UT Board member and COBI alum makes $500,000 gift to College of Business and Innovation

University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation (COBI) alum Steven Cavanaugh and his wife Tiffany have made a $500,000 gift to COBI to provide scholarships to honor students and enable the college to pursue new initiatives.  The announcement was made on November 25 in the lobby of the college's Stranahan Hall.

"One thing the College of Business taught me is to invest where there is the best return on investment," Cavanaugh said. "I know that we have placed our money in a great place."

A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Cavanaugh earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, magna cum laude, from The University of Toledo.  He is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of HCR ManorCare. He was appointed to The University of Toledo Board by Ohio Governor John Kasich in April, 2014 and is also former Chairman of the Business Advisory Council for the College of Business and Innovation.

"People are thanking me," Cavanaugh said, "but this is an opportunity to say thank you to the University of Toledo, where I was fortunate to attend a college that had great professors and that launched me on my career. Thanks to those who made this a great place."

COBI Dean Gary Insch thanked the Cavanaughs at the gift announcement, explaining that $100,000 of the gift will go into the Dean's Innovation Fund to launch and support new programs and initiatives to "raise the bar at the college," while $400,000 will endow scholarships for business honor students.

"Scholarships are vital to attracting talented honor students to the college," Insch said. "It is a gift that will impact generations to come."

Insch also thanked Cavanaugh for his "friendship, mentoring and great ideas" since he became the college dean in July of this year.

UT President Nagi Naganathan also thanked the Cavanaughs for their generous gift which will truly make a difference and "impact the world."

"We always talk about giving time, talent and treasure," Naganathan said, "and Steve has done it all."
Vern Snyder, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at The University of Toledo, thanked the Cavanaughs for their "student-centered philanthropy, a very generous investment in our students which will truly make a difference in their lives," and for a gift which "validates the mission of the College of Business and Innovation."

In his capacity as Chief Operating Officer at HCR ManorCare, Cavanaugh has oversight responsibility for all of the company’s day-to-day operations as well as the company’s public policy and government relations activities. He also serves as a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

HCR ManorCare is a post-acute health care services company that operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home health and hospice agencies and outpatient rehabilitation clinics with annual revenues in excess of $4 billion. The company does business in over 500 locations nationwide and employs nearly 60,000 employees who provide care to over 200,000 patients annually.

Cavanaugh and his wife Tiffany reside in Holland, Ohio, and are the parents of two children.

"I try to give my time to The University of Toledo and the College of Business," Cavanaugh said. "I consider this a great opportunity to express my thanks for everything they have done for me.  I really love this institution."

Longenecker keynote speaker at West Point conference

Dr. Clinton Longenecker, Stranahan Professor of Leadership and Organizational Excellence in The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation, was a keynote speaker at the 29th annual National State of Ethics in America Conference at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Dr. Clint Longenecker and his wife, Cindy, right, with Rachel Maddow

The theme of this year's conference was Inspiring Honorable Living - Moving from Compliance to Internalization which addressed ways to inspire someone to live above and beyond the Honor Code, regulations and prohibitions. The goal was to have participants leave the conference inspired to live honorably, build trust and influence others to do the same.

Longenecker is a frequent speaker for senior US military leaders on the subject of leadership, the ethical challenges associated with success and power and how to avoid ethical failure.

"I have three years of doing programs and projects with senior military leaders and have spoken at all of the military senior graduate schools, but to have the opportunity to speak at West Point was both humbling and remarkable," Longenecker said. "The place is a cornerstone of US history; you are surrounded by it and deeply moved by what you see."

"I spoke about my research about the Bathsheba Syndrome, a leader's potential inability to cope with and respond to the byproducts of success, the ethical temptations leaders face and how not to get caught up in wrongful, unethical behavior," he said.

Comments from cadets included:
“It was the first time I was called out to systematically think through the challenges and temptations that come along with success and power of command; it really made me think differently about success.”

"The idea of predicting personal leadership challenges to put in place safeguards is literally life changing."

"In our profession we often discuss errors of others after we find out that they have occurred. With Dr. Longenecker's methodology, we can learn to have the hard conversations before they become embarrassing or toxic behavior patterns."

Longenecker said, "The cadets and military leaders are driven to success, which can be a very good thing, but I know I shook up their thinking when it comes to ethical leadership, character and competency and the dangers of success."

Also presenting at the conference was Rachel Maddow, host of the nationally broadcast MSNBC program "The Rachel Maddow Show," who spoke on her book Drift, concerning politics and the use of military force.

One cadet said, "I liked how the second day presentations fed into one another; it was like Rachel Maddow asked questions and Clinton Longenecker answered them."

Business student publishes book on leadership

Writing a book is a feat many people do not accomplish in a lifetime, but 22-year-old Jerry Palermo managed to do it before graduating college.

Palermo, a fourth-year international business and professional sales major, authored the book, Leadership Overhaul: Discover Yourself, Understand Others, Impact the World, which was released on Amazon in October.

The book explores personality types and traits that comprise a good leader, how to nurture those traits in yourself, and how to apply yourself as a leader in the world.

There are three main points that Palermo said he would want readers to take away from the book: the different types of people and their intelligences, how to make a difference in the lives of others, and that it doesn’t matter where you start as long as you’re motivated to do more. These three points coincide with the three aspects in the title, which Palermo said are all necessary to be a good leader.

Palermo also has a personal mantra, which he emphasizes in the book: “Do something, not be something.”

“I started to make a difference in the lives of others when I started to do things without expecting anything in return, when I set out to do something, not be something,” he said. “A lot of people set out to be president of the United States or CEO of a company, an actor or a model; but the big question is what do you do when you get there?”

Palermo explained that when you set out to be something, you may lose yourself along the way. Rather, setting out to do something allows you to explore what you’re passionate about and makes for a better leader, he said.

That favorite phrase came from one of Palermo’s mentors: U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. Palermo said he met Kaptur when he was in high school at an awards program for the Medical Mission Hall of Fame, a foundation that honors individuals for their humanitarian efforts. He asked her how he could help make a difference in the Toledo community.

Kaptur challenged Palermo to “do something, not be something.” She also encouraged him to find some community service projects, which led to the cultivation of the Palermo Foundation.

