Business Students & Alumni Share Why Day of Giving Matters

Current business students and alumni share how UCA’s Day of Giving contributes to scholarships and experiences that help them achieve goals.


Amaya Whitmore

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting in 2023, current Master of Accountancy student
“Scholarships are so important and can play a huge role in helping someone reach their educational goals. I was blessed to receive scholarships that allowed me to worry less about the financial burden of college and focus more on my studies.”

 

Emma Daughtrey

Insurance Risk Management major, class of 2025
“Growing up, I witnessed the devastating impact of risk firsthand. Now, thanks to scholarships, I can turn my passion for risk mitigation into a career dedicated to protecting others. Each scholarship signifies a strong belief in my abilities and potential. I’m determined to make them proud by becoming a future leader in the insurance and risk management industry.”

When you give, we grow.

Giving to funds like the CISA fund means that students will get to experience more:

  • visit more businesses to see technology in action;

  • network with more professionals in their classes and in student organizations;

  • practice with the most up-to-date technology at their fingertips.

Takari Glover

BBA in Marketing in 2023
“Scholarships played a huge role in my undergraduate college career. I was given more flexibility to study, continue to serve on campus and volunteer in the community. I didn’t have to stress or worry about how I was going to pay for tuition or books, and that was the most rewarding and satisfying part about college – being able to enjoy every moment stress free.”

Michael Isaac

Accounting major who hopes to someday earn a law degree, class of 2025
“I love accounting, and thanks to the relentless generosity and support of our donors, I get to do what I love!”


By giving to the UCA College of Business, you can help students reach their educational goals and impact their lives for the better. uca.edu/go/DOGCOB

AR Blue Cross Blue Shield Partners with UCA College of Business for Take Over Day

On Monday, March 4, 2024, business experts from Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield visited the College of Business for a “Take Over” Day! They spoke to students in every area of business to share their expertise and career opportunities available to students. In fact, Arkansas BCBS was recently named for the third consecutive year by Forbes magazine among America’s Best Employers for mid-sized organizations, which makes COB eve more thrilled to welcome this company to “Take Over” our college.

Several BCBS experts shared with our students about a wide range of business fields including accounting, marketing, human resources, finance, information systems, and more.

  • Mr. David Martin, VP of Infrastructure & Operations, spoke to Introduction to a Computer Architecture and Programming class.
  • Ms. Emily Shadell, Staff Accountant, spoke to three classes: Accounting Information Systems, Cost Accounting, and Auditing.
  • Mr. Jason Carter, Manager of Talent Acquisition, spoke to Strategic Human Resource Management and to a large class of freshmen in “Introduction to Business.”
  • Talent Acquisition Partner Ms. Maria Silva brought donuts and cookies to engage students passing through the COB Lobby and tell them about BCBS careers.
  • Teaming up to speak to an Advertising class: Mr. Trey Hankins, Director Customer & Digital Experience & Design, and Mr. Ben McVay, Manager Group Marketing/Member Engagement & Digital Strategy.
  • Mr. Henry (Buddy) Vogler, Director Treasury and Financial Operations, shared his experience with two Personal Finance classes.
  • Social Media Strategist Colton Faull joined behind the scenes and shared his experience with students.

At our drop-in lunch from 11am-1pm, students engaged with COB faculty and BCBS professionals, while some faculty spoke with fellow specialists about current events in their fields of expertise.

Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield partners with our college year-round by sponsoring our Imagine Lab. This is a special room designed for classes and collaboration. The room has tools to help students innovate and think creatively.

Thank you, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield! We want to thank the BCBS team who took time from their offices to spend a day with us here in the College of Business. They shared valuable experience that gave our students the opportunity to build networking and leadership skills as well as practical experience. Thank you for partnering with us for BCBS “Take Over” Day.

