FALL 2013
Breaking News!
UAFS College of Business receives AACSB Accreditation
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Collegeuafs.edu/cob of Business
From the
Dean Dr. Steve Williams, Dean and Professor of Management Joel R. Stubblefield Endowed Chair of Business
Transform Yourself
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he highly competitive, globally oriented, tech-savvy business world seeks enthusiastic, creative and skilled graduates to be the business leaders of the future. We believe the transformative programs at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith College of Business provide the tool kit that develops students into the knowledgeable, globally aware and professional leaders the business world is seeking. The UAFS College of Business helps transform students into business leaders in a variety of ways. First, we transform students through engagement with our excellent faculty – talented instructors who are academically and professionally qualified to teach critical business concepts within a world-class curriculum. Not only do faculty members produce cutting-edge research, they also offer substantial real-world business experience and an active learning environment. In the classroom, real organizational problems are dissected and debated, often with actual managers involved. Faculty members are also vitally interested in transforming students with small and personal classroom instruction, advising that is oneon-one and informal discussions focusing on current student concerns as well as future personal and career goals. The transformation process continues by engaging students with opportunities to grow and learn together. Students have opportunities to join student organizations like the new Marketing Club, Phi Beta Lambda, the Student Leadership Council, the First National Bank Collegiate Ambassador Board and many more. Students can also transform themselves by engaging in curricular programs like the community-based Certificate in Community Leadership, a three-course program that culminates in a community leadership class where students actively solve real-world community issues; and
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the new Distinction in Professional Development program that empowers UAFS students to optimize their personal and professional potential through career and graduate exploration, experiential learning, collaborations with UAFS partners and constituents, and connections with employers and career opportunities. Finally, students are transformed by stressing excellence in all they do. One visible indication of business education excellence is our recent accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the gold standard of business accreditation achieved by only the top 5 percent of business schools in the world. To become accredited, a business school must go through an extensive application process involving rigorous selfevaluations, peer reviews, committee reviews and in-depth strategic planning. AACSB accreditation standards challenge business schools to pursue excellence and continuous improvement throughout their programs, and the achievement of AACSB accreditation by the UAFS College of Business is one clear sign of the excellence of our business programs. As this issue of Portfolio illustrates, the College of Business at UAFS has the faculty, programs and educational excellence required to provide transformative experiences for our students. Our graduates are transformed into business leaders who possess the tools of real-world leadership experience, applied business knowledge, national and global awareness and skill-based professional development.
Steve Williams Dean and Professor of Management Joel R. Stubblefield Endowed Chair of Business steve.williams@uafs.edu
uafs.edu/cob
Our Promise
Our Mission
The UAFS College of Business
We will be increasingly recognized by our
promises to provide students with
stakeholders for developing entrepreneurial
the opportunity to develop the tools
leadership in our students through integrated,
and knowledge – focusing on global
practice-grounded programs. We prepare our
perspectives, leadership abilities,
students to succeed in a changing and global
networking talents and professional
workplace through an integrated, practice-oriented
development skills – necessary to
curriculum that cultivates entrepreneurial skills and
succeed in today’s hyper-competitive,
attitudes. Our approach rests upon a foundation of
fast-paced business environment.
proven competencies in business, leadership and communications. Our scholarly activity focuses on instruction and application, and we are committed to service and regional economic development.
Contents
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From the Dean
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Alumnus Spotlight: Jeff Taylor
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Student Leader Spotlight: Jerry Lynn Mitchell
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Community Leader Spotlight: Cliff Beckham
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Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Tom Hayes
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Meet the Distinguished Faculty of the College of Business
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Dean’s Leadership Council
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What’s Happening in the College of Business
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Alumni Updates
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From the Editor
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Alumnus Spotlight:
Jeff Taylor
Jeff Taylor was born and raised in Fort Smith. He graduated from Southside High School in 2006 and received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith in 2011. He was a founding member of the Nu Alpha chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity and remains an active alumnus of the chapter. As an avid sports fan, he was a UAFS basketball 6th Man member supporting the team as it made the transition from the junior college ranks to the Heartland Conference in Division II of the NCAA. Perhaps most impressively, Taylor opened Ralph’s Pink Flamingo BBQ restaurant with his father on Feb. 12, 2005 while still working on his degree. The restaurant has been a great success as it recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with Taylor as co-owner and general manager. On a personal level, Taylor recently purchased his first home and is newly engaged. He also maintains ties to the College of Business and recently participated in the College of Business Student-Alumni Roundtable.
