Dean’s Dash Dr. Ross Dickens, Dean College of Business and Global Affairs

We use the term “student-focused excellence” as a reminder of our top priority – students. We strive for excellence in all matters, but the main reason is to help students. These pages are, you guessed it, mostly about our students and the activities they undertake. Wonderfully, two cases of research efforts are presented in which faculty have partnered with students to produce peer-reviewed intellectual contributions (p. 5 and p. 7). Ten other stories are included that involve our faculty and/or staff helping to create opportunities for students to interact with the working world outside the classroom—the latest two examples being our students’ participation at Super Bowl LII (p. 6) and a luncheon with AutoZone executives to discuss internship and job opportunities (p. 5). Almost all of these activities are funded through the College’s Experiential Learning Fee Fund.

The College’s efforts to expand its engagement is showing with FMA students visiting several financial institutions in Nashville (p. 4) and the luncheon hosting local bankers (p. 10) as well as the REED Center’s Landy Fuqua work with the Delta Regional Authority (p. 9). Impressively, our faculty continue to show impact via publications and presentations throughout the region/state/country. A huge bragging point for us is the online MBA’s recent recognition as a top-30 program in the country—up 6 spots from 2017 (p. 10) and this recognition comes from the hard work of faculty and students.

Soon after we publish this letter, the University will start its Captain’s Challenge for 2018. We have used funds from past years to update lobby furniture, pay for new copying machines (which have, in turn, helped us to save hundreds of dollars each year in reduced supplies), and added support for computer software to help students have access to more timely, real-world processes. I ask you to support the Challenge this year (with the main goal of updating our student study area in the basement).

Send us your news. We would love to expand the alumni portion (p. 7) to more than one page. Let us know of intern and job possibilities. Send prospective undergraduate and MBA students our way. Help us maintain our student-focused excellence.

Sincerely,

Ross Dickens

Table of Contents

CBGA Student News ................................... 2 Students of the Month .............................. 3 AutoZone .................................................... 5 MBA Program ............................................. 5 Super Bowl .................................................. 6 Alumni News ............................................... 6 Faculty News ............................................... 8 Student Editors .......................................... 10

Volume VI Spring 2018 Number 1

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Biz Comm Students Host Popcorn and Soda Blast Business communication students in the College of Business and Global Affairs (CBGA) hosted a Popcorn

Blast in the lobby of the business building in Fall 2017. Olivia Johnston (pictured below, l) and Laura Silva (r) served free popcorn and soda while classmate Becky Davis (not pictured) tallied the 250+ participants who enjoyed the refreshments. The students were enrolled in the INFS 255 (Business English) class instructed by Dr. Lajuan Davis.

Graduation Smiles

CBGA Welcomes Peace Corps Rep CBGA students attended a luncheon to meet with Peace Corps Representative Sara Christopher (pictured below) who was on campus November 14. Those CBGA students in attendance were Audrey Jenkins, Leah Barnett, Abby Bolding, Bailey Barker, Reed Daniels, and Katie Nixon.

Students were able to talk with Christopher about her experience with the Peace Corps and ask her valuable questions. The luncheon was arranged by Dr. Carrie Humphreys, Assistant Professor of Political Science and

funded via the CBGA’s experiential learning fund.

Students Present Portfolio Strategy

Twelve students from the CBGA-TVA Investment Management class presented UTM-TVA’s portfolio strategy and performance at the 2017 TVA Investment Challenge Program Fall Regional Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, on November 15, 2017.

(Pictured front, l to r) Dr. Mahmoud Haddad, Zaynab Alsihaty, Zackary McLeod, Jermecia Hudson, Hailey Coleman, Danielle Rickman, Keagan Parker, Rakan Albaltan; (back l to r)Tyler Shanes, Jalen Taylor, Justin Edney, Taylor Martin, Wyatt Jones, Dr. Ty Perry

CBGA Student News

PEP leaders Morgan Curlin (front r to l), Barrett Belote, and Ivana Cherry accompanied their freshmen first-year initiative class to the popcorn blast.

Kegan Parker, a CBGA alum and finance major, is pictured (l) with Dr. Keith Carver at Fall 2017 graduation.

CBGA: Student-focused

excellence in action!

