Category: Faculty & Research

Posted on

Academic advisor living her dream

Ramsing, Allison
Allison Ramsing has been honored as the top new advisor in Region 8.

Allison Ramsing, academic advisor in the Oregon State University College of Business, learned while growing up in tiny Aurelia, Iowa, that life was about meeting challenges and mapping out plans to get where she wanted to be.

As a child she had a condition that, given the state’s agricultural claim to fame, was an obstacle to say the least.

“I was allergic to corn,” she said. “You can imagine how well that worked.”

In the nation’s top corn-producing state, not that well.

But neither the allergy nor her small-town roots – Aurelia had fewer than 1,000 residents, and her high school graduating class numbered just 33 – got in the way of her pursuing, obtaining and excelling at what she calls her dream job: advising design and fashion students.

And her work has drawn the attention of the National Academic Advising Association, which in December named her the Region 8 2014 New Advisor Award Winner. She’ll be honored at the regional conference in Couer d’Alene, Idaho, in March and is eligible for consideration as the national award winner.

Ramsing started at the College of Business in July 2012 as advisor and retention coordinator for the School of Design and Human Environment. She holds a Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas, a Certificate of Appreciative Advising from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science in Apparel Merchandising, Design, and Production from Iowa State University.

Ramsing consults with her freshmen students at least once a term, and with her upper-level students at least once a year.

“We look at the whole picture,” she said. “How are you doing with your classwork, in your residence hall, with your family, with your friends, are you involved?”

Merchandising management student Magda Ponce calls Ramsing “the reason why I am continuing to pursue an education at Oregon State University.”

Carol Leder, head advisor for the College of Business, cites two examples of Ramsing’s commitment to student development: co-teaching of a freshman-level course, BA 160, designed to instruct students about how to be successful in college, and advising the DAMChic student club that puts out an online fashion magazine of the same name. (It can be viewed at http://issuu.com/damchicmagazine/docs/la_dramatic/1?e=7666273/9569842).

“As an academic advisor, I am responsible for helping foster each student’s potential and assisting them in understanding the difference between a major and a career,” Ramsing said.

 

Posted on

Veterans Day holds different meanings for College of Business vets

College of Business student Robert Fredlund remembers how he felt the day he returned from Iraq.

It was February of 2011 and he had just finished a 10-month tour of duty with the United States Army. As he stepped off the plane, Fredlund heard something he wasn’t expecting on the runway.

“It was the first time I had stepped on American soil in about a year, and there was a group of people clapping for us,” Fredlund said. “It’s tingly, chills. It’s that feeling you are appreciated and it means a lot.”

For veterans in the College of Business — including students, faculty and staff —those small gestures can often be just as special as the parades and ceremonies that are a key part of Veterans Day traditions.

Oregon State College of Business student Robert Fredlund, a U.S. Army veteran, helps construct the Veterans Day float for Give 2 The Troops.
Oregon State College of Business student Robert Fredlund, a U.S. Army veteran, helps construct the Veterans Day float for Give 2 The Troops.

Fredlund started at Oregon State in the fall of 2012 and pursuing a dual major in Business Management and Entrepreneurship with a minor in Leadership. His personal experience led him to get involved with veterans’ organizations while at OSU, and try to pay back the kindness he’s seen as a veteran.

As the president of the OSU Management Club, Fredlund has organized activities through Give 2 The Troops, a group that sends care package to soldiers overseas.

The club has participated in packing parties and other events. This year the club used a meeting to handwrite notes for the boxes and helped build the Give 2 The Troops float for the Albany Veterans Day Parade.

“I saw it as an opportunity to apply the skills I’ve learned at the College of Business,” he said. “These projects are a good way to get real world experience but also give back to the community.”

Malcolm LeMay, director of operations for the college, spent 20 years as an aviator in the Marine Corps.

LeMay has made it a point to stay connected to veterans in the college and the community since coming to Oregon State. He served as president of the Military Officers Club of Corvallis, and makes an effort to meet with students who have served and are looking for advice.

