Southern Miss Business at Work | Fall 2022 Issue

THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ITS SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTANCY EARNED A FIVE-YEAR REACCREDITATION THIS YEAR BY

THE ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS (AACSB).

After an extensive site visit in October 2021 by the AACSB International Peer Review Team, the college received noteworthy best practices or initiatives as part of their feedback. The team’s comments included praise for the development of programs that provide opportunities for our unique student population, who are often first-generation students with financial challenges. In the report, the team recognized the college for helping students succeed in the professional business world through mentoring and support from faculty and staff.

This accreditation is considered the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools. According to AACSB International, currently 926 institutions across 60 countries and territories have earned AACSB accreditation in business and only 189 institutions maintain supplemental AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs.

The accreditation is received by meeting or exceeding the AACSB’s rigorous standards for excellence in degree programs, faculty research, teaching, and community service, along with a commitment to continuous advancement and development. Southern Miss Business has been accredited by AACSB since 1976, while the USM School of Accountancy has been accredited by AACSB since 1982. Southern Miss offers the only AACSB-accredited business programs in South Mississippi with classes offered at the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses, as well as online.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER — Hillary Lovinggood

PROJECT LEAD AND EDITOR — Bailey Harris ASSISTANT EDITOR — Makenzie Crampton

PHOTOGRAPHERS — Kelly Dunn, Paul Lijewski

Vision

Mission

AUTHENTICITY

UNITY

RESILIENCY

PASSION

RESOURCEFULNESS

Dear Alumni and Friends of Southern Miss Business

The University of Southern Mississippi’s motto, “Southern Miss To The Top,” embodies a common sentiment among USM students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It represents our desire to achieve the very best for all our constituents. In the College of Business and Economic Development, we are striving to reach the top through exceptional student experiences, leading-edge curricula and programming, and impactful research and outreach. Southern Miss Business is special because of our faculty and staff, and the success of our students and alumni is proof this claim is true.

This issue of Southern Miss Business at Work provides just a few examples of our students excelling in applied projects, research, internships, and competitions; our faculty publishing impactful research, helping organizations address business challenges, and utilizing innovative teaching practices; and our alumni attaining remarkable success, shattering the glass ceiling, and running circles around the competition.

You will find more information about our achievements and programs in the following pages, and I hope you enjoy reading about the exciting things happening at Southern Miss Business. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to me at bret.becton@usm.edu or 601.266.5544.

Kind Regards, J. Bret Becton, Ph.D. Dean

INSPIRED LEADERS SERIES WELCOMES ALUMNUS

Thanh Roettele ’ 94

The Spring 2022 Inspired Leaders Series welcomed alumnus Thanh Roettele, managing director of mortgage finance for JPMorgan Chase’s Corporate Client Banking and Specialized Industries. Roettele drew a large crowd with more than 120 students filling the McDonnell Auditorium to listen to his candid stories about his life, career, family, and everything in between during a fireside chat-style interview with Dean Becton. Following the presentation, he had lunch with select students interested in careers in the financial services industry before speaking in a class of finance majors about the industry, career opportunities, and his experience working for JPMorgan Chase.

Roettele is originally from Pass Christian, Mississippi, and graduated from Southern Miss with a BSBA in finance. He has more than 25 years of experience with JPMorgan Chase and, in his current role, oversees the business responsible for coverage of non-bank mortgages, residential and multi-family originators, mortgage REITs, and services throughout the United States.

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ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Ron Savell

Ron Savell has made a tremendous impact on the city of Hattiesburg since he began calling it home over 25 years ago. Ron is known as the proud owner and founder of Mugshots Grill & Bar and Patio 44. With close to 18 years of invaluable restaurant ownership experience, he has been able to expand his once small investment in a Hattiesburg dive bar into 23 successful restaurant locations.

Ron grew up in the restaurant industry, as his parents owned and operated a Sonic Drive-in in Natchez, Miss., and his love for the industry continued into college while he worked as a bartender to put himself through school. In 2004, he decided to purchase a local bar named Mugshots. He kept the name and transformed the business model, making it Mugshots Grill & Bar. Years later, Mugshots has expanded to 20 locations in four states, several of which are now franchised. Ron later founded Patio 44 in 2013, which now has three locations in South Mississippi.

In addition to his impact on the restaurant industry, Ron has also generously contributed his resources and time to support local nonprofit initiatives, including the American Heart Association, Homes of Hope in Purvis, and Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp. He also served on USM’s Athletic Foundation Board of Directors for 12 years and currently serves as a Benedict Day School board member.

Ron was among a select few chosen by the Mississippi Business Journal as the Top Entrepreneurs in Mississippi for 2018. He also served as Partner of the Year for the 2016 Passions of the Palate, hosted by the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at USM. Ron and his wife Caitlin have been married for 12 years and have four children, Hailey, Emma, Meg, and Duncan.

Cindy Gaddis is a proven global finance executive with broad-based experience across the integrated oil, gas, and petrochemicals industry. She is known for being passionate about developing staff and building a diverse and inclusive work environment. As a multicultural leader, she managed staff directly or indirectly in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.

Cindy joined Royal Dutch Shell right after graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with honors. She also secured further leadership training through Shellsponsored courses at The Wharton School of Business and the University of Houston Bauer College of Business. Cindy retired from Shell in 2019 after a distinguished career of over 34 years.

Currently, Cindy is actively involved in several volunteer positions. She is a member of the Southern Miss Business Advisory Council, including serving on the Executive Committee, and was an Inspired Leader Series speaker for Southern Miss Business in 2019. She is on the Board of Directors for both the Shell Houston Area Alumni Association and the Heritage Shores Property Owners Association.

I’m honored and thrilled to receive the Entrepreneur of the Year award,” said Savell. “While it certainly takes an army to run my company, I proudly accept this award on behalf of my family and all of our wonderful employees.”

Young Alumna of the Year, COURTNEY CAMPBELL , is Working in the People Business and Making Every Shot Count

Alumna Courtney Campbell ’14 may not have envisioned herself moving to New York City at the age of 31, but this self-proclaimed small-town girl is hitting "nothing but net" as the director of group sales for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) Global. BSE Global is the parent company of Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, its NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets, and its NBA 2K League affiliate NetsGC. BSE Global also provides shared services to the New York Liberty, the WNBA sister team of the Brooklyn Nets.

Sports have always been a huge part of Courtney’s life. Being predominantly raised by her dad, his passion for sports became a passion of hers from a young age. In addition to his job as a financial planner, her dad was a scout for the Edmonton Elks, a professional Canadian football team previously known as the Edmonton Eskimos. From age four, she tagged along with him while he traveled to attend junior college football games around the state. She grew up racing local kids around the tracks at the fields and knowing more about football than most of the boys she knew. Courtney's mother knew then that she would never grow out of her love for the games. Naturally, she was an athlete herself, playing soccer, football, and track. In fact, she played football as a quarterback until her first year of high school, first playing for First Presbyterian Day School and then recreationally for the Madison Ridgeland Recreational Sports League.

Air Ball to Slam Dunk

After high school, she obtained two scholarships to Auburn University, one in athletics for track and one that was a first-year academic scholarship; however, during her freshman year, she was injured and never got the opportunity to run in a collegiate track meet as an official collegiate athlete. Following the injury, she was faced with the difficult reality that out-of-state tuition would be financially impossible without her athletic and academic scholarships, as she was funding her own way through college.

“It was devastating for me, personally and financially. My body, at a young age – seemed to quit on me (I felt), and financially, I could not afford what so many others around me could. Self-financing your education is an amazing accolade; however, you pay for it, metaphorically and in reality. But it was a no-brainer for me, that when I was going to transfer back to be an instate student, Southern Miss was going to be home.”

While at Southern Miss, Courtney triple majored in marketing, public relations, and Spanish. She fell in love with the walkability and beauty of the campus, as well as the tight-knit community of Hattiesburg. She lived across from the university in the avenues and rode her longboard to Joseph Greene Hall and the LAB every day for class. She reminisced on her fondest memories, which included painting the Eagle Walk during Welcome Week and her study-abroad experience.

“As a transfer student, I wasn’t just a number. I remember feeling like I was a part of contributing to the culture instead of just participating in something that was already established.”

With some financial support from her family and a study-abroad scholarship, Courtney was about to fulfill her dream of living and learning in a Spanish-speaking country by spending the summer before her senior year in Madrid, Spain. “I believe travel with immersion is the greatest teacher, next to Dr. Bill Smith, of course.”

As a business student, Campbell cultivated a long-lasting connection with one of her marketing professors, Dr. Bill Smith When she speaks of him, she exudes adoration and respect, crediting him for her interest in pursuing a career in sales. She took four of his classes while at Southern Miss and became fascinated with the psychology of purchasing behavior and sales. During her acceptance speech for the Young Alumna of the Year award, she said, “Dr. Bill Smith is a living, breathing legend and, to this day, is the greatest mentor I have ever known. For every career growth opportunity, I call Dr. Smith first, sorry mom and dad!” She went on to share that he continues to provide sound advice and guidance as she navigates through her career choices.

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given to Courtney by Dr. Smith

Courtney and Dr. Smith at the Alumni of the Year Luncheon.

Courtney and her best friend, Kelly, outside of Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York

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Making Every Shot Count

Courtney jump-started her career after landing a communications and events internship with the Hattiesburg Area Development Partnership (ADP). She proved to be a sharp, hardworking asset with wisdom beyond the years of a typical student and was offered a full-time position as the ADP membership coordinator well before completing her bachelor’s degree. After gaining experience and graduating, Courtney moved to Kentucky to be the marketing and membership Coordinator for FSA Management Group before accepting a position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the group account executive in 2015.

While in Tampa, Courtney stayed connected with her alma mater and became the Florida Hub president for the USM Alumni Association. She spent four seasons with the Buccaneers and was one of eight members who made up the #1 Group Sales team in the NFL . She excelled in the Management Training Program and was recognized as the Difference Maker of the Moment three seasons in a row.

She continued to foster a love for sports and leadership by accepting a position in 2019 as the group sales manager with the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. While serving as a member of the leadership team, she made franchise history by producing the first group seller to have a $1 million campaign. Three of her team members achieved this feat in one season alone, all following the year of the pandemic’s limited capacity mandate. She also launched the organization's Diversity and Inclusion Council and the Women’s Network.

