January
Business Analytics Researchers: Public Transportation is the Key to Upward Trajectory
For the Tampa Bay region to catch up with metropolitan areas of similar size and demographics, it must improve and expand its transportation options, according to an exhaustive report, compiled by the Muma College of Business Center for Analytics and Creativity, and the Tampa Bay Partnership and presented at the annual State of the Region conference.
February
Former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio speaks at Conversation with a CEO
Among Tampa’s favorite sons and daughters – dedicated people who over the years have proven themselves through focused public service – Pam Iorio is near the top of the list. The USF alumna served as Hillsborough County commissioner, the elected supervisor of elections and as a popular two-term mayor of Tampa and is special guest at the February Conversation with a CEO.
March
Incoming DBA Cohort Flush with Diversity
In a program that, year after year, assembles proven business, government and military leaders from all occupations and lifestyles, the Muma College of Business’ Doctor of Business Administration’s 2020 cohort is something special. There are 12 women in this cohort, the highest percentage ever. Six of the students are from out of state: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas and two from Illinois. Two of the students are from outside the United States: Belize and Canada.
March
Muma College of Business Faculty Members Put a Spotlight on COVID-19 Economic Impact
Beginning in March and lasting throughout the year, faculty with expertise in retail, housing, organizational behavior and marketing all contribute to articles on ways the pandemic affects our economy and health. They continue to publish throughout the year on such impactful topics such as supply chain management, shifts in marketing strategies, small business innovations, the housing and financial markets and retirement accounts. The proven professionalism of the Muma College of Business faculty is on full display over the entire year. Faculty write opinion pieces or contribute to stories published on the Muma College of Business website and in its newsletter or in outside media, including print, television, online and radio.
April
Florida SBDC at USF Pulls Small Businesses Out of the COVID-19 Mire
Small businesses across the nation reeled in the face of COVID-19, as customers stayed indoors and certain businesses had to lock down or reduce capacity. Staff members and business consultants at the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida work feverishly to help get those businesses the assistance they need to stay afloat. With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis activating the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, the Florida SBDC Network works through thousands of applications submitted by small business owners.
April
Dispatches from the Remote Front Lines
In April, if employees were able to work from home, they worked from home. A peek into how the staff and faculty at the Muma College of Business uses innovation to carry out their duties put a spotlight on some real creativity. The faculty and staff write about what life is like, not so much in the trenches, but at home, working remotely. It had been about a month since USF shuttered its classrooms in an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19. But the business of business education continues.
May
Muma College of Business Offers Free “Post-Crisis Leadership” Certificate
With the world of business largely locked down to stem the spread of COVID-19, small businesses along with large corporations begin eyeing new business opportunities after the pandemic subsides. This will present new challenges to business professionals called upon to navigate the re-opening of the economy. The Muma College of Business stands ready to assist with a certificate – free of charge – to help professionals enter this time of uncertainty with confidence. The “Post-Crisis Leadership” certificate is the college’s way of giving back to its business partners, more than 8,000 of whom register for the program.
May
Innovation is Alive and Well at the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program
Despite the ever-growing challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presented to higher education, the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program continues to innovate, kicking off a new podcast partnership with “Life in the Front Office.” COVID-19 has affected everyone’s life, says program director Michelle Harrolle. “We have all had to adapt, and this podcast is a bright and shining success born out of a difficult situation.” The podcast proves to be an effective as sport/business development tool for graduate students in the program.
June
Analytics Researchers Land Rare NSF Grant
A group of USF faculty and alumni, including three from the Muma College of Business’ School of Information Systems and Management, design an artificial intelligence-based software to help PhD students formulate their paths through the rigorous academic programs and subsequent careers. The idea strikes gold when the National Science Foundation awards $225,000 to the proposal, “EdVision: AI Powered Academic Guidance for PhD Programs.” Kaushik Dutta, director of the school, says: “There are not many faculty members across the USF System who have received this NSF STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer program) grant to pursue their entrepreneurial efforts.”
July
Lynn Pippenger Donates $5 Million to Endow the Muma College of Business Deanship
The USF Foundation receives a $5 million gift from alumna and serial donor Lynn Pippenger to create an endowed deanship in the Muma College of Business, which will support the dean’s strategic direction for the college. “We are extremely grateful to Lynn for her generosity and continued support of the University of South Florida,” USF President Steven Currall says. "By creating this endowment, she will generate new opportunities for USF students and faculty for generations to come and enhance the impact of the Muma College of Business on the broader Tampa Bay region's business community."
July
New Supply Chain Innovation Virtual Lab Launches
After a three-year search, a new director of the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy is selected. Mark Taylor, an accounting professor and department chair at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, takes over for Uday Murthy, who has been director of the school since 2011. Taylor says the field of accounting is evolving and he is ready to usher new trends into the curriculum.
July
Jean Kabongo Named Dean of the Muma College of Business on Sarasota-Manatee campus
Jean D. Kabongo is selected to serve as the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus dean for the Muma College of Business. Kabongo, a professor of strategic management and entrepreneurship, joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 2010. Students selected Kabongo as the recipient of the campus’ Outstanding Professor Award four times since the fall of 2015 and he received an Excellence in Teaching Award from his colleagues during the 2014-15 academic year. “We are very excited that Dr. Jean Kabongo will be the new campus dean for the Muma College of Business on the Sarasota-Manatee campus,” says Muma College of Business Dean Moez Limayem.
