The Bottom Line - Volume 92, No. 1

January 2006 - June 2006	Volume 92, No. 1
Student Activities and News Crosby MBA Program Update PhD News Study Abroad News Staff Achievements and News Staff Recognition Luncheon Faculty News and Accomplishments Faculty Publications and Presentations Gifts to the College of Business Recent Arrivals

Tour of True Manufacturing - On March 3, students who have received Trulaske Scholarships had the opportunity to visit True Manufacturing in St. Peters, MO. The students were able to learn about True’s business and its refrigerated coolers and other product lines and also toured the production floor. In addition, they ate lunch and had discussions with Robert Trulaske, Jr., along with other senior staff members at True.

Fund-Raising by MBA Students - MBA Relay for Life teams successfully raised over $6,000 for cancer research. John Pelikan, VP of Philanthropy for the MBA Association, was proud to announce, “We were the highest fundraising team at Mizzou and a National Silver Award Winner for the amount we raised. Hopefully next year we will be able to beat this result!”

P.L.A.N. - Meg Clark and Lindsey Porlier co-chaired the 2006 P.L.A.N. (Promoting, Learning, And Networking) program. P.L.A.N. matches an interested business student or accountancy student with a professional in the student's area of interest. They spend a day together at the professional's place of work. Thus P.L.A.N. is a combined mentoring, job shadowing, and alumni networking program. This year's P.L.A.N. program had 234 student participants and 51 corporate sponsors. Featured speakers at the three P.L.A.N. dinners were:

• Dennis Smith, Missouri Employers Mutual (Columbia)
• Bryan Cooper, Edward Jones (St. Louis)
• Angie Rommel, Hallmark (Kansas City)

Business Week - In the annual "Kiss the Pig" contest, students raised approximately$3,000 for the Central Missouri Food Bank with the help of alumni, faculty, and staff. The winners, Mike Christy, Al Bluedorn and Loren Nikolai, had the privilege of kissing the pigs.

Awards - The recipients of the Emerging Leaders awards were Stephen Kruse and Whitney Mooney. The Outstanding Student Leadership award winners were Kristin Dubuque, Jennifer Graves, Chad Reed, Jennifer Ward and Greg Westrich. These students were recognized for their valuable contribution to the college at the honors luncheon in April.

Phi Beta Lambda - Keith Strack, who recently graduated in May with a finance emphasis, won the PBL state competition in "Financial Concepts" in March in Jefferson City, thereby earning the right to enter the national competition in Nashville against the two top finishers from each state. In both contests, students take an hour-long multiple choice test of their knowledge of the subject of finance. Keith won first in the nation in Financial Concepts! This is the first time the chapter has had a student finish first in the nation in the finance. Previously, two finance students - Paul Hamilos in 1999 and Ellen Young in 2001 - finish second.

Big 12 Business Competitions – Crosby MBA students represented MU in two Big 12 business competitions and performed well in each one. An MU team from a new MBA course offering, Business Plan Development, taught by Jake Halliday, adjunct assistant professor of management, competed in the inaugural Big 12 New Venture Championship held concurrently with the basketball championship in Dallas. Team members from MU were Chris Bradshaw and John Pelikan, both MBA students; Maria Ines Miro-Quesada, journalism; and Paul Pattison, (BS ME ’05). The MU entry was Picture Cloud, LLC, a new enterprise created by Pattison. Picture Cloud provides an easy-to-use service via the Internet for creating enhanced 360-degree images that add value to electronic communication media for sales, education, and other purposes. MU finished in the Final Four.

In February, four MBA students – Matt Becker, Justin O’Neil, Matt Pufall, and Rosella Schad – participated in the Big 12 Case Competition held at the University of Oklahoma. The case for the competition was whether TiVo Inc. should pursue mass distribution of its product or concentrate on product development and differentiation.

Study in Asolo, Italy – This year, five MBA students participated in the Summer International MBA Program in Asolo, Italy. MU is one of 32 members of the Consortium of Universities for International Business Studies. Through the Consortium, students complete six hours of graduate-level business courses while experiencing the European culture.

Study in Paris and London – After weeks of preparatory class work, 14 MBA students and Dr. Joel Poor traveled to Paris and London for two weeks during the winter intersession to study international marketing. Among the sites visited were the Museum of Advertising, a Fashion Show at Galleries Lafayette, the Paris Financial District at La Defense, the Visit Britain organization, The Victoria and Albert Museum, and Fuller’s Brewery. A highlight of the course was spending a day with David Sides with Cerner Corporation’s London office. Mr. Sides graduated from the MU MBA program in May 1995. The time spent with Mr. Sides gave the students the opportunity to see how an MBA alumnus truly developed in the global marketing environment.

