A Conversation with USF Muma College of Business Interim Dean GJ de Vreede

On Aug. 1, Gert-Jan (GJ) de Vreede began his tenure as interim dean at the USF Muma College of Business. While many of the Muma College of Business faculty and staff know GJ well, not everyone is as familiar with him. Many who know him describe him as pragmatic, mild-mannered, approachable, and decisive. We spent 20 minutes with him and here are some excerpts from our conversation. Read More→

For the second year in a row, Jennifer Cainas was named the recipient of The Bea Sanders/AICPA Teaching Innovation Award. She and her team won the award for innovative teaching practices that include integrating data analytics in introductory accounting courses.

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A new study published in the Journal of Risk and Insurance showed that making overtime pensionable raises pension costs by almost 20 percent and costs around 2.9% of payroll. The study was led by Po-Lin Wang, an assistant professor in the School of Risk Management and Insurance.

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Clinton Daniel, a faculty member with expertise in cybersecurity, received a $630,000 state grant to modernize an introductory digital information technology course taken by thousands of secondary students in the Tampa Bay area. The one-year grant is part of the $15.6 million awarded to expand cyber training in Florida.

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The fourth issue of "Research: USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus" is out and the magazine features articles that highlight faculty research that arose from challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The publication has stories examining research related to hospitality and tourism and racial tensions in the U.S.

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Yesmin Delgado Alabart left Cuba at the age of 24 seeking opportunity and a brighter future. In August, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from USF's St. Petersburg campus. And she did it with a 4.0 GPA. After graduation, Alabart will begin a coveted internship with the global tax and consulting firm RSM.

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Alex Sobczak graduated from USF in 2020 with a dual degree in finance and risk management and insurance. He is now the director of commercial lines at Neptune Flood Insurance in St. Petersburg and he credits the education and mentorship he received at USF for getting him well-prepared for a career in the insurance industry.

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When COVID-19 hit, businesses closed their doors but didn't stop selling. Nathan Hartmann, an assistant professor in the School of Marketing and Innovation, discusses how the pandemic shocked the business-to-business (B2B) sector and created ripples of systemic change.

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Faculty Spotlight: Angad Singh Dang teaches in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and operates the café on USF's Sarasota-Manatee campus. In August, he earned a doctorate in education from USF. Learn about how his academic studies tie into his teaching style.

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USF and the School of Risk Management and Insurance hosted an Aug. 10 legislative update on Florida's insurance market. The event featured an update from state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, and Tim Meenan, a lobbyist for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors - Florida. 

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Faculty Spotlights

Janelle E. Wells, an associate professor in the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management program, had the op-ed “Abundance mindset could mean an end to false competition created for women” published in Sports Business Journal. 

Gary Patterson, dean of the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance, was featured in an interview with Fox-13 about the impact of rising interest rates. 

Matt Mullarkey, the director of the Doctor of Business Administration program, was featured in a Business Observer column about the People Development Institute. 

Seckin Ozkul, director of the Supply Chain Innovation Lab and assistant professor of instruction, was quoted in a WFTS-Tampa Bay story about supply chain contamination worries.

Murad Antia, a retired finance instructor at the Muma College of Business, wrote a guest column in the Tampa Bay Times titled “Income inequality may not be quite what it seems.” 

Kerry Myers, an associate professor of instruction at the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, had a column titled "Umbrella Insurance" published by Wallet Hub.

Alumni Updates

Simi Kazi (‘15, BS, Management Information Systems) is excited to announce that she is beginning a new chapter in her career with CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield as an executive growth strategist advisor.

Beverly Daly Daniel (’06, MBA) has been promoted to vice president of human resources and governance for AACSB International. 

Taylor Torres (‘20, BS, Marketing) is excited to share that she is returning to KnowBe4 as a talent brand marketing specialist. She says it is a very full circle moment as she has so many personal and professional connections from her previous work with the company.

Wendy Beck (‘87, BS, Accounting) has been appointed to the board of directors of Hawaiian Holdings, the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines.

Michael Randolfi (‘93, BA, Finance) is joining Sabre Corporation, a leading software, and technology company, as the company’s chief financial officer.

Al Nienhuis (‘11, MBA, Management Information Systems, ’06, BS, Management) has been sworn in as the next president of the Florida Sheriffs Association.