“It’s neat to see recent vets going through here,” LeMay said. “You can tell the experience, the maturity and confidence they have.”

LeMay has been impressed with Oregon State’s commitment to veterans. More than 1,000 students receive veteran educational benefits at OSU, and the university has a number of resources available to help the transition.

“We go out of our way to make it easy for returning veterans to get started with class,” LeMay said. “That’s more than just on Veterans Day. It’s year-round commitment to veterans and their skills.”

Dan Schwab, a College of Business advisor, has experienced that commitment firsthand.

Before coming to the college Schwab served three years as Commander of the OSU ROTC program, and then 10 years as OSU’s director of student conduct after retiring from the U.S Army as a lieutenant colonel in 2004.

“I thought it was a rewarding job because I was preparing future leaders, my replacements,” Schwab said. “It was a good transition job from active duty to a civilian job.”

A third-generation military veteran, Schwab said he has always felt a call to serve, which helped lead him to higher education after his military career ended.

“I like to serve something, to serve people,” he said. “That’s why I’m an advisor today. I feel I’m serving students.”

New College of Business Assistant Professor Charles Murnieks previously served students and his country as an instructor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Murnieks joined the Air Force Academy after high school as a way to give back to a country he felt had already given him so much.

“I entered the service because I felt there was something honorable in serving my country, and serving to protect it,” Murnieks said. “When I signed up I felt I owed the country this, I never felt the country owed me anything.”

After joining he realized he wanted to make the Air Force his career, and later was asked to join the academy as an instructor. The Air Force encouraged him to continue his education, supporting him as he earned his MBA from UCLA and his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado.

While he’s enjoyed his move to Oregon and out of the Air Force, Murnieks said he is grateful for the reminders of his service and thanks he’ll get from people he speaks with.

“I’m always struck anytime someone takes time out of their day to say thank you,” Murneiks said. “I’m always touched by that, because I don’t expect it.”

Posted on

Teaching better training through paper airplanes

 

Oregon State College of Business Assistant Professor Anthony Klotz watches as students in his Human Resource Management class throw paper airplanes for a lesson on training.
Oregon State College of Business Assistant Professor Anthony Klotz watches as students in his Human Resource Management class throw paper airplanes for a lesson on training.

As Anthony Klotz started class Thursday he handed out the quizzes as usual, but also asked his students to take a few sheets of brightly colored paper.

A few moments later they lined up at the front of the class and tossed hastily assembled paper airplanes as far they could, which wasn’t very far at all.

For Klotz, an assistant professor of management at the Oregon State College of Business, it was a quick setup to teach his human resource management students a few things about training.

Now that his students had a task they could improve at, Klotz walked them through different training strategies before getting another attempt at the end of class. They watched a YouTube video on making paper airplanes and met in groups to strategize.

Klotz also demonstrated the need to convince your employees — or students — that training is important.

“You need to make it meaningful,” Klotz said. “So if they beat the class average by 20 percent on the second throw, I take away a quiz.”

“All of a sudden they get really dialed in, and by the end they’re cheering and clapping for each other.”

Klotz’s first class on Thursday threw their planes an average of 12.8 feet on their first attempt. On the second, the class improved to 23.3 feet, a 90 percent improvement.

“The key is that training is not fun,” Klotz said,  “but it’s important to do it and measure its effectiveness.”

Posted on

College of Business welcomes eight new faculty members

Coming from three countries, two branches of the United States military and some of the top business schools in the country, the eight new tenure-track faculty members joining the Oregon State College of Business in 2013 bring a range of skills and experience.

Arthurs_photoJonathan Arthurs

Jonathan Arthurs joins OSU as an Associate Professor in Strategy and Entrepreneurship. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA and was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. After leaving the military, he worked as a bookstore manager before going back to Texas A&M to earn his MBA. After graduating he worked in the finance department of a large corporation and then on an internal consulting team reporting directly to the top management team. Next, he attended the University of Oklahoma and completed his Ph.D. with a focus in strategy and entrepreneurship.  He spent nine years at Washington State University where he was also the doctoral program coordinator for the management track.  He teaches strategy and entrepreneurship courses and his research focuses on governance and innovation, particularly in new ventures.

