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RECENT GRAD
Divya Lal
Divya Lal’s graduation came down to one thing: a promise she made as an incoming freshman.
A Dallas native, Lal was on the verge of dropping out of high school when she was 16. While she’d always been a good student, she felt out of place and struggled to see a future for herself. That hopelessness is a stark contrast to the woman she has become: a Terry Foundation Scholar with plans for graduate school.
Lal graduated last month with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a minor in Economics and Business Analytics. In her time at UNT, she completed two marketing internships and participated in an undergraduate research fellowship. She was also a study abroad ambassador and graduated with more than 100 hours of volunteer work under her belt. She also served as the president of the Terry Scholars of North Texas and was an officer in the organization all four years.
“I’ve been involved in the Terry Scholars of North Texas since I was a freshman,” she says. “Unlike other scholarships that just give a financial award, the Terry Foundation provides UNT Terry Scholars with a sense of community. Most of my closest friends I’ve made at UNT are through Terry.”
Lal is a strong student leader with a passion for giving back and inspiring others. As her parents focused on keeping a then-sophomore in high school, they enrolled Lal at a local community college as a full-time dual credit student when she was a high school junior. This reacquainted her with a love of learning.
She devoted herself to doing her best and improving all aspects of her life. However, as she entered her senior year, self-doubt returned. She was interested in pharmacology, but found she lacked the passion for it.
“With college applications rolling around, I began to fear that everything I was doing wasn’t enough,” she said. “With no clue as to what I was going to do in college, I felt more lost than ever.”
Lal had made at least one smart move — surrounding herself with mentors. One encouraged her to take personality-based career quizzes online, and each showed the same result: Marketing.
Around the same time, her mother — a community college professor — encouraged her to apply for the Terry Foundation Scholarship, which fully funds four years of school at a public university in Texas. With encouragement from her mother and that same mentor, Lal submitted her application.
“I remember my absolute shock of being granted an interview and how that alone gave me so much of my confidence back,” she said. “After the interview, the Terry Foundation named me a recipient of the scholarship and I promised I would make the most out of my four years at UNT.”
It’s a promise she’s more than made good on.
READ MORE...
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Published by UNT UBSC, May 2023
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RECENT GRAD
Elandra Collins
If there is one word that Elandra Collins would use to describe her life, it’s “blessed.” And paying those blessings forward brings her the greatest joy.
“My parents didn’t have the opportunity to attend a four-year university, but being a first-generation college student allowed me to learn much from this experience that I will pass down,” says Collins, who grew up in Houston as the youngest of five siblings. “The most important lesson I learned from my family is hard work pays off and to stay motivated through every season. My family was very supportive of my interests and raised me in a structured household with a focus on excelling in school.”
She was expected to go to college, and she says she chose UNT as a way to experience a new city outside of Houston.
“I took a leap of independence away from family. I knew UNT had many opportunities, because a close family friend had gone to UNT and encouraged me to attend,” Collins explains.
UNT turned out to be a great experience for Collins, and on May 12, she graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Integrated Studies with concentrations in Accounting and Finance. She hopes to use what she’s learned at UNT to help underprivileged areas by teaching people financial literacy to ultimately help them build generational wealth.
“I’ve been very involved in campus organizations — it was my mission to leave my mark at UNT,” she says.
She was the Black Student Union’s chief financial officer, a business ambassador for the G. Brint Ryan College of Business, and an active member of Christian Students at UNT. She also served as secretary for the UNT chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants and mentored Honors College students.
“No matter who you are, there’s at least one thing on campus that will interest you,” she says.
For two years, she’s worked in the Student Money Management Center (SMMC), most recently as a senior money mentor. This experience is one that blessed her the most, and it is one that she feels passionate about.
“It’s important to help students learn to make good money choices because so many of the choices we make right now will have a big impact on our future. We must be wise and intentional in the decisions we make,” she says. “When I help a student who is struggling financially, it warms my heart to find the resources available to assist them.”
It’s not just helping students at the center that brings her blessings — it’s also the people she works with.
“My colleagues make it fun to cultivate a community — we are truly like a family. All of the directors at the SMMC have helped me succeed personally and professionally.”
