growth. The company now employsapproximately 70 USI alumni. Morethan 60 of them are graduates of programsin the School of Business, makingKimball one of the largest employers of the school’s alumni.

Large employer of alumni offers opportunityfor individuals with what it takes to excel

Dr. Mohammed F. Khayum hasbeen named associate dean of theSchool of Business and director ofthe Master of Business Administra-tion program. The appointment waseffective January 5.

Dr. R. Eugene Klippel, dean ofthe School of Business, in announc-ing the appointment, said, “Dr.

Khayum has asense of institu-tional perspec-tive havingbeen at USI for the past 12years. He hasdemonstratedhis leadershipcapabilitiesthrough his

role as chair of the school facultyand most recently as chair of theDepartment of Economics andFinance. During this time he gainedextensive experience in mattersrelated to the attainment and nowmaintenance of accreditation byAACSB (Association to AdvanceCollegiate Schools of Business). In addition, Dr. Khayum has a firmunderstanding of the regional busi-ness community as a result of hiswork in the development of theEvansville Factbook and the Busi-ness Conditions and Outlook Sur-vey, both published by the Schoolof Business at USI.

Khayum joined USI as assistantprofessor in the Department of

Kimball International, Inc., a company with a long history in Jasper,Indiana, has grown into an internationalorganization with nearly 9,000 employeeswith operations in 14 U.S. states, Poland,Mexico, Thailand, and China.Through the years the company hascounted on University of SouthernIndiana graduates to be a part of its

Mohammed Khayumnamed associate dean,director of MBA program

See Khayum, page 5

VOL 23, WINTER 2004

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H E R N I N D I A N A

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS REPORTS

Students in the School of Businessknow what it takes to start or expand asmall business, thanks to a service-learning project that gives them expe-rience in helping small-business own-ers or would-be owners develop busi-ness plans.

Students Andrea and Erin Millerare working on a plan for a businessinvolving restaurant equipment andsupplies. They focused primarily on the financial part of the plan, putting

start-up expenses and expected rev-enue figures into financial statements.

“It has been a very challengingproject. We had a difficult time findingthe proper sales figures because therewas limited information for the indus-try,” the twin sisters said.

“Overall, we have learned that ittakes a lot of hard work to start a new

See Business plans, page 5

Students face real-world scenario developingbusiness plans for service-learning project

Khayum

More than 60 School of Business graduates put their knowledge and skills to work forKimball International, Inc., based in Jasper, Indiana.

See Employer, page 6

2 University of Southern Indiana School of Business

As this is my first “Dean’s Letter”since assuming the position, I wish toacknowledge the efforts of the school’smany stakeholders who have assisted in transition. In particular, I want torecognize Dean Emeritus Phil Fisher for his efforts in making this transfer ofresponsibility a pleasant and, I believe,successful endeavor.

As I have mentioned on numerousoccasions, a key factor in seeking thisdeanship was the willingness by allinvolved with USI and the School ofBusiness to embrace change in pursuitof excellence. Every effort will be madeto foster this perspective and continuewhat has obviously become a traditionat USI. I believe the series of articlespresented in this issue of the School ofBusiness Reports effectively chroniclesthe many pursuits of our school insupport of this goal. For example, theprofile of new faculty hires presented in this report clearly demonstrates theSchool’s quest for excellence.

Demonstrated excellence comes in many forms and dimensions. Theschool is fortunate to have industry

leaders who arewilling to serveas role modelsfor our students.The School ofBusiness Reportshighlights thisyear’s Execu-tive-In-Residence, Charles D. Storms.He is chairman, president, and CEO ofRed Spot Paint and Varnish Co. Inc., aglobal leader in the production of high-performance coatings for automotiveplastics. Mr. Storms conducted severalmeetings with our students and offeredhis thoughts on the importance ofinnovation, resiliency, and managingchange within the context of a vision.Over 600 USI students participated inthis all-day event.

In a normative sense, organization-al leadership roles and leaders change.So, too, it is with the School of Busi-ness. With this in mind, I am pleasedto report the appointment of Dr. Moham-med Khayum as the new associate deanand director of the MBA programeffective January 5. Other changes

Klippel

Dean’s letter

School continues to pursue tradition of excellence

By R. Eugene Klippel

Positive attitude toward change, inputfrom stakeholders moves school forward

include the appointments of two newdepartment chairs, Dr. Sang Choe,Department of Management and Marketing, and Dr. Jong Rhim, Department of Economics andFinance. All three are very capableindividuals who will bring outstandingleadership to the School of Business.

While we will continue to bringyou highlights of all major events inthe life of the school, I would like theSchool of Business Reports to focus onthe professional activities and successesof our students and alumni. Towardthis end a number of students andalumni-based articles will be featured.Of particular note in this issue are themany success stories reported by ouralumni working at Kimball Interna-tional, Inc., a key employer of Schoolof Business students. Such accountsonly serve to reinforce the benefits thatcan be attained through the partneringof academia and industry.

