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

COBI Business Career Programs introduces new Handshake software for students, then wins Innovation award

UT COBI’s Business Career Programs office already has remarkable success in finding jobs for our students, resulting in a 93% job placement rate for our graduating seniors.

But recent implementation of new software known as Handshake will further enhance the internship/job acquisition process for COBI students.

“This is very cutting edge, and very valuable for our students.  We are truly excited,” explained Craig Turner, Career Advisor and Employer Relations for Undergraduate Students. “Handshake is a platform to more opportunities for our students as they post their profiles. Companies that we never had access to before that use this software include PayPal, Pepsi, Chevron, Dow Jones, Exon Mobile, Samsung and Berkshire Hathaway.”

Left to right: Craig Turner, Career Advisor and Employer Relations for Undergraduate Students; Dr. Terribeth Gordon- Moore, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration in the College of Business and Innovation; Carol Stamm, Employer Relations and Job Development Specialist; Alison DeVolder, Secretary.

“Within the first two weeks of launching this software, we had over 119 qualified jobs and 456 approved employers on board,” Turner said. “The exciting piece is that within hours we had students establishing their profiles and applying for numerous positions.”

“We are also receiving positive feedback from our current recruiters that are already using Handshake as they have a single sign on experience, and can more easily post their positions and engage with students. This intuitive program utilizes over 165,000 recruiters, and more than 100,000 companies, which includes 95% of the Fortune 500.”

Turner explained that Handshake is accessible to all COBI students, who very quickly uploaded hundreds of active profiles.

“The exciting piece is that within hours we had students establishing their profiles and applying for numerous positions. This program will widen our student’s access to job opportunities all over the country as well as locally,” he said. “Furthermore, there is already an Apple app for mobile access, and will soon be an Android app. The Handshake program is also available to COBI alumni.”

“While Handshake is an amazing program that provides new opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Terribeth Gordon-Moore, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration in the College of Business and Innovation, “it is also just one more component of our High Tech, High Touch philosophy of helping COBI students launch and build their professional lives. We strive to provide career concierge services to all our students, and connecting them with employers and recruiters for internships and jobs through programs like Handshake is extremely important.”

Business Career Programs won the COBI Innovation Award for the past academic year, in part for their successful introduction of the Handshake program.

“The award is based on our work in the college and its outcome for our students,” Turner said. “We believe that innovation is key within the College of Business and Innovation, and we are the first ones to receive and use Handshake within the UT community. The platform is used by several hundred colleges and by some 1,200 companies.  It is a mutual relationship which helps our students.”

“We need to be innovative about what we do for our students,” Turner said, “and this is a great tool. We are setting the standard for other University of Toledo colleges and the Center of Experiential Learning and Career Services as they join this inaugural program.”

COBI PSE Chapter wins numerous awards at national conference

Several UT COBI students attended the Pi Sigma Epsilon 62nd PSE annual conference in San Diego, participating in and winning many honors and recognitions.

"Our students worked extremely hard preparing for the convention and it showed in their amazing results,” explained Dr. Catherine Johnson, advisor to the UT PSE team. “They excelled in virtually every competition they entered. They even won an award for sustained excellence, a true testament to the consistently high quality of UT's PSE chapter over a long period of time. I'm really proud of their hard work and success."

Members of the Epsilon Delta chapter at University of Toledo earned the following awards and scholarships:
- 1st place Top Professional Development
- 1st place Top Chapter Recruitment Program
- Whan Challenger Award won by Jovan Sanson
- 2nd place Top Gold Chapter
- 2nd place Top Management Team
- 2nd place Top Social Media Strategy
- 2nd place Case Study Competition
- 2nd place Top PSE Salesperson won by Taylor Busse
- Anchor Plastics Scholarship won by Kaeleigh Wilkins
- Carew International Scholarship won by Taylor Busse
- Federated Insurance Scholarship won by Seth Balog
- Marv D. Loos Scholarship won by Alex Edinger
- Paycom Scholarship won by Courteney Buchanan
- Principal Financial Scholarship won by Haley Orr
- Vector Marketing Scholarship won by Rachel Boulton
- William H. Harris Memorial Scholarship won by Jovan Sanson
- Future Leader Scholarship won by Courteney Buchanan

Members of the Epsilon Delta chapter also received the Sustained Excellence Award that recognizes chapters who remain among the top tier chapters for three consecutive years.

