TION COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRA

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINIS TR ATION
60 years ago–
Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England
The Sixth Winter Olympic Games were held in Oslo,
Norway
The integrated circuit concept, the basis of all modern
computers, was published by Geoffrey W. A. Dummer
Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected the 34th President
of the United States
The first non-stop transatlantic jet flight was made
Clarence Birdseye first marketed frozen peas
Rocky Marciano became world heavyweight champion
after knocking out Jersey Joe Walcott
Mr. Potato Head was the first toy advertised on TV
The College of Business Administration at the
Municipal University of Omaha was launched
I
LOUIS G. POL, JOHN BECKER DEAN
n 1952, Professor John Lucas led a handful of business
division faculty members in establishing this college
and became its founding dean. His vision for business
education was a high-quality, cutting-edge curriculum
taught by a first-rate faculty and available at an affordable price.
This describes today’s UNO College of Business Administration.
There is much to celebrate on the occasion of our 60th
anniversary. The accomplishments of our 19,000 alumni,
including more than 200 known company CEOs and presidents,
attest to the solid foundation our programs provide for success in
business, government, and non-profit organizations.
Our future is brighter than ever. CBA students, faculty, and staff
are committed to an innovative learning culture based on diligent
scholarship, community building, and collaboration.
For example, you may notice this issue has a different look and
feel than previous annual reviews. Our on-going commitment to
sustainability led to a more environmentally-sound print solution.
Read the story behind our decision to adopt this process on page
31.
Once again, thank you. Many of our successes and
accomplishments are made possible by your continued interest
and support.
THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED on FSC-certified Rolland Enviro paper manufactured with 100 percent post-consumer fiber.
DEAN’S CITATIONS
Research—Mark Wohar, Economics
Teaching—Patti Meglich, Marketing and Management
Service—Dale Eesley, Marketing and Management and Jack Armitage, Accounting
Nebraska Business Development Center—Veronica Doga
Overall Performance/Staff—Bill Swanson, Executive MBA and Melanie Krings, Executive MBA
HONORS
Graduate Accounting Professor of the Year, MBA Professor
of the Year, Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award—
Jennifer Blaskovich
Happy Birthday, Jack!
E
meritus faculty member Jack Hill celebrated
his 90th birthday at an informal gathering of
friends, faculty, and staff on April 25, 2012.
Hill taught at the University of Omaha (now
UNO) for nearly 40 years and retired in 1989. Hill and his
wife Marty (pictured above) received best wishes from guests
including retired and current CBA faculty.
Mammel Hall
Awards &
Recognitions
2011 Build Nebraska Large Project of the
Year Award by the Nebraska Chapter of
Associated General Contractors
Engineering Excellence 2011 Grand Award
from the American Council of Engineering
Companies, Nebraska Chapter
Excellence in Irrigation 2011 Honor Award
for Commercial and Public Space
Selected for publication in American
School and University Architectural Portfolio,
November 2011 issue
Jennifer Blaskovich leads the faculty processional for May commencement.
W
hen he was about 10
years old and began
scanning the Internet
to find business
opportunities, Keith Fix was motivated by
need, not greed.
“My parents had divorced,” Fix recalls,
“and my mom and I spent some time in
a homeless shelter. It really opened my
eyes. I realized Mom couldn’t possibly
provide everything we needed, so I started
looking for ways to help.”
tapping the
entrepreneurial
spirit
Keith Fix at the Walter Scott Peter Kiewit Entrepreneurial Award ceremony
with mom and stepdad (left) and with University of Nebraska President
James Milliken (next page)
4
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
CBA focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, franchising
Asked by the owner of a martial arts
business if the young man could build a
website, Fix said yes—then had to learn
how. “Mom drove me to the Swanson
library and I checked out every book I
could find on HTML and Flash,” he says.
“I built that website, then another, and
another . . .”
I
f he couldn’t find opportunities,
Fix created them. At age 16,
he applied for and got a job
selling American Express Card
memberships for the Omaha arm
of Convergys Corp. “I went to the
interview in a suit from Goodwill,”
he says. “I printed my resume at
school because I wanted it on nice
paper.”
Fix did very well at inbound sales
and eventually grew into a sales
division that had been championed
by the late Craig Hoenshell, a
1966 graduate of the College of
Business Administration and former
president of American Express.
Using his portfolio of websites, Fix
was promoted to CRM (customer
relationship management)
administrator for one of the world’s largest
teen clothing brands.
In time, that sector of the economy
slowed and Fix moved within the
company to work with another Fortune
500 client, but found the business had
“promised the world on a tool that
couldn’t deliver.”
That’s when he tapped into his
entrepreneurial spirit and co-founded
ProvenPowerful Inc., an online
tech support service for PC owners
that garnered national attention in
Entrepreneur magazine.
A
fter leaving the business,
Fix co-developed
DailyMav.com, a deal site
for the UNO community
based on websites like Groupon and Living
Social. He recently developed BlabFeed, a
network of digital bulletin boards situated
in waiting areas of local businesses.
“Anyone anywhere can host a board in
their waiting area or post on the network
at BlabFeed.com,” he says.
Most recently, Fix began delving
into another personal interest—Native
Impressed by Fix’s ambition, goals, and
ideas, Ho-Chunk’s leadership is investing
in BlabFeed, which Fix is incubating in
CBA’s Mammel Hall.
F
ix, who this year earned
the Peter Kiewit Student
Entrepreneurial Award and
placed first in the annual
Maverick Business Plan competition,
will graduate in December 2012 with a
specialization in management. Though he
has come a long way in a short time, his
enthusiasm shows no sign of slowing.
“
We’re trying to connect the
dots and create something
new.” he says. “That’s
innovation.”
American businesses. “I am half Native
American and an enrolled member of the
Ponca tribe of Nebraska,” he says.
He now works closely with officials
of Ho-Chunk Inc., the award-winning
economic development corporation
owned by the Winnebago Tribe of
Nebraska. Ho-Chunk, Inc. operates
24 subsidiaries in a diverse range
of industries including information
technology, construction, government
contracting, marketing, media, and retail.
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 5
CBA focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, franchising
mowing, cleaning, painting, rearranging
furniture, and changing light bulbs to
larger projects including remodeling,
equipment purchases, installations, and
routine maintenance.
THIRD PLACE: STROLLER
WHEEL COVERS
Rian McGill’s Big Idea is a flexible
rubber cover for stroller wheels. When
wheels get dirty, these covers can be
slipped off before bringing a stroller
inside. Covers are easy to wash, can be
re-used, and help keep interiors of car and
home clean.
Big Idea Contest judges
Competitions spur innovation
Big Idea Contest
awards creativity
T
he annual Big Idea Contest
continues to spark campuswide interest in innovation
and entrepreneurship.
The contest is an elevator pitch
competition launched in 2010 to reward
students for presenting groundbreaking
and life-changing concepts. Ideas are
evaluated on technical feasibility, market
potential, and social impact.
The competition is open to all UNO,
Peter Kiewit Institute, and UNMC students
and is sponsored by CBA and the UNO
Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization
(CEO). Grand prizes of $500, $250,
and $100 are given to the top three
contestants. All finalists receive a
minimum $25 cash award. Grand prize
winners also receive free consulting if they
choose to compete in the annual Maverick
Business Plan competition.
Out of more than 120 applicants, the
6
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
top three ideas in the November 2011 Big
Idea competition were all presented by
MBA students. They were:
FIRST PLACE: EZ-PARK
Caitlin Campbell’s Big Idea
capitalizes on the technology of
the EZ-Pass used on highways
across the country. EZ-Park is a
sticker read by a permanently
installed or smaller handheld
scanner when a vehicle enters
or exits a garage or parking lot.
The user’s online account is
automatically charged and billed
monthly.
SECOND PLACE: HOME
HELP SERVICE
David Roth’s Big Idea is a
service for people who are at
or near retirement that allows
them to purchase blocks of time
for help around the house. The
service can address everyday
household tasks such as
Big Idea contestants from left: Melissa Steinle, Xin Shao, Rian McGill, David
John Estabrook, David Roth
Everyone wins
in Mav Business Plan competition
T
he annual Maverick
Business Plan competition
is proving its value, both
for the students who
participate and the community.
The most recent competition, held in
April 2012, attracted 30 submissions. Six
finalists presented their plans to a panel
of judges. About 150 students, family
members, and business leaders attended
the event at Mammel Hall.
“We have been working to extend
the competition throughout the
university community to encourage
more participation,” says Dale Eesley,
assistant professor of management and
director of CBA’s Center for Innovation,
Entrepreneurship & Franchising. “We’re
also reaching out to build relationships
with corporations and organizations
interested in partnering with us as
sponsors and mentors.”
Supported by the Alan and Marcia Baer
Foundation, the Maverick Business Plan
competition encourages the development
of both for-profit and
social benefit ventures
on the UNO and
University of Nebraska
Medical Center
campuses.
Students develop
and present business
plans that identify
entrepreneurial
opportunities. Winning
plans can be based
on new or novel
innovations or improve
the implementation of
existing technology and
the targeting of new
markets.
“I was really pleased with the quality
and diversity of plans submitted this
year and the diversity of major fields
represented,” Eesley says.
“It’s another example of how
the college is promoting
entrepreneurial thinking
throughout the university.”
John Estabrook makes his pitch
$2,000
International Students
Online Service Station
Organizes services for
international students into
one convenient website.
Submitted by:
Yanjun Lin, banking and
investments
$3,000
$1,000
Blab Inc (BlabFeed)
Zonkey Skateboard
Network of digital bulletin
boards situated in waiting
areas throughout the
community.
Submitted by:
Keith Fix, management
Manufacturer of
three-foot-long
handcrafted skateboards
designed to cruise
longer distances.
Submitted by:
Brian Tipton, biology
d Jefferson, Caitlin Campbell,
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 7
CBA focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, franchising
FRANCHISE SEMINAR
Members of UNO’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs’
Organization (CEO) chapter, from left: Alex Hayes,
Terrance Jacobson, Brittney Thompson
A GROWING NUMBER OF
ANNUAL CONFERENCES
AND SEMINARS PROVIDING
INFORMATION ON THE
VARIOUS ASPECTS OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AND FRANCHISING ARE
ATTRACTING HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE TO THE COLLEGE OF
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.
CEO member Brittney Thompson (center) with
speakers at the Midwest Entrepreneurship
Conference
8
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
In November 2011, the Greater Omaha
Chamber of Commerce sponsored
the Midwest Franchise Seminar at
Mammel Hall. The College of Business
Administration (CBA) and the Nebraska
Business Development Center (NBDC)
were among the event partners.
The seminar offers franchise education,
resources, and networking opportunities.
Vendors, franchisors, and brokers
provided displays of product and service
information. Willy Theisen, founder of
Pitch Coal-Fired Pizzeria and Godfather’s
Pizza, Inc., spoke at the opening session.
According to Dale Eesley, assistant
professor of management and
director of the Center for Innovation,
Entrepreneurship & Franchising, the
annual event provides resources for
potential franchisees and for existing
business owners seeking to franchise their
businesses. Between 30 and 40 vendors
and about 150 people attended the 2011
seminar.
The 2012 seminar will be held Friday,
November 9.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
CONFERENCE
In April 2012, the Midwest
Entrepreneurship Conference replicated a
national event on a local scale. “This year
we had 14 keynote speakers, half of them
millionaires and almost all of them under
the age of 25,” Eesley says. “We attracted
students and other attendees from
Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas, Missouri,
Colorado, and even Florida.”
Students from entrepreneurship classes
at Millard South High School in Omaha
also attended. “They sat on the edge of
their seats 90 percent of the time,” Eesley
says.