As another means to promotecontinuous improvement, I invite andencourage your thoughts and com-ments regarding the School of Busi-ness. With your assistance the Schoolof Business will build upon its finetradition of excellence.

I look forward to working with youin the years ahead.

A company that organized 100 years ago in Evansville to sell paint at thewholesale and retail levels is now an industry leader in developing and marketingspecialized paints and coatings used throughout the world. The chairman, president,and CEO of Red Spot Paint and Varnish Co. Inc. told School of Business facultyand students that innovation, resiliency, and vision have enabled the company tosurvive and thrive in a changing marketplace. Charles D. Storms presented theSchool of Business Executive-in-Residence program November 19.

Red Spot is recognized as the leader in the production of high-performancecoatings for automotive plastics. Its products are used on a wide variety of interiorand exterior automotive parts. From a company that first advertised its productsregionally with signs painted on barns to a company that now does over $100 mil-lion in sales a year, Red Spot has continued to reinvent itself. Storms said the com-pany invests heavily in research “because we want to be the first to market.”

Red Spot chairman credits innovation, resiliency, and vision for 100 years of operation

Charles Storms talked with both large and small groups of students and faculty as Execu-tive-in-Residence. The annual School of Business program brings a senior executive tocampus for a day of presentations.E

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Winter 2004 3

The School of Business welcomedseven faculty members to its roster infall semester.

• Richard “Scott” Anderson,instructor in computer science, isknown in Evansville for his work inrenovation of historic properties. His company AREM Corporation didpreservation work on the Old Jail, OldPost Office Place, General Cigar Build-ing, Old Eagles Home Building, CurtisBuilding, and the Citizens InsuranceBuilding. Anderson is a former ownerof Anderson BDG Corporation, whichprovided point-of-sale computer systemsfor automotive repair facilities. He alsohas worked as an assistant professor atUniversity of Evansville and as a teamleader at Hughes Aircraft Company inFullerton, California. He holds a B.S.in computer science from WesternKentucky University and an M.S. incomputer science from University ofSouthern California.

• Michael Hartmann ’99, instructorin finance, completed two internshipsat BDO Deutschewarentreuhand AGin Cologne, Germany. Responsibilitiesincluded translation of financialaccounting documents from Germaninto English, duties in informationtechnology, the audit of a Chineseimport-export company doing businessin Cologne, and development of abusiness plan for an Internet-basedhealth-care referral company. He alsohas served as an adjunct faculty mem-ber in economics and finance at USI.Hartmann earned a B.A. in businessadministration at USI and completedan M.B.A. in international business at

School of Business briefs

School welcomes seven to faculty

also in India. Her research interestsinclude health economics, labor eco-nomics, public policy, and appliedeconometrics. In 1999-2000, she servedas a research associate in a project toestimate costs for outpatient alcoholand substance abuse clinics in NewYork. The study was conducted by theResearch Foundation for MentalHygiene in Albany.

• Dr. Stephen B. Shanklin ofMartin, Tennessee, is visiting assistantprofessor of accounting. He previouslyworked as a visiting professor ofaccounting and international businessat University of Tennessee at Martin,assistant professor of accounting atLambuth University in Tennessee,adjunct instructor of accounting atWashington University-St. Louis, andadjunct instructor of accounting at St.Louis University, where he earned aPh.D. He also holds an M.B.A. andB.S. from University of Tennessee anda B.S.B.A. from Murray State Univer-sity. Shanklin was named LambuthUniversity’s Educator of the Year in2002 and received the University ofTennessee at Martin School of BusinessOutstanding Teacher Award in 2003.He is a member of the American Insti-tute of Certified Public Accountants,the Tennessee Society of CPAs, andthe West Tennessee Society of CPAs.

• Jason D. Tanner, instructor inbusiness communications, previouslyworked at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale as recruitment coordinator

Tanner

University of Memphis in 2002. He lives in Mount Vernon, Indiana.Hartmann, a leader in Boy Scouts ofAmerica, also is a member of KPE, ascouting organization in Germany.

• Ashraf Khallaf, instructor inaccounting, previously worked as anadjunct accounting instructor at AssiutUniversity in Egypt, his native country.He anticipates receiving later this yeara Ph.D. from Florida Atlantic University,where he taught a variety of accountingsubjects while pursuing the degree.Khallaf holds an M.S. in accountingfrom Assiut University. He attendedthe Ph.D. Students Consortium inLake Tahoe, California, and is a member of the American AccountingAssociation.

• Nancy Kovanic, visiting profes-sor of management, previously was leadconsultant for the organizational andprofessional development team of USIExtended Services. Associated withUSI since 1997, she has taught as anadjunct faculty member for the Schoolof Business and for USI’s master’s pro-gram in industrial management.Kovanic earned a bachelor’s degreefrom Indiana State University in 1983,a master’s from Eastern Illinois Univer-sity in 1991, and a doctorate from University of Illinois in 1997.

