VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY LANGDALE COLLEGE of BUSINESS Special Edition 2012

CELEBRATING THE PAST andEXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE Into the Future: the New Health Sciences and Business Administration Building

fter many years of work and much effort in full view enclosed in blue tinted glass with the A on the part of many people, VSU’s Health SEFCU logo etched in the front corner. There will be Sciences and Business Administration (HSBA) build- additional faculty offices, conference rooms, three ing will become a reality. It will serve as an advanced large computer classrooms, student gathering and academic facility to educate Georgia’s future health meeting rooms and a graduate classroom designed care professionals. The 140,000-square-foot four- to allow for group/team work. The first floor of the story structure will house six health science programs: HSBA building will include a 260-seat auditorium nursing (including a dental hygiene program with and nine classrooms that will be shared by all the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College), communica- programs. tion sciences and disorders, athletic training, exercise Given that health sciences and nursing will be housed physiology, social work and healthcare administra- in the new building, the opportunity for collabora- tion. The HSBA building will be located directly tion will be significant. The Langdale College of across from South Georgia Medical Center’s newly Business is developing a BBA degree in healthcare constructed parking deck on the Rea and Lillian administration and an online MBA in healthcare Steele North Campus at the corner of Patterson administration. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Street and Pendleton Drive. (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook (2012) esti- The Langdale College of Business will occupy mates that employment of healthcare managers will the third floor of the $32 million facility while grow by 22 percent from 2010 to 2020. The Long- maintaining occupancy in Pound and Thaxton Halls. term Occupational Projections for the South Georgia The new building will accommodate the physical Workforce Investment Area (WIA018) for 2008-2018 space needs of the Langdale College for years projects an even greater growth (45 percent) in to come. The Southeastern Federal Credit Union employment of healthcare managers. The new pro- (SEFCU) Financial Trading Center (FTC) will move grams in healthcare administration will aid economic from its current location in Thaxton Hall to take a development as well as contribute to a higher quality more prominent position in the HSBA building. As of life for the South Georgians. one exits the elevator or staircase, the FTC will be

PAGE 1 VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY LANGDALE COLLEGE of BUSINESS Celebrating Student Successes Beta Gamma Sigma Inducts 45

nduction into the Beta Gamma Sigma National is the highest academic I honor that a business student can achieve. Forty-five students and faculty were inducted at the Langdale College of Business’ Honors Night Dinner on April 27th. To be inducted, undergraduate students must be in the top ten percent of their class and masters students must be in the top 20 percent of their class. The following students and faculty were inducted: Mary Agramonte Joshua Edwards Susan Kouril Cheryl Parlor Elvan Aktas Christopher Gaither David Kuhlmeier Bethany Smith Daffane Alred Aillyn Gildon James Landrum Jordan Stone Mathew Bailey Christine Grass Brian Leverett Allison Walega Ashley Blankenship Chelsea Griggs Alexandra Lichten Jennifer Walker Kathryn Butler Holden Hendricks Carrie Miller Nikki White Meagan Camp Laura Hewett Nathan Moates Amanda Whitford Anthony Combs JerKendra Holloway Natalia Morozova Robert Williams Attila Cseh Cameron Jahnke Allen Muncy Lindsey Wisenbaker Kristel De Groot Haley Janousek James Muncy Clinton Yager BreAnna Dean Jessica Johnston John Murray Barbara Durr Kella Kicklighter Brian Parker

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Celebrating Student Successes Beta Alpha Psi “Honors our Neighbor” This past February Beta Alpha Psi Mu Mu Zeta continues to earn awards at Zeta Chapter attended the Southeast the national level. They were recog- Regional Meeting in Raleigh, North nized as a distinguished chapter in Carolina. Although one of the smallest 2009 and as a superior chapter for chapters in the region, it competed each of the past three years. Superior in all three Best Practices categories status means going above and beyond and earned a 2nd and 3rd placing. the minimum chapter requirements The chapter also presented on the Through our professional meetings, creative and innovative ways to recruit such as our open house hosted by Hen- new members in a chapter operations derson and Godbee, LLP, and through session. community service events such as the blood drive to benefit the America Red During the past academic year, the Cross. Langdale College is proud of chapter hosted the Honor Our Neigh- their accomplishments and are working bor 5K/ 1 mile run/walk event. The hard to continue their success. purpose of the event which was held in January 2012 was to assist a local fam- Beta Alpha Psi is the honor’s organi- ily facing financial hardship especially zation which is open to accounting due to the illness. The event attracted and finance majors with at least a 3.0 approximately 100 runners and raised cumulative GPA. For more information $5,000. Our honoree was the Dallas on the Mu Zeta chapter please contact family, whose six year daughter is bat- Shawn Boltin, the 2012-13 Chapter tling leukemia. Mu Zeta was honored President ([email protected]) Beta Gamma Sigma to assist this family and plan on hosting or Dr. Ray Elson, Faculty Advisor is celebrating similar events in the future. ([email protected]). its Centennial Anniversary during 2012-2013 with a number of special programs. The Langdale College of Business Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter will also be sponsoring several activities throughout the year. Alumni inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma at VSU should be on the lookout for these activities. Langdale College of Business Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter is led by Dean Wayne Plumly who serves as Chapter President and Dr. Karin Roland who serves as the Chapter’s Faculty Advisor. For the first time in 2012- 2013, student vice-presidents will assist the faculty advisor with a number of projects throughout the year.

