Michigan Tech College of Business Newsblog

Category: Academics

Field Trip to Northern Hardwoods Sharpens Students’ Six Sigma Skills

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Seven Michigan Tech students in hardhats listen as a manager at Northern Hardwoods explains operations during a tour at a nearby regional lumber mill as part of a College of Business field trip.
From left are Ryan LaPorte, Northern Hardwoods operations manager; and fall 2024 Fundamentals of Six Sigma class members Kiran Sapali, Dalin Adle, Logan Laughrey, Rohit Bhilave, Patrick Moeller, Stevans Ackon, and Hunter Bilgreen. (Image courtesy Roger Woods)

Case studies in operations management are better in person. For the fifth year, Roger Woods has taken his students to Northern Hardwoods in nearby Atlantic Mine as a way to bring what they’re learning into real-world application.

Woods, a teaching professor in operations management, makes the opportunity available to his Fundamentals of Six Sigma course. He said the tour was particularly helpful for the fall 2024 class.

“Their final case study was based on a lumber mill, so having some firsthand knowledge could be helpful as they worked through it and analyzed the data,” he said.

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Business Degrees Add Up to Success for New Grads

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Four soon-to-be graduates stand near a sign that says Accounting in their caps and gowns at Michigan Tech graduation.
From left, accounting majors Jason Pleau, Amber Tuttle, Faith Nayback, and Chris Berard prepare to walk in Michigan Tech’s 2024 Midyear Commencement ceremony.

Nearly 50 College of Business (COB) students marked a major milestone in their lives on Saturday as Michigan Tech staged its 2024 Midyear Commencement ceremony. In the lineup section reserved for graduating business students, four accounting majors were the first to arrive—a fact that surprised none of them.

“I mean, we are accountants,” said Jason Pleau. For Pleau and his fellow accounting graduates, the job opportunities are as predictable as their purported tendency to arrive prepared and on time. The accounting program has a 92 percent job placement rate.

“Once you have your degree, what you can do is pretty broad. You can choose your niche,” said Pleau, who will begin his career at Schneider National, working in internal audit.

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College of Business Graduate Programs Info Session Is Nov. 14

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Two graduate students in the Michigan Tech College of Business discuss advanced degree programs while looking at a laptop computer.
The College of Business offers four advanced degree programs, including accelerated and online options.

If you’re thinking about pursuing a master’s degree, you’re invited to attend an information session about College of Business graduate programs. The session takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 14 in Academic Office Building 101. It will include details about coursework, application requirements, and accelerated and online programs. Pizza and beverages will be served.The College of Business graduate programs that will be discussed include:

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Elham Asgari and Co-Authors Win Tariq Farid Franchise Institute Award for Best Paper

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Elham Asgari, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship in the College of Business, and co-authors Richard A. Hunt and S. M. Abidul Islam were awarded the Tariq Farid Franchise Institute Award for Best Paper on the Topic of Franchising at the 2024 Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC). The award will be presented at the 2025 BCERC Conference, June 4-7 at Babson College.

The award-winning paper is titled, “Franchising in the Metaverse: Entrepreneurial Pathways for Virtual and Mixed Reality.” An abstract of the paper is below.

Asgari’s research interests include corporate entrepreneurship, technological innovations, star employees, and the small satellite industry. She is a Charles C. and John G. Gates Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

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American Marketing Association Students Compete At Regional Conference

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Michigan Tech AMA students (L-R) Lydia Sterly, Olivia Perry, Ruby Walker, Tessa Baker, Maia Nelson, Jaylen Body, and Micah Volger at the 2024 AMA Regional Conference

College of Business students from the Michigan Tech chapter of the American Marketing Association were among 400 students from over 30 universities who participated in competition at the 2024 AMA Regional Conference on October 23, 2024, at University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

In the Digital Marketing Strategy Competition Micah Vogler (marketing) and Jaylen Body (management) were finalists.

In the Marketing Strategy Competition, Olivia Perry (marketing), Maia Nelson, and Lydia Sterly (marketing) were finalists.

In the Gatekeeper Competition, Ruby Walker (marketing) was a finalist and she and took home fourth place overall.

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