Category: Alumni Spotlight

Career Success in Economics: Q&A with Jerrid Burdue

Photo of four people including Jerrid Burdue, Debbie Stabenow, Dean Johnson, Emanual Oliveira
During Jerrid’s tenure at Michigan Tech, he had a chance to present to policymakers in Washington about ideas for the future of retirement. From L to R: Jerrid Burdue, Senator (MI) Debbie Stabenow, Dean Johnson, Emanual Oliveira

Niles, Michigan, native Jerrid Burdue, a 2017 Michigan Tech economics graduate, shares about his outside-of-class involvement instilled confidence to secure a rewarding full-time position.

Career Success in Economics: Q&A with Brianna Turunen ’17

Brianna and colleagues at Career Fair
Back on home turf, Brianna (left) recruits with RS&H colleagues at Michigan Tech’s Career Fair (Image courtesy Brianna Turunen/RS&H)

Brianna (Koski) Turunen, from L’Anse, Michigan, graduated in 2017 from Michigan Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. She is the operations lead for civil engineering firm RS&H’s East region.

Second-Gen Involvement = Sweet Success(ion) for Family Business

strawberries
Following a bountiful strawberry season, Heidi’s will bring sweet cherries and blueberries to market. (Image courtesy Heidi’s Farmstand and Bakery)

Second-generation family businesses play a crucial role in family-owned enterprises’ stability and growth. As highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, the second generation can make or break a family business’s future. While they inherit a legacy, they also face extraordinary challenges, such as managing relationships, implementing changes, and establishing their own identity. Research from the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell emphasizes that only about 30 percent of family businesses survive into the second generation. This brings to focus the importance of effective succession planning. Second-generation family business leaders can create a lasting and prosperous tradition by leveraging their inherited wisdom and adapting to market changes. 

Ivy Stoller in front of Husky statue
Ivy Stoller ’23 celebrates earning her Michigan Tech degree. (Image courtesy Ivy Stoller)

As a native Michigander, Ivy Stoller was born in downstate Lowell and made the trip up north to Houghton to pursue her education. Ivy graduated from Michigan Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, concentrating in data analytics, in the spring of 2023. During her time at MTU, Ivy was active in various clubs and student organizations. She participated in Kappa Sigma Iota (KSI Accounting Club) and was a member of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helping with tax returns for fellow MTU students and local community members. Additionally, Ivy was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an honor society for business students. Beyond academic achievements, Ivy cherished her time at Michigan Tech as a period of personal growth and building lifelong friendships. 

Ivy’s family owns a business called Heidi’s Farmstand & Bakery located on 30 acres in southern Lowell. The family farm was founded in 1949 with many functions: raising cattle, running a dairy operation, and growing corn, soybeans, and wheat. Its business operations were started in 2006 by Ivy’s parents in collaboration with her mom’s brother. Later in 2007, the business was sold to Ivy’s twin uncles. Now, since Ivy has graduated, the family plans on changing it to a joint venture between the uncles, Ivy, and at least one of her siblings. 

Finding and Following Passion to First Job: Asia Motta ’22 ’23 Lands Dream Role with Covia Holdings

Asia Motta
Asia Motta ’22 ’23 began her career in May after graduating with her master’s degree from Michigan Tech in April.

Anastasia “Asia” Motta’s ’22 ’23 first post-college job happens to be everything she could have dreamed of. After earning her BS in engineering management in 2022, followed by achieving the Master in Engineering Management the following spring, Motta is now a Continuous Improvement Engineer with Oregon, Illinois-based Covia Holdings. Motta, from Rockford, Michigan, fills a brand new role for the sand mining company. Her position is tasked with evaluating mining operations and sand processing to identify inefficiencies, safety concerns, and areas for improvement. Then, she develops and manages collaborative projects focused on those key issues.

Husky Bites: Money Matters II—Student Strategies

Photo of Quinnipiac Award trophy
In 2022, students in Michigan Tech’s College of Business won first place (yet again) in the Quinnipiac University Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum XI portfolio competition—Undergraduate Value Portfolio division.

By: Kim Geiger

Jada Hamar, Luke Helsel and Jaharee Weah, all students in Michigan Tech’s Applied Portfolio Management Program, will share their knowledge on Husky Bites, a free, interactive Zoom webinar on Monday, 3/13 at 6 pm ET. Learn something new in just 30 minutes or so, with time after for Q&A! Get the full scoop and register at mtu.edu/huskybites

Master the stock market, but make it Tech.

screen capture of Zoom conversation with five people
Money Matters II” is a continuation of a previous session of Husky Bites, “Money Matters,” which took place on February 27. Read the first blog post, or watch a recording of the first session on youtube.