Emily Shadell, Jason Carter, David Martin, Trey Hankins, Ben McVay, Maria Silva, Colton Faull; not pictured: Henry (Buddy) Vogler

Insurance Industry Leader Turned Faculty Member Brings Experience to Classroom, Leads UCA Center for Insurance & Risk Management

Ivan Hudson, Director of the UCA Center for Insurance & Risk Management and Lecturer, joined the College of Business faculty in fall 2023. In this interview, he shares his insights about his first semester, his advice for students, and his vision for what’s ahead in 2024.

Give us some highlights of your experience in the business environment from before you joined the UCA College of Business Faculty.

I got my career start with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. In November of 2008 I went to work for the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation as Program Associate. At this time in 2008, two-thirds of Arkansas voted to pass the Lottery legislation. Fast Forward to October of 2009 when I joined the start-up management team at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. Over the three and a half year period that I was there, I served in a number of capacities, including Procurement Director and Internal Operations Director. I’ll completed my MBA while there, and when I finished my MBA program at UALR December 2012, I launched the Ivan Hudson Agency as my entry into the insurance industry. In March 2014, I secured my Series 6 and Series 63 designations to help set me apart in the industry.

Networking has always been important to me. My personal and professional mantra is “You can network or not work, but you can’t do both.” That really speaks to my core value of building relationships. Solid meaningful relationships, will take you places that even education and other resources can’t.

Career Facts about Director Hudson:

  • December 2012- Received MBA from UALR
  • December 2012 – Launched the Ivan Hudson Agency
  • 2017-2018 – President of Rotary Club of West Little Rock
  • President, National African-American Insurance Association – Arkansas Chapter
  • Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas, Education Foundation, Board of Directors
  • Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, National Diversity Council
  • NAREB National Insurance Committee (NNIC) Member

How did you hear about this position at UCA and what led you to focus your time in the classroom?
Although the insurance industry is robust and dynamic, it also is relatively small. When networking and getting involved in industry associations, I made meaningful connections that landed me at events on UCA’s campus. After learning more about the Insurance & Risk Management program, I connected with UCA’s EFIRM department and maintained ongoing communication. Once I learned that my predecessor had re-entered the industry and the Director role was vacant, I actually put on my thinking cap to see if I could help identify a strong candidate for the search committee to consider. The more I looked at the qualifications, I realized that I had the skillset and experiences that would provide unique perspective in the classroom. I was at a cross-section in my career where I decided the best use of my time was to leverage my experiences to invest in students.

Why did you choose the Insurance field as your subject of work?
The subject actually chose me. After working in economic development, private philanthropy government administration, I made a career transition December of 2012. I was fascinated by insurance and financial services after identifying there were huge gaps with consumer access and education around very basic principles. I launched an insurance agency and became an active professional in the industry by getting involved with various industry organizations. Insurance is a lot more technical than people realize, so I would spend a lot of time educating my clients. It’s the same energy and commitment to education that I bring when teaching in the classroom.

What about your job now teaching brings you the most joy?
I am thrilled about engaging with my fellow faculty members to bring real-time experiences to students that they would not get from lectures or just reading a text book. Part of my role requires me to serve as the Faculty Advisor for the the student organization dedicated to students pursing insurance and risk management, actuarial science and related degrees – Gamma Iota Sigma. Pouring into students and seeing their level of interest and understanding evolve is very rewarding.

Fall was your first semester here. What was your favorite part or memory from the semester?
My favorite part of the fall semester was hearing and seeing the students perspective evolve regarding various insurance topics and applications. Having a front row seat to students have “light bulb” moments and witnessing their level of understanding and interest grow was absolutely fascinating. There were even a few students that changed their major to Insurance & Risk Management.

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
I would encourage students to keep an open mind to the myriad of careers that await them by obtaining a degree from UCA COB. The business climate can be very fast-paced and dynamic and simultaneously, very rewarding! I’m a huge advocate for our Insurance & Risk Management program, because it is the only one of its kind in the state of Arkansas. If a student decides not to pursue Insurance & Risk Management as a major, it is still available as a consideration for a minor. Our institution and the College of Business specifically, is a primary source for local, regional and even national employers looking for top talent, no matter the major/minor. Business students have access to internship and real-time experiences that could lead to fascinating job and career paths.