• Dr. Anusuya Roy, assistant pro-fessor of economics, previously workedas a lecturer at State University of NewYork-Albany, where she completed anM.A. in 2001 and a Ph.D. in 2003. She also has earned an M.A. fromDelhi School of Economics in Indiaand a B.A. from Jadavpur University,

ShanklinRoyKovanicKhallafHartmannAnderson

See Faculty, page 4

4 University of Southern Indiana School of Business

Brian Chattin '96, a former USI Presidential Scholar and School of Business graduate,is the assistant director of player development for the World Series Champion FloridaMarlins and traveled with the team during the 2003 post season. In the photo, he is standing on the field at Yankee Stadium before the deciding Game 6 of the World Series.

A recent School of Businessgraduate was a management traineewith the Enterprise Rent-A-Carcompany in the St. Louis area beforelearning about an opening for assis-tant women’s basketball coach withthe Screaming Eagles.

Former USI women’s basketballplayer Casey Nations ’02, who earneda bachelor’s degree in businessadministration, has been named anassistant to Rick Stein ’92, headcoach forwomen’s basket-ball and also aSchool of Busi-ness graduate.

Nations saidshe had notthought about acareer in coach-ing until shelearned about the opening. “I had somany fond memories of playing bas-ketball here and my time here thatwhen the opportunity came open,

it was something I wanted to do.”Her School of Business educa-

tion is important as a member of thecoaching staff. “I’m definitely usingthe skills that I learned in school andin management training. The job isvery task-oriented and there’s a lot todo. Time management definitelycomes into play.”

As a former post player, Nationsfocuses on post play as one of hercoaching duties.

As a player, Nations helped USIto the 2001 NCAA Division II EliteEight, a GLVC regular-season andtournament championship, and a 28-4 record. She played in 31 gamesduring her senior season, averaging4.3 points and 4.8 rebounds pergame. Nations played basketball atBelleville Area College in Illinois,averaging 11.0 points and 9.5rebounds as a sophomore. She thenspent a season at the University ofNew Mexico before joining the Eagles.

Alumna Casey Nations named assistant coach

Nations

Business graduate works for World Series winner

for the College of Mass Communica-tion and Media Arts and as a graduateassistant for the Department of Work-force Education and Development. Heearned bachelor’s and master’s degreesin education at SIU-Carbondale,where his master’s degree researchproject dealt with the importance of e-mail instruction in high schools.Tanner is a member of the SouthernIllinois Business Education Associa-tion, the Illinois Business EducationAssociation, National Business EducationAssociation, Delta Pi Epsilon, and theAssociation for Career and TechnicalEducation. He is a resident of Marion,Illinois.

FacultyContinued from page 3

James Bush, a School of Businessstudent majoring in management, hasbeen honored by Northwestern MutualFinancial Network as one of 50 topinterns from a field of 1,000. The com-pany saluted his performance by pictur-ing him in an advertisement in theOctober 13 issue of TIME magazinewhich was distributed in the Louisville,Kentucky, area where Bush completedthe internship in summer 2003.

Bush also received a congratulatoryletter from Edward J. Zore, presidentand CEO of the company. “Your perfor-mance means you ranked among thetop five percent in the entire program,”he said.

Northwestern’s internship programhas been ranked by the PrincetonReview as one of the top 10 in thecountry. Bush interned with theWoody Financial Group in Louisvilleduring May through August. His dutiesincluded selling insurance, mutualfunds, and long-term care policies.“They start you out doing joint workwith veteran staff members,” he said.

Bush’s area of interest is humanresources. He has a minor in marketing.

James Bush commendedin TIME for performancein Top-10 internship

Winter 2004 5

Economics and Finance in 1991 andwas promoted to associate professor in1995. He was named professor in 2001and has served as chair of the Depart-ment of Economics and Finance sincethat time.

From the perspective of associatedean, Khayum said that one objectiveof the school is to prepare students to

address issues “at the intersection ofbusiness and society.” These includeissues of recent interest such as ethicalbusiness practices, accountability, effec-tive leadership, and adjusting to globalcompetition. Other goals include con-tinuing to adapt to changes in technol-ogy to improve teaching and learningand preparing the school to confrontfuture challenges.

Khayum earned three degrees ineconomics — a bachelor’s from Uni-versity of Guyana and a master’s anddoctorate from Temple University. His research interests include input-output analysis, service sector growth,economic development, exchange ratedetermination, consumption behavior,and the New Economy. He has madenumerous presentations at local,regional, national, and internationalevents. His articles have been pub-

KhayumContinued from page 1

business. Many hours go into creating a successful plan. We also learned howfinancial statements are put together inthe ‘real’ world. We were able to put alittle book knowledge into practice.We had a real-life scenario to workwith instead of a story made up in atextbook.”

Called the Collegiate Manage-ment Assistance (CMA) program, theproject began last summer when mem-bers of Alpha Kappa Psi business frater-nity and business owners were teamedthrough a partnership with the South-western Indiana Small Business Devel-opment Center (SBDC) of theMetropolitan Evansville Chamber ofCommerce. Students helped gatherinformation related to starting a com-puter repair and a plumbing supplybusiness.

Members of the Economics andFinance Club joined with Alpha KappaPsi in the fall to develop business plansfor the restaurant equipment and sup-plies business and for a laundromat.