The foundation started out with a goal to fight hunger and rising food prices by raising money to build agricultural structures in the community. The organization partners with interested businesses to place the structures on their property, then donates the fresh produce to local food shelters. Its growth continued as it aided businesses with their community outreach and contract work for the federal government.

Its growth continued as it aided businesses with their community outreach and contract work for the federal government.

When asked if he was a natural leader, Palermo said: “I don’t know if there is such a thing as a natural leader. I think you have to be motivated. People might mistake that as a natural leader. You’re always on the go and looking for the next big thing. When I look back on it, I wouldn’t really say that I’ve always had leadership tendencies, but I would say I’ve always had a goal in mind, and I’ve always strived to achieve them.”

As for what’s next, Palermo said he recently accepted a position at 3M, an American multinational conglomerate formerly known as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co., which he will start after he graduates next August. Moving forward, Palermo hopes to integrate his book into corporate training and development seminars for 3M and other businesses.

The book is available online at amazon.com.  For more information, contact Palermo at jerry.palermo@rockets.utoledo.edu.

COBI professor and doctoral student win Excellence in Lean Accounting awards

A professor and a doctoral student from The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation are the winners of 2014 Excellence in Lean Accounting Awards from the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI).

Student Huilan Zhang, who holds two master’s degrees, is conducting research into lean management in healthcare and manufacturing for her PhD dissertation. She is investigating why companies begin transformations, what obstacles they encounter, and what results they obtain.  She also teaches the undergraduate course “Accounting in Decision Making” that emphasizes lean concepts and uses case studies about lean management initiatives.

UT COBI Student Huilan Zhang, center, accepts her 2014 Excellence 

in Lean Accounting Award from Chet Marchwinski and 

Tabitha Dubois of the Lean Enterprise Institute.

UT COBI Associate Professor of Accounting Amal Said, PhD, won the award for mentoring and encouraging undergraduate and graduate students, including Zhang, to study lean principles as they learn about accounting and management.

She teaches “Accounting in Decision Making” to undergraduates and “Advanced Managerial Accounting” at the graduate level. She has conducted research into lean accounting, earnings management, CEO compensation, and performance evaluations among other areas.

The awards were presented by Tabitha Dubois, LEI director of finance and administration, and Chet Marchwinski, LEI’s communications director, at the 10th annual Lean Accounting Summit, October 22, 2014, in Savannah, GA. About 225 finance and operations managers and executives from manufacturing and service companies attended the conference, which is organized by Lean Frontiers.

The awards, sponsored annually by LEI, recognize teachers and students who attended a previous summit then applied what they learned to class work. The goal of the award program is to bring the principles and practices of lean accounting into higher education and business.
Conference organizers said the lean accounting movement seeks a shift from traditional cost accounting practices to methods that accurately measure and motivate companies implementing lean management principles.

The terms lean manufacturing, lean production, or lean management refer to a complete business system for organizing and managing product development, operations, suppliers, customer relations, and the overall enterprise. It requires less capital, material, space, time, or human effort to produce products and services with fewer defects to precise customer desires, compared with traditional modern management.

Lean Enterprise Institute Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Cambridge, MA, makes things better through lean research, education, publishing, and conferences. Founded in 1997 by management expert James P. Womack, PhD, LEI supports other lean initiatives such as the Lean Global Network, the Lean Education Academic Network, and the Healthcare Value Network.

COBI students again help area residents through Free Tax Preparation Program

When the United Way of Greater Toledo is again providing free tax preparation services to area families and individuals beginning in January, among the volunteer corps will be several students from The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation (COBI)

"This is our fourth year of partnering with the United Way Free Tax Preparation Program.  Every year it continues to grow both in awareness and with student involvement," noted Professor Laura Williams, COBI management senior lecturer who coordinates the tax preparation program on campus.  "We live our mission statement through this program's outreach into the community, the opportunity it creates for students for internships and hands on experience, and engaging non-profit community partners."

COBI Dean Gary Insch, at lecturn, spoke to the media about the Free Tax 

Preparation Program with, left to right, Lucas County Treasurer Wade 

Kapszukiewicz, Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak, and 

United Way Program Manager of the Free Tax Preparation Program Toni Shoola. 

Professor Laura Williams, center, and some students already involved with the 

Free Tax Preparation Program, left to right, Marissa Gibbons, Max Sanchez, 

Austin Morrin, Evan Madden, Parker Wall and Derek Martindale.

"I designed the BUAD 3030 Management course to be a life lab where students just don't read the book, they live the book," she added. "United Way is a community partner within the course.

Students are held accountable to high academic standards through the course and high community standards through the melding of the two. I train students for future managerial careers through class and the United Way trains the students for the Tax Program.  The students love the hands-on experience and seem to always remember this course. "

"Nine students within the class and currently over 20 additional students have shown interest in the program by attending the Tax Program Orientation that the students were responsible for designing, promoting and implementing. Students decide if they want to participate in the program, those in the class as well as those recruited," Williams said.

Toni Shoola, program manager of the Free Tax Preparation Program, said, "Countless volunteers have conveyed to me the personal satisfaction they feel in making such a huge impact in the community. In addition, volunteers who are involved with the Free Tax Preparation Program have been able to develop an additional skill set that will serve them for the rest of their lives."

"The College of Business and Innovation is known for its tremendous connectivity to the business community," Williams said, "but we are also proud to work with key non-profit organizations such as the United Way with this program, which often means cash in the pockets of area residents."

"I volunteer for this program because I am able to learn how to do my taxes and become a certified IRS Tax Preparer, which helps build my resume. My major is accounting and I know what I learn from this program can only help me become a better accountant," noted Derek Martindale, one of the COBI students who will be providing the service this year.  "At the same time I am able to help out families around Northwest Ohio and know these tax returns are giving them free money."

"This is a great opportunity for students within the College of Business and Innovation, particularly freshman and sophomores, to benefit themselves immensely," Derek said. "United Way provides a great chance for the younger students to get a step forward ahead of their class, and they only ask for 12 hours a week to obtain internship credit."

Last year, 84 volunteers through the community helped more than 3,400 taxpayers, bringing more than $4.5 million back to the Northwest Ohio community. Other students on the UT campus interested in being a volunteer in the program should contact Dr. Williams at Laura.Williams3@utoledo.edu.

