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SU Global Partners With Shenzhen Nanhai Education Group

SU Global is launching a new Global Doctor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership degree, thanks to a partnership established with Shenzhen Nanhai Education Group (Nanhai).

In December 2023, Yvonne Chen, Ph.D., who founded the SU Global MBA, met with Nanhai’s CEO, Dr. Ming Fang, and signed collaboration agreements. Along with Mr. Guangsheng Yu, Nanhai’s SU director, Chen toured the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen, as well as its Nanjing and Wuxi branches. This partnership marks a new journey for SU to expand educational opportunities for global professionals.

Nanhai, established in 2001, assists more than 200 international colleges and universities with recruiting and operating their degree and training programs. It is committed to providing accessible and affordable education opportunities and establishing a community with successful business leaders – a mission that aligns with SU Global. The company owns a comprehensive online learning system with sophisticated technology infrastructure and currently has more than 70,000 learners enrolled on its platform.

The SU Global and Nanhai collaboration will provide students and alumni with quality, innovative, and engaging learning experiences, as well as impactful extracurricular enrichments and networking opportunities. The new Global Doctor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership, which issues the same degree as SU’s domestic doctoral program, is designed to meet the needs of professionals by offering a student-oriented, application-focused, and inquiry-driven upskilling program that prepares leaders to master organizational complexity and change management.

A dozen members of Shenandoah University’s esports program explored the sport’s global reach during an October Global Experiential Learning trip to Ireland. Shenandoah is home to one of the first academic esports programs in the U.S., with undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in esports management as well as varsity-level esports competition teams.  

The students and faculty traveled from Virginia to work Dublin GamerFest, visit Riot Games’ Remote Broadcast Center in Dublin, and learn more about esports on both international and regional levels.

Coordinator of Esports and Esports Competition Alyssa Duran said the trip began at Belfast Metropolitan College, where students from Shenandoah and Belfast Met connected over their interest in esports and hopes to work in the industry post-graduation. “During this visit, the Shenandoah students were able to learn about the professional esports scene in Ireland with an interesting conversation with WYLDE Co-founder and CEO Steve Daly.” 

Shenandoah University (Virginia) esports students in Ireland for a Global Experiential Learning trip in October 2023.

The next day, in Dublin, the group visited Riot Games’ Remote Broadcast Center, where it received a behind-the-scenes tour of the space and insight into the live production of League of Legends Worlds (as well as a chance to participate in a watch party). “After the tour, students were able to meet one-on-one with these professionals to ask questions and learn about their work,” she said. 

The students also volunteered for two days at GamerFest Dublin, which is Ireland’s biggest gaming and esports festival, working in a variety of game centers and getting hands-on experience regarding hosting a major esports event, Duran said. “This was a wonderful experience for our students to expand their knowledge of esports in Ireland and connect with others in the space,” she added. “Thank you to Kate Ely and Adam Field from IRL Esports Tours for helping put this amazing trip together!”

Shenandoah University’s Honors Program has expanded to encompass not only undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences, but also undergraduates in the School of Business and those studying in the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. 

Shenandoah’s Honors Program is distinguished by its unique courses that emphasize collaboration, service and communication. The multidisciplinary program enhances the growth of students through providing them with a variety of experiences that are academically rigorous and engaging. 

“I am excited that we are now able to extend the benefits of the Honors Program to those students within the School of Business and School of Nursing who are curious and excited about the learning process and how to use it to reach their goals,” said Biology Professor Laurel Rodgers, Ph.D., who co-directs the Honors Program with Assistant Professor of English Jon Udelson, Ph.D., who joined the program’s leadership to accommodate the growth of the program, which currently has 76 students. 

The Honors Program features a diverse slate of courses, and Dr. Rodgers is working with faculty from the schools of business and nursing to incorporate more courses from both schools in the program. 

To learn more about the Shenandoah University Honors Program, visit su.edu/honors.

Nicholas Kaiser, co-founder, director, chairman, chief investment officer and equity portfolio manager of Saturna Capital Corporation, will speak at Shenandoah University’s Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business at 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19, in Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium on the campus of Shenandoah University.

Kaiser will present “Faith-based and sustainable investing: 30 years of Amana Income Fund.” A question and answer session will follow. The event is free and open to the public, and is part of the ongoing Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the school of business.

“Nick Kaiser has been the equity portfolio manager for the Amana Mutual Funds Trust since 1986. Since that time, the Amana Income Fund has averaged returns more than 8 percent.” said Dean of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Miles Davis, Ph.D. “Such returns are noteworthy within themselves, but when coupled with the fact that the Amana Income Funds Trust operates within the strict confines of Islamic law, the returns are remarkable. It shows that principles and financial performance can go hand and hand.”