Dr. Mohammed F. Khayum, facultyadvisor to the two student organiza-tions, said the project began when

Business plansContinued from page 1

Vinnie Miller ’03, vice president ofperformance for Alpha Kappa Psi,contacted Julie Newton at SBDCabout a service opportunity. Now thestudents work with her successor, Kyle L. Johnson,small businesscounselor.

Johnson said,“The CMA pro-gram serves as avaluable tool forstudents andSBDC clientsalike by establish-ing team workconcepts in a realworld setting.”

Clients getthe benefit of thecenter’s counsel-ing as well as theexpertise of USIfaculty and students.

Khayum said, “The project allowsstudents to apply their classroom con-cepts in a real-world setting and trainsthem on how to do research. They saidthat it is one of the most rewardingexperiences they have had at USI.”

Khayum also said that studentsdevelop a better understanding of howthe business disciplines are related

because they combine marketing,accounting, finance, and all the busi-ness disciplines to develop the plans.

Students who worked on businessplans last summer include Stephanie

Hobson Curran,April Wilz, Eliza-beth Raiche,JenniferClements,Tammy Berg, andRob Langolf.

Curran, whoworked on three-year projectedfinancial state-ments for theproposed plumb-ing business, said,“I live in Califor-nia now. When-ever I go to inter-views and they

see the Small Business DevelopmentCenter project on my resume, they areimpressed.”

In addition to the Miller sisters,students involved in the fall projectswere Toni Boester and Adam Schmidt.

Dr. Jong Rhim, Dr. Kevin Celuch,and Michael Hartmann of the facultyalso have assisted in the CMAprogram.

Evansville Factbook

Business Conditions andOutlook Survey

http://business.usi.edu/

lished in a wide variety of professionaljournals. He is the author of two bookson economic issues related to develop-ing countries.

In the Evansville area, Khayumhas contributed his expertise to a num-ber of economic impact studies, needsassessment projects, and other activi-ties in his field. He prepares the quar-terly Business Conditions and OutlookSurvey and compiles the EvansvilleFactbook, a compendium of demo-graphic, economic, and social informa-tion about Southwestern Indiana.

In his new post, Khayum succeedsDr. Ernest H. Hall Jr., who has servedas associate dean and director of theMBA program since August 2000. In this capacity, Hall contributed great-ly to the success of the school, Klippelsaid. Hall will continue as professor ofmanagement.

“Whenever I go to interviews

and they see the Small Business

Development Center

project on my resume, they are

impressed.”

Stephanie Hobson Curran ’03

Kimball is a vertically integratedand diversified manufacturer and mar-keter of high-quality consumer durableproducts. Once known for pianos andorgans, Kimball now offers a vast arrayof products from two businesssegments. The Furniture and Cabinetssegment providesfurniture for theoffice, residential, andlodging, industries, allsold under the compa-ny’s family of brandnames. Other productsproduced on a con-tract basis includetelevision cabinetsand stands, residentialfurniture, retail storefixtures, and furniturecomponents. TheElectronic ContractAssemblies segmentprovides engineeringand manufacturingservices to a variety ofindustries on a globalscale.

Since its foundingin 1950, Kimball hasgrown from a localcompany with fewer than 30 employ-ees into an international organization.When recruiting employees for itsvaried operations, Kimball has a num-ber of needs for individuals with abusiness education.

Randy Catt, executive vice presi-dent of human resources for KimballInternational, said, “As a financiallystrong and growing company, Kimballoffers opportunities in a wide variety ofareas, from finance and accounting, tomarketing and sales, human resourcesand administration… People can comehere to Kimball and not simply get ajob, they can build a career.”

Like most employers, Kimballwants employees whose education goes beyond knowledge acquired in the classroom.

“As a global company, Kimballlooks for traits that transcend bordersand cultures; by that I mean traits like

6 University of Southern Indiana School of Business

with First Indiana in 1990, he joinedKimball, starting as a corporaterecruiter in the human resourcesdepartment of Kimball International.A series of promotions led to his pre-sent position as director of humanresources for the company’s flexcelunit, a provider of contract manufac-turing services to leading originalequipment manufacturers and con-sumer brand companies.

EmployerContinued from page 1

The profiles that follow are just afew of the many stories that illustratethe strong relationship between USISchool of Business graduates and Kimball International.

Tom Heeke’86, managementDirector of Human Resourcesflexcel

Tom Heeke was a native of DuboisCounty and a graduate of NortheastDubois High School when he headedto the University of Southern Indiana.He had visited the school, knew thegood reputation of the business pro-gram, and liked the idea that studenthousing was new and available.

After graduation from USI, hebecame associated with the Mt. Ver-non Indiana office of Midwest FederalSavings Bank. When the bank merged

personal initiative, good problem-solving skills, the ability to handlechange and adapt, and a good teamplayer attitude,” Catt said.

“We look for people who fit theKimball culture, who enjoy working in a low rules environment, who havethe ability to excel in an unstructuredenvironment…people who have goodleadership skills and the ability to growinto positions of leadership.”