After moving to the classroom, how do you envision 2024 being different for you ? What new goals and perspectives do you have going into this new year?
For 2024 and beyond, I believe it is important to continue highlighting the value of UCA’s Insurance program as the only one of its kind in Arkansas. There are lots of real-time changes in the insurance and financial services marketplaces that dictate future job and career opportunities that await our students. To that end, I would like to facilitate additional opportunities for industry leaders and professionals to engage with and inspire students in our program, and especially students that actively participate in Gamma Iota Sigma. The Alpha Psi Chapter housed here at UCA is the campus RSO geared towards networking and leadership development opportunities for students in insurance and risk-related fields. Personally, I plan to learn more about the UCA campus community and the at-large Conway community.


Aside from his duties as the Director of Center for Insurance & Risk Management at UCA, Hudson can be found this semester teaching in the classroom: one “Introduction to Insurance” course, one “Risk and Insurance” course, and two Insurance Practicum courses as well as an online “Risk and Insurance” course. He also is the sponsor for the Gamma Iota Sigma registered student organization on campus.

December ’23 Grad Claire Coon Reflects on Time at UCA, Looks Forward to Launching Full-Time Career in 2024

Claire Gunter Coon

Major: Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Minor: Economics
Graduated December 2023

Activities:
• COB Student Ambassador, 2 years
• President of BASCOM – Bears Advancing Supply Chain & Operations Management
• Peer Notetaker with the Disability Resource Center
• Rising Star Faculty-Student Mentor Program
• ACRE reading group for 2 semesters
• ACRE Undergraduate Research Fellow 2023
• 8 month operations internship

Why did you choose your major?
My initial attraction to the business world was and still is the direct, real world applications of the field. From my first two classes in business, microeconomics and the global environment of business, I was able to take things out of class and straight away use them to better understand everyday events in my life.

After doing some research, I decided that within business, logistics and supply chain management sounded like a good fit for me as I’ve always been a person concerned with the execution and rationale behind operations, large or small. After taking my two core economics classes, I decided economics was something I couldn’t leave behind, so I added it as a minor. I believe it is a great pairing for my major and regardless, it is a beneficial subject for any person to have a working knowledge of in order to be a better citizen.

What are you doing in 2024 after your graduation from UCA?
Starting in January I will be working full time as a real estate agent for Homeward Realty here in Conway. This new year I look forward to serving Conway and the greater Central Arkansas region as a real estate agent by applying skills and knowledge I’ve acquired during my time at the UCA College of Business (COB).

What are some things you will remember most about your time at UCA?
The UCA COB, its faculty, and supporters have done so much for me, and I know the impact they have had on me will not soon be forgotten after I graduate. They have supported me while I found a field that genuinely piqued my interest, helped me learn about and get started in that field, and I trust they will always be there for me even as I represent them as a UCA COB alumna. I strongly desire for other students, no matter their background, to receive the support I feel. This kind of support is empowering, and when someone is empowered by such a positive force, good is created not only in their life, but also in the communities around them.

It was exciting to walk across the stage at graduation & super sweet to reflect back on all the memories made over the last three and a half years. I’m thankful for the support of my family, friends, & professors who helped me reach this point.


See some of Claire’s last work published in the Log Cabin Democrat, written in Dr. McGarrity’s Modern Political Economy class.

Accounting Professor Dr. Ryan Cating Impacts Through Teaching and Research

In this interview, Dr. Ryan Cating, the UCA Assistant Professor of Accounting known for his love of bow ties, shares why he chose to teach accounting for his life’s work and his research on the effects of local newspapers on firms’ information environments.

Why did you choose the subject you teach?
I grew up in a family of CPAs as my father and two uncles all worked as accountants at one time or another. Being surrounded by conversation that centered on different types of businesses intrigued me and led me to the college of business. Initially not wanting to follow in my family’s footsteps, I began my academic career studying finance. However, I realized that I wanted a deeper understanding of the source material that I was employing to evaluate the performance and valuation of companies. I switched my major to accounting and have never looked back.