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CBGA Designates Students of the Month

CBGA September Student of the Month was Marcus Van Cleave. Van Cleave is a former Marine Staff Sergeant who graduated with a major in political science and a minor in criminal justice in

the Fall of 2017. He served as secretary of the Skyhawk Veteran Association and as president of UTM’s delegation to the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature before his graduation. His involvement in these organizations led him to accept a position with the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services as the West Tennessee Veteran Education Coordinator. October Student of the Month was Ty Smith from Selmer, Tennessee. Smith is earning degrees in both finance and accounting. He is a University Honors Program student and a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society. He has served as Treasurer for the Residence Hall Association and Secretary of the Financial Management Association. Smith has two part-time jobs: Paul Meek Library, and “Drum Tech,” or percussion section instructor, for the Milan High School Band. Smith currently has a 3.86 cumulative GPA and a 4.00 GPA in his finance and accounting courses. He plans to graduate in May of 2019 with 150 undergraduate hours in order to sit for the CPA exam.

January Student of the Month was Meredith McMasters. She is a senior accounting

and finance double major from Pulaski, Tennessee. She is planning to graduate in May of 2018, when she will have completed her 150 hours needed to sit for the CPA Exam. After graduation, she plans to begin working as a tax staff member at the public accounting firm, Crowe Horwath in Franklin, Tennessee. McMasters is also a member of many different organizations on campus including her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, the Accounting Majors Society, Phi Eta Sigma, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Honors Program. Through these organizations she has served as Secretary, Events Chairman, and Alumnae Relations in her sorority, the Tennessee Society of CPA’s Student Ambassador, and the Becker Campus Ambassador. For the past three years, McMasters has also worked in the Dean of the College of Business’s office as a student worker.

International Visitors Support UTM Basketball

Visiting international students from Hansung University in Japan supported the UTM men’s basketball team on January 13 in the game against Morehead State. Pictured in the front row are UTM Skyhawk #4 Parrish Hewitt from Memphis and #2 Delefincko Bogan.

Students Cont’d.

College of Business and Global Affairs

UT Martin

(O) 731.881.7306

http://www.utm.edu/departments/cbga/

CBGA T-shirts on sale in BA 112; Sizes S – XXXL; $10+

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Financial Management Association Travels to Middle Tennessee To Meet Industry Professionals Thirteen student members of the Financial Management Association (FMA) from the CBGA, along with Dean Ross Dickens, Interim Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking, John Clark, and Jennifer Schlicht, assistant to the Chair of Banking, travelled to Nashville and Franklin, TN, on September 26 and 27. While in Franklin on Tuesday, the students were able to hear from UT Martin and CBGA Alum, Joey Croom who is a Senior Manager for Elliott Davis Decosimo, LLC. The group then toured of First Bank Mortgage in Franklin. The last meeting of the day was with UTM and CBGA Alum, Daniel Burke, President of Burke Financial Group, LLC. On Wednesday morning, the group met with First Bank President, Chris Holmes, and Director of Marketing, Jeannie Rittenbury, at the First Bank Headquarters in downtown Nashville. The last meeting of the trip was held at Tennessee Bankers Association (TBA) where the students were able to meet with TBA President, Colin Barret, and other members of his staff to discuss how TBA supports banking in Tennessee.

Finance 411 Class Presents Portfolio in Chicago Twelve business students enrolled in Finance 411 from The University of Tennessee at Martin attended a conference held in Chicago, Illinois, on October 3 and 4, 2017. Dr. Mahmoud Haddad, Professor of Finance, and Dr. Ty Perry, Assistant Professor of Finance, attended and participated in the fifth Annual Student Managed Investment

Fund Consortium (SMIFC) Conference. Dr. Haddad also moderated a session for various colleges’ investment strategies.

(Pictured above, l to r) Justin Edney, Wyatt Jones, and Zachary McLeod presenting UTM investment strategy; Dr. M. Haddad moderating (r)

Financial Management Association Earns Superior Chapter Award

Pictured (l to r): Ty Smith, Secretary; Alison Brown, Vice President; Dr. Ty Perry, Assistant Professor of Finance and faculty advisor; Wyatt Jones, President; Hunter Knight, Treasurer; and Dr. Ross Dickens, Professor of Finance, Dean of the College of Business and Global Affairs, and FMA Chapter committee chair Officers of the Financial Management Association accept a plaque in recognition for earning the “Superior Chapter” designation for the 2016–2017 academic year. To earn the designation, which was earned by only 20 chapters in 2016–2017, the chapter had to complete eight tasks, including having more than eight speaker meetings during the year, conducting two ‘field trips” to local

businesses, sending representatives to the Student Leadership Conference (in New York City), having members earn FMA National Honor

Society recognition, and more.

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Campus Connection Highlights Jones and FMA’s Superior Chapter Designation Campus Connection featured Wyatt Jones, UT Martin senior finance major from Fairview,

Tennessee, at the Wednesday, November 29, 2017, men’s basketball game against LSU. Jones is president of CBGA’s Financial Management Association that recently earned the FMA’s “Superior Chapter” designation.

