Involved at UCA:
COB Student Ambassador 2022, 2023, 2024
Alumni leader for IDEAL freshman leadership
Community mentor for Build at Carmichael
President of the UCA debate and forensics team

Why did you choose this field of study?
I first studied accounting but later chose economics because I wanted to be able to utilize my knowledge of business on a global scale through the pre-law track.

Tell us about your internship experience.
I’m currently completing an internship. I learned about the Windstream Financial leadership program thanks to our amazing faculty over at Career Services. I chose this internship because I wanted to be able to use my knowledge of accounting in an environment that would help me grow as a professional and also as a leader in business. Here, I am learning that the accounting I have learned so far in the classroom is just the surface of what amazing things we can do with our knowledge base.

How do you think this internship will be/has been beneficial in your career?
I think it is going to be one of the most beneficial things I have done, so far. I think that through this internship I will meet a ton of people who will help me get my name in rooms that I otherwise would never be allowed to enter.

What advice do you have for students who may (or may not) be considering an internship?
Don’t feel pressured to go into the world of work; just be sure that you are using your time to connect with those who know how to help you achieve your goals. Mentors are very important, and if you do not want an internship at the moment, be sure to find a good mentor.

Has a volunteer position helped you gain skills? Tell us about it.
I have learned a lot about the art of personal connection through my volunteer work as a College of Business Ambassador. I use the skills of communication not only in my work but also when communicating with coworkers and creating strong relationships.

Michael was among the first class of COB Student Ambassadors in 2022

How do you plan to use your degree?
I plan to use my degree as a gateway to apply to law school and then use my knowledge of business to be an excellent Corporate Attorney who specializes in mergers and acquisitions.

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
Don’t be afraid to say yes to opportunities; when you get too comfortable you are only stopping yourself. Do what you can and say yes to every opportunity as long as you aren’t compromising integrity. I recommend the College of Business (COB) to anyone willing to listen. Thanks to the people at the COB, I have learned about how a knowledge of business can set one up for a lifetime filled with success.

COB awards banquet 2022

award-winning debate team, AR Capitol 2023

award-winning team, national competition 2023

Claire Gunter Coon

Major: Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Minor: Economics
Graduated December 2023

Activities:
• COB Student Ambassador, 2 years
• President of BASCOM – Bears Advancing Supply Chain & Operations Management
• Peer Notetaker with the Disability Resource Center
• Rising Star Faculty-Student Mentor Program
• ACRE reading group for 2 semesters
• ACRE Undergraduate Research Fellow 2023
• 8 month operations internship

Why did you choose your major?
My initial attraction to the business world was and still is the direct, real world applications of the field. From my first two classes in business, microeconomics and the global environment of business, I was able to take things out of class and straight away use them to better understand everyday events in my life.

After doing some research, I decided that within business, logistics and supply chain management sounded like a good fit for me as I’ve always been a person concerned with the execution and rationale behind operations, large or small. After taking my two core economics classes, I decided economics was something I couldn’t leave behind, so I added it as a minor. I believe it is a great pairing for my major and regardless, it is a beneficial subject for any person to have a working knowledge of in order to be a better citizen.

What are you doing in 2024 after your graduation from UCA?
Starting in January I will be working full time as a real estate agent for Homeward Realty here in Conway. This new year I look forward to serving Conway and the greater Central Arkansas region as a real estate agent by applying skills and knowledge I’ve acquired during my time at the UCA College of Business (COB).

What are some things you will remember most about your time at UCA?
The UCA COB, its faculty, and supporters have done so much for me, and I know the impact they have had on me will not soon be forgotten after I graduate. They have supported me while I found a field that genuinely piqued my interest, helped me learn about and get started in that field, and I trust they will always be there for me even as I represent them as a UCA COB alumna. I strongly desire for other students, no matter their background, to receive the support I feel. This kind of support is empowering, and when someone is empowered by such a positive force, good is created not only in their life, but also in the communities around them.

It was exciting to walk across the stage at graduation & super sweet to reflect back on all the memories made over the last three and a half years. I’m thankful for the support of my family, friends, & professors who helped me reach this point.

See some of Claire’s , written in Dr. McGarrity’s Modern Political Economy class.

In “The Role of Government in a Free Society” group led by UCA Economics Professor, Dr. Collin Hodges, and Department Chair, Dr. Tom Snyder, ten participants read and discussed works by scholars such as Adam Smith, J.S. Mill, John Locke, and Karl Marx, as well as more contemporary works by Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Robert Nozick, and John Rawls to examine what a variety of economists, political philosophers, and public policy experts have contributed to this topic. The group also traveled to Dallas in September to participate in a group summit with other universities that completed the same readings. Students were awarded $500 on November 14 for their participation this semester.

