University of South Florida Muma College of Business   February 2018
LIGHTNING CEO STEVE GRIGGS: HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS
Lightning CEO Steve Griggs
Steve Griggs, the immensely successful CEO of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Amalie Arena, reveals what it takes to build a hockey powerhouse and a world-class venue. Griggs spoke to a room of about 200 business leaders, alumni, faculty and students at the Conversation with a CEO event, moderated by Muma College of Business Dean Moez Limayem. To read more of what he had to say, click here.
2018 FLORIDA BUSINESS ANALYTICS FORUM MOVED TO MSC
400 expected at forum
Trends in biz data analytics take center stage in May at the forum, which was moved to the Marshall Student Center due to the overwhelming turnout last year. Guest speakers, including executives from Google and WalMart, are set to talk about machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, algorithmic biases and health-care analytics. To read more, click here. To register for the event, click here.
FLORIDA SBDC AT USF OFFERS CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM
Cyber safety advice
The Florida Small Business Development Center at USF now offers small-business cybersecurity instruction designed to provide a sound understanding of the risks of cyberattacks and common cyber threats. The Byte-Size Small Business Cybersecurity Program also suggests strategies to safeguard small businesses, customers, employees and profits. To read more, click here.
DBA GRAD ROB HAMMOND HEADS PROPOSED MARKETING CENTER
Rob Hammond
Rob Hammond, a December graduate of the Muma College of Business Doctor of Business Administration program, didn't travel far to land a job. He now teaches marketing and was named head of the proposed Center for Marketing and Sales Innovation, in the Marketing Department. Courses were listed in the catalog last semester and are available to marketing students now. To read more, click here.
LYNN PIPPENGER: FROM CASHIER TO CFO TO PHILANTHROPIST
Lynn Pippenger
Lynn Pippenger, whose name is on the Muma College of Business School of Accountancy and the Kate Tiedemann College of Business at USF St. Petersburg, is a monument to perseverance. She also is proof that the American Dream is a reality for those with the determination to make it come true. From humble beginnings, she worked her way up from a Webb's City cashier to CFO of Raymond James. After retirement she gave millions of dollars to USF - her alma mater - completing the circle. To read more, click here.
RETIRING PROF REFLECTS ON THE PAST, CONSIDERS THE FUTURE 
Terry Engle retires after three-and-a-half decades
Long-time accounting Professor Terry Engle, a fixture in the department for three-and-a-half decades, is getting ready to retire. But there's a glitch: he has no idea what that will mean. "Give me some ideas," he says to colleagues. Admitting that his March 1 retirement date will be bittersweet, he talks about his love of teaching future accountants and auditors, his loyalty to USF, and those who influenced him during his long tenure at the college. To read more, click here.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DEZ WILLIAMS SQUEEZES WATERMELONS FOR $$
Dez Williams
Dez Williams aims high with his watermelon juice company, AquaMelon. "We would like to be the Tropicana of watermelon," says the Muma College of Business entrepreneurship grad. His fruit drink is made up of melon juice, squeezed from Florida watermelons. Leftover rinds go to cattle ranches. The cows love them. To read more, click here.
FACULTY/STAFF NOTES 
  • G.J. de Vreede has co-authored a paper in the Journal of Management Information Systems titled "Beyond Brainstorming: Exploring Convergence in Teams."
  • Tom Smith, assistant accounting professor, co-authored an article that has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Financial Research. The article, titled: "Does Managerial Opportunism Explain the Differential Pricing of Level 3 Fair Value Estimates?," was co-authored by fellow associate accounting professor Dahlia Robinson.
  • Marv Karlins and Robert Welker will publish a peer-reviewed article titled "The Evolution of Business from a Workplace to a WORTHplace: Dealing Effectively with the Human Factor in the Work Equation" in the April issue of the Journal of Global Business Management.
  • Donna Davis, chair of the Marketing Department, recently traveled
    Donna Davis
    with a     team of USF representatives to Universidad del Norte in Baranquilla, Colombia, to explore opportunities for collaboration. One project being considered is the Global Classroom, in which students from USF and the Universidad del Norte participate in an international marketing program this fall. The two universities are looking into participating in three or four virtual joint-class sessions.   
 