Michelle Schroeder ’96

Marvin Reinbrecht ’94

MikeSergesketter ’81

“We hadsmall classesand a goodworking rela-tionship withprofessors.”

“USI gaveme the back-ground toknow whereto go to doresearch.”

“The MBAhelped melearn the language ofbusiness.”

“[USI profes-sors] werenot justteaching the-ory but howto apply it inpractical situations.”

Jay T. Nelson ’83 Tom Heeke ’86

...“business isa lot aboutbuilding rela-tionships.”

Reflecting on his business educa-tion at USI, Heeke said that one of themost advantageous aspects was thenumber of case studies that professorshad the classes prepare.

“USI helped you be a businesspartner. By working in a functionalarea, you were able to dialogue withcounterparts in other areas, and that’s a mock of what business is all about.What I experienced in my senior-levelclasses replicated what is in the realworld. It’s just a little more complexthan it was in that case study,” he said.

Heeke also continues to use whathe learned about building relation-ships. “After being in the professionalworld a few years, I know that businessis a lot about building relationships.When I was at USI, it was relativelysmall. That really allowed me to buildrelationships with students as well aswith faculty.”

Michelle Schroeder’96, accountingCorporate ControllerKimball International

Michelle Schroeder’s career withKimball is a before-and-after story. She worked for Kimball for eight yearsin the marketing communicationsdepartment before deciding to earn adegree in accounting.

As a non-traditional student, she studied for two years at VincennesUniversity Jasper Campus while work-ing part time at Kimball. Then shetransferred to USI, attending full time.In summer 1995, she completed aninternship in Kimball’s corporateaccounting department. Soon companyofficials invited her to work full timeafter graduation. She started in an entry-level position as a financial analyst andnow is corporate controller.

Schroeder said that School ofBusiness professors “took an interest inmy being successful.” Team activities inaccounting classes helped her learn towork with different types of personali-ties, and case studies prepared her forthe real world of accounting. She saidthat her accounting education alsogave her the background to knowwhere to go to do research and taughther an understanding of how to applyrules in certain situations.

“Because Kimball is global, wehave to be cognizant of accountingstandards throughout the world,” she said.

Winter 2004 7

Kimball providesmeaningful internships

Kimball International, Inc.has a long record of providinginternship opportunities forSchool of Business students.Themost recent interns were account-ing majors Emily Gessner, AlisaHart, and Kevin Wichman, whocompleted internships last summer.

See Employer, page 8

Jay T. Nelson’83, business managementDirector of Demand Managementand Vendor RelationsFurniture Brands Group

As a 1979 graduate of SouthridgeHigh School in Huntingburg, Indiana,Jay Nelson’s first thought when heentered USI was to major in educationand become a teacher and coach. Heplayed tennis at USI from 1980-83under coach Jack Marr, now retired.

But sometime during his first yearat USI, Nelson talked with his academicadvisor about career fields that wereexperiencing growth.

“I leaned toward the business side,and computers seemed to be a focus soI made the change halfway through myfreshman year,” he said.

He majored in business managementand earned a minor in data processingtechnology. After graduation, he workedfor UPS in Huntingburg until joiningKimball in early 1984. Nelson alreadyhad an interest in furniture manufac-turing because his father was associatedfor many years with Huntingburg’sDolly Madison Industries.

Nelson began at Kimball as a salescoordinator and took on increasingresponsibilities. Today, as director ofdemand management and vendor rela-tions for the Furniture Brands Group,he and his staff serve as the major liai-son between sales and marketing func-tions and the manufacturing units. His area manages about $25 million in inventory each year.

“One of the things I really enjoyedat USI was the faculty to student ratio,”Nelson said. “We had small classes anda good working relationship with professors.”

Nelson was a founding member of the USI chapter of Lambda ChiAlpha fraternity.

Marvin Reinbrecht’94, Master of BusinessAdministration.Network Analyst, Kimball Information Tech- nology Infrastructure Center

Marvin Reinbrecht joined Kimballin 1995 after earning a master’s degreein business administration from USI in 1994. The graduate degree comple-ments his undergraduate education in engineering.

While pursuing a degree in elec-trical engineering at the University ofEvansville, Reinbrecht completed anengineering co-operative program atWestern Electric (a manufacturing armof AT&T) in Indianapolis. After gradu-ation, he went to work for AT&TMicroelectronics in Kansas City, Mis-souri. In 1989, a transfer to a salessupport position with AT&T broughthim back to Evansville.

As an engineer, Reinbrecht’s for-mal schooling was highly technical.“The MBA helped me learn the lan-guage of business,” he said. “It was anexcellent way to build networking.” He began work on the graduate degreein Kansas City and completed it at USI.

In his present job at Kimball,Reinbrecht can make use of both hisbusiness and technical skills. The Infor-mation Technology Infrastructure Cen-ter, part of Kimball’s corporate informa-tion technology organization, providesthe computing services that supportKimball’s 4,500 plus computer usersaround the clock every day of the yearthroughout the world. Among manyresponsibilities, he has helped to devel-op and maintain an IT resumption planfor recovery in the event a disastershould strike the company’s data center.