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What is the one thing you learned in business school you will never forget? That there is a business side to everything you do. Your actions outside the workplace can have an impact on your business, not just what you do while you are on the clock.
What is your most memorable experience at UAFS?
Being a charter member of Sigma Nu, the first recognized fraternity on the UAFS campus. Starting an organization with other students that continues to succeed and will exist for many years was a very satisfying experience.
What experience at UAFS did you find most challenging?
The most challenging experience was maintaining a balance among the various parts of my life while pursuing a degree. Opening a restaurant with my father and continuing to take classes full time was extremely difficult.
What advice do you have for aspiring student leaders? Do things to make a difference and help those around you grow. Focusing on others will help you achieve greater success.
What person do you most admire?
I admire both my father and grandfather. They are college graduates and local business owners. Based on their examples I have developed a strong work ethic while maintaining a positive state of mind.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote comes from Wayne Haver, Southside High School principal: “Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours.� This suggests that I have a lot of control over my life and I need to take responsibility for it.
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What is your favorite website? TV show? Movie?
As an avid sports fan my favorite website is ESPN.com and my favorite TV show is SportsCenter. My favorite movie is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
How are you involved with UAFS?
I take advantage of activities offered by the university including sporting events and Season of Entertainment. ‌ I have maintained my involvement with Sigma Nu fraternity and recently I took part in the College of Business Student-Alumni Roundtable.
What specific college experience helped you prepare for the transition from college to the workplace? Group projects that were a requirement of several classes prepared me to make the transition. Group projects in school are just like projects in the workplace, you must work together and everyone must do their share to accomplish the goal.
If you could do it over, what would you do differently?
I would be much more studious and more involved with the College of Business. Putting in the hard work makes things go smoother. A higher level of involvement would have prepared me even more than I already am.
How important is it to stay in contact with former classmates and faculty?
Keeping in touch with fellow classmates is important because they can be great resources and provide support. If you have a question or problem, it helps to talk with someone you developed a relationship with while in school. The college experience builds special bonds that can last a lifetime.
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Student Leader Spotlight:
J
Jerry Lynn Mitchell
erry Lynn “Jalynn” Mitchell is a marketing major and student-athlete from Jonesboro, Ark., who graduated this spring. He is an exceptional student leader who got his start on the basketball court at 4 years of age. Mitchell credits basketball with building his character and providing him with opportunities to meet new people from all backgrounds. In fact, networking led to his first professional placement with Arkansas Best Corp. as an inside sales representative. Mitchell is a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, captain of the Lions men’s basketball team and vice president of advertising and promotion for the Marketing Club. Under his leadership, the basketball team won the 2012-13 Heartland Conference title. On top of his
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academic and athletic career, he served as a recruiting assistant for the UAFS Admissions Office. Mitchell offers this advice to aspiring student leaders: “Never question yourself or let anyone discourage you from doing what you want to do. Along the way there will be people that may judge or criticize you for stepping up and being a leader, but don’t let it stop you because not everyone has the courage that it takes to be a leader. One of the most important qualities of a leader is being able to overlook the things that could potentially bring you down.” His advice comes as no surprise to his peers, faculty and administration in the College of Business. Mitchell exemplifies the power of networking and leadership in action.
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More about Jalynn … What is the one thing you learned in business school you will never forget? The 4 P’s of marketing – product, price, place, promotion.
What is your most memorable experience at UAFS?
Going to Alaska my sophomore year for a basketball tournament. … Getting to go to a kennel where dogsled teams are trained, swimming outside in hot spring water in subzero weather, seeing the Alaskan Pipeline, and just being somewhere that I never thought I would be was an amazing experience.
What experience at UAFS have you found most challenging? Balancing academics and athletics. It can be extremely exhausting as well as time-consuming. It really tests your time-management skills, but while I’ve been here I have become more organized, which helped tremendously.
What person (past or present) do you most admire?