The Future Leader Scholarship recognizes freshman and sophomore members of Pi Sigma Epsilon who display the potential to become great future leaders of their chapters and of PSE. Buchanan won free registration to the National Convention ($295 value), $100 travel stipend, and was recognized at the scholarship dinner in front of hundreds of her colleagues.

Pi Sigma Epsilon is the nation’s only professional business fraternity for men and women in the fields of sales, marketing and management. Pi Sigma Epsilon has spread to over 170 campuses nationwide since its inception in 1952. For more information on Pi Sigma Epsilon, visit www.pse.org

Dr. Mallin’s paper receives Outstanding Article award

Dr. Michael Mallin’s paper "Power-Base Effects on Salesperson Motivation and Performance: A Contingency View," co-authored with Charles B. Ragland and published in the Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing,  Outstanding Article Award from the University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation.

Sales literature shows that motivation is a key determinant of salesperson performance. The literature also suggests that how managers use social power will have an effect on important organizational outcomes, including salesperson performance. This study examines the five bases of social power that sales managers use (reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert) as moderating influences in the salesperson motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic)—salesperson performance linkage.

The authors found support for five of eight hypotheses. Results and significant findings suggest that sales managers can impact sales performance in extrinsically motivated salespeople by using coercive and legitimate power. For intrinsically motivated salespeople, sales managers can impact sales performance by using coercive, legitimate, and referent power.

Dr. Mallin is a Professor of Marketing and Sales and the Faculty Director for MBA/EMBA programs at UT COBI The University of Toledo, College of Business & Innovation. He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Kent State University, an MBA from The University of Dayton, and a BS in Computer & Information Sciences from The Ohio State University. Dr. Mallin teaches and researches in the area of sales and sales management.

His research interests include salesforce leadership, motivation, and performance issues.
His research has appeared in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Journal of Selling & Major Account Management, Direct marketing, an International Journal, Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, American Marketing Association Educators Conference Proceedings, National Conference for Sales Management Conference Proceedings, and Academy of International Business Regional Conference Proceedings.

He is the recipient of faculty teaching and research awards at The University of Toledo and for outstanding teaching as a doctoral fellow at Kent State University.

Prior to joining the University of Toledo, Dr. Mallin’s industry experience includes positions as Sales Director for The SBC Corporation, Sales & Marketing Manager, and Account Executive for AT&T Corp.

Dr. Mallin said he had worked on the paper for a year with Dr. Ragland, Department of Marketing, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Hats off to COBI graduates (Spring, 2018)

Special congratulations to the Spring 2018 graduates of The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation, who celebrated the COBI convocation program on Friday evening, May 4, and the University Commencement ceremony the next morning. UT's Women's Basketball Head Coach Tricia Cullop spoke to the graduates during the Convocation.

Celebrating their success with family and friends, several COBI students wore graduation caps which they had decorated with their own special messages for the event. Here you can see some of the caps, as we say our hats are off to all the grads for their achievement.  

Preparing to start the COBI Convocation event are, right to left, Interim Dean Hassan HassabElnaby, UT Women's Head Basketball Coach Tricia Cullop, COBI Senior Associate Dean Dr. Terribeth Gordon-Moore, and Dr. Michael Mallin, COBI Department of Marketing and International Business. 

Winners announced from 22 entries in COBI’s 2018 Business Plan Competition

Narges Shayesteh Moghaddam, left, is congratulated by Dr. Sonny Ariss for her first place finish in the 2018COBI Business Innovation Competition  for her QuickFlow product.

Left to right, Third place winner, Retractor: Ahmadreza Jahadakbar, Parisa Bayatimalayeri. Second place winner, The Fierce: Tyler Ray, Rebecca Potts, Emily Wallace, Caren Aramouni, Therese Orsagos. First place winner, QuickFlow: Narges Shayesteh Moghaddam.

The winners of the 8th Annual University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation's Business Innovation Competition were announced on April 19, with the first place $10,000 prize awarded to Narges Shayesteh Moghaddam for her QuickFlow product.


Quickflow is a novel device offers several advantages over PMT (Percutaneous Mechanical Thrombectomy) devices currently on the market and provides a higher degree of authority and maneuverability for capturing and removing clots. The prototype device uses a pair of superelastic Nitinol-capturing elements to aid in the collection of a thrombus and minimize distal embolization.