For more than 40 years, Kaiser and his firms have provided investment management, administration, accounting, servicing, marketing, and other services to mutual funds and private accounts. Kaiser purchased control of Unified Management Corporation in 1974, and built it into a mid-sized investment management and brokerage firm. After selling Unified to a major insurance company, he founded Saturna Capital in 1989. From 1989 through 2009, Kaiser was Saturna Capital’s president. Since 2009, he has been Saturna’s chairman.

Kaiser is the president and a trustee of Saturna Capital’s affiliated U.S. public investment trusts: Amana Mutual Funds Trust and Saturna Investment Trust. He is a director of the parent operating company, Saturna Capital, and its subsidiaries Saturna Trust Company, Saturna Environmental Corporation, and Saturna Sdn Bhd.

A Chartered Financial Analyst, Kaiser is Saturna’s chief investment officer. He is also a registered representative of Saturna Brokerage Services, another subsidiary of Saturna Capital and Saturna’s affiliated mutual funds distributor. Saturna does not compensate its employees in any manner for brokerage account activity.

Kaiser also has indirect interests in several real estate properties and is the trustee of Shuksan Properties Trust, which owns Bellingham, Washington commercial real estate for his children.

His industry activities include service with the Investment Company Institute (past governor), CFA Institute (past chapter president), Financial Planning Association (past chapter president), and No-Load Mutual Fund Association (past national president).

Kaiser earned a degree in economics from Yale College in 1967 and obtained a master of business administration degree from the University of Chicago in 1968, with dual majors in international economics and finance.

He currently serves on the volunteer boards of St. Paul’s Academy, Mt. Baker Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Mt. Baker Foundation, and Shawnigan Lake School. He supports a range of non-profit activities, such as the Kaiser Professorship in International Business at Western Washington University. A commercial pilot (retired), ocean sailor, and avid skier, he reads and travels extensively.

For more information about this event, contact Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Administrative Assistant Donna Fazio at 540/665-4572 or dfazio@su.edu.

Shenandoah University’s campus was abuzz with activity the week of July 24, through July 30, as more than 50 high-ability, high-potential middle school girls selected from across the Commonwealth attended the Virginia Science Technology Engineering and Applied Mathematics (STEAM) Academy’s signature summer program, Summer STEAM and first girls-only session.

Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., played a key role in bringing Summer STEAM to the university’s campus. Dr. Davis welcomed the more than 100 students and parents at the opening ceremony and during the week, led an evening seminar with the young scholars on micro financing and entrepreneurship.

Group photo of the Women in STEAM panelAssistant Professor of Information Systems and Technology Michael Magro, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Management Seth Chatfield, Ph.D., team taught “Health Care and Computer Database Analysis,” while Adjunct Associate Professor of Management Alesia Slocum, D.B.A., served as a panelist on the Virginia STEAM Academy’s Women in STEAM Leadership Panel.

Dr. Slocum and fellow panelists from Virginia STEAM Academy, Hollins University, NASA Langley and Sera Brynn (a cyber risk management firm) addressed the Summer STEAM young scholars and 50 girls from the broader community, who joined in an afternoon community day of design-build activity and discussion.

Photo of STEAM Community Day activityVirginia STEAM Academy, a 501c3 charitable organization, has expanded its summer program from serving 56 rising 6th through 8th grade students at Old Dominion University in 2013 to serving 186 students at three university sites in 2016: Shenandoah University, Old Dominion University and Washington & Lee University (in collaboration with Virginia Military Institute).

In addition, this year’s program included three 9th-grade Summer STEAM ambassadors and citizen leaders, two 11th-grade ambassadors and student teaching assistants (a position typically reserved for practicing teachers or teachers in training), and one 11th-grade ambassador and session co-designer.

Student and family demand have driven program expansion. Since 2013, more than 1,500 students have applied to Summer STEAM. Nearly 500 have been accepted and have successfully completed the program.

Summer STEAM ambassadors from across Virginia participate in week-long, intensive, immersive, residential programming. Daily five-hour courses, evening leadership seminars, and recreation and wellness activities are all structured to inspire and expose students to STEAM content, applied learning and leadership development. In addition, each weekly Summer STEAM session offers unique elements such as clubs, community service outreach, structured hackathon, math modeling seminar, micro financing and entrepreneurship symposium, and a Women in STEAM Leadership Panel discussion.

