New Agriculture/Business Building Opens

Transcription

1 Business Connection New Agriculture/Business Building Opens Almost two years to the day from the groundbreaking in January 2014, the Colleges of Business and Agriculture and Human Sciences moved into a brand new facility. The 90,000 square foot building shared with the College of Agriculture and Human Science, features 14 modern classrooms, eight instructional and science laboratories, a trading laboratory, student study rooms, office space and a 400- seat auditorium with a balcony. The PVAMU Small Business Development Center and classrooms, including three 60-seat tiered rooms and multi-functional rooms such as the trading laboratory and multi-purpose room are conveniently located on the first floor. Student study rooms, a collaboration and innovation lab, computer classrooms and the Center for Business Communication and tutorial hub are located on the second floor. Also located on the second floor is a student lounge surrounded by glass that is etched with the university seal and situated just below the clock tower. Faculty, staff and professional offices including the Center for International Business Education are located on the third floor along with a dedicated business student computer lab. Additional office, meeting space and a faculty lounges for both colleges are located on the fourth floor. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned in early Classes are planned for spring 2016 with the auditorium, trading room and a few other surprises open and available by summer. New Ag/Business Building Opens Page 1 Dean s Corner Page 2 PVAMU Gala 2015 Page 3 Panthers on the Prowl Abroad Page 4 Student News & Notes Page 5 Faculty and Staff News and Notes Page 7 COB Welcomes New Faculty Page 9 IMPACT Mentoring Launched Page 10 PVAMU Recognized in News Page 10 Donor Honor Roll Page 11 Mission & Vision Statements Page 12

2 Dr. Munir Quddus Dean and Professor of Economics Happy New Year to all. This year we are celebrating 40 years as an independent academic college and we have moved to a new building. This a splendid facility - the best on campus so far! The open space, the modern facilities, the state-of-the-art technology, the meeting space - all of these features makes the building highly studentfriendly. Speaking to a number of students, and by noticing their behavior, it is evident that the students love the new building. From available funding and conception, the space was in four years in making. During the initial planning meetings, all of the constituents met and were asked for input and we all wanted the building to be modern and functional but also have a "wow!" factor to it. The College of Business asked for a state-of-the-art "trading room" to help our finance majors and other students learn about investing and trading. We were also interested in a large auditorium for our programs such as executive and lecture series and award ceremonies to name a few. We are proud to share the space with the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, who requested specialized labs that they were missing in other campus locations. The users also wanted modern classrooms with multi-media technology and student space for study and team collaboration. Now that we are in the new building, it seems we got most of what was on our wish list. Besides moving to the new building, the leadership, faculty and staff have also been busy with preparing for the AACSB visit in February (21-23), This is the regular reaccreditation five-year visit by the "Peer Review Team" as part of the Continuous Improvement Review (CIR) under the new (2013) standards. This is an intense effort and a substantial document (more than 150 pages) that outlines our strategies, highlights our faculty and programs as well as our commitment to continuous engagement, impact and innovation. The PRT will be at the main campus for one full day of meetings, and will interact with faculty, students and staff members. For the second semester in a row, the COB was at the top of the list of all colleges in terms of enrollment growth (as measured by the semester credit hours). We have had double digit growth in back-to-back semesters. This demonstrates the reputation and quality of education of the business programs is on the rise - the recently introduced Executive MBA has certainly added to the brand. Taking advantage of the PVAMU NWHC, the COB has begun to offer several non-credit programs: Becker CPA review, Six Sigma and PMP certification courses - these programs and opportunities are being offered to benefit our students, to increase our presence in the community and to attract prospective students in the greater Houston area. A number of professors - Dr. Ngamassi, Dr. McNeil, Dr. Baldwin, Dr. Opara, Dr. Zhang - have received research and service-oriented grants. The total grants received in 2015 adds up to more than half a million dollars, more than we have ever received in a year. We hope you are able to visit with us this year and I look forward to hearing from you. Wishing you a great semester, Munir Quddus, PhD Dean, College of Business Associate Provost, PVAMU Northwest Houston Center PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 2