ALUMNI NOTES   
  • Tuba Alkan ('17, MIS) started a new position as IT project manager/release manager at Datex Corp. Previously, she was a graduate assistant at USF.
  • April Monteith ('03, MBA) now works as middle-market relationship executive director at JPMorgan Chase in West Florida.
  • Thalia Michaels ('16, MAcc) has begun a new job as staff accountant with Raymond James. She previously was an associate accountant at Raymond James Financial.
  • Stephanie Juergens ('16, MBA) has been promoted to partnership marketing coordinator at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She previously served as a group sales coordinator with the Bucs.
  • Jeffrey Piipponen ('89, Finance) was promoted to branch manager of the Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate office in Bonita Springs.
  • Kim Ross ('92, Accounting, Finance) last month was nominated to serve on the Nestlé Board of Directors. Elections will take place in April at the company's annual general meeting. Ross previously managed the accounting duties for Baker Hughes's merger with General Electric.
  • R. Grant Baxley ('07, MIS), founder and CEO of TeleVoIPs, a Tampa-based telecom company serving businesses across the country, was one of the recipients of the 2018 USF Outstanding Young Alumni Award. He previously had been named the Emerging Technology Leader of the Year and Technology Connector of the Year, and his business received a USF Fast 56 award for growing businesses.
  • Vincent Terrell Jackson ('16, Management) also was a recipient of the 2018 USF Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Jackson, a former San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver and co-owner of multiple successful Tampa Bay businesses including CTV Capital real estate investment firm and Cask Social Kitchen, is founder and president of Jackson in Action 83 Foundation.  

 
 
* Feb 23-24, the 16th annual Florida Intercollegiate Business Case Competiton for graduate students from a half dozen Florida universities is set to take place at the Muma College of Business. The undergraduate case competition is scheduled for March 23-24.
* Feb. 20, 2 p.m., the Muma College of Business Thought Leader Series with Steve Wozniak, entrepreneur, philanthropist and engineer who invented the first Apple computer, a development that led to devices that have found their way into just about every house, briefcase and hip pocket of users around the world. The talk will take place in the USF Sun Dome. The event is sold out. To get on the waiting list,  click here.
* Feb. 23, 7-10 p.m., the 2018 Entrepreneurship Gala, in association with the USF Center for Entrepreneurship, takes place at the Westin, 725 S. Harbour Island Blvd., Tampa. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Michael W. Fountain Scholarship Fund. Keynote speaker is David S. Rose, founder and CEO of Gust, the world's largest online platform for entrepreneurs and early-stage investors. To reserve tickets, click here.
* March 28-29, the fourth annual USF Sport & Entertainment Analytics Conference Powered by Ticketmaster will take place in the USF Gibbons Alumni Center with a wide range of guest speakers scheduled to participate. To read more, click here. To register, click here.
* April 4, 8:30-10 a.m. Conversation with a CEO featuring David Dunkel, chairman and CEO of Kforce, a professional staffing firm specializing in technology, finance and accounting. The event takes place at the USF Center for Advanced Medical Learning Simulation (CAMLS), 124 S. Franklin St., in downtown Tampa. To register for the event, click here.
* April 5-6 Selling with the Bulls, an event that combines employer networking with multiple go-to-market, sales and marketing student competition. Prizes are to be announced. The competition is open to undergrads from any college and takes place in the Muma College of Business over the two days. for more information, click here.
* April 19, 2 p.m., the Applied Security Analysis class will hold its final presentation to a panel made up of Tampa Bay area investors and financial planners. The presentations, which are pitches to invest real money, are to be held in BSN 221. A reception will immediately follow. 
* May 4, 6 p.m., Commencement Day for Muma College of Business doctoral, MBA and master's degree graduates in the USF Sun Dome. To read more, click here.
* May 5, 9 a.m., Commencement Day for Muma College of Business undergraduates, with a reception taking place in the atrium. To read more, click here.
* May 15, 11:30 a.m., the Florida Business Analytics Forum, scheduled to take place in the Marshall Student Center's ballroom. To read more, click here. To register, click here.
* May 17-18, the Accounting Circle CPE Conference will take place in the USF Marshall Student Center.
* Aug. 24, 11:45 a.m., the annual Muma College of Business Scholarship Luncheon will take place in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom.
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Scholarship thank you tree
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