Alumni, Advisors, & Friends

Constant Hall News

May, 2007


Message From the Dean

Dr. Nancy Bagranoff

It’s hard to believe that yet another academic year has passed, but last Saturday, we held our Spring 2007 graduation.  This was a special one for us because we held our first College of Business and Public Administration pre-graduation reception.  This event provided students an opportunity to meet with and to introduce their friends and families to our faculty.  It also gave us the chance to congratulate our students personally.

We have had many significant accomplishments this year.  Our three new Department Chairs, Dr. Chris Colburn, Dr. Berhanu Mengistu, and Dr. Steven Rhiel, all made it through the year and demonstrated very capable leadership.  In this edition of the Constant Hall News, you will learn of many other accomplishments.  We are particularly proud that Professor Michael Zugelder won the A. Rufus Tonelson Faculty Award this year, Professor Douglas Ziegenfuss received the Perry Library’s Outstanding Achievement award, Terry Kirchner received the Outstanding Teaching – Recitation Graduate Student Award, and that we also had the student Kaufman prize winner in our college, Anshita Kumar.  Spring is the time we recognize accomplishments throughout the year and you will read about many more of these accomplishments in the pages that follow.

As always, I hope that you enjoy this communication! 

Faculty/Staff News

Michael Zugelder receives 2007 A. Rufus Tonelson Award

Michael Zugelder, Associate Professor of Finance, was awarded the 2007 A. Rufus Tonelson Faculty Award of the Old Dominion University Alumni Association.

The award, which includes a $2,000 prize and a 12-month reserved parking space, is named for one of Old Dominion's first students, Alan Rufus Tonelson '33, who went on to serve as a professor and administrator of the university. The Tonelson Award is presented in recognition of outstanding achievement in one of three categories – teaching, research, or service. Mr. Zugleder was recognized for his outstanding teaching, as well demonstration of excellence in the other categories.

Mr. Zugelder joined the CBPA faculty in 1995 and teaches Business Law courses including the Legal Environment of Business, Legal Environment of Electronic Commerce and Employment Law and Regulation. His research and publications have focused on intellectual property law with particular regard to the Internet and employment/civil rights law. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from the University of Toledo and his BA and MBA degrees from Indiana University.

Dean Nancy Bagranoff named J. Worth Pickering Administrator of the Year

CBPA Dean Dr. Nancy Bagranoff was named the 2007 J. Worth Pickering Administrator of the Year by the Old Dominion University Association of University Administrators.

The Pickering Award is presented in recognition of outstanding service to the campus and off-campus communities; outstanding effectiveness in leadership, advocacy for students and staff, and contributions to morale; and professional accomplishment demonstrated by excellence in teaching, research, presentations, publications, continuing education and/or recognition by professional organizations which benefited the University.

Dr. Douglas Ziegenfuss receives Library Outstanding Achievement Award

Dr. Douglas Ziegenfuss, Professor of Accounting, was honored with the Friends of the Library Outstanding Achievement Award for 2007. Dr. Ziegenfuss has been a member of the Department of Accounting since 1989 and has served as department chair for five years. His area of specialization is auditing, with particular expertise in operational, fraud, and information technology audits.

The Outstanding Achievement Award, presented by the Friends of the Library since 1995, was established to recognize distinguished records of published research among members of the Old Dominion University community. Dr. Ziegenfuss publishing record includes three books and numerous articles on topics related to auditing practice. He has previously received several awards in recognition of his accomplishments, including Auditing Educator of the Year, Outstanding Accounting Educator, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ Distinguished Service Award.

Dean Nancy Bagranoff receives YWCA “Women of Distinction Award”

CBPA Dean Dr. Nancy Bagranoff was the recipient of the YWCA of South Hampton Roads Women of Distinction Award in the Education category.

As noted in the awards program booklet, each year, the YWCA of South Hampton Roads recognizes outstanding women who have demonstrated leadership and who have made significant contributions to the community through their professional activities and volunteer efforts. The program honors women in twelve categories, selected on the basis of their civic and professional achievements, as well as how closely the nominee exemplify the values and mission of the YWCA – “eliminating racism, empowering women.”

