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University of South Florida Muma College of Business     August 2018
SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT LECTURE SERIES SPEAKERS SLATED
Heavyweights in the business of sports will take the stage in the annual lecture series hosted by the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program. Guests include Dan Reed, head of Facebook's Global Sports Partnerships; Rick Welts, president and COO of the Golden State Warriors; and Jay Parry, former COO of the WNBA. The event takes place in October. To read more, click here. To register, click here.
BIZ PROFS WORK WITH JSOU ON WAYS TO EASE ARMED CONFLICTS
JSOU workshop
When bad things happen around the world -- things that call for a military response -- the strategy pretty much has been simple. Find the bad guy and eliminate the bad guy. But now a new line of thought is being examined, involving design science, which involves procedures designed to match solutions with problems. The Joint Special Operations University at MacDill Air Force Base is collaborating with some ISDS professors to fully explain the methodology that may one day solve world problems without military intervention. To read more, click here. 
ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT: DEMELZA HAYS, CRYPTOCURRENCY MAVEN
Demelza Hays
A decade after she enrolled in USF as a reluctant freshman, Demelza Hays has made quite a name for herself. She travels the world, manages a cryptocurrency fund for an investment firm in Liechtenstein and is pursuing a doctoral degree in business economics at the University of Liechtenstein. There, she teaches three courses, one of which focuses on her main research interest: Internet money. To read more about her, click here.
TABLE SET FOR THE ANNUAL FLORIDA BLUE PITCH COMPETITION
Seven of the 28 finalists gearing up to present their ideas to the panel of judges in the Florida Blue Health Innovation Pitch Competition are from USF. Each finalist will pitch what he or she hopes is the next big idea on the ways to ease depression and anxiety disorders.  First place winners take home a $10,000 prize to help build their ideas into a business. The competition is on Oct. 10 in Orlando. To read more about their ideas, click here.
SURVEY SAYS: BULLS TO BUSINESS INAUGURAL PROGRAM WORKS
Bulls to Biz students talk 
An innovative program that allows select first-year students to start their college careers a semester early got rave reviews from participating students at the conclusion of the program. Thirty-one students lived and studied together over four weeks in July. They said they definitely formed bonds that will extend beyond the summer and stand ready to recommend the program to other first-year students. To read more, click here.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: ZAVIER GARCIA, STUDY TIME FOR SERGEANTS
Zavier Garcia
At 38, Zavier Garcia is not your typical undergraduate student. He is a sergeant in the Florida National Guard, works full time for an insurance company and part time in his family's trucking business. He also goes to school full time, studying management. His wife also is a full-time student and both are parents of 5-year-old twins. It's all part of a vision, he says, one that will get him to where he wants to be. To read more, click here.
STAFF COUNCIL COLLECTS 6,000 SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR KIDS
School supply collectors
The Muma College of Business Staff Council's school supply and backpack drive was a huge success, collecting 121 backpacks and 6,110 items that were donated to children in the Hillsborough County Guardian ad Litem Program. These are children who are in dependency court and have been placed in state care. The Muma College of Business has some very special people working/teaching here. Go Bulls! 
AUGUST COMMENCEMENT: FULL OF PRIDE, GRINS, TEARS OF JOY
Commencement time ... smile
The Yuengling Center (formerly known as the USF Sun Dome) came alive earlier this month with cheers and applause as graduates walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. The scene was set with teary-eyed parents and grinning students-turned-graduates with a sense of hope and pride. Biz grads walked the stage during the morning session, leaving the rest of the day for celebrations with relatives, friends and fellow graduates. To view a photo slideshow, click here. 
ASHLEY REEVES: NO STRANGER TO CONQUERING ADVERSITY
Ashley Reeves
Going from an active teenager with an accomplished academic record to being partially paralyzed in a car wreck would seriously disrupt the lives of many young women, but not Ashley Reeves. She takes what's thrown at her and makes it work, switching majors, graduating this spring and getting ready to head out into the real world. Given her tenacity, we are certain she will succeed. To read more about her, click here. 
BETA ALPHA PSI CHAPTER AGAIN HONORED AT CONFERENCE
KPMG Gold Challenge Award winners
The Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy's Beta Alpha Psi chapter took home the KPMG Gold Challenge Award for the 10th consecutive year, becoming the only chapter in the world to hold this record. Pictured, from left: Chris Lemons, Jordan Travis, Yoni Tamir, Kaitlin Richardson, Graham Myers and David Corby. Not pictured: advisor Jennifer Cainas.
