Tag: School of Business and Economics

SBE Student Wins National Essay Competition

By Mark Wilcox

A promotion used at his financial institution, provided the inspiration a Michigan Technological University undergraduate needed to take the top prize in a prestigious national essay competition.

For the past four years, teams from Michigan Tech’s School of Business and Economics had advanced to the finals of the iOme Challenge. In 2012 the SBE team took home Honorable Mention and a $2,000 prize. Finally this year, a Husky has emerged as the champion.

Jerrid Burdue has been named winner of the iOme Challenge for his essay and innovative video focused on federal government proposals related to education requirements, the myRA program, Social Security taxes and the Saver’s Credit.

As a result of the win, the third-year student from Niles, Michigan, was awarded the top prize of $5,000 and will travel to Washington, D.C. later this month to present his essay at the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) Forum.

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Jerrid Burdue

Dr. Emanuel Xavier-Oliveira Featured Across the Web

Dr. Emanuel Xavier-Oliveira (SBE) and other professors of economics from universities such as Purdue and Yale were asked by the financial web site WalletHub to comment on growth strategies that state economies can adopt in order to improve or return to full capacity. It was part of a WalletHub report just released on the states with the best and worst economies. News of the report has been picked up by Forbes and CBS News, among others.

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Dr. Dana Johnson Receives ASQ’s 2016 Gryna Award

Dr. Dana Johnson was honored for her contributions in Quality this spring by the American Society for Quality.  She received ASQ’s 2016 Gryna Award for co-authoring the paper, “SEM of Service Quality to Predict Overall Patient Satisfaction in Medical CLinics: A Case Study,” published in 2015 in Quality Management Journal, Vol. 22,  No. 4 pp. 18-36.  The ASQ Gryna Award is for the largest single contribution to the extension of understanding and knowledge of the philosophy, principles, or methods of quality management.  Dr. Johnson’s co-author, Dr. Roberta S. Russel, is a Professor of Business Information Technology at Virginia Tech.  Both authors thank Elizabeth MacInnes, V.P. Quality, UP Health Systems Portage and James Bogan, UP Health Systems Market President for providing access to the data necessary to complete this research.

About ASQ

ASQ is a global community of people dedicated to quality who share the ideas and tools that make our world work better. With millions of individual and organizational members of the community in 150 countries, ASQ has the reputation and reach to bring together the diverse quality champions who are transforming the world’s corporations, organizations and communities to meet tomorrow’s critical challenges. Celebrating 70 years in 2016, ASQ, with its world headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, operates regional centers in the U.S. and Canada, North Asia, South Asia, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Learn more about ASQ’s members, mission, technologies and training by visiting the ASQ webpage.

 

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SBE Student in Finals of National Essay Competition

An entry from Michigan Tech’s School of Business and Economics (SBE) has been named a finalist in the iOme Challenge, a national competition.

The SBE’s entry was an essay written by Jerrid Burdue. Emaneul Oliveira (SBE) is the faculty advisor. The official announcement of the ultimate winning team will be June 6.

This is the fourth time SBE has participated in the iOme competition with our team reaching the finals each time they competed. SBE did not participate in 2015 because the competition changed the time frame from the Fall to Spring semester.

The iOme Challenge is coordinated by WISER (Women’s Institute For A Secure Retirement), in Washington D.C. and sponsored by entities such as the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries, Financial Planning Association, Prudential, Experian, among others.

The winning team will go to Washington June 28 and 29 and present their essay to members of Congress, policy-makers and others who are interested in this policy issue.

A top prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winning student team and $1,500 to the team’s faculty advisor.

More information can be found on the iOme Challenge and WISER web sites.

– Tech Today

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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.

 

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