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RECENT GRAD
Erik Dominguez ('23)
Erik Dominguez has a deep appreciation for the value of opportunity.
As teenagers, Dominguez’s parents immigrated from Mexico to Fort Worth to provide a better life and more opportunities for Dominguez and his siblings. They taught him the value of hard work and responsibility.
“I've always been very grateful,” Dominguez says. “I go visit Mexico and see where my parents are from and it's very humbling.”
As a first-generation college student, he found his own path in accounting. Dominguez heard it was a versatile degree and he was confident he could excel in the courses. After conquering a daunting physics class in high school, he knew that something to do with mathematics was the right choice.
“The field is very secure,” Dominguez says. “You can do finance, banking or accounting, so I went with that.”
He came to UNT in 2019 and instantly noticed the diversity of the student population.
“You could actually walk around and see the diversity,” Dominguez says. “That lured me in. I felt like I would find more like-minded people and that I was in the right environment.”
Dominguez describes himself as a social person, but during his first year of college, he felt lost and isolated. He says he was able to find friends and people he could rely on by getting involved in student organizations.
He first joined the Accounting Scholars Program and then the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, later becoming Treasurer of his chapter. Dominguez found mentors who guided him throughout his classes and internships, and now he’s stepping into that role and mentoring newer members.
“Now that I’m a mentor, it’s nice to give back,” Dominguez says. “My mentors all helped me to get where I am now.”
As a master's student, he was a recipient of the prestigious Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) national scholarship and was designated as the PCAOB scholar for the 2022-23 academic year.
“I teared up a bit when I found out,” Dominguez says. “I didn't think I would even get nominated.”
He completed four internships, which he describes as “the Big Four.” He jumped around in taxes, auditing and consulting – all at top-ranking firms like Deloitte, Grant Thornton and KPMG, which led to a full-time job offer at KPMG as an audit associate.
“My main goal in college was to graduate with a full-time offer and with as little debt as possible,” Dominguez says. “I think this degree represents opportunity and growth.”
The same idea of opportunity that brought his parents to this country more than 30 years ago.
READ MORE...
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Published by Katie Neumann, UNT UBSC, 2023
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RECENT GRAD
Zoe Lewis ('23)
The youngest of ten athletic siblings, Zoe Lewis seemed destined for a career in sports, but it wasn’t always a sure thing.
“My senior year of high school I was set on going to college to become a dermatologist.”
Lewis' mom knew in her heart that dermatology wasn’t the right fit for her daughter though, and started to research other career options.
“My mom was like, ‘Zoe, no. That doesn’t fit you. That doesn’t fit your personality. You need to do something that’s fun.’”
After sitting down with her parents and doing research on careers in the sports industry, the field quickly became Lewis' passion. She would attend sporting events and see a professionally dressed woman walking around with her credentials and she told her mom “that’s going to be me someday.”
“That moment actually came full circle when she was able to see me on the field during the Thanksgiving game for the Dallas Cowboys, doing just that.” she says. “As you can imagine, it was very emotional.”
In high school in San Antonio, Lewis played volleyball and threw discus in track. Her dad was a coach and her mom was always involved in the family’s sports. It was her mom who put the idea in her head of a sports career.
Her mom found the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Sport Entertainment Management at UNT and immediately showed it to Lewis. Two weeks later, Lewis heard from the UNT track coach, Brenden Kelso, who mysteriously saw her high school volleyball film. Coach Kelso knew she threw discus, but from her volleyball highlights, he saw untapped potential for her to excel at javelin. Lewis set up a visit with UNT, her only track offer.
The transition from living at home to going to college and the stress of being an athlete wasn’t easy her freshman year and took a toll on her mental health.
“I’m a bubbly person, but I got really depressed to the point where I wasn’t making friends or hanging out. I wouldn’t talk to anybody, and my mom would come up because I was crying and just not acting like myself.”
She took advantage of different resources, including therapy, and started focusing on a vision board she’d made during move-in day that year.
“I wrote on this board that I would graduate with my bachelor’s degree in three years and my master’s in four. It took that, some therapy and my mom’s support and love to get my mind on the right track and focused on my goal. The board was a constant reminder to me.”
READ MORE...
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Published by Christiana Flores, UNT UBSC, 2023
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Family's extended support boosts HR internship opportunities at UNT
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Adrianne Court and her family have committed to supporting the next wave of business leaders at UNT through the college’s HR Internship Award Program.
Thanks to their initial generosity in 2022, the family enabled one deserving student to receive internship credit towards their HR degree plan in Fall 2023. And now, that generosity and its impact have been multiplied with an additional investment in the program—helping to pave the way for the success of many more future HR professionals.
As a seasoned HR executive herself, Court recognizes the interconnected relationship between experienced professionals and those embarking on their careers.
“It is truly rewarding to be part of the educational and professional journey of the next generation of HR professionals. We believe in the importance of supporting internship programs as they play a pivotal role in shaping the future of aspiring professionals... We are proud to be a part of this community,” said Court.
After the Court’s family renewed their commitment this past month, two $1,000 HR Internship Awards will now be granted each semester to undergraduate students during the upcoming spring, summer, and fall semesters. This extended generosity translates into increased opportunities for aspiring HR professionals to acquire invaluable experience and knowledge, propelling them forward in their academic and professional pursuits.
Beyond financial contributions, Court’s wealth of knowledge and experience makes her an invaluable resource for students benefiting from the HR Internship Award.