Annual faculty award winners announced

Congratulations to the following Faculty Award winners for 2007:

  • Dr. Shaomin Li, Professor of Marketing, Faculty Research Award
  • Dr. Sara Morris, Associate Professor of Management, Faculty Teaching Award
  • Dr. Laurie Henry, Associate Professor of Accounting, Faculty Advising Award
  • Dr. David Selover, Associate Professor of Economics, Faculty Service Award

Faculty Service Award recipients

The following faculty members received service awards at the annual Faculty Awards and Retirement Dinner:

  • Chris Colburn, Associate Professor of Economics, 20 years
  • Mohammad Najand, Professor of Finance, 20 years
  • Marek Wermus, Associate Professor of Information Technology/Decision Sciences, 25 years
  • Steve Rhiel, Associate Professor of Information Technology/Decision Sciences, 30 years
  • Wayne Talley, Professor of Economics and Eminent Scholar, 35 years

University Research Exposition

Research Exposition 2007 “400 Years of Discovery” was held April 5 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The event, a cooperative effort of Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, and Eastern Virginia Medical School, showcased research, scholarship, and artistic achievement of faculty and students. Poster displays included the following entries from the CBPA:

  • Mr. Altaf Merchant, PhD student in Marketing and Dr. Kiran Karande, Associate Professor of Marketing: Time Orientation and Consumer Innovativeness: Going Beyond Nostalgia.
  • Mr. Altaf Merchant, PhD student in Marketing and Dr. John Ford, Professor of Marketing: Nostalgia and Giving to Charity.
  • Dr. Soo-Hoon Lee, Assistant Professor of Management: A Governance Perspective on Family Business Succession.

Paper by Dr. John Doukas listed in SSRN Top Ten Download List

A paper by Dr. John Doukas, Professor of Finance, entitled “Acquisitions, Overconfident Managers and Self-Attribution Bias” was recently listed on SSRN’s Top Ten download list for the topic “Studies: Firm Behavior.” As of February 2007, the paper had been downloaded 78 times.

Dr. Pamela Gibson elected President of ASPA Tidewater Chapter

Dr. Pamela Gibson, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Public Administration, has been elected president of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA).

ASPA, established in 1939, is the largest and most prominent, professional association in the field of public administration with a diverse membership composed of more than 12,000 practitioners, teachers and students.

Dr. William Judge to participate in Academy of Management Meetings

Dr. William Q. Judge, Professor of Management and E. V. Williams Chair of Strategic Leadership, will chair the Junior Faculty Consortium for the International Management Division of the Academy of Management Meetings in Philadelphia in August 2007. Untenured international scholars from all over the world will attend the all day session, along with 12 senior scholars in international management.

At the same conference, Dr. Judge will participate in an All-Academy Symposium titled “Women leaders in government, business & academia: Doing well by doing good,” and examine of women in managerial and leadership roles. He will joined in the symposium by D. Elenkov, R. Ely, D. Meyerson, S. Puffer, T. Scandura, and R. Tung.

Faculty works accepted for publication, presentation

The following faculty members have works accepted for publication or presentation:

