Taking Flight – June 2015 Edition

Message from the Dean

Inertia and momentum are related terms that are often confused. Inertia is the continuation of an existing state, whether that state is one of rest or motion. Momentum, on the other hand, is the quantity of motion, measured as mass times velocity. So, momentum can be thought of as the force of motion, while inertia can be thought of as the force restraining motion.

If you’re wondering why I am talking about this; it’s because I was just thinking about it. I was thinking about how our economy is building momentum, but how it will take time for that momentum to overcome the inertia of the great recession, of stubborn wages, and of aging infrastructure. I was thinking about the many businesses across this great state and nation that are building momentum, while still struggling to overcome the inertia of regulation, of legacy technologies, and of entrenched business models. Finally, I was thinking about the College of Business and about the momentum we are building, while dealing with the inertia of some ever-present budget limitations and of our own professional norms and bureaucratic routines. Change can be difficult; it requires initiative and risk. And inertia will always need to be overcome. Our budget will never be as large as our aspirations. Our profession will continue to wrestle with how to effectively balance and reward research, teaching, and service. And large bureaucracies will always struggle to move more quickly and respond better.

But our commitment is strong, and we are a college on the move. We’re gathering speed and building momentum. We’re doing new things and finding new ways to make some good things we do even better. And, through all of that, we’re creating opportunities for our students, injecting innovation and energy into the economy, and adding value to the Georgia Southern brand.

Alumni Spotlight: Steven M. Hein

Steve Hein (FINC, 1983) began his career as a full-time wildlife artist. In the mid-1980’s, he became a licensed falconer. In the early 1990’s, he started the Georgia Southern Wildlife Center, which opened under his directorship in 1997. Currently, he serves as the center’s executive director.

Steve says his time as a student at Georgia Southern provided him a working knowledge of business concepts, including marketing, economics, and finance, that have been applicable to both his careers as a wildlife artist and director of the Wildlife Center. Steve’s favorite class while at Georgia Southern was a business ethics course. He admits that the lure of fishing with a fellow classmate and still best friend sometimes led to skipping a class or two, but he still managed to earn an A in his favorite class.

According to Steve, his proudest career accomplishment is the opening of the Wildlife Center. Sharing his passion for nature and handling and flying Freedom, the Georgia Southern University Bald Eagle make him smile and is one of the high points of his job. Steve says, “It is great to be a part of something bigger than self. Freedom means so much to so many!” He adds, “I’m reminded daily that much can be accomplished with teamwork.”

In his spare time, Steve enjoys the practice of falconry. He admits that hunting with hawks or falcons and dogs has become a bit of a lifestyle for him. He greatly enjoys packing up his dogs and birds and hunting the west. In the future, Steve plans to enjoy spending time with his wife of 32 years, Kathy, and with his proudest personal accomplishment—his four children, Adam, Meredith, Colleen, and Mallory. With the benefit of good health, he hopes to continue to do what he loves: bringing man and nature together to the benefit of both.

Macon Eagle Executive Exchange – Connecting the Eagle Executive Network

The College of Business held its first Eagle Executive Exchange for the greater Macon area on Thursday, June 4. Dan Speight (MGNT, 1979), vice chair and general counsel for State Bank & Trust, served as host and sponsor for the event, held in his corporate office building on Riverside Drive. Attendees of the event represented almost every College of Business degree offered from the early seventies through recent graduates. Everyone enjoyed getting to know each other, exchanging stories about their days at Georgia Southern, and swapping business cards. This is what the “Exchanges” are all about…connecting the Eagle Executive network and encouraging graduates to do business with each other.

Our next Eagle Executive Exchange will be held on Thursday, July 16 in Nashville.

Georgia Southern University Logistics Students Participate in Multinational Case Study

A group of Georgia Southern logistics students recently completed a multinational case study that included 695 students from 13 universities, representing 7 different countries, including the United States, France, Colombia, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.

Students in Chris Boone’s logistics and intermodal transportation operations classes were each assigned to a four-person team along with a mix of students from the other universities. Each team was then given ten days to analyze a Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) case. This task required the logistics students to overcome the time, distance, and language challenges created by their globally distributed teams in order to address the inventory and logistics performance problems found in the CSCMP case. Each student group then presented its analysis and solutions to a faculty member from one of the other participating universities using GoToMeeting® video-conferencing technology.

