This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

Family Business Keep Hope Alive

Drive down any Main Street and, more often than not, you’ll pass a sponsor of the town’s  little league, a provider of scholarships for high school seniors, and members of the town  council. You may also pass by architects who designed your office space, a bakery that
supplies bread and holiday treats to your local grocery store, or manufacturing facilities that make everything from plastic gears in your washing machines to springs in your cell phone. These firms thrive on dexterity, deftly balancing the “Mom & Pop” feel of community
commitment while setting their sights on global reach and industry transformation.

They’re family-owned enterprises. Though common, family firms are nonetheless unique. While the public’s heads are turned to grand scale of large publicly-held multinational  organizations, family firms quietly serve as the brains behind  global innovations, the heart behind local, national, and international philanthropy, and the central nervous system of  American free enterprise. Over 90% of all U.S. firms are family-owned, and family businesses employ 62% of the United States workforce. They contribute 64% of the US GDP and they create 78% of all new jobs.

The dexterity of family business pays off via a broad variety of contributions pertaining to community service and social responsibility that cannot be as nimbly managed by larger organizations. A joint study conducted in 2009 by the University of Connecticut Family Business Program and the Connecticut Business & Industry Association found that 80% of family business owners emphasize their family values in the operation of the firm, and at least 79% are dedicated to incorporating socially responsible practices in their business. This all contributes to quality management, high ethical standards, and low staff turnover – as well as potential gains in revenue and profitability. “Being a family firm constantly influences our decisions. The biggest example is in these tough times; we have lost money and worked hard at coming up with alternatives to layoffs. Some examples include cutting back work hours – and for those working full-time, we’ve reduced their pay with the promise that we will reimburse the difference when business returns. We have good people and we are investing in the future,” notes Sam Simons ’95 MBA,  Vice President of Administration at OEM Controls, a Shelton CT-based manufacturer of electro-hydraulic controllers and joysticks for industrial and mobile equipment. OEM Controls was founded in 1966 by Sam’s father, S. Brian Simons ’60, and currently employs over 200 Connecticut residents.

Greg Bachmann ’03 MBA, President & CEO of Dymax Corporation – a 2nd generation Torrington-based adhesives manufacturer – adds, “What comes around goes around. Most of our donations go toward education, and on top of that we reimburse employees 100% for tuition. Our return is having the educational institutions to turn to for a strong employee base as well as a highly skilled, educated work force with a higher degree of job satisfaction, loyalty and self satisfaction. Non family firms tend to be short-term driven
by shareholders who do not live in nearby communities. Philanthropy generally requires a longer term perspective outside of simple shareholder return.”

While the return on investment in social responsibility contributes significantly to the intrinsic value of a company, the benefits can’t just be measured quantitatively, “The return on being socially responsible and philanthropic not only gives you a warm feeling of having helped others but it’s also part of the responsibility of owning a successful company in your community. It is important to have our family involved in giving back to the community
and taking part in making a positive difference in the lives of others,” notes John G.  Sommers, President & CEO of Allied Printing Services, Inc. Allied Printing is a Manchester-based 3rd generation family firm and is one of the largest independent, financial and commercial printing companies in the country.

“My father always said ‘take care of the company and it will take care of everyone who works there’ – and that still stands true for us today at Allied. As a family-run business, we are in it for the long haul. We don’t have to worry about how the stock market reflects on any decisions that we make. We truly have a commitment to our employees, community and family to run a successful business. Being a second/third generation family-owned
business means that we have been raised with the values and principles that Allied was built upon, and we are instilling those values in our people.”

Family business’s contributions are not going unnoticed. The 2009 UConn/CBIA study found that 82% of family firms donate regularly to community organizations, educational initiatives, and religious institutions. The philanthropy of family firms provides a boost to the community and critical support to the education efforts of the future workforce.

“UConn’s partnership with family firms is strong and recognized in labs and classrooms across campus,” notes Brian J. Otis ’06 MBA, Vice President of Development at the UConn Foundation. “Whether it is supporting teaching, research, or outreach, we’re grateful for the support and proud to work with each and every family and business. As vital stakeholders, family firms help us achieve comprehensive learning models whereby each student can develop into a productive global asset.”

