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. Andre Maciel, assistant professor of marketing, shared top honors at the university's Faculty Research and Creative Activity Slam. He presented his research about small and medium firms and marketplace inequality. Read more: https://go.unl.edu/d85h. Additionally, Maciel's recent study examined the craft brewing industry to understand how “collaborative market driving” can be an essential strategy for gaining customers and growing markets. Stories on the craft brewery research have appeared in KFXL, KNEB and KOLN/KGIN. Read more: https://go.unl.edu/gri7.
• Roger Simonsen, IT director for the college's Communications, Marketing and External Relations team, received a Dean's Coin for his work advancing the communication and reach of business faculty's research. The honor is presented to individuals who went above and beyond to help others in the College of Business. His nominator said, "Roger's continuous and consistently great writing allows our faculty to share their research across campus and beyond. His recent meaningful stories shared impact of research on job stress, eviction, the coin shortage and vaccines, in addition to writing 15 of the 25 stories for the Nebraska Business magazine and other stories for the website."
• Dr. Eric Thompson, K.H. Nelson Professor of Economics and director of the Bureau of Business Research, was interviewed for a Nov. 2 Associated Press article on the low unemployment rates in five Midwestern states amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “The economy of a rural state has a different structure, so more of the people work in industries that wouldn’t really be disrupted by a need for social distancing, like agriculture,” he said. The story has been picked up by 480-plus media outlets.  https://go.unl.edu/tzhj

Learning + Transformation

• Alexis Behrens, senior management major from Davenport, Iowa, merited the distinction of Chancellor’s Scholar for maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average on all collegiate work. 
• Luke Clausen, a junior economics and finance major from Carson, Iowa, shared his virtual internship experience with Catavinya, a wine company in Spain, in a Nov. 25 article in the Lincoln Journal Star. Read the article: https://go.unl.edu/hvso.
• Daniel Elsner, junior supply chain management major from Minneapolis, and Daichi Yukinawa, a junior finance major from Ichikawa, Japan, placed No. 6 globally out of more than 500 teams and No. 1 in the U.S. for undergraduate teams in the 2020 CME Group University Trading Challenge. The e-trading competition hosted by the global markets company enables students to experience the decision-making environment of real-time trading.
• Sydney Long, junior marketing and hospitality, restaurant and tourism management major from Lincoln, Nebraska, and Bradley Martins, a junior marketing major from Lincoln, received Rising Stars Scholarships from NRC Health. Both students are pursuing their undergraduate certificate in sales excellence. The scholarship celebrates and rewards students with an interest in business development, marketing and entrepreneurship.
• Chad Mardesen, assistant professor of practice in marketing, received a Dean's Coin for his efforts working with students in and out of the classroom. His nominator said, "He is dedicated to his students in a way that truly impresses me. He helps current and past students reach their goals no matter what." The honor is presented to individuals who went above and beyond to help others in the College of Business.
• Nearly 200 business students earned College of Business awards for their academic performance during the 2019-20 school year. A College of Business story shared all who received recognition: https://go.unl.edu/h538. 
• Four students took top prizes as the annual 3-2-1 Quick Pitch Competition hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship. Connor Jolley, senior management and computer science major from Omaha, Nebraska, earned first place and $3,000 for his pitch for YoBank, a financial guidance service that young professionals use to connect with local banking experts. Nick Lauver, sophomore actuarial science major from Papillion, Nebraska, received second place and $2,000 for his pitch for Mound Power, a technology company that provides baseball coaches and pitchers with the training they need to reduce injuries while improving performance. Jack Keating, senior mechanical engineering major from Kearney, Nebraska, took third place and $1,000 for his pitch of Corral Technologies, which helps ranches optimize their operations with a virtual fencing system. Eduardo Sicilia Ayala, freshman management major from Benito Jurarez, Mexico, earned the People's Choice Award, an honor for receiving the most votes for favorite pitch by the online audience.
• Three students earned scholarships through the Husker Hustle competition for aspiring or established student entrepreneurs. Hunter Bergman, senior marketing major from Neligh, Nebraska, and Megan Fehr, sophomore advertising and public relations major from Sutton, Nebraska, earned $2,500 scholarships. Nick Lauver, who also placed in the 3-2-1 Quick Pitch Competition, earned a $1,500 scholarship. 

Connection + Engagement

• Janessa Hageman, assistant director of the Business Career Center, received a Dean's Coin for her work in preparing students for career success. The honor is presented to individuals who went above and beyond to help others in the College of Business. Her nominator said, "Figuring out the processes that go along with getting your first job out of college is such a daunting process. Janessa is so kind and empathetic but most importantly she is helpful and knowledgeable. She makes the whole process so much easier."
• Lauren Kubat, senior accounting major from Omaha, was crowned 2020 homecoming royalty. Read the Lincoln Journal Star story: https://go.unl.edu/eswm.
• Natalie (Zirong) Mo, senior actuarial science and finance major from Nanning, China, had her data visualization work published in a Society of Actuaries research report, "COVID 19 Visualizations of Interest to Actuaries." View the report: https://go.unl.edu/jxpc.
• Chengjie (Terence) Tang, won the national Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) Student Central Summer Program Case Competition with four other actuarial science students representing Baruch College, Bryn Mawr College, The Ohio State University and University of Chicago. Tang, a graduate student in actuarial science from Jining City, China, completed the CAS eight-week program that culminated in the competition between 30 teams.

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.