My brother. He is the only person in our family that was never an athlete, but to this point, he is the most successful. … It would be easy for us to have a strained relationship with me being the “big-time” athlete and him being the extremely smart band guy. But … he is more proud of me than just about anyone I know and shows it by being at every single game he is able to attend. I get my academic work ethic from him. I remember being in the first grade watching him do his math homework. He taught me how to multiply and divide before I was 7. I admire his character, drive, work ethic and personality. He is my role model and I look up to him more than any professional athlete, celebrity or anyone else.
ESPN.com, ESPN First Take, He Got Game.
What is your favorite quote?
“Prayer without faith is just thinking with your eyes closed.” I got this from one of my teammates, Chukwukere Ekeh. I’m not sure if he got this from someone else so I’m going to give him the credit.
Skydiving. I’m a bit of thrill seeker.
My family support system.
If you could do it over, what would you do differently? How important is it to stay in contact with former classmates and faculty, and why?
Well, after I go on a vacation of a lifetime with my family and a few friends, INVEST! I would want that money to keep making money so my kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, etc., will be able to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle without worries. I would probably go into coaching too, it’s something I would really enjoy doing.
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What are the most significant contributions to your success?
Not a single thing.
What is on your bucket list?
What would you do if you won the lottery?
What is your favorite website? TV show? Movie?
It is very important. In high school, your friends are your friends by default, with the exception of a select few. By that I mean, you probably grew up together, you see them every single day. … But college is where you build lifelong relationships. There are more people … and you have to actually make an effort to get to know them. As far as faculty, you never know when you’re going to need a reference so it is extremely important to build relationships with them.
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Community Leader Spotlight:
Cliff Beckham, CFO, USA Truck and Dean’s
Leadership Council member
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liff Beckham, a native of Fort Smith and the current executive vice president and chief financial officer of USA Truck, attended UAFS when it was Westark Community College. Beckham, who has worked for the Van Buren-based USA Truck since 1994, started as a staff accountant and has held many significant positions with the company, including president and CEO from 2007 to February 2013. He has also served as secretary, treasurer, controller, and chief accountant. Beckham was named to the 2006 Northwest Arkansas Business Journal and 2007 Arkansas Business 40-under-40 lists. In the community, he serves on several nonprofit boards, including the UAFS College of Business Dean’s Leadership Council, Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Foundation, and the Fort Smith Regional CEO Council. Beckham grew up in Fort Smith in a lowermiddle-class family, where he managed significant challenges and developed his strong work ethic and leadership principles. He is grateful for his challenging early life experiences, which included working his way through high school and college, because he found that he was more prepared for the real world of work than many of his contemporaries, and the challenges he faced in his youth prepared him to compete and succeed. Beckham’s leadership advice and insights center on three themes: service before self, finding a passion for what you do, and focusing on your strengths rather than correcting your weaknesses. He models these principles in his daily and business life along with the ability to be human and approachable.
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In his own words ‌ What are the performance expectations at USA Truck for recently hired college graduates?
Entry-level professionals are expected to know the concepts and technical basics of their chosen field so we can then teach them how to apply those basics to our specific industry and company’s way of doing business. They need to come prepared to ask a lot of questions about why we do things the way we do – they have to be inquisitive. If they have the basics and are inquisitive, then their learning curve will be a lot shallower. Also we need them to be able to function effectively in teams, and they need to be willing to work hard at learning the business.
What person (past or present) do you most admire and why?
The person I admire the most is my father, Les Beckham. He essentially raised my brother, my sister and me by himself, and he was able to put us all through college by working the same lower-middle-class job for 44 years. He is my most important role model, and the inspiration for my strong work ethic and my belief in being persistent.
What are the major challenges the business world is facing going forward and how should students and business leaders prepare to meet them? Rapid globalization is rapidly increasing world competitiveness while the United States work force is becoming less prepared to compete. We are becoming too complacent and are losing our discipline to work hard and persevere when challenged by the adversity of global competition. We must work hard to re-instill those values in our current and future work force.
How important is networking for business people and business students?
It is very important to develop professional networks with each other. These are not just friendships, but relationships built around the sharing of professional qualifications and service to each other in pursuing mutual interests. LinkedIn is used extensively by the business community to evaluate and obtain valuable information on prospective employees, and Facebook is used to evaluate social involvement. Professionals need to be very careful with what they allow their friends and associates to place on their pages in these sites.
