INSID E THIS ISS UE:
FOCUS
News from the School of Business and Economics
May 6, 2013
Volume 4, Issue 17
A Message from Dean Bailey
If you venture into the R.J. Reynolds
Center this week, you will no doubt
notice the slightly different atmosphere
that descends during finals week. There
are more students clustered in and around
the building with their heads buried in
their books. There are more worried
expressions on faces
that have seen too
many sleepless nights.
Additionally, there are
more professors
hibernating in their
offices reading
submissions and
grading tests. Despite
the subdued façade,
there will be
Dr. Jessica Bailey
significant activity in
the building this week.
The university
photographer will be updating all of the
headshots of SBE faculty and staff as part
of the refurbishing of the SBE website.
Ms. Tarina Whitfield of the IT Department
will be working with SBE staff to bring the
website up to date.
Though it is an intense and busy week
for everyone, it is also a week of
celebration. At this time of year, WSSU
takes the time to honor students, faculty
and staff for all the outstanding work
done during the academic year. Friday,
May 10, the university will shine a
spotlight on the research of its faculty at
a celebratory reception to be held at the
Eastside Enterprise Center.
We are proud of all of the
accomplishments of the SBE this year and
we are confident that this work will
continue in the future. Finally, we wish
all of the students good luck on their
finals.
Jessica Bailey
A Message from Dean Bailey
1 Enactus Receives Grant
3
SBE Honors Shanchun Huang
1 SBTDC Annual Meeting
3
Student Profile— Almaroof Agoro
2 Graduation Events
4
SBE Faculty Members Receive Awards
2
SBE Honors Huang Shan
On Thursday, May 2, the School
of Business and Economics was
honored to host Mr. Shanchun
Huang, CEO of Wealth Index Group
LLC and CEO of Wealth Index
(Beijing) Fund Management Co., Ltd.
He visited the City of Winston-Salem
and Winston-Salem State University
along with his
business
associate, Mr.
Warren Wong,
Chairman of
Wall Street
IPO
Mr. Huang with Dean Bailey
Consultation,
Inc. They were accompanied by Ms.
Fang Liu, Attorney At Law, who
served as their interpreter, and Mr.
Dave van Pelt, President of Twin
City Alliance and State Coordinator
of Sister Cities International.
After visiting with Mayor Allen
Joines, the delegation traveled to
the campus of Winston-Salem State
University. They toured the main
campus and traveled to the East
Enterprise Center to view the
business incubator and the virtual
hospital housed there. In the R.J.
Reynolds building, the group had a
first-hand tour of the new SBE
Finance Lab.
At 10:30am, an informal
reception, attended by faculty of
the SBE, was held for the delegation
in Room 107. Dean Jessica Bailey
awarded Mr. Shanchun Huang a
certificate in recognition of his
Faculty visits with the delegation
appointment as a Visiting Professor in
the Department of Economics and
Finance. He will assist the SBE by
providing information on doing
business in China. He will also work
with Mr. van Pelt to enhance the
study abroad experience in Shanghai,
planned for this summer by Dr. Craig
Richardson.
The delegation was also
welcomed by the WSSU community
when they attended the Faculty
Awards Luncheon at the Anderson
Center. In his comments to the SBE,
Mr. Huang said that he was impressed
by all that he had seen at WSSU and
the SBE. He committed to being an
ardent supporter of the school in the
future.
FOCUS is published weekly by the School of Business and Economics at Winston-Salem State University. For information concerning
the newsletter, or to contribute an article, please contact Ben Greene at (336) 750-2330 or by forwarding an e-mail to
greenebp@wssu.edu.
FOCUS News
Page 2
Student Profile—Almaroof Agoro
Almaroof Agoro is a senior
double major in economics and finance
with a passion for the world’s diverse
cultures. In fact, he has been most
fortunate to work for businesses that
permitted travel to five continents. In
addition to English, he is fluent in four
African languages.
Prior to his educational pursuit
in Winston-Salem, Almaroof worked for
four years as the General Manager of
Agro Products, Ltd. In Lagos, Nigeria
where he was responsible for the
execution
of organizational
policies, vision and
mission, supervision
of departmental
managers,
development of the
management trainee
program, and the
implementation of
the computer
systems. Prior to Agro Products, he
managed Leo Auto, Ltd. also in Lagos.