PAGE 3 VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY LANGDALE COLLEGE of BUSINESS Celebrating Student Successes

Valdosta State University’s 2012 SIFE team placed fourth among 494 SIFE teams nationwide at the SIFE National Exposition last month. Pictured are (Kneeling) Justin McGruder, (Front row L-R) Kai Powell, Ariel Powell, Anesa Barton, Joy Caldwell, Rederic Young, Jessica Moss, Valious Smith, (Back row L-R) Hilary Gibbs-faculty advisor, Travian Scott, Marcus Shine, Michael Oppel, Sean Branch and Diane Guess-faculty advisor. Not pictured but also attended: SIFE students Kelsey Hill and Courtney Sumpter, SIFE faculty advisor–Jeff Shipley VSU SIFE places 4th in the Nation aldosta State University’s 2012 Students in Free efited the community in ways that we may not know VEnterprise (SIFE) team placed fourth among 494 for years to come,” said Plumly. “SIFE advisors Hilary SIFE teams nationwide at the SIFE National Exposi- Gibbs, Diane Guess and Jeff Shipley have worked tion last month. tirelessly to give our SIFE students every opportunity to help others and themselves. ” The VSU SIFE team was recognized in the top four teams alongside students from Brigham Young Valdosta’s SIFE program is one of nearly 500 pro- University-Hawaii, Flagler College and the national grams in the . Participating students use champion,Belmont University. The exposition was business concepts to develop community service held from May 22 to May 24 in Kansas City, Mo. and projects that improve the standard of living for included two days of intense competition at the Kan- people in need. The culmination of the SIFE program sas City Convention Center. Outreach projects were is an annual series of competitions that provide a presented and judged by top business executives. forum for teams to present the results of their proj- ects and to be evaluated by business leaders who Dr. Wayne Plumly, dean of the Langdale College of serve as judges. Teams compete first at the regional Business Administration, said that the students spent and national levels, then at the international level months preparing for the event. when the national champion teams from each “All the volunteer hours that they managed despite country meet at the SIFE World Cup. full academic loads and working part-time have ben-

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Traveling with the team to the National exposition were SIFE Business Advisory board members and guests. During their stay they bumped into one of the members of the band “Foreigner.”

Can you guess which one is the member of the band?

IMA celebrates a new chapter First Annual he IMA Student Chapter is an meetings, electing and training of- Campus-wide T organization that is a recent ficers, launching a website, publish- addition to the Langdale College of ing newsletters, and participating Undergraduate Business Administration. IMA stands in community service projects. The Research for Institute of Management Ac- chapter toured the Lee Container Symposium countants. The goal of the student plant in Homerville and the SAFT Langdale College of Business chapter is to explore all the oppor- Battery plant in Valdosta. This past students presented their research tunities that management account- November, 15 members of the IMA papers at the First Annual Campus- ing has to offer. Another goal of Student Chapter attended the IMA wide Undergraduate Research the chapter is to create a bridge Student Leadership Conference Symposium. Felina Duncan, an between students and professionals in Cincinnati, Ohio. The confer- International Business and Eco- through different networking op- ence featured all types of manage- nomics major, presented her paper portunities. In its first year of exis- rial accounting speakers, including entitled “Springboarding MENA: tence, the Valdosta State University accountants from Ford, Chiquita Economic Success in the Middle IMA Student Chapter was awarded Banana, and Proctor & Gamble. Next East and North Africa”. Rebecca the Silver Certificate of Excellence year, the chapter aims to fulfill the Falks, a Finance and Economics by the Institute of Management requirements for the award by major, presented her paper on Accountants in recognition of its creating a team to compete in the “Exchange Rate Volatility and key accomplishments throughout Student Case Competition. The IMA Trade Flows: the EU and ”. the year. Some of these accomplish- Student Chapter is open to all busi- Brian Leverett, a Finance major ments include creating a strategic ness majors. For more information, and May 2012 graduate, presented th plan, hosting regular meetings, visit the Valdosta State IMA Student his research on “Effects of 2008 VSU SIFE places 4 in the Nation orienting new members, conduct- Chapter website at www.valdosta. Financial Meltdown on Borrow- ing plant tours, holding educational edu/ima. ers of Micro-financing Outlets.” Felina and Rebecca completed their research under the guidance of Dr. Zulal Denaux and Brian completed his paper with the guidance of Dr. Elvan Aktas. All of the presenta- tions were well received, demon- strating the students’ hard work as well as the high quality of educa- tion and academic support pro- vided by the faculty of the college. The experiences students gained by researching and presenting at the symposium are both an accomplish- ment and an inspiration to higher achievement in their future careers and as representatives of LCOBA and VSU.