Her time at UNT has helped her to grow in ways she hadn’t considered before arriving.
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Published by UNT UBSC, May 2023
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The University of North Texas hosted its first official UNT Giving Day last month, featuring 1,890 minutes to make an impact. The campaign was a large success with 913 donors coming together to contribute a total of $602,135 in support of our students, faculty, and programs--and more than 25% of all donations made were toward the G. Brint Ryan College of Business.
Your generosity brought us to the top of the leaderboards. Thank you for making the campaign a success, and for your ongoing investments in the future of our business students. View the infographic below to see how Giving Day made a difference for our college.
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UNT receives $1 million to lead network of regional organizations selected for initial NSF Engines Development Award
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The University of North Texas, along with a network of 29 other participating organizations in North Central Texas and Southeastern Oklahoma, has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program.
The UNT-led team, called the Texoma Innovation Engine (TIE), is among more than 40 unique teams from across the nation selected to receive one of the first-ever NSF Engines Development Awards, which aim to help partners collaborate to create economic, societal and technological opportunities for their regions.
Faculty in UNT’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business and College of Engineering, as well as representatives from other area organizations, will work together to advance the logistics industry as an economic driver in the Texoma Region by supporting use-inspired research, logistics innovation and expediting laboratory-to-market technology transfer.
“As the largest inland port and one of the most significant bottlenecks in our nation’s freight system, the Texoma Region needs transformative change in logistics innovation to ensure long-term resiliency and agility for the global supply chains connecting to companies in the region,” said Terry Pohlen, director of UNT’s Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research, co-director of UNT’s Center for Integrated Intelligent Mobility Systems and principal investigator for the NSF Engines Development Award.
The joint project is expected to move the region’s workforce and mobility systems forward.
READ MORE...
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Published by UNT News, May 2023
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Senior lands top-three spot in national insurance competition
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Amatullah Hussain, senior psychology and integrative studies major, took home third place in the national Wholesale and Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) Video Contest.
Addressing the topic of social media and its impact on insurance, the contest implored students to develop a 3-minute video to discuss how social media has influenced the industry.
Hussain's winning entry captivated the judges by exploring the various ways in which social media has positively influenced the insurance industry, such as enhancing customer engagement, increasing brand awareness, streamlining claims processing and introducing customer-centric products. However, the video also delved into the risks associated with social media, including fraud, scams, misinformation and security breaches. It concluded with a powerful message advocating for striking the right balance between leveraging the benefits of social media and mitigating its potential drawbacks.
Hussain’s thought-provoking video left a lasting impression and earned her a $1,000 cash prize.
Graduating in December, Hussain credits Dr. Yu-luen Ma for bringing the WSIA contest to her attention and encouraging her to submit an entry.
“Dr. Ma, who was my professor for RMIN 2500, is the one who encouraged me to participate and guided me throughout,” Hussain gratefully acknowledged. “I would not have known about this competition nor would I have participated if it wasn't for her. All of this would not have been possible without her guidance, feedback and support.”
“This is the first competition I have won at UNT and it makes me proud,” continued Hussain. “This was also an inter-collegiate competition, and ending up in the top three just feels great.”
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Professor's research deepens understanding of effective information security strategies
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Research conducted by Professor Obi Ogbanufe and co-authors Rob Crossler (Washington State University) and David Biros (Oklahoma State University) was recently published in the Report on Patient Privacy, a monthly publication dedicated to distributing information pertinent to issues related to patient privacy compliance, organizational security, and HIPAA.
The paper, titled "The Valued Coexistence of Protection Motivation and Stewardship in Information Security Behaviors," explores the dynamic between cybersecurity behaviors and a changing work environment.
To deepen her understanding of this relationship, Ogbanufe examined stewardship theory and protection motivation theory as they relate to encouraging security compliance behaviors.
“Stewardship is reciprocal and focuses on protecting the organization's interest, while expecting the organization to support the employees’ interests. In contrast, protection motivation is about fear-based motivation,” explained Ogbanufe.
The findings indicate that while fear-based motivation had a greater influence, both protection motivation and stewardship theories worked in tandem to shape secure behaviors.