While making her mark in Miami and amid the global pandemic, Courtney received shocking news. After being admitted to the hospital with sharp stomach pains, high fever, and symptoms similar to that of a heart attack, the doctor’s speculations warranted further testing. After days of assessments, doctors theorized that she had pancreatic cancer and needed emergency surgery to remove a “growth.”

In October 2020, she flew home to Jackson to be with her family and get a second opinion. There, they discovered two large tumors on and near her gallbladder and pancreas, resulting in surgery that removed the tumors and her entire gallbladder. She and her family were relieved to learn that the tumors were not cancerous, and after six months of close monitoring that included frequent trips to and consultations with doctors, she made a full recovery. Throughout this experience, she adopted Jack, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and poodle mix that has since become her closest companion.

Maintaining an active lifestyle remains a priority for Courtney. She enjoys the outdoors, kayaking, and plans to train for a triathlon next Spring. Despite her very busy lifestyle, Courtney still runs an average of 15 miles per week, taking her dog Jack along with her.

In September 2021, Campbell moved to New York City to bring live sports back to the city that never sleeps. She joined BSE Global just before the start of the ’21-’22 season to relaunch the Group Sales department, where she oversees the Nets Group Sales team and the Barclays Center Arena Sales team. She is also leading the charge to launch an all-new Tourism division. She serves as a member of the National Sports Forum Planning Committee, BAN social events chair, and BSE Global youth marketing research and strategy cochair. Courtney frequently relates what she has learned from her love of sports and being an athlete to her everyday experience in the industry. “Being a runner is an individual sport. You can quit, or you can keep going. Your commitment and your choice to succeed is all mental. All that matters is that you maintain your pace, and you reach the finish line. I think that business is the exact same way.”

Courtney has proved time and time again that, today, the world of sports is no longer a male-dominated industry. There is a seat at the table for everyone; if there isn’t, Campbell is dedicated to facilitating conversations and engaging in measures to create those seats. Her life story is a beautiful testament that it’s not about the challenges that life puts in your court; it’s about how you react that determines if you’ll score.

HE’S QUICK, HE’S BRAVE, HE’S… THE FREEZE

Alumnus, Durran Dunn, Makes Strides as CPA, Atlanta Braves Sprinter and Community Leader

While all Southern Miss Business students have the opportunity to earn their wings during their time as a Golden Eagle, not all can say they have rightfully earned the ability to don a suit fit for a superhero. CPA by day and Atlanta Braves’ sprinter — The Freeze — by night, alumnus Durran Dunn is fearlessly racing to success, taking on the world with incredible speed and investing in the betterment of his local community in the process.

Dunn graduated from Southern Miss in 2005 and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Marie, and their three children. He has had a successful career as a CPA and currently serves as an executive and managing director for Grant Thornton LLP, the seventh-largest public accounting firm in the world. Dunn has been recognized as a leader in his field with expertise in audit, finance, and accounting for publicly traded and privately held companies. His work spans multiple industries, with a focus on media, sports, and entertainment, as well as technology and manufacturing. His unwavering commitment and hard work have resulted in a series of successful career highlights, most recently being recognized as a “40 Under 40” professional by both CPA Practice Advisor in 2020 and The Black CPA Centennial and NABA Inc. in 2021.

Dunn’s journey to become a CPA started long before declaring his major at The University of Southern Mississippi. While attending Jamaica College high school in Kingston, Jamaica, he declared his concentration in business courses and later uncovered his talents for accounting with the assistance of some of his most influential instructors. While he proved to be accelerated in the classroom, he was also quick on his feet, demonstrating an unparalleled athletic ability. He could do it all, and he was just getting started.

Photography by LaRuche Creative

After garnering national interest from several colleges that offered both athletic and academic scholarships, Dunn confidently selected The University of Southern Mississippi with plans to pursue his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in accounting. While at Southern Miss, Dunn seemed to make the impossible possible—taking up to 18 credit hours per semester, all while running track and field, playing defensive back on the football team his senior year, serving as the president of the StudentAthlete Advisory Committee, and being a proud member of both Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society.

Dunn witnessed the construction of McCarty Hall and was among the first to live in the dormitory, moving in during his sophomore year. While living on campus, he and his friends had a weekly tradition of eating at Seymour’s Grill on Sundays, Dunn’s meal of choice being a chicken finger sandwich that he and his thenroommate, Shane, still reminisce over today. When reflecting on his time as a student, he shared that all of his professors impacted him in unique ways, mentioning Drs. Gwen Pate, Roderick Posey, and Charles Jordan, all by name. He went on to share that some of his favorite classes included Managerial Accounting, Management Information Systems, and The Legal Environment of Business.

“My professors made business and accounting classes fun. They were all outstanding educators. They had a strong commitment to the profession and cared about the well-being of students. They were understanding of our needs, whatever they may have been—that was especially important to me given my schedule between classes, practices, and competitions.”

As his final year at the university came to an end, Dunn was offered career opportunities with several organizations, including the Big Four Accounting Firms and Citigroup. He accepted a position with KPMG and within his first two years with the company, passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. He was later recognized as the 2007 KPMG National Chairman Award recipient and has since worked in leadership roles at several corporate organizations, such as Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS), Newell Brands, and Graphic Packaging International.

RACETRAC'S BEAT THE FREEZE

While relocating to Atlanta started out purely as a career move, he has serendipitously found an outlet to showcase his extraordinary athletic talents. In the time he spends away from his professional endeavors, you can find Dunn sporting his spandex suit at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball Team. He has been zooming by fans between innings as part of RaceTrac’s “Beat The Freeze” promotion since 2018. The cool-footed sprinter gives fans the opportunity to race him from foul pole to foul pole with a generous head start before soaring past them at the last possible second and winning the race. As a professional sprinter with the Atlanta Braves, Dunn recently added a World Champion title to his resumé after the Braves won the MLB World Series last year.

Dunn is humble when discussing the distinctive role, sharing that it is an honor for him. “It is a unique opportunity and experience that I am beyond grateful for. I enjoy entertaining the fans by being The Freeze.” The Freeze has become a well-known addition to the team and has gained quite a large fan base, now with his own miniature bobblehead and close to 40.6K followers on Twitter alone.

He is also a USA Track and Field athlete and competes in local, regional, national, and international competitions that include masters track and field, long-distance running, and race walking for athletes 25 years of age and older. Dunn has represented the United States at world competitions on multiple occasions, including as recently at the 2022 World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships in Finland this summer, where he was a double-medalists in the 100m and 200m.

STARTING A BUSINESS AND INSPIRING THE COMMUNITY:

THE GREATER GOOD

In 2020, Dunn became a franchisee with Anytime Fitness and opened his own location in East Cobb, Georgia. His business launched at an exceptionally unique and challenging time in history, and rather than focusing on the negative aspects of what that year introduced, Dunn faced it head-on with resilience. While the Federal Reserve Bank of New York established that Black-owned businesses felt the impact of the pandemic more than any others, the U.S. Small Business Association found that opportunities for Black-owned businesses continued to grow. He took this opportunity to advocate for and create awareness in his community about normalizing Black-owned businesses. With everyone enduring so much pressure and stress, his desire was for people to utilize the gym as a healthy outlet to release it.

Dunn’s passion for inspiring others has now shifted from the gym to technical and inspirational speaking engagements as an avenue to share his story and inspire others to challenge themselves and live life to the fullest. To bring his story to life and truly encourage others to chase after their dreams, he combines his professional knowledge, athletic expertise, and personal experiences, finding the commonality between all areas to equal discipline, sacrifice, and consistency. Dunn noted there are times when people assume athletes may not have the intelligence to thrive in the business world. He’s been dispelling myths such as these for as long as he can remember, noting that he would argue athletes become some of the best business professionals. He’s inspiring future generations — letting them know they, too, can embrace their passions, go after what they want, and succeed, despite what others may think. While his public speaking career continues to grow, we are confident he will be pursuing it with steadfast persistence on his way To The Top

THE HATCHERY

INSPIRATION LAB

The Hatchery is an idea. More than an idea, it is an investment in ideas that create value. Building bridges across disciplines, The Hatchery helps provide favorable conditions for inspiration to strike and for ideas to take flight. The idea of The Hatchery is to nurture collaboration among Southern Miss students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The Hatchery’s state-of-the-art Inspiration Lab provides a physical space to engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, share resources and skillsets, connect with mentors, collaborate on projects, solve complex problems, and so much more.

While the lab’s unconventional atmosphere is something most students are not accustomed to seeing in a business building, what draws the most attention is the makerspace equipment, including a laser cutter, garment printer, vinyl cutter, sewing machine, and 3D printers.

Where creativity and innovation converge to bring the entrepreneurial mindset to life at The University of Southern Mississippi

The lab's garment printer at work

Driven by intrigue, students often drop in to inquire about the seemingly out-of-place equipment and quickly become regulars. Since the lab’s official launch, The Hatchery has steadily continued developing and delivering new training workshops, competitions, and other events and gatherings focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. John Michael Travers, a senior entrepreneurship student, was immediately drawn to The Hatchery’s Inspiration Lab. While enrolled in the Designing Solutions for Defense course, Travers began to hear early chatter concerning plans to develop a space dedicated to supporting the university’s startup community. He became an early advocate for the lab and, once its doors opened, actively contributed to its efforts. Travers is now fully trained to use the Inspiration Lab’s equipment and attended one of his upper-level entrepreneurship courses in the classroom connected to the lab.

Having this innovation space where students can take a more hands-on approach to learning through prototyping, meeting people from other disciplines, and having conversations without the confinement and constraints of a standard learning environment is huge for Southern Miss.”

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The Entrepreneurial Mindset Takes Flight

In 2019, Southern Miss Business conducted an entrepreneurial ecosystem analysis, mapping out key entrepreneurship and innovation-related assets within the Southern Miss community. The analysis identified a wealth of resources offered by several entities, including the College of Business and Economic Development, Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, Mississippi Small Business Development Center, Eagle Maker Hub, Mississippi Polymer Institute, Office of Technology Development, and The Accelerator. The analysis, however, also highlighted a need for better connection, collaboration, and alignment across these resources. This realization ultimately led to the concept of The Hatchery as a hub to help unite this network.

The following spring, Southern Miss Business served as a client for Dr. Jamye Foster’s undergraduate Creative Marketing course. The purpose was to see what students might identify as missing from their business school experience and seek innovative solutions from the students themselves. Student teams developed creative proposals, which were then presented to the Dean’s Office at the end of the semester. Two teams proposed similar ideas focused on the reinvention of a space in Scianna Hall to provide (1) a makerspace concept and (2) a content creation center. Blending these student-driven recommendations with elements from well-established innovation centers at other universities, the Inspiration Lab was developed as the tangible manifestation of The Hatchery.

