Congratulations to Fiona Chow, recipient of the Management Information Systems (MIS) Alumni Scholarship. The MIS Alumni Scholarship is an endowed scholarship created and funded by College of Business MIS graduates. Selection criteria include being an MIS major (or dual major) with a strong academic standing, a demonstrated commitment to the degree program, and professional communication skills.
“Being honored with this scholarship makes my final semesters at MTU much more meaningful. With the support of this scholarship and our alumni, I feel confident in my ability to fully focus on academics while giving back and making an impact through campus involvement,” Chow says. 
The fourth-year MIS student, who will graduate in December 2022, is interning this summer as a data engineer with Polaris, Inc. Chow is researching and integrating a new weather data source into the powersports leader’s analytics database and creating an application to better understand supplier capacity information, while learning new programming languages including SQL and R.
Jeff Wall, associate professor of MIS, says that Chow is ambitious, focused, and driven—with a bright future ahead. Her career interests include data analytics, data science, brand management, entrepreneurship, and research and development. She says that she is a curious person who is interested in learning about ways to bring people and solutions together through technology. 
On-campus, Chow serves as project manager of SENSE Enterprise (Strategic Education Through Naval Systems Experiences). She is responsible for overall Enterprise strategy, leadership, direction, and growth. She is also an Orientation Team Leader, a founding member of the MTU Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) chapter, a College of Business student ambassador, IRHC broomball player, and participant in swing club lessons and Ridge Roamer climbs.
About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.
Since graduating from Michigan Tech with a dual major in management and sports and fitness management in 2017, Jamie Dompier has completed a dual master’s program in sport leadership and business administration at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she discovered her passion in college athletic business administration.
Now Dompier, a native “Yooper,” has landed a role with the Aggies athletic department at Texas A&M University. As a business coordinator in internal operations, she handles the finances of the department, overseeing travel expenses, managing the travel reconciliation process, and auditing the travel approvals.
“I am grateful to be starting my career in college athletic business administration and I look forward to continuing to learn in my role and grow,” Dompier says.
During her undergraduate years as a Husky, she was a sprinter on the women’s track and field team. She is still a part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relay record-holding teams and holds the 200-meter record. Dompier earned GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honors for three seasons and was a recipient of the NCAA 2017-18 Division II Degree-Completion Award.
About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.
Fourth-year management information systems (MIS) major Chris Arbuckle is the 2020-21 Outstanding Man in Business. 
The Lake Orion, Michigan, native serves as vice president of the Organization for Information Systems, treasurer of Phi Kappa Tau, vice president of administration for the Interfraternity Council, a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society, and was an Orientation Team Leader. He says that being involved in these campus organizations has given him opportunities to work with others, developing the leadership skills required for the future.
As an MIS student, Arbuckle has applied his classroom knowledge into a company website, consulted for a local business, and created a database for his fraternity to better manage membership information.
One of Arbuckle’s MIS professors, Jeff Wall, had this to say: “Chris is an excellent student and an active participant in the campus community. He demonstrates vision and carefully plans his path toward the future. He’s developing into an amazing leader.”
This summer Arbuckle is interning with 3M in the Transformation, Technologies, and Services program where he’ll be working with cloud computing migration. Upon graduating next spring, he plans to pursue a career in business analytics, using his skills and experiences to find technical solutions for business needs.
Outside of his academic and career experiences, Arbuckle enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, and being outdoors.
About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.
Fourth-year management information systems (MIS) major Macy Pawielski is the 2020-21 Outstanding Women in Business. Originally from Marquette, Michigan, Pawielski says choosing Michigan Tech has been one of the best decisions she’s ever made. 
“I’ve not only had amazing career and leadership opportunities, but I’ve made friendships and professional connections—it’s beyond anything I could have imagined for my college career,” she says.
During her time in the College of Business, she restarted the Organization for Information Systems (OIS) Enterprise, providing fellow MIS students with networking opportunities while developing a close-knit community within the major. Today, Pawielski is president of OIS and serves on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. She is also a member of the Women in Computer Science organization and has been named to the Dean’s List every semester.
Jeff Wall, associate professor of MIS in the Michigan Tech College of Business, says, “Macy is an outstanding student and leader on and off campus. She has demonstrated time and time again that through her passion and dedication she can make things happen. Macy will have a strong career as a leader in industry.”
Pawielski has interned at 3M for two summers—once within the IT optimization team, followed by a role on the enterprise data quality team.
“I’m very proud of all I have accomplished over my years here at Michigan Tech and I’m honored to receive such a prestigious award.”
About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.
Enthusiastic, inspirational, and adaptable are how William Breffle’s students describe the economics professor and are attributes they felt worthy of the 2020-21 Michigan Technological University College of Business Teacher of the Year honor.
One student noted, “I have had Dr. Breffle for many courses. He cares about students, cares about the curriculum, and offers exquisite insight. The way he relates coursework to current events and trends is fantastic. He’s the best professor I have had at Michigan Tech.”
William “Bill” Breffle is an applied microeconomist specializing in environmental economics. Prior to joining Michigan Tech in 2007, he conducted economics research for Natural Resource Damage Assessments at Superfund sites.
Given the adaptations campus made during the pandemic, many of the undergraduate students who voted described Breffle’s ability to maintain a high level of teaching both in-person and over digital platforms, with one student saying: “He’s the best teacher I’ve had over Zoom. He always wants to lead students to the answer and loves class participation.”
Another student confirmed: “Dr. Breffle shows up to every class ready to teach. His enthusiasm is infectious and gives students energy to participate in class. It is clear he has a deep understanding of the material he teaches.”
Dean Johnson, dean of the College of Business, adds: “Dr. Breffle has consistently provided excellence in the classroom. We are pleased to be able to recognize him this year in the face of disruptions to the teaching environment.”
Breffle has published more than 25 research papers and 20 technical reports. Two of his journal articles have been selected for the International Library of Environmental Economics and Policy book volumes as “important and influential essays.” Another publication co-authored by Breffle is listed among the top 200 “most influential” research papers in the discipline of environmental and ecological economics.
His research focus is on the Great Lakes and their broader ecosystems that help shape the industries, recreation, and culture of the people who live near them. Breffle’s work aids in the development of policy management tools that sustain and protect the environmental and human-use services provided by these critical resources. He frequently involves students in his research activities.
This is not the first time Breffle has been lauded for his teaching. In 2014, he was selected as the first-ever Props for Profs recipient. In 2015, Breffle was selected as a finalist for the campus-wide Distinguished Teaching Award—the University’s highest teaching honor—and he was inducted into the Michigan Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence. In 2018, Breffle was inducted by the College of Business into the business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma.
About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.