The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business wrapped up another successful semester with the Saturday, May 12, 2012, University commencement ceremony. The COB graduated a record number of students — 263 undergraduate and 38 graduate students. With an accumulation of classroom and professional experience, these students will take their degree and enter the workforce with an advantage over their peers.

Graduation Statistics*:

38 completed their MBA degree
81 completed a marketing major
48 completed an accounting major
38 completed an human resource management major
60 completed finance a major
34 completed an economics major
46 completed a supply chain and operations management major
22 completed a management information systems major
7 students completed a minor in insurance and financial planning
6 students completed global business minors

There were many new and exciting changes in the College of Business this semester, including changes to the curriculum. The College added a new sustainability minor and partnered with other departments and disciplines on campus to create a new major, Interactive Web Management. This is the first new major offered in the COB in 30 years.

The spring semester was also a time of great student growth and leadership development outside the classroom with a variety of networking events and traveling. Over $28,000 was awarded to College of Business students at the annual Undergrad Honors and Awards Luncheon. The Luncheon was also a time to recognize six COB students who received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and to honor two outstanding College of Business alumni.

The Beta Gamma Sigma chapter inducted 45 members in the International Honor Society. Two College of Business students were recognized by the Milwaukee chapter of Financial Executives International for their academic achievement and community involvement, and in March, the UW Oshkosh chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management traveled to North Charleston, SC, to learn leadership skills as they volunteered in one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.

A variety of new events brought both alumni and business professionals together throughout the semester. The International Business Club hosted the second annual Global Careers Day with immense success. Another very successful networking event was the Insurance Networking Social, which brought more than 20 insurance executives working in the Fox Valley to campus to meet and network with students in the Insurance and Risk Management minor.

In May, the University hosted the Oshkosh Chamber After-Hours event in Sage Hall, which brought Fox Valley business professionals together for an evening of networking. Also in May, the College hosted a simulcast of Chick-fil-A Leadercast, bringing local business leaders together to view a live stream of the major leadership conference in Atlanta, GA. The Business Alumni Dean’s Event marked the final event of the semester, a networking event that brought COB alumni back to campus to not only reconnect with faculty, staff and fellow students, but to check out the new Sage Hall.

*All data is unofficial at this time awaiting official grade data.

Fox Valley business professionals gathered to hear from world-renowned speakers, business leaders and best-selling authors on the topic of leadership at the 12^th annual Chick-fil-A Leadercast May 4, sponsored by the UW Oshkosh College of Business.

Held at the Oshkosh Convention Center in Oshkosh, Wis., the College of Business was one of many host sites across the globe broadcasting the live Leadercast event in Atlanta, Ga., to local business leaders.

According to the Chick-fil-A Leadercast website, the event had 85,000 leaders participating globally along with 600 host sites broadcasting the event in 2011.

The one-day leadership development event included a wide variety of speakers including football quarterback Tim Tebow, CEO of Burberry, Angela Ahrendts and leadership experts such as John Maxwell and Andy Stanley.

The cost to attend the event was $99 and in addition to the program, participants received a journal to accompany the information from the presenters and two meals were provided throughout the day.

“If we brought this many speakers of this quality to Oshkosh, it would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars. Partnering with Chick-fil-A as a host site is a great way to have the same motivational message, just through the live streaming from Atlanta,” Krause said.

Heidi Reinke (BBA ’01), event planner and marketer in the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning at UW Oshkosh, said the event provided not only leadership development but also things she could teach her students.

“I’m actually going to be teaching two sections of internet marketing for the College of Business this fall, so I’m trying to hear things that they’re talking about in terms of leadership that I can relate back to the students,” Reinke said.

Krause said he would like host the Leadercast annually in the future and include student organizations to participate and learn from the event.

“People really seem to enjoy it so hopefully it’s one of those events that will grow and be even better next year,” Krause said.

Tim Greinert (BBA '85)

It’s rare when you meet an individual who has spent his entire career with one organization.