The Hatchery

[ thee hach-uh-ree ] noun

1. Administrative office developed by the College of Business and Economic Development to connect and advance entrepreneurial activities, resources, and opportunities within the Southern Miss community.

2. Coordinator of Golden Idea Pitch Competition, Founder Society, FlightPath Summer Camp, Fledge Fund, Inspiration Lab events, and statewide Southern Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) youth initiative.

Origin: The Hatchery was launched as an informal task force in the spring of 2019 and appointed its first director in January 2022.

Inspiration Lab

[ in-spuh-rey-shuhn lab ] noun

1. Physical home of The Hatchery, located in Scianna Hall 2017. 2. A bold combination of makerspace and classroom within a relaxed, espresso bar vibe.

3. Epicenter for beneficial collisions among students, faculty, staff, mentors, and the broader community on an entrepreneurial journey.

“There needed to be a place for students from all academic backgrounds, whether in graphic design, nursing, or business, to connect and to move innovative ideas forward,” says Wilcox. “The goal was to provide a space for beneficial collisions to naturally occur and for our Southern Miss community and local business community to tackle real problems together. The Hatchery’s Inspiration Lab is that place.”

Embracing the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Southern Miss Business has been overwhelmingly humbled by the support, curiosity, enthusiasm, and admiration shown by the community for The Hatchery’s Inspiration Lab. From elected officials and high school administrators attending the Open House, to local entrepreneurs mentoring students over coffee, the upbeat energy inside and surrounding the Inspiration Lab is not only kinetic but also contagious.

Facilitating this infectious excitement surrounding this space is professor of practice and director of The Hatchery, James Wilcox. When asked why this space is so essential for both the university and Hattiesburg community, Wilcox is quick to underscore the value and effectiveness of demonstrating entrepreneurship through broad, interdisciplinary experiences for all students. “Entrepreneurship, although often cornered as a business subject, is not implicitly limited to a single domain,” said Wilcox. “The

practices of problem-solving and value creation are just as central to the arts and sciences as they are to business. Regardless of career path, entrepreneurial experiences expose all students to increased opportunities to make their skillsets more relevant, dynamic, adaptable, marketable, and, therefore, more valuable in today’s rapidly changing labor market.”

While his vision for the dissemination of an entrepreneurial mindset across campus is unquestionably taking shape in Scianna Hall, Wilcox has been sharing this passion with a large, less traditional audience for some time. As the director of the Southern Miss Center for Economic and Entrepreneurship Education (CEEE), Wilcox invested more than 12 years supporting K-12 educators and students across Mississippi by working to bridge today’s educational gaps in economics, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. More than 6,000 high school students and 350 classroom teachers have directly benefited from the CEEE’s hands-on learning experiences and competitions designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset earlier in Mississippi’s talent pipeline.

The Best Is Yet to Come: The Future of The Hatchery

Lunch with The Hatchery, Coffee with an Entrepreneur, and the Mentorship Mixer were just a few new events piloted in the Inspiration Lab during the spring 2022 semester. These recurring events facilitate casual discussions between students from across campus, highlight and connect industry innovators, and encourage Southern Miss students, faculty, and staff to network with local entrepreneurs and business leaders. In addition to Golden Idea Weekend, Wilcox alluded to several other exciting programs and events in the pipeline that will benefit students and faculty. Notable programs include a Faculty Fellows Program and the Founder Society. The Hatchery’s Faculty Fellows Program, set to launch later in 2022, will identify ambassadors across campus with an entrepreneurial mindset. These champions will help formalize and strengthen relationships across campus and increase awareness and engagement in the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Founder Society will be an informal organization launching during the fall 2022 semester exclusively for students who own their own businesses. This organization will provide student entrepreneurs with fantastic opportunities to network with other students walking through similar life stages of their businesses, whether looking for investors, trying to expand, or dealing with day-to-day operational issues.

GOLDEN IDEA PITCH COMPETITION

When Dr. Bret Becton joined Southern Miss Business as the dean, he brought with him a passion for fostering university-wide entrepreneurship. Within three months of Becton taking on the role, a team made of business faculty, staff, and students had launched the Golden Idea Pitch Competition to provide all USM students with an annual opportunity to compete, receive professional feedback, and earn recognition for new venture ideas. The first two years of the competition were highly successful, yet the focus on traditional business plans resulted in underrepresentation from students outside of the business school. The competition was reimagined in 2021 to encourage students to pitch their ideas rather than thorough, detailed business plans. This simple change singlehandedly instituted The Hatchery’s vision of university-wide entrepreneurship.

The Hatchery proudly sponsors and hosts the competition and is eager to share the grand plans for the next iteration of the event. In November 2022, the event will transition to the Golden Idea Weekend, where students will receive support, mentorship, and funding to help launch their big ideas. This year's final pitch event has been upgraded to a "weekend hackathon"—an interactive, highenergy experience designed to help student launch their ideas in less than 50 hours!

THE 2021 GOLDEN IDEA PITCH COMPETITION REPRESENTED EVERY COLLEGE ON CAMPUS, WITH A TOTAL OF 44 SUBMISSIONS INVOLVING 76 STUDENTS FROM MORE THAN 20 DEGREE PROGRAMS .

Along with Wilcox, several other USM professors have begun leveraging the unique value offered by the Inspiration Lab and utilizing its resource to enhance courses such as Business Consulting, New Venture Creation, Creative Marketing, and Designing Solutions for Defense.

NO LIMIT

This year, Southern Miss Business students have excelled in a plethora of student-led research opportunities, both on and off-campus. From the annual Student Research Showcase held in Scianna Hall to the Undergraduate Symposium on Research and Creative Activity (UGS), students from various business disciplines are seizing as many opportunities as possible to participate in and conduct their own research.

Lauren Beverly has been a strong leader and noteworthy student-researcher since stepping foot on campus. Beverly says she thoughtfully made the move from Montgomery, Alabama, to the Hub City because of the knowledgeable faculty and depth of resources available to her through Southern Miss Business. As an active member of the campus community, Beverly has been a member of Delta Gamma Sorority, Eagle Connection, Southern Style, Order of Omega, and the Student Government Association. During her undergraduate career as a marketing major, she was a Discovery Scholar within the Honors College and conducted her thesis research titled, “Exploring the Impact of Loud and Discreet Luxury Branding Strategy on Aspirational Shoppers” under the advisement of Dr. Jamye Foster, director of the School of Marketing and associate dean of research and graduate education.

In

Collectively, the group participated in 16 presentations and panels during the conference.

Encouraged by their faculty advisors to maintain momentum, Beverly and Unson presented at the 2022 Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Conference in Destin, Florida, in March. The students shared that they enjoyed meeting peers from other institutions and received insightful feedback from experienced professionals in their field following their presentations. The next month, Beverly’s research was accepted to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) . Her submission underwent a rigorous review by experts in her discipline before it was selected, and she presented her work to peers, faculty, and staff from all over the nation in April. Lauren is only the second student from Southern Miss Business to receive national recognition with NCUR, with Lacey Wallace being the first just last year.

Beverly presented at the third annual Student Research Showcase hosted by the USM School of Marketing just a few days after. This year, the event featured 18 research presentations representing undergraduate and graduate students from the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses from various disciplines, including marketing, interior design, sport management,

November 2021, Beverly traveled to Orlando, Florida, to attend and present at the Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference . Those in attendance with her included fellow honors college student, Sophie Unson , alumni Nichada Satasuk and Lacey Wallace, and School of Marketing professors Drs. Bas, Cao, Harrison, Howie, Wang, and Yaoyuneyong

TOP PRESENTATIONS AT THE STUDENT RESEARCH SHOWCASE

Best in Proposal

Best in Final “Mississippi Aquarium Impact Analysis”

Due to her outstanding achievements and hard work, Beverly was a recipient of the Outstanding Student Scholar award during the Spring Business Awards Ceremony. Additionally, she has been accepted into the MBA program at Southern Miss and plans to continue her research on luxury branding. She also intends to pursue her Ph.D. in consumer behavior after completing her master's degree. When it comes to our research-focused students, their potential is truly limitless.

my experiences as a Southern Miss student have been diverse, researching and writing my Honors thesis was unquestionably the

rewarding aspect of my undergraduate education. Through the research process, I learned how to investigate and develop a topic, and then collect, analyze, and present data. But building relationships with the CBED faculty and staff is what I cherish the most. These incredible men and women, and especially my thesis advisor, Dr. Jamye Foster, offered insight, answered questions, and provided encouragement in times of self-doubt. If it were not for them, I would have struggled to complete such an extensive thesis project. I am incredibly excited to expand my marketing research as a graduate student alongside professors who have never failed to teach me something new!” —

People’s Choice

international business, journalism, hospitality and tourism management, economic development, healthcare marketing, and human resource management. The showcase provides student researchers with a platform to disseminate their knowledge by presenting their research in under five minutes, followed by a five-minute Q&A between the presenter and the audience of invited faculty and experts. Students also compete for cash prizes.

After gaining this irreplaceable experience presenting her research findings, Beverly took on the annual university-wide Undergraduate Symposium on Research and Creative Activity (UGS). Beverly placed first in the Business or Public Policy category. The business college was well-represented at the event, with student Landon McFarland earning second place in the category and Sophie Unson earning third place.

Business Students Receive DCUR Grants

Landon McFarland and Clancy Slay were among a select group who received 2022 grants through The Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research. The application process required candidates to explain the origin, importance, methodologies, timeline, anticipated outcomes, and the impact their research would have. A budget form also needed to be completed, along with an explanation of how they plan to attend conferences related to their specific research.

Through his research, McFarland will address the consumers’ perceptions of frontline employees with disabilities and hopes to fill the gap in the literature on this topic with his study. He plans to propose management strategies to businesses that employ individuals with disabilities in the event of a service failure. McFarland shared that this topic is especially important to him, as his brother is on the autism spectrum and often wonders how he will be perceived in a work environment as an employee. He is pursuing publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal with the help of his thesis advisor, Dr. Joanne Cao.