Honors for Graduates – The Crosby MBA Program hosted a banquet in May to honor 58 students graduating in May and August. Besides several MBA faculty members and the Graduate Studies staff, Dean Bruce Walker was present to congratulate each of the soon-to-be alumni.

The following awards were presented in May:

• Outstanding Finance MBA – Chad Parrish.
• Outstanding Business Generalist – Leslie York Nance.
• Outstanding Management MBA – Emily Orphan.
• Outstanding Marketing MBA – Lauren Simon.
• Outstanding MIS MBA – Rashel Kelley.
• MBA Academic Achievement Awards – Zachary Batson, Heather Happ, Peter Orphan, Brandon Bade, Adam Casella, Daniel McCabe, Jonathan McNiel, Nicole Thorpe, Jessica Florida, Chinwe Ndubuka, Laura Flacks-Narrol, Lauren Simon, Susan Marcos, Jennifer Martin, Christopher Bradshaw, Yuan-Ju Liao, Corey Klotz, and Wei-Ying Chen.

MBA Association – During winter semester, the MBA Association worked to enhance its professional development, provide value to members, and build a stronger connection to alumni. In addition to its regular philanthropic endeavors, social events, and intramural participation, this semester marked the beginning of some new programs.

The MBAA continued its Language Partners Program with 30 students participating. For the summer, 18 international students who will be starting their MBAs in the fall were paired with email Language Partners.

In April, the MBAA also hosted a Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament for MBA students and faculty member.

Speakers Series – Each semester, Crosby MBA students benefit from a wide range of topics conveyed by visiting executives. Winter semester guest speakers include:

• David P. Stockert, president and CEO, Post Properties, Inc.
• Samuel P. Jenkins, VP of ethics, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.
• Michael V. Roberts, co-founder, The Roberts Companies.
• James C. Morton, Jr., senior VP, administration and finance, Nissan North America.
• Michael Hart, professor, Carleton University.
• Ryan Armbruster, director of operations and design of the SPARC Innovation Program at the Mayo Clinic.
• Maria Schneider, Jazz large ensemble leader, 2005 Grammy Award-winning performer.
• Dr. Heidi Hartman, executive director of the Institute for Women's Policy Research.
• Cynthia L. Gessling, senior director, education and the arts, Program & Youth Development Services, Boys & Girls Club of America.
• Michael E. Marks, partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR).
• Carol H. Williams, president, CEO, and chief creative officer, Carol H. Williams Advertising.
• Doug Waltman, dean, Applebee's Leadership Institute.
• James S. Turley, chairman and CEO, Ernst & Young.
• Joe Moglia, CEO, TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation.

Recruiting and Admissions – The Crosby MBA Program welcomed a strong entering class of 28 students for the winter semester. A week-long orientation enabled them to attend academic modules, learn about opportunities offered by the program, meet their new classmates, and begin their pursuit of new career goals.

The program’s print advertising campaign was expanded to include increased placements in the St. Louis and Kansas City business journals as well as campus newspapers.

Regional MBA Virtual Career Fair – Business Career Services and the Crosby MBA Program co-hosted its first Annual Regional MBA Virtual Career Fair, January 30 to February 10. MU collaborated with the Southwest Alliance of MBA Programs for this event, allowing MU MBA students to connect with more than 160 recruiters across the country. Nearly 270 MBA-specific jobs and internships were posted online.

MBA Alumni Mentorship Program – A new Alumni Mentorship Program (AMP) was launched during the winter semester, with 13 second-semester students participating. The goal of AMP is to foster MBA student growth, professional development, inspiration, and networking. Moreover, it serves as a forum where students can learn real-world business practices under the guidance of seasoned business managers. The program will be expanded and offered again next winter.

Company Site Visits– Three visits, accommodating 15-25 students each, were hosted during the winter semester, engaging students in professional panel discussions, tours, and networking opportunities with members of the firms. Several full-time and internship placements resulted from these visits. Firms visited were Edward Jones and Deloitte in St. Louis, and MarketSphere Consulting in Kansas City.

Alumni Happy Hours – St. Louis area MU MBA alumni gathered at Harry’s Restaurant and Bar on March 16, and Kansas City area alumni gathered at The Granfalloon on April 27 for social events to renew old friendships and network with alumni and current MBA students. A special welcome was extended to the classes of 1996 and 2001, in commemoration of their respective 10 and five-year anniversaries.