August
College Offers a Supply Chain Management Master’s Degree
The Monica Wooden Center for Supply Chain Management and Sustainability at the Muma College of Business launches a new master’s degree program in supply chain management. Supply chain management is a high-growth industry. At the national level, the logistics sector is projected to increase more than 10 percent through 2026, adding nearly 13 million jobs with a median annual wage of $74,590.
August
Finance Professor Helps Refugees Assimilate to New Cultures
When Sharon Segrest isn’t teaching Muma College of Business students the finer points of management or earning awards for her research, she helps refugees from the Middle East and Africa assimilate into cultures of whatever country that welcomes them, land well-paying jobs and live without the threat of suicide bombs and IEDs. “Witnessing the plight of refugees in Syria – one of the worst ongoing humanitarian crises on the planet – I was happy to have the opportunity to contribute in any way possible,” says the St. Petersburg campus professor, “to help improve the employment opportunities for displaced persons and others in the Middle East and North Africa region.”
September
Marketing Professor Researches the Impact of COVID-19 on Tampa Bay Eateries
Restaurants took a hard hit during the COVID-19 crisis. They shut down in the spring, and with no revenue coming in, many were unable to keep going. Some, however, adapted. They switched from sit-down to take-out and altered menus. Most relied on social media to retain relationships with customers. While some will never open again, others will emerge from the pandemic stronger because of their ability to innovate. Muma College of Business Assistant Marketing Professor Mark Bender is leading a research project to get a clearer picture of what the culinary landscape will look like in the wake of COVID-19.
September
Dual Degree Grad Program Ranks Among the Top 5 in the Nation.
The USF Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program continues to rank among the best in the world, according to SportBusiness International. The program, begun less than 10 years ago, is No. 5 in the nation, third among public universities, No. 1 in Florida and the entire Southeast and No. 6 in the world.
October
USF Esports Summit Goes Virtual
Jordan Zietz personifies the trajectory of esports around the globe. He is young, adept at video games of all kinds; he has the ability to pivot to new opportunistic directions at a moment’s notice. He is the founder and CEO of All Star eSports League, a company that provides platforms for high school gamers to compete and win prize money. He is a first-year college student. Zietz is the keynote speaker at the USF Esports Summit. He addresses hundreds of registrants tuned into the summit offered this year on a virtual platform, hosted by the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program. He talked about his inspirations, his career, short as it is, and the prospects for the future.
October
Business Honors Program to Expand to St. Petersburg Campus
The Business Honors Program at the Muma College of Business is poised to expand onto the USF St. Petersburg campus, allowing admitted students to live together on a floor of a new residence hall. “It has moved from rumor to the planning stages,” says April Bailey, an instructor in the School of Marketing and Innovation and director of the program on the Tampa campus. “I believe the timeline will call for the first group of Business Honors Program students to be living in the new residence halls on the St. Petersburg campus by the fall of 2021.”
November
Nandini Agarwal Wins Top Graduate Award
Nandini Agarwal, no stranger to awards and recognition for excellence throughout her college career, adds one more accolade to the trophy case: Outstanding Graduate for the fall 2020 semester. She graduated in December with dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance with a concentration in asset management. Agarwal, who at 15 took a 24-hour plane ride to Tampa to further her education at USF, takes every moment as a USF Bull to triumph over any – and all – expectations.
November
Financial Experts, Muma College of Business Faculty Examine Financial Markets
Financial experts participating in a webinar hosted by USF and Sarasota-based Cumberland Advisors say the improving economy and recent good news about potential COVID-19 vaccines point to an upward trend in financial markets next year. “I think next year will be a better year, but it’s going to be a different year,” says Eddie Sanchez, a finance instructor at USF’s Muma College of Business, director of the Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus and a long-time hedge fund portfolio manager and securities analyst. The USF Sarasota-Manatee campus hosts the 90-minute webinar, “Post-Election Financial Markets.”
December
USF Offers Online Degree for Working Professionals in India
Working professionals in South Asia have a new opportunity to earn an American business degree in business analytics and information systems – in one year and without leaving their jobs or the region. The Muma College of Business will launch a new STEM-certified Global Master of Science in Business Analytics and Information Systems in May. The cohort-based graduate program is similar to the Florida-based Weekend Executive Master of Science in Business Analytics and Information Systems program. It includes online coursework in data mining, database management, data science programming, big data and distributed information systems.
December
Tony Kong, Director of the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership, Wins Fellowship
Tony Kong, faculty director of the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership on the St. Petersburg campus of the Muma College of Business, was named a Sam and Bonnie Rechter Fellow by the University of Louisville, an inaugural award given to five fellows to promote ethical leadership. Kong and his colleagues will conduct research to help build a better understanding of ethical leadership. “The challenge for ethical leadership is that there is no clear consensus on its definition or operationalization,” he says “and through this fellowship work, I hope to help develop or improve instruments and make contributions to this area.”
Credits:
Created with images by 3093594 - "stadium olympic stadium structure" • MILKOVÍ - "Fireworks"