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

• Shawntell Kroese, assistant professor of practice in supply chain management and analytics, shared how COVID-19 impacted the supply chain, how Christmas sales were this year, and what to expect from supply chains in the future. Read more: https://go.unl.edu/t5g9.
• Eric Thompson, K.H.Nelson Professor of Economics and director of the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, was interviewed for a Dec. 10 Lincoln Journal Star article on initial and continuing unemployment claims climbing last week in Nebraska. He said the increase in continuing claims is normal and not a sign that the economy is worsening. Read more: https://go.unl.edu/tpmv.

Learning + Transformation

• The MBA@Nebraska program jumped to No. 13 among top online MBA programs in the latest ranking by The Princeton Review. In 2020, the MBA@Nebraska placed among the top 25 in three prestigious online MBA rankings – The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Poets&Quants. Read more: https://go.unl.edu/40q2.
• Tom Hermanek, junior marketing major from Omaha, Nebraska, and Josh Thiel, junior actuarial science major from Omaha, won the Arbor Day Foundation Innovation Challenge hosted by the Nebraska Business Honors Academy. The competition provided an opportunity to help the Arbor Day Foundation identify new markets to use trees as a revenue-generator. Hermanek and Thiel will have 500 trees planted in their names for winning the competition.
• Tim Hodges, assistant professor of practice in management and executive director of Nebraska’s Clifton Strengths Institute, was featured by The Omaha Daily Record in a Jan. 5 article on the “The Future of Work,” a management course offered during the fall three-week session. Lauren Kubat, a senior accounting major who took the class, was also featured in the story. Read more: https://go.unl.edu/2cq7.
• Rachel Larson, assistant dean of academic and career development, and Janessa Hageman, assistant director of the Business Career Center, presented at The Collective 2020 virtual conference hosted by The Career Leadership Collective. Their presentation, "Scaling Career Curriculum to Maximize Student Learning and Staff Time," explored best practices that support both students and instructors to help career centers maximize staff time, increase student learning and think through scaling strategies that can be applied to any institution’s career courses regardless of class size.
• Laura McLeod, assistant professor of practice in marketing, received a Dean's Coin for her work teaching Sales Communication (MRKT 257) in a way that positively impacted students. The honor is presented to individuals who went above and beyond to help others in the College of Business. Her nominator said, "Her enthusiasm and passion for her work shone through every lecture and interaction. In addition, she went above and beyond by messaging students congratulations when they did well and provided great feedback on project drafts that enabled us to succeed."
• Three business students received Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to support credit-bearing study abroad, internship abroad or virtual international opportunities between Dec. 1, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2021. The Gilman is a nationally competitive scholarship awarded twice a year by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education. College of Business recipients, who happen to all plan to study in Spain, include: Anibal Grajeda, sophomore international business major from Lincoln; Chika Izuegbunam, senior marketing and finance major from Omaha; and Lauren Lewis, sophomore marketing major from Omaha. Read more: https://go.unl.edu/mg07.

Connection + Engagement

• Alicia Beltran-Orozco, custodian in Howard L. Hawks Hall, received a Dean's Coin for her work keeping faculty, staff and students safe by making Hawks Hall a clean environment. The honor is presented to individuals who went above and beyond to help others in the College of Business. Her nominator said, "If you study in any common area, work or visit an office, on the third, fourth or fifth floors of Hawks Hall, you benefit from Alicia's hard work. She is always consistent, meticulous and pleasant and should be commended for her efforts."

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.