Tim Greinert (BBA ’85), president at Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Inc. (JA), recalls two reasons he chose to accept his first job with the nonprofit organization 27 years ago.

“Weighing multiple options upon graduating from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business, the opportunity at JA was a great way to use all of my skills in a role that offered me the ability to do outbound sales, business development and build community relationships,” said Greinert.

The second reason satisfied his personal values.

“I have always had a strong interest in youth development,” said Greinert, who spent years coaching at the high school level.

And just like other young graduates, at the time he took his first job, he had not intended to stay more than a few years.

“I thought that JA would be a great place to get my feet wet,” said Greinert.
In 1985, Greinert started working in program management, but it wasn’t long before his responsibilities evolved to management and he became more involved in the business side of the nonprofit organization.

“Working in nonprofit management is just like any other business except for the tax status,” said Greinert.

Next, he took over as director for northeastern Wisconsin and then moved to the state and national level.

“I enjoyed the opportunity to work in a variety of roles at both the local and national level,” said Greinert, who received his MBA from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs during his time serving at Junior Achievement’s national office in Colordao.

Following several years of service in Minnesota, Greinert moved back to Wisconsin in 2003, where he began his tenure as president of the Wisconsin branch of Junior Achievement.

Fast forward almost three decades, Greinert’s motives for staying with Junior Achievement are still the same: being able to form relationships in the community while making a difference in the lives of young people.

According to its website, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin is an affiliate of Junior Achievement Worldwide, a global economic education organization serving 9.7 million students in 123 countries.

Greinert believes JA gives young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices.

“Bottom line, our goal is to teach young people how to control their economic future,” said Greinert.

Embodying the heart of JA, in over 7,000 Wisconsin classrooms, volunteers inspire and empower over 150,000 students a year to believe in themselves.

“JA provides a turnkey program where volunteers go into the school and provide education in areas such as financial management and budgeting,” said Greinert, who believes both corporate and community volunteers who share their personal experiences and breathe life into the concepts make all the difference.
He believes using individuals from the community make the concepts stick with young people.

“The goal is real-life learning,” said Greinert.

Other programs at JA take children out of the classroom.

“Students have the opportunity to go onsite and job shadow,” said Greinert.

Another program is the Business Challenge, which is held annually at UW Oshkosh, which challenges high school students to make decisions in a strategic business simulation game.

“Our research shows that students are learning and that is most important,” said Greinert.

Nearly 80% of students surveyed by the JA agree that the organization has positively influenced their attitudes toward continuing their education.

“We continue to expand our programs each year based on our evaluations of what is working,” Greinert adds.

Looking back, Greinert remembers the solid education he received and the personal relationships he formed at UW Oshkosh.

“To me, UW Oshkosh meant a good, quality education close to home,” recalled Greinert, who grew up in Appleton, Wis. “Professors were accessible and gave me individual attention.”

Greinert and his wife, Tina, have been married for 20 years and live in Cedarburg, Wis. Together, they have three children; Marissa, Joshua and Allison.

The keynote speaker for the event was Joe Fikejs (MBA ’06), Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations at Bergstrom Automotive. Joe spoke to the graduating students about the “MBA Attitude,” providing guidance on how to take control of their career now that they have earned their degree and encouraged them to push themselves to step out of their comfort zones in order to advance their careers.

Congratulations to all of our MBA graduates on this incredible achievement.

View photos from the event.

2012 Outstanding MBA Student – Kelli Karpinski

2012 Outstanding MBA Student – Tammy Karcz

2012 Outstanding MBA Student – Valerie Swanborg

2012 Outstanding MBA Faculty – Paul Frederickson

The 2012 Global Careers Day event team.

For the second year in a row, Global Careers Day at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh drew in many corporate guests, faculty and alumni who shared their experiences and career opportunities with students through panel presentations and a hands-on workshop.

The event took place on April 6 and each of the three morning sessions featured different presenters and topics. After each presentation, the audience could interact with the speakers by asking questions and engaging in discussion.