The 2013 conference will be held on
April 5 and 6. In addition to a roster of
speakers, the conference will include a
regional idea pitch competition open to
any college student. Presenters will have
90 seconds to pitch an idea and judges
will have an additional three minutes for
questions and answers.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
In March 2012, the Center for
Innovation, Entrepreneurship
& Franchising hosted a Young
Entrepreneurship Summit in conjunction
with NBDC and the U.S. Small Business
Administration. The summit drew about
90 attendees from UNO, Creighton
University, Metropolitan Community
College, Millard Public Schools, and local
businesses.
Eesley says the entrepreneurship and
franchising events go beyond showcasing
great ideas and opportunities. “Each
conference and seminar draws in the
community to explore the resources we
have at Mammel Hall,” he says, “which we
hope will attract them to other events and
help build lasting relationships with the
college and our students.”
“This year we had
14 keynote speakers,
half of them
millionaires and almost
all of them under the
age of 25.”
CBA
opens
doors to
Entrepreneurs
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 9
CBA focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, franchising
Lecture series
targets leadership
A
“By combining
entrepreneurship and
technology, you have
something that did not
exist before.”
Technology & Marketing
I
n a high-tech environment, it
is often more important to lead
the marketplace rather than to
follow it, says Birud Sindhav,
associate professor of marketing at the
College of Business Administration.
Sindhav periodically teaches
“Marketing in a High-Tech Environment,”
a class in which he tells his students that
high-tech products are introduced to the
public differently.
“When you are dealing with a radical
form of technology and a business
based on that, the old adage that
you go and talk to the customers
first doesn’t always hold true,”
Sindhav says. “In a more dynamic,
more risk-based environment,
sometimes you have to hold the
customers’ hands and say, ‘Let me
show you the promised land.’”
He uses the Sony Walkman
portable audio cassette player as
an example. “This was a radical
innovation in its time,” he says.
“People had no idea what portable
10
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
music was, so the product was introduced
and people were shown what it did and
why everyone had to buy one.
“The more radical the idea, the
less useful will be the input from
your conventional customers.”
Before entering academics, Sindhav
was a senior marketing executive at
the Gujarat Gas Company Limited
in India, responsible for designing
and implementing the launch of
Liquid Petroleum Gas for household
consumption.
He says technology and
entrepreneurship are a natural
combination.
“By combining entrepreneurship and
technology, you have something that did
not exist before. You may be utilizing
technology that already existed, but you
are doing so in a breakthrough manner,
such as the first iteration of Netflix.
series of lectures detailing
core issues in business
and entrepreneurship is
being launched in the
fall of 2012 by the Leader Development
Program.
The lecture series is the brainchild of
Michael McGinnis, executive director
of the Peter Kiewit Institute, and David
Ambrose, retired marketing professor.
The program features 24 onehour lectures intended to provide a
comprehensive and intensive foundation
of the concepts of business and
entrepreneurship. The lectures will be
delivered each week at the Peter Kiewit
Institute.
Ambrose says attendees will be
juniors enrolled in engineering, computer
science, and technology degree programs.
Presenters are scholars attending the
university under a scholarship program
sponsorship.
“Each lecture will detail five to seven
core issues that are relevant to the topic
being presented,” Ambrose says. “We
intend to highlight specific principles of
business and entrepreneurship and supply
as much information as possible in a
50-minute lecture while leaving time at
the end for questions and comments.”
“Some of the ideas are so new it is
difficult to go to the customers first, and
to succeed requires real conviction in your
ideas,” he says. “This is what I teach.”
CEO chapter
on the rise
T
he UNO chapter of the
Collegiate Entrepreneurs’
Organization (CEO)
continues to grow in
membership and recognition.
“The chapter has nearly 40 members
and is drawing from all across the
campus,” says Dale Eesley, assistant
professor of management and director
of CBA’s Center for Innovation,
Entrepreneurship & Franchising.
“It’s intended to be a campus-wide
organization, so we are pleased with the
attention it’s receiving.”
The chapter placed third out of 26
teams in the 2012 CEO Startup Simulation
Challenge Championship. The team will
receive mentorship from entrepreneurs in
the CEO network and will be recognized
in November at the National CEO
Conference in Chicago.
“I am very proud of them,” says Eesley,
who serves as the CEO faculty advisor
and will travel to Chicago with the group.
In 2011, Eesley accompanied 10 student
members to the national convention in
Fort Worth, Texas.
Throughout the year, the chapter hosts a
number of awareness-raising events, from
a pumpkin-carving contest in the fall to an
event attempting to break the Guinness
World Record for the most people on a
Slip ‘N Slide.
“The UNO group has received a Best
Chapter Award the past two consecutive
years,” Eesley says. “The first was for
website design and the latest was for the
chapter’s marketing campaigns.”
Dale Eesley, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization
(CEO) faculty advisor
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 11
CBA focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, franchising
NBDC supports innovation
Growing company
develops apps to
improve lives
W
“Our goal is to use
smart technologies
and intelligent
decision support
software to improve
people’s lives.”
Evelyn Bartlett, founder and CEO of SectorNow
12
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
hen she served as chair of the
Lincoln chapter of SCORE (Service
Corps of Retired Executives), Evelyn
Bartlett became familiar with the
Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) and its
Lincoln service center.
That’s how Bartlett knew exactly where to get advice
and assistance when she founded her new business,
SectorNow, in 2010.
Bartlett participated in NBDC workshops presented
as part of the Virtual Business Accelerator of the Silicon
Prairie. These workshops helped SectorNow prepare to
apply for a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
award from the federal government.
“NBDC’s Kate Carlin and Lisa Tedesco really paid
a lot of attention to us,” Bartlett says. “They became
advocates for our business.”
Carlin is a consultant with NBDC’s Procurement
Technical Assistance program in Lincoln and Tedesco
is a certified technology consultant in NBDC’s Omaha
office. NBDC consultant Veronica Doga also provided
market research to help SectorNow prepare the
commercialization strategy required for the SBIR
proposal.
Two years later, SectorNow is a growing company
specializing in building smartphone and tablet app
systems that focus on the environment (CleanEarthApps)
and mental health (BehaviorApps).
“Our goal is to use smart technologies and intelligent
decision support software to improve people’s lives,”
Bartlett says.
SectorNow is just one of the hundreds of small
businesses benefiting from the assistance provided by
the nine regional offices of NBDC, which is marking its
Nebraska Business Development Center
Economic Impact Grows
SectorNow is just one of the hundreds of small businesses benefiting
from the assistance provided by the nine regional offices of NBDC.
35th anniversary this year. In 2011 alone,
NBDC and its offices yielded more than
$420 million in economic development in
Nebraska.
One of SectorNow’s current apps,
WasteFinder, helps businesses,
organizations, and municipalities track
waste and improve recycling practices.
WasteFinder Green App, developed in
conjunction with WasteCap Nebraska,
helps companies go green and supports
their sustainability initiatives through an
app that monitors and manages recycling
across the enterprise.
To brainstorm features and marketing
for the WasteFinder app, Bartlett met
with Jean Waters, NBDC energy and
environmental engineer; and Rick Yoder,
CBA sustainability coordinator and
manager of NBDC’s Pollution Prevention
Regional Information Center (P2RIC).
Ultimately, Waters became a SectorNow
customer. “I purchased a WasteFinder app
for use in a project to help hotels reduce
their energy use and waste generation,”
she says.
WasteFinder MySocius
helps businesses, organizations, and
municipalities track waste and improve
their recycling practices.
uses evidence-based natural teaching
procedures to help children with autism
communicate more effectively.
In addition to helping prepare several
SBIR proposals, Bartlett says Tedesco also
introduced her to Keith Allen, professor
of psychology and pediatrics at the
Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics
and Rehabilitation at the University of
Nebraska Medical Center.
With Dr. Allen, SectorNow developed
MySocius (Latin for partner or companion)
and previewed it in April at Nebraska’s
State Autism Conference. MySocius
uses evidence-based natural teaching
procedures to help children with autism
communicate more effectively.
“NBDC and its consultants have opened
our eyes to opportunities and have worked
to shepherd us through some of the
more complicated processes,” Bartlett
says. “They were instrumental in getting
our business established and remain a
valuable resource for us today.”
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 13
CBA focuses on financial risk management
“The shift is more toward
risk management
rather than focusing
on the highest
returns possible.”
Study of Risk
Management
Reflects
Investment
Industry
14
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
T
he identification of
financial risk management
as a priority program for
CBA is a reflection of what
is occurring in the economy and society,
says David Volkman, associate professor
and chair of the Department of Finance,
Banking, and Real Estate.
“Academics are adapting to the
investment industry, and the industry is
currently being driven by the consumer
demanding more protection,” Volkman
says. “We have augmented our core
instruction in insurance, banking and
financial management with an emphasis
on risk management.”
“The shift is more toward risk
management rather than focusing on the
highest returns possible.”
Investing has traditionally been driven
by a focus on high returns. That all began
to change with the crashes of 2000 and
2008.
For the investor, Volkman says, “the
basic concept now is diversification. This
has evolved with derivatives—investments
that derive value from an underlying
asset, which provide multiple ways of
reducing risk in a portfolio.”
Corporations, meanwhile, are placing
more attention on enterprise risk
management. “It’s a broad term that
basically means managing the corporation
so you minimize risk throughout the
company,” he says. “This includes
products, services to employees, and
accounting standards.”
As department chair, Volkman envisions
incorporating financial risk management
across the curriculum and in conjunction
with other CBA departments.
“Risk management is not just a finance
issue, it’s an accounting, economic, and
public policy issue,” he says. “We have
to work together to develop courses that
address both portfolio management and
enterprise risk for corporations.
“Investors shouldn’t place all their eggs
in one basket, and neither will we.”
“Investors shouldn’t
place all their eggs in
one basket, and neither
will we.”
DAVID VOLKMAN teaches Financial Management and Mergers and Acquisitions
to graduate students. In the undergraduate program, he teaches Management of
Business Finance, Commercial Banking, Corporate Finance, Financial Markets, Portfolio
Management, and Bank Administration. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a
member of the Nebraska Chapter of Financial Analysts. He also serves on the board of
directors of Financial Executives International. Before becoming a professor, Volkman was
employed by the Comptroller of the Currency, Boys Town, and UBS Paine Webber.
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 15
FRM
170 participants from 21
on six continents.
CBA focuses on financialcountries
risk management
Spring 2012 Genius of Warren Buffett class
Conference
Brings World
to Omaha
Robert Miles, author and Buffett scholar
The 2012 Value
Investor Conference
attracted about
170 participants
from 21 countries
on 6 continents.
16
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Warren Buffett expert Robert Miles, who
also teaches the Genius of Warren Buffett
course. A more extensive version of this
course is presented each fall as part of the
Executive MBA program. The event brings
together a wide array of professional
money managers, investment advisors,
high net worth private investors, and
others who share a common interest in
self improvement, making worldwide
contacts, and a value approach to
investing. Renowned speakers share with
attendees the quantitative as well as the
qualitative aspects of investing, from
generating investment ideas and exploring
the investment process to thinking
independently and valuing a business.
C
oupling the Value Investor
Conference in Omaha with
an abbreviated version of
the Genius of Warren Buffett
course—and holding both in conjunction
with the annual Berkshire Hathaway
Inc. investor meeting—is proving to be
a good fit for the College of Business
Administration.
The conference in 2013 will be the 10th
annual event and the third to be held at
CBA since the conference moved from the
West Coast, says Bill Swanson, executive
director of the college’s Executive MBA
program. “A good number of participants
attended the conference, the class on
Warren Buffett, the Friday evening
book-signing reception, and the investor
meeting,” Swanson says. “It affords quite
the knowledge and information package.”
Executive MBA Program Coordinator
Melanie Krings says the 2012 Value
Investor Conference attracted around
170 participants from 21 countries on six
continents.
