New School of Business and Economics Faculty Awards Recognize Research, Service

The bronze Husky dog statues sits in the center of Michigan Tech's campus. At its annual faculty retreat last week, Dean Johnson, dean of the School of Business and Economics (SBE), presented for the first time awards for excellence in research and service. Dana Johnson, professor of supply chain and engineering management, was the recipient of the research award. Johnson will receive funding toward faculty development for her current stream of research to predict which patient psychometric attributes and demographic variables impact overall patient experience. This will extend prior research by working with Aspirus Keweenaw who utilizes the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. 

Joel Tuoriniemi, professor of practice in accounting, was acknowledged for his dedication to service. “There are many deserving faculty members in SBE who work to advance our strategic vision. I am fortunate to be surrounded by motivated students who demand a rigorous experience and serve as ambassadors. It makes my job promoting the Master of Science in Accounting program to future Huskies and employers that much more rewarding,” says Tuoriniemi.

In addition to the new honors in research and service, the School each year recognizes exemplary teaching. The addition of two new awards promotes the hard work School of Business and Economics faculty dedicate to blending business and technology curriculum to meet student and industry needs of the future.

“Faculty have expectations in the realms of teaching, research, and service. These new awards are designed to recognize faculty leaders in the School of Business and Economics,” says Dean Johnson.

Internship Spotlight: Rachel Chard at L’Oreal

Supply Chain and Operations Management major, Rachel Chard ’18, interned with L’Oreal USA this summer. The cosmetics group operates in more than 140 countries, providing hair care, skin care, and makeup through a portfolio of 34 brands including Maybelline, L’Oreal Paris, Urban Decay, and Garnier.
Michigan Tech student Rachel Chard poses in the L'Oreal USA office.
Chard, who will graduate in December 2018, finds professional value in her business education rooted in a STEM university.

Internship Spotlight: Jackson Pundt at Canadian National Railway

Fourth-year management major (supply chain and operations management concentration) Jackson Pundt is interning with the Canadian National Railway this summer. His classes in the Michigan Tech School of Business and Economics help him add value to the company while navigating corporate culture.

Fourth-year Jackson Pundt got on-the-job handMichigan Tech student Jackson Pundt stands at his internship post with Canadian National Railway.
Fourth-year management student Jackson Pundt is getting on-the-job hands-on experience interning with Canadian National Railway.

Graduate Student Spotlight: Creating the Future of Natural Resource Economics in Mining

Josephine Amponsem, a master’s student in Applied Natural Resource Economics in the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech, is working alongside Emanuel Oliveira, assistant professor of economics, building a socioeconomic database with more than one million observations on factors impacting entrepreneurship. In addition to collating and cleaning data, Amponsem is using Stata, an econometric software for analyzing huge amounts of economic data.

Amponsem is also gaining hands-on experience working with Latika Gupta, assistant professor of economics, collecting and mapping data on energy efficiency in the steel industry. “We ask ourselves what is the data telling us, and how can it be used to make economic decisions,” Amponsem says.

Michigan Tech graduate student Josephine Amponsem
School of Business and Economics graduate student Josephine Amponsem takes a research break outside the Academic Office Building.

Michigan Tech Students Earn Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt

The following Michigan Technological University students successfully completed the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB) examination and are now Certified. Though not a requirement, there were eight students who took the exam, with a 100-percent successful completion. This accomplishment is attributed to the revamping of the Operations and Supply Chain Management Six Sigma Fundamentals course, integrating more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) content while focusing on behavioral and technical dimensions of quality management, a skill in demand by employers.

Michigan Tech has 17 student-members of ASQ and became an official student branch this spring.

Name Major Hometown
Shan Amarmani Engineering Management Bacolod City, Philippines
Timothy Bart Engineering Management Brighton, MI
Bruce Brunson Jr. Biomedical Engineering Detroit, MI
Hailey Huyser Engineering Management Mokena, IL
Kyle Huyser Engineering Management Middleville, MI
Ryan Larson Engineering Management Grand Rapids, MI
Gabriela Mayorga Engineering Management Grand Rapids, MI
Keaton Thames Engineering Management Highland Ranch, CO