Welcome to the first edition of the College of Business Alumni Newsletter — I hope you enjoy reading about all the activities and accomplishments of the College. It certainly has been an exciting year for us. Our students are truly exceptional. This year we had a graduate team place 3rd nationally in the Microsoft Image Cup and also had a 3rd place win in the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Business Plan Competition. Three students were sponsored by Delta Trust & Bank to attend the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Stockholders Meeting for the third year in a row. Several students received honors in the UALR Graduate Research Forum. Selling Power Magazine recognized our Sales Center in its annual University Supplement and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has just recognized our BBA in Management with an emphasis in Human Resource Management as a program of study that meets their high standards of HRM curriculum.

This year we held two Business Forums; one the banking crisis and one on the ethics of the bailout. Our faculty have been in the news locally and nationally discussing the economy and their research. Dr. Jimie Kusel was named the Harper W. Boyd Professor of Excellence. We are fortunate to have such a distinguished faculty.

A women’s giving circle, AME (Advancing Management Education), was established to support the College. This group consisting primarily of alumni, granted $6,500 in grants in scholarships and student program support. In addition, we name Elizabeth Small as the 2008 Alum of the Year and Drew Higginbothom as the 2008 Young Alum. Both were honored at a luncheon at the Peabody Hotel in October. It has been a wonderful year.

In closing I would like to tell you how much I have enjoyed being the Interim Dean of the College. As associate dean, I look forward to working with our new Dean, Dr. Tony Chelte, our faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners for another great year.

 Jane P. Wayland

Dr. Anthony F. Chelte, current dean of the Dillard College of Business Administration at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, will become dean of UALR’s College of Business July 1. Read more

A team of UALR graduate business students won second runner-up in the national Microsoft Corp. Imagine Cup competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. UALR’s finish was a stunning accomplishment, considering it was the first year the University competed in the worldwide contest. Read more

Two teams of UALR graduate students took two of the three top awards in the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup business plan competition. Read more

For their final projects in the Sustainable Business course, groups of students conducted research into sustainable business practices, forming a blueprint for organizations that want to improve the world starting in their own backyards. Read more

The College of Business recognized BKD LLP and its staff who are UALR alumni at a luncheon May 8 for the firm’s significant philanthropic support over the last 20 years to the accounting program. Read more

Dr. Sung-Kwan Kim was the College of Business nominee for the Faculty Excellence Award in research.

Dr. Janet Bailey was the COB nominee for the Faculty Excellence Award in teaching.

Dr. Lawrence Powell was the COB nominee for the  Faculty Excellence Award in service.

The College of Business awarded scholarships and recognized the achievements of its students and faculty at the annual awards banquet April 24.

Two new alumni scholarships were presented. The Elizabeth Small Alumni Scholarship was awarded to Holly Beason, a finance major from North Little Rock, and the Drew Higginbothom Alumni Scholarship went to Thomas Thompson, an accounting and finance major from Cabot.  Read More

Fourteen College of Business students were inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma at the 32nd Annual Honors & Awards Ceremony April 24.  Read More