Court’s distinguished career, adorned with executive roles and accolades, showcases her steadfast commitment to successfully shaping the HR industry. As the current chief HR officer at Tealium and a recognized top Chief Human Resource Officer, her influence has transformed organizations, earning them distinctions such as "Best Places to Work," "Best Places for Leadership" and "Best Workplace Cultures."
Her impact extends beyond her professional achievements, too. She actively contributes to numerous boards, serves as a sought-after speaker and discussion leader, and she is currently co-authoring two books, one exploring the transformative impact of corporate culture and the other providing a practical guide to combat loneliness. Additionally, her co-authorship of the best-selling books "Bravely She Flies" and "Bravely She Flies, Too" further solidifies her imprint on the world of HR and leadership.
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UNT programs align with Society for Human Resource Management Curriculum Guidebook and Templates
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As of November 29, 2023, the University of North Texas aligned its BBA in Human Resource Management and MBA in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. Throughout the world, over 500 programs in approximately 557 educational institutions have been acknowledged by SHRM as being in alignment with its suggested guides and templates.
The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines -- created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2022 -- are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in university business schools and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards.
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Family business researchers at UNT earn global recognition
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Family business researchers at the University of North Texas earned a global ranking of #26 out of 97 universities worldwide whose faculty published in the top three family business journals over the last five years.
The inaugural Texas State University Family Business Research Productivity Ranking aims to spotlight institutions and scholars leading the way in family business research. Rankings are determined by the cumulative number of articles published in the top three academic journals dedicated to family business research: Family Business Review, Journal of Family Business Strategy, and Journal of Family Business Management.
Ryan College of Business faculty contributed a total of five publications to these top journals, including research by Drs. Christopher Penney, Jeffrey Chandler, Danielle Cooper and Jeremy Short.
Penney, who co-authored three of the five publications referenced, was also highlighted as a top family business scholar in the annual Texas State University Family Business Research Productivity Ranking.
These rankings underscore the collective success of family business researchers at UNT.
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DBA gains national recognition in its inaugural year
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The University of North Texas secured a spot at #10 in the 2024 Best Online DBA Programs ranking by College Consensus. The ranking list combined information from four leading ranking systems: Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Financial Times and U.S. News and World Report, to identify the most outstanding programs in the field.
UNT shared the spotlight with esteemed institutions such as the University of Florida, University of Pittsburgh, Case Western Reserve University, University of Houston, Penn State and Pepperdine, to name a few.
UNT's DBA program, which welcomed its inaugural cohort in 2023 and offers a hybrid learning format, earned this ranking the same year it debuted, acknowledging the university's commitment to excellence and immediate impact on the field of business education.
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College recognized for efforts in student engagement and success
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The EDGE Program at the UNT Ryan College of Business was honored with the Suitable Spirit Award during the 2023 Pathways Student Success conference.
Suitable is a student engagement and success software, accessible through an app, designed to boost student participation. The Suitable Spirit Award recognizes colleges that use the app in ways that embody the values of teamwork, creativity, excellence, diversity, integrity, persistence and grit.
Launched in 2022, the Ryan College of Business' EDGE Program (Elevate, Distinguish, Guide, Equip) is powered by the Suitable app and is the only program at UNT to seamlessly integrate the software into its curriculum for fostering student success. Through EDGE, students can effortlessly discover and participate in activities within the college, earning points for engagement in events and accomplishments at various levels. The program actively encourages students to connect with peers, leverage campus resources, and promote personal and professional growth.
“As a college, our goal is to prepare students to be career-ready by developing competencies that are essential for success in the workplace. The Ryan College of Business EDGE Program, powered by the Suitable app, provides them 24/7 access to events and activities that help them build these competencies, all while providing gamification features and incentives to keep them motivated,” explained Christina Aguilar, director of Student Engagement and Recruitment for the college.
The program is built upon five foundational competencies: Career and Professional Development, Cultural Engagement and Community Building, Ethical and Social Responsibility, Leadership and Teamwork, and Student Success.
The college's overarching goal is for every business student to earn all five EDGE competencies by the time they graduate.
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Business Conversations: Engaging in the Metaverse
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UNT Ryan College of Business Assistant Professor James Parrish takes a dive into the Metaverse on the newest episode of Business Conversations.
Learn more about this new-age digital experience from a different perspective. From exploring psychological implications and the fear of missing out, to some surprising takeaways, Parrish uncovers the unanticipated risks and benefits of engaging in the Metaverse.
Tune in to hear what Parrish has to say and listen to other Business Conversations episodes for featured expert opinions on relevant news affecting today's business world.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST...
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PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES AT THE RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
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G. BRINT RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DEAN'S EXCELLENCE FUND
The Dean’s Excellence Fund provides immediate, essential support to our students. This fund serves as a vital resource to help our students and campus respond to opportunities and challenges as they occur. When you support the Dean’s Excellence Fund, you support the strategic vision of the college by allowing the Dean to have flexibility in directing the use of resources to the priorities of the college at any given time.
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THE JACK ROBASON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN ACCOUNTING
The Jack Robason Scholarship in Accounting provides awards to students pursuing a career in the accounting field so they can progress toward their degree without financial constraint. This scholarship is awarded to full-time accounting students in the Ryan College of Business in the Master’s program.
Thanks to a generous donation by UNT Alumnus Randy Robason, all gifts made to the Jack Robason scholarship will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $100,000.
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