  • Dr. John Doukas, Professor of  Finance and Eminent, “Does Global Diversification Destroy Firm Value” in Vol. 37 of  Journal of International Business Studies (with co-author Ozgur B. Kan).
  • Dr. John Doukas and Dr. Chansog (Francis) Kim, Assistant Professor of Accounting, “Divergence of Opinions and Equity Returns” in vol. 41, n. 3 of  Journal of Financial Quantitative Analysis. (third co-author Chris Pantzalis)
  • Dr. John Doukas and Dr. Chansog (Francis) Kim, “Divergence of Opinions and Equity Returns Under Different States of Earnings Expectations” in Vol. 9 of Financial Markets. (third co-author Chris Pantzalis)
  • Dr. John Ford, Professor of Marketing and Altaf Merchant, PhD student in Marketing, “Nostalgia and Giving to Charity: A Conceptual Framework for Discussion and Research,” accepted for publication in International Journal for Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Marketing.
  • Dr. William Q. Judge, Professor of Management and E. V. Williams Chair of Strategic Leadership, “Senior executives’ characteristics and firm performance: An empirical study in ten diverse countries,” paper accepted for presentation at the 2007 Academy of Management Meetings, International Management Division, Philadelphia, PA. (with S. Bach)
  • Dr. William Q. Judge, “Organizational capacity for change and strategic ambidexterity: Flying the plane while rewiring it.” Forthcoming in European Journal of Marketing. (with C. Blocker)
  • Dr. William Q. Judge, “Antecedents of learning outcomes in a strategic management course: An empirical study.” Forthcoming in Journal of Academy of Business & Economics. (with D. Elenkov)
  • Dr. Kiran Karande, Associate Professor of Marketing and Altaf Merchant, PhD student in Marketing, “Does Time Orientation Influence Consumer Innovativeness?: Going Beyond Nostalgia,” accepted for publication by the American Marketing Association Summer Educators 2007 conference.
  • Dr. Shaomin Li, Professor of Management and Dr. William Q. Judge, “Effects of governance environment on organizational structure and process,” presented at the February 2007 Organization Science Winter Conference, Steamboat Springs, CO.
  • Dr. Shaomin Li and Dr. Anil Nair, Associate Professor of Management, “A comparative study of the economic reforms in China and India : What can we learn?” Forthcoming in Global Economic Review.
  • Dr. Shaomin Li, “From ‘Iron Fist’ to ‘Visible Hand’ to ‘Invisible Hand’: An Institutional Perspective of Government-Firm Ties and Performance Difference.” Forthcoming in Journal of Business Research. (with Justin Tan and Jun Xia)
  • Dr. Shamin Li, “Do Corrupt Officials Take Bribes from Strangers?” Far Eastern Economic Review, April, 24-28, 2007. (with Judy Jun Wu)
  • Dr. Bruce McAffee, Professor of Management; Dr. D. Brian McNatt, Assistant Professor of Management; and Dr. Mike Glassman, Professor of Marketing, “Pay Inversion versus Pay for Performance.” Invited article in the Jan. 23, 2007 issue of Inside Business.
  • Dr. D. Brian McNatt, “Characteristics of Self-efficacy Interventions within Work Related Contexts: A Meta-analysis,” presented at the poster session of the twenty-second annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York, NY. (with S. Campbell and R.R. Hirschfeld)
  • Dr. Deepak Sethi, Professor of Strategy and International Management, “A Dynamic Model of the Internationalization Decisions of Franchisors,” paper accepted for presentation at the Academy of International Business Conference in Indianapolis, June 2007. (co-authored with Qian Sun)
  • Dr. Deepak Sethi and Dr. William Q. Judge, “Evolution of International Business (IB) and the IB Literature,” paper accepted for presentation at the Academy of International Business Conference in Indianapolis, June 2007.
  • Dr. Deepak Sethi and Dr. William Q. Judge, “Clarifying the Costs (and Benefits) of Doing Business Abroad: A Conceptual Integration,” paper accepted for presentation at the Academy of Management Conference in Philadelphia, August 2007.
  • Dr. Deepak Sethi and Dr. William Q. Judge, “Sustaining Competitive Advantage through Dynamic Adaptation,” paper accepted for presentation at the Strategic Management Society Conference in San Diego, October 2007.
  • Dr. Anusorn Singhapakdi, Professor of Marketing, “Personal Characteristics Underlying Ethical Decisions in Marketing Situations: A Survey of Small Business Managers.” Accepted for publication at the Journal of Small Business Management. (Co-authors: J. Marta and K.L. Kraft)
  • Dr. Yin Xu, Assistant Professor of Accounting and Dr. Douglas Ziegenfuss, Professor of Accounting, “Reward Systems, Moral Reasoning, and Internal Auditors’ Reporting Wrongdoing.” Forthcoming in Journal of Business and Psychology.

Dr. Judge named Editor-in-Chief of CGIR, Dr. Li to be Associate Editor

On July 1, 2007, Dr. William Q. Judge, Professor of Management and E. V. Williams Chair of Strategic Leadership, will become editor in chief of Corporate Governance: An International Review (CGIR). Dr. Shaomin Li, Professor of Management, will serve as Associate Editor. CGIR is the premiere scholarly journal dedicated to comparative governance systems throughout the world. It is currently ranked number 11 among 71 top management journals worldwide.

Dr. Shaomin Li invited presenter at three universities

On March 30, Dr. Shaomin Li participated in a seminar titled “Governance Environment and Mode of Investment,” conducted by the Department of Economics at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. March 30. In June, he will present at the National Sun Yat-Sen University ( Taiwan ) ‘Junior Faculty Workshop” in June. Dr. Li will speak on how to conduct and publish research.  In August, Dr. Li will speak on the business environment in China as part of a semester-long series on China being held at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.