COBI hosts Junior Achievement Business Challenge

Teams of students from 21 area high schools spent Friday, November 21 in the Savage & Associates Business Complex as they competed in the Junior Achievement Business Challenge for $32,000 in scholarships.

Among the schools represented in the competition were Perrysburg, Sylvania Northview and Southview, Maumee Valley Country Day, Central Catholic, St. John's Jesuit, Springfield, St. Francis de Sales, Anthony Wayne, St. Ursula, Notre Dame, Defiance and Maumee.

Using online, interactive business simulation, the students form companies and, with the help of mentors from the business community, strategize to operate successfully and perform the duties of a management team.

COBI sponsors fifth annual business innovation competition for UT community

University of Toledo students, faculty and staff who have a great business idea may win up to $10,000 to help make their idea a reality in the fifth annual business innovation competition sponsored by the UT College of Business and Innovation (COBI). Entries are due February 20, 2015.

“The first four years of the business competition were a remarkable success as COBI received dozens of entries from across UT campuses,” said Dr. Sonny Ariss, Chair of the COBI management department.  “We are expecting another tremendous array of entries this year and trust the contest will continue to advance a creative culture of growth in all areas of the University”

“The spirit of entrepreneurship is critically important to the ongoing success of every university and every community,” noted COBI Dean Gary Insch. “This business competition truly reflects our emphasis on supporting innovation, fostering creative thinking and nurturing the entrepreneurial environment which is so essential for the economic growth of this region.”

Dr. Ariss explained that “Entrepreneurship is not only for people who want to start a business. Corporate American is also looking for innovative thinking from their employees, so intrapreneurship within the corporate business structure is also important today.”

Dr. Ariss explained that competition entries must be submitted using Lean Launch Pad concepts which enables people to develop their business model upon nine basic building blocks: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships and cost structure.

“COBI is ready to offer guidance to help these teams effectively implement their plans, emerge beyond the University, create jobs and enhance area economic growth,” Dr. Ariss added.
There is no cost to enter the competition. Registration must be completed online. Winners must prove that they have formed an LLC or S Corp in order to receive a financial award.

The College of Business and Innovation at The University of Toledo is providing the following prize money:
• First place: $10,000
• Second place: $5,000
• Third place: $2,000
• Honorable Mention: $500

The timeline for the 2015 competition is:
• Those planning to enter the competition need to attend a mandatory workshop sessions which will be offered on Thursday, January 29, 2015 from noon to 1 p.m. in the PNC Entrepreneurship Lab, Room 3100, Savage & Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement
• Entries must be submitted by Friday, February 20, 2015
• Finalists will be announced on Friday, March 20, 2015
• Finalists will make an oral presentation about their business using the business model canvas on April 7, 2015 between noon and 5:30 p.m. in the PNC Entrepreneurship Lab, Room 3100, Savage & Associates Business Complex
• Winners will be announced April 16, 2015

The competition is open to all UT students, faculty and staff, while alumni can participate as a member of a team involving current students, faculty or staff.  To register or for more information, go to www.utoledo.edu/business.

COBI faculty have paper accepted by prestigious Journal

The prestigious Journal of Accounting and Economics has accepted an article for publication which was authored by three UT College of Business and Innovation faculty members.

“Does return dispersion explain the accrual and investment anomalies?" written by Dr. Anthony Holder, Accounting Department, and Dr. Doina Chichernea and Dr. Alex Petkevich, both of the Finance Department,  is now available online and will soon be featured in the printed version of the publication.

"This is great news from our accounting and finance departments," noted COBI Dean Gary Insch.  "The Journal of Accounting and Economics is a top accounting journal, and Drs. Holder, Chichernea Petkevich are to be congratulated on this great accomplishment."

"This is our first time publishing in this level of journal," Dr. Holder said.  "The Journal of Accounting and Economics is the consensus top accounting journal, considered an ‘A' journal by every school in the United States. Statistics actually show that in accounting, the mean, median and mode number of publications for this level of journal during one’s academic career is zero, so you can imagine how much this means for us. We worked really hard on this paper for about three years, and being published in this leading journal is affirmation that hard work and perseverance pay off."

"Furthermore," Dr. Holder said, "with all three of us being from UT, this publication really helps UT’s reputation and UT’s ability to move up in the accounting rankings in terms of research."

"Our paper is focused on the relation between accruals (an accounting variable that captures the difference between earnings and cash flows) and stock returns," Dr. Holder said.  "Previous research has shown that firms with low accruals exhibit higher returns, and that trading based on accruals can provide significant profits. The most accepted explanation for this trading strategy is behavioral in nature; i.e., investors fixate on earnings and therefore do not understand the difference between cash-flows and earnings. In contrast, we show that accruals are related to the investment risk faced by the firms and that this risk varies through time with macroeconomic conditions. Our results therefore rationally explain not only why this trading strategy is profitable, but also why its profitability varies through time."

The article can currently be viewed online at http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-accounting-and-economics/recent-articles/

COBI alumnus recognized as emerging leader

Marcus Sneed, associate director for The University of Toledo's Office of Alumni Relations, received the Emerging Leader Award from the African American Legacy Project in October.

The Emerging Leader Award was established in 2008 by the African American Legacy Project, a nonprofit organization that documents and preserves the history of northwest Ohio's community and its impact and influence beyond the state's borders.

Sneed received his bachelor's degree in organizational development and management from the UT College of Business and Innovation in 2007, then joined the UT Alumni Relations staff as an outreach coordinator. He then became assistant director of alumni relations and recently has been promoted to associate director of alumni relations.

During his career at UT he has helped secure scholarships for African-American students and continues to be a voice and advocate for African-American alumni. He is dedicated to promoting higher education and serves as a mentor and confidant to many African-American males on campus.

Additionally, he has devoted many hours to the Black Alumni Affiliate, the UT college chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and local nonprofits.

Sneed is also working on his master of business administration degree with a focus on organizational leadership at UT COBI.

Kathleen Hanley named 2014 Outstanding COBI Alumna

Kathleen Hanley, chief integration and development officer, ProMedica, was named the 2014 Outstanding Alumna of the UT College of Business and Innovation.

Ms. Hanley received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting in 1978 and Master of Business Administration in 1984 from UT COBI.

Ms. Hanley is responsible for integration of mergers, acquisitions, venture capital, and various development activities.  She also serves as President of ProMedica Indemnity Corporation, responsible for captive, insurance, and risk management functions.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Hanley served 18 years as chief financial officer of ProMedica.

