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UCA Selects College of Business Dean

Dr. Tim Bisping

The University of Central Arkansas has announced Tim Bisping as the new dean of the UCA College of Business. Bisping will begin on July 1, 2025.

In this role, Bisping will oversee the College of Business, which offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across four academic departments and three centers and serves as the home of the Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame.

Bisping brings extensive leadership experience and a strong commitment to student success to this new role. He currently serves as the dean of the Nelson Rusche College of Business at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he has led initiatives to enhance academic excellence, foster faculty and staff development and support student achievement. [Read more…]

Posted in: COB News, Featured News on February 20, 2025 Tagged: , , , , ,

Business Students Join Analytics Competition at Manhattan College in NY

For the second year in a row, a UCA student team has competed in the business analytics competition at Manhattan College. Students in the CISA 4V71 Project Course began in February to analyze the dataset provided by the competition. After months of preparing, teams presented their results to a UCA committee in the form of a poster on May 1. Once the winning team was announced, they began preparing for competition against other university teams in New York City. [Read more…]

Posted in: CISA, COB News, Featured News, _Competition on May 30, 2024 Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UCA Ranked #3 Best Online MBA in International Business Management

The University of Central Arkansas College of Business was recently ranked the #3 best online MBA in the nation for International Business Management. This online MBA allows students to earn the degree anywhere in the world even while working full-time. The program has also been ranked among the most affordable. Find out more about the UCA MBA program.

See the ranking from Best Value Schools  [Read more…]

Posted in: COB News on September 21, 2021 Tagged: , , ,

Advice from Alumni: Nato Silue

With the start of fall semester, our College of Business (COB) alumni are sending their best advice. Recent alumna Tchetahan Natogoma (Nato) Silue, COB class of 2020, believes that the supportive environment fostered by the faculty and advisors is something students should embrace.

“Don’t be scared to approach your professors. They are there for you and want you to succeed,” said Silue. “Everyone was supportive which boosted my learning experience.”

Silue graduated from the UCA College of Business in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and a minor in Computer Science. Why students should take note of her prudent advice? One might say Silue was successful student with her accomplishments and awards including: [Read more…]

Posted in: COB News on August 19, 2021 Tagged: , , , ,

UCA Expands Computer Information Systems & Analytics Degree Options to Address Changing Business Environment

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) is offering new degree and certificate options through its Computer Information Systems and Analytics (CISA) department, expanding opportunities for CISA students and current business professionals to gain top in-demand business and technical skills.

Beginning this fall three new Applied Data Analytics programs will be available: a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science, and a technical certificate. These new programs follow the successful addition of both an undergraduate minor and a graduate-level technical certificate in data analytics two years ago.

“I chose to get this graduate certificate because I believe data analytics is the future. As technology is evolving, businesses are using analytics to make informed decisions, solve problems, help reduce risks, and increase return on their investments,” said Joyti Lal who is working to earn a Master of Business Administration concurrent with a Data Analytics graduate certificate.

The Department of Computer Information Systems and Analytics (CISA), located within the UCA College of Business, combines highly desired technical skills with sound business principles. The department’s name was changed in July 2021 from “Management Information Systems” to better reflect what the department now offers. [Read more…]

Posted in: COB News on August 18, 2021 Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Dr. Yao Featured in WalletHub “Ask the Expert” Series

Dr. Yao

Dr. Haibo (Stephen) Yao

Dr. Haibo (Stephen) Yao was recently featured as an expert contributor in articles by WalletHub. While the articles are geared toward college students, these are questions many people may have.

In his first article about the best credit cards for college students, he addresses what college students should look for when choosing a credit card, the biggest mistakes college students can make with credit cards, and best practices for students who use credit cards.

In this second article, he answers questions about zero percent (0%) credit cards, including why and how they are used.

Dr. Yao is an Assistant Professor of Insurance & Risk Management in the Department of Economics, Finance, Insurance & Risk Management for the UCA College of Business.

Posted in: COB News on July 26, 2021 Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Three UCA College of Business Alumni Named to Arkansas Business “20 in Their 20s” List

Arkansas Business has announced its 2021 class of “20 In Their 20s”, including three alumni from UCA’s College of Business. Ericka Gutierrez, Grace Rains, and Joyti Lal were named as rising business and community leaders.  [Read more…]

Posted in: COB News on June 30, 2021 Tagged: , , , , , ,

UCA Economist, Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl, Receives Award for COVID-19 Work

(Conway, AR) – Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) College of Business, has been recognized for his work to provide accurate coronavirus information and dispel misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award comes from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, which announced on Sunday its ten most recent winners across North America.

Dr. Horpedahl won the prize for his policy and data analysis on pandemic-related economic topics such as coronavirus precautions, tolls and trends, vaccination development and distribution, unemployment, as well as local, national, and worldwide financial impacts.

“Part of what motivated me was simply to understand the pandemic better myself, and I was glad to help others navigate the same questions that I had about the state of the world,” said Dr. Horpedahl.

Horpedahl was also a co-recipient of another award from the Mercatus Center for the blog EconomistWritingEveryDay.com, where he is a weekly contributor.

“Dr. Horpedahl’s efforts to communicate complex topics in a more approachable way has helped inform and educate others about economic policy. This is important work during an already confusing and stressful time, and we are proud of his effort and impact,” added Dr. Michael Hargis, Dean of the UCA College of Business. [Read more…]

Posted in: COB News on June 15, 2021 Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

UCA College of Business Names 2020-2021 Outstanding Students

On April 8, 2021, the UCA College of Business held its annual Student Honors Banquet to celebrate the academic achievements of the College’s students and recognize the outstanding students for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Outstanding students are those who take advantage of educational opportunities and show exemplary academic performance through internships, professional development and experiential education, volunteerism, and participation in clubs and activities.

The following students were awarded an outstanding status, chosen from over 1600 undergraduate and graduate students: [Read more…]

Posted in: COB News on June 3, 2021 Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UCA MBA Program Named to Princeton Review’s Best Business Schools List

The University of Central Arkansas’ Master in Business Administration program was named to The Princeton Review’s Best Business Schools list of Best On-Campus MBA programs.

The list recognized the top 244 on-campus MBA programs around the country and was based on survey data from more than 17,800 students and school administrators.

“What makes our Best Business Schools list unique is that we factor in data from our surveys of students attending the schools about their campus and classroom experiences,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of ­The Princeton Review.

Student respondents identified cost, diversity, high academic standards, job prospects upon graduation and accessible, knowledgeable faculty as attributes that separated the UCA MBA program from others.

“It has been our goal over the last few years to grow our program and provide a high-quality, affordable and flexible graduate program that our students could use to advance their careers,” said Mark McMurtrey, Ph.D., director of the UCA MBA program. “Our continued inclusion in this ranking of top MBA programs in the country shows our students find value in our program and the concentrations we now offer.”

The UCA MBA program has more than 150 students — up from 89 in 2016 — and offers concentrations in finance, health care administration and information management, as well as an option to embed a graduate certificate in data analytics. It is accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Posted in: COB News on December 11, 2020 Tagged: , , , , , , ,