This experience allowed Georgia Southern logistics students to collaborate with their peers from around the world while dealing with many of the same types of challenges they will face throughout their careers. This was Georgia Southern’s first opportunity to participate in this innovative case study, which has now included more than 3,000 students from 27 universities worldwide. Preparation for the Fall 2015 case study is already underway with plans to add schools from Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, and New Zealand.

Eagles on Wall Street

The inaugural Eagles on Wall Street, a study abroad type of experience within the United States, began on May 11. From May 11–16, 2015, two College of Business faculty members, Allissa Lee, PhD, assistant professor of finance, and Joe Ruhland, PhD, associate professor of finance, braved the Big Apple with 24 business students. During the week, the group experienced eating at Lombardi’s Pizza (“America’s First Pizzeria”), viewing NYC from the Top of the Rock in midtown Manhattan, and visiting the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Goldman Sachs, TIAA-CREF, Bloomberg, and the New York Mercantile Exchange, among several other locations around the city. One of the student participants said, “It was a hands down incredible experience… I learned a lot from the firms that we visited; it was a unique opportunity to be able to get an inside look at the companies we visited.”

Stay tuned for the Fall 2015 Eagle Executive magazine, out in September, for more on what the students did as part of this exciting new College of Business program.

Did You Know?

A picture was taken when the dismantling of David Letterman’s stage began, and it seems someone stuck a Georgia Southern eagle sticker on one of the stage doors when Southern Pride performed with Elizabeth Cook (ACCT, 1996) in 2013. To see the clip featuring Southern Pride and Ms. Cook, go to http://youtu.be/4tAwtcu1Kfg-.

MBA Association Gives Back

On Sunday, June 7, members of the MBA Association (MBAA) volunteered with Union Mission Grace House in Savannah. The volunteers helped prepare and serve food at a BBQ for approximately 50 men at Union Mission’s Grace House. Elizabeth Nunes and Paul Maggioni organized the event, coordinating with Laura Lane McKinnon, director of development at Union Mission. The group secured in-kind donations from local grocery stores, with Food Lion being the premier sponsor and Kroger and Sam’s Club also providing donations. Scott Corwin acted as the historian for the event, taking pictures. Paul Maggioni was the catalyst for this event, sparking the idea and seeing it through, ending with smiles on the faces of the men who enjoyed the meal.

Since 1936, Union Mission has provided vital humanitarian and social services to Savannah’s homeless and special needs communities. Its care programs address shelter, long and short-term housing, healthcare, behavioral counseling, substance abuse, job and life skills training, and employment assistance. Grace House provides emergency housing for up to 50 men at a time, and Beyond Grace provides transitional housing for up to 22 men in recovery.

Do You Come from a Long Line of Eagle Executives or Did You Marry Another Eagle Executive? (That’s Georgia Southern College of Business Alumni!)

If you, your parents, children, and/or your spouse have all graduated from the Georgia Southern University College of Business, we’d like to hear from you. You may be featured in an upcoming Eagle Executive magazine. Please email us at business-marketing@georgiasouthern.edu with your name and contact information.

Eagle Connect

Help us stay in touch! Please update your contact information with the Alumni Association through Eagle Connect at GeorgiaSouthern.edu/alumni by clicking on the “Update your Information Login” button on the right hand side of the webpage.

Georgia Southern WebMAcc Ranked 5th in the Nation

Masters-in-accounting.org ranked the Georgia Southern WebMAcc as fifth in the nation in its 2015 report of the Top 10 Online Master’s of Accounting Degree Programs.

The rankings were based upon CPA exam pass rates, undergraduate GPAs, accreditation, delivery modes, and tuition costs. After totaling scores received in each category, the website created its rankings.

The fifth ranked WebMAcc program includes its own “AACSB accreditation, 100% online classes, and a cohort-learning model that emphasizes team projects,” according to Masters-in-accounting.org. The website also highlights programs offering classes in a distance education format, the school’s online portal providing live streaming of audio and video, user-friendly virtual bulletin boards, and smartphone and tablet applications.

For a more in-depth look at the rankings, visit www.masters-in-accounting.org/best/online-masters-of-accounting-degree-programs-2015/.

Last updated: 3/11/2022