This unique global conference was
first organized by author and acclaimed
Value Investor Conference: top, Bill Swanson,
executive director, Executive MBA progam and
participants; bottom, booksigning event
CUT FOR REDUNDANCY He says the decision
of Dr. Pol, along with Executive MBA director
Bill Swanson and Finance Department Chair
David Volkman, Ph.D., to combine Executive
MBA students with non-enrolled lifelong learners
traveling from outside Nebraska, “has been an
overwhelming success.
Guest lecturer Robert Batt, executive vice president, Nebraska Furniture Mart, speaks to
Genius of Warren Buffett class
Program looks at
investment strategies
of Berkshire Hathaway
managers
T
he inclusion of a graduatelevel course about
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Chairman and CEO Warren
Buffett as part of CBA’s Executive MBA
program, as well as inviting lifelong
learners to take the class on a non-credit
basis, is an “overwhelming success,” says
the class instructor, author Robert Miles.
“The Genius of Warren Buffet course
has proven to be an ideal opportunity
for non-enrolled students from various
backgrounds to participate in an
exceptional investment, business, and
life experience,” says Miles. “Dean Pol
understood the importance of furthering
the academic study of Warren Buffett and
invited me to develop and teach a oneof-a-kind course based on my worldwide
lectures.
“The perspectives of professional
investors and others interested in
everything Warren Buffett, combined with
Executive MBAs, have offered a unique
experience for all the participants,” Miles
says. “In some cases, executives and
lifelong learners have formed friendships
and partnerships. It has been remarkable
to watch.”
Highlights of the three weekend fall
program (which totals 36 contact hours)
include an examination of Buffett’s early
education and background, character
development, and communication
skills. The course also explores Buffett’s
investment methods, management skills,
directorships, corporate governance,
mistakes, and philanthropy.
For the final exam, program participants
suggest a stock or business Buffett should
buy and explain why. The fall 2011 class
presented acquisition ideas directly to
Buffett over lunch. “We pay generous
commissions to anyone recommending
a business that Berkshire eventually
acquires,” Buffett told the group.
Miles says teaching the course has
yielded many rewards. “My proudest
moment and unexpected consequence
was the result of inviting Susie Buffett to
be ‘Professor for the Day,’” he says. “She
met and asked Executive MBA student
Josette Gordon-Simet to be on the board
of Girls Inc. of Omaha—and she agreed,”
he says. “It doesn’t get any better than
that.”
“Executives and
lifelong learners
have formed
friendships and
partnerships.”
Susie Buffett, guest lecturer for Genius of Warren Buffett course
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 17
CBA focuses on financial risk management
“In a struggling
economy, an index
based on actual data
can give you a leg
up when it comes to
thoughtful, informed
decision making.”
UNO professors Kenneth Kriz, Mark Wohar, Chris Decker
Local economic
snapshot, one
month at a time
O
maha media are staying
up to date with the local
economy thanks to the
monthly Omaha Economic
Index.
The index was developed by Kenneth
A. Kriz, associate professor at UNO’s
College of Public Administration and
Community Service from data compiled
and analyzed by Chris Decker and Mark
Wohar, professors in CBA’s Department of
Economics.
To determine the latest index, Kriz,
Decker, and Wohar examine local
economic activity for five counties
(Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington in
Nebraska; Pottawattamie and Mills in
Iowa) by measuring five factors: nonfarm
employment, taxable sales, residential
building permits, commercial building
permits, and industrial energy use.
“The index is a coincident index,
providing a snapshot of current local
economic conditions based on the most
recent data available.” Decker says. “It’s a
very well-established procedure.”
The index has been utilized and
publicized by the Omaha World-Herald,
and serves as an example of CBA’s
expanding efforts to inform, engage,
18
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
and educate the community beyond the
campus boundaries.
“This index has value both in good
economic times and in bad economic
times,” Decker says. “Our index is
based on data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the Omaha Public Power
District, and various other sources
compared to other survey-based indexes
that measure perceptions of business and
which may not be an accurate reflection
of the economy today.
“In a struggling economy, an index
based on actual data can give you a leg
up when it comes to thoughtful, informed
decision making.”
New faces, new
roles mark growth
N
and investment analysis.
“He is not only coordinating our real
estate program, he also is leading the
internship efforts,” says David Volkman,
chair of the department. “He is a very
dynamic young individual who has
generated a great deal of interest in the
program through the real estate club and
his numerous community contacts. With
his addition to an already strong faculty, I
can see the program growing significantly
in the next four or five years.”
JEFF BREDTHAUER
Jeff Bredthauer, assistant professor
of finance and banking, joins the
department from the College of Business
Administration at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
ew faculty members
bring fresh perspectives
to the Department of
Finance, Banking, and
Real Estate.
NATHAN BJORKLUND
The transition of the Real Estate and
Land Use Economics program to a
new department brings with it Nathan
Bjorklund, who returns to his alma
mater—having earned his MBA at UNO
in 2011. Bjorklund’s teaching interests
center on the undergraduate program with
a focus on commercial real estate finance
Nathan Bjorklund
Financial Meltdown
Speaker Series
C
BA hosted three speaking
events between September 2011
and May 2012 that addressed
aspects of the current economy.
In the first, Harry Zeeve of the
Concord Coalition, discussed short and long
term fiscal policy trends. Next, economist
Michael Bradley addressed correlations
between the recent recession and crash of the
housing market. The final engagement was
a panel discussion featuring Ken Kriz, UNO’s
College of Public Affairs and Community
Service; Keith Mueller, University of Iowa
College of Public Health; and Mark Wohar,
College of Business Administration. The panel
discussed the sustainability of state and local
government programs, as well as state and
federally-funded health care systems.
Harry Zeeve, Concord Coalition
“I love teaching complicated topics
and making them understandable,”
Bredthauer says. “I really enjoy connecting
with my students and seeing the light
bulbs go on.”
Bredthauer obtained his undergraduate
degree in engineering. “So I’m kind of a
math person,” he says. “En route to my
MBA, I realized I liked finance a lot. It’s a
good fit for my background in math and
allows me to incorporate my interests in
business.”
LAURA BEAL
Finance and banking lecturer Laura
Beal, meanwhile, passed her third-level
Certified Financial Analyst exam and has
been promoted to director of the CFA
Review Program at UNO.
Beal, who earned her MBA at
UNO, directs a unique program
that brings in members of the
CFA Society of Nebraska to act as
experts and teach the 18 exam
topic areas.
“We have found this format to
be very successful,” Volkman says.
“Members of the CFA Society teach
the program and show how the
topics are applied. Participants also
benefit from the opportunity to
interact with society members.”
From left: Steve Nielsen, student ; Laura Beal, finance and banking
lecturer and director of UNO’s CFA Review Program.
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 19
CBA focuses on accounting
Susan Eldridge, accounting chair
END IN SIGHT FOR FIVE-YEAR ACCREDITATION PROCESS
T
he in-depth and lengthy
process of seeking
accreditation for CBA’s
accounting program is
serving to strengthen the already highquality programs and initiatives of the
Department of Accounting.
“Our department has long been
recognized for its balanced, threepronged focus on teaching, research, and
service,” says Susan Eldridge, chair of the
department. “Accreditation of our program
would give significant external validation
of its quality.”
A Certified Public Accountant, Eldridge
worked in the private sector from 1983
to 1992. After receiving her doctorate
from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, she taught for four years at
the University of Texas at Austin.
She came to UNO in 2002 as an
assistant professor and became
department chair in May 2009. She is also
the Union Pacific Professor of Accounting
and teaches a graduate seminar in
20
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
financial statement analysis and financial
accounting at the introductory and
intermediate levels.
“When I became chair, the program
had already established a strong legacy of
quality programs,” she says.
The nearly five-year accreditation
process began before she assumed the
role of chair. In 2010, the department
submitted a formal accreditation plan and
after a progress report in 2011, was invited
to apply for initial accreditation.
A peer review committee from the
accreditation body, the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
(AACSB) International, will visit CBA in
January 2013 after reviewing the selfevaluation report the department will
submit this fall. The three-member
committee will spend two and a half days
reviewing documentation and meeting
with accounting faculty, administrators,
students, and accounting advisory board
members.
“The AACSB is the premier accreditation
entity for business schools worldwide,”
Eldridge says. “Because the college has
held AACSB Business Accreditation for
many, many years, our department
is eligible for separate accounting
accreditation. Of the 655 member
institutions worldwide that hold AACSB
accreditation, only 178 have AACSB’s
additional accounting accreditation. That
would be a very elite group for us to join.”
She credits CBA Dean Louis Pol
and accounting department faculty
with providing support and assistance
in collecting data throughout the
accreditation process.
“The experience has allowed us to
embrace a strategic management focus,”
she says. “As a result, we have revived and
re-engaged our 18-member accounting
advisory board. We have added new
members and produced an organizational
structure document that identifies four
areas of focus: accounting and business
advisory, student programs, philanthropy,
and alumni and community outreach.
We have established board committees to
address initiatives related to those areas.”
Since institutions that earn AACSB
Accounting Accreditation must also
enter a “maintenance of accreditation”
process every five years, the department
has developed a focus on continuous
improvement, Eldridge says. “The initial
application process has served to remind
us we need to be more strategic, use our
resources more effectively, identify our
priorities and know where we are headed
with our objectives.”

“We have formed a better
vision for the department, and
maintaining accreditation will
serve as a catalyst to keep us
accountable.”
“We are finding that
investors see the
information but don’t use
it. It makes no difference
in their investment
decisions.”
Examining risk and
decision making
M
ost people realize
that investing in
the stock market
is risky. But if we
were all made aware of the specific risks,
would we use that information to make
better investment decisions?
This is just one of the questions being
investigated by Jennifer Blaskovich,
associate professor of accounting.
Her research interests include
behavioral judgment and decision making
with a focus on information systems. Her
work has been published in numerous
journals, including the Journal of
Information Systems, Journal of Information
Technology, Strategic Finance, The Review of
Business Information Systems, and The CPA
Journal.
Blaskovich has researched how
individuals use information to make
decisions, and how people in business
ensure that information being
disseminated is relevant and reliable. She
is conducting research on how people use
information regarding risk—if at all.
“Since 2002, the SEC (Securities and
Exchange Commission) has required
businesses to provide more information
on risk,” she says. “However, the
documents put out by businesses are
not completely unbiased, and are often
written in legalese.
“We are finding that investors see the
information but don’t use it,” she says. “It
makes no difference in their investment
decisions. It’s basically just noise in the
market.”
Blaskovich joined the CBA faculty in
2007, teaching Managerial Accounting
and Accounting Information Systems.
Her multidisciplinary research has also
involved faculty from UNO’s College of
Information Science & Technology. She
is incorporating her findings into articles
for publication and into her classroom
teaching.
One of her papers documents a
framework for businesses to create safe,
confidential and correct risk information.
“A second paper examines if the
framework improves student learning,”
she says. “So far, it appears that it does.”
Jennifer Blaskovich, associate professor of accounting
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 21
CBA focuses on accounting
Keeping an eye . .
Private
foundations
and charitable
spending
E
xamining private
foundations is a viable way
for Tim Yoder, assistant
professor of accounting, to
conduct unique research and inform the
public.
“That’s why I have two research
streams, one aimed at educating Certified
Public Accountants (CPAs) and
a second geared toward policy
makers,” Yoder says.
Yoder teaches Basic and
Advanced Federal Income Taxation,
and Tax Planning and Research.
He is one of very few academic
researchers in the nation focusing
on private foundations. His articles
have been included in the Journal of
the American Taxation Association,
Journal of Accountancy, and The CPA
Journal.
Unlike common charities, private
non-operating foundations do not
perform charitable acts, they simply
give to other charities.
“They are considered ‘private’ because
they are supported by a small group of
people or a corporation,” Yoder says.
