Accounting alumna and team open Glassboro brewery

For the last several years, Rohrer College of Business (RCB) alumna Krystle Lockman’s husband, Josh, and their friend Greg Fletcher brewed craft beer in their spare time. Their hobby fermented into a business this spring when the trio opened Axe & Arrow Brewery, a 2,500-square-foot storefront in Glassboro’s new Town Square, within walking distance of RCB.

“My husband started home brewing as something fun to do. Greg was home brewing for much longer and was super passionate about the science of it,” said Lockman, who earned bachelor’s and master of business administration degrees in accounting from RCB in 2010 and 2018.

Director of accounting for a special educational services firm, Lockman was eager to learn about the craft beer industry, which is growing rapidly in the region. “With my business background and their knowledge of brewing, we decided that we had a good trifecta to make something happen.”

To fuel their enterprise, they received a $100,000 loan toward equipment and a $60,000 working capital loan for startup costs from THRIVE South Jersey, an initiative of New Jersey Community Capital that supports economic development and job creation efforts.

“I enjoy learning about the laws and rules surrounding the industry, building the production processes and operations procedures,” Lockman said. “I like running a business.”

She believes her Rowan accounting degrees provided the groundwork for both careers. “They prepared me for the corporate world and to excel in corporate accounting. I’m the director of accounting now, and if I weren’t running my own business, I would probably be looking toward controllership-type positions. They are the catalysts for anything business related that I do,” she said. 
Greg Fletcher (left) and Josh and Krystle Lockman are partners in Axe & Arrow Brewery.
The Prof joined students at Dress for Success.
Students learned to tie a tie and accessorizing tips during Dress for Success.
RCPD events groom students for success

During a job search, even the smallest decision can have major consequences.

To strengthen students’ odds for success, the Rohrer Center for Professional Development (RCPD) offers countless services to help them shine.

Dress for Success, a business fashion show, helps students distinguish between business casual, business professional and other types of professional wear and learn how to dress appropriately for various occasions.

This year’s event, sponsored by Ocean First Bank, PNC, WithumSmith & Brown CPAs, Kramer Beverage Co. and Sureway Property Management, drew about 70 students.

Sean Hand, AKA the “Awkward Networker,” works full time for KPMG and was master of ceremonies. “We tried to make this year’s event as interactive as possible,” said Elisabeth Parker, RCPD employer relations associate. “He was very engaging with the students, teaching them how to network and what is involved in a first impression.”
Dr. Saravanan Kuppusamy highlights the unique approach of RCB's supply chain program.
Supply chain and logistics gives companies an edge

Supply chain management — focusing on the flow of goods and services, often from conception to consumption — has many links but one purpose.

“The common goal is to satisfy the customer by providing the right product at the right time at the right quantity,” said Dr. Saravanan Kuppusamy, assistant professor of supply chain and logistics.

Recognizing the importance of supply chain and logistics, RCB provides a unique program.

“Every school has a different way of delivering content,” Kuppusamy said. “In our supply chain program, we focus on approaches like project-based learning to deliver the content more effectively. That differentiates RCB from other schools.” 
Rose Dickmann prepared for her career search before beginning classes at RCB.
Transfer student dives into RCB opportunities

Even before she arrived at RCB, Rose Dickmann, ’20, a supply chain and logistics major from Mount Laurel, was ready to plunge into all the school had to offer.

A transfer student from Rowan College at Burlington County, she applied to the University for RCB’s well-regarded supply chain and logistics program.

“I really liked the small class sizes in the business school and University because they allow me to get to know my professors," Dickmann said. "It feels more personalized.”
She also was attracted by the College’s emphasis on internships and the Rohrer Center for Professional Development (RCPD).

RCB formally launches new Center of Excellence 

This year, RCB welcomed a new Center of Excellence by formally launching the Rowan Center for Responsible Leadership (RCRL), headed by Dr. Susana Santos, co-director and assistant professor of entrepreneurship, and Dr. Jordan Howell, co-director and affiliate professor, and associate professor of environmental and sustainability studies in the School of Earth & Environment.

RCRL will help businesses, community groups, non-profits and individuals build a framework for understanding responsible leadership and becoming responsible leaders.

“RCRL engages with the broadest possible spectra of thought and experience to explore our central questions and discover common ground,” Howell said.

Its key activities will focus on teaching, research and public engagement, and it will explore broad issues based in sustainable development goals, Principles for PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) and business ethics and corporate social responsibility frameworks.

“Businesses and markets are a very powerful force shaping our world today,” Santos said. “Understanding relationships between business and government, society and the environment is central to any discussion about responsible leadership.”
Devon Thorpe, founder of Your Mark on the World, presents a student workshop through RCRL in collaboration with the Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
RCRL hosted Shattering the Glass Ceiling with Dr. Tsedale Melaku, postdoctoral research fellow at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, in collaboration with the Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
New faculty energize classrooms

RCB welcomed an unprecedented number of new faculty members this fall, keeping up with the College’s remarkable growth. The following faculty members bring new talents and experience to our classrooms:
Dr. Jingyi Jenny Du, assistant professor, Accounting and Finance, earned her doctorate from Rutgers University and her bachelor’s degree from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. 
Dr. Joseph Henry, assistant professor, Accounting and Finance , holds a doctorate from Penn State University, a master’s degree from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree from  the University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Shih-Hui (Steven) Hsiao, assistant professor, Marketing and Business Information Systems, earned his doctorate from the University of Kentucky and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Chung Yuan Christian University. 
Dr. Richard Jonsen, Management and Entrepreneurship, earned his doctorate from Eastern University, his master’s degree from the University of San Francisco and his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University.
Colleen Kendrick, lecturer, Marketing and Business Information Systems, earned her master’s degree from San Francisco State University and her bachelor’s degree from Temple University. She is a doctoral candidate in business.
Dr. Erlina Papakroni, assistant professor, Accounting and Finance, received her doctorate and master’s degrees from West Virginia University and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tirana. 
Dr. Shuang Wu, assistant professor, Marketing and Business Information Systems, earned her doctorate and master’s from Louisiana Tech University and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. 
Dr. Ying Ian Xue, assistant professor, Accounting and Finance, attained his doctorate from Duke University, his master’s degree from Stanford University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Hong Kong. 
Dr. Lee Zane, associate professor, Management and Entrepreneurship, received his doctorate from Drexel University and bachelor’s from Rowan.
Upcoming Events:
Corporate Innovation Forum
This year's Corporate Innovation Forum will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2020 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The theme for this year is "Next Generation Workforce." Watch your email for registration information soon.
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December 2019 Volume 6, Issue 2
William G. Rohrer College of Business | Website