There he improved quality control
processes, performed analysis of
company records, established pricing
policies and managed the departmental
supply chain.
Almaroof found Winston-Salem
State University particularly attractive
because of the smaller campus and
class size as well as his desire to learn
more about the African-American
community life at a Historically Black
College and University. When he was
considering universities, he was most
attracted to the sense of camaraderie
he witnessed during his initial visit to
WSSU. He also made a decision to
complete the typical four-year degree
program in a two and one-half year
period. When he announced this to his
advisor at the time, she did not think it
could be done, but he has been able to
achieve his goal while working a fulltime, 40 hour job.
Almaroof asked for the
opportunity to comment on his
experience, saying, “The School of
Business and Economics faculty are
incomparable in their instruction,
compassion and support for students.
In fact, they have an insatiable
aspiration for student success.”
Following graduation in May,
Almaroof plans to complete additional
studies in math in advance of his
pursuit of a Ph.D. program in
Economics with a concentration in
Finance. He also plans to sit for the
Certified Financial Planner exam in
July. He belongs to international honor
societies that include Beta Gamma
Sigma, Omicron Delta Epsilon, and The
National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
In addition, he is a member of the
Student Investment Fund and
participated in the Fed Challenge
Competition in Charlotte.
Almaroof is a native of Nigeria.
Nigeria is located in Western Africa
and is the most populous country on
the continent, with 175 million people
(one quarter of all Africans). It is the
sixth largest oil producing country in
the world with vast mineral
reserves. It is a country with a varied
terrain, featuring a combination of
lowlands in the south, central hills and
plateaus, mountains in the southeast
and plains in the north. Nigeria is a
republic with executive, legislative and
judiciary branches. It has a common
British colonial history with the U.S.
Prior to colonialism in Nigeria,
Almaroof’s family was royalty in Lagos
state in the western part of Nigeria.
They continue to hold these
ceremonial positions in the region.
Almaroof encourages his fellow
students to visit his beautiful country.
Dr. Morteza Sadri said “Mr. Agoro
is truly an outstanding student in the
SBE. He is very smart and hard working
and performs the highest quality of
required assignments. In addition, he is
an affable and humble person who is
helpful to his colleagues. With his
leadership ability, Mr. Agoro would be
a valuable addition to any institution
of his choice.”
Faculty Awards Luncheon
Honors Drs. Madjd-Sadjadi,
Mann, and Wood
May 2 was a grand day of
celebration for Winston-Salem State
University. The annual Faculty Awards
Luncheon was held in the Anderson
Center McNeil Dining Room to honor
those faculty members who, during the
past year, were willing to take on new
challenges and stretch their own limits,
in an effort to attain academic
excellence. The luncheon also serves as
recognition for those who have received
sponsored programs awards.
Dr. Althea Bradford presided over
the program. The Statement of
Occasion was presented by Dr. Denise
Pearson and the greeting was given by
Dr. Kathy Stitts, standing in for Dr.
Brenda Allen. Prior to the lunch, Dr.
Jessica Bailey, Dean of the School of
Business and Economics, introduced the
Chinese delegation visiting the campus—
Mr. Shanchun Huang, Mr. Warren Wang,
Ms. Lang Liu, and Mr. Dave van Pelt.
Dr. Dennis Sherrod, Professor of
Nursing and Forsyth Medical Center
Endowed Chair of Recruitment and
Retention of the School of Health
Sciences, was the recipient of the Board
of Governors Excellence in Teaching
Award. He has more than thirty years
of nursing and nursing education
experience and spoke to the audience
about the importance of faculty in
changing the lives of the students that
they teach.
Three faculty members
from the SBE were
recognized for their
outstanding performance.
Dr. Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi,
Professor of Economics and
Dr. Madjd-Sadjaci
Chair of the Department of
Economics and Finance, was the
recipient of the Wilveria B. Atkinson
Continued on Page 3
FOCUS News
Enactus receives $2,000
Lowe’s Foundation Grant
The Enactus Team at WSSU
received a $2000.00 grant from the
Lowes Charitable & Educational
Foundation and partnered with the
Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County
to improve the garden experience for
WSSU’s students, faculty, staff and
neighbors in the Simon’s Green Acres
Garden located immediately behind
The Enterprise Center of WSSU.
The Grant was presented to
the S.G. Atkins Community
Development Corporation who
manages the Garden. Mr. Rudy
Anderson of WSSU accepted the Grant
on behalf of Ms. Carol Davis of S.G.