Monday, February 5, the CBGA hosted a luncheon for AutoZone representatives and CBGA students (pictured below) interested in working at the Fortune-500 company in summer internships. Nikki Walker (pictured above), Director of Human Resources at AutoZone, gave a comprehensive presentation regarding what internships at AutoZone entail. Twenty-two CBGA students were able to ask questions and present the representatives with résumés at the first-ever annual networking event. Additionally, one of the AutoZone representatives attending the luncheon was Lauren (Holley) Cox, a UTM alumna. Cox graduated from UTM in

May of 2016. She currently has a bachelor's degree in finance, as well as a bachelor's degree in accounting. After graduation, she started working

at AutoZone as an Assistant Category Manager for Truck and Towing. Cox (pictured above center) and the other AutoZone representatives at the luncheon provided a wealth of information and suggestions for CBGA students interested in starting their careers at a Fortune 500 company such as AutoZone.

Byars’ Presentation Kaleb Byars (left), a finance and economics major in the UTM class of 2018, presented a paper entitled “Unclaimed Property: Uncertainty with Tennessee’s Adoption of the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act

and Related Income Tax Liability” at the Southeastern Academy of Legal Studies in Business’s 63rd Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Byars traveled to Atlanta and presented this joint paper and presentation on behalf of himself and CBGA professors, Dr. Patrick Baker, and Dr. Paula Moore. Byars is currently completing a CBGA internship. His attendance and participation at the conference were funded by the college’s experiential learning fund.

CBGA Provides Networking Luncheon for AutoZone Reps and CBGA Students

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The Skyhawks represented UTM at Super Bowl 52 in Minneapolis this year, under the supervision of Dr. Dexter Davis, Associate Professor, Sport Business in CBGA. Students who wish to attend and participate in the Super Bowl have to complete an application process, which includes their submitting videos in which they answer various interview questions. The majority of the students are sport business majors or minors, but students with other business majors are encouraged to apply for this experiential-learning opportunity. Students attending this year’s Super Bowl event are pictured above (l to r). All students are sport business majors unless noted otherwise: Katie Reece, Zane Cox, Brianna Rinker (communication & sport business), Ashley Coots (finance & accounting), Alison Brown (finance), Houston Downey, Tristan Cost, Colton Daugherty (MBA), Leah Barnett, Austin Barber, Leighton Chappell, and Sara Taylor (mgt/sport business minor).

Sport Business Students Busy at Golf Tournament

In other sport business news, sport business students provided support for the 7th Annual Follow Me Celebrity Golf Classic, in Fall 2017 at the Bent Tree Golf course in Jackson. The tournament is sponsored by the Jackson Madison County African American Chamber of Commerce and featured Dallas Cowboys legend Ed “Too Tall” Jones as tournament celebrity. Dr. Charley Deal, Associate VC for Alumni Relations at UTM, served for the second year as tournament co-chair. Sport business students directed by Dr. Dexter Davis, CBGA Associate Professor, assisted for the second year with event logistics. Pictured below left (first row, l to r) are sport business majors (unless otherwise noted): Rod Gaston, Houston Downey, Brianna Rinker, Ashley Coots (accounting & finance), Colten Daugherty (MBA), and Tae Martin; (back row, l to r) Tanner Wessling, Corey Madlock, Ben Aslett, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Malik Boyd, and Londell Lee.

Excellence Awards for Alumi Justin Edney (l) and Zachary McLeod (r), both of Linden, received Kelly W. Murray Excellence in Portfolio

CBGA Skyhawks, Prof. Davis Represent UTM at Super Bowl 52 in Minneapolis

Alumni News

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Management Awards for the UTM. This award, created in honor of the late son of Dr. Sandra and Bill Murray, recognizes outstanding effort and dedication in managing the UT Martin stock portfolio in conjunction with the Tennessee Valley Authority Investment Challenge, which gives students real-world learning experience in portfolio management. Both students received their degrees during the university’s commencement ceremony December 16. The students are pictured (on p. 6) with CBGA alumnus, Ryan Stover, who represents the Murray family.

Andrew Melton Remembered . . . .

Former CBGA student, Andrew Melton lost his life while shielding his wife during the Las Vegas shooting tragedy on October 1, 2017. James “Sonny” Melton was a UTM alumni who graduated cum laude with a finance degree in December 2010. His professors in CBGA

remember him for his outgoing personality and warm smile.