She is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of Financial Executives International, a member of The University of Toledo Business Engagement and Leadership Council, The University of Toledo Foundation Board, The University of Toledo Foundation Committee on Trustees, and The University of Toledo Foundation Executive Committee. She is also chair of the Notre Dame Academy Board of Trustees and Chair of the Notre Dame Academy Executive Committee.

Happiness as the New ROI: The New Corporate Manifesto

The University of Toledo Center for Family and Privately-Held Business will present an interview session with Shawn Riegsecker, CEO and Founder of Centro on Tuesday, November 18 at 5:30 p.m. in The Toledo Club.

Shawn Riegsecker will be interviewed about how his leadership, commitment to innovation and modernized approach to culture and employee happiness have led Centro to receive many accolades, including Crain’s naming it the best place to work in Chicago four years in a row. The interview will be conducted by Mike Hart, President of Hart Associates.

The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is necessary.  Click here to register!

Record 133 companies recruited UT business students at fall job fair

Approximately 400 students in The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation (COBI) participated in the college’s annual autumn job fair on Friday, September 26. A record 133 companies - - including Coca-Cola, the Cleveland Indians, Quicken Loans, Owens-Corning, O-I and 3M - - participated.

“We are truly excited and pleased for our students by the fact that so many well-known companies came to UT COBI to find the talent they need," noted Terribeth Gordon-Moore, COBI Senior Associate Dean. "This reflects very positively on the quality of both our programs and our students. It also demonstrates the extremely dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship enjoyed by COBI and recruiters for major national companies such as Marathon, Chrysler, Goodyear, Enterprise and Ernst & Young.”

“Employers are looking for undergraduate students to participate in business internships and their leadership development programs, as well as for seniors and graduates seeking full-time employment,” she added. “Furthermore, we strongly encouraged our freshmen students to attend the job fair, engage these company representatives and begin a relationship with these employers now.”

“This semi-annual job fair is part of what we do to prepare our students for their futures,” Gordon-Moore explained, adding that the college’s Business Career Programs office works year-round to assist students in acquiring internships and jobs upon graduation.  “We strive to provide the necessary resources so our students can conduct their own tailored job searches.”

More than 85% of COBI students participate in internships, and the job placement rate for COBI graduates is greater than 80%, even in recent economic times.

UT's quarterback takes care of business on and off the football field

UT sophomore Logan Woodside has shown his winning ways as starting quarterback for this year's Toledo Rockets football team, a position he assumed following a season-ending injury to quarterback Phillip Ely. But Woodside was ready for the challenge, utilizing the skills he has developed since he started playing football since he was six years old.

"I've played in the quarterback position since the third grade, and now I am playing at my highest level of football yet. It's a challenge."

"I was recruited by UT, and was impressed by Coach Campbell. We all competed for the quarterback position, and I just kept working at it."

Working at things is something Woodside does well, including his studies in the UT College of Business and Innovation.

Logan had a 4.0 grade point average when he graduated from high school in his home town of Frankfort, Kentucky, and now has a 3.5 GPA at UT.

"I was going to go into physical therapy, but my roommate was a business major," Logan said.  "I learned there is a lot you can do with business. I like talking to people, and I like studying marketing and sales. We have a very unique program in the sales school (Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales) here in COBI."

"People would be surprised to know that I am a super non-procrastinator.  If I get an assignment, I try to do it right away and get it done as soon as possible."

"I study a lot for football, but school is always first."

Logan admits that, "Ideally I would like to play in the NFL, but the NFL stands for 'Not For Long,' so I need to be prepared for a career, maybe pharmaceutical sales. I would like to move back close to home in Kentucky, and be surrounded by my big family."

Logan has connected with former UT quarterback and COBI alum Bruce Gradkowski, who often sends texts to Logan after UT's games.

The Rockets have been picked to win at least the MAC West Division this year, and Woodside's competitive nature may help them get there.

"I like the competition and leadership aspects of football, and making lifetime friends," he said.  "I'm competing and getting my college education at the same time."

New Alan Barry Accounting Lab named in honor of UT business grad whose generous gift made it possible

When The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation (COBI) dedicated the new Alan Barry Accounting Lab on September 23, it recognized and honored the alum whose gift made it reality.

Alan H. Barry, a 1966 graduate of the College, made the generous leadership donation to establish a unique accounting lab to help students who love accounting as much as he did.  

"As an accounting grad, it's always nice to look for ways to help students who are like I was," Mr. Barry said. "This Lab is something that will be used by many students, and because I was already involved with the College of Business, it just made sense to support it."

“The University of Toledo is so fortunate to have generous alumni like Alan Barry who achieve great success and then give back to ensure our students today have access to the very best tools and help them succeed,” said Interim President Nagi Naganathan. "The Alan Barry Accounting Lab will be integral to students’ education and their success for years to come and help us showcase Alan’s contribution.”

"The Alan Barry Accounting Lab is one of the things that we can do for business students that is not done elsewhere," COBI Dean Gary Insch said. "We are a business school, and we have business professionals who can help us. Furthermore, the establishment of the Lab again demonstrates the College's continuing vibrant relationship with the regional business community."

Recalling his time in the UT business college, Mr. Barry said, "I was born and raised in Toledo, and worked my way through school. Accounting was my course of study and my first love, and I have remained close to the accounting department and made many friends there."

"I was talking with Dr. (Hassan) HassabElnaby (Chair of the Accounting Department in the UT College of Business and Innovation) at a student scholarship event and he was saying he would like a leadership lab for accounting students. I have always been interested with the leadership aspect and was involved with the Ernst & Young Leadership Lab in the Savage & Associates Business Complex. The need for the Accounting Lab was explained, it hit close to home, and I said, 'Let's do it.'"

Mr. Barry was the former president and chief operating officer of Masco Corporation, retiring in 2008 after more than 35 years with the company.

Mr. Barry and his wife Karen have also made generous gifts in recent years to the Alan and Karen Barry Scholarship Fund which provides support for full-time UT business accounting students, based on both merit and needs. He is also active in the UT Alumni Association, was a Blue Key Member, and currently serves on the UT Foundation Board of Trustees.