Arthurs said his love of entrepreneurship started in high school, when he was mentored by an entrepreneur who gave him an appreciation for what it takes to start a new venture.

“I love to do research into innovation and the governance of new ventures,” he said. “I also like to do research into understanding how entrepreneurial ventures are able to appropriate value from their activity.”

Jeffery BardenJeffery Barden

Jeffrey Barden is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, joining Oregon State after teaching at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington since 2005. Barden earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and his Ph.D. in Management from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

“I got into strategy in large part because strategy is arguably the most integrative discipline,” Barden said. “Answering big questions about firm performance requires a tremendously broad set of knowledge.  I was also inspired by my MBA strategy professor, Idie Kesner, who is now dean of the Indiana University business school.”

 

Oregon State vs UtahInga Chira

Inga Chira joins OSU as an Assistant Professor of Finance. She completed her Ph.D. in May at Florida Atlantic University, where she taught corporate finance and financial institutions. Prior to pursing her Ph.D., Chira was a full-time instructor at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla., where she taught courses in corporate finance, financial statements analysis, financial markets and institutions, investments, financial management, international finance, security analysis and venture finance. In addition to her academic career, Chira has industry experience in corporate finance and financial systems analysis at CitiStreet, ING, UPS and CSX.

Chira’s research is focused on empirical corporate finance and is concentrated on mergers and acquisition and the efficiency of financial regulation. Her plans include pursuing a CFP certification and working towards promoting financial literacy and education.

Chira said she’s enjoyed getting to know Corvallis and her new colleagues in the Finance discipline.

“They have a true commitment to being the best teachers they can be and doing the best research they can do, and I am looking forward to becoming part of this group,” she said. “And I am not going to lie, I am a big wine fan and this is a great place for that.”

 

Oregon State vs UtahPeter Frischmann
Peter J. Frischmann is an Associate Professor of Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant and received his B.S. in Accounting from Utica College of Syracuse University; his M.B.A. from the University of Michigan; and his Ph.D. from Arizona State University. Before pursuing his academic career, Frischmann was a manager with Ernst and Young in Phoenix, Ariz. Frischmann’s research focuses on taxation and the interaction of taxation and financial reporting. He has been named as an outstanding faculty member by Business Week’s Best Business Schools and has published in such journals as the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Journal of the American Taxation Association and National Tax Journal. His work has been honored by the Financial Accounting Standards Board as research addressing issues relevant to the FASB and containing conclusions likely to benefit their decision-making process.

“The real inspiration for my career in accounting education came from Randy Huta at Utica College of Syracuse University, my first accounting professor who became a life-long friend,” Frischmann said. “My greatest career pleasure comes from leaving our next generation better educated to take on the challenges of a changing world.”

Oregon State vs UtahAimee Huff

Aimee Huff joins the College of Business as an Assistant Professor of Marketing. She recently completed her Ph.D. at the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. She earned her M.B.S. in Food Marketing at the University College Cork, Ireland, and her B.Com. at the University of Guelph, Canada. Huff’s research explores the intersection of consumer experience, consumer culture and family in contexts that involve complex, emotional decisions. Her dissertation examined the experiences of new mothers choosing care for their infants, the experiences of elderly individuals and their adult children choosing elder care facilities, and the experiences of adult males purchasing commercial intimacy. Huff’s research has been published in Journal of Consumer Affairs, and presented at multiple conferences of Association for Consumer Research and Consumer Culture Theory. She’ll teach Marketing Management in the MBA program and Advertising Management at the undergraduate level.