What are you doing for supper this Monday 3/13 at 6 p.m. ET? Grab a bite with Janet Callahan, College of Engineering dean, and Jada Hamar, Luke Helsel, and Jaharee—students in Michigan Tech’s Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP). Joining in will be Dean Johnson, dean of the College of Business at Michigan Tech. Dr. Johnson founded and directs the program.

Just how do Michigan Tech business students consistently win national competitions investing $2 million real money? We’ll find out during Husky Bites—from the students themselves.

Each year, Michigan Tech students are selected to lead APMP for one calendar year, managing real money in US stock and bond markets. Students are chosen based on demonstrated aptitude and leadership skills in the area of finance, accounting, and financial economic theory. 

In the 25 years since APMP’s founding, teams of Huskies have grown the portfolio into one of the top 50 undergraduate funds in the nation. Students in the program have opened the Nasdaq Stock Exchange and become regulars on CNBC. And although APMP is a for-credit class, the intensive experience often becomes much more of a commitment—and reward.

portrait of Luke Helsel
Luke Helsel ’24

Luke Helsel, who is earning his bachelor’s degree in finance at Michigan Tech, would like to enter into the asset management industry upon graduation, eventually working his way into private equity or hedge fund management. 

“The best part of APMP is that the program exposes students to a high end of financial and statistical topics,” Helsel says. “In addition to this, there is a large focus on applying the topics and ideas learned in APMP, rather than simply memorizing them.”

The most challenging part, and the most rewarding? “It’s the pressure of managing real money,” he adds. “In other programs, the trades are done ‘on paper’ and not executed in the real markets. The APMP provides a really unique opportunity to be able to manage actual dollars, because you get an emotional reaction from making or losing money. Managing this reaction and staying rational is one of the keys to good portfolio management. I’m very grateful to have learned this in college.”

During Husky Bites, Luke, Jada, and Jaharee promise to share their strategies. Dr. Johnson will join the session largely to serve as a co-host. 

As a PhD student in 1996, Dr. Johnson interviewed for his first faculty position at Michigan Tech with a very clear vision. “Right away, I intended to establish a portfolio management program for students.” Back then, giving college students a large sum of real money to manage in financial markets was a particularly novel—and perhaps risky—idea, and Michigan Tech was just the place. And there were alumni, donors, and Michigan Tech Fund board members helping along the way. Dr. Johnson became dean in 2016.

Luke, How did you first get into your chosen major/field? What sparked your interest?

I began as a general business student with a focus on entrepreneurship at Tech in 2020. Soon I changed my major to finance because I really enjoyed the material covered in classes. I’ve chosen to pursue investment finance because the work always changes; one day is always different from the next. In addition, investment finance is sort of like finding treasure, which I really enjoy. 

Family and hometown? 

I was born and raised on a Christmas tree farm in Bellaire, Michigan. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Lifting weights and reading are some of my year-round hobbies. I’m also a brother of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity on campus. 

Photo of Jada Hamar flanked by two dogs
Jada Hamar ’22

Jada, how did you first get into your field? What sparked your interest?

My dad attended Michigan Tech for finance. He’s a local banker. I didn’t initially want to follow in his footsteps until I took my first business class. I quickly realized that finance was the route I wanted to take. I enjoyed the challenge of the classes, and the number of career paths available with a finance degree was really exciting. I graduated from Michigan Tech with a BS in finance this past December. I accepted a position at Ameriprise Financial in Houghton. 

Hometown, family? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I feel lucky to have grown up in this area and be able to continue my education here, too. I am the oldest of six kids, with two younger brothers and three younger sisters. I enjoy time outdoors with my husband and our two dogs—skiing in the winter, and fishing in the summer. We have a five-year-old Goldendoodle, Arlo, and Indy, a seven-month-old yellow lab.

photo of Dean Johnson standing and smiling
Dean Johnson, dean of the College of Business at Michigan Tech

Dr. Johnson, how did you first get into your field? What sparked your interest?

I was fascinated by stock prices at a very young age. The flow of capital to fund firms providing the goods and services most in-demand by society is the key to improving the standard of living for all.

Hometown, family, hobbies?

I live here in Houghton, Michigan. I’m married with three children. I enjoy the outdoors and sports in my spare time.

About the College of Business

The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accountingbusiness analyticsconstruction managementeconomicsengineering managementfinancemanagementmanagement 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.