Slay received the DCUR’s EAGLE Spur Grant for her research project titled, "I Want to Treat Myself: How Opportunity Cost Salience Inhibits Reward Point Donations." She plans to disseminate the results of her research to the rest of the

community by attending and presenting at conferences. Dr. Katie Howie serves as Clancy's thesis advisor.

scientific

“Fighting the Stigma: Consumers' Perceptions of Frontline Employees with Disabilities”

LANDON McFARLAND Marketing and Applied Economics Diamondhead, Miss.

FAIYAZ HUSSAIN Master of Science in Economic Development Dhaka, Bangladesh

“What Do Mississippi Gulf Coast Divers Value in their Diving Experience?”

KA’LON DUNCANSON Marketing Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas

“While

most

LAUREN BEVERLY

LOCAL COMMUNITY BANKERS LEND EXPERTISE TO BUSINESS STUDENTS

Student Team Advances to Final Round of Community Bank Case Study Competition

Five Southern Miss Business students made it to the final round of the 2022 Community Bank Case Study Competition, sponsored by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS).

The USM team, made up exclusively of undergraduate finance students, was only one of five teams to make it through to the final round of the competition. The team of five finalists advanced through two rounds of judging and competed against an original pool of 23 participating teams representing 21 universities.

Douglas Rehm, Joseph Sumrall, Emma Warren, Mekhi Wyman, and Brock Revels comprised the student team, which partnered with The First Bank of Hattiesburg. The team met with and interviewed members of The First Bank to analyze the banking environment over the last 10 years to identify the most significant developments for community banks while attempting to predict the most significant changes that could impact the industry over the next 10 years. They ultimately submitted a paper and a five-minute video highlighting their findings. The case study work was conducted under the guidance of faculty advisor and adjunct instructor, Chase Blankenship. Blankenship serves as the market president for The First Bank of Hattiesburg and first broached the idea of recruiting a student team in 2021. After an initial submission last year as a learning experience, he was ready to tackle this year’s competition head-on.

“I started my fall semester Bank Administration course by telling the students about the competition. I told them

would have the opportunity to write a two-page essay as to why they wanted to be on the team, and the top five essays would be picked to form the team in the spring.”

– Chase Blankenship

In addition to providing undergraduate students with an excellent opportunity to engage and gain valuable knowledge of the banking industry, the case study competition gives community banks an opportunity to tell their individual stories. The competition also serves as a way of building further understanding of the community bank business model, the role community banks play in local communities, and connecting academics and millennials with the community banking industry.

"We are extremely proud that our student team made it into the top five in just our second year of competing,” said Dr. Bret Becton, dean of Southern Miss Business. “This is an invaluable experience for these students, and they have represented Southern Miss Business very well through their efforts. Also, we are very thankful for instructor Chase Blankenship for guiding and coaching the team through the process. We are fortunate to have someone with Chase’s expertise and passion leading this effort."

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CLOSING THE DEAL

Southern Miss Business Takes 6th Place at 2022 National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship and Conference

For the first time ever, Southern Miss participated in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship, placing 6th nationally in the Team Speed Selling Competition. Hundreds of students from schools across the country participated in the conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to being selected as finalists, Jerica Galloway, Sam Stiglmair, Enzo Ferreira, and Chipper Baudry conducted live sales presentations with sport industry sales personnel as part of the virtual first round. Three of the students were placed among the top 100 sports sales candidates, while Galloway and Stiglmair were specifically named qualifiers in the role-playing championship bracket. During the inperson championship, students showcased their sport sales skills in a competitive format where recruiters, typically account executives, served as buyers in a role-play scenario. The conference also included guest speakers, networking opportunities with professional sports organizations, and tickets to an Atlanta Hawks game.

Through her participation in the championship, Galloway landed a job with the Memphis Grizzlies as an inside ticket sales representative after her now-supervisor saw her in action while serving as a judge during the competition. In July 2022, Galloway became the Wolf of Beale Award winner for producing the most revenue for the week.

WARDEN PLACES IN TOP FOUR AT KEYSTONE SALES CHALLENGE

Kaitlyn Warden made it to the finals in the Keystone Sales Challenge, hosted by The Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. After scoring the highest in her first round, she kept her momentum in the second round before proceeding to the final four. More than 100 students from dozens of universities participate in the competition. Although the first place title went to another competitor, Warden walked away with a Final Four trophy and a cash prize of $250. Kaitlyn is from Ovett, Mississippi, and graduated in May with her BSBA in marketing and a certificate in professional selling.

"The NCSSC gave me the opportunity to connect with Jillian Walker, the manager of the Memphis Grizzlies inside sales program, known best as The Base (Building Advanced Sales Experts). I believe that without the opportunity to showcase my skills in the competition, I would not be in the position I am in today! I am very grateful for the members of the sport management department, especially Dr. Chris Croft, for helping me prepare and offering me support throughout the entire process." — Jerica Galloway

Jerica outside of the FedEx Forum

Finalists Enzo Ferreira, Chipper Baudry, Sam Stiglmair and Jerica Galloway

STUDENT SUCCESS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY

On March 26, 2022, The University of Southern Mississippi launched the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our 112 year history. In our first century, we evolved from a small teacher’s college into a premier research university with a national reputation for excellence. Constant through our growth and into the next 100 years is our unwavering commitment to student success. We are poised to write the next chapter of our history and our students’ futures. We will achieve this by focusing our efforts in three key areas. We are proud to announce we are 86% to our $150,000,000 fundraising goal, having raised $129.7 million as of September 30, 2022.

THERE IS PERHAPS NO GREATER WISH THAN TO FLY, TO BREAK FREE, TO TAKE TO THE CLOUDS AND TOUCH THE SKIES. AS A PART OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI’S STORIED LEGACY, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY. IN LIFE, YOU HAVE RISEN. YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED. YOU HAVE FLOWN. NOW, YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME.

Scan here to learn more about our audacious goals and how you can Give Wing or visit givewingtosouthernmiss.com.

Beta Alpha Psi Zeta Mu Chapter GETTING CREATIVE WITH SOCIAL AND SERVICE ACTIVITIES

MORE THAN 25 STUDENTS were initiated into Beta Alpha Psi during the 2021-22 academic year. The organization is made up of 40 members who are classified as juniors, seniors, or MPA graduate students.

After eighteen months of virtual meetings and events, the Southern Miss Beta Alpha Psi, Zeta Mu chapter transitioned back to in-person activities in August 2021. With new energy and excitement among its members, the chapter placed a greater emphasis on outreach, student collaboration, and the importance of building relationships. They launched a mentorship program that paired up chapter leaders with underclassmen candidates to foster connections between members while giving them a contact for advice and assistance with navigating coursework and preparing for the profession. The chapter also resumed in-person tutoring services, assisting current students of all majors with introductory accounting classes. Furthermore, the chapter hosted a baseball social to promote community in the chapter and encourage members and candidates to network in a more casual, social setting.

The chapter hosted several professional guest speakers from a variety of industries and firms, including BKD, Postlethwaite & Netterville, Hancock Whitney Bank, Horne LLP, Deloitte, Yak Access, Harper, Rains, Knight & Company, and Carr, Riggs & Ingram, to name a few. They also welcomed individuals from campus, like Allyson Easterwood, USM vice president for finance and administration; Mark Peach, Southern Miss Business executive in residence and retired partner with KPMG LLP; and Dr. Bret Becton, dean of the College of Business and Economic Development, to share their experiences and insights.

The chapter participated in an etiquette dinner, hosted a New Hire panel discussion with recent Southern Miss alumni, and visited local CPA firm, TMH PLLC, to meet their staff and tour their facility. Furthermore, the chapter volunteered their time to participate in campus events such as Black and Gold Day, Junior Preview Day, and the Big Event service day, as well as larger community events like the MSCPA CPA Day of Service. Additionally, they collaborated with the USM chapter of the NASBA Student Center for the Public Trust to host a book drive for Aldersgate Mission and the Boys & Girls Club. Members continue to actively seek new, creative ideas to increase chapter engagement, as well as ways to make a positive impact on the University and Hattiesburg community.

2022 BETA ALPHA PSI ANNUAL MEETING

After the chapter attended the virtual Beta Alpha Psi regional meeting, the officers went on to attend and present at the annual meeting in Orlando, Florida in July 2022.

“Attending the Beta Alpha Psi annual meeting as the newly installed president was eye-opening and inspiring on a professional, academic, and personal level. Being able to network with other officers located around the world taught us the importance of collaboration and team effort as we continue to bounce back from the pandemic and its effects.” — Kailee Blackledge

For the 2021-22 academic year, the Southern Miss Zeta Mu chapter received the designation of SUPERIOR CHAPTER by the national office. This is the highest designation given to Beta Alpha Psi chapters.

2022 STUDENT ORGANIZATION ADVISOR OF THE YEAR

Beta Alpha Psi Faculty Advisor, Julia Bradley, was selected as the 2022 Student Organization Advisor of the Year recipient, awarded by the Southern Miss Office of Leadership and Student Involvement. Ms. Bradley became an instructor for the School of Accountancy in January 2021 after serving as an audit manager in public accounting for seven years.

HOLY

COW!

How the New Social Media Marketing and Merchandising Course

Is Herding Students in the Right Direction

Written by Maggie Rennie ’22

As my final year of college approached, I was very intentional about searching for an elective course that would really set me apart from my peers. We all know that the job search is daunting, and the competition is nothing short of intimidating. I wanted to be sure that my resumé stood out in a sea of other recent graduates, as I knew I would be on a hunt for my first career position in just a few short months.

I have come to learn that experience plays a critical role in succeeding in today’s professional world, and hands-on application in the classroom is a crucial component of that. After hearing about MKT 478 Social Media Marketing and Merchandising, I knew I wanted to be one of the students to test pilot the brand-new course. Dr. Katherine Howie was slated to teach the class, and

her unwavering leadership and passion for the subject significantly impacted my fellow classmates' learning experiences, as well as my own. It was her dedication that led this course to be one of the most memorable experiences of my undergraduate career.

The course was created to provide students with real-world examples and hands-on experiences by working with local businesses to strategize the effective use of branding and social media to achieve desired marketing goals. Before meeting with the clients for our course’s strategy project, Dr. Howie equipped us with a conceptual foundation of social media platforms and a practical approach for developing a successful social media marketing plan. For example, students earned two digital marketing certifications through Hootsuite, including the Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification and the Hootsuite Platform Certification. For those unfamiliar, Hootsuite is a social media management tool with features to help marketers plan, schedule, and organize social media content and posts. We learned how to use the platform and develop foundational social marketing skills to increase followers and engagement.