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Tom Hayes,
Faculty Spotlight
Associate Professor. Accounting Bess and Hill Williams Endowed Chair of Business
Offering a Summer Accounting Elective That’s Out of the Ordinary
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r. Tom Hayes joined the faculty in the College of Business at UAFS in the fall of 2006 as an assistant professor of accounting. He was appointed a Bess and Hill Williams Endowed Chair of Business in 2010 and promoted to associate professor of accounting in 2011. Hayes received his Master of Accountancy from the University of Missouri and his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of North Texas. Originally from Tulsa, Okla., Hayes worked in public accounting before entering academia. He is currently a registered CPA in Oklahoma. Since joining the College, Hayes has taught courses in principles of financial accounting, intermediate accounting, auditing, and forensic accounting. For the past several years, he has instructed a Maymester accounting course that allows students the opportunity to travel to a major U.S. city for an inside look at the standard-setting process while enjoying the sights. Past Maymester destinations have included Chicago, Dallas and Washington, D.C. While in Washington, D.C., Hayes arranged site visits to the Securities and Exchange
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Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and the Government Accountability Office. Students in the May 2013 course visited the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and the American Institute of CPAs, all located in New York City. Hayes cites the areas of auditing and accounting education as his research interests. He recently had a paper titled “Using Pretest Scores to Predict Student Performance – Evidence from Upper-level Accounting Courses” published in the International Journal of Education Research. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities, Hayes also serves on several campus committees, including the University Awards Committee and the College of Business Assurance of Learning Committee. He is a past student organization faculty adviser and looks forward to organizing a new accounting group in the College down the road. Hayes resides in Alma with his wife, Jeannie, and three sons.
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Q&A with Dr. Hayes What most interested you in UAFS?
I was most interested in the opportunity to help build the College of Business from scratch.
What advice do you have for aspiring student leaders?
My best advice is to stay organized. With school, work, family, etc., it’s really easy to become overwhelmed. Staying organized is the key.
What person (past or present) do you most admire? Abraham Lincoln.
What is on your bucket list?
I want to visit every national park in the U.S. with my family.
What is your favorite quote?
When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
A 2010 Maymester group taking in the sites of Chicago.
The 2011 Dallas Maymester accounting class visits Cowboys Stadium.
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Department of Business Administration
Jim Beard
Balbir Bhasin
Larry H. Faulk II
Kermit W. Kuehn
Bobby Medlin
Jerry Peerbolte
Chair and Associate Professor of Management Ph.D. in communication studies from Northwestern University. Dr. Beard teaches courses in business communications and management.
Associate Professor of Management Ph.D. in business administration from Louisiana State University. Dr. Faulk teaches organizational behavior, leadership and human resource management. He presented the paper “The Impact of Online Supplements on Student Performance� at the Academic and Business Institute Conference in San Antonio.
Professor of Management Ph.D. in business administration from Louisiana Tech University. Dr. Medlin teaches courses in strategic management and human resources as well as social responsibility and ethics.
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Ross Pendergraft Endowed Professor of International Business Ph.D. in international business, University of South Australia. Dr. Bhasin teaches international business, management and marketing. He was a research fellow at University of South Australia and a visiting professor at Reykjavik University. He wrote Assessing and Mitigating Business Risks in India.
Professor of Management Ph.D. in management from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Dr. Kuehn teaches courses in international business. He is also the director of the Center for Business Research and Economic Development located in the College of Business.
Assistant Professor of Marketing MBA from the University of Arkansas. Professor Peerbolte teaches a variety of marketing courses including integrated marketing communication, e-business marketing, and professional selling.
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Department of Business Administration
Ahmad Rahal
Clifford Scott
Bob Sell
Mohamed Zainuba
Associate Professor of Management Ph.D., University of Central Florida. Dr. Rahal teaches operations management and decision support systems. His research interests include quality management and supply chain management. He has published in Journal of Management and Engineering Integration, Journal of Technology Management & Innovation and Journal of Engineering Management.
Assistant Professor of Management Master of Science in operations management from Purdue University. Professor Sell is a certified supply chain professional and teaches courses in operations management, global supply chain management and decision support systems.
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Associate Professor of Marketing Ph.D., business administration, Louisiana State University; J.D., University of Colorado. Dr. Scott teaches marketing research, consumer behavior and Law for Entrepreneurs. His research focuses on the interface of marketing and law. He has published in Journal of Retailing, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing and Journal of Consumer Research.