Meg Jones new Program Manager in Department of USPA

Meg Jones is the new Program Manager for the Department of Urban Studies and Public Administration, serving the Master of Public Administration, Master of Urban Studies, and Ph.D. in Public Administration and Urban Policy programs.

Meg has a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated from the Master of Public Administration program at ODU in the summer of 2004. While an MPA student, she worked as a Graduate Assistant in the USPA department. Since completing her MPA, Meg has been serving as the Transfer Counselor in the University’s Office of Admissions.

F. John Barker III named CBPA Outstanding Staff Member

F. John Barker III, the College's Technology Manager, was named CBPA Outstanding Staff Member for 2006/2007. John joined the university in June 1998. His primary responsibilities are to maintain the College website, as well as faculty/staff computers in six departments and various centers. He also maintains four college-wide printers and approximately 30 computers for Ph.D./Master level students. Additionally, he provides offsite technical support to select College events and serves as unofficial photographer for the College.

John provides guidance to faculty, staff, and students regarding software and hardware purchases. He also serves as an ex-officio member of the College's Information Technology committee, which coordinates the expenditure of the state-funded Equipment Trust Fund bonds.

Outside of his job at Old Dominion, John has served on the Deacon Board of Pembroke Manor United Church of Christ in Virginia Beach (where he also runs multimedia and sound). He recently published a book of his photography.

The Outstanding Staff Member is selected by the Nominations, Elections, and Awards Committee from nominations submitted by faculty, staff, administrators, department chairpersons, and area coordinators.

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Program/Center News

CREED hosts annual Real Estate Market Review

The Old Dominion University E. V. Williams Center for Real Estate and Economic Development (CREED) hosted the 12th Annual Hampton Roads Real Estate Market Review and Forecast on February 28, 2007 at the Ted C. Constant Convocation

Center. The event continues to grow and had record registration of over 800 members of the real estate, development, financial, and academic communities. This year, the Market review had 58 sponsoring companies.

Speakers discussed the retail, industrial, office, residential, multi-family, and investment sectors and highlighted activities within the local market from 2006 and provided forecasts for each sector in 2007. The plenum session was followed by a networking reception.

College of Public and Business Administration undergraduate and graduate students assisted with registrant check-in, market review distribution, main hall seating, and general help. Their work was credited with helping to make the event one of the smoothest running to date.

The Market Review Survey and conference presentations are available at http://www.odu.edu/creed in PDF format.

MSCM Program featured in Maritime & International Trade Guide

The undergraduate program in Maritime and Supply Chain Management was featured in the 2007 Hampton Roads Maritime & International Trade Guide, an industry publication of Virginia Business Magazine.

The article, written by Doug Childers, discussed how the CBPA program is helping to ensure that the area’s maritime industry will be able to meet the increasing demand for trained technicians and specialists. The article quotes instructor Sara Russell, who stated “the goal of the program is simple – to prepare students for the jobs they’ll see – in logistics, warehousing and distribution centers, trucks and the railroads, as well as ship lines.”

Also featured in the article is student Will Fediw, who, in December 2007, will become the program’s first graduate. Will, who was enrolled as a marketing major when the MCSM program began last Fall, immediately transferred into the program. This spring, Will was recognized the College’s Outstanding Maritime and Supply Chain Management student.

Additionally, he was awarded several scholarships, including $2,500 from the Propeller Club Port of Norfolk, $500 from the Propeller Club Port of Old Dominion University, and $1,500 from the South Atlantic & Caribbean Ports Association (with a matching scholarship from the Virginia Port Authority). After graduation, Will would like to work in the area of maritime safety and inspection.

IT Department conducts topic series for Chamber of Commerce

During the spring 2007 semester, the Information Technology department conduct a three-session IT topic series for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. Chamber members attended sessions on data security, presented by Senior Lecturer Jimmie Carraway; and communication systems, presented by Assistant Professor Harris Wu.

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Upcoming Events

Selected CBPA lectures now available as podcasts

The University is currently piloting iTunes University, a project that provides University content in podcast format. The College of Business and Public Administration is participating in the pilot by having a presence on the University’s iTunesU site. The College currently has podcasts of four lectures available on the site, including John Allison’s Executive in Residence talk and Dean Nancy Bagranoff’s 2006 State of the College address.

