The awards given celebrate students who stood out for their academic performance or their service to student organizations. The following students were selected because they have optimized their education by combining exemplary academic performance with internships, volunteerism, professional development, experiential education, and participation in clubs and other important experiences.

One student selected for an academic award is then chosen as COB’s Outstanding Student of the Year.

Outstanding Students of the Year

ACADEMIC AWARDS

College of Business Outstanding Student of the Year

Mason Smith
Also: Outstanding Finance Student of the Year

Future plans: “I have accepted a position as one of two banker foundation trainees at Simmons Bank. I will work at their headquarters in an 18-month training program rotating through departments such as corporate finance, retail banking, HR, and credit. I am excited to work with one of the best banks in Arkansas to learn how banks operate and contribute to helping communities.”

Outstanding Accounting Student

Lucas Hayes

Future plans: “I will assume an audit position at Ernst & Young in Rogers, Arkansas, starting in September.”

Outstanding Master of Accountancy Student

Jarrod Wheeler

Future plans: “Continue working at Landmark CPAs in the Tax Department.”

Outstanding Information Systems Student

Isaiah Kelly

Future plans: “After graduation, I intend to start my career as a data analyst and continue developing my technical and analytical skills. I plan on building experience with tools such as SQL, Python, and data visualization, with the long term goal being a senior data analyst.”

Outstanding Computer Information Systems Student

Wyatt Held

Future plans: “Work full time earning certifications, after experiencing work for a while I will consider grad school.”

Outstanding Data Analytics Student

Keegan Neeley

Future Plans: “Hopefully I’ll reach the job market with enough heat that they find me the best available candidate, but that’s not where I plan on stopping. I would love to go after my masters (or even my doctorate) in the future. Hopefully I can do both as me and my family move forward on our separate and joined journeys.”

Outstanding Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics Student

Katie Brown

Future plans: “After graduation, I plan to continue working in data analytics and use my skills to support data-driven decision-making and improve outcomes within my organization.”

Outstanding Economics Student

David Tooley

Future plans: “I intend to pursue my doctorate in economics at Florida State University.”

Outstanding Insurance & Risk Management Student

Macy Moring

Future plans: “After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in the insurance industry in the Central Arkansas area. I hope to work at an agency that offers a clear path toward becoming a producer. My goal is to continue building my knowledge of insurance and risk management while gaining hands-on experience in the field. I look forward to developing strong professional relationships, growing my skills, and establishing a long-term career helping clients protect what matters most to them.”

Outstanding Management Student

Ashlyn May

Future plans: “I am going to get my master’s in Information Management here at 每日大赛网站 and continue playing on the Women’s Soccer team.”

Outstanding Marketing Student

Rylie Melton

Future plans: “For the first 6 months after graduation, I plan to go through a 6-month online portfolio school program. So I will not immediately be applying for jobs after graduation. I will be going through an Art Direction program where I will learn everything about Art Direction in Advertising, including designing, creating campaigns, and working with Adobe. Once I complete that program, my goal is to pursue a full-time position in an Advertising Agency!”

Outstanding Innovation & Entrepreneurship Student

JoAnna Young

Future plans: “To find a job after graduation, connect with other entrepreneurs, and get started on opening my own business.”

Outstanding Logistics & Supply Chain Management Student

Angela Weng

Future plans: “I’ve interviewed for a job, and I’m in the onboarding process right now!”

Outstanding Master of Business Administration Student

Joseph Somervell

Future plans: “I aimed to begin teaching adjunct classes and take the next steps in my career. I started teaching the semester after I graduated. I use the skills I have gained in my current role and am exploring options for the right next full-time role.”

Outstanding Human Resources Student

Kierston Huff听(not pictured)

Outstanding General Business Student

Drew Duckhorn听(not pictured)

Outstanding Online Business Student

Savannah Smith听(not pictured)

SERVICE AWARDS

Outstanding BUILD Student

Logan Redd

Future plans: ” I intend to become an auditor for a firm with the future hope of becoming a forensic accountant.”