For many students, Summer STEAM is their only opportunity to experience the rigor and relationships that evolve out of an intensive, immersive, living-learning laboratory with like-minded, like-motivated peers, exceptional faculty and staff. Grant funding from the Virginia General Assembly, businesses, foundations, and private donors allows Virginia STEAM Academy to offer Summer STEAM at no cost to parents.

Since its inception in 2013, Virginia STEAM Academy has partnered with outstanding middle, high school, and university instructors, as well as exceptional industry and business leaders to deliver Summer STEAM. This year’s courses were water conservation; health careers; water and art; rockets, ships and material science; light and lasers; math in sports; data science and statistics + python programming and robotics; health care and computer database analysis; games, puzzles, and logic; and engineering, innovation and invention.

Over the years, Virginia STEAM Academy has offered additional courses in math reasoning, encryption, math modeling, mathematical patterns in nature, physics, computer engineering, agricultural life sciences, cyber security, nanoscience, and forensic, anthropology, and bioarchaelogy.

In 2016, the Virginia Mathematics and Science Consortium recognized Virginia STEAM with a “Programs that Work” award.

College graduation is the culmination of years and years of effort. And yet, it also thrusts you into something new: the world of job seekers. Searching for and landing your first job out of college can be an eye-opening and daunting experience. However, two graduates of Shenandoah University’s Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business have your back.

David Abraham ’08, ’09, MBA and Ashley Cross ’14, ‘16, MBA, joined forces at the Byrd School’s Eighth Annual Business Symposium offering a presentation born of hard-won wisdom: “10 Things I Learned About Getting a Job After Graduation.”

Both Abraham and Cross work in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Abraham is a deputy project manager for DRT Strategies, supporting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Cross is a staffing manager for Robert Half’s OfficeTeam division.

Soon-to-be graduates filled Halpin-Harrison Hall’s Stimpson Auditorium to learn from the pair’s advice. And now, so can you.

David Abraham’s and Ashley Cross’ “10 Things I Learned About Getting a Job After Graduation”

 

1. Facebook Is forever

Actually, it’s not just Facebook. All social media posts are accessible to potential employers and can come back to bite you, Cross said. Google yourself and “Shenandoah University” and see what you find, because employers will Google you, too, and you’ll lose out if your history isn’t clean, she added.

However, you can also use social media to brand yourself. LinkedIn, in particular, is a huge resource for job-seekers. Go into as much detail and as in-depth as possible on your LinkedIn page, and tell your story, Abraham said.  

2. Some things are now of the past….

The pair said those “things of the past” include winter and spring breaks; sleeping in and arriving late, or skipping work because you indulged in “Thirsty Thursday”; and turning in work late.

Instead, you do certain things in moderation, knowing that you have a responsibility to meet client deadlines and needs.

David Abraham at Shenandoah University Byrd School of Business Symposium3. Work/life balance is essential

You WILL need to make some sacrifices for your work as you start out, and you must always expect the unexpected. Client needs or deliverables may pop up, prompting you to cancel plans, but your dedication will benefit you in the long run, Abraham said.

Take what you’ve already learned about yourself as a student – that you’re an early riser, work better at night, or need to write down what you’re doing – and incorporate that knowledge into your work life, Cross said.

Abraham, who, like Cross, was an athlete at Shenandoah, recommended also utilizing the time management skills learned as a university athlete and to be willing to pull time away from some interests to get better at your job. Or, Cross said, you may have to schedule your life a little differently. If you feel a workout is very important, you may have to do it at 5 a.m. to make it fit into your work schedule.

“I like to earn my weekend,” Cross said. She manages her time by being fully devoted to work during the week. However, from the end of the workday Friday through Monday morning, she doesn’t talk about work at all.

4. Be professional

This is really about maintaining your personal brand and making a great impression, according to Abraham, who counsels job-seekers to dress the part, do your homework about a company’s culture, behave well during an interview (think about what you would do if your mom were watching, Cross added), and make clear what differentiates you from all the other candidates (here’s a hint: it might just be how well you dressed, understood the company and presented yourself).

5. Build relationships before and after graduation

Cross said the relationships she fostered at Shenandoah helped her prepare for getting a job after graduation. Through her Shenandoah connections, she landed two internships, a job and a graduate assistantship. She also suggested establishing relationships early on. As a freshman or sophomore, you’re in a great position to meet both your professors and classmates.

Also, Shenandoah students should take advantage of the business cards available to every student through bulk mail. They’re great to have, she said, and when you meet people you can hand them out. “Always keep them on you, always hand them out,” she said, noting that doing so helps build your brand.

Understanding how to build rapport is a useful job skill, too, Abraham said. When he meets a new client, he scopes out the room, looking to see if they have family pictures, sports memorabilia and the like around, so that he can talk with the client about something important to them. “Make your client happy to see you. Take an interest in them, and they’ll do the same for you,” he said. 