Connie Merriman is the CBPA liaison for the project, which is a joint effort of the Center for Learning Technologies (CLT) and the Office of Computing and Communications Services. CLT will convert audio files to podcasts at no cost to the College. For video podcasts, taping must arranged through Academic Television Services. Anyone interested in having a podcast added to the CBPA iTunesU “store” may contact Connie for details and assistance.

Old Dominion’s iTunesU is available at http://itunes.odu.edu. Apple's iTunes software is required to access the podcasts and a link to the free software is provided on the welcome page.

Economics Club of Hampton Roads Final Program for 2006/2007

The final Economics Club of Hampton Roads program for 2005-2006, scheduled for Friday, June 1, will feature Dr. Benedict Schwegler Jr., vice president and chief scientist of Walt Disney Imagineering, Research & Development, Inc. The program will be held at the Marriott Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, beginning at 12 noon.

Dr. Schwegler’s roles at Walt Disney Imagineering include implementing technology to ensure Disney theme parks are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, designing 4D simulations, and creating the world's biggest wave-making machine, popularly known as Typhoon Lagoon at the Florida theme park. In 2002, he was honored for his work with the CERF/IIEC Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research, Design, and Innovation.

Walt Disney Imagineering is the master planning, creative development, design, engineering, production, project management, and research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company and its affiliates. Representing more than 150 disciplines, its talented corps of Imagineers is responsible for the creation of Disney resorts, theme parks and attractions, hotels, water parks, real estate developments, regional entertainment venues, cruise ships and new media technology projects. By blending creativity and innovative technological advancements, Walt Disney Imagineering has produced some of the world's most distinctive experiential storytelling.

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Student News

Anshita Kumar, finance graduate, wins 2007 Kaufman Prize

Anshita Kumar of Kitwe, Zambia , a graduating senior with a degree in finance, was honored as Old Dominion University’s Kaufman Prize winner Thursday, May 3 at ODU’s Student Honors and Awards ceremony. Anshita, who maintained a 3.5 GPA, was a resident assistant on campus and served in various roles in the student government. She recently served as the student representative for the State Council on Higher Education.

The Kaufman award, which carries with it a $10,000 prize, was established by Landmark Communications Inc. to acknowledge graduating seniors who have exerted exceptional and constructive influence on the university, its students or the community by demonstrating the highest qualities of leadership and service.

Kaufman was well known in Hampton Roads as a community leader, philanthropist and friend to Old Dominion. Following Kaufman’s example, prize winners must have demonstrated sustained participation in leadership of campus or community groups, an outstanding record of volunteer activities, academic achievement or the achievement of a major task affecting the campus or the community.

Michael Loftus, finance graduate, receives Alumni Outstanding Scholar Award

Michael Loftus of Yorktown, a finance major with a 4.0 GPA, received a 2007 Alumni Association Outstanding Scholar Award. The awards are presented to the graduating seniors with the highest grade point average from each college. Dr. Mohammad Najand, Professor of Finance, was honored as Michael’s “most inspiring faculty” member.

2007 CBPA student award recipients

The following students were honored at the CBPA 2007 Awards Ceremony on April 20:

·         Amanda Doherty and Ashley Stewart, CBPA Outstanding Students for the Bagwell-Jones Prize

·         Michael Loftus, Wall Street Journal Award

·         Amanda Doherty and Natalia Gourova, Honors Program Outstanding Graduating Student Awards

·         Kalin Locke, Outstanding Decision Sciences Student Award

·         Amanda Doherty, Jack W. Nickson & Nathaniel Shechter Memorial Award for Excellence in Economics

·         Michael Loftus, Outstanding Financial Management Student Award

·         James Vasherault, Outstanding Insurance Student Award

·         Jasyn Sayre, Outstanding Real Estate Student Award

·         Chad Gerber, William H. Crouch Chapter of the Information Systems and Project Management Professionals Outstanding Student

·         Stephanie Ulik, Outstanding Information Systems Student

·         Natalia Gourova, Outstanding International Business Student

·         Donna Mills, Outstanding Management Student

·         Emily Shephard, Outstanding Marketing Student

·         George ATripp@ Adams, Outstanding MA Student in Economics

·         Mounia Otarid, Outstanding MBAStudent

·         Jennifer Sing, Outstanding Masters Student in Public Administration

·         Samuel Adams, Outstanding Doctoral Student in Public Administration and Urban Policy

