2019 Year in Review

January

Dean Walker Honored Among Top 25 Most Powerful Women

The Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce named Dean Beth Walker one of the state’s top 25 most powerful women. #ProudToBe

February

Jon Firooz Named CSU Best Teacher

While no surprise to any of his students, Jon Firooz, a lecturer in the marketing department, was recognized as one of CSU’s top teachers. The University’s annual Best Teacher Awards highlights the work of educators who, like Firooz, go above and beyond in their pursuit of delivering an impactful educational experience.

AARP Tax-Aide Program

Twenty-four CSU volunteers, including College of Business students and faculty, spent more than 700 hours completing 193 tax returns for community members in need.

Alumnus Wins Big on Wheel of Fortune

Newlyweds Carmelo Mannino (GSSE MBA, ’15) and Emma Mannino, who met while studying at CSU, won big on Wheel of Fortune, taking home more than $50,000 in cash and prizes, including a Jaguar SUV.

Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Series

Renowned human rights attorney Ray Boucher charged students to hold business to a higher standard during his talk as the inaugural speaker of the Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Series.

Fort Collins Startup Weekend

Hosted by the College’s Institute for Entrepreneurship, the three-day weekend featured a music innovation pitch contest and brought aspiring entrepreneurs together to rapidly develop and launch their own music business and product ideas.

Building Bridges Dinner

The College celebrated the accomplishments of first-generation students, faculty, staff, and business leaders at its annual Building Bridges event with an inspirational keynote from Lisa Hackard, a member of the College’s Global Leadership Council and an audit partner at KPMG’s Denver office.

March

Mosaic, the ‘Room of the Future,’ Unveiled

The College introduced Mosaic, an immersive technology that lets remote students participate in the classroom in real time. In Fall 2020, students can use Mosaic to engage with the College through the Online MBA and new executive education programming.

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Students Take First-Place Honors in HR Competition

Biz Rams James Mooney, Jason Sellers, and Oriana Ramirez won first place in the HR Case Competition at the University of Wyoming.

DSLC Raises $3,700 for Special Olympics

The Dean’s Student Leadership Council showed up in style on a frigid morning to take the Polar Plunge in support of Special Olympics Colorado, raising over $3,700 for the nonprofit.

Podcast Helps Students Navigate the Working World

The Career Management Center’s Career Cairns podcast, featuring student stories and expert insights into how to develop a successful career, earned a nod as a macslist.org top career podcast of 2019. The podcast provided assistance to Biz Rams preparing for new careers.

April

Sparking International Connections at Business Day

Students, alumni, community members, and business leaders gathered to foster international connections and capitalize on opportunities for global enterprise at the 42nd annual Business Day. Keynotes were delivered by Global Leadership Council members Horst Meima, president and COO of VW Credit Inc., and Nancy Chisholm, former president of Tyco Retail Solutions, as well as Liberty Global CEO and Vice Chairman Mike Fries.

Entrepreneurial Rams Across CSU Get a Boost

The Venture RAMS Business Showcase, hosted by the Institute for Entrepreneurship, offered a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration, welcoming students from all backgrounds to experience the entrepreneurial process. Seed funding raised the stakes, with students vying for more than $5,700 in prize money.

Student Q&A

Grant Jones and Corey Schoeber stand side by side holding their medals from a DECA competition

DECA Champs Show How to Move a Football Team

Biz Rams Grant Jones and Corey Schoeber made the case for how they would relocate an entire football team to a different market at the College DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, earning a top 10 spot in the sports and entertainment marketing competition.

Meet the Founders Lecture Series: Kim Jordan

Kim Jordan, cofounder of New Belgium Brewing, shared her insights with students as part of the Meet the Founders lecture series, drawing on experiences from her career at the helm of one of the world’s leading craft breweries. Meet the Founders connects renowned business leaders from across Colorado with members of the College community.

Supply Chain Faculty Research Ranked #17

The College's educators are leading the way! The management department’s supply-chain faculty ranked No. 17 in the world for empirical research output. Their research expertise is moving the industry forward and providing invaluable insights to future business leaders.

May

Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders at Commencement

Bob Hottman (B.S.B.A., ’77), who became a partner in Plante Moran after serving as the CEO of EKS&H for more than two decades, delivered the spring commencement address to business students, drawing on lessons he’s learned over his career. “You don’t need to have a title to be a leader, but you do need to stand for something so people know who they are following,” Hottman said.

Outstanding Grad: First-Gen Business Student Led CSU’s Dreamers United

“My parents moved here from Mexico when I was 3 years old and that has given me a different outlook on life and education,” said 2019 Outstanding Graduate Brayan Montes-Terrazas. He served as the president of Dreamers United at CSU, helping grow the membership from five people to 50 and establishing a fund to help Dreamers with emergencies.

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Outstanding Grad: Aiming for a Career Helping Others

Overcoming personal hardships and tragedy, Cassie Alfaro graduated with her B.S.B.A. in financial planning and a dedication to helping others. "I learned about financial literacy and the number of people struggling with their finances. I want to help people get better at saving money and planning for their future," said Alfaro.