3 PVAMU 2015 Gala Prairie View A&M University s biennial gala has become a signature event for the university attracting hundreds of alumni, distinguished guests, and friends of the university as well as university faculty, staff, students and administrators. The College of Business served as the host and featured college for the 2015 PVAMU Gala. Dr. Samuel Metter, class of 1957, served as the honorary chair of this worthwhile event. Ayanna Mack, a proud PVAMU alumna from the College of Arts and Sciences (where the department of business and economics had its genesis) served as the mistress of ceremonies and guided the attendees through the program which honored the rich history of the College of Business. The event was used to highlight the college s excellent academic programs and to honor its students, alumni and supporters. Dean s Advisory Board members Wanda Jackson Graves, chair, and Vernita Harris, a distinguished business alumna, brought remarks and greetings along with Gerald Herd, a recent alumnus who also had the distinction of being among the first executive MBA students to graduate from the program. Members of the PVAMU jazz band and the PV singers provided rousing entertainment and Lockheed Martin was recognized as the Cluster Company of the year. Mr. Donald Bowers, II, a charter member of the College of Business Dean s Advisory Board, was recognized for his outstanding contributions to Prairie View A&M University and selected as the President s Vision Award honoree. PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 3

4 Panthers on the Prowl Abroad Accounting Internship in Malaysia David Westerfield, senior accounting major, spent his summer working with KPMG in their (GIP) Global Internship Program in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the firm s deal advisory practice. Westerfield competed with more than 700 applicants who applied for this opportunity only 30 were chosen to represent their universities and KPMG in a global setting. David completed his internship back in his hometown of Dallas, Texas and returned to PVAMU for his final semester as an undergraduate student. I believe with all of my heart that PVAMU prepared me for my future in public accounting and groomed me for a future position in a globalized economy, says the December 2015 candidate for graduation. He has accepted a full-time position with an accounting firm and plans to start in January EMBA Students Study Abroad in China Prairie View A&M University's Executive MBA students took an educational field trip abroad this past May. EMBA students had the opportunity to visit China to immerse themselves in the Chinese culture. Students got a chance to visit many different cultural sites, such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. In addition to the beautiful and impressive Chinese cultural sites, they also visited many different Chinese businesses and educational institutions. For instance, students got a chance to tour China Securities, Shanghai Electronic Industry School, China Europe International Business School and other exciting venues. Students came away with a broad understanding of China and its economic success, business etiquette, history, culture, geography and most importantly the Chinese people. This is the second group of EMBA students to visit China. The visit for the next EMBA cohort is planned in May David Westerfield in Malaysia. EMBA Students in China PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 4

5 Student News & Notes Around the College of Business Dalya Sanders Awarded $75,000 Scholarship Sophomore business management major Dalya Sanders probably knows how to use the Google search engine to her advantage better than most. In her free time, Dalya used the search engine to find scholarship funds so that she could continue her journey in school. This enterprising young woman was raised by a single parent who is already putting her sister, a senior at Lamar University, through college so, Dalya says, I knew that the only options I had to pay for school were either scholarships or loans. When I entered high school, I set a goal for my self saying that I would graduate from college debt-free. Ms. Sanders found out about a scholarship sponsored by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Toyota worth $75,000 and an internship opportunity with the Japanese auto maker. She applied for the scholarship and was selected as a recipient. In addition to the financial gain and career internship opportunity, Dalya believes, The greatest benefit I have received as far as being a recipient of this scholarship has been an extreme boost in confidence. I now know that I am able to compete with students from schools across the nation such as Morehouse College and Tuskegee University and actually come out on top. Being able to represent Prairie View A&M University along with the College of Business and shining a positive light on my HBCU has been an honor. Destiny Velez crowned Miss Puerto Rico How did you spend your summer? Member of the PVAMU bowling team, dean s honor student and MIS major Destiny Vélez took home the crown as the new 2015 Miss Puerto Rico for the 2016 Miss America Organization competition. Vélez is the first studentathlete from the Southwestern Athletic Association (SWAC) to participate in the Miss America competition (yes, that Miss America competition). Destiny is no stranger competition, in addition to competitive bowling, she has been competing in pageants and showcasing her talents as a drummer since she was 13. PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 5