“Controversy arises because giving to a
private foundation allows people to set
aside money and immediately receive a
charitable contribution deduction on their
tax returns, even before the money goes
to a viable charity. And, while it is set
aside with the private foundation, it earns
interest.”
In part, his research examines how
private foundations adjusted their
distributions around the economy’s
“technology bubble.”
“It’s interesting because when you have
a bubble burst, it can be the same time
society needs charitable contributions
the most,” he says. “Yet that is also when
the private foundations’ assets are going
down.”
Yoder, with Brian McAllister,
associate professor at the University of
Colorado, also looks at whether a private
foundation’s support of a public charity
affects its operation and governance. “If
the foundations have the checkbook,
do they have a bigger say in where the
money goes?” he asks. “We believe it’s a
very interesting question and that people
will be excited to hear the answer.”
Tim Yoder, assistant professor of accounting
“When you have a bubble burst, it can be the same time society
needs charitable contributions the most.”
22
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
. on the money
Digging into
IT systems for
accounting lessons
T
eaching and research
go hand-in-hand for
Michael Hoesing, adjunct
instructor in the accounting
“I pore through lots of
data because what blew
up at Company A might
become a lesson that I can
use in my next class.”
Michael Hoesing, adjunct instructor of accounting
department.
In the classroom, Hoesing draws upon
more than 30 years of experience in public
accounting and internal audit in the areas
of information systems audit and assurance, information systems implementation,
and financial audit.
His early research concerned security
and risk. More recently, he has examined
how to audit accounting systems located
on virtualized servers.
“I poke my nose into a lot of accounting
systems to find real-world situations,”
Hoesing says. “I pore through lots of data
because what blew up at Company A
might become a lesson that I can use in
my next class. Incorporating a practical
case study into a class really brings it
home.”
His current client work involves working
with the top five banks in the U.S. and
Canada, using data analysis techniques
to assess accounting and information
systems controls. These business
experiences help keep his class content
current and relevant.
Hoesing is a board member of
NebraskaCERT, the area’s leading
information security professional group;
and a board member of the Aksarben
chapter of the Institute of Internal
Auditors.
A certified ACL software instructor,
Hoesing developed and teaches the
region’s only recurring class devoted
to Information Systems Audit and has
enrolled the university in the ACL and
VMware partner programs.
An instructor on and off since 1983,
Hoesing says he is especially happy to
encounter former students who pursue
careers in information systems auditing.
“I like to think I had something to do
with their decision,” he says. “For others,
I hope that I create a greater awareness to
make certain the numbers coming out of
the systems are good. If not, we’ve got the
tools to find out why.”
Left: Members of Beta Alpha Psi; Right: Accounting graduates pre-ceremony in
Mammel Hall in May
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW
23
Collaboration
CBA focuses on collaboration science
Center expands
programs,
projects,
& focus
T
he additional facilities
afforded by its new
headquarters at Mammel
Hall means more
opportunities for the UNO Center for
Collaboration Science to expand its
programs, projects, scope, and focus.
The center is an interdisciplinary
initiative linking all six UNO colleges
and more than two dozen faculty
members who work to identify ways to
improve collaboration for businesses and
organizations in Omaha and across the
country.
24
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
“Social Media is having a t
impact on the way people
“We have done many projects with the
faculty and staff at the College of Business
Administration and the Nebraska Business
Development Center,” says Gert-Jan de
Vreede, managing director of the center.
“Principles of Collaboration is a growing
class for the college, and it has expanded
to two sections that are fully subscribed
both semesters.”
The center held its annual Collaboration
Science Seminar at Mammel Hall this past
spring. The half-day event attracted about
80 people to listen to speakers, panelists,
and presentations on “Unconventional
Collaboration.”
This year, the center added a new
director for research and development,
Gina Ligon, (see page 27) who is also a
new assistant professor in the Department
of Marketing and Management. Postdoctorate researcher Onook Oh is another
new team member.
“Oh is the leading researcher in the
United States in the area of Twitter
analysis,” de Vreede says. “He can take
a couple of million Tweets, analyze them,
and find patterns in order to see how
social movements develop over time.”
The center is making significant
progress in its exploration of
... take a couple
of million Tweets,
analyze them and
find patterns ...
Left: Gert-Jan de Vreede and RoniReiter Palmon from the UNO Center for
Collaboration Science
Identifying the
characteristics of
creativity
tremendous
e collaborate.”
crowdsourcing, a mechanism in which
organizations farm a problem out to
the greater community. Crowdsourcing
is becoming increasingly common,
especially in the design industry.
“Say, for example, the city of Omaha
wants to improve bike routes,” says de
Vreede. “We can put a question out on
several discussion platforms, gather ideas,
formulate proposals and then put them
back out for people to vote on or even
to ‘like’ on Facebook. Crowdsourcing is
popular because large groups can often
outperform a select group of declared
experts. It’s the power of numbers.”
Examination of social media such as
Oh’s research is expected to expand.
“Social media have changed how
people work together,” de Vreede says.
“It’s an evolving entity that is having a
tremendous impact on the way people
collaborate.”
In addition to new researchers, the
center now has 10 funded graduate
assistants and is broadening its work with
other colleges. “Because of the College of
Business Administration,” de Vreede says,
“we have the facilities and technologies to
take on these challenging projects.”
W
hen Roni ReiterPalmon meets
people who say they
aren’t creative, the
first thing she does is try to change their
minds.
“I think about creativity in the broadest
sense,” Reiter-Palmon says. “It doesn’t
mean you have to be able to paint or play
the piano. Can you come up with a new
idea to solve a practical problem at work,
improve a process, or solve a dispute
with a friend? It doesn’t have to be big. It
doesn’t have to be flashy. You don’t have
to recreate the iPhone.
“If you have an idea for a product or a
process that is new and useful, you are
being creative.”
Reiter-Palmon is director of innovation
at the Center for Collaboration Science
and has a CBA courtesy faculty
appointment, where she lectures on topics
including the principles of collaboration
and team creativity. She also serves as
the Isaacson Professor of Industrial/
Organizational Psychology and the
director of the I/O Psychology Graduate
Program.
She studies and researches the
characteristics of creativity and acts as
a consultant to Fortune 500 businesses,
the government, the military, and
organizations including KANEKO. “It is
easier to train people to change their
creative thought processes than to change
personality traits,” she says. “I teach
people what they can do individually and
in groups to be more creative.”
Reiter-Palmon is widely published and
has served on several journal editorial
boards. On July 1, she became editor of
The Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity
and the Arts—a publication with the
highest “impact factor” of all the creativity
journals.
“The ratings are done through Web of
Science publishers,” she says. “They look
at how many articles were published and
how often they were cited. The more often
they are cited, the more of an impact they
have.”
”It is easier to train
people to change
their creative thought
processes than to
change personality
traits.“
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 25
CBA focuses on collaboration science
TERROR
from a isM
Management
Perspective
26
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
“Violent id
their missio
their opera
W
hen Gina Ligon
applies what she
knows about
psychology and
management to violent ideological groups
and destructive terrorist organizations, she
is looking for their strengths—and their
weaknesses.
That is why the Department of
Homeland Security is funding research
by Ligon, who is director of research
and development at the UNO Center for
Collaboration Science and a new assistant
professor in the Department of Marketing
and Management.
have to raise funds to market their beliefs
and recruit members. From organizing
rallies, operating websites, and printing
pamphlets to the subversive acts they
carry out—none of that is free.”
Ligon earned her master’s degree and
doctorate in industrial/organizational
psychology (with a minor in quantitative
statistics) from the University of
Oklahoma. Prior to joining the CBA
faculty, she served as assistant professor
and eventually assistant director of the
graduate program in human resource
development at Villanova University.
deological groups are belief-based in
ons, but they need money to finance
ations. They are very businesslike.“
Her investigative work is one of many
projects related to the national consortium
for the Study of Terrorism and Responses
to Terrorism (START). “I am looking at the
organizational and management side of
these ideological groups,” Ligon says. “I
hope to add a management perspective to
the consortium.”
It will be a particularly unique
perspective as UNO’s CBA is the only
business college represented on the
consortium. “Violent ideological groups
are belief-based in their missions,
but they need money to finance their
operations,” she explains. “They are very
businesslike. They need leaders. They
In 2008, she won The Leadership
Quarterly “Best Paper Award,” sponsored
by the Center for Creative Leadership.
Her teaching and research interests
span both the destructive and productive
sides of innovation and leadership. In
addition to focusing a management
lens on terrorist organizations, she has
published studies about the development
of leaders to manage creativity in
individuals and teams, foster a climate of
integrity, and mentor for collaboration and
innovation.
Gina Ligon, director of research and
development, UNO Center for Collaboration
Science
“I am looking at the
organizational and
management side of these
ideological groups.”
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 27
CBA focuses on sustainability
The purpose of
G-BASIS is to engage
and activate
students in pursuit
of P3, that is, the
triple bottom line
of profit, people,
and the planet.
Above: Students recycle with staff member Noelle Blood and UNO mascot Durango during the G-BASIS
Earth Day events; Bottom right: Professor Jinlan Ni receives a free curbside recycling bin at the event
Recycling plant at 103rd and I Streets,
where the firm’s CEO, Dale Gubbels, and
general manager, Craig Gubbels, met
and spoke with students. Topics included
improving a firm’s profitability through
recycling and careers related to waste
management.
G-BASIS puts sustainability into action
S
ustainability is the focus of
a new College of Business
Administration student club
formed in fall 2011.
G-BASIS is the acronym for Green
Businesses Advancing Strategic Integration
of Sustainability. According to Jean Waters,
energy and environmental engineer for
the Nebraska Business Development
Center and chair of the CBA Green Team,
G-BASIS resulted from the college’s efforts
to align both mind and action with respect
to its role in the environment.
“The purpose of G-BASIS is to engage
and activate students in pursuit of P3,
that is, the triple bottom line of profit,
people and the planet,” says faculty
advisor Michael J. O’Hara. “The mission of
G-BASIS is to adopt personal and corporate
values that foster implementation of the
triple bottom line.”
28
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
With O’Hara’s assistance, paper
work and authorizations for reviving
and reforming the former Ecology
NOW student club were completed and
G-BASIS was formed under the direction
of students Jiawei He, Cheng Tan, Megan
LeBron, and Brice Miller, among others.
In spring 2012, G-BASIS hosted an
educational action event to improve
automobile efficiency by promoting
correct tire inflation. With support from
Jensen Tire & Auto, G-BASIS distributed
educational materials and checked and
filled tires outside Mammel Hall.
In recognition of Earth Day 2012,
G-BASIS joined with First Star Recycling
to provide information and hand out free
replacement recycling bins to further the
community’s recycling efforts.
This summer, Miller arranged for
G-BASIS members to tour the First Star
UNO researchers
first to examine
green data
C
utting-edge research
underway at the College
of Business Administration
and the Nebraska Business
Development Center (NBDC) is attempting
to identify and understand the factors
that motivate businesses and people to
adopt environmentally-conscious “green”
practices.
The project was initiated by Chris
Decker, economics professor, and Rick
Yoder, CBA sustainability coordinator and
manager of NBDC’s Pollution Prevention
Regional Information Center (P2RIC).
Together they will travel to Washington,
D.C. to examine data gathered by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its
Green Technologies and Practices (GTP)
survey.
Because the information is
proprietary, they must examine the
BLS data onsite. “We can bring in
our data and compare it to their
data using their computers,” says
Yoder, “but other than our results,
we can’t take anything out with us.”
According to the BLS,
approximately 35,000 business
and government establishments
covered by unemployment
insurance are within the scope of
the GTP survey, including most
large agricultural establishments.
The survey is designed to collect
data on businesses’ use of green
technologies and practices and
the occupations of workers who
spend more than half of their
time involved in green technologies and
practices.