During the three morning sessions, the students heard from eight global executives about why it is important to consider a global career, what corporations look for in global managers and about the variety of ethical challenges one may face during the course of a global career. From these sessions, students gained valuable insights on how to plan and pursue a successful global career. Speakers included:

• Suhas Apte, vice president of sustainability at Kimberly-Clark Corp.
• Tim Fliss, vice president of human resources at Bemis Co.
• Dnyanesh Patkar, vice president of corporate development at Schneider National Inc.
• Nancy Ebben, director of international finance at Oshkosh Corp.
• Kim Peterson, director of marketing and strategy at Alta Resources
• Doug Olson, vice president of Quest Core Team at Schneider National Inc.
• Dan Rokjer, vice president of sales at Bemis Co.
• Kurt Wanless, senior compliance counsel at Plexus Corp.

After networking over lunch, students, faculty and speakers participated in a series of hands-on workshops about ethics in global management and negotiating across cultural lines.

Professor B.S. Sridhar, faculty adviser for the International Business Club, facilitated a simulation of cross-cultural negotiation entitled “Ugli Orange” involving all participants. Doug Killough, partner development team at Schrieber Foods Inc., and Pete Stanius, vice president of customer management at Plexus Corp., debriefed the participants and shared their experiences and strategies for effective cross-cultural negotiations.

Kathryn Simon, International Business Club president

The event was organized under the leadership of Kathryn Simon, president of the International Business Club, assisted by a number of student volunteers.

“I hope next year there will be an even higher turnout and more company display booths,” Simon said. “We’re also planning more time for networking with the professionals.”

Jessica Alt , International Business Club member, led the marketing efforts for the event and said it was different from the previous year because not only was the event held in a larger space, but Alta Resources and Bemis Company set up booths about their businesses.

“It was great because students were able to talk with professionals from these companies to find out more about them,” Alt said. “I think this would be great if even more companies did this next year.”

The event is only in its second year, but there was a significant increase in interest in the event from last year and it looks like the trend will continue, Sridhar said.

“It was great to see more businesses, students, alumni and faculty take part in the event this year,” Sridhar said. “I am looking forward to seeing how this event grows in the coming years.”

Dean of the College of Business, Bill Tallon said the event is a great way for students to connect with global business leaders and to become better prepared for a future career in global business.

“Students learn so much from networking events like this and the International Business Club has done a great job connecting with businesses to bring them to campus,” Tallon said. “The experiences students learned from the global business leaders represented at this event were really extraordinary.”

There was no cost for the students to register or participate thanks to a generous grant from the Pepsi Fund.

Jonathan Dudzinski

Two University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students, Daniel Skinkis and Jonathan Dudzinski, were recently honored by the Milwaukee chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI). The College of Business students were honored at a ceremony in Brookfield on Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

Dudzinski, a finance and accounting double major, was awarded FEI’s 2012 Outstanding Student Award.

Skinkis, a finance major with an insurance and financial planning minor, was awarded a Roger Buchholz Memorial FEI Junior Scholarship.

Daniel Skinkis

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students have won the Roger Buchholz Memorial FEI Junior Scholarship eight out of the last 10 years.

Milwaukee FEI, in conjunction with area educational institutions, recognizes two top student achievers from selected area colleges. Two scholarships in the amount of $2,000 are awarded to outstanding students selected for this distinguished achievement.

To be considered for these awards, Dudzinski and Skinkis were required to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 and at least a 3.50 on a 4.00 scale in business courses directly related to their major. Selection criteria, including the quality of the essay submitted, academic merit, demonstrated leadership, and involvement in civic, religious, academic and/or other career related activities, emphasize their potential for career success in corporate financial management in addition to academic and personal achievement.

The College of Business also honored two outstanding alumni at this event. The 2012 College of Business Outstanding Alumnus is Todd Teske, BBA ’87. Todd is currently the President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors for Briggs & Stratton Corporation. The 2012 Outstanding Young Alumnus is Alston Reece, BBA ’03 and MBA ’05. Alston is Manager: S2P for Process and Deployment at Rockwell Automation. Watch the videos to see why these two alums were chosen as the 2012 College of Business Outstanding Alumni.