“The incidence of pulmonary embolism is estimated to be 650,000 cases per year, and the mortality rate is estimated at approximately 100,000 deaths per year which making pulmonary embolism the third most common cause of death for hospitalized patients in the US,” Moghaddam said.  “As current treatments specifically for acute massive and submassive PEs patients are not effective, we have decided to develop and commercialize QuickFlow PE a thrombectomy device which addresses the shortcomings of current therapies or surgical procedures, and also provides a non-invasive procedure with lower cost solution.”

“Our device design and the method of deployment distinguish it from the competition in several ways. ThermoMorph’s  (ThermoMorph is a startup company established by inventors from the University of Toledo to develop QuickFlow) device has a smaller profile and can capture and encircle the entire clot for retrieval the whole clots without distal embolization. We are working to develop this device since 2015,” Moghaddam said. “The main problem was how to optimize the baskets to maximize its authority to capture the different size of blood clots without shearing off.”

Other members of the Quickflow team are Dr. Mohammad Elahinia, professor of mechanical engineering, Hamdy Ibrahim and Reza Mehrabi. The coinventors of the device are Dr. Elahinia, Dr. Rajesh Gupta, assistant professor of medicine and an interventional cardiologist, and Dr. Christopher Cooper, professor of medicine, dean of the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences.

“Our goal is to help increase the number and scale up businesses in Ohio,” Dr. Sonny Ariss, Chair of the COBI Department of Management, told the winners.  “We are willing to support you, to provide free advice about how to spend, where to spend and when not to spend.  Your prize money is a major leap. Don’t underestimate yourself. Surround yourself with a great advisory board.”

“This year the Business Plan Competition had 22 total submissions with business plan ideas ranging from bioengineering to mechanical engineering to recreation and consumer related products,” Dr. Ariss added.

“Of the 22, seven semifinalists were selected for an oral presentation in front of the judges.”
Finishing in second place was the Fierce, by Tyler Ray, Rebecca Potts, Emily Wallace, Caren Aramouni and Therese Orsagos.  FIERCE is the Female Individual Ergonomically Re-designed Carrying Equipment (FIERCE), a new rucksack intended for female soldiers in all branches of the military. It intends to reduce the weight pot onto the spine and increase the weight on the hips through multiple innovations based on the biomechanics and anatomy of the female.

Finishing in third place was Retractor by Parisa Bayatimalayeri, Ahmadreza Jahadakbar, Mohammad Elahinia and E. Ishmael Parsai. The Rectal Retractor is a minimally invasive device to move the rectum away from the vicinity of the radiation field and also the path of the radiation beam allows for delivery of higher doses of radiation per fraction and shorter treatment days while eliminating the undesirable damage to the rectal tissue.

The COBI Business Plan Competition was open to all UT faculty, staff and students.  The first place $10,000 prize is sponsored by O-I; second place $5,000 prize is sponsored by Chuck and Ann Hodge Business Plan Competition Fund; and the third place $2,000 prize is sponsored by PNC Bank.

COBI Faculty members win awards and recognition

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

Dr. Hong joined UT 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’s expertise is in the implementation of supply chain management practices to build firms for domestic advantage and global competitiveness. Much of his work has been in the service sector, notably, U.S. health-care industries as well.

“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, who was selected as Fulbright Scholar in 2017, has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and three books. He received UT’s Outstanding Researcher Award in 2015.
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Amy O’Donnell has been selected as a Distinguished University Outstanding Lecturer.  The committee reviewed many excellent nominations and recognized Amy’s distinction as an educator, as advancing student learning, facilitating and supporting student success and demonstrating a commitment to the University’s educational mission.

O’Donnell teaches Career Development and Job Search Preparedness. As the College's Career Development Lecturer, her Amy's current emphasis is on Career Development I and II required career courses, and she supports the Business Career Programs Office with its function.

