Honors and Awards

• The University of Nebraska–Lincoln debuted at No. 42 in the world and No. 12 in the Midwest in The Princeton Review^® and Entrepreneur^® Top 50 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs rankings. Read the story.
• Rebecca Jack, Ph.D. student in economics, made a name for herself with two high-profile publications in 2023. Her outstanding achievements earned her the CoB Ph.D. Student Research Award recognizing her significant contributions to the field. Read the story.
• Brett Neely, assistant professor of management, was named one of Poets&Quants 50 Best Undergraduate Professors for 2024, an annual recognition of the world’s top educators in business. Read the story.
• Sophie Thomas, senior management and marketing major from Lakeville, Minnesota, was named Student of the Month by the Nebraska Business Student Advisory Board.
• Addie Weiand, junior management major from Lincoln, Nebraska, was named Student of the Month by the Nebraska Business Student Advisory Board.

Research and Publications

• Graham Liu, N.Z. Snell Life Insurance Professor and associate professor of actuarial science, and Özgür Araz, Ron and Carol Cope Professor of Supply Chain Management and Analytics, published interdisciplinary research in the North American Actuarial Journal titled "Estimating the Role of Uninsured in the Spread of COVID-19 via Geospatial Bayesian Models." They looked at the roles of vaccination and socioeconomic status including insurance and geographic location and its effects on spread. They found the percentage of the senior population, vaccination rate and uninsured percentage are the most important variables for predicting infection and fatality rates, while the overall social vulnerability index has a huge impact on mortality and infection rates. Read the research.
• Julian Atanassov, associate professor of finance, co-published research in the Review of Financial Studies titled "The Bright Side of Political Uncertainty: The Case of R&D." In contrast to previous research documenting the negative effects of political and policy uncertainty, his research showed that uncertainty has a bright side: It motivates companies to increase their investment in research and development. His team found this gives firms the option to invest even more in the future if the uncertainty resolution is favorable. They found firms that are more politically sensitive and operate in high-tech industries are more likely to benefit from this effect. Read the research.

Notable Involvement

• Jenna Pieper, Donald and Shirley Clifton Chair of Organizational Behavior and associate professor of management, was selected by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for a cohort of 16 faculty for its Faculty Leadership in Academia: From Inspiration to Reality (FLAIR) program. FLAIR provides professional development for university faculty who are considering a leadership role or are in their first leadership position and considering continuing on a leadership path. Read the Nebraska Today article.
• Esma Gel, Cynthia Hardin Milligan Chair of Business and professor of supply chain management and analytics, was featured in an article by the nonprofit Henry Luce Foundation about women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and artificial intelligence. The article says, "Gel’s story exemplifies how math can empower individuals, regardless of background, to lead and innovate in STEM." Read the article.
• Nine Nebraska students were named by the Clifton Strengths Institute as IKI Fellows for a one-year program that fosters connection and collaboration with purpose-driven leaders. The fellows will identify and support initiatives that align with the Japanese concept of ikigai, which has an emphasis on their strengths-based and purpose-driven experience as leaders. The IKI Fellows are: Carli Bailey, junior management major from Ansley, Nebraska; Carter Goff, senior finance and management major from Kearney, Nebraska; Chase Kavanaugh, senior accounting major from Lincoln, Nebraska; Emersyn Liljehorn sophomore agricultural leadership, education and communication major from Lincoln; Conor Maguire, senior management major from Fort Collins, Colorado; Naree Philavanh, senior marketing and management major from Lincoln; Jacob Ripley, junior management major from Rogers, Minnesota; Claire Sobansky, senior management major from Lincoln; and Grace Timm, junior agribusiness major from Chappell, Nebraska.
• Majid Al Harthy, senior supply chain management major from Muscat, Oman, recently represented the College of Business at the 2024 Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) EDGE Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. He was awarded this opportunity through a competitive scholarship process offered by the CSCMP Kansas City Heartland Roundtable. The experience provided him with insights into the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in supply chain management through sessions and keynotes from industry leaders.

Competitions

• Teams of University of Nebraska–Lincoln students competed to solve a real business problem through interdisciplinary solutions in the qualifying round of the Tenaska Business Challenge, and two were selected to represent the university in the national Tenaska Business Challenge in February. The first-place team included: Emily Frech, sophomore marketing and management major from Erie, Colorado; Jacob Hyder, sophomore marketing and management major from Omaha, Nebraska; John Jacobson, sophomore finance and data sciences major from Overland Park, Kansas; and Maddock Oberzan, sophomore finance major from Lawrence, Kansas. The second-place team included Bruno Chincoa, sophomore finance major from Lincoln; Nikolas Mancio, senior finance and accounting major from Porto Alegre, Brazil; Lucas Coelho, sophomore computer science major from Nova Lima, Brazil; and Francisco Tramonte, senior mechanical engineering major from Paulinia, Brazil.
• Thirty-eight University of Nebraska–Lincoln students paired up to pitch a healthcare program to Husker alumni of the Undergraduate Certificate in Sales Excellence Program while competing for $5,000 in the Center for Sales Excellence Team Role-Play Competition in November. Read the story.
• A record 113 students from eight colleges at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln demonstrated their entrepreneurial, communication and presentation skills at the 16th annual 3-2-1 Quick Pitch competition on Nov. 7. Hosted by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, the event offers students a platform to present a three-minute business idea to judges for a chance to win part of $12,000 in cash prizes. Read the story.

In The News

• Herita Akamah, associate professor of accountancy, shared her experience in an article from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City called, "Foreign-Born Women Play a Key Role in the U.S. Workforce." Read the story.
• Jennifer Davidson, associate professor of practice in economics, Nebraska Council on Economic Education president and Nebraska Bankers Association Faculty Fellow, Nebraska Council on Economic Education President and Nebraska Bankers Association Faculty Fellow, was featured in WalletHub's article about the best way to compare personal loans with and without origination fees. Read her advice in the article.
• Davidson also spoke to 1011 News in Lincoln about the 70 in-school savings programs in Nebraska. She shared information about the program and tips for getting kids involved in saving early. See the video.
• Eric Thompson, department chair, K.H. Nelson College Professor of Economics and director of Bureau of Business Research, spoke to the Lincoln Journal Star for the article “More Nebraskans work multiple jobs” on Nov. 24. He said there may be several reasons why more Nebraskans today hold multiple jobs. Read the story. (Subscription may be required)
• Thompson also spoke to KLKN-TV about the economic effects of possible import tariffs in the article, "Farmer near Waverly fears consequences of Trump tariffs." See the video.