6. Set professional goals

Set short-term and long-term goals and establish a five-year plan, Abraham said. Dive deep when you do this and be specific. In his case, his current short-term goal is to pass the Project Management Professional exam. His five-year goal is to be a senior IT project manager for the USDA.

As for Cross, her short-term goal was to graduate this year with her MBA with honors, while her long-term goal is to be a director of marketing.

It takes time to reach big goals, and it’s not a matter of luck getting there, said Abraham, quoting Byrd School of Business Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., who says he doesn’t believe in luck, but instead believes in hard work. Abraham agrees.

7. You’re starting from the bottom. You’re UNEMPLOYED.

Recognize that earning a college degree doesn’t entitle you to a job. Differentiating yourself, however, will help lead you to work.

Your collegiate experience matters for your resume, but what you’re doing to get a job is even more important, Cross said, encouraging current students to go to Career Services to work on their resumes and interview skills, and follow up with contacts made prior to graduation. Polite persistence is key to landing a job, she said. If have an interview, remember to send a “thank you” card, too.

Abraham advised students to compose a clear, concise elevator speech, as well. Not sure what an elevator speech is? It’s a quick description of yourself – one you can give in the time it takes for an elevator to move between floors.

Also, take advantage of the time you have in college, Abraham said. This is the time when you can both make mistakes and meet people. As a sophomore, he met someone with whom he STILL has a great business relationship.

8. You have to enhance your skill set

Your skills can be your brand differentiator, Abraham said. Find out what skills the company/industry you want to work for needs, and fill those niches. “You want to be as well-rounded as possible.”

Take chances to travel, too. For Shenandoah University students, Cross said every one of them should apply for the Global Citizenship Project. She was selected to take the trip (a committee chooses participants on the basis of an essay to go on Spring Break trips designed as an introduction to international travel). Cross went to Nepal as part of GCP in 2014, and said the experience gives participants a global perspective. 

9. Finding employment is NOT easy

Looking for a full-time job is a full-time job in and of itself, said Cross, who suggested attending career fairs while still in college.

Ask yourself if you’re truly exhausting every option when you’re trying to land the job you want. And, when you have an interview, REALLY prepare for it. The person interviewing you should be doing most of the talking, not the other way around, Abraham said. Have questions ready for your interviewer. Learn about the company. Be diligent. By doing this, you’ll separate yourself from the pack. He feels that an interviewer should be speaking 60 percent of the time, while you’re talking 40 percent of the time.

Also, as you’re looking for jobs and doing your diligence, you should be considering which companies feel like they’re right for you. Try not to make the mistake of accepting a job that’s a bad fit, Abraham said.

10. Sometimes a job is a job, not a true calling

It’s OK if the first job you get isn’t your dream job, Cross said. Don’t wait around for a year after graduation waiting for that dream job to appear and then have little to show for the year. “Do something, get some experience.”

You can still learn skills from a bad job, Abraham said. And, said Cross, it can show you what you do and do not want when it comes to workplace culture.

Also, if you take a less-than-perfect first job, don’t burn bridges when you eventually resign, Abraham said.. “Always leave on good terms. Always do your best. Always leave a good impression.” Remember, whenever you take a job, you represent not only yourself, but your business school, he said.

It’s not every day that elite branding experts hit the stage at your university to impart their tremendously valuable wisdom. However, that’s what happened April 1 at the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business’ sold-out Eighth Annual Business Symposium at Halpin-Harrison Hall.

During the symposium’s opening moments, in Stimpson Auditorium, Byrd School of Business Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., said the school’s “mission is to produce successful, principled leaders with a global perspective. Our keynote speakers embody that mission.”

Those speakers, Patrick Jephson and William Beaman, lead the Washington, D.C., and London-based firm, JephsonBeaman, which handles an array of personal and corporate services, including public relations, protocol and intercultural communication to risk management, crisis planning and security, as well as executive mentoring, presentation coaching and media training, digital marketing and analysis, and editorial services. Their clients range from royal households and Harrods to PBS and Ferrari.

Prior to joining forces, Jephson served as the only chief of staff the late Princess Diana ever had, effectively managing “brand Diana,” while Beaman was a former journalist. As keynote speakers, each discussed about the world of contemporary branding, dovetailing perfectly with the symposium theme, “The New Reality – Meeting The Challenge.”

What is a brand?

Jephson began by defining a brand in very clear terms. “The brand is how other people perceive you. It’s what exists in other people’s minds. It is perception.” A country can have a brand, as can a company or a person, like Princess Diana, whose brand was at its best when she came to America.