COBI Interim Dean Hassan HassabElnaby said, “This is the highest permanent honor the University bestows on a lecturer.  Amy is very deserving of this award and it speaks well for our College that in the University’s short two year history with this award, our lecturers have been selected in both years!  Impressive!”
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Deirdre Jones, director of the COBI Edward Schmidt School of Professional Sales,  received two honors recently: she was inducted as an honorary member of Blue Key for her dedication to the service of students and the general UT community, and Jones was named the recipient from among 45 nominees of the UT Lancelot Thompson Service to Students Award, which recognizes an individual who exemplifies what it means to be student-focused in their duties and who excels in providing service to students at The University of Toledo. This award is in recognition of Dr. Thompson’s motto, “Students First.”
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Dr. Margaret M. Hopkins’ (Department of Management) paper titled “How perceived riskiness influences the selection of women and men as senior leaders,” co-authored with Chantal van Esc, Deborah A. O'Neil, and Diana Bilimoria has been accepted for publication at the Human Resource Management, which is in the Financial Times Top 50 journal list (A+ journal.)
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Dr. Michael Mallin’s (Department of Marketing and International Business) paper "Power-Base Effects on Salesperson Motivation and Performance: A Contingency View," co-authored with Charles B. Ragland has received for Best Paper in Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing.  JBBM is A- journal in the college journal list.

Beta Gamma Sigma honor society inducts COBI students

Thirty-nine College of Business and Innovation students –ranging from undergraduate to graduate to PhD levels - - and one faculty member were inducted into the University of Toledo College of Business & Innovation ZETA of Ohio Chapter of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society on Sunday April 15 during a ceremony at Toledo’s Inverness Club.

This year’s COBI faculty inductee is Dr. Heba Y. Abdel-Rahim, Assistant Professor of Accounting.
Students inducted were:

DOCTORAL STUDENT - Nitya Singh;

GRADUATE STUDENTS - Ashmita Barua,  Neerar Jayan, Malachi Benesh, Maria Johar, Jacob Boyden, Amy Keister-Kobold, Lifei Chen, Curtis Lane, Christopher Farkas, Mahalakshmi Ravi, Chad Gottschalk, Jonathan Rethorn, Mitchell Howard, Christopher Riling

SENIORS - Tracy Keene, Waleed Salem, Martin Linthicum, Lindsey Wittenauer, Benjamin Prosak,

JUNIORS - Dylan Barr, Alexis Marok, Jamal Shaheen, Laurie Britt, Morgan Martin, Nicholas Skiba, Zachary Frame, Connor Mcguire, Natasha Snelling, Jonathan Gust, Cameron Mills, Madison Steiner, Tiffany Hatcher, Bevanne Pember, Brandon Stewart, Yana Khabina, Matthew Rower, Joseph Zickes, Troy Kozak

Beta Gamma Sigma is an exclusive business honor society established in 1913 and associated with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Beta Gamma Sigma is not a fraternity nor sorority, but an organization that recognizes academic excellence in business studies.

Beta Gamma Sigma members serve in corporate, entrepreneurial, government, non-profit, and academic sectors. Members currently reside in all 50 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. BGS was founded in 1913, and is the international business honor society for AASCB- accredited schools, which are the top 5% of business school programs around the world. Beta Gamma Sigma is a proud member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS).

Benefits of belonging to Beta Gamma Sigma include global connections, global recognition, lifetime value. Beta Gamma Sigma has inducted more than 830,000 outstanding business students into membership. Our members represent corporate, government, non-profit, educational, and other management positions at every level of responsibility. As an international honor society, BGS members currently reside in all 50 U.S. states and more than 190 countries around the world.

2018 Pacemaker Awards honor Alan Barry, outstanding UT business students

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation (COBI) and the Business Engagement and Leadership Council recognized both business and academic excellence during their 55th annual Pacemaker Awards on Friday, April 13 at the Inverness Country Club.

The 2018 Business Pacemaker award was presented to Alan H. Barry, a 1966 graduate of the University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation, is a certified public accountant, retired president and chief operating officer of the Fortune 200 company Masco Corporation, and a member of the UT Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Alan H. Barry

Barry joined Brass Craft Manufacturing Company in 1972 as controller and became president of the Masco division in 1988. In 1996, he became a group president of Masco, a manufacturer of home improvement and building products. He has broad business experience that includes finance, manufacturing, customer development, acquisitions and general operating management.

Barry currently serves on the board of directors of the H. W. Kaufman Financial Group. He is the retired director of Arch Aluminum & Glass Co. Inc., Scotts Miracle Gro Company, and IPS Corporation. He also served as an executive board member of the Plumbing Manufacturing Institute from 1985 through 2000, and as chairman of the Institute in 1994. In addition, Barry served on the executive board of the associate member division of the American Supply Association during 1995 and 1996.

Barry and his wife, Karen (UTCTC, ’64) have a history of philanthropy at The University of Toledo. In 2014, the University named a new accounting lab in the College of Business and Innovation for Alan Barry. At the time the lab was established, it was the first one nationwide to have a certified management accountant (CMA) license, in which students could access for free the CMA review material from Wiley, a leading provider of educational programs for professionals and students who are preparing for the CMA exam.

