Achievements for March 1, 2019

College of Business students, faculty and staff recognized for recent achievements include: twenty faculty and staff honored by the UNL Parents Association, the university’s chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, Jennifer Davidson, Dr. Uchechukwu Jarrett, Dr. Rachel Larson, Joseph Lang, Dr. Tawnya Means, Kaitlyn Nohrenberg, Dr. John Kalu Osiri, Adelaide Reimbold, Libby Schwemmer, Rob Simon, Dr. Eric Thompson and Zachary Withers.

Twenty business faculty and staff received a Parents’ Recognition Award from the UNL Parents Association. The honor recognizes the significant difference the recipient has made in students’ lives. Recipients include: Dr. Sam Allgood, Edwin J. Faulkner Professor of Economics; Dr. D'vee Buss, assistant dean for undergraduate programs; Natasha Crawford J.D., academic advisor; Jennifer Davidson, assistant professor of practice in economics; Megan Friesen, assistant director of academic success and advising; Dr. John Geppert, professor of finance; Dr. Amanda Gonzales, assistant professor of accountancy; Dr. Steven Hegemann, assistant professor of practice in accountancy; Tim Hodges, lecturer for the Clifton Strengths Institute; Dr. Jamie Hyodo, assistant professor of marketing; Dr. Elina Ibrayeva, associate professor of practice in management; Dr. Uchechukwu Jarrett, assistant professor of practice in economics; Dr. Yijia Lin, N. Z. Snell Life Insurance Professor and professor of finance; Dr. Kasey Linde, assistant director of the Teaching and Learning Center; Dr. Mike McDonald, lecturer for the Clifton Strengths Institute; Jina Morris, MPA coordinator and assistant professor of practice in accountancy; Greg Richins, lecture in accounting; Dr. Shawn Strother, assistant professor of practice in finance; Sue Vagts, director of the Actuarial Science program and Ameritas Faculty Fellow; and Dr. Kevin Wesley, assistant professor of practice in management.
The new chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma celebrated its launch with a charter ceremony February 7. More than 30 students serve as charter members of the organization, which promotes and encourages interest in insurance, risk management and actuarial science as professions.
Six members of the Nebraska Business Honors Academy earned a new honor bestowed upon academy members: the academy blackshirt. The recipients received their blackshirt by embodying one or more of the five College of Business guiding principles and their commitment to the academy. Honorees include:Paris Gunderson, a senior actuarial science major from Schofield, Wisconsin; Trevor Lockard, senior finance major from Eagle, Nebraska; Alex Nachreiner, senior accounting major from Elkhorn, Nebraska; Mason Smalley, senior actuarial science major from Omaha, Nebraska; Alex Von Seggern, sophomore management major from Scribner, Nebraska; and Peyton Walker, sophomore supply chain management major from Fort Collins, Colorado.
The University of Nebraska Women’s Center recognized Jennifer Davidson, assistant professor of practice in economics at the College of Business, and president of the Nebraska Council on Economic Education (NCEE), for being a woman of character, courage and commitment. As a part of this recognition, Davidson will be featured in an online display on the Women’s Center website throughout Women’s Week, March 1-8, and invited as a guest of honor to the Women’s History Month Banquet. To view the rest of the events during Women’s Week, visit: https://womens-center.unl.edu/womens-week.
Dr. Uche Jarrett, assistant professor of practice in economics, recently spoke to Capital Public Radio in Sacramento about U.S. tariffs and its effect on prices. Listen at: http://ow.ly/AoU350lKcNv.
Dr. Rachel Larson, director of the Business Career Center, received a Dean’s Coin for enabling the center to make a positive impact for students due to her “constant support, mentorship and leadership.”
First-year Master of Arts in Business with a specialization in Intercollegiate Athletics Administration (MAIAA) students Joseph Lang, Adelaide Reimbold and Zachary Withers attended the NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar in Indianapolis February 6-8. Selected from a national pool of graduate students, they learned from experts in intercollegiate athletics and built connections.
Dr. Tawnya Means, assistant dean, director of the Teaching and Learning Center, and assistant professor of practice in management, and Dr. John Kalu Osiri, director of the international business program and associate professor of practice, were named to the N150 Strategy Team, who are charged to implement strategies from the Report of the N150 Commission and create a draft the university’s five-year strategic plan to launch in early 2020.
Kaitlyn Nohrenberg, a senior accounting major from Omaha, Nebraska, and Libby Schwemmer, a senior actuarial science and finance major from New Berlin, Wisconsin, recently represented Nebraska and the Undergraduate Women in Business student organization at the Big Ten Women’s Business Connections Conference in Philadelphia. The conference explored the theme “Empower Yourself and Inspire Others.”
Rob Simon, associate professor of practice in marketing, was interviewed for a Jan. 20 Lincoln Journal Star article on big-box stores closing in Lincoln. He said the sites are likely to change uses and predicted more mixed-use development and non retail. The story also appeared in the Beatrice Daily Sun, Columbus Telegram, Fremont Tribune, KFXL, KGHI, North Platte Telegraph and Scottsbluff Star-Herald. Read more at: https://journalstar.com/business/local/shopko-closings-to-add-to-glut-of-empty-big-box/article_457db47f-ebe4-5d71-a021-f475c1e62366.html.
Dr. Eric Thompson, Karl H. Nelson Professor of Economics and director of the Bureau of Business Research, discussed the latest long-term forecast from the bureau and the Nebraska Business Forecast Council. The report predicts Nebraska’s economy will continue to grow over the next three years, though lagging farm income — due to tariffs and low commodity prices — will dampen the growth. Read the Lincoln Journal Star article at: https://journalstar.com/business/agriculture/state-economy-poised-to-continue-growth-despite-ag-weakness/article_f8a54711-4c07-552a-ac52-e0b3b2a61503.html.

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

Published: March 1, 2019