Diana understood the power of her brand, Jephson said, and recalled how, during one trip to New York, the princess, dressed in stunningly simple evening attire, utterly charmed a Secret Service agent as she touched his shirt and asked what was there, underneath. When the agent answered that it was a bulletproof vest, she replied with a joke: “Shouldn’t I be wearing that?” In that moment, her brand was clear: she was brave, funny and observant.

Reputation and forgivability

While “brand Diana” had good and bad days, it remained strong for a few key reasons, Jephson said. “She meant, and continues to mean, different things to different people.” Good brands are transferrable like that. She also had forgivability. Forgivability and reputation are closely tied.

Reputation is experience minus expectation, Jephson said. And, it’s very easy to lose. As for forgivability, you need to ask of yourself or or your organization, “When the crisis day dawns, are they going to forgive us?”

He described forgivability through another moment with Diana. It occurred on her last strip to New York City, where she received a Humanitarian of the Year award. She usually gave awards, instead of receiving them, and Jephson didn’t encourage her to take it. However, all turned out well, and when the event was over Jephson said he told Diana that she deserved the honor.

“You’re wrong Patrick,” she responded. “I haven’t earned it. I don’t deserve it. But I’m working on it.” According to Jephson, that’s forgivability. It’s a quality that requires honesty, consistency and morality (not being moralistic or preachy, but having integrity – JephsonBeaman has fired clients when necessary).

A brand needs constant maintenance, too, Jephson said, meaning that employees must embody an entity’s brand. Remember, a company is only as good as its worst employee on his or her worst day. A reputation must be built. “It has to be earned.”

Managing brand and reputation – the “hatchet job” interview

Beaman offered up three vignettes, designed to make attendees think about how quickly brand damage can occur and how to mitigate it.

He talked about an author who continued with a high-profile interview, even as it delved into the author’s past in ways that were not germane to his current work. The story, widely shared online, squelched interest in the author’s second book. The lesson to take from this? In the online era, especially, it’s essential to carefully vet any blogger, publication or broadcast channel for built-in biases, Beaman said. It’s even better to get an email from either an editor or writer about the type of interview planned.

When a problem occurs, it’s time to neutralize, bury and build, by finding material that offsets the problematic material, and instead presents information in the appropriate context. It’s best if the information comes from third parties. The ultimate hope is to push the offensive article off the first page of a Google search and allow brand reputation-building to begin anew.

Managing brand and reputation – power transfer and egotism

In this cautionary tale, Beaman said the firm had a government official client, who kept up with his Twitter feed and responded to a random poster. An exchange of Tweets began that “soon amused the tabloids in New York.” By responding, that Twitter user instantly became an influential journalist. The lesson? “Do not engage,” Beaman said. “Leave your ego at the door. You do not have to respond to everything.”

Managing brand and reputation – social media catastrophe

Then, Beaman looked at a well-documented case not connected to his firm: the firestorm that occurred when it was revealed that Whole Foods’ CEO was a blogger that had long-denigrated a competitor, Wild Oats, on a Whole Foods-sponsored blog. When word got out, it was extraordinarily embarrassing and damaging for Whole Foods, Beaman said, particularly because people assumed the blog criticism’s goal was to push down the price of Wild Oats before Whole Foods moved to purchase it. “Social media alone can shatter reputations,” Beaman said.

Responding to negative press

The urge to “set the record straight,” just pours gasoline on the metaphorical fire, according to Jephson. You can’t really deny negative press or wish it away. However, you can emphasize the positive.

On social media, don’t remove negative comments, unless they’re truly offensive, Beaman said. Otherwise, the move looks like an attempt to stifle genuine conversation. People assess a product through communication with peers and inauthenticity is a cardinal sin. Instead of removing a comment, respond positively, and “put your values out there again.”

The pair’s words resonated throughout the remainder of the symposium, which boasted 500 registrations and a variety breakout sessions focused on current business issues and best practices. Topics ranged from burnout and the lessons learned by recent Byrd School graduates about landing a job, to marketing, human relations challenges, nonprofit fundraising and trends, dressing for success, raising capital and doing more with less.

The symposium’s slate also supported words spoken at the day’s outset by Shenandoah University Vice President of Academic Affairs Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D. – that the school of business serves as lynchpin, because regardless of anyone’s career choice, that career must be financially viable, forward-thinking and entrepreneurial to succeed. Business concerns everyone and every organization, from the federal government to a sole proprietor.

The Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University will host its Eighth Annual Business Symposium on Friday, April 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Halpin-Harrison Hall on the campus of Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, for members of the local and regional business communities, as well as students of the university.