Outstanding Beta Alpha Psi Leader

Alexandra L. Wayne

Future plans: “By utilizing my financial and healthcare administration skills, which I have developed over my academic career and will further develop through my internship, I want to pursue a career with a hospital or healthcare organization to make an impact on their long-term sustainability and achieve more favorable patient outcomes.”

Outstanding Accounting Club Leader

Kady Harper-Morrison

Future plans: “After graduation, I intend to pursue CPA licensure as I work full time as an audit staff.”

Outstanding Gamma Iota Sigma Leader

Madelyn Neel

Future plans: “After graduating in December, I plan to start working full time in the insurance industry and continue my education through attaining insurance designations.”

Outstanding BASCOM Leader
(Bears for Advancing Supply Chain and Operations Management)

Grant Kemp

Future plans: “After graduation I hope to land an inventory management role here in Central Arkansas. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned here at 每日大赛网站 and my internships at the Allen Lund Company and Tractor Supply Company.”

Outstanding FBLA Collegiate Leader

Kaddie Bailey

Future plans: “Upon graduation, I will start my MAcc degree in the fall of 2026. I then plan to prepare and sit for my CPA licensure exam. One day in the future, I plan to open my own consulting firm, focusing my services on small and family-owned businesses. I also aspire to open my own foundation that focuses on youth financial literacy. I also plan to eventually go to seminary and do a two-year Journeyman program with the North American Mission Board.”

Outstanding Girls Who Code Leader

Jewell Callahan

Future plans: “Work as a software engineer for a couple of years before eventually transitioning into DevOps or cybersecurity.”

Outstanding Marketing & Sales Club Leader

Rylie Melton

see also: Outstanding Marketing Student of the Year

Outstanding Finance Club Leader

Payton Jarvis

Future Plans: “After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in finance while continuing to grow my business experience. As a licensed pilot, I also hope to explore opportunities in corporate aviation, combining my passion for flying with my professional goals. Long term, I hope to build a career that blends finance and aviation.”

These are just a few of the success stories from fall 2025. To hear more good news, follow us on social media or on our听website.听If you have any good news, please send it to us. We enjoy sharing the success of our alumni, students, faculty/staff, and community partners.

• Lucas Hayes, Rebecca Gaither, and Izzy Saettele won first prize in the Deloitte Best Practices competition for their creative presentation at the Beta Alpha Psi annual conference; also, the chapter was recognized as 鈥滸old鈥� status.
• Gamma Iota Sigma officers Amecia Ellis, Madelyn Neel, Mason Smith, & William Van Asche and Insurance faculty member, Ivan Hudson, travelled to the 2025 conference, where our COB chapter was recognized as 鈥淓xcellent.鈥�
• Many thanks to the Conway Chamber for allowing some of our Student Ambassadors and Girls Who Code Officers to attend the Women in Business ceremony this fall.
• The Girls Who Code听chapter has officially impacted听over听10,000 Arkansans through its outreach programming, thanks to its participation in the Launch Conway Career Expo! At this high-impact community event, student mentors from 每日大赛网站 introduced hundreds of K鈥�12 students and families to coding, robotics, and technology career pathways.
• The Arkansas Trucking Association’s听“” (p. 38) magazine recently ran a feature on the 10th anniversary of the Arkansas Commercial Truck Safety and Education Program (ACTSEP).听 每日大赛网站’s College of Business was significantly involved in听creating听ACTSEP, which听subsequently听provided funding for the Scott E. Bennett Arkansas Highway Commission Endowed Chair in Motor Carrier Management.
• Six FBLA Colliegiate students in our COB competed against over 2,000 from across the nation in business-related events at the FBLA Collegiate National Conference in Dallas, TX the following placed in competition:听Kaddie Bailey,听 also elected as National Vice President of Development;听Laney Bounds; and Melany Valesquez.
• Dr. Leah Boustan, Economic History Program听Director at Yale University, was invited by COB鈥檚 Arkansas Center for Research in Economics to deliver a public talk entitled 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Untold Story of Immigrant Success.鈥� She also spoke to classes and networked with students.
• Many thanks to the for setting aside a day to spend time with our students and share their expertise with us!
• Faculty and Staff were honored with 2025 Excellence Awards (pictured L to R): Engaged Teaching – Benjamin Garner, Associate Prof. of Marketing; Research – Bob Fang, Associate Prof. of Accounting; Innovative Teaching – Anthony McMullen, Associate Prof. of Business Law; Service – Joe Thomas, Associate Prof. of CISA; Boundary Spanner – Mike Casey, Prof. of Finance; Societal Impact – Connie McKnight, Prof. of Accounting; COB Impact – Jacob Bundrick, Lecturer II of Economics; COB Impact – Harrison Downs, Administrative Assistant.