After earning his BS and MPAcc in Louisiana, Dr. Cating likes to celebrate LA traditions such as Mardi Gras with the UCA Accounting department.

What about your job brings you the most joy?
I get the most joy interacting with students in the classroom to get them excited about accounting and succeeding on the CPA exam as a direct result of my course as they begin their careers.

What tips or advice do you have for students?
Always seek to have an open dialogue with professors outside of class, regardless of your major (but especially in your major). The more interaction and knowledge that professors have with and about you, the more they can help you connect with potential employers both before and after graduation.

Share about your recent research and its importance.
I collaborated with Kristian D. Allee and Caleb Rawson, both from the University of Arkansas, on an article published in Review of Accounting Studies in October 2023. In our article, “No news is bad news: local news intensity and firms’ information environments,” we examine the effects of local newspapers on firms’ information environments. With newspaper employment dropping precipitously in the last few decades, we posit that these changes will harm local firms’ information environments. In this study, we ask whether the intensity of local newspapers relative to the local economy (i.e., local news intensity) influences the information available about local publicly traded firms in the capital markets.

[Added note for context: Public companies are required to disclose information to help potential investors and other outside entities analyze the health of the company and understand risks to the company’s financial performance or other issues, such as the impact of the company’s business on communities.]

Consistent with local news improving information environments, we find that volatility, spreads, and illiquidity increase as local newspaper intensity declines and that this is associated with firms’ importance in their local economy. We further find that for firms that are more important in their community, or have busy analysts, less local newspaper intensity is associated with significantly lower analyst accuracy and higher forecast dispersion. This is consistent with local newspapers improving information environments, even for sophisticated and likely remote information intermediaries. We also investigate how stakeholders respond to declines in local news and find that managers increase the amount of forward-looking disclosures while analysts increase coverage.

These results provide insights into the methods by which stakeholders attempt to improve firms’ information environments when local news coverage fades.


In Spring 2024, Dr. Cating can be found teaching undergraduate Auditing in person and online and the graduate Seminar in Case Studies in Accounting.

Dr. Cating welcomes guest speakers such as the Arkansas Legislative Audit (ALA), a group that works to prevent fraud and other crimes, to help students understand the many opportunities available and to help them network with potential employers.

Student Spotlight: Matt Moix

Matt Moix, Junior
Major: Logistics & Supply Chain Management (LSCM)
Minor: Honors Interdisciplinary Studies

Involved on campus:
Student Orientation Staff (SOS)
Student Government Association – COB Rep.
COB Student Ambassador
UCA Relay for Life
Bears Advancing Supply Chain and Operations Management (BASCOM)

Why did you choose your major?
I chose LSCM because I love problem-solving and efficiency. These are both important in LSCM, and the supply chain as a whole is an exciting concept to me. I enjoy the process of moving goods in all phases, and I’d like to help manage a supply chain as a career.

What do you want to do after graduation?
I plan to use my degree to go on and become a supply chain manager, likely in the areas of demand planning or production planning. I am also interested in transportation logistics and transportation safety, so I could see myself fulfilling a role in one of those areas.

Have you done an internship?
Yes – I chose a supply chain internship at Tyson Foods because it aligned well with what I want to do in my career and it helped me learn which areas of supply chain I enjoy working in more than others. I learned about demand planning/forecasting, production planning, production scheduling, and product fulfillment for Tyson’s poultry business unit. I also learned many of the systems that they use, such as SAP, IBP, and Palantir.

How do you think it will be helpful to your career?
This internship taught me so much about the industry and real-world day-to-day supply chain operations. It also provided many new connections to professionals in the field and allowed me to grow in my own knowledge and add value in the work I was doing.

What would you say to other students considering an internship?
DO IT! Even if it results in a negative experience, you have learned what you don’t want to do in your career, which is still very valuable. There is a good chance that you could have the opportunity to use the connections you make to move to a different, more enjoyable role in the same company.