 

Klotz pic2013Anthony Klotz

Anthony Klotz is an Assistant Professor of Management. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma in 2013 and earned his MBA from Creighton University in 2009. Klotz’s primary research areas are in organizational citizenship behavior, counterproductive work behavior, team conflict and employee resignations. His research has been published in the Academy of Management Review, the Journal of Applied Psychology, the Journal of Management, and the Journal of Organizational Behavior. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D., Klotz spent five years in managerial roles with General Mills at the company’s Albuquerque, N.M., Lodi, Calif., and Midland, Ontario, manufacturing facilities, and operated a small business for three years.

While working for both a Fortune 100 company and an entrepreneurial firm, Klotz realized his passion was in helping employees grow personally and professionally.

“I realized as a management professor I would have the opportunity to dedicate myself to studying employee behavior and to helping prepare students for success in their professional and personal lives,” Klotz said. “That is the part of my job that I enjoy most — giving students the tools to make their transition from student to manager as successful and minimally stressful as possible.”

 

Lu_PhotoGuanyi Lu

Guanyi Lu is an Assistant Professor of Global Business Analysis. He earned his B.S. in Management Information Systems from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, his M.S. in Business and his Ph.D. at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. In 2012 he received the Outstanding Teaching Award at Mays Business School.Previously he served in a leading Asia-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) as an assistant supply chain manager for three years.

His research focuses on supply chain security, a topic that caught his interest after a truckload of around 5,000 LCD monitors was stolen from a company he was working for. Lu investigated the aftermath of the theft, which significantly affected his firm.

“The most joyful part about supply chain security research is that it is very relevant, business-driven,” he said. “All managers I met cared about their supply chains and were eager to develop effective supply chain security programs for their firms. The topic allows me to conduct research that not only provides academic insights but also brings value to practitioners.”

 

murnieks photoCharles Murnieks

Charles Murnieks is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, his MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. Most recently he taught as an Instructor and Assistant Professor of Management at the United States Air Force Academy. In 2010 he received the Military Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service while deployed to Iraq.

While serving as a civil engineering officer in the Air Force, Murnieks was given the chance to become an assistant professor at the Air Force Academy, and began his research after earning his Ph.D.

“Honestly, I love both teaching and research,” Murnieks said. “I love the student interaction and the process of discovery that accompanies teaching, and I love the intellectual challenge and the prospect of uncovering new knowledge in research. It’s a perfect blend, and I think Oregon State offers the opportunity to do both very well.”

Posted on

Pair of College of Business faculty honored at University Day

IMG_1143

Each year as the start of school approaches, the faculty and staff of Oregon State University take a moment to celebrate and honor the achievements of the past year at University Day.

Dr. Ed Ray, Oregon State University president, told a record turnout at the LaSells Stewart Center that while the Oregon State community has begun to reach many goals — including the coming completion of the Campaign for OSU — there is still much to do to continue pushing OSU forward.

“Today marks the promise this new year holds,” Ray said.

This year two College of Business faculty members — both associate professors of finance — were honored at the event for their work over the past year.

John Becker-Blease earned the OSU Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, honoring unusually significant and meritorious achievement in teaching and scholarship which enhances effective instruction. The award recognizes those who combine the ability to impact students in the classroom as well as produce original and nationally-recognized research. In 2011 Becker-Blease was the first professor in Oregon named the Aspen Institute Faculty Pioneer in the Rising Star category.

Dave Berger received the Promising Scholar Award, recognizing the scholarship of junior faculty. The award highlights faculty members who have achieved a high level of accomplishment in a relatively short time at Oregon State. Since joining Oregon State Berger has been published in Applied Financial Economics, the Global Finance Journal and the Journal of Financial Economics among others.

Posted on

Three student ideas selected for Oregon State Venture Accelerator

Lyndsay Toll (right) explains her website BuyBott at the 2013 Oregon State CEO Summit.
Lyndsay Toll (right) explains her website BuyBott at the 2013 Oregon State CEO Summit.

The life of an entrepreneur isn’t always easy, but it never lacks for excitement.