View the photos from the event on Flickr.

2012 UW Oshkosh College of Business Outstanding Alumni – Todd Teske, BBA ’87

2012 UW Oshkosh College of Business Outstanding Young Alumni – Alston Reece, BBA ’03, MBA ’05

2012 Beta Gamma Sigma Inductees

Only the best business students in the world, and the professionals who earned the distinction of “the Best in Business” during their academic careers, can claim membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. This year’s Beta Gamma Sigma inductees from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh have certainly earned that title.

The University of Wisconsin College of Business Chapter congratulates the 45 students who have earned invitations in 2012. They join an expanding worldwide network of more than 625,000 outstanding business professionals who have earned recognition through lifetime membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. Students ranking in the top 10 percent of the baccalaureate and top 20 percent of graduate programs at schools accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business are eligible for this invitation.

Beta Gamma Sigma lifetime membership is truly an international honor. With the expansion of accreditation by AACSB International, membership is no longer limited to those who have studied in the U.S. or Canada. Beta Gamma Sigma has installed collegiate chapters and inducted students on six continents. The most outstanding University of Wisconsin business students are eligible for the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in an undergraduate or master’s program at a school accredited by AACSB International.

The following students were inducted into the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma on Friday, March 30, 2012.

Juniors:
Alyssa Baehman, Brianna Dorner, Michael Dziekan, Mara Geurts, Tyler Laabs, Paul Marx, Steven Schug, Lance Spaude, Rita Thrasher, Steven Vanevenhoven, Nathan Witt, Cecilie Wojciehowski.

Seniors:
Robert Bellile, Jesse Christianson, Justin Christoffersen, Joseph Elmer, Cori Gumz, Robert Harrison, Ross Helein, Matthew Luecke, Jeffrey Lytle, Samantha Mirabello, Jordan Mortenson, Jill Niles, Jon Olszowy, Elizabeth Reinhart, Brittany Rusch, Nicholas Schommer, Thomas Thurston, Daniel Van Ryzin, Breyn Wagner.

Graduate students:
Jim Blohm, Elizabeth Ertmer, Kate Holmes, Michael Joerndt, Kelli Karpinski, Meghann Kasper, Jeremy Maurer, Jason Richter, Briana Rygg, Timothy Sadowska, David Strandberg, Eric Svoboda, Mark Wernicke, James Zarneke.

Mr. Thomas Belot

The College also inducted Mr. Thomas G. Belot as the 2012 Chapter Honoree. Mr. Belot earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of Business in 1974 and his MBA degree in 1978. He retired as CEO of the Vollrath Company, LLC, in January 2010. He continues to serve on many boards and committees including the Board of Directors for the Vollrath Company, FE&S Magazine, Sheboygan Employer’s Health Network and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, among others. Mr. Belot was also named Outstanding Alumnus by the College of Business in 2009.

Professor Gary Adams was recognized as the 2012 faculty initiate. Professor Adams joined the College of Business in 2009 as part of the Management and Human Resources department. He was honored as Outstanding MBA Faculty member at the 2011 MBA Graduation Banquet.

Beta Gamma Sigma was founded as a national organization on February 19, 1913. The first national honor society in business was a merger of three separate societies established to honor academic achievement in business at the University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois and the University of California.

With collegiate chapters on five continents, Beta Gamma Sigma today is truly an international society that remains dedicated to recognizing the most outstanding students of business and management. The Society serves business schools accredited by AACSB International in the 21^st century knowing that its membership of more than 625,000 comprises the brightest and best of the world’s business leaders.

Quote from Stephen W. Gilman, one of three professors who founded Beta Gamma Sigma at the University of Wisconsin:

“Success is not to be measured by income but by influence, not by power but by personality, not by capital but by character.”