Teaching Panel – In March, all doctoral students were invited to attend a panel discussion on “The Classroom Environment.” Topics and panelists included: The First Day of Class (How to Set the Tone for the Semester), Dr. John Howe; Building a Productive Classroom Environment, Dr. Mark Houston; Academic Integrity, Ethics of Teaching, and Discipline Issues, Dr. Tom Dougherty; and (4) Getting Students Involved in Class Discussion – Dr. Ken Evans.

Dissertation Workshop – A workshop on issues surrounding the dissertation was held in April. Among the topics discussed were dissertation committee selection and interaction, the proposal, securing data, and project management. Student and faculty teams presented a brief introduction to topics, and then discussion ensued. Faculty participants included Tom Dougherty, Steve Ferris, Jere Francis, and Murali Mantrala; student panelists were Dana Haggard (Management), Stephen Haggard (Finance), and Mark Landis (Accountancy).

New Students for Fall 2006 – Students who will begin the doctoral program this fall include: Ryan Peterson and James Whitworth (Accountancy); Michael Anderson, Matthew Crook, and Christopher Tamm (Finance); Christopher Bradshaw, Shih-Chi Chiu, and Christine McCullough (Management); and Mark Courtney, Donald Lund, and Elina Tang (Marketing).

PhD Publications:

• Beibei Dong, K. Evans, and S. Zou, “Antecedents and Consequences of Customer Participation in Service Recovery,” American Marketing Association Winter Educators Conference Proceedings, February 2006.
• Beibei Dong, K. Evans, and S. Zou, “An Investigation of Customer Participation in Service Recovery,” Fifteenth Annual Robert Mittelstaedt Doctoral Symposium Conference Proceedings, April 2006.
• C. Fred Miao, R. Palmatier, and E. Fang, “Sales Channel Integration after Mergers and Acquisitions: A Methodological Approach for Avoiding Common Pitfalls,” Industrial Marketing Management, March 2006.
• C. Fred Miao and K. Evans, “Salesforce Control Systems – An Integrated Approach” (abstract), Enhancing Sales Force Productivity Conference Proceedings, April 2006.
• Shrihari Sridhar and M. Mantrala, “Investigating ROI of Marketing Efforts of Newspapers,” Return on Marketing Investments Conference Proceedings, Indian Institute of Management, January 2006.

The college conducted three intersession programs during the first two weeks of January. A College of Business professor led each program, which was a business course conducted in two different European cities for one week each. The students had the opportunity to visit two international companies in each city to interact with company managers about international business strategies. In the three intersession programs:

• Fourteen students from the MBA program accompanied Dr. Joel Poor to London and Paris to study marketing and compare perspectives across France, England, and the U.S.
• Seven students in their senior or master’s year in Accountancy traveled with Dr. Jenice Prather-Kinsey to London and Paris to study international accounting standards and the changes taking place in Europe.
• Forty-six undergraduate students accompanied Stephen Ferris to Berlin and Prague to study international business management.

Chuck Franz visited Ireland, Spain, and France during spring break to continue expanding the college’s summer study-abroad programs. He visited five Irish universities to find a partner for establishing a new program in Ireland for summer 2007. In Lyon, France, he initiated discussions between the college and Lyon III University to conduct a collaborative summer business program in summer 2007.

The College of Business conducted its international summer business program again in Bergamo, Italy at Bergamo University from May 22 to June 16. Over four summers, enrollment has increased from 37 students in 2003 to 60 students in each of 2004 and 2005. Sixty-five students enrolled for summer 2006, combining with 65 Bergamo University students, who signed up to take classes and mix with the Missouri students to promote a richer academic and cultural experience. Chuck Franz, Dan Turban, and Paul Brockman each taught a course in Bergamo.

Dewey Thompson was named as this year's recipient of the National Association of Workforce Development Professional's annual award for Professional Development. Dewey serves on the continuing education faulty of the Missouri Training Institute in the College of Business. The award was presented at the NAWDP Conference held in May in Charlotte, North Carolina and represents the high regard that Dewey's colleagues from across the country have for his skill as a business trainer.

Robyn Ridgway, senior academic advisor for the Crosby MBA Program, was selected as this year’s recipient of the Graduate Student Support Staff Appreciation Award. This award was instituted as an avenue for graduate students to recognize and show appreciation for administrative support staff members who go beyond their required duties assisting graduate students. The nomination letters submitted by the MBA students on behalf of Robyn were consistent in describing her dedicated and extensive service to them as a conscientious academic advisor, an enthusiastic student activities supporter, and a very insightful life coach.