Lyndsay Toll was reminded of that recently as she waited to hear whether her startup, BuyBott, would be one of the first picked to join the Oregon State University Venture Accelerator.

Toll graduated from the College of Business in June. She and co-founder Darren Marshall started BuyBott, a website that simplifies online shopping and enhances social interaction, while the pair were students at Oregon State.

They applied to the Venture Accelerator hoping to take the business to the next level.

“Thoughts were running through my head,” Toll remembered about the wait. “If we don’t get in, how are we going to carry this forward? Will we still have the same momentum? What are our next steps without the Venture Accelerator?”

The Venture Accelerator announced the first business to join August 6. BuyBott was one of three ideas developed by College of Business students to be accepted.

“I remember being able to finally breath deep again,” Toll said. “It was a moment of giddy excitement and relief. I remember spamming friends, family and fans. It was a great moment and definitely a high point in our history.”

Joining BuyBott from the College of Business are Multicopter Northwest and PlayPulse.

Multicopter Northwest, started by incoming Oregon State junior Michael Williams, builds small helicopters capable of producing aerial photography up to 400 feet in the air.

OSU students Ryan Connolly, Andy Miller, Zack Anderson and Hannah Vincent developed PlayPulse. The startup measures engagement of video game players by using biometric sensors. Both Connolly and Vincent are from the College of Business, with Connolly also an intern with the Venture Accelerator before graduating from OSU this June.

It’s the type of student buy-in John Turner, an instructor at the College of Business and co-director of the Venture Accelerator, loves to see.

Launched earlier this year, the Venture Accelerator — part of the Oregon State Advantage initiative — is designed to provide support and guidance to businesses and technologies at Oregon State. The program brings together the resources and talents gathered across campus, with partners in the business community and Oregon State’s alumni network.

Ideas were solicited from four student-based entrepreneurship programs at Oregon State — the Austin Entrepreneurship Program’s Weatherford Garage, Startup Weekend, UPTIC and the Entrepreneurship Academy at the College of Pharmacy.

Turner said he was excited about the potential all the three projects, and is already encouraged by their development.

“They span a broad range of ideas and reflect the creativity, initiative and commitment of COB students,” Turner said. “Less than two months into the program we have seen good progress already in the development of their businesses.”

Posted on

Photos: Austin Hall team celebrates building “top out”

IMG_4617
(from left) Construction Manager Cory Destefano and College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge stand in Austin Hall.

Work has been moving quickly at the Austin Hall construction site.

The first preliminary work started in February. The official construction launch was two months later with a ceremony April 19. Then on Friday, August 2, the crew from Andersen Construction reached “top out,” finishing the roof of the four-floor building.

The milestone was also a chance for everyone involved to take a moment and appreciate all the hard work that’s gone into the building, with a barbecue for crew members held inside the structure of the new building on Monday.

“We celebrate; it’s a huge undertaking to get to this point,” said Construction Manager Cory Destefano on reaching top out. “The building is complete now. You’re up at the highest elevation you’re going to go.”

Around 200 were treated to a lunch from Pig Out BBQ, including some College of Business faculty and staff involved in the design process.

College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge spoke to the crowd, letting everyone know how much the Oregon State and College of Business communities appreciated their hard work to keep the project on schedule.

“I want you to know your work is watched all over the world by our alumni, and they are astounded how quickly your work has come together,” Kleinsorge said.

Check out some photos from the event, including a look inside the new building from a tour COB faculty and staff received after the barbecue.

Posted on

Some College of Business photos you may have missed

Each school year the Oregon State College of Business takes a lot of photos, and not all of them get used in publications, posted on the blog or put into galleries on Facebook. We try, really, but like we said, we take a lot of photos.

Summer gives us a chance to look back a bit, so we wanted to share some of our favorite photos that may have slipped under the radar a bit. Thanks to all the great students, staff and alumni pictured and who helped make the moments we captured so special.