Associate Professor of Management Ed.D. in higher education administration, Texas Southern University. Dr. Zainuba teaches foundations of business, introduction to international business, and social responsibility and ethics. He is the editor of Advances in Business Research, the journal published by the College of Business.
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Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance
Margaret Tanner
Amelia Baldwin
Tom Hayes
Bun Song Lee
Diana Payne
Zhuoming (Joe) Peng
Chair and Professor of Accounting Ph.D. in accounting from University of North Texas. Dr. Tanner teaches courses in governmental/not-forprofit and advanced accounting. In April she was selected by her peers at UAFS to receive the 2013 Excellence to the University, to the Profession and to the Community Award.
Associate Professor of Accounting Ph.D. in accounting from the University of North Texas. Dr. Hayes teaches principles of financial accounting, intermediate accounting, auditing and forensic accounting.
Assistant Professor of Accounting MBA from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Professor Payne teaches courses in personal finance and principles of financial accounting.
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Neal Pendergraft Endowed Professor of Accounting Ph.D., accounting and information systems, Virginia Tech. Dr. Baldwin teaches cost, managerial and financial accounting. Two papers she coauthored – “Doubly Disadvantaged or an Exception to the Rules?” and “Tenure Track Opt-Outs: Leakages from the Academic Pipeline” – have won American Accounting Association awards.
Associate Professor of Economics Ph.D. in economics, Southern Methodist University. Dr. Lee teaches principles of economics, international economics and urban economics. His research interests are in demographic economics and transportation economics. He led the 2012 Maymester to Korea and the 2013 Maymester to China and Korea.
Associate Professor of Finance Ph.D., finance, Texas Tech University. Dr. Peng teaches international finance, capital budgeting, portfolio management and financial management. His research areas include asset pricing, the predictability of stock returns and mutual fund performance. His pedagogical research focuses on improving instruction with Internetbased technologies.
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Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance
George Schmidt
Dan Settlage
Latisha Settlage
Jim Wollscheid
Julie Wright
Sharon Wu
Associate Professor of Accounting Ph.D. in accounting from the University of North Texas. Dr. Schmidt teaches courses in intermediate accounting, accounting information systems and tax.
Associate Professor of Economics Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue University. Dr. Latisha Settlage teaches courses in economics and banking. She is also a research associate in the Center for Business Research and Economic Development and the 2013 recipient of the Lucille Speakman Master Teacher award.
Instructor of Accounting Master of Accountancy, University of Arkansas; pursuing Ph.D. in business administration with specialization in accounting. Professor Wright teaches accounting courses and serves as internship coordinator for the College of Business. In April she qualified to become a dissertation candidate at Northcentral University.
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Associate Professor of Economics Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue University. Dr. Dan Settlage teaches principles of economics courses as well as managerial and resource economics.
Associate Professor of Economics Ph.D., economics, Southern Methodist University. Dr. Wollscheid teaches principles of economics, game theory and sports economics. His paper “Are we as rational as we think?� was accepted for publication in Advances in Business Research. He presented a paper on factual bias in economics students at a peer-reviewed American Economic Association conference in Boston.
Associate Professor of Finance Ph.D. in finance from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Wu teaches courses in business statistics, business finance and investments.