Green Technologies
Decker says he and Yoder, with the
assistance of adjunct economics instructor
Frank Mitchell, are focusing on the
upper Midwest region of Nebraska, Iowa,
Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota, and
Colorado.
“We look closely at the location and
kind of business and match information
from each firm,” he says. “We’re trying
to find characteristics that would allow
us to predict the number of green jobs,
why they are prevalent or not prevalent
in certain areas, and what factors yield
success.”
“This kind of research has never been
done before,” Yoder says. “As far as we
know, we are the first researchers in line
to see this micro data. It’s very exciting,
and hopefully will open up other research
questions.”
One goal is to help policy makers and
program managers learn where green
jobs are and why some industries and
geographic areas have more than others,
Decker says.
“What exactly is it that makes one
company more green than another
company?” he asks. “Our discoveries
could open a lot of eyes.”
From left: Frank Mitchell, Rick Yoder, and Chris Decker
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 29
CBA focuses on sustainability
“100% PCW paper has a
different look and feel, and
will help us tell the story of
why we chose it.”
30
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Members of CBA Green Team clockwise from left: Rick Yoder,
Damian Klosowski, Dave Nielsen, Ed Johnson, Darryl Burgdorf,
Michael O’Hara, Chris Decker, Jean Waters
CBA tackles
the challenge
of sustainable
printing
T
his issue of the College of
Business Administration
Year in Review marks
the first time that the
publication is printed on 100 percent postconsumer waste (PCW) recycled paper.
While that may seem a small step
toward ensuring sustainability, the path
to get here—and the obstacles along the
way—provided plenty of challenges for
Jean Waters, Green Team chair
Jean Waters, energy and environmental
engineer with the Nebraska Business
Development Center, and the members of
CBA’s Green Team, which she chairs.
The process began with in-depth
research and included correspondence
with four printers. Three of the four did
not offer samples of their products printed
on 100 percent PCW paper. The fourth, A
to Z Printing in Lincoln, has a reputation
as an environmentally-friendly printer.
“This printer taught us a lot,” Waters
says. “Sue Quambusch, the owner,
explained that a clay coating is used
on paper to improve its printing
characteristics, but 100 percent PCW
papers are not coated. Uncoated papers
absorb more ink and as a result, the
colors change slightly.”
A to Z took a recent report CBA had
produced on traditional, non-recycled,
coated paper and reprinted it on 100
percent PCW recycled, uncoated paper.
That enabled the Green
Team to compare the
publications side-by-side.
“In general, pictures
were a little darker on
the uncoated paper and
dark pictures were not
as crisp,” Waters says.
“When examining the
uncoated, 100 percent PCW
publication on its own,
however, it looked great.”
The Green Team obtained
quotes from all four printers,
comparing previous
publications to the price of
the same job on both 30
percent and 100 percent
PCW paper. The team
reviewed the bids with CBA
Dean Louis Pol and decided
to print on 100 percent PCW
paper, but to order fewer copies to offset
the higher cost and stay within budget.
A to Z was selected as the printer.
Company Vice President Miriah Zajic says
she was impressed with the Green Team’s
persistence and dedication.
“We were thoroughly impressed with
the extensive research that the college’s
team did to convert their printing to a
more sustainable process,” Zajic says.
“Their commitment is one we hope that
others will learn from and utilize for their
own projects.”
Waters says the Green Team believes
the extra effort was worth it.
“The bottom line is that we truly
are committed to environmental
sustainability,” she says. “The 100 percent
PCW paper has a different look and feel,
and will help us tell the story of why we
chose it.”
CBA YEAR IN REVIEW
Savings below are achieved when
recycled fiber is used in place of
virgin fiber.
THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED on
FSC-certified Rolland Enviro paper
manufactured with 100 percent postconsumer fiber using biogas energy. It is
certified as environmentally preferable
by EcoLogo and processed chlorine free.
Ink used is vegetable based with zero
VOCs. Using PCW paper for this project
achieved the following savings: 32 trees
preserved for the future; 93 pounds of
water-borne waste not created, 13,702
gallons of wastewater flow saved; 1,516
pounds solid waste was not generated;
2,985 pounds net greenhouse gases
prevented; and 22,848,000 BTUs of energy
not consumed. Environmental impact estimates
were made using the Environmental Defense Fund Paper
Calculator.
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 31
CBA engages the community
CBA gets kids excited about college
I
f you stepped into Mammel Hall
this summer, you might have
heard the excited banter of a
younger than usual crowd of
students. Programs aimed at educating
young people still years away from college
are just one aspect of the College of
Business Administration’s ongoing efforts
to engage the community.
32
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
C
INVESTMENT LITERACY
BA hosted two investment
literacy camps for top high
school students from across
Nebraska this summer.
Students spent three days on campus
and stayed overnight in the Scott Village
residence halls, says David Volkman, chair
of the Department of Finance, Banking,
and Real Estate. Eighteen participants
are chosen for each camp from a pool
of 150 applicants. The first session was
populated by highly motivated and diverse
high school students of both genders. The
second was specifically designed for high
school girls.
Because an accurate picture of the stock
market takes more than a day or two,
Volkman created a program that exposes
the campers to an eight-year period of
market activity.
“They have a fictitious $200,000 to
invest and more than 10,000 companies
to select from for their portfolio,” he says.
“Then the program uses historical data to
take them several years into the ‘future’ to
see how their stocks performed.”
The students present their portfolios
on the camp’s last day. “It’s fun to see
how much they grow in knowledge and
awareness,” Volkman says.
The camps are sponsored in part by
Union Pacific Railroad and CBA graduate
Jack Koraleski, president and CEO of UP.
BANKING AND PERSONAL
FINANCE EDUCATION
T
his summer, the UNO
Center for Economic
Education hosted a stock
market investment camp
for middle school students from Omaha
Public Schools economics magnet
programs, Boys & Girls Clubs of the
Midlands, and Girls Inc. of Omaha.
“By the end of the week, our goal is
that students will understand what a stock
is, how and why stock prices change,
and how to make investments a part of
building a long-term financial plan,” Mary
Lynn Reiser, center co-director says. “The
students worked in teams, conducted
research, created a PowerPoint report on
an Omaha-based company and presented
Right: Renesia Martin, auto claims team manager, State Farm Insurance, Omaha and one of 14 guest
speakers at the Maverick Investment Camp
information to their parents and Dean Pol.
They really did a fabulous job.”
The center continues to expand
its community outreach through its
banking and personal finance education
programs in southwest Iowa, says Reiser,
who is working with three new school
bank partnerships within Council Bluffs
elementary schools.
Jointly supported by UNO’s College
of Business Administration and College
of Education, the center strives to
improve economic literacy by providing
educational materials and training
programs for school districts and K-12
teachers in Nebraska and western Iowa.
Begun in 2002, the school-year savings
banking program links commercial banks
with individual schools so students can
start an ongoing savings program and
learn the importance of achieving short
and long-term financial goals.
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 33
CBA engages the community
College
s
d
i
K
r
o
f
C4K challenges
students to reach
higher
T
he elimination of poverty
through education,
financial literacy, and
economic empowerment
was the goal of the C4K on Display
competition in Mammel Hall on May
26, 2012. “I believe events like today
have the potential to be life changers,”
says Paul Bryant, director of the
Leadership Institute for Urban Education
and organizer of the event.
C4K stands for College for Kids, which
is the signature program of the institute.
Participants (8th through 10th graders
from 11 local schools) met at UNO
every other Saturday to discuss topics
including public speaking, debate, critical
thinking, business analysis, etiquette,
physical fitness, and other life skills. C4K
on Display was arranged for these 23
students to showcase their knowledge
and investment skills. The competition
required the students to work in teams
to present persuasive justifications for
investing in a particular company to a
panel of top executives from the Omahametro area. The winner was P.J. Bryant,
who presented an analysis of the Walt
Disney Corporation.
The idea for C4K on Display stemmed
from one of the group’s Saturday research
assignments, in which students had to
select a product, track the product to
its parent company, and then track the
company’s stock performance. Bryant
purchased two shares of each chosen
company’s stock to make the exercise
more realistic, and to his surprise, the
portfolio began growing over time.
“Every session, the students would
present information about their
companies,” Bryant says. “I noticed an
increase in their understanding. They
exuded excitement when they presented
new facts, and this inspired me to share
our Saturday sessions with the public. My
desire is for their knowledge, intelligence,
and personality to resonate.”
PROFESSOR DAVID VOLKMAN AND STUDENTS FROM
THE MAVERICK INVESTMENT CAMP IN JULY.
34
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Ivan Gilreath, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs
of the Midlands, addresses the Teen Summit
Teen Summit at
Mammel Hall
The event’s keynote speaker was Allan
Houston, a former NBA player, American
Olympian, and current assistant general
manager of the New York Knicks. Bryant
is preparing to take C4K on Display to
New York for the annual Allan Houston
Foundation fundraiser, where he hopes
to continue promoting education,
responsibility, and wise choices to young
African-American men.
“My philosophy with C4K is to
continually challenge and stretch the
students to reach a higher level,” he says.
“I think many of the problems in our
“I believe events
like today have
the potential to
be life changers.”
community can be solved if we get more
young men to understand that getting an
education is a great thing. That it’s cool
to be smart. And so I think the work is
nothing short of changing the culture.”
ArtVenture
482 Scouts
52 Local artists
282 Art pieces
350 Attended
$100,000 Raised
O
n June 1, Mammel Hall
hosted approximately 158
high school students for a
teen summit presented by
the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands,
Girls Inc., the Completely KIDS Teen
LEAP Program, and the YMCA. The event,
which spanned the entire day, covered
many topics relevant to today’s teenagers
including pregnancy, STDs, college
preparedness, leadership, proper nutrition,
tolerance, and bullying.
The sessions were presented to the
students by volunteers from the AntiDefamation League, Avenue Scholars,
College Possible, EducationQuest, Omaha
Public Schools, the University of Nebraska
Medical Center, and other organizations.
“I just think it was wonderful
that you had four different agencies
that understood this was important
information and provided some
opportunities for the kids in those
programs to get information as opposed
to doing things individually,” said Brad
Brown of EducationQuest in a June 25
Omaha World-Herald article.
Art Benefits Scouts
O
ver spring break in March,
CBA partnered with the Girl
Scouts Spirit of Nebraska
to present artVenture 2012.
ArtVenture gives scouts the opportunity
to work closely with local artists in their
studios to learn about specific artistic
media and to create collaborative works.
The art is then auctioned as a fundraiser
for the organization.
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 35
CBA IN COSTA RICA
Graduate and
undergraduate
students study
ecotourism while
earning credit hours.
82+ students
and faculty studied
or lectured abroad
in 2011-2012.
36
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Page 36, left: Three pictures of CBA students in Costa Rica; Page 36, right: Executiv
Executive MBA team in China; Dr. Yin, associate dean, School of Management, Fud
team in Philippines; EMBA team in China; EMBA team in India
EXECUTIVE MBA INTERNATIONAL
CONSULTING PROJECTS In 2011–2012, Executive MBA
candidates completed projects in Australia, China, the UK,
India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Germany,
France, Spain, Costa Rica, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam
ve MBA (EMBA) London, Paris, Berlin project team. Page 37, clockwise from top right:
dan University, Shanghai with Birud Sindhav, CBA associate professor, marketing; EMBA
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 37
CBA engages the world
CBA professor
is columnist for
People’s Daily
S
Shuanglin Lin, Noddle Distinguished Professor
of Economics
“I analyze the problems China
faces, discuss other countries’
experiences, including the
U.S. experiences, and provide
policy suggestions. My
views are well-respected by
scholars, policy makers and
the general public.”