ACCOUNTING

• Our Beta Alpha Psi chapter received a听commendation from the IRS for 每日大赛网站’s commitment to VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), led each year by tax professor Ashley Phillips.
• held the 11th annual Fear the Strike. Eight firms bowled with 每日大赛网站 accounting students: , , Hudson Cisne, , , , , and Rasco Winter Thomas. Team Frost had the highest team score and won the bowling pin trophy. On top of the fun and networking, $1000 will also be donated to Haven Conway.
• 每日大赛网站鈥檚 Theta Lambda Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi was recognized as a Bear CLAWS recipient at the October 每日大赛网站 Board of Trustees meeting. Representing the chapter were Izzy Saettele, vice president of membership, and Lucas Hayes, chapter president.
• Dr. Stephanie Watson on the subject of budgeting.
• Dr. Stephanie Watson has performed Continuing Professional Education Opportunities for schools across Arkansas this semester.

COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS & ANALYTICS (CISA)

• Susan Shaw of Conway, Arkansas, was recently awarded a Love of Learning Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.听Shaw, a doctoral candidate at Marymount University and lecturer, will use the funds from the award to travel to the Academy of Management Annual Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Instructor Susan Shaw presented at the DSI Conference in Orlando and participated in the Best Student Paper Award Showcase.
• Dr. Saif Bhuiyan had three papers published, authored with his COB colleagues.
  • Bhuiyan, S., & McKinzie, K. (2025). Engagement and satisfaction in OS software development: The impact of job characteristics.听The Journal of Applied Business and Economics,听27(3), 64-90.
  • Bhuiyan, S., Lyons, L., & Thomas, J. (2025). The role of fairness in retaining open source software contributors: An organizational justice framework for platform engagement.听The Journal of Applied Business and Economics,听27(5), 100-123.
  • Julies, M., Bhuiyan, S., & McMurtrey, M. (In Press). Hotel Supply Chain: Enhancing Operational Efficiency, Sustainability, and Resilience.听The Journal of Strategic Innovation听and Sustainability,听20(4).

ECONOMICS, FINANCE, and INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT (EFIRM)

