B&E Department News and Events
Another Marietta Team Takes Top Spot in Business Case Competition!
Brett
Burns, Rachel Hartong, Alex Martin, Sarah Snow, and Cort Thomas earned
the first place award in the Peoples Bank Business Case Competition on
April 12-13, 2013.
Cort Thomas, a senior finance major, shared a few thoughts about the event. "I think the case was a valuable experience and it is always fun to win. We worked hard to get our presentation together and the course work we have completed at MC certainly gave us a leg up on the competition. As a team we had a better/deeper understanding of the business processes the case entailed and had superior presentation skills that helped our 'wow' factor with the judges. A thank you goes out to the B&E department for not only preparing us for this case but also our careers after MC." Sarah Snow commented, "I am overjoyed that the finance and accounting majors joined our team to represent Marietta because their knowledge played a vital role in our success, as Alex and I are leadership and international business majors. This competition displayed the talent that Marietta's B&E Department cultivates and we were happy to represent the department and succeed in bringing the trophy home. I hope that the B&E Department will continue to put a team together and compete as it was an exceptional experience. And of course, thanks to Peoples Bank!"
Alex Martin said, "I was privileged to participate in the competition. I always enjoy being able to practice applying what we learn in the classroom to real world situations. It was definitely a difficult case; however it was a great experience to challenge your own knowledge and see the success of our team's hard work."
Sophomore public accounting major Brett Burns echoed some of the sentiments of his teammates. "We succeeded in the competition due to our experience in finance and our presentation skills. I personally believe, after watching the other teams present, that our professionalism was the key influence in our victory." Rachel Hartong, a junior accounting major, added, "we had a semi-diverse group so that we were able to designate targeted work to each team member. I would give a special thanks to Alex Martin who developed an amazing timeline for the acquisition that no other group even considered."
Congratulations to the student team and its faculty advisor, Dr. Jim Falter!
FEI Recognizes Marietta Students
The Central Ohio Chapter of Financial Executives International annually recognizes outstanding accounting and finance students for their excellence in academics and student activities. Marietta College's recipients for the Academic Recognition Award include junior accounting majors George Bloomfield and Rachel Hartong, and junior public accounting major Kaitlin Huck. They were accompanied to the April 10, 2013, dinner and awards ceremony in Columbus by Professor David Mead, a member of the Central Ohio Chapter.
Department Recognizes Students at Annual Honors Reception
On
April 9, 2013, the Department of Business & Economics presented awards
to nine students at the annual B&E Honors Reception. Faculty and
honorees celebrated student academic accomplishments. As well, Omicron
Delta Epsilon (ODE), the national economics honorary, inducted its new
members. The Department congratulates the following students receiving
scholarships:
| Conner Busby | Jules Bourmorck and Julia Staats Memorial Scholarship |
| Conner Busby | Department of Business & Economics Scholarship |
| George Bloomfield | Wen-Yu “Frank” Cheng Scholarship |
| George Bloomfield | Bob Duggan ‘59 Distinguished Scholarship |
| Zachary Utley | Bert T. Glaze Scholarship |
| Meili Wang | Douglas C. Greene Scholarship |
| Matthew Napier | Edward H. Osborne Scholarship |
| Shalyn Allen and Alexandria Martin | Jack E. Prince Scholarship |
| Rachel A. Hartong | William M. Summers Memorial Scholarship |
| Kelsey Wells | The Ford Rinard Memorial Scholarship |
Students received into ODE for 2013 were Shaylyn Allen, Kathryn
Anderson, Fangxiao Liu, Jiaxin Quan, Ian Stanley, and Tristine Toves.
Pictured at top, scholarship recipients. At
right, Dr. Jackie Khorassani with several new and current ODE members.
Marketing Management Class Tours Harley-Davidson Dealership
Professor Joanie Washburn and her Marketing Management students
(Mngt 432) recently took a tour of the S&P Harley-Davidson Dealership
in Williamstown, WV. Owners Steve and Patsy Hardy opened their facility to
illustrate the value of the Harley Davidson brand. Harley-Davidson is one
of the most respected and recognized brands in the US. The students were
told the story of Harley-Davidson and the growth of the brand, as well as
understand the company's positioning strategy.
Two Economics Students Take Top Honors at Conference
On Saturday, April 6, 2013, two Marietta College students won awards at Bowling Green State University's Undergraduate Economics Student Paper Contest and Conference. Jiaxin Quan, a senior double majoring in Economics and Advertising/Public Relations, won the first place award in Macroeconomics Division of the conference for her paper entitled "Determinants of Income Inequality: A Panel Data Analysis". Ben Reese, a senior double majoring in Economics and Political Science, won the second place award in Microeconomics Division of the conference for his paper entitled "An Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of Healthcare Expenditures in Developed Nations". Ben also received a second award for his presentation.
