COBI Beta Gamma Sigma chapter obtains Highest Honors ranking

Pictured, left to right, are UT Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter advisor Professor Kimberly Nigem, Chapter officers Eric Wright, Amanda Martin, Gabe Gretz, Breanna Straka and advisor Dr. Amal Said. (Not pictured is officer Kirsten M. Zalewski) 

The Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter at the University of Toledo has qualified for recognition as a Highest Honors Chapter, the highest level of recognition that a chapter can earn as part of the Chapter Honor Roll Program. Qualifying for highest honors is indicative of a campus where academic excellence is highly valued and where the faculty officers of the chapter work diligently to enhance Beta Gamma Sigma’s stature on campus. The Chapter advisers are Dr. Amal Said and Professor Kimberly Nigem.

Founded in 1913, Beta Gamma Sigma is the international business honor society for AACSB-accredited schools, which are the top 5% of business school programs around the world. Inducted as students, BGS members go on to serve in critical leadership roles in corporate, entrepreneurial, government, non-profit, and academic sectors.

“This recognition is their recognition,” observed Professor Kim Nigem.” “They dedicated many hours to BGS and passionately pursued their vision of what UT's Chapter should, could, and did accomplish. Through the efforts of their highly motivated, innovative, and creative team, the Chapter has earned this award.  The award is truly a reflection of who our students are - they are BGS, they are COBI, and they are UT!  Congratulations to our students!

“The UT-BGS team members were committed to help our Chapter achieve its fullest potential,” Professor Nigem added.  “They had a collective vision to transform the organization into a valuable asset for COBI, UT, our students, and our communities.”

“This award is a reflection of UT's & COBI's dedication to excellence inside and outside of the classroom.  I am very proud of our student leaders and their commitments to academic, professional, and personal success. They are tremendous ambassadors of our UT Rocket nation!”

“This recognition was made possible by the high-level academic success and achievements of our COBI students (undergrad, graduate, and Ph.D.),” said Professor Nigem. “Without their commitment to academic achievement we would not have an organization. We need to applaud these high academic achievements of our COBI students - this award speaks volumes about our students, COBI as a college, and The University of Toledo. It brings alignment with our collective vision and mission in COBI and UT.”            

COBI Dean Anne Balazs will be presented with the award during the annual ICAM conference in April.

“The UT Chapter under the leadership of our new President, Jamal Shaheen, will continue efforts to engage the Chapter's alumni, increase involvement with other student organizations, and continue to connect with our community,” Professor Nigem said.

BGS members currently reside in all 50 U. S. states and more than 190 countries. Notable members include Nobel Prize winners, Olympians, inventors, CEOs of major global companies and nonprofit organizations, deans of the top business schools, and others who are making the world a better place at all levels of contribution through social enterprise, service, and leadership.

A Highest Honors Chapter is eligible for several benefits, including have earned one Global Leadership Summit Registration Scholarship which covers the cost of one student registration, hotel accommodations, program materials, and most meals for the 2018 Global Leadership Summit (GLS) in Chicago, IL, to take place in November.

COBI’s new dean, Dr. Anne Balazs, relishes the challenges and achievements of academic leadership

Just when you think you start to know her, you learn even more amazing things about COBI’s new dean, Dr. Anne Balazs.

During her first handful of weeks as dean, Dr. Balazs met many of her COBI faculty members and fellow UT administrators, spoke to members/supporters of the COBI Family Business Center, welcomed 2,500+ COBI students to the launch of the UT’s Fall semester, played golf with dozens of alumni at the annual COBI summer golf outing, and then some.

“We are a golfing family, so I could not miss the chance to meet COBI alumni, raise money for scholarships and play golf, all at once,” Dean Balazs said.  "We also enjoy skiing in the winter, the beach in the summer and international travel. People may be surprised to know that, as a teenager, I failed the lifesaving test at our local pool.  So 40 years later, I re-took the class (with a dozen fifteen-year-olds) and passed!  I am a certified lifeguard.”

“We have a very busy household,” she said. “My husband is a criminologist.  I have teenaged twins at home who attend Saline High School and a daughter at the University of Alabama.  We also have two Australian cattle dogs and a Siamese.”