A second reading group also met this semester and awarded $500 scholarships to students who participated in the philosophy and law reading group called “Landmark Supreme Court Cases” led by Business Law Professor��Dr. Anthony McMullen and Philosophy Professor Dr. Jacob Held. Over the course of ten weeks, students in this reading group studied major Supreme Court opinions covering topics such as economic freedom, federalism, equal protection, privacy, and intellectual property rights. Working through these decisions helped students understand the rule of law, Constitutionalism, and the role the judicial branch plays in our government.

All students were required to gain acceptance into the program and actively participate in the program throughout the semester.

For questions about reading groups and the application process continuing reading, or contact Suzanne Massey at��smassey@uca.edu.

The UCA College of Business delivers experiences that prepare and inspire students to be ethical, innovative and engaged business leaders who positively impact their communities. We are committed to a culture of excellence across all programs, activities, and events, with a focus on action-based learning and student success and retention.

Despite disruptions due to COVID during our last academic year, our students and alumni have overcome obstacles and risen as leaders. Several COB alumni were honored for their efforts in their communities and workplaces while our students volunteered at food pantries, prepared free tax returns for low-income Arkansans, and earned awards.

This annual review gives a brief look at this year’s student, alumni, and faculty success as well as evidence of our commitment to engaged learning.

If you have a story of success or accomplishment from 2021-2022 to add to this list, or anytime in the future, please��send��it to US.

Sincerely,
Michael Hargis
Dean, UCA College of Business

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

To address the changing business environment,��COB expanded to add three new Applied Data Analytics programs:
– a Bachelor of Science
– a Master of Science
– and a technical certificate.

COB welcomed new Marketing & Management Department Chair,��Dr. Tracy A. Suter, who began his role at the start of the spring semester.

Dr. Suter has taught and led at 5 institutions over the past 25 years; has authored many academic articles and textbooks and served in other administrative capacities; most extensive experience was as a 15-year faculty member at Oklahoma State University.

Learn more��about his credentials, career, and interests.

COB Student Ambassadors��engage, connect, and serve as representatives for our college.��Twenty-one students��took on the task of serving as COB’s first ever group of ambassadors.

They have talked with incoming students, received swag and headshots, and experienced unique development opportunities available only to ambassadors.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Economics student Caleb Vines won the Student Research Award at the 2022 Society of Business, Industry, and Economics (SOBIE) conference.

Several other COB faculty and students across all disciplines also presented papers at the SOBIE and International Academy of Business Disciplines (IABD) conferences this spring.�� MORE

COB named its Outstanding Students who were chosen because they combined exemplary academic performance with internships, volunteerism, professional development, experiential education, and participation in clubs and other important experiences.

Daisy Martinez Carranza took home the top honor of COB’s 2022 Outstanding Student.��READ MORE

���䴡’s��Master of Business Administration (MBA)��program was named to the��Programs and University HQ’s����Programs list.

Associate Professor of economics and��ACRE Scholar��Jeremy Horpedahl received the Public Choice’s��Duncan Black Prize��for the best article contributed by a senior scholar.

Karen Shaw, a member of the COB Board of Advisors, was named 2021��CFO of the Year��by Arkansas Business.

Shaw was a leader even during her UCA days, as a charter member of Beta Alpha Psi, but her leadership development didn’t stop there.��Learn more��about Karen’s leadership as a business and community leader.

Several COB alumni, including����(�辱���ٳܰ����),��, and����were named as rising business and community leaders by Arkansas Business.

Three teams representing UCA’s MBA program placed among the top 100 performers in a worldwide business simulation competition called GLO-BUS. Nearly 2,000 teams from 99 colleges and universities competed.

Congratulations to COB’s��Theta Lambda Chapter��who earned first place at the 2022 Beta Alpha Psi regional conference competitions in the category of Best Practices in the Art of Engagement and will compete at the conference in Orlando this summer. The chapter also earned a second-place win for Best Practices.��MORE

In addition, UCA’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi achieved superior status for 2021-2022 from the national chapter. To be a superior chapter, the registered student organization met the following requirements:

• Average member��completed at least 32 hours of service and professional development (at least 12 each)
  >265 hours of professional development
  >555 hours of service
• Chapter completed at least 8 reaching-out activities including attending conferences; competing in best practices and project run-with-it; alumni activities’ multi-chapter events; and promoting careers in accounting, finance, information systems, and/or data analytics.

Congratulations to our����students and to��Connie McKnight�����Ի���Ashley Phillips, our tireless faculty advisors, for another year of superior status!

CAREER DEVELOPMENT & SERVICE LEARNING

More than 65 volunteers and students from UCA’s Biz@Bear Residential College collected over $1650 worth of personal care donations for children in Arkansas foster care.

This event ended an academic year with more than 1800 student engagement hours led by Academic Director, Dr. Louisa Moseley; over 200 of those were service hours.��MORE

Accounting Professor Ashley Phillips was awarded the Peter J. Mehl Service-Learning Faculty of the Year Award for her work with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Under her leadership, students��volunteered approximately 420 hours��to return more than $324,000 of taxpayer money to the community through the preparation of over 250 tax returns for low-income taxpayers in the region.

