UCF Business News

Five CBA Students To Receive Prestigious Award

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:58:00 EDT

Five of the 25 students selected to receive the Order of Pegasus, UCF's most distinguished student award, are students from the College of Business Administration. Congratulations to:

Masters Level:

Kelvin Ang, DeVos Sport Business Management
Zainab Nasser, Finance

Undergraduate Level:

Jamie Gregor, Marketing
Lee Noto, Management
Adam Straka, Finance

The award honors outstanding undergraduate academic achievement, university involvement, leadership and community service. Graduate students are selected separately based on academic achievement, professional or community service, leadership and publication or research experience.

The winners will be honored during a ceremony this spring. The names and a picture of the inductees will be added to the wall of the Pegasus Lounge, which is located on the second floor of the Student Union overlooking the Pegasus Ballroom. You can read more about this award by visiting the Order of Pegasus website.

Are You A Student With a Great Business Plan?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:25:41 EDT

If so, you have a chance to present it to a panel of Central Florida's finest business leaders. Applications are now being accepted to enter the annual Joust Business Plan Tournament, hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI). The first-place plan, in addition to receiving $10,000, is invited to be a resident of the UCF Incubator for one year, a $5,000 value. You can download an application by visiting the CEI's website. The entry deadline is February 27, 2012. The Joust Competition Finals are scheduled for April 6, 2012.

Events Held to Showcase EDC Renovations

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 11:55:00 EDT

Staff and faculty members at UCF's Executive Development Center (EDC), located in downtown Orlando, showed off recent renovations and thanked both their internal and external constituents during a two-day Partners' Celebration. Renovations were needed to accommodate growth and include:

Additional classroom space for Executive and Professional MBA classes, as well as Executive Education seminars
A new tiered executive classroom with stadium seating for 50, with an adjacent conference room
Upgraded audio-visual equipment
Additional offices for staff
A new student lounge
A redesigned lobby

Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness, was the keynote speaker on the first day, followed by UCF President John Hitt at the second event.

“When your organizations sponsor employees to engage in our masters’ degree or executive education programs, those students bring back expertise and insights that make your organizations more productive – and competitive,” President Hitt said. “Students and their companies can benefit immensely from our vast network of nationally recognized faculty members and prominent executives in Central Florida.”

To learn more about the EDC and the programs they offer, please visit its website.

CBA Faculty Members Honored

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 14:50:00 EDT

Four faculty members received Excellence Awards from our college. Congratulations to:

Michael Caputo, professor, economics
Excellence in Research
Honghui Chen, associate professor, finance; Lauryn Migenes, instructor, management
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Charles Kelliher, associate professor, Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting
Excellence in Graduate Teaching

All of the award recipients will now be considered to receive a University Excellence Award later this spring.

Tom O’Neal Joins SBDC's Advisory Board

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:36:00 EDT

UCF's Associate Vice President for Research and Commercialization and Director of the UCF Incubation Program, Tom O'Neal, Ph.D., has joined the Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) Executive Advisory Board. O’Neal is one of the leading voices supporting entrepreneurship and business formation in central Florida. The Executive Advisory Board was formed in 2008 and serves as a sounding board for the SBDC with an emphasis on providing recommendations for program development, promoting SBDC services, advising on funding issues and supporting legislative activities. The Executive Advisory Board consists of eight members from the Central Florida community including: Scott Cole, vice president and general counsel, UCF; Lloyd Fernald, professor emeritus, UCF College of Business Administration; Foard Jones, interim dean, UCF College of Business Administration; John Lewis, president, Good Question, Inc.; Don McGowan, president, BankFIRST; Sharad Mehta, president, ScreenWorks USA; Brindley Pieters, president, Brindley Pieters & Associates, Inc.; and now Dr. Tom O’Neal. John Lewis serves as chair and Don McGowan serves as vice chair. The SBDC’s Eunice Choi, regional director, and Hal Thayer, communications director, represent the SBDC on the board. Visit the SBDC website to learn more about their programs and services.