Has a volunteer position helped you to gain skills?
I’ve served in many volunteer positions on campus, and they have helped me build crucial skills that carry over into my coursework and professional life. I have become more confident in myself and while speaking in front of a group, I have improved my communication and teamwork skills, and I have developed better organization and time management skills, among many others.

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
The environment of the College of Business is unlike anything I have experienced. The professors see you are more than a name on a roster, and my relationships with my professors have opened opportunities for me going forward. Your experience in college is exactly what you make of it! Invest your time in your coursework as well as your relationships with friends, classmates, and professors. Branch out and join organizations that do great work on campus and meet new friends along the way. There is so much potential for personal growth that won’t be realized until you put yourself out there!

UCA Insurance Program Awarded Grant from Spencer Educational Foundation

The University of Central Arkansas Insurance and Risk Management program has been awarded a grant from the Spencer Educational Foundation, supporting a key Experiential Learning opportunity for students.

The funds were given to support the 2024 Risk Manager on Campus. For this event, a Risk Management and Insurance Professional is brought to the UCA College of Business for class visits, campus-wide lectures, panel discussions, meetings with student organizations such as Gamma Iota Sigma, and meals with faculty and other IRM community professionals. This is a valuable opportunity to allow students to network and learn from the visiting Risk Manager.

For 24 years, Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus (RMOC) Program has offered this rewarding educational experience for students and a chance to give back to the profession. Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus program offers grants to universities and colleges in the United States and Canada to host a practicing Risk Manager on its campus for a 1–3-day residency.

The Spencer Foundation has supported the Risk Manager on Campus program for years, most recently bringing Bailey Pipkin in 2023 and Mr. Lance Ewing in 2022.

Marketing Students Learn & Serve Community During Project for Arkansas PBS

Marketing Professor Dr. Benjamin Garner‘s Advanced Selling class recently participated in a service-learning project that required students to practice their cold-calling skills for Arkansas PBS.

Students called PBS donors and asked them to participate in a phone survey to help PBS improve their programming. Students input survey responses into an Excel file and worked through a list of names, similar to what one might do in a sales development role.

“Some students find it challenging at first, but with more practice they gain confidence and improve their skills,” said Dr. Garner.

Academic service-learning integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Students who take service-learning courses gain real world experience while also helping their community.

Service-learning gives UCA students an opportunity to jump start their path to life-long community engagement, while learning directly from experienced people. This opportunity would not exist without the help, support, and cooperation of our community partner, Arkansas PBS. Learn how to become a UCA Service-Learning Partner.

COB Students Earn Awards at Arkansas Student Congress

On November 12-14, three COB students participated at Arkansas Student Congress, sponsored by the Arkansas Communication and Theater Arts Association. Because this is an activity that involves policymaking, Dr. Anthony McMullen, Associate Professor of Business Law and sponsor of the debate team, encourages business students to participate.

Dr. Anthony McMullen in shown is the photo along with the participating students:

Karlie Holland (front left): Received an award for excellent in caucus and was recognized as the best delegate for UCA. In addition, her bill, short titled: “A bill recommending to the Arkansas General Assembly to require sex education be required in secondary education systems,” received an award for best bill in the Senate. It passed the Senate, but unfortunately did not pass in the House.

Michael Isaac (back center): Received an award for excellent in caucus and excellent in committee.

Rebecca Pool (front right): Her bill, short titled: “A bill recommending to the U.S. Congress that protects consumers in all states from purchasing previously totaled vehicles from flooding with washed titles,” received an award for third best bill in the Senate. In addition, it passed both houses, making it a Law of Congress. In addition, it has received attention from the Arkansas Times.

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Economics Professor Kalulu Impacts Through Teaching & Research

Dr. Mavuto Kalulu, Assistant Professor of Economics in the UCA EFIRM Department, shares why he chose to study economics, why he chooses to teach, and details about his research in Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region in the world. Dr. Kalulu is also a Scholar affiliated with the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE).