Reinbrecht said the addition of thegraduate education in business adminis-tration has allowed an “old engineer”to do new things that blend the best of technical and business knowledgeand skills.

Other leading employers of School of Business graduates will be profiled in futureissues of this newsletter.

In future issues

8 University of Southern Indiana School of Business

Six accounting stu-dents and three School ofBusiness faculty membersparticipated in the FourthAnnual Institute of Man-agement AccountantsNational Student Confer-ence in Indianapolis dur-ing fall semester.

Nancy Bizal, coordi-nator of School of Busi-ness external relationsand instructor in adminis-trative systems, presentedtwo sessions of a work-shop called “LuncheonView, with an Emphasison Interviewing Proto-col.” Her presentationcombined protocol training and inter-view practice. She presents similarinformation to USI students in busi-ness career planning and professionaldevelopment classes.

USI accounting majors JenniferFonner, Brad Hotz, Skii Robling,Nicole Sanders, Maria Cuthill, andDonovan Sexton were among approxi-mately 450 students attending thetwo-day national student conference.Dr. Brian McGuire and Dr. Les Nunn

also attended as faculty advisors to the USI Accounting and ProfessionalServices Club.

The conference included oppor-tunities to hear nationally recognizedspeakers; network with accounting,finance, and information technologyprofessionals and educators; attendworkshops on leadership development;meet with sponsors and exhibitorsregarding employment opportunities;and tour Indianapolis-area businesses.

Accounting students attend national meeting

USI students and faculty met Pam Prinz Stewart, right,senior vice president of Robert Half International and ageneral session speaker at the conference. With her are,from left, Maria Cuthill; Les Nunn, assistant professorof business law; Brad Hotz, Donovan Sexton, and SkiiRobling.

Mike Sergesketter’81, accountingVice President, Chief Financial OfficerKimball Electronics Group

Mike Sergesketter went to workfor Kimball right after graduating fromUSI, beginning a career that now giveshim responsibility for overseeing aglobal financial organization.

Starting as an internal auditor, he spent 15 years in the internal auditgroup, rising to corporate vice presi-dent. He transferred to the ElectronicsGroups in 1996.

“All of my experience had been at the corporate office. I wanted to getoperational experience,” he said.

One of the most significant pro-jects in which he has been involvedsince joining the Electronics Groupwas a start-up in Thailand. He was inThailand off and on for months, par-ticipating in choosing the site, hiringworkers, and making decisions onother aspects of getting the automotiveelectronics facility up and running. His years with Kimball have given himmany opportunities for travel throughAsia and Europe.

A native of Dale, Indiana, Serges-ketter said the USI School of Businessfit his needs.

“I worked my way through collegeand got a good education,” he said.“The accounting program and profes-sors were very practical. They were notjust teaching theory but how to applyit in practical situations.”

EmployerContinued from page 7

The School of Business hasannounced new chairs for the Depart-ment of Management and Marketingand the Department of Economics and Finance.

Dr. Sang Choe, professor of mar-keting, will lead Management andMarketing. He earned a doctorate inbusiness administration from Mississip-pi State University. Choe joined theUSI faculty in 1985. His researchinterests include consumer behavior,international marketing, and researchmethodology. He is advisor to theMarketing Club.

Dr. Jong Rhim, professor offinance, has been named chair of theDepartment of Economics and Finance.He succeeds Dr. Mohammed F. Khayum,who has been named associate dean of

Rhim

Sang Choe, Jong Rhim named department chairs

Choe

the school and director of the MBAprogram. Rhim earned a doctorate fromUniversity of Missouri-Columbia. Hejoined USI in 1989. His research inter-ests are corporate financial issues suchas capital project analysis, capital struc-ture management, foreign exchangemarkets, and behavior of securityprices.

Winter 2004 9

Dr. Phil Fisher, dean emeritus of the School of Busi-ness, was chair in July for the 25th annual Summer CaseWriters’ Workshop held on the University of SouthernIndiana campus.

The July 24-26 workshop attracted more than 45faculty members in the field of business from 38 collegecampuses coast-to-coast and Hawaii.

Dr. Jane A. Johansen, associate professor of businesseducation at USI, was one of the participants.

The Society for Case Research (SCR) sponsors the

workshop each summer on a college campus to bringtogether authors and potential authors of business cases.Participants work in small groups discussing and critiquingcases. The workshop is intended to help authors strength-en their cases for classroom presentation and publication.

Fisher is SCR vice president for 2003-04 with respon-sibility for the 2003 workshop. SCR was formed in 1978 byeducators in the Midwest to help develop case writing andto apply case methodology. Today SCR has more than 250members from all over the world.

Case Writers Workshop attracts business faculty from 38 campuses

Mary McGrew is the firstperson visitors see when theyenter the School of Businessadministrative offices on thethird floor of Orr Center.