PAGE 5 VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY LANGDALE COLLEGE of BUSINESS Celebrating Student Successes Student investment group producing future business leaders of tomorrow During his time as president, Visker now anticipates returning the investment group made to Cummins Corporation in Indiana purchases and presented its to complete his second finance portfolio at the Quinnipiac analyst internship with the com- University School of Business’ pany. He will then pursue finance second annual Global Asset and accounting jobs in and around Frank Visker Management Education Forum in Valdosta and in his home state of Outstanding Senior Frank Visker New York City. “The opportunity to California. He also expressed plans helped lead the finance program manage a portfolio with real-world of eventually earning his Master of into a new era as the first president dollars has been a tremendous Business Administration. of the Valdosta State Investment advantage for me before step- Group. ping into a career in finance,” said As president, Visker served as fund Visker. manager of VSU’s student-managed Visker, who graduated on May 5 portfolio, which was introduced with a Bachelor of Business Ad- during the opening of the univer- ministration in Accounting and sity’s Southeastern Federal Credit Finance, also served as chair of the Union Financial Trading Room. LCOBA Student Advisory Council.

college degree and focus on Academically, Leverett ranked the next phase of his career. among the top 10 percent in his class, and as a result, he was hon- Leverett found Valdosta to be ored as a member of Beta Gamma a good place for him to flour- Sigma, a national honor society for ish academically and profes- business students, and graduated sionally. In 2009, at age 25, he Summa Cum Laude. began his own home rental Brian Leverett business, Leverett Enterprises, Leverett has expressed plans to Brian Leverett is a self-driven while pursuing a finance degree at remain in Valdosta for at least an- businessman who takes advantage Valdosta State University. other year, investing in more rental of every opportunity to advance properties for his business. He also Leverett was also part of VSU’s first personally and professionally. currently serves as treasurer for student investment group, serv- Georgia Bible Camp, where he de- In 2002, the Colorado native ing as sector manager. In March veloped an inventory and account- graduated from high school early he traveled with the group to ing system. Leverett will eventually and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. New York City, where members pursue a job as an analyst. Leverett served four years in the presented at Quinnipiac University Marines, which included a tour of School of Business’ second annual duty in Iraq. After marrying his Global Asset Management Educa- wife, Kate, he decided to pursue a tion Forum.

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Congratulations Finance students on the portfolio management team traveled to The Game Forum in New Dr. Louis Levy! York with their faculty advisors Drs. Buchanan and Aktas to participate in the forum and observe the other teams’ portfolios in preparation for next year’s portfolio competition. Left to right—Brian Lever- ett, faculty advisor—Dr. Bill Buchanan, and Frank Visker in New York City at Quinnipiac University School of Business’ second annual Global Asset Management Education Forum.

VSU SIFE presented Dr. Louis Quality Matters: Levy (Interim President of VSU) with the first ever Champion of Excellence Eagle award. This award was Accreditation Maintained presented to Dr. Levy for his for soaring enthusiasm, he Langdale College of Business The faculty must have intellectual quali- fortitude in times of recently announced that it has fications and current expertise in their difficulty, and vision with T maintained its business accredi- academic disciplines. The school must wings during his 23 years at tation by the Association to Advance have systematic processes to assess the Valdosta State University. Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB impact of the curricula on learning. And Dr. Levy has been a huge International). Founded in 1916, AACSB the school must have sufficient financial supporter of VSU SIFE’s International is the longest serving global resources to achieve its mission. These mission from the beginning. accrediting body for business schools and other standards help provide a high that offer bachelors, masters, and doctor- quality learning experience. Dr. Levy has been interim ate degrees in business and accounting. president since last July “Maintenance of AACSB accreditation Only 649 schools of business, or less than when he came out of has been a concerted effort of faculty, 5% worldwide, have earned this distin- retirement to temporarily staff, students and advisory boards,” said guished hallmark of excellence in man- fill the presidential spot. Dean Plumly. “Maintenance is a continu- agement education. To maintain accredi- Dr. Levy stepped back into ing process and not an event. We strive tation a business program must undergo retirement with the welcome for excellence in our business programs a rigorous internal review every five of VSU’s new President, Dr. and this effort has been recognized by years, during which the program must Bill Mckinney on July 1, 2012. our accrediting body. Our students and demonstrate its continued commitment community are the beneficiaries of our The Langdale College family to 21 quality standards. commitment to excellence.” would like to thank Dr. The AACSB International standards Louis Levy for an amazing The Langdale College was recognized for are demanding and challenge business year as interim President its achievement on April 28, 2012 at the schools to pursue continuous improve- and congratulate him on his AACSB International Annual Conference ment. The standards state that a school recent retirement (again)! in San Diego. must maintain a faculty sufficient for the instructional programs offered.

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