“The New Reality: Meeting The Challenge” is the theme of this year’s symposium. The theme reflects the reality that our business, technological and social environment is changing rapidly and that understanding these changes is the first step towards adapting to and ultimately succeeding in the evolving economy.

“This event has grown to become the area’s largest business symposium because we provide a tremendous amount of learning and inspiration to the business community at a very reasonable cost,” said Miles Davis, Ph.D., dean of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business.

Now in its eighth year, the Business Symposium has increased in attendance every year, garnered prominent keynote speakers, and hosted a sellout crowd in 2015.

The 2016 keynote speakers are Patrick Jephson and William Beaman of JephsonBeaman, an internationally recognized brand and reputation management company based in Washington, D.C. and London. They are experts in critical aspects of brand and reputation management, with experience advising clients ranging from individuals to corporations, not-for-profits, and political parties. Their clients include the royal households in Europe and Asia, Ferrari, Harrods, PBS and many others.  

In addition to a world-class keynote address, attendees can choose from multiple breakout and networking sessions covering a wide range of business topics to educate, inspire and provide tactical tips and tools to use right now. There are many networking opportunities and registration includes refreshments, a gourmet lunch, a wine and cheese reception and door prizes.

As a result of generous sponsorships, including First Bank (title sponsor) and The Pruitt Foundation (special benefactor), all high school and college students wishing to attend the Business Symposium may do so free of charge. All others should visit subusiness.org for more information, pricing and to register.

Timothy “Scott” Case, a technologist, entrepreneur and inventor, spoke at Shenandoah University’s Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015 in Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium on the campus of Shenandoah University.

Case presented “Startup Shutdown: When you do everything right and you still fail,” with a question and answer session following. The event was part of the ongoing Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the school of business. 

“We are honored to have someone of Scott Case’s caliber address our students, faculty and guests from the local community,” said Dean of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Miles Davis, Ph.D. 

Case was founding chief technology officer (CTO) of Priceline.com, the “Name Your Own Price” internet travel service that was one of only a handful of startup companies in U.S. history to reach one billion dollars in annual sales in less than 24 months. As CTO, he was responsible for building the technology that enabled Priceline’s hyper-growth.

Most recently, Case co-founded Main Street Genome, a startup company focused on developing a software representation of the entire Main Street economy. In 2011, he was named founding chief executive officer (CEO) of the Startup America Partnership, and now serves on the board of Up Global where he invests his energy to support high-growth startup communities in the U.S. and around the world.

Prior to joining the Startup America Partnership, Case served as CEO of Malaria No More, where he worked to inspire individuals and institutions in the private sector to end deaths caused by malaria. Previously, he helped build a portfolio of intellectual property at the Walker Digital Invention Laboratory, and is a named inventor on dozens of U.S. patents including the underlying portfolio for Priceline. Case also co-founded Precision Training Software, a software company that developed the world’s first PC-based simulated flight instructor and photo-realistic flight simulator.

Case serves as the chairman of Network for Good, a national nonprofit that has distributed more than $475 million to 60,000 nonprofits and provides online fundraising and communications services to more than 5,000 nonprofit organizations. He is also on the Advisory Board of By Kids for Kids, Tickets-for-Charity and ThreeJars. Case is currently a Wall Street Journal Startup of the Year Mentor.

Shenandoah University’s Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business’ Dean’s List students, joined by Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., and Associate Dean R.T. Good, Ph.D., pose on the stage of Stimpson Auditorium, while proud family and friends snap quick pics the annual Dean’s List celebratory event held in Halpin-Harrison Hall on Monday, January 19. Dean’s List business students were joined by family members and business school faculty and staff for a pre-event reception and certificate presentation ceremony. “We feel it’s very important to recognize the achievements of our students,” said Dr. Davis. “Their accomplishments show their determination, hard work, and perseverance,” he said. “We’re so proud of their academic performance.” Dean’s List students must receive a 3.25 GPA with no grade lower than a C-minus.

Master of Business Administration student Scott Hirni is the latest recipient of the John Scholl Family Scholarship Fund Award. The award honors the memory of the late  Dean of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Dr. John S. Scholl, III. It is given to a student who is at least halfway through the MBA program and demonstrates “high scholastic achievement.”

“I am very honored to receive the John Scholl Family Scholarship Fund award” Hirni said. “The award could have gone to anybody in the program because my fellow classmates set the bar very high.”

Hirni noted that the award is unique because it recognizes students who are receiving high marks while working full time. It’s also an honor that reflects both student effort and the Scholl family’s dedication.