And that’s for a reason.Her love for working withstudents shows in everythingshe does on the job as senioradministrative assistant. Inthe fall, McGrew was recog-nized on Founders Day for 25years of service to the Uni-versity.

“The students are thehighlight of my USI career,”McGrew said. “I get to talk tothem every day. And that’swhy I like my job so much.”

In remarks honoring McGrew onFounders Day, William C. Henderson,assistant dean of the School of Busi-ness, said, “She is a real advocate forstudents and provides unerringly goodadvice to them.”

One of McGrew’s chief responsibil-ities is working with business under-graduates to make sure they are ontrack to graduate.

In April 1978, McGrew was look-ing for a part-time job. She and herhusband Fred had a son, Michael, whowas 9-years-old at the time. The nine-months position advertised in thenewspaper at the University of South-ern Indiana, six miles east of theirhome in the St. Philip area, seemed to

be just what she needed—a job thatwould give her summers off to spendwith Michael. Her job now is a 10-month position.

Dr. Kenneth B. Settle, professoremeritus of business, was McGrew’sfirst boss at USI. “I found her to havegreat integrity and a sunny dispositionunder any condition,” he said.

In 25 years at USI, McGrew hasseen the School of Business (or itspredecessor the Division of Business)move from the Science Center to theWright Administration Building to itscurrent home in Orr Center. When shejoined USI, there were about 830 busi-ness majors. Now there are almost1,800.

Henderson said, “During Mary’stime at the University, we have movedfrom registering students on the largeboards in the registrar’s office, to com-puterized registration in the registrar’soffice, to computerized registration bystaff in the school offices, to registra-tion by faculty in their own offices, toregistration by students over the tele-phone and Internet. Through all thesechanges Mary has adapted and figuredout how to make them work best forour students.”

Christine Schmitt Cumbee ’88,management, was a student worker forthree years in the School of Businessoffices. “Students always felt very com-fortable coming in and getting advicefrom Mary about their core classes. Shewas always patient and helpful,” saidCumbee, a customer service represen-tative with Fifth Third Bank in St. Philip.

When it comes to learning newtechnology, McGrew said that onebenefit of being in the School of Busi-ness has been proximity to facultymembers who teach in the computerfield. She said, “We had the computerteachers walking through all the time,so we learned from them—and fromthe students.”

McGrew’s son, Michael, earned anassociate degree at USI and now isassociated with Toyota Motor Manu-facturing Indiana in Princeton. Heryounger son, Erik, is a freshman atUSI. He plans to major in marketing.To be sure, his mother will monitor hisprogress to ensure that he meets all therequirements for graduation.

Mary McGrew: advocate for studentsOn top of changes through 25 years of service

Bill Henderson, assistant dean of the School of Busi-ness, congratulates Mary McGrew on completing 25years of service with the School of Business.

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accounting program. I was amazed atthe commitment these professionals

have to our school. Seeingthe backing and support thatI have as a USI accountingstudent motivates me to domy best to show these dedi-cated Circle members thattheir efforts are not in vain.”

Another accountingstudent, junior Kim Dosher,learned about a job openingduring her luncheon with an accounting professional,applied for the position, andreceived an offer.

Steve Farrell ’72, a part-ner with Gaither Rutherfordand Company LLP inEvansville, had lunch withDosher. He said she had

many questions about public account-ing during their lunch at O’Charley’srestaurant.

He said, “I took the opportunity at lunch to give her a mini-interview.We had an opening for a tax coordina-tor. This position does not actuallyprepare returns but coordinates all theinformation provided by the client anddelivers the data to the return preparer.

“Although this position would notallow Kim to utilize her income taxpreparation skills, she would be able toobserve our processes and be involvedwith how a CPA firm operates. We feelthis also gives her experience to transi-tion into a tax internship for tax seasonof 2005.”

Dosher was interested in the posi-tion and interviewed with the GaitherRutherford office manager. She receiveda job offer and began work for GaitherRutherford and Company in January.

10 University of Southern Indiana School of Business

Students analyze Sarbanes-Oxley in final round of state competition

The accounting and professionalservices programs kicked off the aca-demic year with a celebration thatincluded a presentation by the leader of the Indiana CPA Society and anactivity that led to additional network-ing and mentoring opportunities forstudents and area professionals.

Gary Bolinger, president and chiefexecutive officer of the Indiana CPASociety, gave a presentation on currentissues affecting CPAs and the businesscommunity at the September 17 eventsponsored by the Accounting Circle.

The evening in Carter Hall includ-ed a pizza dinner and a Jeopardy-styleaccounting game designed to fosterinteraction between students and mem-bers of the Accounting Circle, which iscomposed of senior executives in bothpublic and private accounting. Membersof winning teams were invited to aone-on-one lunch with an areaaccounting executive.

After the game, a Circle memberfrom a winning team turned over acertificate for a lunch to Emily Camp-bell, senior, because he felt it wouldbest be used by a student.

“I was excited to receive a certifi-cate and the opportunity to learn morefrom Darryl Spurlock,” Campbell said.“We had lunch on October 9, whichwas the day before I traveled to Indy toparticipate in the Indiana CPA SocietyCase Finals.”