• The EFIRM Department launched a new minor program, Economics and Insurance of Healthcare Administration, to help students understand the business of wellness.
• The Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame held its annual induction banquet on campus on October 16. Six Arkansans were inducted, and five scholarships were awarded to 每日大赛网站 insurance students.
• The 每日大赛网站 Finance Club was established this semester under the leadership of Sarah Campbell. Its first meetings invited speakers including Chris McClanahan, Head of IB Recruiting; Anna Grace Mills, Associate in the Financial Institutions Group and Head of IB analyst program; and Evelyn Griffith, 每日大赛网站 grad and Associate in Private Wealth Management.
• Internships are an important way to get experience before graduation. Just ask junior insurance major Madelyn Neel! Check out this video where Madelyn shares about her internship at and the ways she’s gaining experience.
• Insurance major Connor Black received a $1,000 scholarship from PIA. PIA is the Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) of Arkansas. PIA is on campus a couple of times each academic year hosting The听Forum, in partnership with 每日大赛网站’s Gamma Iota Sigma (the insurance student club). The goal of the forum is to maximize networking opportunities and career readiness for students, especially students that have chosen Insurance & Risk Management as major or minor.听This is a campus-facing event, and industry professionals will also be in attendance.
• Encore Banks鈥檚 Erin Simpson shared expertise with Dr. Huiqiong Duan鈥檚 Money and Banking class.
• Dr. Mavuto Kalulu . The paper is titled, “Ethics Committees听and Corruption: Do Ethics Committees Reduce Corruption Cases within State Legislatures?” When faculty coauthor with students, the faculty give these students valuable experience and increase the students鈥� chances of getting into graduate school.
• Ivan Hudson, Director of the 每日大赛网站 Center for Insurance, was recently听sworn in as the Treasurer for the Arkansas Association of Realtist, the local Board of . Ivan has been a member of NAREB for about 8 years.
• Students in our insurance program had the opportunity to hear guest speakers from one of the fastest-growing independent agencies and companies in the Inc 5000. 听guest speakers,听 and Luke Koenigseder, shared some incredible insights on the industry, gave an account of a day in the life of an independent insurance agent, and explained why their organization is poised for growth. It wasn’t just the classroom presentations that impressed, but the conversations that continued afterwards. They are committed to investing in the next generation of insurance and risk management talent.
• Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl is busy as always making everyday economics more accessible for scholars and citizens. Here are a few of his publications in the , on blogs, and on social media.
• Dr. Stephen Yao also .
• , CFO of Restaurants at FoxDen Capital, spoke to Sarah Campbell’s Student Managed Investment Fund class on October 27. With a 14-year career as a Research Analyst at Stephens before he joined the private equity firm , Justin brought a wealth of insight into evaluating investment ideas and opportunities.
• Granger Davis from Edward Jones put his whiteboard skills to the test for Sarah Campbell’s Student Managed Investment Fund class. Bringing decades of experience advising clients on investing for their futures, Granger provided a terrific perspective on how to bring finance skills to bear on behalf of clients.
• Representative David Ray had a discussion with Thomas Snyder鈥檚 Law/Econ class.听 He talked about the job of a legislator, the role of government, lawmaking, and economic policy.
• Justice Rhonda Wood from the Arkansas Supreme Court talked to Dr. Snyder’s Law and Economics class, sharing about recent relevant cases.
• Dr. Snyder听Thomas invited David Friedman to talk (via zoom) to his Law and Economics Class. David Friedman has had a distinguished career, including authoring the textbook used in Dr. Snyder’s class (鈥淟aw’s Order鈥�). 听During class, David Friedman talked about 鈥淟egal Systems Very Different from Ours,鈥� which is the title of another book he wrote.
• Sarah Campbell invited Jay Strickland from Legacy Capital talk to her Student Managed Investment Fund class. Jay gave a wide-ranging talk that touched on how to build a portfolio and how to manage clients鈥� biases. Jay is a 每日大赛网站 alum, and we were thrilled to have him back.
• Dr. Horpedahl spoke to students at Samford University in Alabama on September 18th, discussing trends in the wealth of recent generations and previewing some of the results that will appear in his book on that topic. He was hosted by Samford professors Art Carden and Joy Buchanan.
• , “Prescription opioid spillovers: Retail pharmacy level analysis,” in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.
• 听Alumni Ryder Pierce is an investment manager for the Bank of the Ozarks and was recently included on Arkansas鈥檚 prestigious 40 under 40 list.