·         Amy McDowell, Wolfgang Pindur Award for outstanding achievement in the Master of Public Administration program

·         Cadet Emma C. Taylor, Military Leadership Sciences Outstanding Cadet

·         Cadet Dwight G. Stalls, Military Leadership Sciences Cadet Leadership Award

·         Melissa Novey, Institute of Management Accountants Outstanding Accounting Student

·         Christopher O=Brien, Association of  Government Accountants Outstanding Government Auditing Student

·         Kelli Lyde, Tidewater Chapter of Institute of Internal Auditors Outstanding Auditing Student

·         Ebony Harris and Mary Parker, Tidewater Chapter of the Virginia Society of  CPA=s Outstanding Accounting Students

·         Ashley Stewart, Virginia Society of CPA=s Outstanding Accounting Student

·         Phillip Bernhardt, Federation of Schools of Accountancy Outstanding Graduate Student Award

·         Henry Peterson, Jack W. Kerr, Jr. Outstanding Graduate Taxation  Student Award

·         Stephanie Ulik, Dehority Accounting Alumni Scholarship

·         Yingchou Lin, Outstanding Doctoral Student in Finance

·         Altaf Merchant, Outstanding Doctoral Student in Marketing

·         William Fediw, Outstanding Maritime and Supply Chain Management Student, Propeller Club of the United States Port of Norfolk 2007 Scholarship, Propeller Club of the United States Port of Old Dominion University 2007 Scholarship, and South Atlantic & Caribbean Ports Association Scholarship with matching award from Virginia Port Authority

·         Michael Loftus, recognition of CBPA Alumni Award Recipient

·         Amanda Laura Doherty, Natalia I. Gourova, Anshita Kumar, Kalin N. Locke, MaQuisha Y. Murrell, and Steven Sherman Jr., recognized as graduating seniors in the Business Honors Student Society.

Rachel Eure, Demetria Johnson receive GEICO Achievement Awards

In April, CBPA students Rachel Eure and Demetria Johnson each received $1000 Achievement Award scholarships from GEICO.

Rachel Eure, currently a senior, is majoring in Marketing with a second major in Business Management. She was nominated for the award by marketing instructor Ateba Crocker, who wrote “over the years Rachel has impressed me time and time again.  She is a rare jewel filled with many strong attributes.  I would label her as a ‘woman of excellence,’ destined to succeed.”

As a freshman, Rachel served as the founder and president of the ODU Chapter of the American Marketing Association. She is a member of the Business Honors Student Society and has served on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council.

Marketing instructor Ateba Crocker and student Rachel Eure hold a replica
of the $1,000 award Rachel received from GEICO Virginia Beach. Also in the
photo are Rachel’s parents and Joe Thomas, GEICO regional vice president.

Demetria, currently a junior, is a Finance major with a minor in Human Services. Since her freshman year, Demetria has been involved in Sword of the Spirit, as well as various community service project. She was recommended for the scholarship by adjunct professor Tuck Finley, who wrote “Demetria is an exceptional student who works very hard. It is obvious how much she puts into class.  On a broader note, she is a consistent Dean's List student which puts her in a very select group.”

Shown with a replica of the $1,000 award she received from GEICO Virginia Beach are Demetria Johnson, her mother Tonya Walker and sister Jasmine Johnson, and adjunct instructor Tuck Finley, who nominated Demetria for the award.

According to Jill Stover, regional college recruiter for GEICO’s Virginia Beach office, GEICO has presented Achievement Awards to students from across the country for over 20 years.  This year, GEICO will award over $50,000 in Achievement Award scholarships to college sophomores and juniors based on their academic achievement, leadership and involvement in school and community activities.  The students also must be recommended by a member of the faculty at their respective college.

Dr. Liu’s marketing class commended for Red Cross project

A fall 2006 marketing class, taught by Assistant Professor Yuping Liu, received national attention for a survey project conducted for the local chapter of the American Red Cross. Dr. Liu and her students worked with Red Cross volunteer Nancy Harrison Parker, a member of the CBPA Dean’s Executive Advisory Council and director of marketing for law firm Vandeventer Black LLP.