Spurlock is managing partner of Umbach and Associates LLP inEvansville.

“He gave me some good tips forthe upcoming presentation at INCPAS

submit a detailed proposal addressingthe issues and challenges of the case.Their proposal won them one of sixslots in the finals in competition withproposals submitted by students from13 Indiana colleges and universities.

The teams advancing to the finalround then had less than a week toprepare a detailed oral presentation

A team of four senior accountingstudents from the School of Businesswas one of six teams participatingOctober 10 as finalists in the IndianaCPA Society’s Case Study Competi-tion for 2003.

Emily Campbell, Laura Davis,Jennifer Fonner, and Scott Reed had a 10-day time frame to prepare and

Dr. Daniel E. Wade, left, director of accounting pro-grams for USI, introduces Scott Reed, center, presi-dent of the Accounting Club, to Gary Bolinger, headof the Indiana CPA Society.

Accounting Celebration leads to one-on-one mentoring opportunities—even a job offer

(See story below), critiqued my resume,gave me invaluable advice on my future

using PowerPoint slides and appropri-ate handouts. In this year’s case compe-tition, teams presented responses toissues concerning the regulation of theaccounting profession and internalcontrols through an in-depth analysisof the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

I was amazed at the

commitment these professionals

have to our school. Seeing the

backing and support that I have as

a USI accounting student

motivates me to do my best...—Emily Campbell

Senior

Continued on next page

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career and education goals, and toldme about the Accounting Circle.

“He explained the Circle’s historyand informed me of all the behind-the-scenes work it does to help better USI’s

Winter 2004 11

We welcome comments from our alumni and friends regarding accomplishments, career choices, and momentous personal events. Send toNancy F. Bizal, School of Business, University of Southern Indiana, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712-3597 or nbizal@usi.edu.

Name________________________________________________ Your student record name__________________________________________

Class of _____ Major________________ Telephone (home)_________________ (work)_________________ E-mail_____________________

HOME BUSINESS

Address______________________________________________ Your title/date effective_____________________________________

City, State, ZIP________________________________________ Company name___________________________________________

Check here if home address is new ❐ Address__________________________________________________Preferred mailing address ❐ Home ❐ Business

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Check here if business address is new ❐

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❐ Please submit this information to the Alumni Today section of USI Magazine and online publications.❐ Please use this information only to maintain accurate alumni records.

Let us hear from you!

The law was enacted in response to the high-profile Enron and WorldComfinancial scandals to protect shareholdersand the general public from accountingerrors and fraudulent practices. For theoral presentation, each team wasassigned the role of managing partnerand had to address the judges as thefirm’s partners for the case.

Dr. Craig Ehlen, USI professor ofaccounting, said, “Our students wereclearly a team. They really nailed theirpresentation. They started strong, madeseamless transitions, and kept gettingeven stronger, handling the questionand answer session extremely well.”

The final competition was held inIndianapolis. All finalists were honoredafterwards at a CPA celebration dinner.

The competition provides studentswith experience in solving real businessissues. It also is designed to promote theIndiana CPA Society and enhance theimage of the CPA profession.

Continued from previous page

Dr. Gene Klippel, dean of the School of Business since July 1, met USI alumniin the Jasper, Indiana, area at a fall reception at Jasper Country Club. From leftare Klippel; Blake Krueger ’93, ’96; John Newlin ’02; and Nick Schnarr ‘00.Krueger and Newlin are School of Business graduates; Schnarr earned a degreein communications.

Dean meets Jasper-area alumni

School of BusinessUniversity of Southern Indiana8600 University BoulevardEvansville IN 47712-3597

1-10700

A publication of the School of BusinessUniversity of Southern Indiana

R. Eugene Klippel, DeanNancy F. Bizal, Editor812/464-1801Betty R. Vawter, News andInformation Services

Jill Welden, staff accountant atKemper CPA Group LLC in Evansville,ranked in the top 10 statewide on theCPA Examination administered inNovember 2002. Welden’s score placedher in a tie for fourth.

In 2000, Welden earned a bache-lor’s degree in accounting from the USISchool of Business, graduating summacum laude and receiving the President’sMedal, the highest honor the Universi-ty bestows on a graduating senior.

She completed the School of Busi-ness master’s program in accountancyin 2001.

Welden joined Kemper in Septem-ber 2000. She is developing a specialtyin estate and trust taxation.

In order to receive a CPA desig-nation in Indiana, an individual mustcomplete education requirements thatinclude 150 hours of education and abaccalaureate (or baccalaureate andgraduate degree) from an accredited

MSA graduate scores in top 10 statewide on CPA exam

University of Southern Indiana is anaffirmative action/equal employmentopportunity institution.

institution, pass the CPA Exam, andcomplete two years of work experience.Welden has met all requirements.

Jill Welden, a staffaccountant at KemperCPA Group LLC inEvansville, talks withRobert W. Swan ’72,partner and seniormember in the firm anda member of the Schoolof Business Board ofVisitors and AccountingCircle.

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