As for her career path, Dean Balazs said, “My father was an English teacher and then a high school administrator.  He encouraged me from an early age to pursue a career in higher education.  I intended to be an economics professor but two events changed my path.  I worked for Fidelity Investments in Boston and loved financial services, and after taking my first marketing class in graduate school, I got excited about an academic career in business.”

Dr. Balazs holds a PhD in business administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, studied masters-level course work in economics at Boston University while working at Fidelity Investments, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Smith College.  Her research has been published in the Journal of International Marketing, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Psychology & Marketing, and Journal of Business Research.

“The best part about this career area,” she said,” is the environment is constantly changing. As a result, there is always something new to address, such as developments in technology, social, legal and political trends, competitive forces and the like.  As interim dean at Eastern Michigan University, I was able to raise and allocate funds to support our college in multiple ways:  beautification and renovation projects, faculty research, centers and programs, and students in need with emergency funds, travel funding and scholarships.”

“Secondly, there is a need for quality research to inform the market, and it starts in the classroom.  Third, you can often see the impact of your work whether it is theoretical or applied.  It is useful to other researchers, business, and consumers.  It all has value.”

“I was attracted to the position at COBI because I wanted to join a winning team. I had been an ACE (American Council on Education) Fellow on the UT campus in 2014 and I was familiar with the landscape and many of the people,” she explained.   “The University is on an upward trajectory and I wanted to be a part of that.  The close supportive relationship that the College of Business and Innovation has with the business community is remarkable.”

“My goal for COBI is to strengthen our business school ranking and increase awareness of our College and programs…in short, to build our brand.  There is already momentum for this with new program development, productive faculty, and successful students and alumni.”

“It’s a great joy and honor to join The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation with its impressive faculty, staff, students, supportive alumni and business community partners,” Balazs said. “This is a strong base from which to build and prepare the next generation of leaders for the global marketplace.”

During her 10 years at EMU, Balazs also served as interim assistant vice president and director of graduate studies, interim director of graduate studies, special assistant to the dean of the College of Business, head of the Department of Marketing, and professor of marketing.

Prior to EMU, Balazs worked at Mississippi University for Women as interim dean of the College of Business, head of the Division of Business and Communications, and associate professor of marketing. She started her teaching career at the University of Oklahoma as an assistant professor of marketing.

Anything else we should know about the accomplished Dr. Anne Balazs? “If I could make a good living at it,” she said, “I wouldn’t mind being a professional squash player.”

Dean's Message, June 2018

Dean Hassan HassabElnaby

Happy Summer! I hope you are using some time to relax, spend time with family/friends, and recharge for the upcoming Fall semester.  Even in summer, there are still exciting things happening here in COBI.

Perhaps the biggest news is the announcement of the next Dean of the UT College of Business and Innovation, Dr. Anne Balazs, who will join our beloved college from Eastern Michigan University - - also a Mid-American Conference school - - where she is interim dean of the College of Business. She is also very familiar with Toledo for a number of reasons, including being on the UT campus in the winter of 2014 as a fellow for the American Council on Education. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Balazs when she begins her new role at UT COBI on August 13. You can read more about her in this issue.

If you are seriously interested in advancing your own career or business, you can develop and enhance the skills that can help you COBI’s Executive MBA program.  Class meetings on-campus are just once a month for 12 months. Through a variety of team projects you will develop key contacts that will last a lifetime. We only accept about 20 people in each cohort, and spaces are filling for the next cohort, which will begin this fall. Learn more on our website at http://www.utoledo.edu/business/graduate/emba.

And if you want to help COBI students - - and have some fun in the process - - please be sure to sign up now for the 20th Annual University of Toledo Business vs. Engineering Scholarship Golf Outing. It will be held on Saturday, Aug. 25 at Stone Oak Country Club.   Our alumni are amazing supporters of our students, and the scholarships that are awarded as a result of this event are tremendously important to the student recipients. Click here to register to play or to become a sponsor.

Thank you to all for your support throughout the year. Enjoy your summer!

Inspire. Transform. Empower. Achieve.

Go Rockets!

Interim Dean Hassan HassabElnaby

Dr. Hong praises predecessors and colleagues for his receiving UT’s Distinguished University Professor award

Dr. Paul Chongkun Hong, professor of information operations and technology management in the University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation, has been named Distinguished University Professor in recognition of his exemplary teaching, research, scholarship and professional service, and was so recognized by the UT Board of Trustees earlier this year.