“It was especially interesting that individuals were more likely to violate security policies when they felt they were under surveillance,” said Ogbanufe.
The insights gained from this research provide practical implications for practitioners to consider, while also advancing the understanding of effective strategies for promoting information security in a changing work landscape.
This publication represents Professor Ogbanufe and her co-authors’ second paper on the topic of stewardship of information security, and they are committed to further investigating this phenomenon in the future.
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College hosts 31 universities during annual logistics symposium
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The G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas (UNT) recently hosted the 18th Annual Logistics Doctoral Symposium. This esteemed event, which started at the University of Oklahoma in 2005, has grown into a renowned platform for faculty and doctoral students to share knowledge, discuss research, provide career advice, and foster valuable networking opportunities.
The symposium proved to be a resounding success. With a focus on creating a unifying platform for faculty and students, it drew the participation of 150 individuals from 31 universities, including three international institutions. Faculty members and doctoral students from various prestigious universities attended, including four of the top five universities in the Gartner Top U.S. Supply Chain Graduate University Programs Ranking (UNT is currently ranked 6th).
“As the UNT Logistics and Supply Chain Management Program continues to strive for preeminence, successfully hosting events like this symposium, which was attended by peer and aspirant programs, eminent scholars, and emerging scholars, is key to our future,” explained Logistics Professor and Program Chair Brian Sauser.
Hosting this event is a recognition of respect and admiration amongst peer and aspirant universities. The successful execution of the symposium further enhances UNT's reputation and fosters relationships with renowned scholars and emerging talents in the logistics field.
With the Logistics Doctoral Symposium serving as a testament to UNT's dedication and excellence, the university is poised to make significant strides in advancing research, academic collaboration, and the overall growth of the logistics field.
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Westheimer Competition awards more than $6,000 to business students
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Twenty-two teams competed to win a grand prize of $3,000 as part of the inaugural Westheimer Competition.
In collaboration with Bruzzy Westheimer, 1965 UNT graduate and longtime supporter of the university, the Westheimer Competition gave teams of three UNT G. Brint Ryan College of Business students the opportunity to address an important business-related question.
To enter the competition, teams were required to select a pre-determined competition question and submit an outline of a presentation that addresses their selected topic. All submissions were then reviewed, and ten teams were selected to compete in the final evaluation round where they pitched their presentation to a panel of judges.
On Saturday, April 8, the ten finalist groups presented their ideas to the judges, including respected profesisonals Scott Henley, Carl Gibson, Vance Winningham, and Keith King, as well as faculty Kelly Mitchell, Jon McCarry and Tammy Vanderleest.
Austin Viken, Rimsa Upreti and Thanh Cong Vu (pictured left to right) took home first place and the grand prize of $3,000 with their presentation addressing the question: “How has the trend of remote work affected the workplace, and what are the benefits and impediments it creates for companies?”
Pemberai Mafi, Francois Ndjountche and Adedayo Adeyeye came in second, bringing home $2,250, and Regan Weaver, Zachary Sullivan and Christopher Mahoney earned third place and $1,500.
The competition served as a way for students to hone their communication skills so that they can be better prepared to make an impact, both in and out of the classroom.
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PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES AT THE RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
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THE WILSON JONES ENDOWMENT FOR RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS CAREER SUPPORT SERVICES
Alumnus Wilson Jones (’85) and his wife, Jane, donated $5 million to the college in 2022 to create a new career center in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. This generous gift will not only go towards the build out of a space that will serve to better prepare students for successful careers, but it will also fund the hiring of new staff and resources to support the college's growing student body. Working in conjunction with this gift, the Wilson Jones Endowment for Ryan College of Business Career Support Services will provide additional assistance to reach these goals and support services that promote career readiness.
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G. BRINT RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT FUND
Frank Dudowicz was an ardent supporter of the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. Before he passed away on May 1, 2022, one of his final requests was to have memorials be made to the Ryan College of Business Communications Support Fund, a testament to his ongoing efforts to be a positive force in the UNT community. Donations made to the Communications Support Fund aid Dudowicz’s most recent board efforts to increase brand awareness for the Ryan College of Business. Click here to honor Frank's memory with a gift. |
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