CBA Students Selected To PLC

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:15:00 EDT

Nine students from the college have been selected to serve on the 2011-2012 President's Leadership Council (PLC). The students were selected for their excellence in leadership, scholarship and service to the university and Central Florida community. They will serve as ambassadors for the university and President Hitt's office. Congratulations to:

Ruth Colombe
Maureen Furino
Jared Greenbaum
Jamie Gregor
Darian Hands
Zainab Nasser
Lee Noto
Vince Rossy
Adam Straka

Visit the PLC website to learn more about the program and read more on each student.

ESPN Analyst to Teach This Semester

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:05:00 EDT

Jemele Hill, a former Orlando Sentinel reporter and current columnist and television analyst for ESPN, is teaching a class in sports business media in the DeVos Sport Business Management Minor this semester. Hill has worked in the journalism industry for 15 years and is able to share her real-life experiences with the students. Visit the DeVos Sport Business Management website to learn more about the program.

New Dean Selected to Lead CBA

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:56:00 EDT

Paul Jarley, Ph.D., current dean of the Lee Business School at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, has been named dean of the UCF College of Business Administration.

Jarley received his B.A. in Economics and his M.A. in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior administrative roles include senior associate dean and associate dean of Faculty and Special Programs, at the Gatton College of Business and Economics, University of Kentucky.

“I can't wait to get started. Working together we can build on our rising national prominence to create something uniquely great at UCF. Who wouldn't be excited to be part of that? Go Knights!” he said.

He will begin his new role at UCF on July 1, 2012. Foard Jones will continue to serve as interim dean until his arrival.

SBDC Opens PTAC in Daytona

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:57:57 EDT

It just became easier for small businesses to bid for government contracts in Central Florida. The Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) is increasing its support of the Procurement Technical Assistance Center program (PTAC) with the opening of a new center in Daytona Beach. Located at the International Airport, the new offices are in the UCF Incubator, which is partially funding the center.

The new PTAC has a full-time, dedicated procurement expert, Derek Hudson, who will focus on serving businesses in Volusia, Flagler, Lake and Sumter counties. Hudson is a procurement specialist and former U.S. Navy Supply Corps Officer with experience managing procurement as well as inventory budgets of up to $ 3.5 million. His areas of expertise include supply chain management, project management, contract management and strategic communications planning in the private and government (military) sectors. For more than a decade he worked primarily as a consultant to the Florida Department of Transportation on Central Florida projects totaling more than $700 million. He has also worked closely with local and county governments. Hudson is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned his MBA from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College.

The PTAC program helps Florida businesses understand the government procurement process and provides no-cost consulting services to businesses seeking to sell their goods and/or services to federal, state or local governments. Since its launch in 2006, the PTAC program has been a boon to small businesses in Central Florida. Located in the offices of the SBDC at UCF in Orlando, the existing PTAC has been assisting clients across eight counties. In 2011 alone, PTAC consulted with more than 300 small business clients, helping them win almost $11.7 million in government contracts. Since inception, the local PTAC program has assisted on more than $94.2 million of government contracts going to Central Florida businesses. With the opening of the PTAC in Daytona Beach, the Orlando PTAC will now focus its efforts solely on assisting businesses in Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Osceola counties.

Visit the SBDC website to learn more about their programs and services.

A Busy Day for UCF Real Estate!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:40:06 EDT

The Dr. P. Phillips Institute for Research and Education in Real Estate hosted a breakfast for senior members of the Central Florida real estate community. Sponsored by the accounting firm McGladrey, several speakers addressed the crowd. Josh Harris, director of the institute, discussed plans for making UCF’s real estate program one of the world’s preeminent programs through international partnerships. Randy Anderson, Ph.D., the Howard Phillips Eminent Scholar Chair and Professor of Real Estate, spoke about the current state of the economy and real estate markets, and Mark Edwards, a tax partner with McGladrey discussed hot topics in real estate taxation. The meeting’s success shows the overwhelming support UCF’s real estate programs have from the local community and industry.

Later in the day, Anderson gave a keynote presentation to the Central Florida Commercial Real Estate Society. He told members that commercial sale transactions are expected to increase up to 50 percent in 2012 and that the economy and real estate markets are likely to continue making a slow recovery throughout the year. He also noted that the European debt crisis and political uncertainty from Washington, D.C. are potential challenges and headwinds.

Visit the Dr. P. Phillips School of Real Estate website to find out more information on the program, or contact Josh Harris.