Michigan Tech College of Business Newsblog

Dai and Min Named Ten Haken Faculty Fellows

Published September 15, 2022

Following a recommendation approved by the Provost and President, the College of Business (COB) is pleased to announce that Jun Dai has been appointed as the Ten Haken Faculty Fellow in Accounting and Finance, and the Ten Haken Faculty Fellow in Business is Junhong Min.

“The College of Business is blessed with excellent faculty,” says Dean Johnson, dean of the College. “As such, a goal of the Ten Haken Faculty Fellows is to rotate these Fellows such that more faculty can be recognized and provided with a boost to their careers.

The COB has a goal of 50 percent of our faculty in funded faculty positions by 2035.
Dean Johnson, dean, Michigan Tech College of Business

Ten Haken Faculty Fellow in Accounting and Finance

Jun Dai’s most recent accomplishments include lecturing on “Teaching Blockchain to Accounting Students” at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Faculty Hour webinar in August, with more than 650 faculty colleagues from around the world in attendance.

Of the appointment, she says: “This offers tremendous support to my career from many perspectives—working with students on course tutors, establishing new student research projects, and traveling to conferences to share outcomes with academia and industry.”

Using the Ten Haken resource to support the local community through a new project that aims to identify social pathology through big data is also a goal for Dai.

Dai, who achieved her Ph.D. at Rutgers University and began at Tech as visiting faculty in 2018, is an assistant professor of accounting. Her research interests lie in applying new technologies such as blockchain, industry 4.0, and data analytics in the auditing profession. Her teaching foci include accounting systems, accounting analytical methods, and business database management. She also serves as the associate editor of the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting and an editorial board member of the Journal of Information Systems.

In July, Dai chaired the 31st Annual Research Workshop on Strategic and Emerging Technologies in Accounting, Auditing, and Tax, held in San Diego.

She received the 2021 American Accounting Association Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Award for a research article titled “Toward Blockchain-Based Accounting and Assurance.” In it, she explores how blockchain technology could reengineer the existing accounting and auditing procedures to make them more transparent, intelligent, and automated.

Ten Haken Faculty Fellow in Business

Junhong “Jun” Min, led students in a hands-on market research project that, through the study of digital metrics, directly benefited COB’s brand positioning and fall website refresh. As advisor of the American Marketing Association student organization, Min, an associate professor of marketing, mentors students through sales and digital marketing competitions in regional conferences, and hosts networking events with industry experts from leading companies.

“The Ten Haken Fellowship provides new experiential learning opportunities for students, including alumni networking, community service, local marketing internships, and student-led research projects,” Min says.

The fellowship helps bridge the gap between academia and practitioners in the industry.
Jun Min, associate professor of marketing, Michigan Tech College of Business

Min was a finalist for the 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award, a reflection of his expertise and passion for leading hands-on marketing courses—including Principles of Marketing, Marketing Data Analytics, Sales and Sales Technology, and B2B Marketing in a Digital Age. He studies the relationship governance problems that threaten a firm’s long-term success and growth. He has presented potential solutions in a variety of journal publications, including the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Business Ethics, as well as national and international conferences such as the American Marketing Association, the Society for Marketing Advances, and the Decision Sciences Institute.

His analysis, conducted with Matt Monte of Houghton-based Monte Consulting, earned the award for best paper at the Society for Marketing Advances conference in Orlando, Florida. Using more than 12,000 ratings and reviews collected from IMDb.com, the pair identified factors causing inconsistencies between online ratings and reviews. Their work aims to contribute to the understanding of sponsorship marketing performance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lasting Ten Haken Impact

The Ten Haken Faculty Fellows were established in 2017 through the support of Joyce and Richard Ten Haken, COB accounting alumni. Prior to the appointment of Dai and Min, Jeff Wall, associate professor of management information systems, and Sheila Milligan, associate teaching professor of accounting, fulfilled the roles from 2019 to 2022. “Sincere appreciation is extended to both Sheila and Jeff for their depth of service to the fellowships,” says Johnson. “We look forward to the new endeavors Dr. Dai and Dr. Min establish during their term as Ten Haken Fellows.”

About the College of Business

The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, 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.

Incoming Husky Wins Parade of Nations Essay Contest

Published August 11, 2022

By Shannon Rinkinen

Uncategorized

Incoming Michigan Tech College of Business student, Aidan Holley

Aidan Holley, 18, has won the Parade of Nations essay contest on multiculturalism. He will receive a $1,000 scholarship to Michigan Tech, where he will study engineering management starting this fall.

Multiculturalism is a fact of life for Holley, who lives in Baraga, Michigan. “I have lived in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community most of my life,” Holley explains. “Half of my graduating class at Baraga High School was tribal.”

The Parade of Nations essay contest was open to high school seniors who plan to go to Michigan Tech. It asked two questions:

What does multiculturalism mean to you?
Why does it matter to you, to your community, to our country, to the world?