38
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
haunglin Lin, professor of
economics at the College
of Business Administration,
has added to his list of
accomplishments the title of columnist
for the website of the People’s Daily
newspaper in China.
Since late in 2011, Lin has written
one column a month for China’s most
influential newspaper. His topics have
included China’s government budget
deficits, tax reforms, social security
reforms, government spending, health
care reforms, and education reforms.
“I analyze the problems China faces,
discuss other countries’ experiences,
including the U.S. experiences, and
provide policy suggestions,” Lin says.
“My views are well-respected by scholars,
policy makers and the general public.”
Lin, who divides his time between
China and Omaha, is the founder of the
China Center for Public Finance at Peking
University in Beijing. He has been an
active member of the Chinese Economists
Society (CES) for many years, serving as
president in 2002-03, presiding over a
600-member organization representing
many countries around the world.
The China Center for Public Finance
focuses on finance and tax policies
as they relate to the rapidly evolving
Chinese economy. The center engages in
theoretical research in public economics,
as well as applied research promoting
sustainable economic development and
equitable income distribution in China.
Phani Tej Adidam , director of CBA
International Initiatives
Joint MBA Degree
Program Links CBA and India
First of its kind in the University of Nebraska system
A
fter nearly three years of
discussions, the College of
Business Administration
and RVS Institute of
Management Studies in Coimbatore,
India have signed a memorandum of
understanding to begin a joint 1 + 1 MBA
program.
“This is the first of its kind in the
University of Nebraska system,” says CBA
Director of International Initiatives Phani
Tej Adidam.
Beginning in the fall of 2013, 15 to 20
students in India will be recruited for the
RVS-UNO MBA program. Students will
study for one year at the Indian campus
and instructors from CBA will travel to
India to teach four required courses. In
the second year, the students will travel
to Omaha to complete the second year of
courses taught by UNO instructors. Upon
graduation, students will receive MBAs
from both RVS and UNO.
“This will be beneficial to them because
in India, a U.S. degree is held in high
premium and it differentiates you,”
Adidam says.
The program will benefit UNO “because
it creates a steady stream of highly
qualified students coming here to study,”
he says. “Our faculty will learn by teaching
in India’s emerging market. The Indian
students will add value to our classes by
interacting with our students, enhancing
the educational experience and truly
making it global.”
Top right and bottom left: from RVS Institute of Management Studies website; Bottom right:
traditional Indian sand painting (Rangoli) created in Mammel Hall
“The Indian students
will add value to our
classes ... enhancing the
educational experience
and truly making it
global.”
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 39
2012 CBA Commencement Visitors: 2,000 Graduates: 200 Tempe
40
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
erature: 98.1o Wind: 20 mph
Pomp despite circumstance
Mammel Hall hosts its first graduation ceremony
O
JONNA HOLLAND
LEADS MBA GRADUATES
FROM MAMMEL HALL
IN COMMENCEMENT
PROCESSIONAL
n May 5, 2012, Omaha
experienced a warmerthan-usual 98 degree day
and gusty 20 mph winds.
It was the second day of UNO’s inaugural
Graduation Weekend, with a universitywide convocation taking place on Friday,
May 4 at Caniglia Field. On Saturday,
each college hosted its own individual
commencement for the first time.
CBA’s pre-ceremony reception drew
in 2,000 visitors to Mammel Hall, many
of whom returned later to beat the heat
and continue the celebration. During the
ceremony, nearly 200 graduates (both
bachelor’s and master’s levels) crossed
the stage in Mammel Hall’s north parking
lot. Despite the oppressive weather and
first time jitters, students and faculty
apparently enjoyed the day.
“I thought the ceremony went very
well,” says Kristi Wiebelhaus, who
graduated with a dual specialization in
marketing and management information
systems and who was also the featured
undergraduate speaker. “It was more
personal because you know most of your
classmates.”
The brevity of the ceremony (precisely
one hour and 15 minutes) did not alleviate
the suffering of those robed in the
required black polyester regalia.
“It was like being trapped under a heat
blanket,” says Javier Alba, who graduated
with specializations in management,
finance and banking, and investment
science/portfolio management.
Until December 2011, UNO’s
commencement ceremonies were held
indoors at Omaha’s Civic Auditorium
downtown and included graduates from
all colleges. Alba, who admitted attending
graduation only to appease his mother,
was glad for a change of scenery from
previous functions.
“I graduated high school at the Civic,”
he says. “That facility is old and is not laid
out well for foot traffic. Also the parking
downtown is terrible. We have a lot of
extra parking here [at Mammel Hall], so
that was a definite plus.”
Wiebelhaus says the best part of the
ceremony was receiving her diploma.
“It was such a feeling of
accomplishment,” she says. “All I could
think was, ‘I did it!’ I was so proud of
myself and happy that my family was
there to see it and support me.”
Of course, CBA faculty were also present
to show their support for graduating
students.
Professor of accounting and CBA
graduation planning committee member
Jennifer Blaskovich says, “Graduation
is the culmination of years of work and
the beginning of an exciting time for our
students.”
“Our participation in the
ceremony with them shows that
we truly are invested in them as
students and alumni.”
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 41
Mark Jaksich
Kathy English
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
42
Gail DeBoer
Robert Batt
2012 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
MARK JAKSICH
Mark Jaksich is the chief accounting
officer of Valmont Industries, Inc., a global
diversified manufacturer of structures and
center pivot irrigation systems, as well as
a provider of custom galvanizing services.
Valmont has more than 90 manufacturing
locations across six continents with
annual revenues approaching $3 billion.
Jaksich’s responsibilities include internal
and external financial reporting and
analysis, maintaining accounting policies
for the company, and participating in
a wide range of finance and business
activities for the company.
After graduating from UNO with a
BSBA in accounting, Jaksich worked
for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Company
(now KPMG) from 1979 to 1983, when
he joined Valmont’s irrigation division as
assistant controller of retail operations.
Throughout his nearly 29-year career with
the company, Jaksich has held finance
and accounting positions. During his
tenure as international controller, Valmont
began expanding international business
operations in China, Europe, and Brazil.
Jaksich was promoted to his current
position in 2000. While serving Valmont,
Jaksich also completed his graduate
studies, earning his MBA from UNO in
1992.
Jaksich has been a long-time board
member of the Nebraska chapter of
Financial Executives International and has
served as a past chapter president. He
also serves as chairman of Valmont’s 401K
Committee.
GAIL L. DEBOER
As president and CEO of SAC Federal
Credit Union, Gail DeBoer oversees the
largest credit union in Nebraska with
a staff of more than 200 people in 19
locations, serving eight counties. Since
2007, DeBoer has helped the organization
grow from $312 million to more than
$560 million in assets.
DeBoer has a BSBA in accounting from
the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She
completed the Certified Public Accountant
(CPA) exam and is a Leadership Omaha
graduate. She is a member of the Defense
Credit Union Council, National Association
of Federal Credit Unions, Credit Union
National Association, Credit Union
Executive Society, and American Society
of Military Comptrollers. DeBoer sits on
the Board of Trustees for the Omaha
Ethics Alliance and the Board of Directors
for the Institute for Career Advancement
Needs.
In 2008, DeBoer was selected to attend
the 57th Annual National Security Forum
at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force
Base, Ala. In 2010, DeBoer was selected
as a member of the Greater Omaha
Chamber’s Board of Directors.
In 2011, she received the National
Association of Federal Credit Union’s
CEO of the Year Award and was named
the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce
Business Leader of the Year. In 2012,
DeBoer was selected to serve as a
member of the UNO College of Business
Administration National Advisory Board.
ROBERT BATT
Robert (Bob) Batt is executive vice
president of Nebraska Furniture Mart
(NFM). He earned a bachelor’s of science
in business from UNO in 1976. Batt is an
Omaha native and the grandson of Rose
Blumkin, who founded NFM in 1937. He
began working for the company at age 14.
Batt has been active in civic and
community organizations at the
local, state, and national levels. He
currently serves on the Nebraska Liquor
Commission, which regulates, licenses,
and collects alcohol taxes. He is also
a member of the Sarpy County Sports
Commission and the Salvation Army
Advisory Board. Previously, Batt served on
the State Comprehensive Capital Facilities
Planning Committee, which reviews
building projects requested in the state
budget. He also served as chairman of
the Omaha Personnel Board from 1998 to
2003.
In 2010, Batt was honored as the
Omaha Press Club’s 124th member
of “Faces on the Barroom Floor.” In
December 2010, he was presented the
UNO Alumni Association’s Citation for
Alumni Achievement.
Batt and his wife Janice are active in
funding research to eliminate juvenile
diabetes and sponsored the 14th Annual
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
gala in 2011.
KATHY ENGLISH
Kathy English joined Children’s Hospital
and Medical Center in 1991 as vice
president for patient care. Within two
years, she was promoted to executive
vice president and chief operating officer.
During her tenure, Children’s has
experienced dramatic growth, including
the construction and opening of its own
freestanding hospital building in 2000,
and the more recent completion of the
Children’s Specialty Pediatric Center. In
2011, Children’s was ranked for the first
time by U.S. News & World Report as a
“Best Children’s Hospital” in cardiology,
heart surgery, and orthopedics.
English’s emphasis on employee
engagement contributed to national and
local recognition for Children’s as one of
Modern Healthcare’s “Best Places to Work
in Health Care” (2008), and as one of the
“Best Places to Work in Omaha” (2003,
2011, and 2012).
English shares her business and
health care expertise as an international
consultant to the Joint Commission
Resources/Joint Commission International
and also serves on the boards of the
Center for Human Nutrition, Ted E. Bear
Hollow, March of Dimes, and the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation.
English earned her Executive MBA in
1995 from the University of Nebraska at
Omaha.
2012–13 YEAR IN REVIEW 43
SCHOLARSHIPS
Tal Anderson Athletic
Scholarship
Zachary Croonquist
Brandon Winkelman
Charles and Gloria
Billingsley Scholarship
Brett Castinado
Benjamin Gensichen
Tara Stenslokken
Robert Bernier NBDC
Scholarship
Traci Miller
Beta Gamma Sigma
Scholarship
Daniel Klosowski
Ron and Shirley Burns
Leadership Scholarship
Jennifer Janovich
Andrew Juricek
Tyler Mueller
Dr. James Conway
Memorial Scholarship
Michael Bone
Supriya Giri
Jessica Reilly
Dean’s Excellence Award
Supriya Giri
Ayush Panta
Max Zoubga
Delaine R. and Dorothy
M. Donohue Scholarship
Megan Romero
R. Craig Hoenshell
Leadership Scholarship
Battsetseg (Lucy) Batjargal
R. Craig Hoenshell
Initiative Scholarship
Brandon Dlugosz
Brandon Drahota
Keith Fix
Paul Irvine
D’Antae Potter
Lindsay Wyant
R. Craig Hoenshell
Talent Scholarship
Qianqian Chen
Mara Hood
Deepak Thapa
Dean and Maria
Jacobsen Scholarship
Alixandria Boham
Elizabeth Thompson
Kellogg USA Inc.
Scholarship
Suela Cela
Kin Lau
Keith V. Kiernan
Scholarship
Brenda Andrews
Jerrod Foster
Casey Pendleton
Mai Tran
Robert Kreitner and
Margaret A. Sova
Tuition Scholarship
Kelsey Bigando
Ria Carpenter
Maya Doghman
Daniel Klosowski
Devyn Musil
Patricia Ryan
Robert Kreitner and
Margaret A. Sova
Textbook Award
Samantha Bonacci
Christopher Fisher
Alexandria McIlnay
Mika Yonamine
Trever Lee Memorial
Scholarship
Krystal Fessler
Sam and Dorie Leftwich
Scholarship
Kelsey Bigando
Darian Bockman
Anthony MacBride
Dylan McMahon
Mammel CBA Student
Scholarship
FRESHMAN
Marco Ortiz
Jenna Stotz
SOPHOMORE
Monica Bosiljevac
James Kerrigan
Kara Weiler
JUNIOR
Matthew DeBolt
Emily Ridder
Colin Sorensen
Tom Bosco
SENIOR
Tyler Budke
Brittany Knudtson
Michael Mills
Blaine Remmick
Kristi Wiebelhaus
Frank L. Mansell
Memorial Scholarship
Program
Amanda Bockelman
Brandon Drahota
Asiha Eona
Mark Hennings
Sibei (Roger) Jiang
Scott Weaver
Richard and Jeanne
Morrison Nuts and Bolts
Inc. Scholarship
Daryl Kohlscheen
Charles T. and Denise A.