Phyllis Moore received the Staff Member of the Year award from student council at the honors luncheon in April.

Mike Christy, Robyn Ridgway and Barbara Schneider attended the Graduate Management Admissions Council Annual Industry Conference in San Francisco in June. They attended workshops on subjects including program marketing, analyzing website performance, podcasts and blogs, corporate perspectives, and MBA trend data.

Gina Mauller, assistant director of Business Career Services, attended the National Association of Colleges & Employers conference in Anaheim, CA and the MBA Career Services Council (MBA CSC) conference in Huntington Beach, CA, both in June. She attended workshops on subjects such as teaching soft skills beyond the classroom, creating alumni connection success, and tomorrow’s jobs. Additionally, Gina attended the First Annual MBA California Recruiter Conference, allowing her to network with California-based companies such as Google, Walt Disney Internet Group, Mattel, and Idealab. Attendance at all of these events allows for exchanges of information with MBA programs and recruiters nationwide, and increases visibility for the MU Crosby MBA program.

Lori Linderer, executive staff assistant in the college’s Advancement Office, married Kory Drury on June 3. Lori and Kory met in high school in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Lori is a 2005 graduate of the College of Business with a degree in marketing. Kory is finishing his bachelor's degree in finance at the College of Business.

Traci and Paul Scardina had twin boys! Joseph and Louis were born on April 20.

Tom and Gretchen O'Neal became grandparents when their daughter Leslie and her husband Steve Fister gave birth to Lillian "Lily" on June 21.

Lynsie Tottleben, assistant director of Business Career Services, wed Douglas Steinley, assistant professor of psychology, on June 10 at the Reynolds Alumni Center. The event was attended by friends and family and was thankfully indoors as a severe thunderstorm hit just after the ceremony began!

The annual Staff Recognition Luncheon was held on May 17 in Stotler Lounge. About 90 faculty and staff members as well as several retirees attended the tribute to the college’s splendid staff. Provost Brian Foster was the guest speaker.

Staff members whose length of service was recognized include:

• Five years – Deb Denham (Advancement), Gina Mauller (Career Services), Lynn Kilgore (Undergraduate Dean), and Mike Christy and Robyn Ridgway (Crosby MBA Program).
• Ten years – Kim Houston (Undergraduate Advising), Andy Kassel (Technology Services), and Barbara Schneider (Crosby MBA Program).
• Fifteen years – Jan Curry (Crosby MBA Program).
• Twenty years - Karen Staggs (Accountancy).
  
• Thirty years – Barbara Railton (Instruction Support Services).

The college honors up to two staff members annually with Outstanding Staff Service Awards. This year's winners, based on nominations and committee recommendations are:

• Sharon Reed, coordinator of alumni and external relations, Advancement Office.
• Jim Sharrock, director, Undergraduate Advising.

Dan Turban was selected as MU’s winner of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching for 2005-06.

Mark Houston received one of three national Academy of Marketing Science Outstanding Marketing Teacher Awards for 2006. Mark was recognized at the AMS National Conference in San Antonio in May. Mark also received a 2006 Provost’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award, which is one of three campus-wide awards for faculty members who have been at Mizzou for five years or less.

Ratti Ratneshwar received the Best Paper Award in the Consumer Behavior track at the American Marketing Association’s 2006 Winter Educators’ Conference. The paper was co-authored with Tilo Chowdhury of Quinnipiac University.

Jim Wall was one of four faculty members honored as a “Most Inspiring Professor” at the Student-Athlete Academic Awards Breakfast in April. In a nomination letter, a student-athlete spoke about how Jim illustrated the class material with real-life examples that made class worth attending. The student-athlete also credited Jim with inspiring him to go on to graduate school.

David West was honored by the Alumni Association as one of the “teachers who reach for excellence in the classroom and beyond.” David is highlighted on the For All We Call Mizzou campaign web site.

The John A. Riggs, Jr., Excellence in MBA Teaching Award for 2006 was presented to Doug Witte at the Crosby MBA Graduation Banquet. During his time at MU, Dr. Witte taught two MBA finance courses, Investment Fund Management and Security Markets and Investments.

Shaoming Zou accepted an invitation to serve on the editorial review board of Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. In June, Shaoming served as a presenter at the 4th Marketing Scholar Forum in Hong Kong, which was co-sponsored by University of Hong Kong, Peking University, and Fudan University.