After spending several classes researching popular social media platforms, identifying their user demographics, and learning how to leverage their algorithms effectively, we were ready to meet our clients and apply what we had been learning. This was by far the most entertaining and challenging portion of the course for me. The class partnered with two local businesses in Hattiesburg—Coyote Pointe Meat Company and Kids Market of Mississippi. The students divided into teams and worked with the business of their choice—my group chose to work with Coyote Pointe. Coyote Pointe Meat Company was recently founded in 2020 with the idea that grass-fed, grain-finished red angus would bring customers the highest quality, best-tasting products. Their product offerings range from steaks, brisket and ribs, to sausage, produce, and much more.

Each team was tasked with creating a comprehensive social media marketing plan for the company with the goal of increasing brand awareness. Our group first conducted an audit of their existing Facebook and Instagram pages. This gave us an opportunity to build customer personas, evaluate their current follower count, get an idea of their branding style, and identify local and national competitors.

Throughout the semester, my teammates and I put what we were learning to the test by implementing a strategy we thought would best increase Coyote Pointe’s social media presence and engagement. The creative freedom we were allowed contributed to our team creating a marketing plan we thought would best

benefit the company. For this project, the expectations were different than most courses where students follow a strict rubric and assignment guidelines. Instead, Dr. Howie freely permitted students to rely on the foundational knowledge gained in the first part of the course to decide what they thought was best for their client and successfully produce something tangible based on applicable modern marketing concepts.

At the end of the semester, we pitched our idea to Bradley Bullion, co-owner and designer at Coyote Pointe Meat Company. Our team provided a final social media marketing plan that included a branding guide, complete with color palettes and font pairings for the business to use in their marketing materials to ensure consistency. We also created multiple options for logos, product labels, and promotional artwork for consideration.

Bullion was pleased with our marketing plan, taking interest in the campaigns we designed and the overall color scheme we thoughtfully selected. He was especially intrigued by the recommendation to create an ongoing internship partnership with Southern Miss Business. When the client presented their social media concerns and questions at the beginning of the semester, one of the main topics Bullion discussed included not knowing how to run a successful social media platform or having the time for it as a business owner. The partnership my team presented between Coyote Pointe and Southern Miss Business would empower students to gain hands-on career experience while allowing the business to gain assistance with its social media presence.

When reflecting on this course, I find that it helped me develop the skills to tackle digital marketing and social media-related projects confidently. I walked away with a plethora of knowledge and tools that I was able to leverage when looking for my next steps after college. In March 2022, I completed a series of interviews for a highly competitive professional internship with Walt Disney Company in Orlando, Florida. Among several hundred applicants, I was the sole applicant selected for the Digital Integration Internship with The Disney Parks Blog. Looking back at this course, I am grateful for the experience, confidence, applicable marketing skills, and the lifelong friendships I found in my teammates Lauren Beverly, Olivia Williams, Lauren Noel, and Rachel Bradshaw.

MEET MAGGIE RENNIE

Maggie Rennie is a recent Southern Miss Business graduate from Calhoun City, Mississippi. After earning her marketing degree in May 2022, she packed up and moved 600 miles to Orlando, Florida, to begin her professional Digital Integration Internship for the Disney Parks Blog. Her responsibilities include publishing blog posts and assisting with data analysis. She uses statistics from various blog posts, Instagram stories/reels, TikTok videos, and other content to identify current and underlying trends before brainstorming successful blog post topics.

Coyote Point Branding Montserrat Aa Bb Cc Dd

EAGLE SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The EAGLE Scholars Program has been evolving each year to be bigger and better than ever before. Through this leadership development program, students receive up to $10,000 per year in scholarship funding and the opportunity to participate in a series of professional training workshops. More than 20 scholarships have been pledged by our generous donors, resulting in eight EAGLE Scholars for the 2021-22 academic year. This year, Dr. Joe Paul joined the team to serve as director and mentor for the EAGLE Scholars Program. With his leadership and guidance, the EAGLE Scholars learned more about themselves by taking personality tests and exploring the meaning of their results, reading Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance , hosting guest speakers, and meeting frequently one-on-one with Dr. Paul for individual coaching sessions. Each EAGLE Scholar was also paired with a mentor from the industry in which they have interest to provide guidance and career advice.

Top Row: Jonmarie Cintron, Rachel Green Pittman, Emma Warren

Middle Row: Bailey Bynum Jones, Baylie Busby, Quinn Gordon

Bottom Row: Andrew Sheets, Landon McFarland

EAGLE Scholar, Rachel Green Pittman, with mentor and 2022 Alumna of the Year, Cindy Gaddis.

Our visit with Mrs. Breazeale was one of the most special moments I have had in the EAGLE Scholars Program. She shared how she endured challenging times that allowed her to get to the position she is in today. As a woman, it was inspiring to hear how resilient she has been through her obstacles and setbacks, while having a leadership role in a male-dominated field.”

Rachel Green, Senior, Accounting

EAGLE Scholars Take on London

Each EAGLE Scholars class enters the program as acquaintances and leaves as close friends. As part of the opportunities offered by the program, they are encouraged to immerse themselves through a study-abroad experience and are offered the opportunity to obtain a study-abroad scholarship. This summer, five of the seven EAGLE Scholars studied abroad, all choosing to go to London together on the one-month British Studies Program.

POLK’S MEAT PRODUCTS INC. CEO AND OWNER JULIA POLK BREAZEALE VISITS WITH EAGLE SCHOLARS

—

STUDY ABROAD BACKIS

Studies and British Studies.

The Hawaiian Adventure

Just days after the semester ended, fourteen Southern Miss Business students packed their bags and said, “Aloha,” to the islands of Hawaii. During their adventure, students experienced all that the Pacific Islands have to offer while exploring Hawaii's rich history and culture. This educational experience of a lifetime provided students the opportunity to study how companies in this tropical paradise conduct business. Students traded traditional classrooms for hands-on exploration, learning about one of the most exceptionally distinctive and diverse cultures in the United States, deeply rooted in sustainable practices that preserve and restore the land and environment. Dr. Jamye Foster and Dr. Brigitte Burgess led the group's two-week adventure and unique course.

While saturating themselves in the beauty provided by the natural landscape, students spent most of their time in O'ahu, a thriving metropolis comprised of large international corporations and small, family-owned businesses with strategies built around the island’s overarching values. They visited with local representatives from a variety of industries and initiatives, including the Albizia Project, Jams World, UNIQLO, Moana Surfrider & Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Maui Divers, Manoa Chocolate, and many more, who were all eager to share their history and unique competitive advantages.

SURFRIDER & ROYAL HAWAIIAN

HOTEL were the first luxury hotels to open in Waikiki and ignited tourism to the island of O'ahu. Both hotels have become iconic landmarks on the island for their grand, yet elegant, architecture, attracting royalty and celebrities for more than a century.

THE ALBIZIA PROJECT is dedicated to reviving the natural forests of the Hawaiian Islands by removing the fast-growing, highly invasive Albizia tree species. With the effective removal of these trees, various native vegetation is planted in its place, promoting the restoration of a healthy, natural ecosystem.

JAMS WORLD designs contemporary fashion and sportswear for men and women using unique and colorful prints derived from original art pieces handpicked by their team at studios and textile shows worldwide. The artwork is replicated using a premium screen-printing process, which has become a rarity in the industry, as most apparel companies shift toward digital printing.

For the first time since the global pandemic, Southern Miss Business offered two study-abroad experiences: Hawaiian

MOANA

Photo by Charlie Luttrell

Lanikai Pillbox Trail near Lanikai Beach

While our students treasured the time spent soaking up the business-saturated culture, they also offset their coursework by exploring O'ahu in their free time and taking a three-day excursion to the Big Island! Opportunities to experience Hawaii’s natural wonders included cliff jumping at Waimea Bay, watching turtles bask in the sun at Laniakea Beach, exploring Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, hiking the Diamond Head Summit Trail, visiting Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens, staying at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and much more!

British Studies

Eighteen business students had the opportunity to spend an entire month in London, one of the world’s most outstanding business, finance, and trade centers. Upon arrival, the streets of Europe were instantly transformed into their classroom amidst The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend, ultimately resulting in a right royal time. While abroad, students gained valuable insight into international commerce from well-known British institutions such as Lloyd’s of London, the British Parliament, Wimbledon, Wedgwood Factory, and Savile Row. While assessing economic conditions, fiscal policy, international accounting regulations, and governmental structures in the UK and the EU, students also learned about the impact of social and cultural factors on international business.

LLOYD’S OF LONDON is the oldest and largest insurance brokerage firm in the world.

WEDGWOOD is an English fine china, porcelain, and luxury accessories manufacturer founded in the mid-1700s and later incorporated in 1895. From the holiday palace of Catherine the Great, to the banqueting tables at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, to dinner services at The White House during President Roosevelt’s time in office, Wedgwood is sought after by the most influential tastemakers.

SAVILE ROW is a street in Mayfair, London, rich in history and wellknown for bespoke tailoring, which originates back to the early 1800s. The iconic road is lined with shops that have dressed kings, princes, prime ministers of England, and all the James Bond actors.

Spearheading both the group’s month-long adventure and international business course were Southern Miss Business faculty Russ Willis and Dr. Kristina Harrison. During their time abroad, these two knowledgeable faculty members assisted students in balancing coursework with immersion in British history and culture. Students used their weekends to explore nearby cities and notable landmarks such as Stonehenge, Notting Hill, Winchester, Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and even some of the filming locations for Netflix’s Bridgerton series. Students weren’t the only ones who enjoyed their downtime while abroad. Mr. Willis, who has been teaching the International Business course for British Studies for approximately eight years, accompanied students to see Wicked The Musical at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London and Goddards at Greenwich, which is a traditional English pie and mash restaurant.

Enhancing the Student Experience

HOW PROFESSOR RUSS WILLIS IS MAKING LASTING CONNECTIONS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

If The University of Southern Mississippi is mentioned in the presence of Mr. Russ Willis, it is guaranteed that his eyes will light up, and a wide smile will spread across his face. If anyone was born to be a Golden Eagle, it is Mr. Willis, assistant professor of teaching in the School of Management. His enthusiasm and love for Southern Miss are contagious, spreading like wildfire to anyone who has the pleasure of speaking with him.