Sixteen business professionals connected with COB students at the annual��Women in Business Sixteen business professionals connected with COB students at the annual��Women in Business luncheon��for which a panel and table leaders shared the “Top 5 Things Women in Business Need to Know.”

����hosted a COB Escape Room of intricate puzzles for students to solve. To “escape,” participants applied tips for create an effective resume.��READ MORE

In ’21 & ’22, COB and Acxiom partnered to provide a four-day Information��Technology (IT) Careers Camp��for high school students.

During the camp, students��stayed on UCA’s campus, were mentored by industry experts, and participated in exercises in programming, cybersecurity, robotics, 3D modeling, and 3D laser printing.

Congratulations to all of our graduates in 2021-2022!

If you have a story of success or accomplishment from 2021-2022 to add to this list, please��send��it to the UCA College of Business.

For year-round news and��updates��from the UCA College of Business, make sure to visit��.

Before the interview day, you’ll also get a review of your resume and training about how to dress appropriately and deliver an impactful interview.

Spaces are limited, so sign up as soon as possible. Download the details and contact��UCA CAREER SERVICES at 501-450-3134 or careerservices@uca.edu.

IT Career Connection: Tuesday, September 14, 2021

• Students must be classified as a Junior or Senior by the first day of Fall 2021 classes
• Must be an Applied Math, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems or MIS major
• Cumulative GPA of 2.75
• Graduating: December 2021, May 2022, August 2022, December 2022, May 2023, or August 2023

Career Connection: Wednesday, September 15, 2021

• Students must be classified as a Senior by the first day of Fall 2021 classes
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Graduating: December 2021, May 2022 or August 2022

Dr. Horpedahl won the prize for his policy and data analysis on pandemic-related economic topics such as coronavirus precautions, tolls and trends, vaccination development and distribution, unemployment, as well as local, national, and worldwide financial impacts.

“Part of what motivated me was simply to understand the pandemic better myself, and I was glad to help others navigate the same questions that I had about the state of the world,” said Dr. Horpedahl.

Horpedahl was also a co-recipient of another award from the Mercatus Center for the blog , where he is a weekly contributor.

“Dr. Horpedahl’s efforts to communicate complex topics in a more approachable way has helped inform and��educate others about economic policy.��This is important work during an already confusing and stressful time, and we are proud of his��effort and impact,” added Dr. Michael Hargis, Dean of the UCA College of Business.

Almost daily, Horpedahl continues to release his analysis through local and national newspaper articles, podcasts, panel discussions, online blogs, and social media posts.

George Mason University’s Mercatus Center launched the awards initiative through its Emergent Ventures program in March 2020 for entrepreneurs and innovators who work to improve society in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Awards from the program range between $50,000 to $100,000.

Dr. Horpedahl is an associate professor of economics at the UCA College of Business and a scholar with the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University in 2009, concentrating on public choice, public finance, and economic history. His research, policy briefs, and op-eds have been widely published in regional and national publications.

For more information about Dr. Horpedahl’s work and the UCA College of Business, visit .

Outstanding students are those who take advantage of educational opportunities and show exemplary academic performance through internships, professional development and experiential education, volunteerism, and participation in clubs and activities.

The following students were awarded an outstanding status, chosen from over 1600 undergraduate and graduate students:

• Ashley Phipps, Outstanding General Business Student
• Bethany Arnold, Outstanding Insurance & Risk Management Student
• Brandon Scott Phipps, Outstanding Master of Business Student
• Claire DeBusk, Outstanding Accounting Student
• Daryl Adopo, Outstanding Finance Student
• Devin Gilbert, Outstanding Master of Accountancy Student
• Elsa Mattson, Outstanding College of Business Student and��Outstanding Economic Student
• Emma McKnight, Outstanding Marketing Student
• Jack Bornhoft, Outstanding Logistics & Supply Chain Management Student
• Kayla Dean, Outstanding Management Information Systems Student
• Lucas Southard, Outstanding Management Student
• Laura Lane, Outstanding Marketing Student
• Logan Tribble, Outstanding Innovation & Entrepreneurship Student
• Rohan Saxena, Outstanding Information Systems Student

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

The UCA College of Business includes:

• Over 1600 Majors and Graduate Students
• 62 Total Faculty
• 15 Undergraduate Degree Programs
• 3 Graduate Degree Programs (MBA, MAcc, and Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics)

The goal of the UCA College of Business��is to provide a hands-on, experience driven, education that prepares graduates to take on global issues.��Through our diverse��programs of study and distinguished faculty and staff, we take creative, engaged students and give them the tools to succeed when they earn their degrees. Our students travel the world, start their own innovative businesses, and join established businesses across the country.�� Whatever their next step, our students are ready to make a positive impact.

Learn more about our programs of study and distinguished faculty and staff.