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ALUMNA
Michelle Green-Ford ('83)
Ever since she was a child, Michelle Green-Ford knew that she wanted to pursue a career in business.
Green-Ford was always around business owners in her community and had a sense that she wanted to go into the field.
That spark of interest led her to pursue her education at UNT and graduate with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Along with that, she also earned her MBA in 2017 from Amberton University in Frisco.
After more than 30 years of working in the business industry from running her own leadership development and training program to leading equity and diversity at JPS Health Network, Green-Ford is now taking on a new role. She was recently elected as the president and CEO of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, the first woman to hold that position.
"This position means everything," says Green-Ford. "As the first woman to uphold this title, I'm honored to serve in this expanding capacity and assist individuals within my community by helping their small businesses flourish."
Born and raised in Fort Worth, Green-Ford was interested in attending school close to home but she also wanted to experience typical college life. Along with having several friends from high school attending, Green-Ford had no doubts about pursuing her degree at UNT.
As a student, she was a member of the Epsilon Mu chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and she worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a receptionist.
"My favorite memories from UNT are living in the dorm, developing relationships and learning to study with others while supporting each other," Green-Ford says. "I learned the importance of partnership and never felt alone."
As a business major, she took communications courses that required a large number of presentations, which required that she stand up and speak in front of others. The skills from the program and the opportunities she acquired gave her the foundation she needed to be successful.
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Published by UNT North Texan, Spring 2022
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ALUMNUS
Blaine Whitmire ('08, '21 MBA)
Blaine Whitmire has been a sports fanatic from a young age.
As a Dallas native, he grew up a fan of every major sports team in the area, from the Dallas Cowboys to the Dallas Mavericks. He also participated in school athletics like track and field and baseball.
This interest drew him to pursuing it as a professional career.
"I have always had a passion for sports since I was a youngster, whether it was playing sports or spectating," Whitmire says. "I thought it would be a dream job to be able to work in the sports industry and not feel like an actual job to me."
Now he's living out his dream as the new Southwest Regional Director of Little League International.
Initially, UNT wasn't Whitmire's first choice. He transferred from the University of Texas at Dallas for a few different reasons.
"I chose to further my education at UNT because of the beautiful campus, the business programs they had to offer and the campus appeared to be more student friendly than the other campuses I had visited," Whitmire says. "The professors seemed to care about the students, as the relationships I have built made a strong impression on me."
While completing his education, he worked full-time as a detention supervisor for the Farmers Branch Police Department while helping to raise his young daughter.
In 2008, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship.
After receiving his bachelor's degree, Whitmire tried getting a job opportunity within the sports industry but didn't have any luck due to not having any prior experience. He went on to continue his position at the Farmers Branch Police Department.
It wasn't until a few years ago that UNT announced a graduate program where Whitmire could make his dream career into a reality. He decided to go forward and pursue a master's degree in sport entertainment management.
"Once I heard that UNT had just started the program, it gave me a real opportunity to be taken seriously by other industry professionals and allow me to get my foot in the door, so to speak," Whitmire says.
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Published by UNT North Texan, Spring 2022
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The University of North Texas (UNT) is celebrating a $1 million gift that will attract and retain distinguished faculty at the G. Brint Ryan College of Business.
Joseph (Joe) and Lillian Ethridge, graduates and ardent supporters of UNT, established the Lillian and Joseph A. Ethridge Professorship in Accounting—a transformative legacy to support prominent faculty and their work.
Joe Ethridge, who graduated from the Ryan College of Business in 1963 with a BBA in Accounting and in 1967 with an MBA in Finance, and Lillian Ethridge, who graduated from the College of Education in 1972, have illustrated their dedication and passion toward the university for decades. From volunteering their time and expertise as board members, to establishing the Teach North Texas Scholarship—The Lillian and Joseph A. Ethridge Professorship in Accounting is one further example of their generous commitment to their alma mater.
“The Ethridge Professorship demonstrates the strongest commitment on the part of Joe and Lillian Ethridge to UNT and its Department of Accounting,” said Dr. Ananth Seetharaman, Don and Donna Millican Chair in Accounting. “It allows us to reward a faculty member who has a sustained record of research excellence and incentivizes them to continue in that trajectory.”
Dr. Jesse Robertson was selected as the inaugural Ethridge Professor of Accounting because of his vast experience in research and teaching excellence. Robertson is a recipient of the Ryan College of Business Teaching Innovation Award and has contributed several publications to premier journals in the accounting field over the course of his tenure.
“It is a tremendous honor to be the inaugural holder of the Ethridge Professorship and be associated with the names of Joe and Lillian Ethridge, UNT alumni who have been extremely generous in their support of UNT and the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. I sincerely appreciate their generosity in creating this endowed position,” said Robertson.
The endowment will ultimately provide support in perpetuity for research and scholarly activities, administrative support and travel, as well as graduate and undergraduate research stipends—bringing national recognition to not just the accounting program, but the entire university.
“The Ethridge Professorship allows me to pursue additional opportunities that will improve the research reputation of UNT. These activities include submitting a paper for presentation at a prestigious, international conference and funding research as part of the Department of Accounting’s strategic objective of joint faculty/PhD student publications,” said Robertson.
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Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree to launch in Fall 2023
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The University of North Texas G. Brint Ryan College of Business is expanding educational opportunities for full-time business executives and managers to advance and enrich their careers.
Beginning Fall 2023, the college will offer the university’s first Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree—a terminal degree targeted toward working professionals that are passionate about business leadership and success.