Former CBGA Alumna’s Manuscript Published

Rebecca Lund, former BSBA Accounting and Finance major (pictured l), was recently recognized for her involvement in writing an article entitled, “Investigating Concussion Cost Management: Options for the NFL.” The manuscript will be published in the Fall 2018 issue of the International Journal of the Academic

Business World. The paper was co-authored by CBGA faculty, Dr. Paula Moore, Dr. Richard Griffin, and Dr. Patrick Baker.

Sinclair Reflects on His Time at CBGA CBGA alumnus Jordan Sinclair was interviewed about his major—business communication information systems—and his experience in the workforce since his graduation from UTM. “I am originally from Adamsville, TN, and I chose to attend UTM because it was close to home, and had outstanding facilities and [academic] programs.

I chose Business Communication Information Systems (BCIS) as my major because I have a high regard for business and understand how crucial effective communication is to a business’s success. Part of my job is to source and launch a new Aftermarket

product line. Many people and departments play roles in this program, and my goal to improve interdepartmental communication and collaboration among this team. Communication is the glue that holds the team together. Without a BCIS background, I would not have been equipped to meet and exceed my (and my company’s) goals.

One of my favorite elements about BCIS was completing projects that required teamwork and collaboration. The essence of my current work is based on these skills. As technology advances, it enables us to work with people all over the world. I deal with suppliers that speak many different languages. Being able to communicate clearly and concisely is imperative.

I am a purchasing buyer for Dana Incorporated. I am passionate about my job, as I get to travel, deal with OEs, such as Ford and GM, while also building a new Aftermarket product line for Dana. Students need to be aware that having a degree in BCIS provides opportunities for them to enter countless fields: [purchasing/buying, management, administration, technical support, etc.]. [Additionally, I learned about my current job opening via the CBGA. Once I learned about the opening, I had my résumé and interview skills up- to-date, and I was confident I would do well in this position.]

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I would recommend that students take a personality test prior to choosing a major, always starting with the end goal in mind and working backwards. Determine how that goal can be achieved. Having a clearly defined goal and knowing your direction will assist anyone in reaching his life goals.”

Boyle and Austin Receive Awards at Graduation

Pictured: (l to r) Dorothy Boyle, Bri Goode, Katlyn Austin, & Dr. Margaret Toston

CBGA graduating seniors Dorothy Boyle from Middleton, TN, and Katlyn Austin, from Vanleer, TN, received the Paul and Martha Meek Leadership Awards at December commencement. These awards were originally established and funded by the three Meek children to honor their parents and are given each semester to graduating seniors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities during their time at UT Martin.

UTM Alum Speak in Mgt. 473 Classes This past Fall semester, Dr. Tommy Cates, Hendrix COE/Professor of Management in CBGA, asked many business leaders to speak to his Management 473 class. Cates believes that students learn more effectively from leaders who have already established their careers in their respective fields. The speakers in the class included the following individuals: John F. Bright, CEO of Bright Investments in Auburn, AL; Catherine “Cat” Cora, celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television celebrity, Jackson MS; Teela Jackson, Vice President, HR Search, Talent Connections, LLC, District Director, SHRM Georgia State Council,

Atlanta, GA; Lina Patel, Senior Manager, Accenture Corporation, Cincinnati, OH; Craig Groeschel, Leadership Trainer, Pastor of Life Covenant Church, Edmond, OK; Paul Rose, CEO of Rose Construction and Rose Integrated Systems, Covington, TN; Lowe Finney, Lawyer; Former State Senator in Tennessee; Fund Raiser, Zacharias Institute, Atlanta, GA; Rebecca Lowry, Vice-President and Senior Account Manager, Ogilvy, Mather and York, New York, NY; and William Rhodes, CEO of Autozone, Memphis, TN. All of the speakers for the class are UTM alumni with the exception of Groeschel and Cora. These speakers gave the students a view of successful leadership from their experiences. The students responded with thoughtful questions and their own insights.

Bruce Dr. Melanie Bruce, Assistant Professor of Marketing, was awarded a New Faculty Grant through the College of Business and Global Affairs that assisted her with travel expenses to the Travel Blogger Summit on

Study Abroad and Global Citizenship held in New York in Fall 2017.