“We look for any way to bridge the gap between the classroom and the working world,” noted Jessie Pondell, Professional Development Director for the College of Business. “Hosting events like this networking night give businesses a better understanding of the education taught in the classroom and puts students in front of their potential employers in positions they might hold some day.”

More than twenty Fox Valley insurance firm executives were brought in for an informational session followed by a networking social, exclusive to Oshkosh insurance students. Professionals came from Secura, Society Insurance, Mass Mutual Insurance, Sentry Insurance, Farmers Insurance, Prudential Financial, and Jewelers Mutual Insurance.

Dr. Scott Beyer, Finance Professor and Director of the UW Oshkosh Center for Risk Management and Insurance, was the primary organizer for the event.  “The goal of the event was to inform and update Wisconsin insurance companies about the UW Oshkosh insurance program and then allow our insurance students to network with some of the industry executives,” Beyer said.

For more information about the Center for Risk Management and Insurance and/or the Insurance and Financial Planning coursework, contact Scott Beyer, beyers@uwosh.edu, or (920) 424-7194.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”  Dr. Seuss

UW Oshkosh SHRM group outside of the Dream Center in North Charleston.

During spring break, thirteen members of the UW Oshkosh Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (UWO SHRM) traveled to North Charleston, South Carolina to volunteer with the Dream Center. North Charleston is regularly named one of the ten most dangerous cities in America. This community is diverse and faces significant economic challenges. The Dream Center provides resources and opportunities to low income, homeless and under-served individuals and families living in North Charleston. The Center has a medical clinic, a clothes closet and food pantry. The Center also provides youth programs. One major program is Groundswell, where young people come in one night a week to eat dinner and participate in a variety of activities (e.g., basketball, arts and crafts, drama, video games).

Our students and I each completed 23 hours of service at the Dream Center. This amounts to 322 hours of service for the entire group. During that time, we painted three bathrooms; moved a variety of furniture and equipment; cleaned and reorganized the North Charleston High School Coaching Office; assembled weight lifting equipment; helped with intake for the medical clinic, clothes closet, and food pantry; delivered food to those in need; helped finish a home renovation; and assisted with Groundswell.

Touring the Gildan facility.

In addition to the service, our students visited Gildan, an international garment company, for a tour. We were able to arrange this tour thanks to the assistance of the Tri-County Human Resource Management Association, an affiliate of SHRM. The day of our visit, Gildan’s Human Resources Team welcomed us with breakfast. They arranged for us to have short presentations from most of their departments (e.g., logistics, marketing, finance, customer service, forecasting, etc.). Many of the presenters were Vice Presidents or Directors. We had over 10 presentations and were extremely excited and grateful that so many people at Gildan took time out of their busy schedules to meet with us! We also received a tour of their distribution center and each of us left with our very own Gildan t-shirt, pen, and t-shirt shaped sticky notes.

The trip was entirely planned by students. Lindsay Klug, a senior from Union Grove chaired the trip planning committee. Katie Sweeney, a senior from Madison was our primary contact with the Dream Center and Gildan. Tiffany Schmitt, Matthew Brey, Haley Rauch, Sally Meyer, and Jenna Voskuil rounded out the trip planning committee.

I am incredibly thankful that I accompanied these students on this trip. I was again reminded of the caliber of people in our student body. During this trip, we brought together thirteen people, the majority of who did not know each other well before this trip. They roomed together, ate together, worked together, and drove 20 hours in cars together. In so doing, these students received a trial-by-fire training in teamwork. They were put in a situation that demanded adaptability and patience. These students excelled in both. They were taken out of their comfort zones. Some of our students did intake at the medical clinic and worked with other volunteers to take down patients’ medical histories. Others actually had to assist in telling those in need of food or clothes that they had exhausted their benefits at the Center for the month. Five of our students delivered food to people in need. In some cases, the people were homeless. The students showed a great deal of empathy to the people they helped. They were all willing to do whatever was asked of them, and they were open to learning about others’ life experiences. Here are just a few of the students’ reflections on the experience and one of the notes we received from another volunteer at the Dream Center.

