Learn more about recent honors, appointments and publications at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business in this month's achievements column. The achievements of faculty, staff and students are grouped within the college’s three mission-focused goals of research + discovery, learning + transformation and connection + engagement.

Research + Discovery

• Dr. John Anderson, Baird Family Professor of Economics, was interviewed for a March 15 Center Square article on tax reform in Nebraska. He said reducing reliance on property taxes and extending the sales tax base can be easier said than done. “If you rely less on the local property tax to fund schools, you rely more on state funding and that has its complications in regard to local control of schools,” he said. "This is a long-standing issue in Nebraska.” Read more at: https://go.unl.edu/ugq7.
• Dr. Amy Bartels, assistant professor of management, co-authored the article, “The Double-Edged Sword of Leadership Task Transitions in Emergency Response Multiteam Systems,” which was published in the Academy of Management Journal. When responding to mass casualty events, like a car accident involving multiple cars, multiple emergency response teams have to come together and work as a system of teams. In this paper, she and her colleagues examine how rapidly shifting leadership responsibilities among different team members within the system of teams can bring about positive results if such leadership shifts help to correctly allocate effort and knowledge within the system of teams. Read more at: https://go.unl.edu/rx3e
• Dr. Tim Hodges, executive director of the Clifton Strengths Institute and assistant professor of practice in management, presented a workshop at the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education conference where more than 75 administrators from across 26 public universities in South Africa learned more about CliftonStrengths and the institute's entrepreneurship-focused Clifton Builders program. Jordan Jansen Van Vuren, junior accounting major from Barrington, Illinois, joined Hodges for a question-and-answer session and shared her experiences exploring strengths and entrepreneurship as a student strengths coach and Clifton Builder. Read more about their impact at the conference at: https://go.unl.edu/qg3w.
• Dr. Tawnya Means, assistant dean, director of the Teaching and Learning Center, and assistant professor of practice in management, led a virtual panel called "Taking Action on Teaching: Teaching Tips for Student Engagement" for members of the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Her tips help entrepreneurship educators better serve their students across the nation.
• Dr. Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research and K.H. Nelson Professor of Economics, was quoted in a March 19 Omaha World-Herald article on the expected impact of the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package on Nebraska. The story has been picked up by the Beatrice Daily Sun, Columbus Telegram, Fremont Tribune, Grand Island Independent, Kearney Hub, Lincoln Journal Star, North Platte Telegraph and York News-Times. Read the article at: https://go.unl.edu/4yfq.
• Additionally, Thompson's work on the latest Nebraska Leading Economic Indicator report was cited in Governor Pete Rickett's "Governor's Weekly Column" message, March 1. Data from this report and the January Survey of Nebraska Business report showed a positive outlook for Nebraska's economy.
  
  