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB: USF TALENT REASON FOR TAMPA MOVE
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb came to Tampa in 2014 bringing with it some 600 jobs representing more than $37 million a year in payroll. That's in addition to some $21 million in capital investments. Lee Evans, executive director of the company's North America Capability Center, says Muma College of Business grads are eyed as a steady stream of talent. To watch the interview, click here. 
FACULTY/STAFF NOTES
* Paul Solomon, professor, and Andrew Artis, associate professor in the Marketing Department, published an article in the June 2018 issue of the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice. The piece, co-written by Indiana State University's Associate Marketing Professor David Fleming and Eric Harris, professor of marketing at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, was titled, "The Impact of Perceived Corporate Affinity for Technology on Key Service Outcomes: A Signaling Theory Perspective."
* Sunil Mithas, professor and World Class Scholar, has joined the faculty of the Information Systems and Decision Sciences Department. Mithas has taught at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and has held visiting positions at the University of Mannheim in Germany and in the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of the books "Digital Intelligence: What Every Smart Manager Must Have for Success in an Information Age" and "Dancing Elephants and Leaping Jaguars: How to Excel, Innovate, and Transform Your Organization the Tata Way."
* Jennifer Cainas, an instructor in the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, conducted research that was published in Strategic Finance this month. The article titled, "Use Snapchat to Engage Students," was co-written by Wendy Tietz, an accounting professor with Kent State University.
* Magdala Saint-Louis is now an advisor with the Bulls Business Community, coming from a position as program manager at the Sunrise Domestic and Sexual Violence Center. She is a USF graduate and worked as a graduate assistant at the Collier Student Success Center between 2015 and 2017. She also was a resident of the BBC when she was an undergraduate here.
* Dorina Hart is now a full-time start-up business consultant with the Florida Small Business Development Center at USF. She has worked part time with the center since February.
* Pablo Arroyo has been hired as a growth acceleration business consultant with the Florida Small Business Development Center at USF. He previously worked as a business development specialist for the University of Missouri's Small Business & Technology Development Center.
 
 
ALUMNI NOTES
 
* Elizabeth Wilhelm ('10, Marketing, Management) is now the demand manager with Intertape Polymer Group, a leader in the packaging industry. She is responsible for leading a team in forecasting for some 18,000 products across 14-plus locations into international, consumer and industrial channels.
* Angela Martin ('10, Management) has been promoted to delivery manager at TEKsystems in the Orlando area. A former 25 Under 25 honoree, she has been with the IT staffing and services company since 2011, beginning her career there as a technical recruiter. She has served as an account manager and, most recently, as the company's lead training facilitator serving recruiters in Baltimore, Dallas, Orlando and Phoenix.
* Amy Rubin ('18, MBA, MS in Sport and Entertainment Management) has joined the Tampa Bay Lightning as a partnership activation coordinator.
* Sarah Halwani ('18, MS Management) has been hired as a senior examiner at the Financial Industry Regulation Authority in Los Angeles and begins her new role in September. She had been a compliance examiner with Raymond James Financial.
* Jennifer Keller ('13, MAcc) has been promoted to a tax manager at Crowe. The former 25 Under 25 honoree began working at the public accounting, consulting and technology firm in 2015, starting her career there as a senior staff accountant.
* Matt Casey ('13, Accounting, Finance) has joined Goldman Sachs as an associate in New York City. Casey, who recently earned two graduate degrees -- a JD and an MBA -- previously interned at Grow Financial Federal Credit Union as a strategic planning and legal intern and served as a summer associate at Goldman Sachs. He is a former 25 Under 25 honoree.
* Kathy Ridyard ('18, MBA, MS in Sport and Entertainment Management) is now an assistant director of event management with the USF Athletic Department.
* Juno Lupkin ('05, MBA) is now vice president of finance and health plans at Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Previously, she was chief financial officer of Senior Whole Health of New York.
* Brenda Li ('18, MBA, MS in Sport and Entertainment Management) has joined the Miami Dolphins as a business solutions insights and analytics coordinator.