Shirley
Jiaxin Quan said, "I have a great experience at the conference. I was
very beneficial for me to listening other students' presentation. I also
learned about other Economics competition opportunities and I think I'm
going to give a try. I really appreciate Dr. Khorassani's help on my
paper." Ben Reese added, "The BGSU conference was a great
opportunity to experience what it is like to participate in an academic
conference as well as see what undergraduate economics majors are working
on at other colleges and universities. What really stood out to me was the
difference between the individual attention Shirley and I received in
working with Dr. Khorassani and what appeared to be the norm at other
institutions; it made a dramatic difference in both the quality of the
research we were able to present and the depth of understanding we had,
both in our understanding of the issues we explored and the methods we
used to do so."
AIS Students Visit Haessly Hardwood Lumber Co.
Professor Grace Johnson's Accounting Information Systems
students made a field trip to Haessly Hardwood Lumber Company in Reno,
Ohio, on April 2, 2013. Owner Jack Haessly hosted students on a
comprehensive tour of the manufacturing and warehouse facilities. This
plant tour and discussion helped students understand internal controls
over manufacturing & production and for fixed assets. Johnson is
passionate about integrating actual organizations into her students'
experiences with the textbook material. This semester's students also are
undertaking internal control consulting work for Washington-Morgan
Community Action for the course's capstone project.
Congratulations to Marietta Tau Pi Phi 2013 National Case Competition Participants -- Team Ties for First Place!
Over the weekend of March 22nd and 23rd, six Marietta business students
participated in the annual Tau Pi Phi national business honorary case
competition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Brett Burns, Rachel Hartong,
Alex Martin, Matt Napier, Sarah Snow, and Ty Jackson represented
Marietta College in two, three-person teams. This was Hartong's second
year participating in the competition.
At the end of the two-day event, Brett Burns, Rachel Hartong, and Ty Jackson were awarded first prize for a three-person team (tied with another team). Brett Burns, a public accounting major, shared his thoughts about the experience. "I think Rachel and Ty will agree that we succeeded because of our chemistry and ability to communicate with one another. Also, we did not specialize in preparation. By this I mean that, for example, I did not focus strictly on accounting, Rachel did not focus strictly on management, and Ty did not focus strictly on marketing. We all discussed the issues in detail, preparing ourselves to answer any question asked. I believe this can be shown by our scorecard as we earned a perfect score on the second day which was a 20-minute question and answer session."
Rachel Hartong, a double major in public accounting and finance, added another perspective on the topic of the team's preparation. "I think one of the greatest compliments was when the judges couldn't tell who in the group was the finance guru because together we had each become knowledgeable in all aspects of the case. I remember last year they recommended people stepping out of their comfort zone and looking into different aspects because they could identify who had what major, so by them having to ask this year, I was impressed with our group."
Tau Pi Phi faculty advisor Professor David Mead was equally impressed. "I am very pleased that one of our three-person teams tied for first place. Although our second team did not place, they also put forth a terrific effort. Each of the participants represented Marietta College extremely well during the event. I believe it was a good experience for everyone. All of the B & E Department faculty are very proud of the work of these students."
Established in the 1950s, Tau Pi Phi is a business honorary society that sponsors a case competition annually. Any current Tau Pi Phi member is eligible to form a team for the 2014 Case Competition. Contact Professor Mead, for more details.
Emeritus Professor Dr. Jack E. Prince Dies
Dr. Jack E. Prince, who served in the Department of
Economics, Management, and Accounting from 1954 to 1985, died on March 14,
2013, at the age of 92. Dr. Prince taught economics and also served as the
continuing education program director. Memorial services for Dr. Prince
will be announced when arrangements are made. The Advancement Office
indicates that Dr. Prince's family suggests those wishing to make
donations in memory of Dr. Prince consider designating those gifts to the
Jack Prince Academic Merit Scholarship, c/o Linda Stroh at Marietta
College, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, Ohio 45750. The College Relations Office
has a more extensive obituary for Dr. Prince at the website
linked here.
Johnson Published in Journal of Instructional Pedagogies
Professor Grace Johnson's paper, "Friday Forum and the AICPA Core Competency Framework: Honing Students’ Personal Competencies", has been published in Volume 11 of the Journal of Instructional Pedagogies. Her work explores the impact of Friday Forum, an innovative component of the accounting capstone course at Marietta College (Acct 460, Accounting Research). Johnson reviews previous research about the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' personal competencies requirements, explains the content of Acct 460, describes the Friday Forum component, shares comments from students and accounting practitioners involved with Friday Forum, and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of Friday Forum. She wraps up with recommendations to faculty on ways to modify the Friday Forum component to fit classroom environments at larger colleges and universities.
Chicago Welcomes Harris and Johnson
Professors Christopher Harris and Grace Johnson presented their papers at the MBAA International conference in Chicago, February 27-March 1, 2013. Dr. Harris' paper, "Human Capital, Time Together, and Behaviors: A Study of Unit Performance", examined NCAA Divison I football teams' unit performance under a variety of conditions. Professor Johnson's paper, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies: Disclosures from Fortune 500 Companies’ 2011 Annual Reports", focused on the topics included in the notes to annual reports. Johnson also served as a chair for the session "Empirical Investigation of Accounting Accruals".
What is Ben Reese Up To?
Ben Reese will graduate from Marietta College in May 2013 with a double major in economics and political science. He's been accepted by half a dozen top law schools and we are awaiting the news of his choice. Currently, Ben is the process of submitting his Economics Capstone paper to an undergraduate paper competition. He is also developing his capstone paper further into a research honors project. Reese is also heavily active in the College’s forensics team. As the winner of the Ohio Forensics Association State Tournament in Persuasive speaking, he is one of two students who will represent Ohio at the Interstate Oratorical Association Tournament in Shreveport, Louisiana this April. Congratulations, Ben!
Khorassani Presents Work at Pedagogy Conference
Dr. Jacqueline Khorassani, Professor of Economics, presented her paper, "An Empirical Study of the Effectiveness of the Inverted Principles of Macroeconomics Classroom", at the Teaching Economics: Instruction and Classroom Based Research Conference sponsored by Robert Morris University on February 15, 2013.
In her study, Dr. Khorassani utilized a multiple regression model to analyze the degree of effectiveness of the inverted classroom pedagogy. The sample consisted of Marietta College students enrolled in Principles of Macroeconomics in Spring 2011 and Fall 2011. Students were given pre-tests and post-tests. The dependent variable measured the degree to which students improved their test scores. Among the control variables were gender, class, hours of study, and hours of work.
Tau
Pi Phi Inducts New Members
Fourteen students were inducted into Tau Pi Phi, the national business honorary, in a ceremony held on February 5, 2013. Officers for the 2013-2014 academic year were elected by the membership: Rachel Hartong, president; Katie Anderson, secretary; and Dani Brodie, treasurer. A reception was held afterward to celebrate the students' achievements. Congratulations to all of the students! Pictured are some of the new inductees at the February 5 ceremony.
Accounting Students Honored at WVSCPA Dinner
Professor
David Mead accompanied four accounting majors to the annual West Virginia
Society of CPAs Student Awards dinner on November 13, 2012. Held at the
Parkersburg Country Club, the Parkersburg Chapter of the WVSCPA recognized
accounting seniors from each of the region's colleges and universities.
Attending from Marietta were seniors Brittany Hallowell, Kaitlin Huck,
and Katie Wallace. Sophomore accounting major Brett Burns also
was honored. Katie Wallace received the Outstanding Accounting Senior
Award from the Society (pictured below with Society president Rick
Hudson). In addition to interacting with local CPAs, including several MC
alumni, the students met some of the WVSCPA leadership team.
Kaitlin Huck said, "The WVSCPA student night provided a wonderful
experience for students in the area to network with professionals in the
public accounting field. Speaking with CPAs from the state of West
Virginia gave me some perspective about the field of my chosen career
path. These individuals
gave
advice and insight that cannot be gained from a classroom. I encourage
anyone interested in Public Accounting to attend the event in the future."
Brett Burns commented, "Each individual I spoke with had his or her
own perspective on how to succeed as an accountant and which path was best
to take. It made me realize that there isn't a best career choice with an
accounting degree or even a CPA. It simply opens doors to what at this
point seems to be an endless number of opportunities. What matters is the
drive to achieve the status of becoming a CPA and my career will lead
itself down the path that is right for me." Katie Wallace added, "The
president of the Society, Mr. Rick Hudson, strongly encouraged the
students to become members so that we could become involved in the Society
both now and during our careers."
Johnson Presents at Las Vegas Conference
Professor Grace Johnson traveled to Las Vegas in October 2012, to present her paper, "Friday Forum and the AICPA Core Competency Framework: Honing Students' Personal Competencies", at the 2012 Academic and Business Research Institute's semi-annual meeting. Her work presented a case study of a learning technique used in Marietta College's accounting capstone course.
"The weekly capstone seminar series, called the Friday Forum, has students and local accounting practitioners meet to discuss a current professional accounting article. Since 2009, Friday Forum has evolved into a significant course component," Johnson reports. "Friday Forum was established as one means of honing students' personal abilities, especially the AICPA-identified competencies of communication, interaction, and professional demeanor. While other learning and teaching techniques might accomplish this objective, feedback from students and practitioners indicates the weekly capstone article discussions are enhancing students' skills as well as broadening their awareness and understanding of current accounting topics."
Last updated: 30-April-2013, B&E Department
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