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Dean’s Leadership Council/Student Leadership Council The Dean’s Leadership Council was relaunched in 2009 to establish, enhance and reinforce relationships between the COB and the business community. The DLC exists to help the College of Business in achieving its mission to gain regional prominence by providing advice to the dean, faculty and business students as they strive toward the continuous improvement of quality education. The DLC assists the College in the achievement of its goals through council members’ actions and expertise and via member linkages with businesses, the Fort Smith community and the state of Arkansas
Dean’s Leadership Council 2013 Tim Allen, Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce; Brenda Altman, Business Insurance Consultants, Inc.; Doug Babb, Cooper Clinic, P.A.; Rick Beauchamp, Norris Taylor & Co.; Cliff Beckham, USA Truck, Inc.; Paul Fox, O.K. Industries; Erin K. Gattis, Arkansas Best Corporation; Ray Gosack, City of Fort Smith; Leah Grimm, Arkansas Best Corporation; Susan Grobmyer, Bank of the Ozarks; Barbara Hambrick, Beall Barclay & Company, PLC; Bill Hanesworth, Rheem Manufacturing (retired); Bill Hanna, Hanna Oil & Gas; Bob Myers, Western Arkansas Planning & Development District, Inc. (retired); Michael Newcity, Arkansas Best Corporation; Ivy Owen, Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority; Jim Patridge, Bancorp South; Doug Rogers III, Bruce-Rogers Company; Mark Ramsey, Zero Mountain, Inc.; Sam Sicard, First National Bank of Fort Smith; John Taylor, Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc.; Fred Williams, Williams/Crawford & Associates; Steve Williams, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith; Larry Zigerelli, FFO Home
The First Bank Corp. Scholars of Distinction Student Leadership Council serves as a liaison between the students, the administration and the faculty of the College of Business by coordinating student activities and demonstrating student leadership within the COB. It is the voice of the student body and has the responsibility of creating and implementing programs of value to all business students. Membership is very competitive as the applicants must submit applications which are then reviewed by current SLC members. In 2010 the SLC organized and hosted the annual Advances in Business Research Symposium. Currently, the council is working to develop a daylong conference on professionalism and career readiness.
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What’s happening in the College of Business Accounting professor Tom Hayes and his 2012 Washington, D.C., Maymester class outside the Security and Exchange Commission headquarters.
Dean’s Leadership
Class of 2012
Rebecca Ames Accounting and Business Administration Recently appointed staff accountant and finance business administrator with TLS Management Inc., Rebecca is a member of the FBLA-PBL Professional Division and serves on the board of directors for the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the Institute for Managerial Accountants. Katie Kidwell Marketing Katie was hired as a sales administrator at USA Truck in June 2012 and was promoted to corporate sales Administrator/inside sales manager the following October. Katie serves as the chair of public relations for the Junior League of Fort Smith.
Class of 2011
Council members,
Randall Briggs Business Administration Randall is a financial adviser in the Global Wealth Management division of Merrill Lynch in Little Rock.
from left, Sam Sicard, George Moschner and Fred Williams discuss expectations that employers have for
Ashley Jones Accounting and Business Administration Ashley has been a licensed CPA since the spring of 2012 and has been the assistant national bank examiner for the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Tulsa, Okla., since June 2012.
new graduates during Back to Business Day in September.
Management professor Larry Faulk, provides a glaring example of inappropriate interview attire during the annual What Not to Wear event in September.
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Alumni Updates
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William Tyler Lamon Business Administration After a two-year stint with First National Bank, Tyler joined UAFS as director of annual giving. He received Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice certification in 2012, and recently married fellow graduate Angela Norris. Angela (Norris) Lamon Accounting Angela has been working at the public accounting firm Ludington & Lawson LLC since 2011. Angela recently married fellow graduate Tyler Lamon.
What’s Happening in the College of Business Family Enterprise Center Director Dave Robertson, left, and accounting professor George Schmidt prepare to serve hot dogs to over 300 students at the annual Dogs with the Dean event.
Class of 2010
Kristen Garrett Marketing Kristen was hired at Dillard’s department stores’ corporate office in Little Rock as ROP advertising dispatch in 2011. She was promoted to e-mail advertising coordinator in 2013. Claudia Rucchio Marketing Claudia became community sales leader at Butterfield Place in 2013. Alicia Wieburg Marketing Alicia has been a sales and shopper events analyst at Rich Products since May 2012, after she graduated with an MBA from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Class of 2009
Management
Hannah Cross Marketing Hannah was hired as an inside sales representative for Hewlett Packard in 2009 and was promoted to inside sales district manager in 2013. She received Converged Infrastructure Compliant certification in 2009, Accelerated Sales University certification in 2011, VSP 5 accreditation from VMware in 2012 and the Microsoft Licensing Sales Specialist certification in 2012.
professor Mohamed Zainuba welcomes the attendees to the third annual Advances in Business Research symposium in October.
Spring 2013 interns prepare to gain valuable workplace experience.