The Barrys also endowed the Alan and Karen Barry Scholarship Fund, which provides support for full-time UT business accounting students, based on both merit and needs. Alan Barry, a native of Toledo, is an active member of the UT Alumni Association’s Phoenix Chapter as well as being active in UT’s Blue Key organization, and also serves on the executive committee for the children’s charity Variety. In 2017 the Barrys donated a $1 million gift to establish an endowment that supports The Alan H. and Karen A. Barry Endowed Professorship in Accounting at The University of Toledo.

“Recipients of the Pacemaker Award over the past five decades read as a Who’s Who of current and legendary business leaders in the Toledo region,” said Dr. Hassan HassabElnaby, Interim Dean, UT College of Business and Innovation, "and Alan Barry certainly belongs in that impressive roster. The Pacemaker Award is the College of Business and Innovation’s highest honor, recognizing individuals for outstanding achievement in business as well as contributions to the community and the University. We are also pleased to recognize the excellence of students from each of our departments through the Student Pacemaker Awards.”

Student Pacemaker Awards are presented to UT College of Business and Innovation graduate and undergraduate students for their outstanding academic achievement, University and community service, and leadership. The 2018 student Pacemakers are:

Aanchal Senapati

Aanchal Senapati
Aanchal Senapati is a recipient of the MBA Pacemaker Award.  She is majoring in Information Systems and Operations Management and has a cumulative grade point average of 3.834. Aanchal is currently the Director of Live Event and Entertainment for Campus Activities and Programming, is a member of the Student Allocation Committee and is a past Treasurer of the International Student Association.  She has also been involved in the Indian Students Cultural Organization, the Second UT Kalahari International Leadership Conference, UT Leadership Conference, the Advanced Leadership Academy, the International Youth Academy, and a member of APICS.  She is serving as a graduate assistant in the College’s Business Career Programs Office and has Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and ITIL Foundation Certifications.  Her bachelors degree was received from VTU University in India where she served in positions with Cisco Systems and Tata Consultancy Services.  Aanchal is from India, can speak 5 languages and has lived in more than 15 cities and has visited 4 countries.

Mitchell Howard

Mitchell Howard
Mitchell Howard has also been chosen as an MBA Pacemaker Recipient.   He is majoring in Leadership and has a grade point average of 3.8 and will graduate this May.  Mitchell already holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from UT and as a graduate student he has been a member of the Advanced Leadership Academy, Beta Gamma Sigma, on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Pharmacist Association New Practitioner Network Transition, serves as an Ohio Delegate to the American Pharmacy Association, is a Faculty Adviser and Volunteer of the Ohio Pharmacist Association Legislative Day, a member of the OPA Emergency Preparedness Task Force, a Mentor for the APHA and APHA-ASP and the Student Volunteer Director and Pharmacist in Charge for the Community Care Clinic.  Mitchell has a wide range of activities, experience, journal publications and presentations.  He has been involved with the UT Medical Center, various pharmacies and has served on a Medical Mission to Guatemala and this June will travel to the Philippines on another Medical Mission.  Mitch enjoys the outdoors and traveling and in fact in August, back packed across Isle Royale National Park located in Lake Superior.

Tyler Hecht

Tyler Hecht
The Accounting Department has selected Tyler Hecht as its Master of Science in Accountancy recipient.  Tyler holds a 3.8 grade point average and is the current Vice President of Beta Alpha Psi, the current Becker Campus Ambassador, and has been involved with Alpha Kapa Psi as the Standards Board Chairman. He was also a member of the KLAR Leadership Academy.   Tyler has been a tax intern with Weber O’Brien and currently serves as a graduate assistant in the Accounting Department.  He has already passed one of the four parts of the CPA Exam.

Martin Linthicum

Martin Linthicum
Marty Linthicum has a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 and is a junior double majoring in Accounting and Political Science.  He is a member of Beta Alpha Psi and is also involved with UT Student Government, the Student Allocations Committee, the Institute of Management Accountants, the Student Legal Services and the Political Science Students Association.  Marty is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, was named the UT Student Government Executive Member of the year, was a presenter at the Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference and is a Student Ambassador to the College of Arts and Letters.  He is also a Student Tutor in the College of Business and Innovation.  In addition, Marty is an Eagle Scout and is proud of the work he completed with the Veterans Memorial Park to attain the Eagle Scout status.  Interestingly, Marty can recite all 15 federal executive cabinet positions.