6 Business Student News & Notes Jocelyn Eusery, sophomore marketing major, had a summer internship with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the FAA Minority Serving Institutions Intern program. Jocelyn was informed that she was the first PVAMU student in the program and the youngest intern in the program. Ashley Harbeson was awarded a $1,000 Petroleum Accounts Society of Houston (PASH) scholarship thanks to the efforts and nomination from her professor, Dr. Gin Chong who teaches Oil and Gas Accounting. Chong calls Harbeson his top student in the course and was pleased to attend the ceremony recognizing her for her accomplishment. Prairie View A&M University was selected to participate in TCU s Values and Ventures Business Plan Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. The team that represented PVAMU included Ms. Morgan Walker, Ms. Tammy Malone, Mr. Stephen Edwards, and Mr. Alexander Richardson. Under their business name, Detect-T, the team made a presentation about their idea for a new product a set of gloves and air masks that will act as a disinfectant and an anti-bacterial self -sterilizing fabric when worn. The team posited that these products could be very useful in different industries but that their main targets would be in the medical industry and the construction industry. When used properly, the patented design for a glove and an air mask could dramatically reduce infections. Four student members of Enactus traveled to St. Louis to attend the 2015 Enactus United States National Conference in April. Over 180 colleges and universities were represented. PVAMU s Enactus Chapter conducted several projects that resulted in grants being awarded to support their activities. Student participants also attended a two-day career fair where more than 40 companies were represented. The PVAMU team felt that attending this event was very beneficial and a way to prepare for the 2016 regional competition in Dallas, Texas. Moreover, several students received offers of employment through this conference. The Prairie View A&M University Enactus Chapter is a Sam Walton Fellow; conference attendees included Mr. Jeffery Sealy, Mr. Christian Krushall, Ms. Paisley Horn, and Mr. Paris Washington (shown in the photo). Their advisor, who also attended the conference, is Dr. Rick Baldwin. Congratulations to Celeste Garner and Tiara Howell who were selected to participate in the University of California Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders. This is a free career-building fellowship for first year students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs). Participants spent two weeks over two consecutive summers learning from worldclass educators and met one-on-one with CEOs, CFOs and other industry leaders in one of the country's most thriving hubs for enterprise and innovation. Richardson, Walker, Edwards and Malone PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 6

7 Business Faculty and Staff News & Notes Dr. Reginald L. Bell has completed a new book (his first) Managerial Communication with co-author Dr. Jeanette S. Martin available through Business Expert Press. In their text the authors explore what the communication managers actually do in business across the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions by synthesizing ideas from experts including noted scholars as well as popular culture. Since intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, organizational, and intercultural play a role in managerial communication, the authors discuss each type of communication thoroughly. In addition to the publishing of his book, Dr. Bell was promoted to professor in fall Dr. Bell earned his Ph.D. in Business Education from the University of Missouri at Columbia and has been a member of the business faculty since Bell has more than six dozen articles published in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings and has been recognized by his peers as a recipient of the Dean s Excellence Award in Research. Dr. Yi Zhang has earned tenure and been promoted to associate professor. Dr. Zhang has created several online courses in finance at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She received her Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has research interests in empirical asset pricing, investments and behavioral finance. She is a textbook reviewer for McGraw-Hill Irwin Publishing and a previous recipient of a College of Business Summer Research Grant. Congratulations to Department Head, Dr. M. Moosa Khan, Dr. Rahim Quazi and Dr. Sukumar Debnath who have been promoted to the rank of full professor effective September 1, Business Faculty Take on Administrative Roles Dr. Gin Chong is the new executive director of the PVAMU Executive MBA program. Professor Chong assumed the mantle of leadership in June as interim director for the Graduate Programs in Business in summer 2014 and is eager to continue to serve the College of Business in this new role. During his tenure at Prairie View A&M University, he has introduced new courses in Oil and Gas Accounting at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He takes over the reins from Dr. Daniel Perez Liston, the first EMBA executive director who led the program from fledgling concept to a successful cohort of EMBA graduates within two years. Assistant Dean Carolyn S. Davis will also add to her responsibilities as the new associate director for the EMBA program. As primary recruiter for both undergraduate and graduate programs, Mrs. Davis will expand her role in recruiting and program management for the EMBA program. Kimberly Gordon will head the Graduate Programs in Business beginning in fall Ms. Gordon was appointed to this new position with plans to increase awareness of the MBA and Master of Science in Accounting programs as well as increase enrollment and retention. Ms. Gordon will continue to serve as assistant dean. The new associate director of the PVAMU Northwest Houston Center is Dr. Rahim Quazi. Dr. Quazi has served in the College of Business for more than a decade. During his tenure at Prairie View A&M University, he has secured more than $500,000 in grant funding to secure a Center for International Business Education at the PVAMU campus, serves as the editor of the PV International Business Digest and is a professor of economics. PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 7

8 Business Faculty and Staff News & Notes Faculty, staff and students are still mourning the loss of one of their dear colleagues, Dr. Sonja B. Langley, associate professor, who succumbed to an illness on Friday, July 3, In an attempt to honor her, her family, friends and colleagues have indicated that they would like to create a scholarship in her name. All scholarship proceeds will be used to support business students in the College of Business where Dr. Langley faithfully taught, inspired and served for more than a decade. For information on ways to contribute to the Dr. Sonja B. Langley Memorial Scholarship, please contact the dean s office in the College of Business at (936) or Ms. Kimberly Gordon at [email protected] or (936) Dr. Sonja Langley pictured receiving the 2010 College of Business Excellence in Teaching Award New College of Business Faculty & Staff The College of Business is pleased to welcome the following new faculty and staff members. Audria Ford - adjunct instructor of finance (EMBA - Tulane University) Crisarla Houston, Esq. - adjunct instructor of law (J.D. - Harvard University) Hinh D. Khieu, PhD - assistant professor of finance (Ph.D. in Finance - University of Kentucky) Clyde McNeil, CPA, CIA - adjunct instructor of accounting (MS in Accountancy and MBA - University Houston) Oluwagbemiga Ojumu, PhD - adjunct faculty (Ph.D. in Applied Economics, Auburn University) Rosita Oliver, administrative assistant to the dean Maria Tobar - adjunct instructor of finance (MBA - Prairie View A&M University) Congratulations to Dr. Lawrence McNeil who received word that his proposal with colleagues from Texas A&M and Duke Universities for a half million dollar grant for economic research has been accepted for funding by the National Science Foundation. The Accounting Path, an online site designed to be an easy to guide to accounting that also gets students excited about careers in the accounting field, has announced that PVAMU professor Dr. Gin Chong was ranked among the top 10 accounting professors in Texas based on feedback provided by Rate My Professor. Drs. Yi Zhang, Lawrence McNeil and Rick Baldwin have received grant support from Title III to be used to support a new finance trading lab and several entrepreneurship initiatives. Funding to support these collaborative efforts will help strengthen and grow the finance program and grow the college s programs. PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 8

9 Business Faculty and Staff News & Notes Vetter Appointed to Nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel A statement from the Internal Revenue Service is not always good news. Associate Professor William Vetter, who teaches Federal Income Tax and Business Law, among other courses in the business school at PVAMU, is taking his notification from the IRS in stride. The Department of Treasury has approved the IRS recommendation that Dr. Vetter be among 27 new members to serve on a nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, also known as TAP. TAP, a federal advisory committee, is tasked with providing taxpayer suggestions to improve IRS customer service. New members of TAP were selected from a nationwide pool of more than 400 applicants and will join 46 returning members to serve out a three-year term. Vetter, the only new member who hails from Texas, along with other new members will join the returning 46 members of the committee who will devote 200 to 300 hours per year to panel activities including advising the IRS on taxpayer needs. Dr. Vetter is an ideal choice to serve in this new role. William Vetter, J.D., LL.M. has been assisting taxpayers through the PVAMU Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) for nearly 10 years. Students, faculty and staff at Prairie View A&M University as well as residents of Waller County and parts of the greater Houston area have recovered millions of dollars in refunds through the VITA program under his leadership. Trained volunteers at the VITA sites assist low-income individuals and families by preparing taxes, explaining new guidelines and regulations and helping clients e-file their returns. Dr. Louis Ngamassi, associate professor of MIS, completed a 10-week summer research program at Purdue University with VACCINE (Visual Analytics for Command, Control, and Interoperability Environments). The VACCINE program is in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Summer Research Team for Minority Serving Institutions program, which seeks to enhance the leadership at minority-serving institutions in subject areas that relate to DHS goals. Ngamassi has done extensive research about disaster management and international humanitarian organizations and sought to explore how visual analytics could aid in processing and disseminating disaster social media data College of Business Dean s Excellence Award Recipients EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Daniel Kennebrew* Sanzid Haq *Mr. Kennebrew was the College of Business nominee for the President s Teaching Excellence Award EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH Rahim Quazi, Ph.D. Qiang Fei, Ph.D. EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE Ahmed Mahfouz, Ph.D. STAFF AWARD Rosita Oliver Yolanda Kesee PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 9