Distinct from a PhD in Business, a DBA degree focuses on business practice and industry problems as opposed to pure theory. It provides the opportunity for an advanced professional to earn a credential that opens a door to teaching, consulting, or enhanced leadership skills while continuing their career. Professionals pursuing the degree will work towards solving a myriad of complex industry-relevant issues as a part of this program.
“We are excited to join the ranks of a select number of universities that offer this type of highly experiential and prestigious degree,” explained Audhesh Paswan, associate dean for academic affairs. “Immersing candidates in sound theory and industry-focused research problems will enable them to stand out in their field. The DBA degree will serve as a pipeline for business professionals to become future thought leaders in industry, as well as in academia.”
This 48 credit-hour program (which can be completed in three years) will be delivered in a blended format, with all face-to-face classes offered on weekends so candidates can earn their degree while simultaneously continuing to excel in their workplace.
“The DBA degree at UNT is designed for the industry professional who would like to become an expert in their domain,” said Paswan. “It will give business professionals a pathway to advance not only their career, but also the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in other areas such as strategic thinking, consulting and/or academia.”
The program will be hosted at UNT’s newest state-of-the-art facility in Frisco, Texas—perfectly situated to allow academia and industry to connect on new levels. Surrounded by dozens of corporate headquarters within the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area, it will build upon UNT’s already strong and influential corporate partnerships for added value and opportunities.
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UNT takes home top spots in national white paper contest
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Two UNT students have earned top spots in the Wholesale and Specialty Insurance Association’s (WSIA) nation-wide white paper contest.
Designed to increase education and awareness for wholesale insurance, the WSIA contest tasks students with addressing a modern issue in the insurance industry. Open to risk management and insurance, actuarial science, finance and business students, WSIA proposes three writing prompt topics to choose from: The Talent Crisis within the Insurance Industry, Rising Costs of Construction and Mergers & Acquisitions.
Enzo Terrell took home first place and $1,500 in the Mergers & Acquisitions category, while Rylie Mooney earned second place and a $1,000 cash prize in The Talent Crisis within the Insurance Industry category.
“My essay was about the talent crisis in the insurance industry right now, how that is affecting companies, and what they can do to attract new talent. My main points were how to appeal to young people through technology, why diversity and inclusion helps attract talent, and how companies are adapting to an ever-changing workplace,” said Mooney.
Both students are math majors, with minors in risk management and insurance, and both students chose to participate in the contest because they were enrolled in RMIN 2500 with Glen L. Taylor Professor of Insurance Dr. Yu-luen Ma.
“I worked on the essay with [Dr. Ma] throughout the semester, so I definitely credit her with helping me achieve this award,” said Mooney.
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Professor lands research in top finance journal
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Research coauthored by Professor Blair Marquardt has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Banking and Finance.
Her paper, titled “Blockholder Board Representation and Debt Contracting,” examines how debt financing is impacted by large shareholders that serve on company boards.
“Consequently, we find that borrowers who have large shareholders on their boards bear a lower cost of bank debt and fewer covenant restrictions on free cash flows, on average,” explained Marquardt. “The effect is increasing in the relative incentive alignment between the shareholder and lender. Thus, the shareholder-director serves like an extra source of monitoring of management, resulting in less expensive and restrictive borrower costs.”
Looking at the involvement of shareholders in companies’ management processes, and more specifically the impact that they have on debtholders, Marquardt was able to uncover that these important decision-makers are often found to be less risk-seeking than otherwise thought.
“I was surprised by the variation in large shareholders on the board. Early on, I thought this might just be a hedge fund paper. But it quickly became apparent that many other parties – other financial institutions, corporation, and individuals – take on board roles in their invested companies. Moreover, relatively few are interested in ousting the CEO or dramatically changing corporate strategy,” said Marquardt.
Marquardt’s research is based on her dissertation at Texas Tech.
“I believe it’s every PhD student’s dream to see their dissertation in print in a peer-reviewed journal, so I’m delighted to achieve that milestone.”
Widely regarded as one of the top 10 finance journals worldwide, landing a spot in the Journal of Banking and Finance will give Marquardt’s research a greater impact and reach. |
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Legacy lives on for ardent UNT supporter Frank Dudowicz
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Frank Dudowicz, devoted supporter of UNT and the G. Brint Ryan College of Business, passed away on Sunday May 1, 2022.
Dudowicz’s impressive resume included marketing and business development roles with companies such as Scott Paper Co., Campbell Soup Co. and Quaker State Motor Oil—in addition to his ownership of several Kwik Kar Auto Service locations in Denton and Aubrey, Texas.
As a member of the UNT Foundation Board of Directors and the Ryan College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board, Dudowicz dedicated much of his “time off” to supporting the efforts of the university and propelling students forward. He and his wife, Marta, established The Marta and Frank Dudowicz Endowed Scholarship in 2019 with the intent of developing a permanent tradition of empowerment and opportunity throughout the college. They were also founding members of the Diamond Eagles Society at UNT and ongoing supporters of UNT Athletics.
One of Dudowicz’s 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 of the Ryan College of Business.
Dudowicz will be greatly missed throughout the university, but his passion lives on through the many lives he supported, and continues to support.
To make a gift in Frank Dudowicz's honor, please click here.
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The G. Brint Ryan College of Business celebrates 75 years of business leadership excellence
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Celebrating 75 years of business leadership excellence, the G. Brint Ryan College of Business took a look back at the past academic year to see just how far it has come. From record-breaking enrollment and prestigious faculty hires, to innovative research and national rankings, this year prominently illustrated the business leadership that defines our college. We invite you to watch the latest highlight reel of the UNT Ryan College of Business by clicking on the image above.
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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 earlier this year 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.
G. BRINT RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DEAN'S EXCELLENCE FUND
The Dean’s Excellence Fund also 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 during this difficult time.
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