Sarah Avina

Sarah Avina
Sarah Avina is a senior with a 3.5 grade point average double majoring in Accounting and Finance and minoring in Spanish.  She was chosen by the Accounting Department as one of its Student Pacemakers.  Sarah is the Service Chair for Beta Alpha Psi and a member of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society.  She is also a member of the KLAR Leadership Academy and a UT Academic Coach, is a recipient of the State Farm Insurance Scholarship, the Charles Sullivan Scholarship, a recipient of the BP Scholars Fund, a winner of the Shapiro Essay Contest, a member of the Spanish National Honor society and has consistently appeared on the Dean’s List.  She traveled to Spain with the UT Study Abroad Program.  She has also served as an IFS Start Intern with Pricewaterhouse Coopers and has been a Certified Volunteer Tax Preparer with United Way of Greater Toledo.  Sarah has studied abroad in Spain and is fluent in the Spanish language.

Alex Odenweller

Alex Odenweller
Alex Odenweller is a junior majoring in Financial Services with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.  He serves as the Recruiting/Communications Executive and Board Member of the Institute of Management Accountants, is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the Financial Management Association and the Habitat for Humanity.  He consistently appears on the President’s List and the Dean’s List and is a recipient of the Prestige Transfer Scholarship.  Alex has been an insurance agent, a legal intern, the head coach of the Delphos St. Johns 5th Grade Basketball team and currently is employed as a Finance Tutor in the O-I Tutoring Lab and works at Ameriprise Financial as an intern.  Last summer, Alex studied abroad in London and Berlin.

Brianne Michel

Brianne Michel
Brianne Michel was chosen by the Finance Department as its senior Student Pacemaker of the Year.  She is double majoring in finance and accounting and has a grade point of 3.9.  She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, was the Marketing Chair and Vice President of SHARP UT Investments, is a member of CHAARG and was a participant in the 2017 Accounting Professionals in Residence with Plante Moran.  Off-campus Brianne is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Toledo Young Professionals Network and EPIC Toledo.  Brianne consistently appears on both the President’s and Dean’s Lists, is a recipient of the Rockets Honors Award, a Hanf Scholarship, a Student Spotlight Honor and will graduate summa cum laude in May.  She has done all this while completing internships at Welltower, Plante Moran, Scottrade and while studying and sitting for sections of the CPA exam.  This summer, Brianne will run in 6 races, including 3 half marathons.

Brandon Stewart

Brandon Stewart
Brandon Stewart was chosen by the IOTM Department as a Student Pacemaker.  He is a junior majoring in Supply Chain Management and Information Systems with a 3.753 grade point average.  He resides in Cleveland, Ohio and is a distance learning student in our partner institution, Lorain County Community College, where is an Honors Associate of Applied Business.  His efforts are spent learning the material taught in class and in his spare time teaches himself python programming and plans to learn the R programming language next.  He has been on the President’s List and the Dean’s List, is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi.  He was a team leader for Eaton Corporation where he led a Rapid Improvement Event which saved the company 20-30 thousand dollars a year.  Brandon has climbed Mt. Washington in New Hampshire in perfect weather, has run a half-marathon, collects board games and played acoustic guitar for 7 years.

Lindsey Wittenauer

Lindsey Wittenauer
Lindsey Wittenauer is a senior double majoring in Information Systems and Management with a 3.953 grade point average.  She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, President of the Association of Information Technology Professionals, President of Golden Key International Honor Society, a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, a participant of the KLAR Leadership Academy, and a Peer Career Assistant.  She is a regular volunteer for the COBI Job Fair and the UT Invitational Sales Competition.  Also, she attended the UT Leadership Conference.  Lindsey has been an intern at Material Handling Services, Eaton Corporation, Toledo Lighthouse Church, was a participant in the Cleveland Leadership Program and a team member at Menards.  She has appeared on both the Dean’s List and the President’s List, was the student keynote speaker at the KLAR Graduation and was a homecoming queen nominee.  Lindsey has been a competitive baton twirler for most of her life and is now a certified baton judge for competitions.

