5 minute read
INSIDE VSB
Allyson He ’22 VSB; Lucy Huajing Chen, PhD; and Abbie Cho ’23 VSB
Ascend Chapter Debuts
When Yongim (Abbie) Cho ’23 VSB and Wenzhuo (Allyson) He ’22 VSB prepared to debut the first event sponsored by VSB’s newly chartered chapter of Ascend— the largest Pan-Asian business professional membership organization in North America—they were not counting on dealing with the global COVID pandemic. However, they found an opportunity within this challenge. “COVID normalized Zoom meetings as an accepted and preferred meeting venue,” said Abbie, who serves as Ascend chapter co-president with Allyson. “We were able to invite guest speakers from anywhere.” Ascend membership is now about 60 students, and turnout for events, although all were conducted virtually, averaged about 70 or more.
With 20 professional and more than 40 student chapters, Ascend’s mission is to “drive workplace and societal impact by developing and elevating all Asian and Pacific Islander (API) business leaders and empowering them to become catalysts for change.”
Abbie and Allyson noted that Asian students can struggle under the weight of the “model minority” stereotype, expected to be quiet and do well academically, but without enjoying the opportunities that should come from a reputation for being smart and working hard. “We can be passed over for internships and interviews [based on a résumé with an Asian name] because of assumed visa problems,” said Abbie. Opportunities to network with those in the business world who look and sound like them become even more crucial. The rise of violent anti-Asian racism during 2020 made the chapter even more relevant.
“Our goal for the Ascend chapter is that it provides a safe space for our Asian students where they can feel at home,” said Lucy Huajing Chen, PhD, the John M. Cooney Endowed Professor in Accounting, who, along with her colleagues Stephen Liedtka, CPA, PhD, associate professor, Accounting & Information Systems, and Julius Green, CPA, JD, VSB Business Fellow, serve as faculty advisers.
VSB Hosts Summer Business Academy
VSB hosted a virtual Summer Business Academy for high school students in the VIEW (Villanova Initiative for Engaging Women) program.
VIEW is a four-year program, run by Villanova’s Center for Access, Success and Achievement, for talented female students from Philadelphia public high schools. Its mission is to prepare students for admission to college and to provide the skills needed to succeed. Students participate in intense academic programs and personal and professional development workshops throughout the year.
The two-week event provided a business overview and introduction to personal finance, stocks, financial markets and business ethics. Several VSB faculty and staff participated as guest speakers and lecturers. Executives from Wawa® joined the program and presented the students with a business challenge that required the students to research supply chains, merchandising, gross profit and cost of goods. Students worked in groups and partnered with young alumni mentors who offered guidance with their analysis and presentations to the Wawa team.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. “The VSB and Wawa teams were impressed by the quality of the student presentations and the level of professionalism,” said Cathy Toner, assistant dean, Talent & Staff Development, Community & External Outreach. According to Micaela Fennell, a student mentor and VIEW alumna, “Although not every VIEW girl may be planning a career in business, it’s the exposure and baseline understanding we find most important.”
To partner with VSB on a Summer Business Academy, contact Cathy Toner at Cathy.Toner@ villanova.edu. To support the VIEW program contact Nicole Davis, program director, at VIEW@villanova.edu. Students enjoyed the opportunity to develop a business solution for Wawa.
AI and ML have become increasingly important technologies across all business disciplines such as finance, banking, marketing, health care, accounting, real estate and more
Companies are investing heavily in AI and ML and want employees who are technologically savvy.”
–Manuel Nuñez ’03 MBA Associate Dean, Graduate Programs Professor of Practice, Management & Operations
Thinking Ahead
VSB is committed to educating students for the future of work with new offerings that include artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics.
New Tech Concentrations
VSB students are now able to add a concentration in Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to their degree program. Offered as a minor at the undergraduate level and a specialization within the MBA program, the three-course concentration will examine the components of AI, including natural language processing, expert systems, supervised and unsupervised machine learning, and robotics.
Students will learn how AI and ML will affect the future of business, including the automation of business processes and tasks, decision-making, conversational interfaces, and personalization. They will also examine the ethical concerns of AI to understand the issues surrounding giving decision-making power to intelligent systems.
“A minor in artificial intelligence and machine learning will ensure that VSB students remain competitive in today’s job market,” says Mike Peters, PhD, chair and professor, Accounting & Information Systems. “Our new AI and ML minor will allow students to leverage the skills that are crucial to businesses now and prepare them for the future.”
VSB now offers a new full-time, on-campus, 30-credit Master of Business Taxation with Data Analytics (MBT) degree program, which integrates advanced coursework in tax and accounting with quantitative applications in modeling, data and analytics, and technology.
The program was developed with support and input from KMPG, LLP, and is designed to prepare students for the expanding expectations of today’s tax professionals. Tax practices at all accounting firms are experiencing a fundamental shift in the way they collect, analyze and use data in their tax compliance and consulting businesses. The MBT program responds directly to the needs of the tax profession by equipping future tax professionals with a strong foundational knowledge in each of the major areas of taxation, such as corporate and partnership taxation, mergers and acquisitions, state and local, and international taxation. MBT students will also develop a level of familiarity and expertise with data analytics tools, technology applications and robotic process automation that will accelerate their careers.
The MBT program expands VSB’s graduate accounting offerings and builds on the success of the Master of Accounting with Data Analytics (MAC) degree program launched in 2017. “Our past collaboration with KPMG has been extremely effective in preparing our accounting students,” says Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of VSB. “We are excited to offer the MBT degree program for the next generation of tax professionals and future business leaders.”