Jere Francis chaired the planning committee and directed the 36th American Accounting Association/Deloitte/J. Michael Cook Doctoral Consortium, a program on accounting research and education held in Tahoe City, California, in June. Each year since 1971, the Consortium has brought together leading accounting doctoral students and distinguished faculty members from U.S. and international universities to share their experiences, ideas and research on important issues in accounting research and education. Students from more than 80 institutions of higher education participated in this year’s program.

Elaine Mauldin received a grant from the Institute of Management Accountants for a research project examining the sourcing and control of information assurance services in organizations.

John Bennett was appointed to serve a three-year term on the board of directors for the Marketing Management Association; his term begins fall 2006. John was also awarded the faculty member of the year by College of Business students during Business Week 2006.

Dr. Bennett taught a course on problems in international business in Gwangju, South Korea at Channom National University as part of the College of Business Summer 2006 Korea study abroad program.

Jenice Prather-Kinsey attended the HERS Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration in June in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The institute included intense training on leadership and professional development in an academic environment.

Ken Evans has accepted the position as dean of the College of Business at the University of Oklahoma, effective January 1, 2007. Currently associate dean for graduate programs and research, Ken previously served as chair of the Department of Marketing, associate dean for undergraduate programs, and doctoral coordinator for marketing – sometimes in tandem. Ken has also been active on campus in matters such as international initiatives, research, and graduate programs, and in the marketing profession, notably as editor of a journal. According to Bruce Walker, “Ken has made enormous contributions to the college and to MU, both as a faculty member and as an administrator. He is an award-winning teacher, a mentor to many PhD students, and a widely published researcher. We will miss him greatly. OU is fortunate to attract such a skilled administrator and, more importantly, top-quality person.”

2006 Summer Research Fellowships – Thirteen proposals were approved for funding:

• Peter Bloch – Linking Design Aesthetics to Product Persona: Insights for the Creation of Consumer Attachment.
• Todd Chiles – Creating and Discovering Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Venture Formation Process: An Austrian Analysis of “The Republic of Tea.”
• Suraj Commuri – A Grounded Theory of Information Diffusion by Market Mavericks.
• Jere Francis – Assessing Audit Quality Based on the Accuracy and Informativeness of Audit Reports.
• Srinath Gopalakrishna – A Cross Functional Perspective to Evaluate Sales Incentive Programs.
• Mark Houston – Consumers’ Anticipation of New Hedonic Products: Antecedents and Consequences of Buzz.
• Inder Khurana – An Empirical Assessment of Financial Performance Metrics: An International Study.
• Elaine Mauldin – Factors Influencing the Identification and Sourcing of Information Assurance Needs.
• Raynolde Pereira – Firm Valuation and the Repatriation Tax on Foreign Earnings.
• Christopher Robert – Humor and Culture in Organizations: A Theoretical Examination.
• Ken Shaw – Are Disclosures of Untaxed Foreign Earnings Useful?
• Patrick Wheeler – The Effects of Generic Cognitive Feedback, Decision-Aid Design, and Task Experience on the Collection of Initial Audit Evidence.
• Shaoming Zou – The GAMCAP Scale: A Conceptualization and Measurement of Global Account Management Capabilities.

Awards – The winners announced at the college’s Honors Luncheon in late April were:

• Billie Cunningham – Raymond F. and Mary A. O’Brien Excellence in Teaching Award.
• Jere Francis, Inder Khurana and Raynolde Pereira – Harry Hall Trice, Jr. Memorial Faculty Research Award.
• Steve Ferris – College of Business Distinguished Research Achievement Award.
• Shaoming Zou – College of Business Faculty Research Development Award.
• Dan Turban – Outstanding Faculty Service Award.

Shaoming Zou made the following presentations at the 2006 Academy of International Business Conference in Beijing in June: “Marketing Dynamic Capabilities of IJVs: Antecedents and Consequences” and “Antecedents of Global Account Management Performance: An Empirical Investigation.”

Ratti Ratneshwar co-authored a paper titled “Pleasure or Utility? Time Planning Style and Web Usage Behaviors,” which was published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing.

Allen Bluedorn and Rhetta Standifer co-authored a paper titled “Time and the Temporal Imagination,” which appeared in the Academy of Management Learning & Education.

Allen Bluedorn’s paper titled “Temporal Hegemony and the End of Times. (Or Should the Harlequin Repent?),” and “It's About Time: Increasing the Temporal Focus in Organizational Research,” were presented at University of Maastricht, Maastricht, in the Netherlands in June.