Southern Miss has been a part of his life for decades, deeply rooted in his family history and everyday life. Originally from Pensacola, Florida, Willis began his academic career at USM in 1985 to pursue a degree in political science. Willis was a member of the tennis team, Sigma Chi Fraternity, and Southern Style. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Willis went on to complete his Juris Doctor from the Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida. He shared that despite his legal education, he realized that being in the classroom and harnessing the power of education through teaching is where his true passions lie. Willis returned to Southern Miss in 1992 as the assistant director of Human Resources and ultimately became the director before being selected as the vice president of administrative affairs. After 20 years of service as an administrative staff member, Willis began venturing back into the classroom as a faculty member.

Willis has since become notorious for creating memorable experiences for students during their time at the university. Students adore Mr. Willis and are often heard recommending his classes to their peers. Mr. Willis is the program coordinator for the Human Resources Management BSBA program and

teaches courses focused on Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior. However, this spring, Willis was approached about teaching Food and Beverage Operations, a hospitality and tourism management course designed to provide a contemporary overview demonstrating how food and beverages are incorporated into various industries to deliver guest-driven service, enhance value, build loyalty, and promote repeat visits. Willis invited several guest speakers to class throughout the semester to share their real-world experiences in the food service industry, including local restauranteurs such as Nelson Haskin Jr. and Chef Katie Dixon. To create an even more engaging environment, Willis brought various food items from different parts of the world for his students to sample so that they were truly immersed in the topics being discussed in class.

Willis is known for his dedication to his students, and this commitment continues long after they complete his course or graduate with their degree. He recognizes that a critical role in student success is far beyond the classroom, providing experiences and opportunities that help enhance their self-confidence, networking, and interpersonal skills. You can find him frequently sharing success stories, internship opportunities, or job postings on his LinkedIn profile, where he is connected to countless former students and Southern Miss alumni.

In 2016, a former student, thrilled to tell Mr. Willis about landing her very first position after graduation, stopped by his office with her brand-new business card in hand. She was beaming with pride, eager to show a tangible representation of this professional accomplishment to someone who truly impacted her academically. This inspired Mr. Willis to start a unique project. He hung a modest bulletin board in his office with the hopes of filling it up with former students’ business cards. He posted a call-to-action on social media, encouraging past students to send him their business cards. A flood of them arrived, hand-delivered and mailed, and in no time, he filled the board up.

He has since filled four cork bulletin boards up with business cards and has them proudly displayed in his office. He has incorporated the collection into his classes, reminding students to send him their business cards after graduation. While this project originated as a way to acknowledge student accomplishments, it has become a physical representation that the sky is the limit when earning a degree from Southern Miss. Current students gain a better understanding of what they can achieve when they stop by his office and see the boards displaying prestigious positions held by USM graduates in countless industries and companies across the nation. When asked why this is such an important tradition to continue, Willis shared that it enriches the student experience and shows the genuine investment faculty have in their success.

“When I made my schedule this semester, I knew I wanted to take a course outside the general marketing electives. Professor Willis has been one of my favorite instructors since arriving at Southern Miss, so I knew taking Food and Beverage Operations with him would prove to be an excellent opportunity! Professor Willis knows how to convey information in a way that makes it interesting to everyone. With the addition of knowledgeable guest speakers and plenty of snacks, this class has easily become one of my favorites during my undergraduate experience.”

- Lauren Beverly, Marketing Major

It’s more than just getting to know a student by name in class—it’s about assisting them during their professional job search, staying in contact with them after graduation, inviting them back to the college for events and guest speaking engagements, and connecting them with mentors and leaders in their industry.”

PROGRAMS FOR THE Rapidly Changing Business Environment

Southern Miss Business Welcomes Back Human Resources Management Program

After a four-year hiatus, the Human Resources Management (HRM) program has been re-established within the School of Management at Southern Miss under the leadership of program coordinator and assistant teaching professor, Mr. Russ Willis. In fall 2021, the discipline was established as an emphasis area within the management degree program, and beginning in fall 2022, it became a stand-alone major offered face-to-face and online. After completing this degree program, students will be prepared to recruit and select the talent needed for an effective workforce, develop existing staff to optimize performance and employee outcomes, develop and implement a compensation and benefits structure that fits with the overall strategy of the organization, identify the skills and abilities needed for future leaders of the organization, and serve as employee advocate to improve workplace culture and retention.

As the program continues to build upon the great foundation Southern Miss Business already has for producing quality HR professionals, participation in internships is an area of focus for students in the program. During the spring semester, HRM student Heidi Kirsch completed an internship with the University Human Resources at Southern Miss, and Jessica Wilson served as an intern with the Human Resources department for Hood Industries.

During the spring 2022 semester, the program obtained academic alignment from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). SHRM is the largest professional association of HR professionals in the world. Having the Southern Miss program receive academic alignment from SHRM is an essential mark of the quality of the program and will help our graduates compete successfully in the job market upon graduation.

Students Can Now Earn Their Marketing Degree Fully

Online

Southern Miss Business is offering students the flexibility to earn their undergraduate degree in marketing 100% online. The program features an applied learning experience and the opportunity to work on client-based projects as part of student coursework. Students will get exposure to core marketing concepts, such as consumer behavior, professional sales, and marketing research. The program also emphasizes creative problem solving and communication skills and provides students an introduction to analytics, giving our students an edge in the marketplace. The degree prepares students for a wide range of careers spanning sales, marketing research, and social media content and strategy.

“Our goal is to educate students and provide them the opportunities to build their resumé to find the jobs that will match their life goals. This program will be best for students who truly want to be challenged to learn as much as possible and develop the skills to be successful in the marketplace. Dedication to learning is key for students to be successful in this online program.” — Dr. Melinda McLelland, Marketing Program Coordinator of the School of Marketing

The online Marketing BSBA degree is designed to help students achieve the goals they set for their future careers. This program admits students during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, and with the option of online delivery, students can finish school from anywhere in the world.

Students Can Now Earn a Social Media Content and Strategy Minor

The Social Media Content and Strategy interdisciplinary minor combines the study of marketing and communication to introduce students from both disciplines to the world of multi-channel marketing. The program, which launched in fall 2021, prepares students for careers in social media, digital media, digital marketing, e-commerce, content marketing, and Internet marketing. More than 35 students are currently pursuing the 21-hour minor and have opportunities to take a multitude of unique classes, such as Audio Reporting and Podcasting, Graphic Design, Photography for Journalists, and Writing and Design for Public Relations.

Through a combination of lectures and applied experiences, such as projects, case studies, and simulations, students will dive into marketing strategy, master the art of crafting authentic marketing content, and learn to design visually appealing graphics. Subjects of interest will be content creation, digital media, design software, search engine optimization, social media, content marketing, digital advertising, email marketing, and more.

During the fall semester, Dr. Joanne Cao successfully showcased how online asynchronous courses could be just as engaging and impactful as in-person classes while teaching Integrated Marketing Communications. The online course provided experiential learning opportunities for the students through a semester-long client-based project. The project aimed to provide students with hands-on experience in developing and presenting a marketing communications plan to a professional client, which in this case was Frito-Lay. At the beginning of the semester, student groups were tasked with delivering innovative solutions to a proposed marketing problem their client was currently facing and devising campaigns for their consumer brands.

Students submitted several deliverables throughout the semester, including a situational analysis, creative brief, media plan, and video presentation before presenting visuals and an execution strategy to representatives from Frito-Lay. These representatives had the opportunity to choose which group had the most practical idea and which was the most innovative.

“I believe client-based projects allow current students to get real-world experience, in a virtual setting, with employers who want to see students succeed. These projects give students a glance at what problems they might have to solve upon entering the workforce. Lastly, the projects build up the students' confidence and ensure them that Southern Miss has provided them the correct tools to succeed post-graduation.”

— Jamil Murray, Sales Capability Trainer at PepsiCo

The invaluable experience senior marketing major Estella Varn gained from this course ultimately helped her land her first job out of college. Varn recently became a media planner with Future PLC, a digital media company headquartered in London.

I am not sure I would have been considered for the position if it were not for the media plan we created for Frito-Lay! In all my interviews, I found myself talking a lot about my experiences in Dr. Cao’s class, and I am truly thankful for the experiences that the course provided me, as they have been very beneficial to my resumé.”

Estella Varn

Eli Lilly

Accounting

Accounting

STUDENT INTERNSHIPS

The School of Marketing ConsulTEAM

The School of Marketing introduced the ConsulTEAM in October 2021. The exciting, new student-led consulting team is made up of a select group of student interns who provide local Hattiesburg businesses with digital media consulting and support. Since its launch, the team has assisted several businesses, including Hattiesburgers and Blues, Nellie's Chicken & Daiquiris, and Local Style Salon. This team aids through strategy and planning, content creation, social media management, analytics, creative digital marketing solutions, and more. The team of highly knowledgeable students work with the school's partners to create a comprehensive plan of action to help their organizations thrive. The 2021-22 team include Makenzie Crampton, Tichina Seeden, Baylie Busby, and Daniel Wimberly.

Student

Interning with Goldman Sachs

Accounting student, Shawn Moore, completed an eight-week internship in the Controllers Division at the Goldman Sachs Dallas, Texas, office. Moore got a taste of investing and entrepreneurship during his time at Ocean Springs High School, where he was enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. He started his first e-commerce store at the age of 14, importing products from other countries before branding and selling them in the United States. Moore is an Academic Excellence Scholar, has a Woodmen Life Scholarship, and is an Honors Scholar.

Interns left to right

TYLER PITTMAN — KPMG LLP, Tech Assurance/Audit; Nashville, TN

RACHEL GREEN — LBMC, Business Tax Department; Nashville, TN

JONMARIE CINTRON — TMH CPA & Consulting Firm, Audit and Tax Departments; Hattiesburg, MS

KAILEE BLACKLEDGE — HORNE, Assurance; Hattiesburg, MS COLE RUSSELL — KPMG LLP, Audit; Birmingham, AL

Joe Lee Flynt, a marketing major from Mize, Miss., was selected for the 10-week Lilly Sales Internship, designed to give students real-world experience in pharmaceutical sales. Flynt completed sales training at Lilly Corporate Headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind., before completing fieldbased training in the Hattiesburg territory of the Jackson, Miss., district.