Learning + Transformation

• The College of Business announced a new Master of Science in Supply Chain Management program. In the online program, students discover innovative concepts and tools used in supply chain management and learn to apply analytics to design, analyze and improve supply chain systems. Read more at: https://go.unl.edu/ym68.
• The MBA@Nebraska program ranked No. 1 in value for the money in the latest Financial Times online MBA ranking, placing No. 14 overall. The ranking is the program’s third top 20 placement for 2021. Read the story at: https://go.unl.edu/vyhc.
• Dr. Amber Messersmith, lecturer in management, received a Dean's Coin for her work leading a teaching team for Business Writing (BSAD 220) classes. The honor is presented to individuals who went above and beyond to help others in the College of Business. Her nominator said, "Amber is one of the unsung heroes in the College of Business. She works tirelessly for her teaching team and students."
• Six international business majors were named members of the International Business Select 2021 cohort. Together they will experience unique study abroad opportunities, professional mentorships and business development projects. Members include: Zoey Doan, sophomore from San Antonio, Texas; Ashleigh Johnson, freshman from Lincoln, Nebraska; Asaru Jordan, sophomore from Douglasville, Georgia; Michelle Lucio, freshman from Omaha, Nebraska; Morgan Scherrer, sophomore from Highlands Ranch, Colorado; and Ann Vu, freshman from La Vista, Nebraska.
• Four business students won first place in the inaugural State Farm Business with Integrity Case Competition, in which they proposed ethical solutions for the Arbor Day Foundation. Team members included: Chris Burgess, junior marketing major from Overland Park, Kansas; Broderick Diez, junior actuarial science major from Gretna, Nebraska; Jack Slagle, junior accounting major from Omaha; and Josh Thiele, junior actuarial science major from Elkhorn, Nebraska. Read more about their experience at: https://go.unl.edu/sha3.
• Four students won first place in the annual UNL Actuarial Science Case Competition. Sponsored by Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), the Nebraska Actuaries Club, Milliman and Global Indemnity, the case study introduced students to actuarial topics as they relate to property and casualty insurance. Team members included: Luke Buettner, freshman actuarial science major from Lincoln; Garrett Mayer, junior actuarial science major from Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Natalie (Zirong) Mo, senior actuarial science major from Nanning, China; and Kamryn Schreck, sophomore accounting and actuarial science major from Carroll, Iowa.
• Omicron Delta Kappa inducted Katie Lamb, junior Clifton Builders management and marketing major from Grafton, Wisconsin, and Samuel Stott, junior marketing and supply chain management major from Lake Winnebago, Missouri, into their 2021-22 class. Lamb and Stott were selected based on their campus leadership in scholarship, athletics, service, journalism and speech, and the creative and performing arts.
• The Innocents Society and Mortar Board selected seven business students for membership during 2021-22 for their senior year based on outstanding scholarship, leadership and service to the university and community. The Innocents Society inducted Chloe Higgins, economics major from Nebraska City, Nebraska; Madeleine Jacobitz, economics and finance major from Omaha; Kennedy Johnston, economics major from Carbon, Indiana; and Grayson Wegener, international business major from Denton, Nebraska. Students tapped as new members of Mortar Board include: Ethan Carlson, management major from Lincoln; Lexie Fiedler, actuarial science major from Huntley, Illinois; and Riley Knust, economics and finance major from Plymouth, Nebraska.

Connection + Engagement

• Three College of Business faculty and staff earned the Friends and Family Award (formerly the Parents' Recognition Award) from the UNL Parents Association and UNL Teaching Council. The award annually recognizes those who made a significant difference in students’ lives. This year’s awardees with the number of years they have received the award include: Dr. Elina Ibrayeva, associate professor of practice in management (3), Michelle Jacobs, administrative coordinator (8); and Dr. Graham Liu, assistant professor of actuarial science (1).
• Diane Choi, a sophomore marketing major, was interviewed for a March 26 KHGI story on a March 25 Stop Asian Hate rally in Lincoln. Choi said she is no stranger to the hate many Asian-Americans experience. She said it is especially challenging as there are often beliefs that Asian-Americans either don't experience this kind of racism or should instead suffer it in silence. Read more at: https://go.unl.edu/0ei5.
• Grace Heggem, senior economics major from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, was interviewed by The Daily Nebraskan about how the student organization Dance Marathon pivoted its biggest fundraiser of the year into HuskerThon for COVID-19 safety. Heggem, who served as programming director, talks about the event's impact. The student organization raised $224,045.31 for the Children's Hospital. Read more at: https://go.unl.edu/x40i.
• Meghan Schuette, a sophomore international business and marketing major from Omaha, was recognized as the Student of the Month by the Nebraska Business Student Advisory Board. Schuette is a student strengths coach, member of the Nebraska Business Honors Academy and social chair of its council. She currently is also pursuing her certificate in undergraduate sales excellence.
• Two senior business minors received Student Luminary Awards for their exceptional leadership and commitment to improving campus life. Honorees included: Collin Fink, advertising and public relations major from Hebron, Nebraska, and Adrian Pilkington, software engineering major from Lincoln. Fink serves as a senior lead strengths coach for the Clifton Strengths Institute and the director of business and operations for Jacht Advertising Agency. He was also a founding member of Pride in Business. Pilkington built a supportive and inclusive environment as the first transgender resident assistant for the university's Transgender Housing and served as a member of the Computer Science and Engineering Student Advisory Board. He was also inducted into the Innocents Society, the Chancellor's senior honorary society.

This column is a monthly feature of the College of Business. Faculty, staff and students can submit achievements to be considered for this column via the News Proposal Form at the bottom of https://business.unl.edu webpage. On the form, select Recognize Achievement and fill out the related questions.