Atkins CDC at the WSSU Enactus
meeting on April 11, 2013 at The
Enterprise Center. Ms. Carol Davis, the
Executive Director of S.G. Atkins CDC
expressed her
appreciation,
saying,
“Simon
Green's Acre
Garden will
be able to
provide a
Garden Sign, a Bigger Shed and an
improved amount of seeds for
vegetables & other tools needed
during the Spring.”
Dr. Notis Pagiavlas, Director of
The Center for Entrepreneurship,
Associate Professor of Marketing and
a WSSU Enactus Advisor, noted that
the Garden is a catalyst for citizens of
all ethnic and cultural backgrounds
intermingling
and socializing
with each
other on
planting
activities as
well as many
others
including
Melvin Williams & the Enactus Team
food, music,
and a host of
other social activities. He praised the
WSSU Enactus Team for their effort in
securing the grant. Mr. Melvin T.
Williams, WSSU Enactus Advisor,
thanked our Enactus Partners, Lowe’s
and Habitat for Humanity, on behalf
of the entire WSSU Enactus Team.
Page 3
SBTDC Holds Annual
Conference
Each year, the staff of North Carolina’s
Small Business Technology Development
Center meet to review the
accomplishments of the year, enhance
existing skills through professional
development workshops, and plan for the
upcoming year. This year, the two-day
program was held in Winston-Salem’s
Graylyn International Conference Center
and was attended by counselors and other
staff representatives from across the state.
The meeting was led by
Mr. Scott Daugherty, who
serves as the SBTDC's
Executive Director and as
Assistant Vice Chancellor
for Extension,
Engagement and
Economic Development
at North Carolina State
Mr. Scott Daugherty University. Scott
attended Wake Forest
University, The
University of Miami and The University of
Florida. He has a law degree and has
practiced as a corporate attorney in
Florida, Mississippi and Washington, DC. He
also has managed two large regional
economic development organizations and
organized and ran a small business
investment company. Just prior to joining
The UNC system in 1984, Scott was a Vice
President and Deputy General Counsel of a
large quasi-public financing agency in
Washington, DC.
Two business school deans were
invited to the banquet, Dean Jessica Bailey
of Winston-Salem State
University and Dean
Quiester Craig of North
Carolina A&T University.
The local office of the
SBTDC is housed on the
Ninth Floor of the Winston
Towers Building. Its
affiliation with the SBE is
Dr. Bailey with Mr.
of long-standing. The
Weston
Regional Director, Mr.
Robert Weston, is working closely with the
SBE to assign student internships, to
collaborate with faculty, and to reinforce
the principles of successful
entrepreneurship that we teach in the
school.
Faculty Awards Luncheon
(Continued)
Distinguished Research Award. His
research interests include law and
economics, finance, and political
economy. Dr. Madjd-Sadjadi is
married with two children, ages nine
and ten, is a former Fulbright scholar
to Canada, and was the 1988 World
Diplomacy Champion.
Dr. Melissa Mann, Assistant
Professor of Management, was the
recipient of the Willie
Burke Master Teacher
Award. Dr. Mann is a
Master Teacher and
her research revolves
around understanding
the antecedents and
outcomes of work
Dr. Melissa Mann
ethic espousal, as well
as creating programs
aimed at transforming work ethic
beliefs and behaviors. She was a
former soccer player for the New
York Magic and the New York Athletic
Club before coming to WSSU.
Dr. Lynette Wood is an Assistant
Professor of Accounting and was the
recipient of the Bill Sheppard Master
Teacher Award. Dr.
Wood earned the
distinction of being
the first AfricanAmerican woman to
complete a Ph.D. in
accounting at Indiana
Dr. Lynette Wood
University. Her
research focuses on
investigating African-American
participation in the accounting
profession. Dr. Wood is a licensed
Certified Public Accountant and is
married to Donald Wood. Together
they have an adult son and daughter.
Congratulations
To each of our Master of Business Administration,
Master of Healthcare Administration and Bachelor of
Science majors who will be graduating on May 18, 2013.
The School of Business and Economics will hold an
Awards Banquet on Friday, May 17 to honor
outstanding achievement by seniors from each of our
departments and our graduate students. All May SBE
graduates, faculty and staff have been invited to this
event.