Student Scholarships, Awards and Accolades

University Student Awards Ceremony

Graduate

Hall

MSCPA Ralph F. Neely Scholarship HUNTER REED Boston Red Sox Draft Pick DALTON ROGERS

AICPA Minority Accounting Scholarship TAELOR MANNING

CFA Society of Mississippi Award JON LEONARD

MSCPA Scholarship CASEY CAMERON

School

of Fame JENNY BUCKLAND Sport Management MS CORY J. WICKER Human Capital Development PhD

Mississippi Young Bankers Swayze Scholarship Finalist BROCK REVELS

PCAOB Scholarship YOLANDA LINARES

Leading Southern Miss Business to New Heights

Based on the recommendations of the Coastal Operations Leadership Team, the Gulf Park Reorganization Committee, and the administration at Southern Miss, several structural and programmatic changes were set in motion on the Gulf Park campus during the fall 2021 semester. As part of this coastal reorganization, academics were realigned under a new structure comprised of three schools. For the College of Business and Economic Development, the new framework aligns current business programs and faculty with professional and workforce development, creating the School of Leadership.

The mission of the School of Leadership is to develop and advance organizational leaders at the local, national, and international levels. The school provides distinctive and competitive educational programs delivered through experiential and responsive methods, to address emerging social, economic, and environmental challenges. Additionally, their faculty research focuses on the expansion of knowledge in business and technology. Their vision is to provide multi-disciplinary educational experiences that create transformational leaders.

Several aspects of the school make it a unique and valuable addition to the college. The School of Leadership is home to specialized centers that bring together faculty, students, and community partners. From providing applied research for the transportation and supply chain industry through the Center for Logistics, Trade, and Transportation, to researching and disseminating best practices in workplace and performance

through the Workplace Learning and Performance Institute, the centers offer services and develop partnerships through their unique offerings. The school has a feature scholarship established to honor human capital development professor emeritus Dr. Cyndi Gaudet, for her legacy of service and 25-year career at Southern Miss. The Work Hard, Have Fun, Make a Difference Scholarship is awarded annually to one human capital development student who nurtures student development, supports their peers, serves as a positive role model, and stands out as a leader among their classmates. The school also completes a service project each semester as a team, most recently collecting $1,000 in cash plus donated items to benefit the USM Gulf Park Campus Golden Basket Initiative in the fall and over $1,000 in donated items and cash for the Humane Society of South Mississippi in the spring.

DR. HEATHER ANNULIS DIRECTOR

Dr. Heather Annulis serves as director of the School of Leadership and professor of human capital development in the College of Business and Economic Development. With over 20 years of service at Southern Miss, Annulis helped to create the M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs in human capital development. She holds a doctorate from Southern Miss in international development with a concentration in workforce training and development and a master’s degree in organizational communication from The University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

School of Leadership Reaccreditation

The School of Leadership proudly announced re-accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Voluntary ABET accreditation assures that a college or university program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates. ABET provides specialized accreditation for post-secondary programs within degree-granting institutions already recognized by national or regional institutional accreditation agencies or national education authorities worldwide. The Industrial Engineering Technology programs at Southern Miss continue to experience extensive enrollment growth, with the 100% online undergraduate program attracting students from across the country.

In addition to traditional business degrees, including accounting, management, marketing, general business and MBA, the School of Leadership offers numerous other professional programs.

SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

• Applied Technology, BAS

• Industrial Engineering Technology, BS

• Industrial Engineering Technology (Logistics), BS

• Business Management Undergraduate Certificate

• Human Capital Development, MS

• Human Capital Development (Instructional Technology and Design), MS

• Logistics, Trade, and Transportation, MS

• Human Capital Development, PhD

• Human Capital Development (Instructional Technology and Design), PhD

• Instructional Technology and Design Graduate Certificate

OnlineMastersDegrees.org, 2022

Southern Miss School of Leadership

@USMSchoolofLeadership

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

at a Glance

MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANCY (MPA)

Kayla Martin developed a deep interest in data analytics and information technology through the ACC 615 Audit Analytics and IT Auditing course, taught by Amber Hatten. Through the course, Martin earned a variety of credentials, including certifications and digital badges in Microsoft Excel, Tableau, and data analysis certificates through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). She also successfully completed all sections of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam while enrolled in the MPA program. Upon completion of her master’s degree, Kayla joined the compliance and risk management department of Harper, Rains, Knight and Company (HRK), in Ridgeland, Mississippi. In her new role, she provides internal operations reviews, internal controls over financial reporting reviews, and information technology (IT) internal audits. She has also passed the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam, which provides additional validation for her expertise to audit, control, monitor, and assess the information technology and business systems.

Amber Hatten, CPA is a 2001 graduate of our MPA program, and after working as an auditor with KPMG LLP for 11 years, she returned to USM as a professor of practice. Ms. Hatten has been serving as the coordinator for the Master of Professional Accountancy program since 2012. Her experience informs her teaching and is used to prepare students for the CPA exam through her summer Becker CPA Exam Review courses.

100%

PLACEMENT RATE

for all MPA students seeking employment

100% of MPA students obtained professional certifications and/or digital badgets and developed hands-on experience with relevant software, such as:

• Microsoft Excel Associate Certiport Certification

• Microsoft Excel Expert Certiport Certification

• Microsoft Access Expert Certiport Certification

• Tableau Author Digital Badge

• Tableau Analyst Digital Badge

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Data Analysis Essentials Certification with Digital Badge

• SAGE 50 General Ledger Software

• CaseWare IDEA Data Analysis Software

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SPORT MANAGEMENT (MSSM)

One of the sport management master’s courses partnered with the Biloxi Shuckers Minor League Baseball team to complete a promotional project, assisting the organization in future sport marketing planning. Biloxi Shuckers general manager, Hunter Reed, and sales and marketing coordinator, Dustin Fishman, worked with the students on the semester-long project.

“We focus on incorporating experiential learning opportunities for our students to allow real-world learning opportunities while also contributing to area business organizations. It was an outstanding learning experience for our students to be able to apply sport marketing content from our class and develop sport marketing ideas for the Shuckers.” — Dr. Chris Croft

Dr. Brandon Allen is an associate teaching professor who has been with USM since 2007 and has been serving as the director of the Master of Science in Sport Management since 2018. In that time, the program has doubled in size to nearly 100 graduate students. The program prioritizes applied experiences, and in that effort, Dr. Allen is responsible for helping the students gain real-world experience through their required practicum course.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

(MSED)

Tyler Economic Development Council and Local Impact Analytics LLC, a consulting company set up by two Southern Miss Business alumni, both sponsored graduate research assistants last year. While working on their master’s degrees, the students conducted 20 hours of research each week for their sponsors while completing their graduate work. Additionally, because of the applied nature of our business graduate programs, many of their class assignments could be applied to their sponsor’s business. Both Payton Capps and A’Miracle Fagan received job offers before graduation after completing their research assistantships. Capps was hired as a business retention and expansion specialist at Frisco Economic Development Corporation and Fagan was offered a full-time job with Local Impact Analytics.

As the graduate coordinator of the Economic Development program, Dr. Chad R. Miller works closely with the Trent Lott National Center providing technical expertise and mentoring student community research. Through this connection, and those with International Economic Development-accredited True South Basic Economic Development, Dr. Miller has created an applied program that gives students valuable real-world experience.

Graduates of the program are in HIGH DEMAND, working at many of the MOST SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS across the country.

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

(MBA)

The job outlook for MBA graduates has shifted, and many students are now looking for more flexible MBA programs that allow them to take courses that build toward a specific area of interest that matches with their long-term career goals. The MBA Leadership Team is planning a major curriculum revision that will reduce the required core courses, so students are able to devote enough hours toward developing an area of expertise. Collaborating with our other business graduate programs, as well as other programs across campus, students will be able to select a focus area that best positions them for career success in their chosen field.

Dr. Steven Stelk joined USM in 2011 and began teaching in the MBA program in 2014. After consistently being one of our most highly rated MBA professors, he accepted the role of MBA director in July 2021. Dr. Stelk has assembled an MBA Leadership Committee and is working on program revisions that will help us serve our growing enrollment.

SOUTHERN MISS WAS THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO OFFER A MASTER’S PROGRAM IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 12-hour graduate certificate in economic development offered

School of Leadership Brings New Graduate Program Offerings

The Human Capital Development and Logistics, Trade, and Transportation programs joined the College of Business and Economic Development at the start of the 2021-22 academic year as part of the School of Leadership. This reorganization has generated a partnership among graduate programs in the college. Due to this collaboration with other business programs, both disciplines have seen a growth in class size, and business students have shown interest in the Ph.D. program as a follow-on to graduate education.

The Human Capital Development Ph.D. program executive format resumed this year with in-person classes, social networking events, and synchronous online classes. The end of the pandemic restrictions brought a renewed effort to engage graduate students in the originally designed hybrid (face-to-face and online) format. This format allows students, who are also working professionals, from all over the country to engage in a think tank environment and share best practices across industries.

Dr. Quincy Brown is an associate professor of human capital development and the graduate programs director in the School of Leadership. Dr. Brown manages five graduate degree programs and one graduate certificate program. He teaches the HCD research methods courses and serves on the College and University Graduate Councils and the Institutional Review Board. This area of expertise serves his students well as he manages nearly 30 PhD students through the intensive dissertation research process every year.

RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF REAL ESTATE EXCHANGE TRADED

Faculty Research FUNDS

on research by Dr. Kimberly Goodwin and Dr. Srinidhi Kanuri

In the spring of 2022, members of the American Real Estate Society selected this research article for the 2021 BEST PAPER AWARD in the Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management.

Based

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are essentially mutual funds that investors can trade like an individual stock. They provide investors with a convenient and cost-effective way to diversify a small investment across a wide range of companies or industries. ETFs have been available as an investment product for over 20 years and represent almost $5 billion in assets under management in the U.S. and $10 trillion worldwide.

Real estate ETFs were first introduced in 2000 as a way for investors to easily make smaller investments in different types of publicly traded real estate companies. Most of these real estate firms are real estate investment trusts (REITs), which is a special organizational structure for real estate firms. Decades of research have focused on the unique characteristics of real estate investment and the diversification benefits it brings to a typical mixed asset portfolio over the long run. Real estate investment can provide a hedge against inflation and reduce portfolio risk during market downturns. Using data from 2003 through 2019, Drs. Goodwin and Kanuri examined whether investing in real estate ETFs actually provided benefits over the S&P 500.

Over this time, real estate ETFs had a median monthly return of 1.53% while the S&P had a median monthly return of just 1.36%. The real estate ETF portfolio, however, also had a higher standard deviation of returns with 6.09% compared to 3.87% for the S&P 500. In fact, monthly returns for the real estate ETF portfolio varied between -30% and +30%. No matter how Drs. Goodwin and Kanuri analyzed the risk and return characteristics, the S&P 500 always proved to be the superior investment by providing a better tradeoff between risk and return.