In his essay, Holley writes: “In my community, Baraga County, this concept is especially important to understand. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community lies within the area, and Baraga’s culture can be divided mainly into two different groups: Yoopers with Finland in their blood and Native Americans who have been on this land for centuries. For the most part, we get along well together. But there are times that it can get problematic, because multiculturalism is a mostly unknown and foreign concept for much of our populations. If both groups put multiculturalism into effect for Baraga, it would create a more welcoming environment for either group to be more open to each other, spreading even more culture to each other without the worries of being slandered.”

As for the importance of multiculturalism to the country and the world, Holley says: “My definition of multiculturalism is to have a better understanding of the people who surround us in our world. To me, it is really important to be able to harness this major ability, as it helps connect people from multiple different regions of the globe. For example, in a workplace, having workers who are American, Italian, Kenyan, Russian, Japanese, and/or Brazilian in the same area helps create diversity, which helps each culture to understand the other. Using this example all over the world would create an alliance of hundreds of different backgrounds and traditions and unite them together into one large hub that anyone can learn from.”

Aidan goes on to say: “Our country is another good example of why multiculturalism is important to understand. It does happen in some areas of the United States, but only on certain occasions and in certain areas of the country. If it happened all over our society, it would create a much more accepting environment to be able to share whatever culture someone belongs to with a different culture.”

The valedictorian of his class at Baraga High, Holley has won more than 20 scholarships. He was inducted into the National Honor Society in 10th grade. He also served on the student council.

Both Parade of Nations contest winners this year were from Baraga. Chiara Rapacci, an exchange student from Italy, won the logo design contest. Holley is not surprised. “It reflects on the teachers at Baraga High School,” he says. “I can’t say enough good about the teachers there.”

Business Huskies Earn First in International Portfolio Competition

Published June 19, 2022

By Shannon Rinkinen

Students in Michigan Technological University’s College of Business have won first place in the Quinnipiac University Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum XI portfolio competition—Undergraduate Value Portfolio division.

The students—Carissa Beyer, Kyle Clow, Ben Diercks, Brette Eychner, Brandon Malburg, Tyler Sepanik, and Irene Trierwieler—are members of the Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP) and competed virtually representing Team Gold.

“It is a great recognition for this year’s team to carry on the rich tradition of APMP here at Michigan Tech by again winning the GAME Forum competition.”
Dean Johnson, dean, Michigan Tech College of Business, and founder of APMP

This is the eighth time APMP has won GAME Forum, which is the largest student-run financial conference in the world. The competition, held annually each spring, offers participants the rare opportunity to discuss and debate financial best practices with world-renowned industry leaders. More than 1,700 students attend from 140 colleges and universities across the globe. Michigan Tech has been attending the GAME Forum since its inception and its predecessor conference since 2001.

Huskies Stayed True to Investment Policy

During the year-long competition, Huskies were challenged to analyze factors including the economy, cash flow, earnings, and subscriber-based valuations, and to identify intrinsic value and mispriced assets. Joel Tuoriniemi, a professor of practice in accounting who co-instructs APMP, says the winning team was consistent in applying their philosophy in a dynamic investing environment.

“The gold team considered the impacts on portfolio holdings due to macro-level events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, inflation, and the war in Ukraine,” Tuoriniemi says.

The team’s goal from the outset was to stick to its investment philosophy in a manner that would allow it to generate alpha, or “beat the market,” and they were able to do so both with the fixed-income and equity components of the portfolio.

group photo of students in APMP — 2021-22 Applied Portfolio Management Program students

Tech’s Applied Portfolio Management Program

Each year, Michigan Tech students are selected to lead APMP for one calendar year, managing more than $2 million in 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.

“APMP gave me a one-of-a-kind immersive experience where team building, portfolio management, and financial responsibility were paramount.”
Tyler Sepanik, Michigan Tech APMP portfolio manager

About the College of Business

The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, 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.

COB Faculty Earn Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Published June 7, 2022

By Shannon Rinkinen

photo of four MTU business faculty with plaques — L to R: Ulrich Schmelzle, Sheila Milligan, Junhong Min, Jeff Wall

This spring, two College of Business (COB) faculty members—Jeff Wall, associate professor of management information systems, and Sheila Milligan, associate teaching professor of accounting—received the Provost’s Award for Sustained Teaching Excellence.

Provost’s Award for Sustained Teaching Excellence

The Provost’s Award for Sustained Teaching Excellence was established in 2020 with a goal of recognizing instructional personnel who have been nominated as finalists for the Michigan Tech Distinguished Teaching Award four or more times. Both the provost and the deans recognized that faculty consistently delivering exceptional instruction to students over many years are worthy of special distinction.

The awards include a plaque and $1,000 in additional compensation and were presented at the Academy of Teaching Excellence event. Each recipient is also considered a member of the Distinguished Teaching Academy, an elite group with an established reputation for excellent teaching.

“Congratulations to Sheila and Jeff!! This is a terrific recognition for their dedication to our students,” says Mari Buche, COB associate dean.

Provost Jacqueline Huntoon adds, “For as long as I can remember, we Michigan Tech faculty have prided ourselves on providing quality educational experiences for our students. The Provost’s Award for Sustained Teaching Excellence was designed to recognize faculty members who have received accolades from their students and colleagues over the course of many years. Faculty like this year’s awardees are doing things that we can all learn from—and they are helping to make Michigan Tech a great place for students to learn.”