Kathleen Kurman

Kathleen Kurman
The Management Department has chosen Kathleen Kurman as one of its Student Pacemakers.   Kathleen is a junior with a 3.7 grade point average who is double majoring in Human Resources and International Business.  She has been on the recruitment team for Pi Sigma Epsilon, has been the Secretary and Treasurer of the South American and Hispanic Students Association, a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the International Students Association and the Society for Human Resource Management.  In the community, Kathleen is involved with Creating Family Readers, St. Paul’s Community Center, Boys and Girls Club, PetSmart Charities and Adopt-a-Family.  She consistently appears on the Dean’s List, received an International Student Scholarship and an Honors Award.  She has participated in RocketThon and UT’s Big Event.  Kathleen was a Human Resources Intern for Dana and also for MaritzCX.  Kathleen speaks four languages: German, Spanish, English and French.  She is from Venezuela but has lived in 6 different countries.

Jenna Jeffers

Jenna Jeffers
Jenna Jeffers is a senior majoring in Human Resources.  She holds a 3.555 grade point average, is the Vice President of Finance for the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women and the New Member Professional Development Chair for Pi Sigma Epsilon.   She has participated in the Big Event, is a member of the Society for HR Management, the Vice President of Communications for Lambda Sigma, a member of Levis Leadership UT and Basketball intramurals.  Jenna is a volunteer for Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA.  She has appeared on both the President’s List and the Dean’s List and is a recipient of a Levis Leadership Award and a Savage National Merit Award.  She has participated in the Pi Beta Phi Leadership Institute and the China U.S. Rising Star Study Tour.  She has also served as an intern for Owens Corning in their Human Resources Talent Management area.  Jenna’s parents own a greenhouse and she can actually name a lot of flowers.

Haley Orr

Haley Orr
Haley Orr is a junior with a double major in Professional Sales and Organizational Leadership with a perfect grade point average of 4.0.  She has held various positions in Pi Sigma Epsilon such as New Member Service Chair, Executive Associate for the President, Prospective Member Training Assistant and the VP of Administration.  She is a Presidential Ambassador, is a competitor in the UT Invitational Sales Competition, and is a member of the Lambda Sigma National Honor Society.  She also is a competitor with UT Club Tennis.  Haley works with the organization Helping Other People Everywhere and is an assistant Basketball coach for 5th and 6th grade girls.  She consistently appears on the President’s List and the Dean’s List, placed third place in the UT Invitational Sales Competition, first place in the UT Internal Sales Competition and was on the Pi Sigma Epsilon national Future Leaders Team.  Haley could not be with us tonight as she is in San Diego competing at the National Conference/Competition for Pi Sigma Epsilon. Haley thrives on competition and enjoys competing on the UT Club Tennis team and in sales competitions.”

Amanda Martin

Amanda Martin
Amanda Martin is a senior majoring in Digital Marketing and minoring in Digital Art and Visual Communication with a grade point average of 3.845.  She is the President of the Searles Ambassadors, VP of Membership for Beta Gamma Sigma, the Vice President of the Family Business Student Association, a volunteer for the UT Invitational Sales Competition and a member of the American Marketing Association, CHAARG, Pay it Forward and the Rucking Club.  Amanda has also been involved with the Catholic Student Association, the Marketing Edge Collegiate Summit, the Youth Nations Global Leadership, the Toledo Air Show, Special Olympics Flag Football and the Cuyahoga Valley Alternative Spring Break.  She is a regular on the Dean’s List and the President’s List.  Amanda has been a Sales and Management Intern at Menards, a Special Events Intern at Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and an Orientation Leader for the UT Office of New Student Orientation.  Amanda is both a Presidential Service Award winner and a Jefferson Nobel Award winner.

Julia Foley

Julia Foley
Julia Foley is the Dean’s Award Recipient.  She is a senior double majoring in Information Systems and Management and holds a 3.7 grade point average.  Julia is the Treasurer and Vice President of the Association of IT Professionals, a student leader with the KLAR leadership Academy, Vice President of Programming for Beta Gamma Sigma, a student and national member of the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement and a student leader with the H20 Church.  She is a Peer Career Assistant and a student participant in the Ball State Case Competition.  She has consistently appeared on the Dean’s List, has received the Honors Award Scholarship, the OSFA Department Award, a Skilliter Memorial Scholarship and a Certificate of Achievement from the KLAR Academy.  Julia volunteers for the Howard Hanna organization and is a member of the SCLA Honors Society.  She has been an IT Intern with the FRAM Group in Perrysburg.  Julia plays guitar and bass guitar.