John Sommers emphasizes this partnership: “Education is important to us and is something in which the entire community must invest. The benefits are amazing – education has the power to reduce crime, increase investment, and raise productivity. I’ve seen firsthand that by employing teenagers during the summer, at some time in the future they may become full-time employees. Education has a high correlation with increased earning potential in the United States and sends a message to young people that they are important and an essential part of our society.”

Hughes Family Fund supports EBV and other outreach programs

Volume 3, Issue 3 | Summer 2013

As a successful entrepreneur, Robert Hughes ’92 (CLAS) knows what it takes to get a business off the ground. As a proud UConn alum, he believes the University plays an important role in supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening the state’s business and economic climate.

When Hughes learned the School of Business was interested in helping disabled veterans get back into the workforce, he decided to invest his skills, experience and finances in the effort, engaging his family members along the way. He has worked with his family in business for years, so it seemed natural to enlist them in his support for veterans outreach programs.

Together, they established the Hughes Family Fund in the School of Business to support programs for returning veterans like the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a program that equips disabled veterans with the knowledge, skills and support to start and grow their own businesses and attain economic self-sufficiency.

Robert Hughes ’92 (CLAS) and Laurie Hughes Paternoster ’82 (CLAS).

 

“Meeting and working with these veterans has been a great experience,” says Hughes, who with his sister Laurie Hughes Paternoster ’82 (CLAS), has served as mentor and helped guide veterans in the program into the world of business and entrepreneurship. “We work with them and help answer questions about developing a business plan, working with staff, dealing with legal issues and marketing strategies,” says Hughes, who is chief operating officer, president and co-founder with his brother Jack of TopCoder, an international leader in identifying, evaluating and mobilizing software development resources. Brother Greg ’88 (CLAS) and sister Mary Abel are also involved in the company.

“The news is constantly full of the everyday problems faced by returning veterans,” Hughes adds. “These men and women have made a tremendous sacrifice, and upon their return, many struggle with problems related to unemployment, stress and depression. EBV and other veterans outreach programs by the University and the School of Business are working directly to tackle those issues.”

The return to civilian life can be daunting, notes Hughes, based on his interaction with some of the veterans in the EBV program. In the military, the chain of command establishes a hierarchy for decisions and responsibilities, and the work day and schedule are pretty firmly established. “The business world, especially entrepreneurism, is pretty different, with its emphasis on creativity and seizing opportunities,” says Hughes.

Since it was established in 2010, UConn’s EBV program has helped more than 25 veterans open 27 businesses.

“We’ve had some nice success,” notes Hughes, mentioning a woman who developed a business plan for a line of leather products for women bikers. She had countless statistics and data about the size of the market and the corresponding market for men’s products. She had also given much thought to designers and possible retailers. “It entailed a lot of homework and it was very impressive.”

Some EBV participants have teamed up to leverage complementary skills. Two female veterans with military experience related to video analysis and aerial surveillance worked together to develop a plan for a company that would offer surveillance services to local and state governments for law enforcement and environmental conservation purposes.

Another source of business ideas has come from home and hobbies. A man from Minnesota, also known as the “Land of 20,000 Lakes,” devised a plan for a mobile bait and tackle shop that would travel around the lakes during the summer and winter fishing seasons.

“If you think about the problems veterans with disabilities have returning to civilian life, and then you think about the role of a university as a place to learn, to interact with people from different social settings and cultures, and prepare to work and contribute to society, it makes a tremendous amount of sense for UConn and the School of Business to support the EBV program,” says Hughes. “UConn is developing a talent pool for the entire state. Including disabled veterans in that pool is win-win, for the state and for the veterans.”

Financial Accelerator projects are making a positive impact on Connecticut companies, both large and small

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 3 (Summer 2013)

A common theme among School of Business experiential learning accelerators is to provide opportunities for students to apply classroom concepts to solve real business problems. On the other end of the spectrum are the immense benefits to participating Connecticut businesses, particularly those facing shortages of resources such as time, skills, and technology.

Founded in 2002, the SS&C Technologies Financial Accelerator was created as a critical element of the business school’s experiential learning initiatives. Today, the long-standing partnerships between the accelerator and Connecticut businesses are excellent examples of the many ways the School of Business helps develop a skilled workforce and create job opportunities within the state.

“Through these corporate partnerships, the School of Business provides our students with active learning opportunities, confronting real decisions about live business issues, while helping Connecticut companies address significant business challenges,” says John A. Elliott, School of Business dean.

Sponsoring clients for projects have included Alpha Equity Capital, Collectic Media, Conning Asset Management, CTHFA, Discover RE, Hartford Steam Boiler, ING, Nortel Networks, Northeast Utilities, Pitney Bowes, SS&C Technologies, Thomson One, United Healthcare, and United Technologies Corporation. “We are grateful for the support of these companies and also for those executives who serve on the Financial Accelerator Advisory Board,” says Professor Chinmoy Ghosh, head of the finance department and executive director of the Financial Accelerator and Student Managed Fund. “Interaction with business executives involved in these projects is an integral part of experiential learning.”

“Mutual dedication on behalf of the students and on behalf of the client is what enables us to move these types of projects forward and make a positive impact for Connecticut businesses and the state economy as a result,” adds Ron Licata ’63, 1998 Hall of Fame inductee and adjunct professor at the School of Business, the faculty advisor for a long-standing project with Northeast Utilities.

A Positive Impact

David McHale, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Northeast Utilities and co-chair of the Financial Accelerator Advisory Board, has seen the positive impact of deliverables produced by UConn teams. The company has employed the expertise of UConn graduate students for projects on topics such as risk management, inventory planning and warehouse expansion, internal training, and mentorship.

In a two-phase project last year, teams led by associate professor of finance Michel Rakotomavo evaluated selective hardening options (microgrids, undergrounding, and backup generation) for strengthening the infrastructure of utilities throughout the state, which could make it less vulnerable to damage from extreme weather events. Students analyzed relative cost and benefit estimates of different options and provided recommendations on which application works best under what circumstances.

Led by faculty advisor Licata for seven semesters to date, the most recent endeavor with Northeast Utilities began with determining why diverse small regional businesses supply a disproportionately low volume of goods and services to major corporate buyers. Graduate students conducted three focus groups and detailed interviews to determine the resources that diverse businesses owned by ethnic minorities, women, and disabled veterans would need to successfully compete and bid on deals with large enterprises such as Northeast Utilities. Findings led to the ultimate recommendation of establishing an academy to provide three essential resources: one-on-one mentoring, education in core business principles, and hands-on support.

The outcome of the project is a Diverse Supplier Development Academy (DSDA), established to empower diverse business enterprises and elevate their competitive presence in the market. Student teams created the business plan, marketing material, curriculum for six workshops, and the systems needed to operate the academy. “This entire student-led effort,” says Licata, “emerged as a collaboration between the School of Business, SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), a national organization of mentors, and Northeast Utilities. The goal of the program is that upon graduation, each diverse enterprise owner will leave the academy with a briefcase full of work that they have completed for their own business with immediate application and benefit.”

“With the help of UConn student Matthew Farley ’13 JD/MBA, I now have a modeling tool to estimate my costs of doing business which helps me determine if my pricing is adequate,” shares Diane Winston, principal of Winston Strategic Partners, LLC, who participated in a test pilot for the program.

Northeast Utilities is just one example of the partnerships and successful projects coming out of the financial accelerator. With an exciting fall project planned, United Healthcare has also seen the positive results produced by student teams, who have developed models and tools to address critical business issues such as ensuring compliance with new industry rules and enhancing the consistency of information and reports in underwriting activities and pharmacy plans.

In a recent two-phase project, students established an information base for development of a financial model to evaluate Health Insurance Exchange (HIE) options and strategies. They then used the information to consider the impacts of HIEs on the company’s business model, helping United Healthcare to make informed decisions around the newly created exchanges.

Faculty advisor Dennis Heffley, professor of economics, notes that, “Students in the United Healthcare projects have been drawn from the MBA program, actuarial science, statistics, and the MD program. The mix of skills and various perspectives have enriched students’ experiences and enhanced the product for project sponsors.”

The Student Experience

When asked about his personal experience at the Financial Accelerator, Lance Rambush ’13 MBA remarks, “I had several takeaways from this project. First, I was able to oversee the development of a sophisticated program from start to finish (given that the preliminary market research was already complete). I learned to view a project through the perspectives of all stakeholders, foresee potential difficulties for different parties, and design mechanisms in the project that would alleviate those problems. I also got experience in defining the mission and vision for an emerging organization, setting goals and planning how to reach them, and measuring the impact of a program by defining quantifiable success metrics.”

Ankheet Bhatt ’10 (CLAS) who is currently working towards a combined MD/MBA at UConn adds, “The Financial Accelerator allowed me to work for a large, national organization while interacting with a core group who was dared to think differently, push the status quo, and solve real problems facing real companies. This is an incredible opportunity for young professionals.”

“Financial Accelerator projects allow students to acquire experience, skills, connections, and possibly jobs at sponsoring companies,” adds Rakotomavo. “Businesses which sponsor these projects have… the full attention of knowledgeable faculty advisors, the stamp of quality from UConn… and a wide range of deliverables that may include analysis, research, software and more.”

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 3 (Summer 2013)

Excitement.

That’s the word used by Karla Fox, special assistant to the Provost and professor emeritus, to describe the overall feeling around the university after legislative approval of Next Generation Connecticut – an impressive $1.5 billion investment to significantly expand educational opportunities, research, and innovation in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines at UConn over the next decade.

“With the previous support of UConn 2000 and 21st Century UConn, UConn has undergone a major transformation in the last 20 years – and Next Generation Connecticut (NextGenCT) is another step in significantly elevating our reputation,” says Karla Fox, who helped to develop and advance the initiative.

A large part of NextGenCT includes building new scientific laboratories, purchasing advanced equipment, constructing new classrooms, and adding housing. Another facet of the plan calls for increasing operating funds to hire hundreds of new faculty and to expand the student body in STEM fields.

“This critical funding is one of the most ambitious state investments in economic development, higher education and research in the nation,” says UConn’s vice president for economic development, Mary Holz-Clause.” Next Generation Connecticut expands the university’s critical STEM activities that drive innovation, enhance job creation and economic growth state-wide.”

STEM Investment

In the past decade, STEM jobs grew three times faster than non-STEM jobs, a trend that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, previous investments only brought UConn facilities up to date and, at best, on par with other leading institutions. UConn faculty members are still at a significant disadvantage both in competing for major research grants and effectively teaching students. Therefore, the targeted, strategic investment in UConn facilities, faculty and students in STEM disciplines is vital to ensuring Connecticut’s competitive position in the future.

“Next Generation is a game-changer for our state in that it provides long-term funding to bring together state-of-the-art equipment, expertise and the necessary facilities to fuel Connecticut’s economy with new technologies, highly skilled graduates, new companies, patents, licenses, and high-wage STEM jobs,” says Holz-Clause.

The Business of STEM

“Connecticut’s investment in science, technology, engineering, and math is critical and appropriate,” says John A. Elliott, dean of the School of Business. “But if that investment doesn’t generate goods, services, companies, or jobs, then it has failed in its purpose to provide a return to the investor. That’s where business comes into play.”

The business school’s involvement in NextGenCT goes well beyond facilitating the success of traditional STEM disciplines though. The information age has generated the need for high capacity computing, often referred to as “big data.” Though already tackling the issue, the Operations & Information Management (OPIM) department is poised to play a greater role in the field, given essential resources.

Additionally, the convergence of digital arts, science, technology and business has driven a major shift in how information is now conceived, produced, delivered and consumed. Along with the Schools of Fine Arts and Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of Business is heavily involved in digital media as it rapidly transforms fields such as data analysis and marketing.

NextGenCT: Economic Impact

The overall excitement goes beyond the initiative’s impact at UConn. “NextGenCT is critical due to its focus on economic development,” shares Fox. “What we’re hoping for is that, through its contribution, UConn continues to be a strategic partner of and beneficial asset to the state.”

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 3 (Summer 2013)

As Connecticut expands vital educational programs in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math), UConn’s Master of Science in Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM) plays an important role as the only STEM-designated program in the School of Business. Launched in Fall 2011, the founding class consisted of 30 students. Currently, 21 students have graduated from the MSBAPM program, with rapid expansion on the horizon: approximately 160 students are expected for Fall 2013.

Filling the Talent Gap

An important initiative in the State of Connecticut, STEM skills are in high demand by employers. The MSBAPM program provides critical skills necessary for the next generational marketplace, which, according to statistics from reputable sources, is demanding skills in high capacity computing, big data, and deep analytics.

According to research by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) and McKinsey’s Business Technology Office, “There will be a shortage of talent necessary for organizations to take advantage of big data. By 2018, the United States alone could face a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills, as well as 1.5 million managers and analysts with the know-how to use the analysis of big data to make effective decisions.”

MSBAPM has seen 100% placement among graduates, and expects to see high placement rates continue. UConn’s MSBAPM provides tangible and concrete skills in these areas of critical need. The program has gained national attention in InformationWeek’s “Big Data Analytics Master’s Degrees: 20 Top Programs,” a list of well-known and emerging masters programs specifically targeting the big data analytics talent gap.

A key benefit of this STEM-designated program is the ability for international students to extend their OPT (optional practical training), allowing them more time to apply their skills on the job and gain experience. The 17-month extension is in addition to the 12-month maximum allotted with traditional OPT.

A Practical Degree

Housed in the Operations and Information Management (OPIM) department, “UConn’s MS in Business Analytics and Project Management is designed to meet the growing demand for professionals to discover, analyze, organize and manage high value business solutions in today’s complex business environments,” says Jose Cruz, associate professor and MSBAPM program director.

A practical degree, the MSBAPM equips students with project management and data analytics skills that are not specific to one job, region, or industry. The skills cut across all disciplines, enabling MSBAPM graduates to bring value to employers regardless of their background.

“The MSBAPM program has taken me from a scientist working in business to a businessman working as a scientist. The business problem comes first over the technical challenge,” says Craig A. Calvert ’08 Ph.D., NRCC-CHO, a current MSBAPM student.

Calvert adds, “Having earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry, I was looking for a program that would provide me with an understanding of how to solve real problems in the business world to complement my science background. The MSBAPM program at UConn has provided those skills and I was able to immediately apply them to my job. The project management classes provided skills to more efficiently complete projects and quantitative ways to analyze their potential risks. The analytical classes I have taken so far have focused on real applications and using the data to solve business problems. The return on investment has already been significant. I was able to change jobs with a higher salary during one of the toughest job markets for chemists.”

Cruz adds that “students pursue the degree for its unique combination of business analytics and project management education. Our program also delivers a high quality educational program in only 33 credits, and allows for scheduling flexibility with broad choices of elective courses to enhance complementary competencies.” The relatively small credit requirement as compared to some other graduate programs enables those seeking to make a career transition to do so in less time.

The MSBAPM curriculum is designed and delivered by UConn faculty, with helpful input from leading analytics solutions provider SAS Institute and the Project Management Institute (PMI). SAS provides the program and students with access to all of their software free of charge, delivers workshops and presents cutting-edge new analytics software to the program. The program is also working with IBM in a similar fashion.

To enhance pedagogical quality and scheduling flexibility, many of the courses utilize a hybrid of traditional face-to-face meetings and online delivery. The program also provides students with unparalleled opportunities to engage in high-value, strategic real world projects through the school’s experiential learning accelerator centers along with various internships with partner corporations.

Corporate Involvement

The MSBAPM Corporate Advisory Board supports the mission of the program by providing feedback on the curriculum, mentoring students, and building a bridge between the program and the business community. The board is comprised of senior executives from leading world-class corporations such as IBM, The Hartford, Aetna, United Technologies Corporation, and (m)Phasize.

Support from companies in the business analytics and project management space has helped MSBAPM administrators to enhance the curriculum, host valuable networking events, enrich the capstone course, and to provide scholarships to some of our most academically talented students.

“During this academic year we worked with many companies to secure live projects for students to complete as part of their capstone course experience,” says Sudip Bhattacharjee, associate professor. LIMRA, the sponsor company for this year’s capstone course, was represented by Marianne Purushotham, corporate vice president, and John Wilson ’13 MSBAPM, senior data research analyst and project management portfolio coordinator. The enthusiastic supporters provided the students with live data to: 1) predict customers who will buy life insurance; and 2) forecast the growth of the life insurance market.

Using the skill sets of predictive modeling, data management, process models, and data mining techniques, student teams investigated real problems through data analytics, and used their project management skills to complete their projects within time and budget constraints. LIMRA is planning to implement some of the results within their organization immediately.

In order to expand beyond the classroom to the corporate community, the MSBAPM program hosts a number of networking events involving students, faculty, and business leaders from the industry. These events consist of keynote addresses by senior company executives, tutorials, Q/A sessions, and networking.

Corporate support has also been illustrated in the form of scholarships. Eight students have been awarded $1,000 scholarships based on their performance in the program. Of the eight scholarships, five were sponsored by VLink Inc., an IT consulting and systems integration services company with a location in South Windsor, Connecticut.

Corporate Training

Given the demand for analytic capabilities to help the company make better decisions, MSBAPM faculty have delivered the graduate level course “Predictive Modeling” to Travelers’ employees in two separate offerings, and have been invited to teach the course again in Fall 2013. The course is specifically tailored and designed to introduce Travelers’ business leaders to advanced data analytics techniques.

A Unique Combination

“We are the only program in the country and probably in the world that offers the combination of business analytics and project management,” says Professor Ram Gopal, OPIM department head. “This unique combination, delivered by world-ranked faculty and using cutting-edge new technology and tools, makes the program very desirable.”

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 2 (Spring 2013)

As the Ph.D. Program at UConn’s School of Business reflects on its first 25 years, the question arises; what qualifies an exceptional doctoral program? Program accolades include 164 dissertations (from five academic departments) and 154 academic first placements. This year students presented 43 original works at conferences and 9 articles were accepted for publication.

 

Kate Brown

Dr. Kathleen (Kate) Brown ’89 Ph.D. is the first graduate of UConn’s Ph.D. Program. Her interest in the Ph.D. program began in Professor Dick Norgarrd‘s MBA class. “Dick was always finding a mathematics, statistics or economics course I could take while I waited for the Ph.D. Program to become official; and no one thought it would take that long!” Many of Kate’s classes were independent studies because there were few doctoral students and no Ph.D. seminars.

Kate was interested in finance but discovered her dissertation model from material covered in a marketing seminar with Dr. Murphy Sewall. After her defense, Kate was hired at the University of Otago, New Zealand where she held positions of Senior Lecturer and Chair of Finance. About her career she said, “Our profession requires that we have quality educators at every institution that grant degrees. I’m incredibly proud of the impact I have in the classroom, it’s my vocation.”

The Ph.D. Program welcomed Kate’s first return to UConn during the 25th Anniversary in November 2012. As an alum she participated in an interactive forum with doctoral students and found the variety among our students impressive. “I have been able to write in several different areas because I was exposed to so many techniques in my classes,” Kate said.

1989 Dissertation: “A Model Of The Pricing Decision For Local Telecommunications”, Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Richard L. Norgaard

 

Hang Thu Nguyen

Current doctoral student and 2013 Business Hall of Fame inductee, Hang Thu Nguyen ’08 MA (’13 Ph.D. expected), will  defend in May. “Hang is an excellent researcher who will be a productive scholar for years to come,” said Hang’s dissertation chair, William Ross. Hang has several ongoing projects that include a publication in the premier Journal of Marketing Research with Susan Spiggle and Mary Caravella, and research in progress with Marketing Professors Robin Coulter, William Ross, Joseph Pancras, Kunter Gunasti, and Finance Professor Joseph Golec and alumnus Hieu Phan ’06 MBA, ’12 Ph.D. In the fall Hang will begin a tenure-track position at Michigan State University, teaching New Product Innovation and Management. Hang commented, “I am thrilled about this opportunity. Michigan State focuses on strategic marketing research which perfectly fits with my research interests.” Hang and husband Hieu Phan hope their future generations will return to UConn for their degrees. Hang recalls, “the business school allows doctoral students to do original research, and I wanted a chance to explore the world of consumers as related to marketing. In the beginning I only thought about research, but now I have more than that; research skills, teaching experience, and personal growth.”

May 2013 Dissertation: “Three Essays On The Financial Impacts of Branding Strategies and Marketing Assets”, Dissertation Advisor: Dr. William T. Ross, Jr.