“I am particularly grateful that Dr. [Kathleen] Scholl takes the time to drive from Washington D.C. late at night to present the award personally. That alone shows you how important it is to her and the Scholl family.”

Hirni remained focused on others as he expressed his feelings about receiving the honor. “I didn’t win this award because I am any better than my fellow students. Rather, it is because I am surrounded by wonderfully talented students and faculty. Their drive and dedication have helped me achieve the success I have had in the MBA program.”

 

During the Fall 2014 semester, Associate Professor of Sport Management Brian Wigley, Ph.D., led his Sport Consumer Behavior class in an exciting experiment playing fantasy football.

The course melded consumer behavior theories and concepts with the growing field of sport fan behavior to address marketing and management implications for the sport industry. The class emphasized social and psychological theories and their implications on understanding and predicting sport consumers’ behavior.

For the experiment the class created, drafted and participated in the Fantasy Football League on ESPN.com in order to see whether, and to what extent, participating in fantasy football changes the way students consume the NFL product. Participation in the class Fantasy Football League was completely voluntary. No money or other incentive was offered.  

The results revealed a remarkable change in the viewing habits of students who previously had a limited engagement with the NFL. Brittney Mason used to only occasionally watch the NFL, however now she reports that, “I actually watch football games now and I added an NFL app to my phone. I’ve never played [fantasy football] before, but even though I won’t be in this class next year, I’m going to find a league to join!”

John Wilt found that “playing fantasy football makes watching football that much more exciting. Also, I became more interested in other teams’ success other than my favorite team because of players on my fantasy football team.”

The experiment clearly showed that fantasy football participation increases fan participation. Fans with fantasy teams watch and follow more games than fans who do not participate.

The class discussed the results and explored marketing mechanisms and strategies that could be employed with increased viewership. The class also addressed how teams, leagues and media outlets could benefit from understanding fantasy football participants as consumers.

During Thanksgiving break, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. Business School student Danielle Stryker showed the true spirit of giving as she traveled to Peru with her sister to volunteer through the international charity A Broader View.

home-stayDuring their weeklong stay they lived with a local family in Cusco, Peru, and experienced traditional Peruvian culture. Work and memorable life experiences filled their days spent in the country. Each morning they volunteered at a nursery with children ages two to five while afternoons were spent at a local orphanage for girls ages 10 to 18.

At the nursery, they taught English by singing songs about “fruits, colors, and the ever favorite, ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,’” says Danielle. Meanwhile at the orphanage, they helped with supplementary classes where they taught English, helped the students with homework, and assisted with daily chores. They also enjoyed spending time playing volleyball with the girls during their free time.

me-with-kids“We had a wonderful time working with the children at both places,” says Danielle. “The young kids were friendly and excited to learn English from native speakers.”

The trip produced a number of firsts for Danielle and her sister. Danielle experienced the joy of a playground see-saw for the first time in her life. They also had the good fortune of visiting Machu Picchu, which was, in Danielle’s view, “absolutely breathtaking.” She loved learning about Peruvian culture and customs, such as heavy lunches and light dinners, Aztec and Spanish influenced architecture and design, as well as the religious rituals of Catholicism. On their last day they were able to experience the very special tradition of a Quinceanera for the girls in the orphanage.

“My sister and I had a wonderful time and we would go back to Cusco anytime,” says Danielle. “The children had so much enthusiasm, and really enjoyed having us around. We are keeping in contact with some of the staff we worked with at the orphanage and I look forward to hearing about how the girls are doing. I had a fantastic experience in Peru and I hope that in the future I can continue to have these experiences.”

 

Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business students Brittany Norling and Silas Pace, along with Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Computing Technology Michael Magro, Ph.D., met with data analytics engineers from American International Group (AIG) a property and casualty insurance company, on Dec. 4 for a visioning session concerning the School of Business’ academic data.

AIG is partnering with Byrd School faculty and students to bring dynamic data analytics into its business programs. The end result of the project will be a fully functional data dashboard that allows academic and administrative leaders to better understand key performance indicators related to the success of students and the school’s program offerings.

Photo by SCOTT MASON/The Winchester Star
Jeremiah Shifflett makes a variety of Dr. Stiffie’s beard grooming products.

Jeremiah Shifflett found himself in a hairy situation. His beard was getting “fuzzy,” and he couldn’t find any affordable beard grooming products.

The 38-year-old had never grown a beard before November 2013. That’s when his wife encouraged him to participate in “Movember,” a movement in which men grow moustaches in November to spark conversations and raise awareness about men’s health issues.

Afterward, Shifflett decided to keep growing his beard, but keeping it tame was a challenge.