Olson Scholarship
Emily Burr
Allison Clark
Ryan Cook
Asiha Eona
Mark Hennings
Roxanne Hodges
Alyson Howard
Andrew Juricek
Zachary Lorenzen
Evan O’Keefe
Robert C. Stedman
Scholarship
Alexandria McIlnay
Joshua Newton
Steven Nielsen
Casey Pendleton
Major Thomas A.
Spencer Scholarship
Michael Bone
Union Pacific
Scholarship
Lindsey Bryan
Andrew Juricek
Molly Luebe
Dylan McMahon
Cortney Pauley
Kelsey Wright
Qian Zhang
Union Pacific Diversity
Scholarship
Jing Zhao
Union Pacific MBA
Scholarship
Meenakshi Kumari
Arbin Shrestha
William Ramsey
UNO/CBA/Urban League
of Nebraska Partnership
Scholarship
Mara Hood
D’Antae Potter
The Woodman of the
World Leadership
Scholarship
Kelsey Bigando
Maya Doghman
Horace Wu and Kate
King Wu International
Scholarship
Jas Min Lai
Frankel Zacharia, LLC
Scholarship/Fellowship
Hui Ru Ng
Paul and Barbara Kistler
Scholarship Fund
Jennifer Janovich
Nebraska Society of
CPAs Scholarship
Kurtis Evon
William Gier
Alyson Howard
Andrew Jezewski
Devyn Musil
Cortney Pauley
Richard E. Prince III
Memorial Scholarship
Stephanie Vanicek
Weihua Xue
Beverly Grace (Ward)
Spencer Memorial
Accounting Scholarship
Ashia Eona
Ora C. and Fred B.
Vomacka Memorial
Scholarship
Huimin Chen
Spencer Cox
Kurtis Evon
William Gier
Alyson Howard
Brian Jeter
Andrew Jezewski
Jianping Liu
Devyn Musil
Hui Ru Ng
Benjamin O’Brien
Jake Olsen
Ross Olsen
Cortney Pauley
Emily Thomas
Rebecca Thomas
Danielle Turille
Stephanie Vanicek
Lindsay Wyant
Horace Wu and Kate
King Wu Scholarship
Daniel Klosowski
Hui Ru Ng
Jennifer Whitacre
John Guinn Memorial
Accounting Scholarship
Jessica Reilly
Gary Penisten
Scholarship
Gerald Karlin Business
Scholarship
ECONOMICS
David Raymond
Scholarship
Ben and Martha
Simmons Scholarship
Natan and Hannah
Schwalb Scholarship
James P. Duff Memorial
Business Scholarship
Benjamin Gensichen
Jacquelyn Bevilacqua
Morgan Birkel
John Dunn
David Farris
Allison Foy
Evan O’Keefe
Securities America
Financial Inc. MBA
Scholarship
Blake Maaske
Herbert Sklenar
Scholarship
Julia Adler
Chelsea Alt
Morgan Brazeal
Teresa Cansing
Chelsea Claus
Kristine Hanus
Tyler Holland
Brittany Knudtson
Molly Luebe
Cassandra Phillips
Aaron Wrigley
Kaylee Erlbacher
Daniel Foster
Cristian Gonzalez
Matthew Henson
Kelcee Matousek
ACCOUNTING
Ronald J. Bauers
Memorial Scholarship
Emily Ridder
Scott Copple Memorial
Accounting Scholarship
Rebecca Thomas
Timothy J. Jensen
Accounting Scholarship
James C. Horejs
Scholarship
John Dunn
Christopher Fisher
Quan Zhang
Bun Song Lee
Scholarship
Karim Sifflet
Barbara O. Miller
Memorial Scholarship
GRADUATE
Joshi Chatterjee
SENIOR
Blaine Remmick
JUNIOR
Benjamin Van Hoolandt
Union Pacific Econ
Scholarship
John Dunn
Jennifer Whitacre
FINANCE, BANKING,
AND REAL ESTATE
John A. & Phyllis
S. Jeter Accounting
Scholarship
Hollis and Helen Baright
Foundation Scholarship
Ernest H. Kenyon
Scholarship in
Accounting
Ed Belgrade Scholarship
Autumne Phillips
Mika Yonamine
Landmark Group
Scholarship
Justin Muhammad
C. Glenn Lewis
Scholarship
Danny Karch
Mid-Continent Chapter
(CCIM) Scholarship
Erica Gouw
Society of Industrial and
Office Realtors (SIOR)
Scholarship
Casaundra Kimbrough
Derick Lewin
Omaha Area Board
of Realtors (OABR)
Scholarship
Daniel Klosowski
MARKETING AND
MANAGEMENT
William Brown Memorial
Scholarship
Brandon Dlugosz
C. Marsh Bull Honors
Scholarship in Marketing
Brandon Dlugosz
Dean John Lucas
Marketing Scholarship
Traesha Stevenson
First National Bank of
Omaha Human Resources
Scholarship
Brittany Preister
Katherine Hazlett
David Head
Robert Benecke
Outstanding Business
Finance Scholarship
Morgan Brazeal
Nebraska Bankers
Association Scholarship
Amanda Bockelman
Krystal Fessler
Ryne Higgins
Tyler Holland
Brittany Knudtson
Nathan Lyle
Cortney Pauley
Mateen Sharif-Kashani
Mai Tran
Scott Weaver
Rebecca Thomas
Stephanie Vanicek
Matthew Coufal
Kenny Sibrian
Eric Petersen
Donnay Tuttle
Financial Executive
Institute Scholarship
for Outstanding Finance
Student
NSCPA 5th Year
Scholarship
Laura Gogan Memorial
Scholarship
Grant Pille
Building Owners and
Managers Association
(BOMA) Scholarship
Ryan Hettinger
Joseph Reitman
Matthew Smith
M.C. Biggerstaff
Memorial Scholarship
Adam Schmit
Mammel Hall luncheon: Margaret Sova
and Robert Kreitner with some of
their scholarship recipients
INTERNSHIPS
ECONOMICS
First National Bank
Abdoul Traore
Lucas Sperling
Sandhills Publishing
Charlotte Wender
Northwestern Mutual
Charlotte Wender
FINANCE, BANKING,
REAL ESTATE
TD Ameritrade
Qianqian Chen
Union Pacific Railroad
Raychel M. Genant
TD Ameritrade
Heather L. Hottman
Midwest Housing Equity
Group Inc.
Nicole R. Koster
Footprints Asset
Management & Research
Christopher L. Moore
TD Ameritrade
Ayush Panta
Union Pacific Railroad
Jon M. Yazdi
Nebraska Medical Center
Evan D. O’Keefe
TD Ameritrade
Chad K. Petersen
Great Western Bank
Erica L. Schroeder
Javlin Capital
Hui Ru Ng
Supertel Hospitality Inc.
Adam M. Webb
First National Bank
Legal Department
Ryan J. Dorcey
USSTRATCOM
Jonathan D. Lemon
PDA Group
Jyothi P. Samudrala
USSTRATCOM
Katie D. Noerrlinger
Hayneedle
Kelsey E. Short
REAL ESTATE AND
LAND USE ECONOMICS
Teammates
Downing Properties
Limited
Claire Wiese
Group Cares
Heafey-Heafey-HoffmanDworak-Cutler Funeral
Home
Shea M. Stokely
Danielle Wheeler
Fastenal
ConAgra Foods
ACCOUNTING
Union Pacific Railroad
First National Bank
Air Force Audit
Austin L. Graham
Matthew E. Zgoda
Orthopaedic Marketing
Group
MARKETING
MANAGEMENT
Kelsey J. Bigando
James M. Gerold
Shannon C. Mazour
1Staff Training
Andrew M. Swartz
Dillon Brothers Harley
Davidson
Crystal C. Nguyen
Thomas L. Kinney
Agro National of NAU
Country Insurance
Craters and Freighters
Eric C. Otte
Telvent DTN
Jacob B. Michnick
Ready or Knot (Wedding
Chic)
Caylee A. Qualheim
Amanda J Monzingo
Union Pacific Railroad
Primerica Financial
Services
Maurissa E. Thiele
ConAgra Foods
Michael T. Nelson
C. H. Robinson
Worldwide
Cheryl A. Rix
Nicholas I. Wilcox
Columbus Community
Hospital
Northwestern Mutual
Financial Network
Ryan J. Rosenquist
ConAgra Foods
Jing Zhao
Christina M. Soto
Union Pacific Railroad
Control Depot
Brandon T. Drahota
David Yosten
ConAgra Foods
Agile Transformation Inc
Kyle D. Janda
Kelsey J. Bigando
Farm Bureau Financial
Services
“Saration, LLC DBA:
Pet’s Earth”
Luke T. Johnson
Andrew S. Bishoff
Lozier Corporation
Strategic Air & Space
Museum
Jaclyn J. Villafuerte
Brittany M. Knudtson
Godfather’s Pizza
Adam Vanzee
Access Commercial
Will Gier
Avenue Scholars
Adam Stahlecker
Ryan Bartman
Blackman & Associates
Blake York
Hui Ru Ng
Nathan Miller
Bland & Associates
Zach Reavis
ConAgra
Christie Schaffart
Michael Marron
Corps of Engineers
Nathaniel Bancor
DeBoer & Associates
Gerard Beal
Katherine Papadopoulos
Robert Colan
Tyler Keffeler
UNO Athletics
Bemis Center for
Contemporary Arts
Maximilian Kopfle
Holmquist Lumber
Corporation
Northwestern Mutual
Alisha Kuhlman
Brittney Y. Thompson
Ciara L. Lee
Katana-Summit
Windtower
Manufacturing
Battle Sports Science
Shane Bennett
John Day Company
Myles J. Valencia
Michelle M. Rivera
Swanson Russell
Nathan S. Seefeld
Hy-Vee
USSTRATCOM
Amanda L. Ballweg
Kevin L. Watson
Allyson Howard
Benjamin Brown
Red Robin
Corp Executive Hotel
Riyadh--HMH Group
IPG
Andrew Mercier
KPMG
Lozier Corporation
Alex Stowe
CCS Corporation
Khaled A. Al Oreej
Bank of the West
Abdulaziz S. Alzeer
Colin Walker
Jeremy Klein
Pacific Life
Brian E. Beard
Mutual of Omaha
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Jensen Tire Company
Michael D. Capossela
Alhenaki Furniture
Lutz & Company
Pacific Life
Evan O’Keefe
Zach Croonquist
Paul T. Dushinske
Creighton University
Karyn Moss
Mutual of Omaha
Insurance
Natalie J. Ebke
Slattery Vinage Estates
Northstar Financial
Services
Mara S. Hood
Rachel A. Jackson
Union Pacific Railroad
USSTRATCOM
PayFlex Systems
Heather Hottman
Kevin L. Watson
Daniel Klosowski
Heritage Financial
Services
Proforma Identity
Marketing Group
Regal Printing Company
Tom Bosco
Shea M. Daharsh
Jacob L. Marousek
Sophie Plumb
Adam Cooper
Adam Potter
Allison Foy
Andrew Juricek
Asiha Eona
Brittney Grabow
Carla Goodsell
Devyn Musil
Eric Kula
John West
Kaylee Erlbacher
Krystal Fessler
Lauren Kirschman
Michael Mills
Mika Yonamine
Morgan Brazeal
Rebecca Thomas
Roxanne Hodges
Tyler Holland
Wendy Xue
Will Gier
Zach Lorenzen
Hancock & DanaMichael
Marron
Senior Market Sales, Inc. Stephanie Vanicek
Ann Hutson
Brandon D. Clark
William Harvey Company
Sarah White
Patricia M. Ryan
Suela Cela
Miles Krumbach
Great Plains
Communication
Midland University
Lindsey N. Bryan
Union Pacific Railroad
West Corporation
Koryn Nordquist
Farmers Insurance Group
James J. Watson
Gregory Cyrus
Michaela Beckman
West Corporation
Cortney Pauley
First National BankBlair
Brown
Frankel Zacharia
TD Ameritrade
Wahoo Pharmacy
TSys Merchant
Solutions
UPDS
Devin Tierney
Edward Schroeder, CPA
Lisa Flesner
MBA
Cornelius “Reed, Jr.”