MARKETING & MANAGEMENT (M&M)

• As this fall’s Allison Entrepreneurship Series Speaker, Jakob Michaelis, a partner at Dave Creek Media, shared lunch and his extensive experience identifying timely solutions, including a new app, with students and faculty.
• Dr. Benjamin Garner led a new “Speed Selling” event this semester involving听10 companies and 24 marketing and sales students. Each student completed 3-4 interviews and received feedback on their performance from potential employers. Huge success – connections were made; internships and jobs discussed.
• The Introduction to Business (BUAD 1300) students gave presentations this semester, and the top 7 groups presented in front of a full auditorium. Professor Ben Britton got a shout-out by the group presenting on Best Buy. Professor Tracy Suter got shout out by the group presenting on Amazon. Joe Cangelosi advised the group that reasearched Fedex.
• Undergraduate students, Oluwadamilola Osundolire (Economics) and Robert Walker (Finance), mentored by Dr. Alex Chen presented their artificial intelligence research at the DSI conference in Orlando, FL. Dr. Ming Li also presented her research.
• Dr. McKenzie’s Project Management class completes service-learning projects each semester. One of those projects included a group of students who听organized a clean-up of the Stone Dam Creek to assist in preserving the natural beauty of the 每日大赛网站 campus.
• Drs. Jamila Maxie, Ben Britton, David McCalman, and Tracy Suter had their case study about Rhea Lana’s Children’s Consignment conditionally accepted for academic journal publication.听 This was part of a strategic effort to tie the John W. Allison Entrepreneurial Speaker Series to clearer, longer-term teaching and research outcomes by showcasing and highlighting local firms in global听outlets.
• Our Conway-area 75Strong听group met with our local coalition at the Conway听Chamber to build out an even stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem locally and statewide.
• Conductor hosted a widely attended series of workshops throughout the semester, including a student pitch competition.听Local CPAs Zee Barfoote and Austin Malone discussed handling a startup鈥檚 early finances in their Conductor session called 鈥淵our Startup鈥檚 First CFO: YOU!鈥� as part of the Conductor听series.
• Dr. Steve Schlachter’s听class, MGMT 3346 Strategic Human Resource Management, hosted guest speaker Moriah Bruner, Manager of Health and Well-Being at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
• Kaddie Bailey was honored with the Postsecondary ACTE Region IV Outstanding Business Student Award, issued by Association of Career and Technical Education.听The Postsecondary ACTE Outstanding Business Student Award recognizes outstanding business students at the postsecondary level. To be eligible, students must be nominated by a member of the Business Education Division of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and must demonstrate leadership potential through business courses and involvement in career and technical student organizations. The award is designed to honor five postsecondary students from each region, including Region IV, who have made significant contributions to their field.
• A few years ago, Dr. Garner听created a Content Marketing course at 每日大赛网站 to help students blend creativity, storytelling, and strategy in today鈥檚 digital landscape. As part of the class, students completed service-learning projects with and other Central Arkansas organizations 鈥� gaining real-world experience while giving back. in Industry and Higher Education (2025).
• The Bears Advancing Supply Chain and Operations Management (BASCOM) club invited several guest speakers this semester, including J.B. Hunt’s听Jasmine John听鈥� Early Career Recruiter, Corporate;听Bryan Epperson听鈥� Capacity Procurement Representative; and student听Brody Patterson听鈥� Integrated Capacity Solutions Intern.
• Dr. Tracy Suter was invited to join the Editorial Review Board of the Business Case Journal. It is one of three journals affiliated with the Society for Case Research.

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

• Dr. Mark McMurtrey was honored this evening as an MVP, most valuable professor, for his impact on 每日大赛网站鈥檚 student-athletes. He was nominated by Sugar Bear Samantha Cousins, who attends Dr. McMurtrey鈥檚 MBA Operations & Supply Chain Management course this semester.

It鈥檚 nearly impossible to highlight all the wonderful accomplishments of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. If we missed yours,听please let us know!

Congratulations to:
– : Graduate Student in Accountancy and Data Analytics, COB Student Ambassador, Awarded Academic Achievement Award
– : Accounting Major, Awarded Bear Spirit Award
– Kierra Collier: Marketing Major, COB Student Ambassador
– : Information Systems Major, Awarded Third Runner Up, Producers Award, Miss Congeniality, Overall Evening Gown Award, and People’s Choice Award

Our 每日大赛网站 students ran interactive coding stations designed especially for K-6 participants, helping young kids (and their parents!) explore the basics of programming in a fun, friendly setting. It was a great opportunity to inspire future tech leaders and show that coding isn鈥檛 just for computer science majors – it鈥檚 for everyone.