Shifflett, a systems integration analyst at Shenandoah University, holds some of the Dr. Stiffie’s beard grooming products he makes. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)

“Inevitably, there are some (hairs) that don’t go the way you want them to,” said the Shenandoah University systems integration analyst. “You kind of just want to get everything into a nice flow.”

There were no local beard grooming products available, and everything he found online was expensive.

After looking at some do-it-yourself websites, the Frederick County native and Winchester resident thought to himself “I can do that.”

So he did.

In March, he spent $20 and bought beeswax, cocoa butter and coconut oil and made his first batch of beard grooming product. And that was the start of “Dr. Stiffie’s fine waxes and balms, formulations for class folk,” as Shifflett describes his product on his Facebook page, facebook.com/DrStiffies.

He gave some to friends and family, and when he got a positive response, he went to Walmart, bought eight plastic containers, filled them with his homemade beard grooming product and listed them on eBay for $6.66.

He said they all sold within a week.

“I was really kind of shocked,” he said. “I still, to this day, am trying to imagine myself being somebody who is looking for a product and the one I’m drawn to is the one in a GladWare container.”

Shifflett made about $40 from the first eBay batch and thought to himself, “Maybe I should make myself look a little more professional.”

He reinvested his earnings in more supplies and some plain white containers, got a business license and watched as business grew exponentially.

“I ship to Canada almost weekly,” he said, before rattling off other countries where he ships his beard grooming products. “Northern Europe, Norway, Sweden, Russia. One time I sent one to Brazil.”

Shifflett said the name of his side-business came from a brainstorming session with his dad. He said he threw out the name “Dr. Stiffie’s” and his dad chuckled, “and I thought, ‘That’s it!’”

Since then, Shifflett has developed projects ranging from skin balm to sugar scrubs, with names like “So Fresh So Clean Pit Rub” and “Ginger Vitas.”

He continues to sell his products online, as well as at Captain Kirk’s Tattoos and Moon H20 Massage in Winchester and the Imaginarium in Capon Bridge, W.Va.

He makes some of his products in the kitchen he shares with his wife, Ashley, and 2-year-old daughter, Sydney, but he also works in a large workshop behind their house.

Shifflett said he makes everything himself, with some help from his wife, who assists with the prep work and labels the products.

“At first she thought I was nuts,” he said, “but as it kind of grew she started getting into it. She thinks it’s fun now.”

“I’m always looking for new things,” he added.

When a customer suggested infusing products with Juniper berries, he harvested juniper berries at his parents’ Frederick County farm in Mountain Falls and ground them with a mortar and pestle.

Last week, he smoked beeswax on a grill to make campfire-scented beeswax for a bearded friend who loves the smell of campfires.

He used snow from Wednesday’s storm to keep the beeswax cool while he smoked it.

“That’s the kind of mad scientist stuff I do for fun,” he said.

His wife said she enjoys watching him work.

“I hope it (the business) continues to grow. We’re starting to get more people interested. I hope it continues to get bigger. He has a lot of fun,” she said.

— Contact Amy Alonzo at aalonzo@winchesterstar.com

By AMY ALONZO The Winchester Star

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF The Winchester Star

Current issues and court cases involving the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) will be discussed during a symposium from noon to 1:45 p.m. on Oct. 15, in Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium on the campus of Shenandoah University. It is free and open to the public.

Hosted by the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business sport management program, in conjunction with the newly formed Sport Business Club, the symposium will feature important court cases such as O’Bannon v. NCAA, Northwestern University’s case presented to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the EA Sports licensing case.

Featured distinguished guest speakers include:

• Paul Hewitt, George Mason University head men’s basketball coach
• Richard Southall, Ed.D., assistant professor and director of the College Sport Research Institute at the University of South Carolina
• Brian Wigley, Ed.D., associate professor of sport management at Shenandoah University
• Doug Zipp, director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Shenandoah University
• Craig Esherick, J.D., associate professor and associate director for the Center for Sport Management at George Mason University

The symposium will be moderated by Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D.

This symposium will illuminate key issues surrounding these cases as they relate to the NCAA, athletic programs and academic institutions. This forum of distinguished scholars and sport administrators will probe the issues in more depth while interacting with the general public. The symposium panelists are experienced in their respective areas and will provide valuable insight, awareness and personal perspectives on the issues.

If you would like more information about the symposium, please contact Assistant Professor of Sport Management Fritz Polite, Ph.D., at 540/665-4572 or fpolite@su.edu; or Assistant Professor of Sport Management Joey Gawrysiak, Ph.D., at jgawrysi@su.edu.