University of South Florida Muma College of Business   August 2017
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: ALEXIS DREES RIGHT AT HOME IN THE FAR EAST 
Finance major Alexis Drees is a citizen of the world, a businesswoman on the cutting edge of international finance and product innovation. And she hasn't even graduated yet. The senior spent this summer in Hong Kong as an intern for Sage Corps, a selective global entrepreneurship program that sends top college students to study and work abroad with tech startups. And she's making a real mark for herself.  Read more.
USF'S BETA ALPHA PSI CHAPTER GETS TOP AWARD AT CONFERENCE 
Beta Alpha Psi -- once again --took home the Gold Chapter award at the BAP annual conference, this year in California. The Muma College of Business's chapter is one of 11 worldwide to be recognized and one of only two chapters to have received the award each year since the award's inception nine years ago. The organization is made up of 300 chapters.   Learn more .
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: SHIVAM PATEL CREATES A LASTING LEGACY  
Just a couple of years out of the classroom, and Shivam Patel already is giving back. The 2014 graduate has created the Shivam Patel First Generation Scholarship, helping students who take part in the Corporate Mentor Program pay tuition and other costs. Last year's recipient was Luis Duque, who was living out of his car during part of his time at USF. Patel is part of a trend of young alumni who are giving back. Read more.
USF TO HOST SEVENTH ANNUAL EXECUTIVE DBA CONFERENCE
Last year, the conference was in Paris. This year, it's in Tampa. The Executive Doctor of Business Administration Council's Engaged Management Scholarship Conference is set for Sept. 7-10 at USF. More than 200 faculty, students and alumni are expected to make the trip to Tampa. Learn more. 
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: NICCI PERONE OVERCOMES OBSTACLES 
For 20 years, Nicci Perone ran her own business. But three years ago, an accident left her unable to carry on. So she closed up her shop and went back to school. She was in her mid 40s and was worried about being older than anyone in her class. But, it turned out, returning to college was just what she needed. She's getting ready to graduate with a grade-point average of 3.97 in December with a degree in marketing. And she's now more eager than ever to embark on a new career path.  Learn more. 
SPORT & ENTERTAINMENT MANAGEMENT GETS TOP 20 RANKING  
The USF Muma College of Business Sport & Entertainment Management program, which awards grads dual graduate degrees, was ranked in the top 20 of postgraduate programs around the globe, as rated by SportBusiness International. The survey results were announced late last month. USF was ranked No. 19. To read more, click  here.  
DAN BRADLEY PENS WHITE PAPER ON CORPORATE OVERSIGHT
Who has the best eyes to oversee corporate governance? Dan Bradley says it's analysts who have experience in that particular industry. But does that experience lead to conflicts of interest when it comes to telling the truth about CEOs who may be cozy with those very financial analysts? Bradley delves into the question and comes up with some solid answers in this white paper published by the Muma College of Business. Learn more.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: LEO CHEN RETURNS, TEACHES ASA COURSE   
Using real money in real time is the mantra brought by Leo Chen  to the Muma College of Business Student Managed Investment Fund. He is the new director of the program and the professor teaching the Applied Securities Analysis class beginning this fall. It's familiar territory for Chen, who earned his doctoral degree in finance from the Muma College of Business in 2015. He also works as an investment strategist and analyst in Sarasota. Learn more.
FACULTY/STAFF NOTES 
  • James Zhang, a PhD candidate and teaching assistant with the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, presented a paper at the American Accounting Association's annual meeting in San Diego earlier this month.
  • Janette Blanco, a business consultant in Hillsborough County with the Florida Small Business Development Center at USF, was named Consultant of the Year recently. Her primary focus is in the construction and contracting industry.
  • Olivia Davis is the new director of the Corporate Mentor Program, taking over for J.R. Haworth who launched a new business venture. Davis's new duties were to begin on Aug. 21 when she was expected to return from maternity leave.
  • G.J. de Vreede has been named associate chair in the Information Systems and Decision Sciences department. He has helped garner more than $8 million in grants and established an annual workshop for researchers working on collaboration science. As department liaison with the Florida Center for Cybersecurity, he has helped grow the Information Assurance concentration to a point where there now are 110 students enrolled in the concentration.
  • Joni Jones, associate professor in the Information Systems and Decision Sciences department, recently was named as faculty liaison for the Florida Center for Cybersecurity.
Read Faculty/Staff Notes
 
ALUMNI NOTES   
  • Lucila Ramiro ('17, MBA) has been appointed vice president of the Tampa General Medical Group, an affiliate of Tampa General Hospital whose physicians provide care at 16 sites in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. Ramiro, a medical doctor, was previously the group's primary-care program director.
  • Jessica Acker ('11, Accounting and Marketing) passed the final exam to obtain her Florida Certified Public Accountant license. She has worked at Miles & Thirion in Sarasota since 2015.
  • Jana Boehmer ('13, MS Management) has been elected president of the board of directors for Meals On Wheels of Tampa. Boehmer is an employee wellness dietitian at James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and other clinics in Tampa and has served on the Meals On Wheels board since 2011.
  • Mike Griffin ('03, Marketing) was appointed to the Tampa Port Authority by Gov. Rick Scott. A former USF Alumni Association board chair and USF Student Government president, Griffin is senior managing director of Savills Studley Occupier Services in Tampa and chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.
  • Daniel Goebel ('98, PhD Business Administration) has been named dean of Northern Arizona University's W.A. Franke College of Business. He previously was associate dean for academic programs and maintenance of accreditation and a marketing professor at Illinois State University.
  • Shaun Poole ('02, Business Administration) was named principal of Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, North Carolina. He previously served as principal of Sun Valley High School in Monroe, North Carolina.
 
 
* Aug. 19, 2 p.m. the Greater Tampa Area Alumni Chapter Bulls Block Party will take place in Ybor City. Billed as the largest block party in the state, the ticketed event includes deals on food and beverages and access to giveaways at participating locations. For more information, click here.
* Aug. 29, 2:45-6:30 p.m. the Week of Welcome for new Muma College of Business students will take place in the atrium and breezeway. Free food will be served and T-shirts available - while supplies last - for declared business majors.
* Sept. 6-13, the Executive Doctor of Business Administration Council will hold its annual conference at the University of South Florida's Marshall Student Center, with some workshops and consortia taking place in the Muma College of Business.
* Sept. 28, 4:30-6 p.m., Conversation with a CEO with ConnectWise founder and CEO Arnie Bellini will be held in USF's Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), 124 S. Franklin St., Tampa. For more information, click here.
* Oct. 9-14, USF Homecoming Week includes comedy shows, concerts, luncheons, a homecoming ball and a parade, finishing up with a USF versus UMass football game at Raymond James Stadium. For more information, click here.
*  Nov. 8, 8:30-10 a.m. Conversation with a CEO featuring Shelley Broader, president and CEO of Chico's, in USF's Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), 124 S. Franklin St., Tampa.  To register, click here.