Why did you choose economics?
A teacher in high school explained to me that studying economics would equip me with skills to be able to understand the complex world. Life is full of choices because we have scarce resources. Economics provides the principles and tools to be able to understand why individuals, governments and businesses make the choices they make.

Teaching economics affords me the opportunity to contribute to other peoples lives by instilling in them some real-life skills that they need in their day-to-day lives.

What about your job brings you the most joy?
The joy comes from seeing my students perform to the best of their ability. It takes discipline to be successful in class. Discipline to show up in class and engage. Discipline to do all the homework on time and discipline to study for the exams. I am happy when my students realize that sooner than later.

With regards to research, I enjoy being able to work with other faculty from various disciplines. For the research I am presenting on the 27th, I am working in collaboration with Dr. Rania Al-Bawwab from the EFIRM Department and Dr. Yeil Know from the department of Mathematics.

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
My advice to all students includes:
1. Engage your professors more in class as well as during office hours. Ask questions when you don’t understand. It shouldn’t take extra points for you to schedule a meeting for office hours.
2. Engage your fellow students more. There are students from different backgrounds and cultures and engaging them will enrich your experience of different cultures. I deliberately assign group activities to facilitate peer to peer engagement. You can also form study groups to discuss the materials.
3. It is important not to procrastinate on your homework and assignments. I try to make the homework and assignments due the same day and time all throughout the semester to make it easier to remember the deadlines.

Your research: Describe what you studied or what problem you wanted to solve.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the poorest region in the world. Despite being rich in natural resources including mineral reserves, the exploitation of the resources has not resulted in improved living standards in the region. Research shows that weak economic, political and legal institutions are a major contributor to why Sub Saharan Africa remains poor. Weak institutions encourage corruption and vice versa. When democracy swept through Africa in the early 1990s, people were hopeful that democracy would foster stronger institutions which would in turn encourage economic growth in the region. Three decades later, Sub Saharan Africa remains poor and is the most corrupt region in the word according to the 2022 Transparency International Report. Did democracy help or it did not?

Why did you choose this research topic?
In my conversations with some of my friends from other African countries, it is apparent that there is a perception that democracy has not yet yielded the economic benefits people were expecting. One of the possible reasons is that public corruption persists, in some cases worse than it was under autocratic rule. To my knowledge, no one has formally investigated whether the problem stems from the type of transition from autocratic regimes to democratic regimes can explain the difference in the corruption experiences in the different Sub-Saharan African countries after the switch to democratic regimes. Answering the question will help inform on how to improve governance in sub-Saharan Africa and hence improve the well-being of the people living in the area. In addition, some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have experienced military coups. This research can also inform on the process of returning to democracy.

What have you learned from doing this research?
Our initial analysis revealed no significant pattern on the experience of Sub-Saharan African countries with regards to corruption before and after transitioning from autocracy to democracy. Further analysis that considers that there are many other factors that can influence the level of corruption reveals that democracy and institutions matter. Improving the institutions, especially the economic institutions can help Sub-Saharan African countries curb corruption and hence improve the livelihood of the residents in this region. Our next step in the process is to select some of the countries and investigate further to establish causation rather than just an association.

What do you hope others will learn or gain from your research?
The hope is that through this research others will gain a better understanding of the experience of Sub-Saharan African countries before and after transitioning from autocratic rule to democratic rule. We hope that others will get a deeper insight into the level of corruption in Sub-Saharan African countries and hopefully interest them into wanting to contribute to research on ways to reduce the level of corruption in the region to better the livelihood of the residents in the region.


Dr. Kalulu is presenting his research on October 27 at 12:30pm in COB Room 206 for any who want to see him speak about his research in person. He can also be found in the classroom this fall teaching Global Environment of Business and Intermediate Macroeconomics. Students can register for his as the professor teaching those same classes in spring 2024, and in summer 2024, he is set to teach Modern Political Economy and Global Environment of Business.

Dr. Kalulu has been researching this topic for years. See Dr. Kalulu speak about “Economic Freedom of the World” to a group of Arkansas educators at a Teaching Free Enterprise in Arkansas workshop in fall 2018.