Dr. Paul Hong

Dr. Hong is only the second COBI professor to win this award, the other being Dr. Clint Longenecker.

“This recognition is about the value of teaching, research and outreach of business faculty for the world at large,” Dr. Hong said. “I accept this honor along with my colleagues here at The University of Toledo and around the world who have worked with me over the years.”

Dr. Hong joined the UT College of Business in 1999. He is an internationally recognized researcher in network capabilities, global supply chain management, international comparative studies, and building growth engine industries for national competitiveness. Dr. Hong, who was selected a Fulbright-Nehru Teaching and Research Excellence Scholar in 2017, has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and three books. He received UT’s Outstanding Researcher Award in 2015.

“This award suggests that UT COBI has been an outstanding leader in teaching, and this is very important,” Dr. Hong said.  “It reflects international recognition of our global reputation.”

“This is not just about me, but also my colleagues. We have wonderful programs in all areas of business disciplines such as sales/marketing, operations and supply chain, accounting, finance, management, international business and entrepreneurship. Students have great choices for our MBA, Executive MBA and international programs in India, China and Egypt.  Besides, we have a very unique doctoral program in manufacturing and technology management through which numerous influential scholars have been raised. COBI has supported international conferences in global supply chain management and superb service outreach efforts.”

“I appreciate all of those who went before me with outstanding scholarship and commitment to global engagements,” Dr. Hong said. “Among them, I would like to recognize Calvin Lawshe and Diane Marker who brought me to the University of Toledo years ago. My sincere appreciation to my primary mentors such as William Doll, Mark Vonderembse, Subba Rao, TS Ragunathan and Anand Kunnathur.  They have been instrumental to make UT COBI, with a doctoral program, and thus make it a truly comprehensive and research excellent college.  I cannot forget to mention Tom Gutteridge, Clint Longenecker, and PS Sundar who supported me to settle and thrive in this great college. I wish I could recognize all others who have done so much with me as wel.”

“Individuals, organizations and nations must take paths for their own success first. But it is not success but service that is the ultimate joy of this life,” he explained. “With this Distinguished University Professor award, I am more committed to enhance the fine reputation of UT around the world through teaching, scholarship and service efforts. I will keep doing my part in enhancing UT COBI’s reputation as an exemplary leader in the world of business.”

“I accept this award affirming that every success is another opportunity for service,” Dr. Hong said. “Together we do establish a real environment of sustainable excellence here at UT.”

COBI Scholarship Golf Outing set for August 25. Register now!

The 20th Annual University of Toledo Business vs. Engineering Scholarship Golf Outing presented by DGL Consulting Engineers and Hylant, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 25 at Stone Oak Country Club. More than 100 area golfers participate annually in this fun philanthropic event and all proceeds go toward student scholarships.

Check-in and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m., the 18-hole shotgun starts at 1:30 p.m., following by a post-golf dinner.

The cost is $100 per golfer and $400 for a foursome. Each golfer receives the following at the outing:

o Meals provided before and after the outing

o Complimentary refreshments on the course 

o Swag bag for each attendee

o Prizes for first, second, third and last-place teams

o Betting holes, closest to the pin, longest drive and longest putt contests

o Mulligans and team skins available

 If you would like to make a reservation, please call the Office of Alumni and Annual Engagement at 419.530.4316 or 800.235.6766 or email us at ansley.abrams@utoledo.edu.

New dean selected to lead UT College of Business and Innovation

Dean Anne L. Balazs

An expert in marketing, consumer behavior and sales force management with administrative experience in higher education has been named dean of The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation.

Dr. Anne L. Balazs will join UT Monday, Aug. 13, from Eastern Michigan University, where she is interim dean of the College of Business.

“I am proud to welcome Dr. Anne Balazs to The University of Toledo as dean of the College of Business and Innovation,” Dr. Andrew Hsu, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said. “She is an experienced leader with a track record of moving organizations forward through collaborations with faculty and industry partners.”

“It’s a great joy and honor to join The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation with its impressive faculty, staff, students, supportive alumni and business community partners,” Balazs said. “This is a strong base from which to build and prepare the next generation of leaders for the global marketplace.”