* Carley Lewis ('11, MBA) has been appointed the city clerk/administrator for the city of South Pasadena in Pinellas County. Her new position provides assistance to the mayor and commissioners with the legislative and administrative functions of the city. She became South Pasadena's city clerk in 2013 after three years as deputy city clerk.
  

* Aug. 16, 8-9 a.m., Bagels with the Dean, a Muma College of Business move-in breakfast, will be held in the atrium for incoming freshmen and parents. Besides bagels, fruit and coffee will be served. Free T-shirts will also be handed out.
* Aug. 24, 11:45 a.m., the annual Muma College of Business Scholarship Luncheon will take place in the Marshall Student Center's ballroom.
* Aug. 25, 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., the annual Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy's Welcome Back Picnic will take place in the atrium and breezeway of the Muma College of Business. The event is sponsored by The Accounting Circle.
* Aug. 25, 1-6:30 p.m. the Bulls Block Party 2018, sponsored by the USF Greater Tampa Area Chapter of the USF Alumni Association, takes place in Ybor City. Last year, nearly 1,000 USF Bulls made the party. For more information and to register for this ticketed event, click here.
* Aug. 28, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., The Muma College of Business's Week of Welcome bash will take place in the atrium and breezeway. The event, sponsored by GTE Financial, will feature free hot dogs, T-shirts for declared business majors and other swag. Department chairs will be there to greet new students. 
* Aug. 28-29, Transition Day for incoming freshmen and business transfer students will be held for new students to meet department chairs and learn about career services and other important details. The Aug. 28 session is from 10 a.m. until noon in BSN 225 and the Aug. 29 session is from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in BSN 221. To register for either session, click here.
* Sept. 6, 1-5 p.m., the Muma College of Business Internship Showcase will be held in the atrium. Students will mingle with current and former interns from top local companies to find out what interns do and to learn about new internship opportunities.
* Sept. 11, the Muma College of Business will host a career clinic in the atrium. Students can meet with advisors to upgrade résumés and examine various approaches to landing that first post-graduation job.
* Sept. 20, the USF Career Fair will be held in the Yuengling Center (formerly the USF Sun Dome). Advisors and corporate representatives will be on hand to ease the transition from student to career-minded professional. Times to be announced. A day later, a career fair at the same location will take place just for accounting majors.
* Oct. 10, the Florida Blue Statewide Health Care Innovation Pitch Competition will take place in Lake Nona near Orlando with student teams from across Florida vying for awards and cash prizes. The event is coordinated by the USF Center for Entrepreneurship and Florida Blue.
* Oct. 15-21, Homecoming for the USF Bulls. The week's events include the Homecoming Ball, a comedy show and an alumni party. The Running of the Bulls Homecoming Parade through campus takes place on Oct. 19. The Muma College of Business will continue the tradition of holding a homecoming celebration that day in the atrium and breezeway, serving food and refreshments before staging a parade-watch party. For a schedule of events, click here.
* Oct. 17, 6:30-9:30 p.m., the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program Lecture Series will take place in the Yuengling Center (formerly the USF Sun Dome). The annual event this year features Dan Reed, head of Facebook's Global Sports Partnerships; Rick Welts, president and COO of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, world champions for three of the past four years; and Jay Parry, former COO of the Women's National Basketball Association at a time when the league experienced incredible growth. The event is free. To register, click here.
* Oct. 11, 8:30-10 a.m., the Muma College of Business's Conversation with a CEO featuring Vincent Jackson, former wide receiver with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now a successful entrepreneur in the region, will be held in the Center for Advanced Medical Learning Simulation, 124 S. Franklin St., in downtown Tampa. To register, click here. 
* Nov. 14, 8:30-10 a.m., the Muma College of Business's Conversation with a CEO featuring Don Fox, CEO of Firehouse Subs, will take place at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning Simulation, 124 S. Franklin St., in downtown Tampa. To register, click here. 
GIVE TO HELP STUDENTS GRADUATE, PROFS TO DO RESEARCH
Scholars and donors meet
You can change the lives of students. Please consider making a donation to the Muma College of Business to invest in the education and careers of our students. Your support will help students achieve their dreams of a college education. Your gift also may make it possible for faculty members to conduct and complete impactful research that benefits all of us. For a list of donation options, click here. 
University of South Florida Muma College of Business
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