Athanasios Chymis, a doctoral student in Agricultural Economics presented a paper written by himself and Dan Greening titled “An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship Between Market Pressure and Firm’s Stakeholder Responsiveness” at the annual meeting of the International Association of Business and Society in Merida, Mexico in March. The paper will appear in the conference proceedings.

Ken Shaw and M. Bauman co-authored a paper titled “Stock Option Compensation and the Likelihood of Meeting Analysts’ Quarterly Earnings Targets” which was published in the Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting.

John Bennett presented a paper on “Enhancing the Perception of Online Education in the Business Community” at the Midwest Business Association’s Spring Conference in Chicago, IL.

Loren Nikolai made a presentation on “The 150-Hour Requirement and Graduate Programs” to the Minnesota Council of Accounting Educators. Loren co-authored the 10th edition of the Intermediate Accounting textbook, which was published by South-Western Publishing.

Harry and Ann Cornell – The Cornells pledged an additional $4 million to the MU College of Business. Part of the gift, $1.4 million, will create and endow a new leadership program for top-quality undergraduate students. Assistant Dean Mary Beth Marrs, who will oversee the design and implementation of the leadership program, said admission to the program will be highly selective. The Crosby Leadership Program will consist of a series of honors-type courses and extracurricular activities aimed at developing leadership capabilities. The CLP is expected to serve 50 students initially and grow to 100 students.

The other part of the gift, $2.6 million, will be used for several purposes related to Cornell Hall including finishing 7,400 square feet in the lower level of the building, enhancing the interior, and completing the financing from the construction and furnishing of the building. Committees chaired by Art Jago will recommend specific interior enhancements and best uses of the unfinished space.

Jeff Smith – Jeff's latest financial commitment is for $1.75 million. The total impact of Jeff's generosity in support of the college and its real estate program now exceeds $3 million. With support from Jeff and other alumni, the college has establishing a new real estate institute. This institute coincides with the college’s new strategic plan, which identifies financial services (including real estate) as a top strategic priority for the college. The new Smith Institute of Real Estate will partner with the Jeffrey E. Smith Companies to conduct an annual real estate conference on the Mizzou campus. With presentations by nationally prominent real estate executives and academics, this conference will provide current perspectives on real estate for the benefit of our students, faculty members, and industry professionals.

Sue Yun has joined the advising office as the coordinator of diversity programs. Sue had been an advisor in the Student Success Center for five years and was residence hall coordinator for four years prior to becoming an advisor. Sue has also been advising Alpha Phi Gamma, an Asian interest group and was a founding member of the Pan-Asian Faculty and Staff Association.

Rick Johnson accepted an offer to return to MU to serve as the Hibbs/Middlebush Chair of Entrepreneurship with a faculty appointment in the Department of Management. Prior to accepting this appointment, Rick held the Puterbaugh Chair in American Enterprise in the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. Rick was on our college's faculty from 1991 to 2003. He will teach in the areas of strategic management and entrepreneurship. His research interests include corporate restructuring and governance, initial public offerings, strategy and governance changes in the pre- and post-IPO firm, international diversification, and corporate social performance. Rick will provide leadership related to college- and campus-level entrepreneurship initiatives. Rick earned his PhD degree from Texas A&M University.

Lynsie Tottleben joined Business Career Services as the assistant director. In this position, she will focus on undergraduate career-development programs, recruiting relationships with hiring companies and organizations, student groups’ external and professional-development initiatives. Lynsie came from Anheuser-Busch, Inc., where she was a human resources generalist.

Trevor Harris has been hired to provide support for the college’s endeavors related to grants and contracts. He will be involved in grant-writing assistance for both service units and faculty members in the college. Trevor has a master's degree in regional planning/geography from the University of Alabama. For the past three years, he has written grant proposals for Mid-Missouri's local governments, securing over $3.5 million in funds for the region's cities and counties from state and federal funding agencies.

Marsha McCartney has joined the Graduate Studies in Business staff as administrative assistant. Her primary duties will be to support the Crosby MBA Program’s activities. Previously, she worked at the MU Alumni Association as the membership and marketing assistant. Marsha attended Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, where she received a B.A. in English.

Amanda Wooden recently joined Business Career Services as administrative assistant and recruitment coordinator. Amanda comes to the college from Northwestern Mutual Financial Network where she was an associate financial representative for the past year. Amanda recently graduated from Central Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications.