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STUDENT
Andrew Mills
For many, sports are a passion that never leave the bounds of their TV (or their academic athletic careers), but for others, like Andrew Mills, they turn that passion into their livelihood.
Mills had always been a sports fanatic, whether he was physically at the games, watching them on TV, or playing on the field himself--but when he graduated high school and went through two years of community college, he was unsure of his next steps. That’s when he found UNT’s sport entertainment management program.
“Little did I know that critical decision would lead me to where I am today and shape the career I want to go into,” said Mills.
Currently a senior set to graduate in the spring, Mills has taken his sport entertainment management classes and turned them into lessons and advice to jump start his career in sports. Now juggling being a full-time student and two internships with professional sports teams, he says that his work-life balance isn’t really stressful at all.
“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard is when you do what you love it's not really a work-life balance, it's all just life,” said Mills.
Mills is a merchandising intern for the Allen Americans, a professional ice hockey team currently playing in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). He works in the team store doing inventory, setting up the store, and working the register on game days to help fans. While he says merchandising is not what he wants to do in the long run, it helped him get his foot in the door with his first internship in sports. It also showed him the different areas he could work in, what a day-to-day life looks like in certain roles, and the kind of atmosphere he wants a future in.
“The Allen Americans has an amazing culture, and has given me direction in my professional career,” said Mills.
Mills said that Jonny Mydra, president of the Allen Americans, is a big reason for the culture being what it is, and is somebody he admires in the sports industry.
Mills is also a game day operations intern at the Texas Legends, a professional basketball team in the NBA G League, based in Frisco, TX. He helps get the arena ready prior to game days and assists wherever he is needed during the game.
For Mills, both of these internships are stepping stones for his career in sports--but it was Professor Destiny Price's talent management class that really solidified his desire to pursue sports management.
“It got me fired up and made me realize that this is an industry that I can go the extra mile and excel and succeed at,” said Mills.
He said that Professor Price really hammered home what it takes to get into the sports industry and how to go above and beyond.
“She helped in not only developing me and my mindset as a professional, but learning the industry and how I can succeed in it.”
Mills was also recently encouraged by Professor Bob Heere to enter the NCSAC Sports Analytics Competition. He was given a giant data set of ticket sales and had to analyze it and create a presentation with suggestions based on the results. Competing against schools from across the nation, Mills ended up making it to the semifinals.
In fact, Mills said all of his classes in the sport entertainment management program have not only been fun, but enriching and enlightening as well.
“Everybody in that department gives you every opportunity to exceed and go above and beyond what you can even imagine. They’re all so infectiously passionate about what they do,” said Mills.
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STUDENT
Michelle Grisham-Wallace
Michelle Grisham-Wallace believes that a successful HR professional puts the “Human” in “Human Resources,'' and both her academic and career accomplishments are clear proof of this philosophy.
She began her journey at UNT as an accounting major, but while enrolled in a technical writing class she discovered the efficacy behind concise, positive writing. This skill came in handy years later both in her HR career while communicating with employees, and in advice to her five-year-old son: “Your words have power."
Grisham-Wallace praises her UNT professors’ ability to respect her obligations while motivating her to reach her fullest potential. While projects like public-speaking presentations or collaborative team projects have proved the most challenging, they are also the most rewarding and reflect skill sets found in professional settings. Grisham-Wallace advises other HR students to push past the discomfort and develop these skills in a safe environment: the classroom.
In Grisham-Wallace's experience, the most rewarding part about working in HR is helping people. She strives to actively combat the negative connotations around HR by treating her employees with empathy, and making HR a place her employees want to come to, instead of a place they must go. By acknowledging their issue, validating their feelings, sharing her resolve to find a solution, and making sure to follow up throughout the process, Grisham-Wallace effectively takes ownership of a problem. She promotes an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions and reaching out for help, understanding that it is common for employees to be overwhelmed with the complexities of compensation and benefits. For example, when an employee has concerns about health insurance coverage, instead of simply giving them a phone number to call, she finds the answer herself and seeks out savings programs to lower their prescription fees. She genuinely loves learning what is covered, how it is covered, and how to find the cheapest, most beneficial combination for her employees and their families. This additional effort has inspired gratitude among her employees, as they have more important things to do than to wait on their phones fighting over medical claims.
As a first-generation, non-traditional college student, Grisham-Wallace finds great pride in finishing her degree at UNT with Dean’s and President’s List placements, as well as Latin Honors. She is also honored to be awarded the HR Excellence scholarship by Fort Worth HR– she attended an “Autumn Soiree” at The Reata, where she was honored in front of Fort Worth HR’s members with an acrylic award and a $500 check. Grisham-Wallace holds a unique perspective and encourages other non-traditional students to pursue as much of the traditional college experience as possible. In the past, she frequently engaged in negative self-talk and was apprehensive about engaging in extracurriculars, but ultimately shifted her viewpoint from “No,” to “Why not?” This new mindset led Grisham-Wallace to join UNT SHRM where she met emerging HR professionals with bright futures-- and two advisors who earnestly supported her in 2022.
She also notes two other “Why not?” moments that changed her life for the better: although Grisham-Wallace initially hesitated to apply for the HR Excellence scholarship as a non-traditional student, she gathered the courage to request recommendation letters and submit an application. She also told herself not to run for office in UNT SHRM due to time constraints, but ultimately pushed past this uncertainty and now enjoys her new duties, challenges, and priorities as director of corporate relations. In this role, Grisham-Wallace is responsible for coordinating guest speakers for meetings, and in doing so, she has made connections with senior HR professionals, honed her networking skills, and involved her family in community service opportunities.
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The Richard & Enika Schulze Family Foundation
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Business students at UNT are helping opera sing a different tune.
Thanks to a generous grant received by The Richard & Enika Schulze Family Foundation, UNT Director of Opera Programs Jonathon Eaton was gifted the funding to not only develop a new opera company where his students would be the main attraction, but to also deploy it regionally throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.
The catch? The grant required Eaton to work alongside UNT business students to formulate a comprehensive marketing strategy that would bring new life to the traveling opera.
Eager to partner on the endeavor, Dr. Rhonda Reger challenged her entrepreneurship students to serve as consultants for the project. In this role, they worked in teams to conduct market research and formulate business plans that could be successfully executed.
“It was really hands-on learning that could be applied to anything they do in life,” explained Reger.
The teams ultimately proposed innovative ways to attract a younger target market that addressed the industry’s declining audience numbers, while also proving to be a sustainable endeavor.
From interviewing potential customers and delving into the psychology of pricing options, to researching both traditional and non-traditional venue options, Reger’s class conducted extensive feasibility analyses that enabled them to propose invaluable ideas to both Eaton and the Schulze Family Foundation.
Some of those ideas included introducing multiple revenue streams to the business—including branded goods and concessions—as well as performing the opera in different languages to draw in new audiences.
“The business students’ projects really helped to set a foundation for the new company's marketing strategy,” said Dexter Purnell, marketing professor at the Ryan College of Business.
READ MORE... |
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UNT risk management and insurance students honored as 2023 ABSIP scholars
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Rylie Mooney and Mason Parr have been recognized as 2023 Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program (ABSIP) scholars.
Mooney, a mathematics major with an actuarial science certificate and risk management and insurance minor, and Parr, a risk management and insurance major, were two of twenty students worldwide to be given this year’s ABSIP honor, which includes an all expenses paid trip to attend RISKWORLD 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Getting this prestigious award means a lot to my future career and personal achievement. Not only do I get to attend the RISKWORLD conference, but this honor shows the continuous support that I have from the industry as a student,” said Mooney. “It makes me excited and motivated to continue pursuing my goals of becoming an actuary.”
Sponsored by the Spencer Educational Foundation, the ABSIP annual award honors outstanding RMI students from around the globe and provides them with an opportunity to further their academic and career pursuits.
“As part of the program, we get to be paired up with a mentor to help us navigate the conference. I hope to meet a lot of people in the industry to improve my networking skills and learn about new topics relating to risk,” explained Mooney. “I think this is also a great way to speak to companies firsthand and learn about their culture as I start to search for future employers.”
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UNT places second in national logistics competition
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A team of four UNT students took home second place in the National Rams Operation Stimulus Supply Chain Case Competition in March. Team members included Yoseph Almetnawy, Jarius Cherry, Zachary Kvale and Regan Weaver.
Now in its 40th year, Operation Stimulus is the longest-running supply chain and logistics student case study in North America. Future supply chain leaders from the nation’s preeminent universities are invited to compete in solving a complex real-world problem. In round one, teams present their solutions before judges, who then send the top four scoring teams to round two. For round two, teams have 90 minutes to solve a complex twist to the problem and present a renewed solution.
This year’s round two competitors were UNT, University of Indiana, University of Arkansas and University of Oklahoma. Indiana won first place in a close call, with UNT only two points behind.
“While we would have preferred first place, it is sweet to have come in ahead of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Nationally, those two universities have been ranked number one and two, consecutively, in our field of study. UNT was ranked number one in Texas by Gartner’s Biennial Top 25 North American Supply Chain Undergraduate Program. Our aim is to move up in the National ratings,” said Weaver, logistics and supply chain management junior and president of the UNT Logistics and Supply Chain Management Student Business Organization.
Dr. Terrance L. Pohlen, senior associate dean and professor of logistics, was the team’s advisor with additional team support provided by Chris Peavy, director of Ryan College of Business programs and associate director for the Center for Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
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The People Center at UNT receives formal approval as academic center
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The People Center (TPC) at UNT has been formally approved as an academic center by the UNT Board of Regents.
“Formal approval as an academic center solidifies and sanctifies the efforts and activities that The People Center has and continues to engage in with regards to corporate outreach, student experience, and research,” said Julie Hancock, TPC director and associate professor at the Ryan College of Business. "This recognition by the university further enhances the legitimacy of The People Center and provides additional opportunities for growth in the coming years.”
TPC has provided an array of services to both students and key stakeholders in the greater community to help advance the practices of Human Resource Management. Receiving this formal recognition will help elevate the college, while also enabling it to expand its efforts to make an even greater impact.
“This approval offers UNT and the G. Brint Ryan College of Business a competitive advantage in the state of Texas where only one other R1 research institution (Texas A&M University) currently operates an HR Center,” said Hancock.
In addition to continuing to engage with industry and practitioners to advance research efforts, and hosting invaluable community events and workshops that count toward SHRM and HRCI continuing education credits, TPC will be incorporating a number of new student opportunities in the future.
From requiring internship experiences for all HR majors beginning Fall 2023, to allocating funding in support of student professional development opportunities—including fund allocation for SHRM professional certification exams, conference and HR competition travel, and financial awards for aiding deserving HR students in need.
“The People Center aims to bridge the gap between practice, student enrichment, and academic research,” explained Hancock.
With TPC formally added as a Center, the Ryan College of Business now officially hosts four separate Centers to help bridge gaps and bring greater opportunities to our students, faculty and industry partners.
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Business Conversations: Chat GPT
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Looking for something to listen to? The Ryan College of Business has released another episode of its Business Conversations podcast, featuring Jose Lineros.
Dr. Lineros, clinical assistant professor for UNT's Department of Accounting, joins the podcast to discuss the technology that is quite literally taking over today's conversations: Chat GPT.
Tune in to Business Conversations as we talk about the AI behind the name and what the future of education and industry might look like with Chat GPT in the conversation.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST...
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ACE camp returns to provide more soaring opportunities
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UNT and Tarrant Community College (TCC) are once again partnering up to deliver another soaring opportunity for high school students.
From June 12-16, the Aviation Career Education Academy (ACE), a five-day innovative summer camp, will give students the chance to explore career options in aviation and aerospace.
This fun, interactive aviation summer camp gives students awareness of aviation history, different career opportunities within aviation, preparation and planning a flight, the physics of flight, as well as the design and maintenance of aircraft.
It is an adventure where students use flight simulators and go on field trips to observe the various aspects of aviation careers at local aviation industries and airports. Participants will have many great opportunities, including a chance to fly in an airplane with the US Aviation Academy.
UNT offers the only four-year aviation logistics program in Texas, which was recently ranked first in the nation for median earnings for alumni after graduation by GradReports.com. The program aims to teach students how air transportation works, in conjunction with other modes of transportation, to help businesses manage their supply chain in the most cost- and time-effective manner. TCC also offers associate degrees and certificates in programs including professional pilot, airframe maintenance and electronics technology and aviation maintenance technology.
ACE Camp is for juniors, seniors and recent high school graduates, and will be hosted at TCC’s Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics, located at 2301 Horizon Dr. in Fort Worth. Registration is $375 per student.
REGISTER TODAY
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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.
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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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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PLP "25 IN A QUARTER" CAMPAIGN
UNT Professional Leadership Program (PLP) members, former members, and corporate partners and friends are invited to help develop the program's future leaders and their skills in servant leadership, stewardship, diversity and inclusion, ethical practice, problem solving, communications and teamwork.
As part of the inaugural "25 In a Quarter" Campaign, PLP will be setting out to raise $25,000 each fiscal quarter. To help kick off the campaign the PLP Board of Directors has pledged a generous “Leadership Gift” in the amount of $10,000. Now is your opportunity to support the PLP program and make an impact on the future of servant leadership. Click here to give today.
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