Skip to main content
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Search

Full Article

Visit Apply Give

Achievements for August 2020

Achievements for August 2020
College of Business faculty, students and staff continue to excel in fulfilling the college's mission to drive discovery, create opportunity and empower individuals to lead the future of business.

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. Thomas Dotzel, assistant professor of marketing, and his co-author Dr. Venkatesh Shankar of Texas A&M University won the Best Services Article Award 2019 by the American Marketing Association Service Special Interest Group (SERVSIG) for their Journal of Marketing paper, “The Relative Effects of Business-to-Business (vs. Business-to-Business Consumer) Service Innovations on Firm Value and Firm Risk: An Empirical Analysis.” This award recognizes the best article in the services literature – across journals and disciplines. Learn more about the paper: https://go.unl.edu/xsp3.
  • Dr. Thomas Omer, Delmar Lienemann Sr. Chair of Accounting and professor of accountancy, co-authored a recent study showing that companies that curtail auditor's tax services for the sake of appearances pay a stiff price in higher rates. The paper, "The Cost of Independence: Evidence from Companies’ Decisions to Dismiss Audit Firms as Tax-Service Providers," is in the June/August issue of Accounting Horizons, a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly by the American Accounting Association. Read more about the article at CFO.com: https://go.unl.edu/e3mm
  • Dr. David Rosenbaum, Hay Professor of Economics, began his new role as chair of the Department of Economics.
  • Dr. Eric Thompson, Nelson Professor of Economics and director of the Bureau of Business Research, was interviewed for a story in the Lincoln Journal Star on the financial impact of having fewer Husker home football games this fall with the Big Ten’s conference-only schedule. Read the July 10 article: https://go.unl.edu/k7jq.
  • Thompson was also interviewed for a July 10 Stateline article on the U.S. agricultural economy. Thompson said Nebraska’s economy has not been hit as hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as those of some other states. He attributes this to Nebraska’s broad-based agricultural economy, as well as a large service economy that has allowed many people to work from home. Read the article: https://go.unl.edu/842y.

Learning + Transformation

  • Dr. Geoff Friesen, associate professor of finance, began his new role as executive director of Business Graduate Programs. The office oversees and serves students in master's degree and graduate certificate programs.
  • Three students received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, alongside 27 other students at Nebraska. This scholarship provides support to students for credit-bearing study abroad, internship abroad or virtual international opportunities. The students who received the scholarship include: Kadeja Al Kanass, junior international business, psychology and political science major from Lincoln, Nebraska, for study in Jordan, additionally received funds to study Arabic; Timothy Bogdan, senior economics major from Olathe, Kansas, for study in Japan; and Muranmok Riyangow, junior international business major from Lincoln for study in Jordan. Read more on the scholarship winners: https://go.unl.edu/94v9.
  • Nine students placed in the top ten in national competitions hosted by Phi Beta Lambda business student organization at the 2020 National Leadership Online Experience in June. Hunter Bergman, senior marketing major from Neligh, Nebraska, received the Who's Who Award for his outstanding contributions to the organization. Trevor Lockard, senior finance major from Eagle, Nebraska, took first place in the nation for Financial Concepts and second place in Management Concepts. Megan McCann, senior actuarial science major from Stillwater, Oklahoma, won first place in the nation for Statistical Analysis. Nebraska's other award winners included: Ellie Anderson, junior management and marketing major from Leawood, Kansas, fifth place in Sales Presentation and second place for Marketing Analysis and Decision Making; Bergman, second place in Future Business Executive Interview and fourth place in Job Interview; Kenny Erickson, senior actuarial science and finance major from Omaha, Nebraska, third place in Insurance Concepts as well as Statistical Analysis; Ellie Foral, junior economics major from Bellevue, Nebraska, second place in Marketing Analysis and Decision Making; Kimberly Frey, sophomore accounting major from Tilden, Nebraska, ninth place in Macroeconomics; Nikki Holthaus, junior accounting and marketing major from Elkhorn, Nebraska, tenth place in Business Ethics; and Taylor Shellenberger, sophomore business administration major from Pueblo, Colorado, eighth place in Administrative Technology.

Connection + Engagement

  • Rik Barerra will lead the college’s diversity and inclusion efforts in his expanded role as associate dean of student services, inclusion and chief operating officer.
  • Amanda Colborn, building operations manager, received a Dean's Coin for all her efforts to prepare Hawks Hall for students, faculty and staff this fall. The honor is presented to individuals who went above and beyond to help others in the College of Business.
  • Dr. Sam Nelson, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and associate professor of practice in management, was interviewed for a July 17 KLKN story on the Black Leaders Movement pushing for change in Lincoln. Nelson said having more minorities in the workforce can be a benefit. “The more folks we bring to the table and the different perspectives we bring to the table is going to improve our ability to solve problems,” he said. Watch the video at: https://go.unl.edu/7ncj.
  • Davis Podany, associate director for client services in the college's IT Services, received the first newly redesigned College of Business Dean’s Coin for going above and beyond helping faculty and staff acquire and use new technology to support students during remote work. His nominator said: "Davis explains the benefits of different technology solutions and talks people through using it in a kind and informative way that makes changing to new programs or technology easier. He is always positive, friendly and helpful and remains calm even when asked somewhat silly questions or the other person is stressed. He is always accessible, because helping others matters to him.”
  • The Business Career Center hosted the virtual Employer Partners Day on August 5. Ameritas won the the Employer of the Year award, which honors an organization who has gone above and beyond to collaborate with the Business Career Center in their commitment to students’ career development at the College of Business. Laura McLeod, assistant professor of practice in marketing, was named the Sue Vagts Faculty/Staff Partner of the Year. The center recognized McLeod for building relationships with employers and enhancing career development, education, and opportunities to help College of Business students succeed.

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 Submission Form at the bottom of https://business.unl.edu webpage. On the form, select Recognize Achievement and fill out the related questions.

Published: August 7, 2020