Baker & Humphreys Dr. Patrick Baker, Assistant Professor of Business Law was interviewed by the Associated Press in Memphis concerning the recent high-profile Holly Bobo case. He was asked legal questions on the pre-trial

story about the case. He was quoted in an AP story and picked up by media outlets including the Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, and ABC News. Recently, one of Baker’s articles, The Mine Void and Pore Space Conundrum Posed by the Anti- Kelo Movement, was the subject of a national

Faculty News

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podcast on constitutional law issues. The article was published in Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly, Volume 66, Number 1. The podcast is produced in partnership with James Madison University’s Montpelier, and it can be heard at https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/ywc/episodes/2018-01-09T12_40_46-08_00

Lastly, Baker and Dr. Carrie Humphreys, Assistant Professor in Political Science (pictured l), are participants for a third year in the UTM mentoring program that focuses on the role of faculty in student success and promotes dialogue and research about effective

teaching. Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) is a program that was initiated by UTM that sponsors a peer program for early career faculty. This FLC program is built on the model of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

Haddad Dr. Mahmoud Haddad, Professor of Finance, attended the 2017 Financial Management Association in Boston, Massachusetts, where he presented a paper entitled “Hedging Funds Versus Exchange Tradable Funds.”

Dickens Dr. Ross Dickens, Dean and Professor of Finance, is featured in a WalletHub.com Q & A at the link below. His Q & A appeared under Wallet Hub’s 8 Financial Predictions for 2018.

WalletHub.com is a financial-information site. https://wallethub.com/blog/2018-financial-predictions/43349/#ross-n-dickens

Walker Dr. Sean Walker, Assistant Professor of Management, has participated in and presented different papers at

various conferences. Walker participated in the Four Rivers SHRM Professional Development Conference hosted September 15 at the Murray State main campus in Paducah, Kentucky. The title of his presentation was “To Connect with Millennials in the Workplace, You Can’t Use Dial-Up.” He also presented “Ending the Cold War in your Workplace: Practical Tips for Resolving Conflict” on November 7 at the REED Center in Martin. Walker also recently presented two papers for the Academy of Business Research conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Furthermore, Dr. Walker has an article titled “The Volatile Human: Moderating Effects on Job Satisfaction after Job Redesign” published in the Academy of Business Research Journal Vol. III.

Fuqua

Ms. Landy Fuqua, Director of the REED Center, was selected for a continuing education opportunity. The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is continuing its partnership with Harvard

Kennedy School (HKS) and offered an advanced education opportunity exclusively to members of the Delta Leadership Network. The program, designed and led by Harvard faculty, focused on cultivating “authentic leadership” to move Delta communities forward. The Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) sent 41 representatives from across the eight states of the DRA footprint, including Fuqua to the event in the Fall of 2017.

Service Recognition 10 Years: Ms. Landy Fuqua (pictured above), Director of REED Center, and Dr. Malcolm Koch (left), Lecturer of Political Science 15 Years: Dr. Chris Baxter (left), Chair and Professor of Political Science 25 Years: Dr. Mahmoud Haddad (top left of page), Professor of Finance

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MBA Program Nationally Ranked The University of Tennessee at Martin’s online Master’s of Business Administration degree program was recently ranked 30th nationally by U. S. News & World Report, and ranked 10th in the South by OnlineMBAReport.com The MBA program consists of 38 credited hours, is offered through the university’s College of Business and Global Affairs, and is designed for financial services professionals with at least two years of work experience beyond a bachelor’s degree. Anyone interested in the MBA program or having questions, can contact the program’s administrative assistant, Madison Crow at madlcrow@ut.utm.edu

Dunagan Chair of Excellence Hosts Bankers’ Luncheon The Horace and Sara Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking at The University of Tennessee at Martin welcomed guest panelists Lee Moss (pictured above left), Chairman of the Tennessee Bankers Association; Dr. Keith Carver (center), UT Martin Chancellor; and Colin Barrett (second from right), President of the Tennessee Bankers Association, to campus November 8, 2017, for a Bankers Luncheon and Discussion. Also in attendance at the event were Dr. Nick Dunagan (second from left), University Chancellor Emeritus, and John Clark (right), Interim Director of the Horace and Sara Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking.

Student Editors Work on Newsletter Spring 2018 Students enrolled in the INFS 330 class (Employability Skills and Professional Presence) dedicated some of their class time to working on the current issue of the CBGA newsletter.

Pictured on left in picture #1 (l to r) are Anthony Brown, Becky Davis, Ladarius

Galloway (standing), and Jamie Spencer. In picture #2 (l to r) are Jordan Lambert, Wyatt Jones, and Jalen Taylor. In picture #3 (l to r) are

Brittanie Lewis, Beaux Bledsoe, and Maddie Willams. Not pictured is Davis Moore. The students job duties when working on the newsletter include conducting research, writing,

editing, and formatting articles, and locating or taking photos. The class is instructed by Dr. Lajuan Davis, Editor & Associate Professor of Business Comm. Info. Systems (below left). Co-editor for the CBGA newsletter is Dr. Jamye Long, Assistant Professor of Management (on right).

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