Spring/Fall 2012 Volume 3, Issue 1 DoB Newsle er Division of Business Xavier University of Louisiana Annual Awards Banquet 2012 Highligh ng our future leaders Inside this issue: “Outliers:” QEP Compe on 2 Student Spotlight 2 Students in Free Enterprise 3 New Faculty 3 Division Highlights 4 Top performing gradua ng seniors are honored at this year’s Annual Awards Banquet Le : Dr. Joe Ricks, Division Chair, Herstyn Jones, Sales & Marke ng, Andria Buckner, Accoun ng. The Division honored its graduates and awarded its top‐performing students during the annual awards banquet on March 28, 2012. Guest speaker Candace Weber, ’01, delivered an inspiring message to graduates and current students. Other honorees of the evening were winners of the Teen Academy Business Plan Competition and outgoing Business Advisory Council (BAC) Chair Geoffrey Marshall. Student awards included the Division’s top award “ACBSP Student Leadership.” The recipient is a graduating senior who is ei‐ ther self, peer, or faculty‐nominated and selected by the Division Faculty Selection Committee. This year’s winner is Sales & Marketing major, Herstyn Jones. Mr. Jones exhibits all the qualities for outstanding leadership, both academically and outside the class room. Additionally, at this year’s banquet the inaugural division outstanding research award for the faculty members with the most impactful journal publication as voted by the division faculty was awarded to Drs. James Bartkus and Shael Wolfson. Division of Business guest speaker, Candace Weber `01, receives her plaque from Division chair, Dr. Joe Ricks, at the close of the ceremony. Teen Academy par cipants receive winnings from our first annual high school business plan compe on. h p://www.xula.edu/business Page 2 DoB Newsle er Volume 3, Issue 1 “Outliers:” Quality Enhancement Program Contest As part of Xavier’s university‐wide QEP focus on reading, “Read Today, Lead Tomor‐ row,” the Division of Business has been adopted Malcom Gladwell’s bestseller, “Outliers: A Story of Success” as its QEP book of the year. The Division held its inaugural QEP competition in Spring 2012. The competition, which required students to make formal, short presentations to a panel of faculty judges on the “Outliers”‐inspired topic “How I think about success and what drives it,” was well responded to and received. Numerous faculty used this interesting book in their classes to encourage students to think about specifically the topic of success, but more generally reading, beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Students were strongly encouraged to not only incorporate information from Gladwell’s book but also to integrate this effectively with their own research and per‐ sonal experiences. This led to some very interesting, unique and professional presenta‐ tions, which pleased the panel immensely. As for the results, first place of Barnes & Noble Nook tablet, went to Ms. Kara Everhart. Ms. Ariel Revere placed second and was rewarded with a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card. Third place resulted in a tie between Mr. Kyle McClue and Ms. Wayneisha Love, each receiving a $50 gift card. Building on the reception of the competition, plans are afoot to establish it as an annu‐ al event, with even greater involvement from both faculty and students. Student Spotlight I o en wonder what I will end up doing with my degree a er college, and if the many management and finance classes I take as a business student ma er. During my junior year I realized just how important these classes were to my future career when IberiaBank, one of the leading commercial and retail banks in Louisiana, accepted me into their Management Development Program. The MDP program targets recent college graduates to pursue a career as future bankers and leaders in the financial industry. As a member of the program I have performed financial statement analysis, learned the process of underwri ng loans and developed a strong knowledge base of the Credit Culture of IberiaBank. The knowledge gained through my internship solidified my studies and the idea of further educa on. Upon entering my senior year I have developed a passion for finance and working smart. I am eager to return to IberiaBank and learn what else the financial industry has to offer. Nnenia Clark, Senior, Management & Finance major “Because of the dedication of the Division of Business and Career Services, I was given the opportunity to work in Houston, TX for Chevron, the number 3 company on Nnenia Clark , Senior, Management and the Fortune 500 list! The experience was a great one. As an intern I worked as a land repFinance major shares her thoughts on a recent internship done at Liberia Bank. resentative where I learned to draft, understand, and negotiate oil and gas contracts and agreements. I successfully completed numerous projects throughout my stay at Chevron. And to put the icing on the cake, I was offered a full-time job upon completion my internship!” Peter Baham, Finance h p://www.xula.edu/business Page 3 DoB Newsle er Volume 3, Issue 1 SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) XAVIER UNIVERSITY SIFE TEAM WINS AT USA REGIONAL COMPETITION New Orleans, LA, April 16, 2012 – The Xavier University of Louisiana SIFE team was named a Regional Champion and Rookie of the Year at the SIFE USA Regional Competi‐ tion held April 13th in Dallas, TX. The event was one of 11 SIFE USA Regional Competi‐ tions being held across the United States in March and April. “This competition was an enriching and thrilling experience for the students” said Prof. Mark Quinn, the Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and SIFE Sam Wal‐ ton Fellow at Xavier. Xavier’s SIFE team is one of nearly 600 programs in the United States. Participating stu‐ dents use business concepts to develop community outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. During this academic year, the Xavier SIFE team organized three projects in the New Orle‐ ans community, including conducting the Teen Academy Business Idea Competition for high school students helping to operate Xavier’s student business incubator; and prepar‐ ing a business plan to provide clean water to residents of Liberia and lesser developed countries. From le to right, Herstyn Jones, senior, Mr. Mark Quinn, SIFE advisor and Derrick Williams, Pose with the winning trophies at this years regional SIFE compe on “We are especially excited about the project to provide clean water to lesser developed countries in a way that helps in their economic development” said Derek Williams, a Sen‐ ior Biology Major and Sales & Marketing Minor from Benton Harbor, Michigan. His team mate Herstyn Jones, a Senior Sales & Marketing Major from Shreveport, added “The Teen Academy Business Idea Competition allowed us to talk to local high school students about business ownership and to hear the great ideas and ambitions that younger stu‐ dents have.” The culmination of the SIFE program is an annual series of competitions that provide a forum for teams to present the results of their projects and to be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. Teams compete first at the regional and national levels, then at the international level when the national champion teams from each country meet at the SIFE World Cup. As a SIFE USA Regional Champion, the Xavier University SIFE team advanced to the 2012 SIFE USA National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri, May 22‐24. SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) is an international non‐profit organization that brings together the top leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. Founded in 1975, SIFE has active programs on more than 1,500 college and university campuses in 39 countries. Through projects that improve the lives of people worldwide, the university students, academic profession‐ als and industry leaders who participate in SIFE are demonstrating that individuals with a knowledge and passion for business can be a powerful force for change. For more infor‐ mation, contact Prof. Mark Quinn, 504.520.7505, mquinn@xula.edu New Faculty Dr. Syed Ahmed joins our faculty as our newest member beginning Fall 2012. Teaching interests include: Computer Networks for Technical Enterprise Technological Entrepreneurship & Management Informa on Systems Usability analysis of interfaces in Virtual Reality Engineering Management, Opera ons Management & Decision Sciences h p://www.xula.edu/business Dr. Syed Ahmed Professor, Division of Business Office: 340L Xavier South Phone: 504‐520‐5038 E‐mail: sahmed1@)xula.edu Xavier University Division of Business 1 Drexel Drive New Orleans, LA 70125‐1098 Student VS Faculty & Staff volleyball teams 2012 Entrepreneurship Café guests Division networking reception Spring 2012 Business Scholars “Aqua Therm” For more informa on on the programs offered by the Division of Business, please email us at business@xula.edu or call us at 504‐520‐7505. Or visit us in building 40 (Xavier South) room 325 h p://www.xula.edu/business