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Alumni Updates
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Jaye Gasaway Marketing Jaye started his career at a small public accounting firm in Fort Smith after graduation and moved to Frost PLLC in Little Rock in 2011. He is currently an audit senior with BKD LLP in Little Rock. He was licensed as a CPA in 2012. Jeremy Wann Marketing Jeremy has been an area manager with Penmac Staffing covering Fort Smith and northwest Arkansas. Jeremy achieved Professional in Human Resources certification in 2012 and is currently pursuing an MBA.
What’s Happening in the College of Business Economics professor Latisha Settlage presents her economic forecast to the February breakfast meeting of the Western Arkansas Human Resource Association.
Members of Phi Beta
Class of 2008
Dallas (Haas) Kuper Business Administration Dallas was hired by CARCO Transportation as a regional lease sales representative in 2012 and was promoted to rental facility manager/ lease sales representative in 2013. Kim Gant Accounting Kim is now a payroll administer at C&C Market Research. She received her Certified Payroll Professional certification in 2011. Colby Pearce Business Administration Colby received his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2011 and is currently an associate attorney at Atkinson, Haskins, Nellis, Brittingham, Gladd & Fiasco based in Tulsa, Okla.
Class of 2007
Lambda prepare to take the Sweepstakes
Jeff Brewer Accounting and Business Administration Jeff was hired as a staff auditor for Arkansas Best in 2007. He was promoted to his current position of audit supervisor in 2011. Jeff received his CPA designation in 2011, his Certified Internal Auditor designation in 2012, and his Certification in Risk Management Assurance in 2013.
trophy for the third consecutive year at the annual Arkansas PBL State Leadership Conference.
Alumni network with current students and provide helpful hints on how to make a successful transition from the classroom to the workplace during the Student-Alumni Roundtable event in April.
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Alumni Updates
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Class of 2006 Leah (Aikey) Grimm Accounting and Business Administration Leah has been a certified public accountant in the state of Arkansas since 2008. She is currently the supervisor of corporate accounting for external reporting and internal controls at Arkansas Best Corp. after serving as an auditor with Ernst & Young from 2006 to 2011. She is a member of AICPA and has served on the Dean’s Leadership Council since 2009. She will teach Principles of Accounting at UAFS in fall 2013.
What’s Happening in the College of Business Fred Williams, President of Williams/ Crawford & Associates, and marketing professor Jerry Peerbolte discuss the future direction of the newly formed Marketing Club.
Class of 2006 cont.
Rhonda Runde Accounting Rhonda is a certified public accountant and a chartered global management accountant. She recently relocated to Tulsa, Okla., to accept a controller’s position at Explorer Pipeline Co. Stephanie (Hauger) Stamps Business Administration Stephanie was hired in 2006 as a fleet manager for J.B. Hunt Transport. She is currently working as a customer support technician, providing support for J.B. Hunt’s ongoing business continuity and disaster planning initiative. Rachel Solley Business Administration Rachel was hired by Arkansas Best Freight as a management trainee in 2006. She became the youngest female branch manager in ABF’s history in 2010, and earlier this year she began overseeing an even larger operation in Appleton, Wis.
Students prepare to be inducted into
Christie Weiche Business Administration Christie was hired by ABF as a quotation analyst in 2006 and has been a pricing analyst since 2011. She has been a member of the UAFS Young Alumni Council and the Fort Smith Museum of History since 2012.
Sigma Beta Delta honor society.
The winners of College of Business student awards after the Awards Banquet in April. From left, Samantha Green, Michael Hamilton, Morreen Klement, Matt Dillman, Syda Xaymongkhoun, Patrick Sullivan, Shayna Gatzke and Alexander Gravelle.
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Alumni Updates
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From the Editor Portfolio, the annual publication of the College of Business at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, has entered the digital age! The purpose has remained the same, to showcase the activities of the students, faculty, staff and alumni of the College of Business so that alumni and friends of the College can stay informed about our activities. I would like to thank the members of the student-alumni committee (Diana Payne, Dr. Joe Peng, Bob Sell, Dr. Latisha Settlage, Courtney Sturges, and Julie Wright) for their assistance in publishing this edition of Portfolio. Each member of the committee made valuable contributions to the final product. As you can see from the previous pages, our alumni are active and having success in the business world. We would like to hear from more of our alumni so we can tout your (and our) success. Please send us information on your current status via email at colbus@uafs.edu. Keep in touch! Larry Faulk II, Ph.D Student-Alumni Committee Chair, Associate Professor of Management
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