10 PVAMU Online MBA Program Simply the Best Business Mentoring Program Seeking Volunteers The Prairie View A&M University College of Business Mentor/Protégé Connection (IMPACT) offers students the opportunity to develop their professional insights and networks through the guidance of a career mentor. Mentoring has proven to be an effective strategy which can contribute significantly to professional development. IMPACT is expected to be a bonus to all parties in the relationship. Student protégés will immediately benefit from assistance with career development, lifestyle enhancement, goal achievement and other areas mutually designated by the mentor and protégé. Mentors develop a deeper awareness of their own behavior, improved interpersonal skills in listening, modeling and leading for personal growth. Moreover, IMPACT will enable alumni, members of industry and professionals to connect with the College of Business, as well as current and future colleagues in their field. If you are willing to give your most precious asset - your time, please contact one of the IMPACT Program Coordinators and get involved: Mr. Danny Harvey [email protected], (936) or Mr. Cleveland Stiff [email protected], (936) While most people can certainly see the value in obtaining a higher education and an advanced degree, for many, the costs associated with getting a degree can be an expensive proposition. AffordableCollegesOnline.org has compared cost and quality metrics for hundreds of public, not-for-profit universities offering online degree programs and released their ranking of the Best Online MBA Programs for the school year. Prairie View A&M University s Online MBA program was ranked 31 st overall. Prairie View A&M University has also found its way onto CollegeNet s Social Mobility Index (SMI) - the extent to which a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged students (with family incomes below the national median) at lower tuition, so they can graduate and obtain good paying jobs - the university ranks second among undergraduate institutions on the SMI and most of the Ivy League schools don t come close. Contributors to the Business Connection Newsletter Dr. Rick Baldwin Dr. Gin Chong Ms. Jocelyn Eusery Dr. Rahim Quazi Ms. Dalya Sanders Mr. David Westerfield Ms. Kimberly Gordon (editor) Gala photos provided by Orok Orok; other photos provided by student contributors PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 10

11 College of Business 2015 Donor Honor Roll The College of Business appreciates all of the individuals and organizations that have made a financial contribution this academic year. Thank you for your support. Gifts received between January 1, December 1, 2015 Individual Donors Arshad Alam Henri L. Bailey & Family Rickie Baldwin Wayne Ballentine Patricia Baughman Lois Blyden Felix Braggs Milton Bryant Michael D. Brown Gin Chong Sukumar Debnath D Ann Dickson Alfreda Dobiyanski Qiang Fei Edwina Garcia Audrey Gilbreath Kimberly Gordon Wided Hemissi Danny Harvey Gerald Herd Mary Lee Hodge Reginald Holloway Jamie House C. Mel Hughlett Barbara Jones Myrtle Jones Daniel Kennebrew Yolanda Kesee Moosa Khan Gary Langley The Family and Friends of Sonja B. Langely Buryung Brian Lee Eric Lyons Ahmed Mahfouz Individual Donors Samuel Metters Louis Ngamassi Yadira Perez Rahim Quazi Munir and Tasmina Quddus Shahedur Rahman Thiagarajan Ramakrishnan The Family of Bob Roberts Sammie Robinson Ed Ryland The Family and Friends of Joseph Scott, Jr. Mostafa Soliman Bea Sowell Donald Sowell Jana B. Smith Cleveland Stiff Wibawa Peter Sutanto E. Joahanne Thomas-Smith Sudhir Tandon Phyllis Tidwell Georgia Thomas Joseph Thomas Ada Till David Townsend Jermaine Vesey Vijaya Vemuri Fred Washington Sarah Wiemken Michael Williams Rochester Williams Shirley Wilson Yi Zhang Corporate and Organization Donors Bluebird Solutions Capital Farm Credit Bank CITGO Petroleum Corporation EdVenture Partners JW Greenfield Lockheed Martin Shell Oil Spectra Energy Foundation The Boeing Corporation Quick Fact In academic year, the College of Business awarded $168,000 in undergraduate scholarships to 81 students (approximately 1 out of 10). PVAMU College of Business Newsletter - Business Connection Page 11

12 College of Business Vision The Prairie View A&M University College of Business strives to be among the best regional business schools in the nation by empowering students from diverse backgrounds to reach their full potential. Mission The Prairie View A&M University College of Business provides students from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds with education that helps them become business professionals and leaders who are ethical, entrepreneurial, productive, and prepared to succeed in the global economy. The College achieves excellence through quality teaching, research, service, and engagement with the business community. (936)