The Red Cross chapter’s communications committee realized a public poll was needed to help chapter personnel assess the community’s knowledge of chapter programs and services. However, the chapter lacked the resources and connections to do the project. Ms. Parker brought the project to the CBPA and Dr. Liu and her students readily accepted the challenge.  community polling effort launched. The students were told what the managerial perspective concerns were, what issues should be approached, and what sort of data was needed from the survey.

During a four-week period, the students made about 1200 random phone calls, read from a 10–minute script, and polled willing community participants about the issues important to the Red Cross. At the end of the project, the marketing students divided into groups to analyze and tabulate the answers provided by the polling effort. They then gave a briefing for Red Cross chapter communications committee members on the methods used and the poll results. At the end of the project, the class sent the Red Cross chapter all the summaries and recommendations based on the polling information, as well as the raw data they had gathered.

Committee members noted they were impressed with the professionalism of the students as demonstrated in their research, logic, and presentation skills.

Pi Alpha Alpha 2007 inductees

Nine students were recently inducted into the Honor Society of Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honor society that recognizes academic achievement in the field of public affairs and administration. To be eligible for membership, students must have maintained a GPA of at least 3.7 and have completed at least 50 percent of the required coursework for the degree.

Inducted students were masters’ students  Jim Dunlap, Afton Austin, Matthew Dove, Julia Hillegass, Thomas Boross, and Mark Solesky; and PhD students Angela Cyrus, Samuel Adams and Mike Hawkins.

2007 Beta Gamma Sigma inductees

Fourteen students were recently inducted into the Old Dominion University Chapter of the Honor Society of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society recognizing the outstanding academic achievements of students enrolled in collegiate business and management programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. To be eligible for membership, a student must rank in the upper 7 percent of the junior class, upper 10 percent of the senior class, or upper 20 percent of the graduating master’s class.

  • Masters’ students: Robert Bartala, John Bellay, Robin Brewer, Weslee Bruehl, and Michael Vanderhoof.
  • Seniors: Nancy Beyrodt, Natalija Harmon, Gordon Jones, Xie Ling, James Pritchard, Maureen Scott, and Kensuke Yamamoto
  • Juniors: Wendy Ross Archbell and Holly Bodner.

CBPA Students inducted into Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Fifteen CBPA students were inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) at an initiation ceremony held April 25. Phi Kappa Phi is an interdisciplinary honor society that elects from all recognized branches of academic endeavor.

Membership in PKP is earned - admission is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. The governing bylaws of the Society set extremely high standards for membership, including sound character and demonstrated academic excellence. For undergraduates, the upper the 10 percent of the senior class for each college and the upper 7.5 percent of the junior class for each college are eligible. Among graduate students admitted to degree programs, the upper ten percent are eligible.

CBPA Phi Kappa Phi initiates for 2007 are:

  • Graduate students: Barbara Clark, David Louie, and Altaf Merchant.
  • Undergraduate students: Michael Eyre, Carl Federoff, Lorraine Flippin, Anita Kelly, Adam Lawrence, Angela Locke, Michael Loftus, James Pritchard, Maureen Scott, Emily Shepherd, Hope Swartz, and Miriam Tejeda-Alvardo.

Terri Kirchner named Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

Terri Kirchner, who successfully defended her dissertation on May 1, was selected as Old Dominion University’s 2007 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant. The award is given in recognition of her exceptional role as a graduate teaching assistant in the classroom.

Paper co-authored by PhD student Larry Carter accepted for publication

A paper entitled “Extending the view of brand alliance effects: An integrative examination of the role of country of origin,” by marketing PhD student Larry Carter (with co-authors Christian Bluemelhuber and C. Jay Lambe), has been accepted for publication in International Marketing Review.

MBA students attend Global Student Investment

In March, MBA students Rufat Garalov, Katie Demchenko, and Viktorija Cudnovska attended the annual Global Student Investment Forum, held at the University of Dayton, Ohio. The three-day conference included panel discussions, specialized sessions and excellent networking opportunities.

Attendees had the opportunity to meet students from more than 200 US colleges, as well as 50 other countries. Among those present was Dr. Myron S. Scholes, I Nobel Prize winner in economics and co-originator of the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

 “Recommended Readings” added to College’s website

A list of “recommended readings” has been added to the Student Resources section of the College’s website at bpa.odu.edu. The list is a companion to the Executive-in-Residence speaker series, at which students frequently ask speakers to recommend their favorite business-related books to them.