Tony Buda
Deloitte and Touche
Crystal I. Haynes
Juan J. Montoya
Stephanie Pravecek
National Park Service
Derek Stearns
Logen A. Watts
Habitat for Humanity
Michael F. Muller
CBA Awards Celebration: top: Mark Caniglia;
Bottom: Kaylie Caldwell, Brooke Buda, Paloma Nazaraghaie
FACULTY AND NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
ACCOUNTING
Susan Eldridge, Associate
Professor and Department
Chairperson, 2002. Union Pacific
Professorship. Ph.D., University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 1997.
Jack Armitage, Associate Professor,
1983. Distinguished Alumni Professor.
Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1987, CPA.
Richard File, Professor, 1991. Spencer
Professorship. Ph.D., University of
Texas 1981, CPA.
Wikil Kwak, Professor, 1989.
Distinguished Alumni Professorship.
Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1990.
Jennifer Blaskovich, Associate
Professor, 2007. Ph.D., University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, 2005.
Burch Kealey, Associate Professor,
2001. Hockett Professorship. Ph.D.,
University of Oklahoma, 1996.
FINANCE, BANKING
AND REAL ESTATE
Birud Sindhav, Associate Professor,
2000. Ph.D., University of Oklahoma,
2001.
David Volkman, Associate
Professor and Department
Chairperson, 1989. Cloud
Professorship. Ph.D., University of
Nebraska at Lincoln, 1992.
Michael Breazeale, Assistant
Professor, 2012. Ph.D., Mississippi
State University, 2010.
Michael O’Hara, Professor, 1981. J.D.,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1978.
Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1983.
Wei Wang Rowe, Professor, 1999.
Nebraska Bankers Professorship.
Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale, 1999.
Kathleen Henebry, Associate
Professor, 1992. Ph.D., University of
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1992.
Greg Morin, Lecturer. MA, University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 1999.
Darryll Lewis, Associate Professor,
1986. J.D., Creighton University, 1978.
Roopa Venkatesh, Assistant Professor,
2009. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 2008.
Graham Mitenko, Associate Professor,
1987. DBA, Memphis State University,
1987.
Tim Yoder, Assistant Professor, 2010.
Ph.D., Penn State University, 2006.
Jeffrey Bredthauer, Assistant
Professor, 2012. Ph.D., University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, 2011.
Timothy Rooney, Instructor, 2012.
MBA, Creighton University, 1989.
ECONOMICS
Donald Baum, Associate
Professor and Department
Chairperson, 1987. Ph.D., Claremont
Graduate School, 1979.
Catherine Co, Professor, 2000.
Lindley Professorship. Ph.D., Rutgers
University, 1995.
Christopher Decker, Professor, 2001.
John Lucas Professorship. Ph.D.,
Indiana University, 2000.
Arthur Diamond, Professor, 1986.
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1978.
Shuanglin Lin, Professor, 1989.
Noddle Professorship. Ph.D., Purdue
University, 1989.
Mark Wohar, Professor, 1988. CBA
Distinguished Professorship. Ph.D.,
University of Illinois, 1985.
William Corcoran, Associate Professor,
1980. Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1979.
Jinlan Ni, Associate Professor, 2006.
Ph.D., Purdue University, 2005.
John Dogbey, Instructor, 2012. Ph.D.,
West Virginia University, 2009.
Laura Beal, Lecturer. MBA, University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1991.
UNO CENTER FOR
ECONOMIC EDUCATION
Michael Maroney
Omaha Economic Development
Corp.
Mickey Anderson
Performance Auto Group
Fran Marshall
Girl Scouts-Spirit of Nebraska
Dennis D. Blackman
Blackman & Associates
Lloyd A. Meyer
Leo A Daly
John Bredemeyer
Realcorp, Inc.
Gary D. Penisten
Sterling Drug (retired)
Gail DeBoer
SAC Federal Credit Union
Mary Prefontaine
ICAN, Inc.
Becki Drahota
Mills Financial Marketing
Cynthia Prestwood
Merrill Lynch
Ivan Gilreath
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands
Ross Ridenoure
Parsons
Dan Gomez
Mutual of Omaha Bank
Rick Sampson
Valmont Industries
Frances Grieb
Deloitte & Touche LLP (retired)
Jeffrey R. Schmid
Omaha Financial Holdings, Inc.
Mark Grieb
AAA Nebraska
Robert E. Synowicki, Jr.
Werner Enterprises, Inc.
Tim Hart
First National Bank
Mark Theisen
Woodmen of the World (retired)
Jason Henderson
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Mike Walter
Mike Walter & Associates
Richard Yoder, Pollution Prevention
Regional Information Center, 1996. BS,
Iowa State University, 1982.
Rod Heng
KPMG LLP (retired)
Roberta Wilhelm
Girls Inc of Omaha
John Hoich
Hoich Enterprises
Thomas Warren, Sr.
Urban League of Nebraska
ADMINISTRATION
Jack Koraleski
Union Pacific Railroad
Horace Wu
Attorney
James Dick, Co-Director, Professor,
Ed.D, Indiana University, 1974.
Kim Sosin, Center Associate, 1980.
Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1970.
MARKETING/
MANAGEMENT
Andrew Alexander, Manager,
Procurement Technical Assistance,
2006. MA, Central Michigan University,
1981.
John E. Erickson Jr., Associate
Professor and Department
Chairperson, 2003. Ph.D., University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2004.
Martin Kostecki, Senior Community
Service Associate, 2001. MS, Purdue
University, 1972.
Phani Tej Adidam, Professor, 1996.
Executive Management Education
Professorship. Ph.D., Texas Tech
University, 1996.
Ziaul Huq, Professor, 1987. Ph.D.,
University of Kentucky, 1990.
Tom Martin, Professor, 1989. Ph.D.,
University of Iowa, 1977.
Rebecca Morris, Professor, 1988.
Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1988.
John Anstey, Associate Professor,
1968. Ph.D., University of Arkansas,
1974.
John Hafer, Associate Professor, 1989.
Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1979.
Jonna Holland, Associate Professor,
1996. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 1996.
James Jones, Associate Professor,
1998. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 1998.
Distinguished marketing and management faculty at CBA
Awards Celebration: Instructor Pamela Peterson, Professor
Dale Eesley, Professor Patricia Meglich
DEAN’S NATIONAL
ADVISORY BOARD
Mary Lynn Reiser, Co-Director. MS,
University of Nebraska at Omaha,
1993.
NEBRASKA BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Amy Rodie, Associate Professor,
Marketing, 1994. Ph.D., Arizona State
University, 1995.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Pamela Peterson, Instructor, 2012.
MBA, University of Chicago, 1997.
Nate Bjorklund, Lecturer, 2011. MBA,
University of Nebraska at Omaha,
2011.
Robert Ottemann, Associate
Professor, 1973. Ph.D., University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, 1974. J.D. Creighton
University, 1984.
46
Patricia Meglich, Assistant Professor,
2007. Ph.D., Kent State University,
2006.
Erin Pleggenkuhle Miles, Assistant
Professor, 2011. Ph.D., University of
Texas at Dallas, 2012.
Olivier Maisondieu Laforge, Associate
Professor, 2004. Ph.D., University of
Cincinnati, 2004.
jillian Poyzer, Instructor, 2011. MA,
University of Nebraska at Omaha,
2006.
Ginamarie Ligon, Assistant Professor,
2012. Ph.D., University of Oklahoma,
2004.
Steven Shultz, Professor, 2005. Baright
Professorship. Ph.D., University of
Arizona
Xiaoyan Cheng, Assistant Professor,
2009. Ph.D., University of NebraskaLincoln, 2009.
Laura Ilcisin, Lecturer. MBA, University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 1980.
Dale Eesley, Assistant Professor,
2008. Ph.D., University of WisconsinMadison, 2002
Marisol Rodriguez, Technology
Commercialization, 2012. MS,
University of Nebraska at Omaha,
2007.
Jean Waters, Senior Community
Service Associate, 2001. MS, Kansas
State University, 1978.
Louis Pol, John Becker Dean,
Professor, 1984. Ph.D., Florida State
University, 1978.
Lynn Harland, Associate Dean,
Professor, 1989. Ph.D., University of
Iowa, 1991.
Robert Bernier, Assistant Dean, NBDC
State Director, 1979. Ph.D., University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 2000.
Alexandra M. Kaczmarek, Director,
MBA Program, 1990. MBA, University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 1989.
David Nielsen, Director, IT and Budget,
1990. MS, UnIversity of Nebraska at
Omaha, 1992.
Bill Swanson, Director EMBA/
Professional Management Education.
MBA, University of Nebraska at
Omaha, 1991.
Distinguished Alumni Luncheon: Amy Ryan, Tim Hart
Nagaraj V. Mylandla at CBA Awards Celebration
For more information,
contact Sue Kutschkau
at 402-502-4109 or via email
[email protected].
Dear alumni and friends,
While the state provides funding for basic operations, the academic opportunities and enhancements that advance UNO’s College
of Business Administration come from private gifts. These gifts provide scholarships, help to attract and retain outstanding faculty,
enhance programs, and allow the college to take advantage of unique opportunities.
To make a gift, complete the following information and place in an envelope addressed to: University of Nebraska Foundation, 2285
South 67th Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68106. Don’t forget to check with your employer for matching gift opportunities.
My total gift is $ _____________. Please designate for UNO fund(s) as follows:

CBA College Fund (All Depts.) #2496 $ ________

CBA Management Fund #5078 $ ________

CBA Economic Excell. Fund #5048
$ ________

Nebraska Bus Dev Center (NBDC) #2822 $ ________

CBA Finance & Banking Fund #5039
$ ________

CBA Professional Accounting Fund #5008 $ ________

CBA Marketing Fund #5105
$ ________

CBA Real Estate/Land Use Fund #5040 $ ________

UNO Entrepreneurship Fund #1631
$ ________

EMBA Excellence Fund #1089 $ ________
Name__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City______________________________________________ State_____________________ Zip__________________________________
Phone_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I am paying by:  Check payable to UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION
 Visa  MasterCard  Discover American Express
Card Number_________________________________________________________ Exp. Date__________________________________
Cardholder’s Signature____________________________________________________________________________________________
Or give online at nufoundation.org/UNOCBA
2011–12 YEAR IN REVIEW 47
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
OMAHA NE
PERMIT NO. 301
College of Business Administration
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Mammel Hall 300
6708 Pine Street
Omaha NE 68182-0048
402-554-2303
http://cba.unomaha.edu
Commencement at Mammel Hall, May 2012: Fredrick Bergman, Megan Landolt, and Kyle Ensign. Bergman and Ensign were both UNO Maverick hockey players.