View a list of all recipients.

Academy of Teaching Excellence

Also this spring, Ulrich Schmelzle, assistant professor of supply chain and operations management, was honored in person for his 2020 induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. Junhong (Jun) Min, associate professor of marketing, was similarly celebrated this year for his 2021 induction into the Academy, which was established in 1998 to recognize those who have demonstrated continued dedication to and support of the University’s teaching mission. Academy membership is comprised of finalists for the annual Distinguished Teaching Awards and the Fredrick D. Williams Instructional Innovation Award.

“We are all proud of Drs. Schmelzle and Min. The College of Business has built a culture to consistently deliver high-quality teaching by the entire faculty,” says Dean Johnson, COB dean.

See the complete list of recipients.

About the College of Business

The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, 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.

2022 Student Leadership Awards Recipients

Published May 28, 2022

By Shannon Rinkinen

Outstanding students, staff, and alumni were honored during Michigan Tech’s 28th annual Student Leadership Awards Ceremony organized by Student Leadership and Involvement. The College of Business (COB) was represented in three of the award categories: Rising Star of the Year, Most Improved Student Organization, and Student Organization Advisor of the Year. Congratulations to all of the COB winners:

Rising Star of the Year—Jaylen Body, Michigan Tech management student

The Rising Star of the Year award recognizes a student who has shown great potential for leadership and has attempted to develop themselves personally in everything they do. Criteria includes being a full-time first- or second-year Michigan Tech undergraduate student in good conduct and academic standing.

Body was nominated by four people, who had this to say about the first-year Husky:

“From the beginning, Jaylen got involved with the McNair Hall Association as an Inter-Residence Housing Council (IRHC) representative. When IRHC had a treasurer position open up, Jaylen ran for the role and was elected unanimously by his peers.

“He worked in a thorough and precise manner to make sure he was doing what needed to be done for the organization.”

“Jaylen attended LeaderShape to help him grow into his leadership positions and is always keeping an eye out for HuskyLEAD sessions to attend as well. He also works at the Student Development Complex (SDC) Ticket Office, where he goes above and beyond to help out.”

“Jaylen brought up the concern of needing more streetlights between the SDC and Daniell Heights, so students walking at night would feel safer. The project is now underway by the Undergraduate Student Government and the Michigan Tech Grounds staff.”

“He is also a member of the Black Students Association, and with all this involvement has maintained an amazing GPA and is a great friend.”

“Jaylen helped fundraise $4,850 in the last six months, so DECA members could attend the state and national conferences.”

“He prepared practice exams and helped coordinate a workshop with a DECA alumna. All of Michigan Tech’s DECA students placed in their competitive events at states, and four of the students competed at the national level, in part because of Jaylen’s leadership.”

Most Improved Student Organization — Collegiate DECA

Members of Collegiate DECA — Members of Michigan Tech Collegiate DECA

Most Improved Student Organization is awarded to a registered Michigan Tech student organization that has demonstrated growth and adaptability when faced with challenges, allowing them to overcome obstacles and achieve success.

After a five-year hiatus and a student-led reactivation this year, all 12 Collegiate DECA members at Michigan Tech placed at the State Career Development Conference and four traveled to the International Career Development Conference, where two Huskies became international finalists in their events.

DECA students major in a variety of academic programs with a strong focus on business-related fields. Collegiate DECA conferences and other activities give students unique access to internships, scholarships, competition, and professional networking. Follow MTU DECA’s success on Instagram @mtu_deca.

Student Organization Advisor of the Year—Jenny Apriesnig, assistant professor of economics and Michigan Tech Collegiate DECA advisor

The Student Organization Advisor of the Year award recognizes the advisor of a registered Michigan Tech student organization who engages and motivates the organization’s membership through their participation. They are also respected by the members of the organization.

Nominators said this about Apriesnig:

“Jenny was not at all familiar with DECA in the beginning of the fall semester, yet she has taken on this role to learn and support each member. She traveled with us to the state competition and was very encouraging.”

“I know I have Jenny in my corner pushing me forward with her kind words that motivate me to continue achieving my goals.”

“She held one-on-one talks with students, getting to know them and offering exceptional advice catering to their personal success in DECA and in life.”

Departmental Scholar—Jaxon Veroff, Michigan Tech marketing student

Each academic department nominates one student to represent their department as its Departmental Scholar. From the collective departments, one student is selected to receive this award.

Veroff’s nomination included these excerpts:

“Jaxon was one of three student members of the Michigan Tech Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) who placed third after competing in the regional conference.”

“He received four internship offers from industry-leading companies—General Motors, Kimberly Clark, Caterpillar, and Dow Chemical.”

“Jaxon is a senior residential assistant at East McNair Hall and the president of the American Marketing Association. He has been instrumental in organizing professional speakers.”

Nominations for next year’s Student Leadership Awards will open in early February 2023. Save the date for the 29th annual celebration, which will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, April 14, in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom.

View all the awards.

About the College of Business

The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, 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.