Balazs will be the first woman to serve as dean of the UT College of Business and Innovation. Amy Morrison served as interim dean of the college from 1965 to 1966.

“I have learned from many strong female leaders throughout my career of nearly 30 years,” Balazs said. “I’m looking forward to joining the leadership team and moving UT onward and upward.”

During her 10 years at EMU, Balazs also served as interim assistant vice president and director of graduate studies, interim director of graduate studies, special assistant to the dean of the College of Business, head of the Department of Marketing, and professor of marketing.

Prior to EMU, Balazs worked at Mississippi University for Women as interim dean of the College of Business, head of the Division of Business and Communications, and associate professor of marketing. She started her teaching career at the University of Oklahoma as an assistant professor of marketing.

“Dr. Balazs’ extensive administrative experience as department chair at two different institutions and her experience as interim dean also at two different institutions distinguished her as a candidate,” Hsu said. “Our stakeholders were particularly impressed with her understanding of the accreditation process through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.”

“The goal is to show the world what we do in Toledo,” Balazs said. “I plan to promote the college and all it has to offer to a wide audience. Research productivity and sharing of the knowledge we create is important. The accomplishments of the faculty and students are great stories to share. Success breeds success.”

Balazs holds a PhD in business administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, studied masters-level course work in economics at Boston University while working at Fidelity Investments, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Smith College.

Her research has been published in the Journal of International Business, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Psychology & Marketing, and Journal of Business Research.

Balazs is familiar with Toledo, not only because she currently lives about an hour away.

“I first experienced the UT campus in the winter of 2014 as a fellow for the American Council on Education,” Balazs said. “My family has been to the Toledo Zoo, Toledo Museum of Art and Mud Hens games. Plus, I am of Hungarian descent and enjoy visiting the Birmingham community that serves as home to Tony Packo’s. Toledo already feels like home.”

Balazs’ husband is Dr. Peter B. Wood, criminologist on the faculty at EMU. The couple has three children. Margaret, 19, is a sophomore at the University of Alabama. Twins Andrew and Sophie, 16, are entering their sophomore year at Saline High School in the fall.

Hsu thanked Dr. Hassan HassabElnaby for his leadership while serving as interim dean since October. He will return to the position of associate dean for graduate programs and research for the UT College of Business and Innovation.

Dean's Message, May, 2018

COBI Interim Dean Hassan HassebElnaby

Congratulations to our Spring graduates and all best wishes on the fantastic futures you will make for yourselves! We were pleased to have Tricia Cullop, UT’s amazing  Women’s Basketball Head Coach, as our guest speaker at our college Convocation on May 4, where she provided the graduates her advice for success. Her remarks inspired us all. We were also inspired by the noted achievements, job offers and career plans revealed by our graduates.  The university commencement ceremonies in the Glass Bowl the next morning were also a fantastic occasion, full of energy, accomplishment and optimism for the future.

Actually, our faculty and students have achieved success this year through a variety of pursuits, including publishing critical papers and competing in national professional competitions.

Of course, every success story has its beginning, and for incoming COBI freshmen, that occurs during the COBI Rocket Launch orientation sessions, which begins in June. We emphasize to both students and parents that we are committed to their success, that we will effectively teach them both in the classroom and through experiential learning, and that we will actually help them find internships and their first jobs through the great work of our amazing Business Career Programs office. (I know that parents always like to hear about that.) We are all committed to helping our Rockets soar.

One of the new tools our students can use in their search for jobs and internships is Handshake, a computer program now accessible to COBI students that widens their access to internships and job opportunities locally as well as all over the country.

Additionally, current professionals in the workforce who want to accelerate their careers should be interested in our Executive MBA program. Cohort 23 is now forming for classes that begin this fall. If you are interested in being part of a challenging, amazing experience which will dramatically enhance your professional and personal life via this accelerated 12-month program.  Now is the time to participate in one of our Exploration Events, the next event being June 9. Here potential students can sit through part of a class, meet faculty and current students, enjoy lunch and learn about the great benefits of this program.

We always want to hear your success stories and welcome you to check out COBI and the UT campus…it’s a great place to take a summer stroll. If you do, consider this your personal invitation to stop by my office on the fifth floor of Stranahan Hall!

Inspire. Transform. Empower. Achieve.

Go Rockets!

Interim Dean Hassan HassabElnaby