Students prepare to use the photo booth at the Undergraduate Celebration in June.
Students prepare to use the photo booth at the Undergraduate Celebration in June.
A guest looks through student work at the Graphic Design Senior Show in June.
A guest looks through student work at the Graphic Design Senior Show in June.
College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge takes part in Dancing with the OSU Stars.
College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge takes part in Dancing with the OSU Stars.
School of Design and Human Environment students network during the annual SDHE Career Symposium in February.
School of Design and Human Environment students network during the annual SDHE Career Symposium in February.
Jon DeVann, corporate vice president of Windows Development for Microsoft, Speaks during his Dean's Distinguished Lecture in January.
Jon DeVaan, corporate vice president of Windows Development for Microsoft, Speaks during his Dean’s Distinguished Lecture in January.
Assistant Professor Bret Scott jokes with students at Convocation in January.
Assistant Professor Bret Scott jokes with students at Convocation in January.
Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts holds up her Weatherford Award in February.
Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts holds up her Weatherford Award in February.
Panda Express co-CEO Peggy Chern high-fives Panda Express employees at the Dean's Distinguished Lecture in October.
Panda Express co-CEO Peggy Cherng high-fives Panda Express employees at the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture in October.
OSU Outspoken sings at a reception for CH2M Hill CEO Lee McIntire after his Dean's Distinguished Lecture in April.
OSU Outspoken sings at a reception for CH2M Hill CEO Lee McIntire after his Dean’s Distinguished Lecture in April.
(right) Student Michael Williams explains his Multicopter Northwest business at the CEO Summit in Portland in May.
(right) Student Michael Williams explains his Multicopter Northwest business at the CEO Summit in Portland in May.
MBA candidate Jonathan Truong gets creative during the annual MBA Business Plan Compeition Elevator Pitch.
MBA candidate Jonathan Truong gets creative during the annual MBA Business Plan Competition Elevator Pitch.
Benny shows the way at the Austin Hall Construction launch in April.
Benny shows the way at the Austin Hall Construction launch in April.
A backhoe moves on the future site of Austin Hall with Weatherford Hall in the background.
A backhoe moves on the future site of Austin Hall with Weatherford Hall in the background.
Brian Holmes, center, reacts as a problem is fixed while Microsoft Developer Evangelist Bret Stateham (standing) and JB can Hecke (left) look on.
Brian Holmes, center, reacts as a problem is fixed while Microsoft Developer Evangelist Bret Stateham (standing) and JB can Hecke (left) look on.
Posted on

College of Business recognizes outstanding faculty, staff

Friday June 7 the College of Business gathered at the Philomath Scout Lodge to take a night to reflect on the past academic year and recognize the great work being done at the college’s annual Celebration of Achievement.

Dean Ilene Kleinsorge noted some of the major success of the past year — welcoming the School of Design and Human Environment into the college, the construction launch of Austin Hall and growth in both the number of undergraduate and MBA programs — but also that “We could make a list of achievements and be here all night.”

“What I marvel at when I look at where we have been and where we are going is how resilient we are,” Kleinsorge added.

2012-2013 College of Business Award Winners

Betty and Forrest Simmons Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award

John Becker-Blease

Byron L. Newton Award for Excellence in Teaching

Aaron Lewis

Excellence in Scholarship Award

Keith Leavitt

Outstanding Professional Faculty and Staff Service Award

Carol Hahn

Experiential Learning Award

Sandy Burnett

College Service Award

Mary McKillop

College Service Outreach Award

Raymond Brooks

Newcomb Fellows

Amy Bourne

Tara DiSante

Dave Berger

Posted on

College of Business shines in Dancing with the OSU Stars

Thursday night the College of Business showed it could hang with the top movers and shakers at Oregon State, with three participants in the third annual Dancing with the OSU Stars.

The COB connections included MBA candidate Wenmin Wang, School of Design and Human Environment student and President of Kappa Kappa Gamma Lauren Greenlees and College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge. The event was also organized by a College of Business project management class.

Congratulations to everyone involved, it was a great night for Oregon State and the College of Business.