Furthermore, through Mr. Barry's support, the COBI's accounting department will start the Alan Barry Workshop Series this fall. These workshops are free for accounting students and provide them with additional skills needed for the job market and the information age.

"The purpose of the new Alan Barry Accounting Lab is to enhance the accounting students' learning experience and also to provide a wide array of services to both accounting students and area residents," noted Dr. HassabElnaby.

"For students, the Lab will provide one-on-one tutoring services, assistance with writing projects, and the most advanced accounting simulation software to help students improve their understanding of important accounting concepts," he explained. "It will hold the review material for the very important and demanding certified public accountant (CPA) exam, and it will be a resource for COBI accounting professional organizations, such as Beta Alpha Psi."

This Lab will also be the first lab nationwide to have a certified management accountant (CMA) lab license, where students can have free access to the CMA review material from Wiley to prepare for the CMA exam.

"For the community, the Lab will serve as the location of the free income tax preparation assistance COBI provides each year to qualified low-to-moderate income individuals and families in the Toledo area during the spring income tax filing season," Dr. HassabElnaby said.

Although COBI had an accounting lab, the room was small and only had equipment to provide tutoring services for sophomore accounting students.

The new Lab has six computers and a printer, as well as licensed software such as QuickBooks Pro 2014, GoVenture accounting simulation software, WhiteSmoke premium writing software, Yaeger CPA review program, and more.

The Alan Barry Accounting Lab is located in Room 2130 in the College's new Savage & Associates Business Complex.  The dedication will be held on Tuesday at 1 p.m.  The Lab is open to students Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.

Dr. Gary Insch named new dean of the College of Business and Innovation

Dr. Gary Insch became the new dean of The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation in July.

Insch joins UT from West Virginia University, where he served as associate dean for graduate programs and associate professor of management.

“Dr. Insch brings a wealth of experience and will continue to accelerate the College of Business and Innovation’s upward trajectory,” said John Barrett, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “A dedicated teacher, he is committed to strong academics combined with experiential learning to provide the best opportunities for students. He will be an asset to this institution as well as the business community in the region.”

Insch has spent the past dozen years with West Virginia University, having joined the college as an assistant professor in 2002. He served as director of MBA programs and director of graduate programs before his promotion to associate dean in 2011. He also has served on the faculty of Boston University and Indiana University.

“I am thrilled to join The University of Toledo,” Insch said. “The College of Business and Innovation has a strong academic foundation and commitment to experiential learning opportunities and job placements. I am excited to be at a college that has such a strong connection to the community through relationships with alumni and area business leaders.”

Insch’s academic focus is on international entrepreneurship, small business planning, foreign direct investment and industrial purchasing. His industry experience includes eight years as assistant vice president and commercial loan officer for First Security Bank of Utah in Salt Lake City. He also served as general manager/business manager of Actors’ Repertory Theater Ensemble in Provo, Utah, and a financial consultant with the Small Business Development Center in Salt Lake City.

He is a member of the Academy of International Business, Academy of Management and Strategic Management Society.

Insch has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Brigham Young University, an MBA in international business and marketing from the University of Utah, a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University, and a PhD in international business and strategy from Indiana University.

Still time to apply for the next Executive MBA cohort beginning October 10

There is still time to apply for the UT Toledo College of Business and Innovation next cohort for the Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) program, which begins October 10.

COBI offers one of the most accelerated EMBA programs in America, enabling working professionals from across the region to complete their Executive MBA in just 12 months, with on-campus sessions just one weekend per month. During these 12 months, students have unprecedented opportunities including:
• Interaction with dedicated, recognized and highly qualified faculty teaching in the EMBA program
• Individualized executive coaching to enable student success
• Networking that will provide students with professional connections that will last a lifetime
• Online and on-site classes which offer a great deal of flexibility
• International study trip (7-10 days) that combines company meetings, cultural immersion and first-hand observation of how business works in the international setting

The Princeton Review has recognized the graduate programs, including the EMBA, in the UT College of Business as among the best since 2008. COBI also offers one of the most effective and efficient blended models of on-site and online courses, with classes meeting on campus just one weekend per month.

For more information, contact Darlene Howard at 419.530.7982, or email EMBA@utoledo.edu.

You can learn more about the UT COBI Executive MBA program and check out the new video at www.utoledo.edu/business/emba.

Deirdre Jones named director of Schmidt School of Professional Sales

Deirdre Jones, M.B.A., who served as associate director of the Edward H Schmidt School of Professional Sales in The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation, was named director of the School in July.

"I look forward to all the opportunities and challenges that will demonstrate our commitment to developing the world’s future sales professionals…one student at a time," Jones said. "I am confident that we will continue to set the bar high in terms of learning, discovery, and outreach."

The Schmidt School's previous director Ellen Pullins, Ph.D., who was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and research at Hagaa Helia University in Finland during the 2014-2015 academic year, stepped down from the director position to pursue a sabbatical and the Fulbright opportunity. Pullins remains the Schmidt Research Professor of Sales and Sales Management, where she will continue with oversight for the curriculum and School’s academic research efforts. She also continues as a professor in UT COBI's department of marketing and international business.

"I am confident that the Schmidt School will continue to excel and enhance its national reputation for excellence under Deirdre's leadership," Pullins said.

"Everyone plays a critical role to ensure the sustainability and success of our top ranked program," Jones observed. "We have accomplished a great deal by launching and propelling our professional sales program. As such, we owe a considerable amount of gratitude to the vision, dedication and leadership displayed by the program's previous directors, Dave Reid, Richard Buehrer and Ellen."

Jones added that there are a number of exciting projects on the horizon for the Sales School, including growing the School's annual local sales competition into a national competition beginning February, 2016; expanding the ESSPS dedicated scholarship program, which just awarded its first scholarships this year; launching a student ambassador program; and establishing additional endowments.

Founded in 2000, the Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales (ESSPS) is committed to providing high-quality educational programs to enhance the world of business practices related to professional sales and to continue to be a recognized leader in sales learning, discovery, and engagement. UT COBI is one of just two business colleges in the country to have three undergraduate designations and a MBA concentration devoted to professional sales.

COBI professor writes new book to help HR professionals solve business problems

There are more than 100,000 human resources managers in the United States, and they deal with issues emerging from America's 154.4 million workers.  But they are less likely to be a part of solving problems that occur at the top of the organization—problems like strategic focus, market competitiveness, and regulatory compliance.

Now available to help these professionals is a new book, Got A Solution? HR Approaches to 5 Common and Persistent Business Problems, by Dale J. Dwyer, Ph.D., professor of management at The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation, and Sheri A. Caldwell, Ph.D., SPHR, HR director in the Grain Group at The Andersons.

"We determined what the common problems were by surveying CEOs, other senior managers, and HR practitioners from not-for-profit, for-profit, and government organizations. Each was asked, 'What are the top three (3) general business/organizational problems, issues, or concerns that keep you or your executives up at night?'  We also accessed social media posts on professional sites (e.g., LinkedIn).  The answers they gave were very similar.  From there, we got our five 'universal' problems," Dr. Dwyer said. 

Among the specific issues addressed in various chapters are: 

- Playing to Win or Playing Not to Lose: How Do We Become More Competitive in Our Marketplace?

- How Do We Deal with All the Changing Laws and Regulations?

- How Do We Attract and Retain the Most Competent Talent?

"Our premise in the book is that people want to do a good job and help their organizations," Dr. Dwyer continued, “but they are rarely asked for their help.  In fact, it is often the case that managers themselves, the systems they put in place, and the rewards/punishments meted out by the managers discourage employees’ creativity and helpfulness.“

"After reading Got A Solution?, business leaders, managers, and HR professionals will be better equipped to come up with workable and innovative solutions to the very problems that plague most organizations," he said.  "The benefit for HR folks in particular is that they will be in a strengthened position to help the organization reach its goals; in other words, they will be seen as a revenue-generator, rather than as a cost center, as they have often been perceived."

"This book was a joy to write," Dr. Dwyer said, "primarily because it addresses what HR gurus have been calling upon HR professionals to do for the last ten years:  get a seat at the table where decisions are being made.  However, nobody has ever described to them how to do that.  In convincing senior managers that they deserve that seat, HR has to demonstrate actual results that move the organization forward.  The sooner managers realize that their employees can help them if they'd only let them, the sooner organizations can begin to solve some of their most pressing and recurring problems."

Dr. Dwyer's recent book Got a Minute? The 9 Lessons Every HR Professional Must Learn to Be Successful, also co-authored by Dr. Caldwell, was recently the best-selling book sold by the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest organization for human resource management professionals.

"We hope Got A Solution?  helps HR folks learn how to move an organization forward by using the people there to help them," Dr. Dwyer said.

Got A Solution? can be ordered at shrmstore.shrm.org.

COBI hosts fourth Technology Camp for high school students

Forty high school students from 25 Toledo, Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan high schools participated in the fourth annual Technology Camp, presented by the UT College of Business and Innovation in July.

Students had the chance to create their own apps, learn about modern business applications of technology, and actually build a computer.

“Our Technology Camp invites curious students into the world of technology where they will explore business technology and how it applies to their daily lives," said COBI Senior Associate Dean Terribeth Gordon-Moore. "They had the opportunity to explore both the power and the fun of information technology (IT), and we know that some of the students have been so enthralled by this experience that they will decide to study IT.”

"Computer technology is becoming an essential life skill for young people," she added, "and this Camp was an outstanding opportunity for them to immerse themselves in a technology learning experience at literally no cost to them."

Corporate sponsors for the 2014 Camp were ASUS and Eaton Corporation.

COBI alum named dean at University of Evansville

Greg Rawski, who earned his Ph.D. in manufacturing management from The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation, has been named dean of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration at the University of Evansville. Rawski had been associate dean at the University of Evansville, where he has been since 2005.

$70,000 Grant funds unique research project involving business and radiology

A unique research project involving both the Accounting Department within The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation and the Radiology Department at the UT Medical Center recently received a $70,000 grant from the United Arab of Emirates University.

“The Impact of Managers’ Supervisory Style on the Relation between Debt Covenants and Earnings Management: A Neuroscience Imaging Approach" will utilize neuroscientific research in an attempt to capture and understand the behavior of managers in different debt covenant violation situations, and its relation on supervisory styles.

Debt covenants are agreements between banks and borrowers that dictate the way a company manages its finances while indebted to the bank. These covenants are tested on a regular basis during the term of the debt. Violations happen when the company is not meeting any of these covenants.

Dr. Hassan HassabElnaby, Chair of the Accounting Department in the UT College of Business and Innovation, said, "We are using a very novel approach to investigate an accounting/business issue. To my knowledge, no study in the area of agency theory and debt contract is utilizing this approach."

He explained that neuroscientific evidence shows that activities in the ventral striatum of the brain would increase with bad information and decrease with good information.

"We argue that human brains have the ability to implement ‘automatic’ processes of bad and good information to make rational managerial accounting decisions," he said.  "Therefore, we will rely on the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to capture and encode the neural activity in the ventral striatum. The results of this interdisciplinary study will contribute to the understanding of manager’s behavior and provide crucial implications for the practice and research in management accounting."

Dr. HassabElnaby added, "This type of research is very costly and business research grants are almost non-existent at the required level. While attending an international conference, I was talking with Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Maksoud, a researcher from the United Arab of Emirates University, about a dream research project that I want to do and the difficulty of funding this research. I wrote the basic proposal and sent it to him and other researchers to form a research team. I was lucky enough to have all the researchers I approached interested in the idea, and they made significant contributions to develop the grant proposal. We applied for the grant and last December we were granted about $70,000 over two years for our research project. Almost $55,000 is budgeted for the MRI experiment that will be done at the University of Toledo’s Medical Center under the supervision of both Dr. Haitham Elsamaloty and Dr. Xin Wang."

Dr. Amal Said, Associate Professor of Accounting at UT COBI, said, "We are planning on conducting the experiment on 100 subjects. Each subject will have to complete a survey first to capture their managerial style, then their responses to the same nine different debt covenant scenarios will be examined under the MRI."

Dr. Said added, "Earnings management behavior is an ethical question and has been the topic of interest for researchers, practitioners and regulators. We expect that understanding the thinking and decision making processes of managers can assist in mitigating unethical behavior in the future. The findings of this research project can be incorporated into training material, models and/or packages that are delivered to accountants and business leaders on the role of managers’ personal characteristics (neural activity), the leadership style they follow, and the design and use of management control systems in controlling the suboptimal behavior/practices of managers in relation to firm resources."

Dr. Elsamaloty, UTMC Radiology Department, said. "I was consulted by Dr. Hassabelnaby on the possibility of implementing the study using the imaging tool. I was interested and we decided to collaborate in this interesting research project."

He explained that this is a unique study, because "We’ll use the high sensitivity and resolution of our 3T functional MRI in evaluating managers under different conditions using different scenarios.  We have performed functional MRI research in post-traumatic patients, but to the best of my knowledge this will be the first study at UT, and possibly in the nation, to evaluate decision making for managers."

Dr. Wang, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, UT Health Science campus, said, "We completed a study with a kinesiology group from the main campus in 2011-2013. The research scans increase the use of MRI scanner in addition to clinical use and other studies. It will compete for the limited scanning time, but we will try our best to arrange the scans."

Dr. HassabElnaby said, "We expect the study to take about 18 months and to yield multiple papers. My co-authors and I hope that this study will be a breakthrough and will open new lines of research in accounting, business, and other disciplines."

UT College of Business and Innovation presents HR Management Excellence Awards to three highly visible Toledo companies

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation presented their 17th annual Human Resource (HR) Management Awards for Excellence in May, recognizing three well-known Toledo companies for their outstanding human resource practices.

Each of the three finalists was named a recipient of the Human Resource Management Award for Excellence: Hollywood Casino (innovation); The Toledo Blade (impact); and The Toledo Zoo  (leadership).

Hollywood Casino staff

Hollywood Casino began operation in 2012 as one of the newest properties of Penn National Gaming and the first casino in Toledo. HR activities at the Hollywood Casino which contributed to their award include quickly and efficiently bringing in 948 team members to establish the fully operational, new casino; creating a HR process that is responsive and providing support 24/7 to every team member; and developing a culture of community engagement through which they plan events for team members and implement a community outreach program called Hollywood Cares.

Toledo Blade staff

The Toledo Blade is a 179-year-old privately-held newspaper and the oldest continuing business in Toledo.  Human resource activities at The Toledo Blade which contributed to their award include developing health and safety programs which resulted in a drastic reduction in accidents, worker's compensation and health care costs; engaging the HR function as a strategy where its input is recognized as absolutely critical for organizational success; and building a labor/management relations culture on mutual trust as well as open and honest conversations with a real partnership between workers and management.

Toledo Zoo staff

The Toledo Zoo, recently recognized as the #1 zoo in America, was established in 1900 and welcomes more than 875,000 visitors each year.  HR activities at The Toledo Zoo which contributed to their Management Award for Excellence include developing healthy relationships between union and management by moving from traditional bargaining to interactive, interest-based bargaining; implementing an HR information system to assist in selection, scheduling and reduction of paperwork; and creating and maintaining workforce flexibility to accommodate the Zoo's seasonal staffing.

“As local residents continue to think about jobs, it is important to recognize area success stories, the area’s best employers who are taking steps to attract and retain the best people,” noted Dr. Clinton Longenecker, COBI Professor of Management and chair of the Awards Selection Committee.  “These amazing organizations are utilizing their human capital to compete at the very highest levels.”

“The Human Resources Management Excellence Awards are given annually by the college since 1998 to celebrate the success of local organizations and leaders for creating great places to work. Their efforts make a real difference in our economy while they also inspire others to advance their organizations, demonstrating to the region that area employers can compete in a world marketplace,” said Longenecker.

UT College of Business and Innovation earns HR Outstanding Student Chapter Award

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has received the Outstanding Student Chapter award for its excellence and achievement during the 2013-2014 Student Chapter Merit Award period.

SHRM is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 275,000 professional and 19,000 student members in over 140 countries, the association serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession.

"This is a tremendous and well-deserved recognition for The University of Toledo, the College of Business and Innovation, our human resources program, and members of this organization," said Jenell Wittmer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management in the College of Business and co-faculty advisor to the UT SHRM group. She also adds, "Many thanks to all those who helped earn this award, especially Ashley Kaptur, whose leadership in SHRM and completing this submission was invaluable!"

Kaptur, who graduated in May, 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, majored in human resource management. "During my last semester at UT, I was the Student Chapter President of UT SHRM. I would recruit HR Professionals in the Toledo area to come and speak to our group on current HR topics, their background in HR, interviewing techniques, etc.  This really helped bring all of the classroom material and apply it to real world situations."

The Outstanding Student Chapter award was presented to a select number of SHRM student chapters whose programs and activities were at a level that distinguished them from other chapters. This award represents significant achievement in one of five categories: recruitment, programming/education, innovation/technology, campus/community service or promotion of assurance of learning assessment.

The SHRM student chapter merit award program, which began in 1972, encourages development of more effective student chapters and to promote outstanding activities and projects by student chapters in the following areas: student chapter requirements, chapter operations, chapter programming and professional development of members, support of the human resource profession and SHRM engagement.

Chapters have the opportunity to earn an award based on the number of activities they complete during the merit award cycle, which ran from April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014. "The programs and events these student members have participated in are truly exceptional,” said Laurie McIntosh, director of member engagement. “They are all helping to shape the future of the HR profession through community service, technology, advocacy or another area.”

The UT SHRM chapter will be recognized during the 2014 Annual Student/Faculty Conference in Orlando in June, both in the student/faculty conference brochure and during the awards presentation.
The chapter president and advisor will be recognized during the opening general session and presented the chapter’s plaque.   The award will also be listed on SHRM’s student member center website, and listed in the fall 2014 edition of SHRM StudentFocus magazine distributed electronically as a supplement to HR Magazine.

"This SHRM award is another reflection on the consistently high caliber of both our students and our faculty," stated Sonny Ariss, Ph.D., Chair of the UT COBI Department of Management. "We are confident that the excellence and leadership our students have already displayed through their involvement with SHRM will continue to be utilized throughout their professional careers, benefitting them, their employers and the community."

2014 COBI faculty, staff awards announced

In early June, Dr. Thomas Sharkey, Interim Dean of the College of Business and Innovation, announced the winners of the 2014 COBI Faculty and Staff Awards.

They are:

DeJute Undergraduate Teaching- Dr. Anthony Holder, Accounting Department

Simonetti Graduate Teaching - Dr. Jenell Wittmer, Management Department

Adjunct Instructor Teaching - Marouen Ben Jebara, Ph.D. student

COBI Research - Dr. Hassan HassabElnaby, Chair, Accounting Department

Junior Researcher - Dr. Mark Gleim, Marketing Department

Brunner Service - Dr. Michael Mallin, Marketing Department

Diversity - Dr. Clint Longenecker, Management Department

Staff - Cory Marshall, Senior College Instructional Technology Administrator

"Being the recipient of the 2014 Simonetti Graduate Teaching Award is a huge honor for me," Dr. Wittmer said. "I work with MBA, EMBA, and Ph.D. students, with most students having a great deal of professional experience before they ever walk into my classroom. I strive to make materials and assignments relevant and helpful to their careers, which leads to a great deal of engagement on the part of students. We have fantastic discussions, and I truly learn just as much from them as they learn from me.  I am just proud to be able to work with such an esteemed group of students!"

"This award is very important to me," Dr. Holder said. "I switch things up a lot of in the classroom, including experimenting with various pedagogical techniques, and I am never 100% certain how my approach to teaching a particular class will be received. Of course, my objective, similar to my colleagues is to constantly improve as an instructor and I feel that this award indicates I am making some progress."

“Service to our university, college, department, and community is extremely important, especially during times of change and transition in higher education," Dr, Mallin said.  "When I look at the list of past recipients of this (Brunner Service) award, I am humbled and honored to be chosen along with those who have made such a positive impact on our college.”

"I was very appreciative for this acknowledgement as I recognize that one of the best parts of being at the University of Toledo for the past 30 years is the fact that we are a very diversified institution which is a real strength," Dr. Longenecker commented. "It is great to work at a place that encourages and promotes people to help each other, lift each other up, and bring out the best in each other!"

"It is important that we publicly recognize the excellent performance of COBI personnel across many functions within the college through these annual Faculty and Staff Awards," Dr. Sharkey said.    "Their consistently outstanding work, along with the energy and hard work of all COBI faculty and staff, contributes to an enriched, stimulating and supportive environment that ultimately contributes to the success of all our students. Congratulations to all the 2014 recipients as well as all the nominees."

The COBI Faculty and Staff Award winners have their names engraved on plaques in the lobby of Stranahan Hall and also receive a cash award.

Advanced Leadership Academy enriches lives of many UT students

About 100 University of Toledo students from across campus took a major step to enhance their personal and professional lives recently as they participated in the fifth annual Advanced Leadership Academy (ALA), presented by the College of Business and Innovation.

Students were invited to participate in the ALA based on their academic and professional records of success as well as the recommendation of graduate faculty.  Academy members included masters and Ph.D. students from most colleges within the University.

“It is always very exciting to bring together some of our best graduate students from across our campus to link up with outstanding leaders from a wide variety of professions and disciplines," said Dr. Clint Longenecker, Stranahan Professor of Management and ALA Program Coordinator.  "It is a true cross campus learning experience, spread out over four half-day sessions."

"This Academy exposes students to cutting edge leadership theory and practices," he added. "All disciplines, be it engineering, healthcare, pharmacy, business or science, need leadership.”

Students had the opportunity to learn success and leadership principles from a diverse group of speakers that included Steven Cavanaugh, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of HCR Manorcare; Chad Bringman, Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Northwest Ohio;   Joseph Zerbey, President and General Manager of The Blade; Randy Oostra, President and Chief Executive Officer for ProMedica Health System; and Tricia Cullop, Head Coach, Women's Basketball, The University of Toledo.

"My reaction after completing this program is simply, WOW," stated Robert Phillips, a graduate research assistant in the UT Department of Civil Engineering. "I learned many skills that are sure to benefit me throughout my academic and professional careers, and it was an overall great experience. Being able to hear some of the most successful local leaders and learn from their stories provided a tremendous learning experience. Thank you for facilitating this opportunity."

Chandi Patel, RN, graduate research assistant at the UT College of Nursing, said,  "The presentations, panelists and all the networking opportunities were phenomenal."

Dr. Longenecker thanked David Wolf, President of Perstorp Polyols, and Michael Miller, Chairman and CEO of Waterford Bank, for providing scholarships for the students to participate, as well as COBI Interim Dean Thomas Sharkey for his support of the program.

Sales school director named Fulbright Scholar, will teach, conduct research in Finland

Ellen Pullins, Ph.D., Schmidt Research Professor of Professional Sales at The University of Toledo, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and research at Hagaa Helia University in Finland during the 2014-2015 academic year.

The United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board recently made the announcement. Pullins is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2014-2015.

Pullins will be teaching professional sales and conducting research on professional business-to-business sales in international markets, specifically Customer Affective Response to Professional Sales.

"Obviously I was thrilled on being notified that I had received the grant. I believe that business can’t be separated from international business in today’s world, and that international experiences for faculty are critically important," said Pullins, who is director of the Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales (ESSPS) in the UT College of Business and Innovation.

"I am excited about the ability to immerse myself in a culture outside the United States for an extended period of time, while at the same time building productive new relationships in another part of the world. In the past, the ESSPS has done international video-conferenced sales role plays between students in Finland and UT. I can’t even begin to imagine what other types of collaborative projects might be possible," she said. 

"Buyer-seller relationships are critical in creating value through social interaction," she said. "My research work will look at business customer emotions, needs and motives and how they impact sales results across multi-person B2B service seller interactions. The research will be part of a team project, supported by a grant from the Finnish Tekes’ “Fiiliksestä fyrkkaa” program, in conjunction with colleagues from Hagaa Helia, University of Helsinki and Aalto University in Finland, as well as a number of Finnish firms."

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, scientists and other professionals the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs and university presidents. They have been awarded 43 Nobel prizes, and 78 alumni have received Pulitzer prizes.

"I am confident that this will have a real impact on the effectiveness of my own teaching in the future as I will be able to speak firsthand about many of the international aspects of business, and also incorporate a more global set of real world examples," Pullins said.

“We congratulate Dr. Pullins on her outstanding personal and professional achievement of being selected a Fulbright Scholar,” said College of Business and Innovation Interim Dean Thomas Sharkey. “In addition to her outstanding work as director of our nationally recognized Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales, this is a testimony to her commitment to the teaching/research profession and her dedication to personal lifelong learning which benefits both her students and her academic colleagues.”