Girls Who Code at 每日大赛网站 is open to all students and all majors. Big shoutout to our COB students who helped out! Bridging business and tech has never looked better!

COLLEGE NEWS

• Our new Dean,听Dr. Tim Bisping听(pictured at right), was selected. He will begin on July 1, 2025, and has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, including as a professor and department Chair at our College of Business years ago; Dr. Bisping comes to us from the Nelson Rusche College of Business at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he has led initiatives to enhance academic excellence, foster faculty and staff development, and support student achievement. We are thrilled to welcome him as our Dean.
• The 每日大赛网站 College of Business owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Mike Casey, Professor of Finance, for his service as our Interim Dean during the past year. Serving as Interim Dean for the second time, he took on duties as Dean and continued teaching a full load of finance courses and authoring articles for Pearson. Dr. Casey is ready to return to EFIRM department faculty as Dr. Bisping joins us.
• 每日大赛网站鈥檚 Beta Alpha Psi competition team (Rebecca Gaither, Carson Griffin, Jane Nim, Helen Sokha) presented at the Beta Alpha Psi Dallas Mid-Year Conference. Their project won the Deloitte Best Practices competition in the Impacting Your Profession category, and they will compete again at the annual meeting in August in San Antonio. The group is supported by faculty sponsors Dr. Connie McKnight and Dr. Ashley Phillips.
• Our College of Business was rankings.
• Dr. Louisa Moseley was recognized for in Introduction to Business, and she was named 每日大赛网站 Learning Communities Faculty Associate of the Year for her work at BUILD@Carmichael.
• experts to share their experience with students. They spoke about the jobs they do, the many opportunities available to students, and the skills those opportunities require. The BCBS representatives also spent their lunch networking with COB faculty and students. (Pictured from BCBS – from L to R: Ben McVay, Emily Shadell, David Martin, Trey Hankins, and Logynn Gambles; not pictured: Jason Carter)
• At its annual Outstanding Student Awards Banquet, the 每日大赛网站 College of Business announced and celebrated the Outstanding Students selected for the 2024-2025 academic year.

ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT

• Accounting majors participated in the Volunteer Income Tax (VITA) program at United Way of Central Arkansas under the leadership of Dr. Ashley Phillips. They prepared 414 returns, saving the community over $75,000 in tax preparation fees and returning over $440,000 to community members through federal and state tax refunds.
• Dr. Bob Fang‘s paper, “” was accepted for publication at the Journal of Corporate Finance.
• Dr. Bob Fang听won the Best Paper Award, 2024 for a paper he co-authored in the听Journal of International Accounting Research听and won Oustanding Paper in the 2024 Emerald Literati Awards for a paper he co-authored in the听China Accounting and Finance Review.
• Dr. Anthony McMullen, Associate Professor of Business Law, guided student Rebecca Myers in an independent study on vehicular title washing. This spring, Rebecca presented her research to an official from U.S. Representative French Hill’s office.
• Professor Anthony McMullen听was also awarded a Golden Gavel Award by the听Arkansas Bar Association in recognition of his longstanding service and continued dedication to the Mock Trial Committee.
• Dr. Ashley Phillips and Dr. Karen Oxner have a paper entitled听“Climate-Related Disclosures: Final SEC Rules” forthcoming in the Spring issue听of Oil, Gas, and Energy Quarterly.
• Three Master of Accountancy students – Sidney Mack, Carson Griffin, and Bradley Bulice – presented听research papers in March at the American Accounting Researchers and Educators annual Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sidney Mack presented two papers and won the Best Student Paper Award. These students were mentored by听Dr. Karen Oxner,听Dr. Ashley Phillips, and Luke Ferguson, J.D.

COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS & ANALYTICS (CISA) DEPARTMENT

• Jason Brown (student), Dr. K. Michael Casey, and Dr. Mark McMurtrey worked together on “” for publication in the Journal of Accounting and Finance.
• Abby Bounds, Senior Information Systems major and Girls Who Code President, along with Susan Shaw, College of Business CISA faculty and club co-sponsor, were invited to attend the WECode (Women Engineers Code) Conference at Harvard University.
• CISA celebrated with its graduates this semester. Here are pictured the most recent graduates receiving their Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics degrees (pictured:听Dr. Ellis, Dr. Nichols, students Jack Griffin (fully online), Kathryn Webb, Parvinder Singh, Brittany Miller, and听Dr. McKinzie).
• Dr. Joe Thomas was nominated as a Most Valuable Professor (MVP) for his work with student athletes.

ECONOMICS, FINANCE, AND INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT (EFIRM) DEPARTMENT

• The EFIRM Department added to the curriculum with a new minor,听The Economics and Insurance of Healthcare Administration, and a Transportation Economics class, two Student Managed Investment Fund classes, and a Financial Modeling class.
• Department Chair, Dr. Joe McGarrity, .
• Pat and Marshall Moon from Meridian Investment Advisors visited the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) course taught by Dr. Mike Casey.听Pat runs a wealth management company that manages $800 million in assets.

• Economics major Perla Zapata and Dr. Tom Snyder presented their research paper about Economic Development Incentives at the Arkansas College Teachers of Economics and Business (ACTEB) Conference.听Economics Student Veronica Bertolusso and Dr. Mavuto Kalulu also presented their paper about Campaign Financing and Economic Freedom at the ACTEB Conference.
• 每日大赛网站’s Center for Insurance Director, Ivan Hudson, accompanied three 每日大赛网站 insurance majors to the Gamma Iota Sigma 2025 Regional Conference Series in Ft. Worth, Texas.
• Alumni Update: Sam Brown (BA Economics, 2025) will attend law school in the fall, and John Crocker (BA Economics, 2013) is now听overseeing 1,200 employees at the biggest pizza manufacturing plant in the world.
• Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl and听 like THV11, ,听, New York Times, and the .
• For all of his extensive work, the Dr. Horpedahl an Adjunct Scholar.
• Dr. Stephen Haibo Yao shared his expertise with WalletHub about and , while his educated opinions about Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) issues. Professor Ivan Hudson also shared his expertise with WalletHub about .
• Dr. Mike Casey also invited Drew Gainor to speak to his SMIF students. Drew was one of Arkansas Business鈥檚 top 40 under 40 and is a very successful wealth manager.
• The , Lloyd鈥檚 Head of US Claims, to share his extensive experience with our students, faculty and staff, and community insurance professionals. This event was made possible by a grant.
• Mr. Clint O’Neal,听Executive Director of the Arkansas听Economic Development Commission, spoke to Dr. Tom Snyder鈥檚 Economics Senior Seminar class. Dr. Snyder also invited听two economists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to speak about careers and different types of data that students can use.
• Dr. Ling He retired after 26 years of service at 每日大赛网站.
• Arkansas Center for Research in Economics Undergraduate Research Fellows–Veronica Bertolusso, David Tooley, and Perla Zapata–presented their faculty-mentored papers at the 2025 Society of Business, Industry and Economics (SOBIE) Conference in San Destin, Florida.听Perla Zapata earned a student research award (for the second year in a row) and also won the Wesco Student Research award at the conference.
• Four students, Nathan Cannon, Anna Turgaeva, Jordan Scoggins, and Hunter Brown, wrote op-eds in Dr. Joe McGarrity‘s Modern Political Economy course that were published in newspapers around the state.
• After receiving encouragement from Dr. Rania Al-Bawwab, student Tyler Lister submitted an essay that earned first prize and from the Money Metals Exchange and Sound Money Defense League.
• Dr. Collin Hodges and Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl led discussions for a 10-week reading group that explored economic freedom, while Dr. Jacob Held, 每日大赛网站 Professor of Philosophy, led the Watchmen reading group from January to April. The reading groups were sponsored by the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics.
• Dr. Collin Hodges‘听paper “Prescription opioid spillovers: Retail pharmacy level analysis” was accepted at the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.

MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

• Dr. Tracy Suter, Associate Professor of Marketing, was selected among the first group of , a new statewide program designed to train economic developers and community leaders on entrepreneurship and small business development and to provide direct technical support for small businesses throughout Arkansas.
• Dr. Ron Duggins,听Associate Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, led two student teams to the semifinals of the : Ally Loter and Zoe McMillion & Clover Quill and Jacob Sanders.
• Seven COB students competed in business-related events at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate State Conference and earned top awards in their events: Kaddie Bailey, Laney Bounds, Abby Bounds, Grayson Gardner, Mason Smith, Johnny Vasquez, and Melany Valesquez. Five of these students competed at the national conference in May.听Dr. Marsha Carson sponsors the FBLA chapter at 每日大赛网站.
• COB’s experiential education opportunities continued to win students great jobs. After visit to the Bears Advancing Supply Chain Management (BASCOM) club, supply chain student Julia Cockrell earned one of three positions in their听Intermodal Manager Trainee program.
• with Dr. Benjamin Garner‘s Content Marketing students to create 13 published blogs. Dr. Garner’s students also .
• Dr. Steven Schlachter had an article accepted at听The International Journal of Organizational Diversity titled “Out of the Shadows: LGBT Employee Resource Group Leaders Embracing Their Identity.”
• Dr. JiHoon Jhang听presented a paper titled 鈥淭he Unintended Consequences of Stakeholder Resource Integration on Collective Consumer Engagement鈥� at the听2025 AMA (American Marketing Association) Winter Academic Conference听in Phoenix, AZ.
• Dr. JiHoon Jhang had a manuscript entitled, 鈥淢ore variety-seeking in sorted versus non-sorted option displays in hospitality: The moderating effect of optimal stimulation level鈥� accepted for publication in the听International Journal of Hospitality Management.
• Dr. JiHoon Jhang had a manuscript entitled, 鈥淎I-Generated News Content: The Impact of AI Writer Identity and Perceived AI Human-Likeness鈥� accepted for publication in the听International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.
• Dr. JiHoon Jhang was nominated as听Most Valuable Professor (MVP)听by 每日大赛网站 Baseball and was honored at Bear Stadium.
• Dr. JiHoon Jhang had听two manuscripts, 鈥淲hen Humans Face Limits: How Perceptions of God Affect Purchase Decision Avoidance鈥� and 鈥淭he Unintended Consequences of Stakeholder Resource Integration on Collective Consumer Engagement,鈥� accepted for presentation and will present both papers at the听2025 AMA (American Marketing Association) Summer Academic Conference听in Chicago, IL, this August.
• Dr. JiHoon Jhang‘s international research team, for which he serves as co-PI, has been selected as the recipient of听the 2025听International Collaborative Research Promotion Grant听by Ritsumeikan University,听Kyoto, Japan.
• Students听Robert Walker, Oluwandamilola 鈥淒ami鈥� Osundolire, and Madison Wills conducted a survey under the mentorship of Dr. Alex Chen to understand students’ attitudes and behavior toward Artificial Intelligence (AI). They completed a preliminary report including a college comparison, class comparison, types of AI usage, AI software comparison, and purposes of AI usage.

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

• Master’s graduates Philipp Haessner and Julian Haessner joined Dr. Mark McMurtrey to publish “Trends & Challenges in the Food Supply Chain” in the Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability.

The wonderful accomplishments of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff are too many to count. If we missed yours, please let us know!

Celebrating its 11th year, WECode welcomed 850+ students, making it the largest student-run tech conference in the world! With a mission to uplift, inspire, and educate young women in tech, the conference creates a powerful space where future leaders work to bridge the gender gap and drive meaningful change in the industry.