. Box 5288, Mississippi State, MS 39762

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination in university employment, programs, or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status protected by applicable law is prohibited. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Compliance and Integrity, 56 Morgan Avenue, P.O. Box 6044, Mississippi State, MS, (662) 325-5839.

THE IDEA SHOP

Example

Photo by Eric Hill

The Starkville community enjoyed the soft opening of The Idea Shop, the College of Business’ new downtown location.

The Idea Shop houses the Turner A. Wingo Maker Studio and the new Retail Products Accelerator and is operated in partnership with the School of Human Sciences. Students, faculty and the public can bring their ideas to life with more than 1,600 square feet of advanced woodworking equipment and 3D printing tools. Entrepreneurs further along will be able to place products in a retail storefront right on East Main Street to get real-world feedback from the marketplace.