Category: Alumni Spotlight

Presidential Council of Alumnae Panel

We are pleased to announce that the School of Business and Economics will be hosting a panel discussion on Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 3:30 – 4:30 pm in the Memorial Union Building Alumni Lounge.  The panel is open to all members of the community.  Light refreshments will be served.

The panel will consist of members of the Michigan Tech Presidential Council of Alumnae.

This year’s panelist includes the following:

Denise Blankinship – Vice President, Strategic Projects, The Church Pension Group

Michele Blau – Senior Manager of IBM Cloud Engagement and Enablement

Marie Cleveland – Worldwide Account Manager, FedEx Services

Carrie Schaller – Business Process Director – Manufacturing Operations, Dow Chemical

Joyce Ten Haken – Manageing Partner/CPA, Ten Haken, Hinz & Company Accountancy Corporation

Moderators/facilitators for the panel discussion will include:

Suzanne Sanregret – Athletic Director, Michigan Tech

Dana Johnson – Professor of Supply Chain and Engineering Management, Michigan Tech

Darnishia Slade – Director of International Career Education, Michigan Tech

Justin Fitch Memorial Ruck

Last October, Michigan Tech alumni Justin Fitch lost his battle with cancer. Fitch graduated Cum Laude in 2005 with a BS in Business Administration and was commissioned as an Army Officer via Michigan Tech’s ROTC program.

To honor his memory, the Justin Fitch Memorial Ruck will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8. A ruck is a three, six, 12 or 22-hour march with weighted backpacks to symbolize the burdens veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other war-related illnesses carry every day.

Visit the Facebook page or sign up to begin fundraising.

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Robinsons Continue Philanthropy to SBE

By Mark Wilcox | Published May 3, 2016 

Michigan Tech School of Business and Economics Alumnus Ed Robinson and his wife Betty  have generously given to the SBE for 50 years. Their latest gifts benefit the School two ways, with an endowed fellow as well as physical improvements to the Academic Office Building that houses the SBE.
Ed Robinson graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1966. It’s been 50 years since he left campus, but the culture of philanthropy he fostered in the School of Business and Economics (SBE) will resonate far into the future.For more than 30 years Robinson and his wife Betty have generously given to the SBE. Last year the couple decided that what they’ve done in the past wasn’t enough and vowed to do more—much more.

Through the Robinsons’ philanthropy, the SBE will see significant improvements both academically and in the physical state of its building. What was initially an idea for renovation, ended up as a major improvement to the Academic Office Building, home of the SBE, and a planned bequest for the Edward and Betty Robinson Endowed Faculty Fellow in accounting. The bequest will fund what will be known as the “Robinson Fellow.”

Eric Halonen, Michigan Tech’s assistant vice president for advancement, said students are the beneficiaries of the Robinsons’ service and philanthropy.

“Ed and Betty are building the School of Business and Economics through two facets, with both a building renovation and the faculty fellow position,” he said.

Sam Tidwell Center

Dean Johnson, interim dean of the SBE, noted Robinson’s past dedication to the school, particularly his work as chair of the Tidwell Center Endowment Campaign. Named after the legendary late accounting professor Sam Tidwell, the Tidwell Center consists of endowment funds to support scholarships and direct student services.

“Ed’s guidance and his generous gift will ensure a lasting bond between legendary faculty like Sam Tidwell and those who will have the honor of serving as the Robinson Fellow,” Johnson said.

Ed Robinson said he and Betty want to continue to help the School that has given so much to them.

“We want to do our small part in helping SBE on to greater achievements for the benefit of students now and into the future.”Ed Robinson

“Sam Tidwell and other SBE faculty were a great inspiration to me,” he said. “We want to do our small part in helping SBE on to greater achievements for the benefit of students now and into the future.”

Betty Robinson also acknowledges Tidwell’s influence on her husband’s success. “Fifty years ago, Michigan Tech invested in my husband’s quality education. … He blames Professor Sam Tidwell for steering him into a public accounting career. From that investment by Michigan Tech, he enjoyed years in public accounting.”

Betty Robinson said her husband spent 22 years in public accounting and became Deloitte’s National Industry Director-Transportation as a partner. He also became chair of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Transportation Committee.

“In his career, he went on to become the chief financial officer of two regional railroads in the Midwest from their inception and continues to serve in that capacity,” Betty said.

Noting that faculty are key to student success, Johnson went on to say, “Ed’s gift will support and attract high-quality faculty who are the interface for the next generation of accountants.”

Johnson said the gifts are doing more than looking out for the future of the SBE.

Academic Office Building Renovation

“The Robinsons are making additional annual gifts in order to have an immediate impact,” he said. “As a result, renovations in the Academic Office Building have recently been completed. We anticipate filling the Robinson Fellow position in the near future.”

In addition to the Robinsons’ philanthropy, Ed Robinson continues to serve on the SBE Dean’s Advisory Council and the Accounting Advisory Council and is a member of the School of Business and Economics Academy.

The Robinsons are members of the McNair Society and the 1885 Society, and Ed is a life trustee of the Michigan Tech Fund, as well as a current member of the President’s Advancement Council.

“The Robinsons are a true ‘Michigan Tech family,’” Halonen said. “Ed and Betty’s son, Decha, is a 2006 graduate of the School of Business and Economics as well. Their service and philanthropic spirit are matched by only a very select few.”

Betty Robinson said it’s only fair they give to back to the institution that has meant so much to them.

“The investment by Michigan Tech paid off, and now it is time we returned a payback to the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech,” she said.

 

Robinson's photo

Agen (Fall 2015 Finance Grad) Signs Free Agent Deal with NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs

agen

Michigan Tech defensive lineman Tanner Agen signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent at the conclusion of the NFL Draft Saturday night.

Agen was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team as a senior after leading Michigan Tech in sacks (5.5) while finishing third on the team in tackles with 62. The Kaukauna, Wisconsin, native notched 137 tackles   during his four years with the Huskies – including 28 tackles for loss – and had 10 career sacks.

Agen and the Chiefs will begin rookie camps this month.

For more Michigan Tech Athletics, visit michigantechhuskies.com.

Alumni Spotlight – Maggie Chen

Maggie Chen ’04 recently presented at Goldman Sach’s Alternative Investment Conference in Hong Kong.  There were over 150 people in attendance, and her panel was highly ranked among attendees.

After completing her BS in Business Administration at Michigan Tech, Maggie earned her MBA from Yale University in 2010.  She has also spent time working at China’s SAFE Investment Company, AIG and Morgan Stanley before she assumed her current role as Head of Portfolio Management at Junson Capital Company Limited in Hong Kong.