“Five of us baked biscuits, and then rode along to different houses to deliver them to an area burdened with poverty in North Charleston. It was an eye-opening experience to actually see and talk to the people who resided in the area. We even delivered biscuits to two men who lived under tarps in the woods. The experience made me realize how much I have to be grateful for, and it was heart wrenching to see how much the residents appreciated us bringing them biscuits.”
Tiffany Schmitt, Junior from Beaver Dam

“I loved meeting you and the team this past few days. What am amazing group you have. I think you’re one of the best to ever visit us. I hope your experience was awesome. Come back in summer and we will teach you to surf for sure. We have surfing, paddle boarding and kayaking all summer. You are always welcome, and bring the rest of the cheese heads with you!”
Rick Reed, unpaid Dream Center staff member

“My low this week was realizing the trust issues some of these kids [the kids attending Groundswell] are obviously growing up with. It was really eye opening considering how open we tend to be in Wisconsin. My high this week was having the opportunity to strengthen my relationships with everyone in SHRM. I felt like I really had no personal relationships with anyone in our group before the trip. I feel like I do now. Ultimately, this trip was a reminder that I do have the tools to succeed, and if I ever doubt myself, I should think of the people we worked with that don’t have the types of resources I have grown accustomed to having at my fingertips.”
Matthew Brey, Senior from Marinette

John and Nyjel on the court.

“I met Nyjel Lawton on the basketball court at the Dream Center in South Carolina. As soon as I met him, I could tell he was used to dominating the games at the Center. I tried to challenge Nyjel in front of his peers to gain his respect. Nyjel and I became friends on the court. We exchanged contact information, and Nyjel has contacted me several times since. He has texted me to let me know his stats for games. His team won a tournament this past weekend and he scored 10 points in the championship game. I played two years of college basketball and currently coach. I hope I might be able to act as a mentor to Nyjel while he is developing as a player. I am very thankful for the opportunity to develop a long lasting friendship with a unique character like Nyjel.”
John Vermeern, Senior from Appleton

“This was my third volunteer trip with SHRM and each year I have learned something new about myself. This trip taught me that everything I do makes a difference even if it is filing paperwork, painting a bathroom, or having a conversation. Providing a small service to an individual can take little of your energy but have a huge impact on someone’s life. Ben, the leader of Groundswell, made a huge impact on me during this trip. He said that as long as a student wanted to come to youth group, he would drive anywhere to pick them up. Just by driving a few extra miles he had an impact on someone’s life. I am sad that this was my last opportunity to go on a spring break trip with SHRM but it was an amazing one to end with. I truly believe I am a better person, leader, and friend because of my experiences on these trips and I hope everyone gets to have an experience like this at least once in their college career!”
Katie Sweeney, Senior from Madison

“Getting to partake in the volunteer trip to Charleston was a phenomenal experience for me. Not only did we all get to bond as a group, we impacted a community across state borders. We became aware of what the social/economic reality is in so many communities in our country. The experience was invaluable. Working at the Dream Center for a week needs neither accolades nor rewards; knowing we touched people’s lives is a great reward in and of itself.”
Kelsea Raskiewicz, Junior from Kewaskum

“This trip has truly been life changing for me. I have been on this kind of trip before and I do lots of volunteering; however, this experience has been the most touching of them all. I knew that areas like North Charleston existed, but I had never gotten the opportunity to experience them first hand. I have a much larger appreciation for the life I have. I found great pride while watching the rest of my peers, who may have never done anything like this before, transform their views on life and become so dedicated and passionate about the work we were doing at the Dream Center. I can only hope that everyone takes time throughout their life to help serve those who are in need.”
Amber Baugnet, Senior from Townsend

I think the trip made a lasting impact on all of us. Many of us are sad for it to be over, but we are certainly glad that we had the opportunity to do this! We are thankful for the financial support of the Fox Valley Chapter of SHRM, the Oshkosh Chapter of SHRM, the College of Business and Benvenuto’s.  This trip would not have been possible without it!