The book list is provided as a resource for students who want to learn outside the classroom. Books will be added to the list as new speakers are hosted. Books currently on the list are:

The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind.  This book tells the story of the Enron scandal.  It is a wonderfully told tale of personalities and a corporate culture run amok. (Bethany McLean was an EIR speaker in September 2005).

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman is a book about the soft side of leadership.  It was recommended by David Goode, who was an EIR speaker in March 2007.

The Tipping Point:  How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.  This book is fun to read and points to how there often is that “one moment” when products, people, or ideas may break through and take off. (Recommended by Dean Nancy Bagranoff.)

Finance Club co-sponsors “Bridge the Gap” program

The Old Dominion University Finance Club and the Financial Planning Association of Hampton Roads recently presented a panel discussion titled “Bridge the Gap.” The event, held at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center, was broadcast to several of the University’s TELETECHNET sites.

The panel provided students with a unique opportunity to learn about many different financial planning practices and spend one-on-one time with experienced financial planning professionals.  Ron Pearson, Beach Financial Advisory Service, organized the event and related his experiences as a solo, fee-only planner.  David Warner, Hutchins, Allen and Company (Outer Banks, North Carolina), discussed working as a planner in a CPA firm. Richard Nottingham, Cape Financial, addressed working as a planner associated with an insurance agency. James Ritter, Ameriprise Financial Services, talked about working in a group practice within a large traditional financial planning firm.  Scott Matheson, Wachovia Securities, provided the perspective of a planner with a stock brokerage company.

The panel discussion was followed by round table discussions with panelists, pairing attendees with panelists for in-depth discussions of topics such as working for/creating a Financial Planning firm, regulatory issues and compensation, and cost effective technology. The small group break-out sessions provided excellent networking opportunities. Members of the Finance Club and faculty advisor Maureen Stiner expressed their appreciation to the Financial Planning Association of Hampton Roads for partnering with them to present this excellent educational experience.

 

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Alumni, Advisors, and Friends

Case-Study Classroom dedicated in memory of J. Vincent McPhillips

Representatives of the Norfolk-based accounting firm of McPhillips, Roberts, and Deans, PLC joined members of the McPhillips family for the unveiling of a classroom plaque in memory of J. Vincent McPhillips, the firm’s founding partner. The plaque was presented by the College in appreciation of the generous support provided by McPhillips, Roberts, and Deans. The firm recently pledged $50,000 to the establishment of an endowed professorship in accounting in the College of Business and Public Administration. Shown (from left) are Ed Amoroso, Jane McPhillips-Stirm, Michael McPhillips, Phoebe Stirm, Charles McPhillips, Edward McPhillips, Art Prince, and Dennis Deans.

Welcome GEICO – Newest Constant Hall Partner

In May, the GEICO plaque will be added to the Constant Hall Partners’ Wall in the lobby of Constant Hall, welcoming the College’s 19th Partner.

GEICO, founded in 1936 to provide automobile insurance to government employees and Military personnel, is currently the fourth-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States . The company is the fastest-growing major auto insurer in the US , with policies-in-force growth of 10 percent in 2006. GEICO opened its Virginia Beach customer sales and service center in the Corporate Landing Business Park in 1998.

Welcome and many thanks to our newest Constant Hall Partner.

MBAA Holds Annual Dinner

The 13th Annual MBAA reception and dinner was held April 14 with 135 alumni, students, and friends in attendance (a new record). Guest speaker for the event was Scott Cooke (BSBA ‘93, MBA ‘96), National Strategic Planning Manager for the Americas for Toyota Financial Services in California.  Prior to Toyota,  Scott had a very successful carrier in banking with Wachovia and United Community Banks of Georgia.

Alumnus Mark Turner Named “Rising Star”

Mark Turner (MBA 2000) had been named a “Rising Star Under 35” in commercial real estate in the Washington, DC area. Mark, vice president of construction for Abdo Development, is currently managing the $80 million Wooster and Mercer Lofts development. The development was a 2006 Delta Award-winner for the region's most innovative condo project. Previous projects include the Bryan School Lofts, which won the Mayor's Award for Historic Preservation.

 

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