Drs. Goodwin and Kanuri, however, caution anyone from concluding that real estate ETFs are a bad investment. They note that 2007-08 were abnormally bad for real estate investments because the financial crisis was coined the “housing crisis” and resulted in crippling declines for the entire real estate sector. The truth didn’t come out until 200809 when people realized there was nothing wrong with the actual real estate and just the institutions that did the lending. Real estate ETFs rebounded with returns above 25% in 2009 and 2010.

Real estate ETFs suffer from a lack of diversification because most of them invest in a very similar group of REITs, and there is evidence that they have increased the volatility of the underlying REIT shares. REITs have become more correlated with the stock market over time, and several large REITs are already a part of the S&P 500. Investors who have a slightly higher appetite for risk can certainly benefit from the higher returns generated by real estate ETFs. Others, however, may find that real estate ETFs are less desirable and lack the stability that many investors expect to find in real estate investments.

TO READ THE FULL RESEARCH ARTICLE, SEE: Goodwin, K. R., Kanuri, S. Relative Performance of Real Estate Exchange Traded Funds. Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, 27(1), 78-87.

KIMBERLY GOODWIN is school director and full professor of finance at The University of Southern Mississippi.

SRINIDHI KANURI is an associate professor of finance at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Faculty Research

BYSTANDER BRAND ACTIVISM: THE SECOND MOVER

ADVANTAGE

From Nike to Ben & Jerry’s to Airbnb, more and more brands are taking a stand on sociopolitical issues, often called brand activism, to the point it’s arguably become a component of any brand’s strategy. But as consumers grow more accustomed to such initiatives, they’ve also become increasingly critical. While it is clear many consumers want brands to take a stand, it’s not always clear what that stand should be. Thus, weighing in on a divisive issue becomes a calculated risk. Customers may stop buying a brand if they find it supports the “wrong” side of an issue or supports it in the wrong way. If and when this happens, the door opens for rival brands to pick up those disgruntled customers purely by remaining neutral on an issue. Referred to as a second mover advantage, these companies gain an edge simply by observing and reacting to what the first brand has done. This raises an important question: is there a second mover advantage when it comes to brand activism?

Take Gillette’s now infamous 2019 “The Best Men Can Be” campaign, for example. The short film features images of violence between boys, sexism in movies and at work, as well as news clips of the #MeToo movement. A voice asks, “Is this the best a man can get?” The campaign went viral with more than four million YouTube views in 48 hours, generating both high praise and intense criticism. The day after the Gillette ad was released, rival brand, Dollar Shave Club, tweeted a short and simple message: “Welcome to the Club.” Comments and reshares on the tweet suggest it resonated with a group of consumers seemingly

BRAND ACTIVISM DESCRIBES

WHEN

A BRAND PUBLICLY TAKES A NON-NEUTRAL STANCE ON A SOCIAL OR POLITICAL ISSUE.

offended by the Gillette ad. This fascinating example highlights the valuable and potentially precarious position brands face when a competitor takes a polarizing sociopolitical stance.

Targeting Disaffected Customers

A research project by Drs. Howie, Mesler, and Vredenburg examines what they call “bystander brands” that appeal to disaffected consumers of rival brands, who are offended by an activist stance and now “free agents” with no fixed brand allegiances. As second movers, these bystander brands can, at least in the short term, benefit from consumer skepticism (or cynicism) fueled by a perceived overload of brand activism – some of it inauthentic, opportunistic, or imitative — which devalues such activism overall.

The researchers’ findings suggest that deliberate bystander brand strategies — waiting for a competitor to take a stand then targeting alienated or offended customers – can appeal to certain consumers. So far, research in this area has tended to focus on

Based on research by Dr. Katharine M. Howie and her team

how sociopolitical brand activism works, but little has been said about brands that might be drawn into activist conversations simply through their competitors taking a stand. Appealing to a competitor’s customers is typically very challenging, and the fallout from brand activism represents a rare situation where market share is up for grabs.

For example, following Nike’s endorsement of Colin Kaepernick with its 2018 “Dream Crazy” campaign, many enraged customers looked for alternative athletic brands. What are the likes of Adidas and Under Armour to do in this position? Surprisingly, research has yet to address this potential market share in limbo.

The researchers find the desire to reject sociopolitical brand activism particularly true for customers who identify as “conservative”. While boycotting brands is a bipartisan affair, the way consumers engage in boycotts differs. Past research finds conservatives can be quicker to seek punishment and want corrective action as a result of their moral outrage. Brand rivals are sometimes even viewed with hostility as the “enemy.” Switching from an offending brand to a rival satisfies a desire for retaliation, a pattern we observed across three studies.

Furthermore, this work finds that intentionally mentioning such rivalries in brand advertising is more effective at attracting “free agent” conservatives, relative to their more liberal counterparts,

who were less concerned with brand rivalry. Strategically, then, remaining “activism adjacent” as a bystander brand represents a critical opportunity. As other brands risk losing customers with sociopolitical platitudes or inauthentic campaigns, rivals can maintain relevance in an increasingly nuanced marketing landscape. After all, it appears that it can be as simple as a cheeky tweet.

TO READ THE FULL RESEARCH ARTICLE, SEE: Howie, K., Mesler, R. M., Vredenburg J. (2022). Brand Activism Sends Conservatives Running to Rival Brands. The Conversation.

KATHARINE HOWIE is an assistant professor of marketing at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Faculty Research DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A

CASINO SERVICE

QUALITY SCALE:

A HOLISTIC APPROACH

Based on research by Dr. Gregory Bradley and Dr. Wei Wang

There is little question that the casino industry in the United States has established a significant presence over the last 30 years. There is evidence that casino developments contribute substantially to both local and regional economies. Despite this increasing presence, however, there has been a paucity of casinorelated research. It is speculated this is because access to casino customers while gambling has been extraordinarily limited over the years. In the recent past, however, as casino resort companies became publicly-traded, there has been an expansion of this type of gaming research to strengthen marketing strategies relative to increases in competition. Still, from a broader point of view, casino-related customer research is in its early stages.

In terms of operational strategies, it has long been established that gaining a better understanding of the primary drivers of key casino customer attitudes and the relationship with subsequent behaviors could both enhance the customer experience and improve business-related outcomes. Through previous research, it was found that there is a connection between customer satisfaction and profitability, and that there is an indirect relationship between perceived service quality, value, satisfaction, loyalty, and financial outcomes. Nonetheless, previous casino service quality research both omitted a key dimension for a fullservice casino and conflated measurement dimensions.

Therefore, to fill this research gap, Dr. Greg Bradley and Dr. Wei Wang recently developed a casino service quality scale through a nine-step multistage research process that included rigorous pre-scale development protocol and surveys that were distributed to over 1,000 casino guests. Casino guests were asked about the service quality received at the casino they were visiting at the time, as well as their satisfaction levels and other associated perceptions and behaviors related to loyalty during this visit. The primary purpose of their research was to develop a more holistic casino service quality scale to allow casino operators to systematically measure service quality and compare this outcome against others in their competitive set. Overall, four aspects of casino service quality were identified and validated to include the overarching constructs of gaming service, restaurant service, hotel service, and cleanliness. Each of these broader measurement areas had multiple items.

Drs. Bradley and Wang further examined the relationships among casino service quality and the loyalty framework. From this analysis, it was found that casino service quality is a multidimensional concept that must be managed carefully to develop and maintain loyal customers. Specifically, the newly developed scale indicated a strong relationship among customer satisfaction and both behavioral and attitudinal loyalty. Notably, the scale was found to be both reliable and robust due to the multistage development, data collection, and analysis processes.

Based on their research findings, it was recommended that casino managers use multiple factors, rather than a single aspect, to assess service outcomes at their resort properties. Particularly, this study established that both gaming and non-gaming services are essential to the success of overarching perceptions of customer service in the casino environment. Frequently, casino resort managers spend an exorbitant amount of effort and other resources on areas that fail to meaningfully impact customer loyalty. By having identified the functional structural relationships of loyalty in this industry, these Southern Miss professors demonstrated that a more advanced effort can be instituted to improve these key impression points which will likely lead to improved loyalty, retention, and profitability. Subsequently, these two professors have jointly investigated the moderating influence of casino loyalty club membership on these same outcomes and are awaiting publication of these findings.

TO READ THE FULL RESEARCH ARTICLE, SEE: Bradley, G.T. & Wang, W. (2022) Development and validation of a casino service quality scale: A holistic approach. Tourism Management, 88, 104419.

Tourism Management ranks as the leading journal in the tourism, leisure, and hospitality management sector pursuant to the 2021 Scimago Journal & Country Rank. Additionally, the journal has an impact factor of 12.879, and ranks as an A+ level journal according to the Australian Business Deans Council.

GREG BRADLEY is an associate teaching professor of management at The University of Southern Mississippi.

WEI WANG is an associate professor of hospitality and tourism management at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Faculty and Staff Awards and Accolades

2022 Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Celebration

ANNULIS

JOYCE POWELL

Business Advisory Council Research Award Recipients

AMBER

COLE College Service Award by the College of Business and Economic Development

DR. JOANNE CAO, DR. CHRIS CROFT, DR. BRADLEY WINTON, DR. KE GONG, DR. KRISTINA HARRISON, DR. CHAO MENG, DR. ALISON FRIDLEY, and DR. CURTIS MATHERNE

DR. KIMBERLY GOODWIN

2021 Kinnard Young Scholar Award recipient by the American Real Estate Society Louis K. Brandt Publications Award by the College of Business and Economic Development

DR. VALERIE SIMMONS

Received Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award upon completion of doctoral program with a concentration in accounting from the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University

Staff Member by the College of Business and Economic Development

DR. WEI WANG

Joseph A. Greene Excellence in Teaching Award by the College of Business and Economic Development

Staff Service Award for Coastal Operations at the 2021-22 USM Staff Council’s Golden Celebration Event

DR. HEATHER

Educational Administrator of the Year by the USM Association of Office Professionals

ALEXIS STONER, DR. KRISTINA HARRISON, DR. MELINDA MCLELLAND, JAMIE GAVIN, DR. GALLAYANEE YAOYUNEYONG, DR. JENNIFER O’SULLIVAN, and DR. SHARON ROUSE

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

118 College Drive #5021 Hattiesburg, MS 39406