Faculty Emeritus Breakfast

The annual faculty emeritus breakfast brought back to campus and celebrated educators whose years of service have helped shape the lives of countless business students.

Going Above and Beyond for Students

CSU’s Administrative Professional Council recognized Lorie Humphrey as an Admin Pro Star for going above and beyond in her role as a career counselor in the College of Business Career Management Center.

Exploring International Business in China

Nearly 30 graduate students traveled together to China, visiting Beijing and Shanghai to tour innovative companies, learn from industry leaders, and develop a better understanding of how business is done in the world’s most populous country.

June

New Impact MBA Connects Profit with Purpose

The future-facing MBA builds on the success of the Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA and teaches students the critical business skills they need to drive organizational change.

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Innovations in HR Education

Assistant Professor Samantha Conroy won the 2019 Innovative Teaching Award from the Human Resources Division of the Academy of Management for keeping course content interactive and engaging.

Students Gain Market Insights in Summit Fund

The student-run Summit Fund provides hands-on investment experience to roughly two dozen undergraduates. The diverse portfolio rose in value from $464,000 to $491,000 from June 2018 to June 2019. Students actively invested in funds with a focus on social responsibility, including a demonstrated stewardship of human and natural resources.

July

Marketing Faculty Take Lead Roles in Research Publications

Department of Marketing Chair Dave Gilliland and marketing Professor Kelly Martin were asked to serve in editorial positions at two leading marketing research publications. Martin is the coeditor-in-chief of the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, and Gilliland has stepped into the role of editor at the Journal of Marketing Channels.

Global Business Academy

The summer Academy brought together 51 high school students from 11 states and 13 countries for 13 days of international business education, entrepreneurship, and exploration. The Academy’s immersive approach to connecting students from around the globe made the program a “once-in-alifetime experience.”

August

Ram Welcome

Dean Beth Walker welcomed nearly 500 undergraduate students to the College. The class of 2023 is 25 percent first generation and 42 percent female, and 25 percent are from out of state. Welcome, Biz Rams!

New Bachelor’s Degree Brings Accounting Concentration to Castle Rock

The College launched a new AACSB-accredited undergraduate BSBA with an accounting concentration at the Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock, Colorado. The program is designed to let students who have an Associate of Arts in business earn their bachelor’s degree in two years and is part of a partnership between CSU, Arapahoe Community College, and Douglas County School District.

Margarita Lenk Recognized as Top Accounting Instructor

Associate Professor Margarita Lenk was honored with the American Accounting Association/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation prize for excellence in undergraduate accounting education, a prestigious honor recognizing some of the top instructors around the world and awarding them $25,000.

September

Annual Career Expo Connects Students and Employers

Annual Career Expo Connects Students and Employers More than 700 Biz Rams connected with 100-plus employers seeking business interns and graduates to develop their workforces. The annual expo hosted by the College’s Career Management Center contributes to a 94 percent job and academic placement rate for undergraduates within 90 days of graduation.

Meet the Founders: Curt Richardson, Otter Products Founder

Curt Richardson created the first prototype of an OtterBox waterproof case in his garage in the early ’90s and, in 1998, Otter Products was born. As part of the Meet the Founders lecture series, Richardson shared his story of founding Otter Products and shaping OtterBox to become a global leader in smartphone cases.

International Business Concentration Launches

The College’s new concentration in international business helps undergraduate business students prepare for meaningful careers with organizations that operate beyond national borders by building skill sets that are increasingly important in an expanding global economy.

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October

The Education Review Features the College of Business as a Top 10 School

The College’s academic programs have consistently ranked among the best in the nation and the world, and The Education Review highlights how the College and its business for a better world mission are leading the way in business education for the next generation of leaders.

Biz Rams Recognized as Distinguished Alumni

Adding to the excitement of CSU’s Homecoming festivities, three College of Business alumni were recognized as Distinguished Alumni: Ross Thompson (B.S.B.A., ’78, with his wife, Sue), Frank Balog (MBA, ’03) and Mark Swanson (MBA, ’04).

Annual Coats for Kids Supports Poudre School District

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the College rallied together to donate more than 160 coats to Poudre School District students in need of jackets to keep them toasty during the winter (warming our hearts in the process).

Women in Business Support Days for Girls

The Women in Business Association, a club that aims to provide more professional opportunities for female students, spent an evening assembling 240 sustainable feminine hygiene kits to support Days for Girls International, an organization that will distribute the kits to women and girls in developing countries to increase access to menstrual care.

OtterCares Supports K-12 Entrepreneurship Outreach

The Institute for Entrepreneurship was awarded $70,000 by OtterCares for K-12 entrepreneurship and designthinking outreach. The Institute was recognized as one of five organizations driving innovation in education over the next 10 years and has already welcomed two new team members to further its efforts to eliminate barriers to entrepreneurial success.

Biz Rams Fight Hunger

The Dean’s Student Leadership Council led the College’s charge for C.A.N.S. Around the Oval, helping raise $14,560 and collecting 609 pounds of food to help the Food Bank for Larimer County provide more than 29,000 meals to community members in need.

Otter Products Invests $100K to Advance Business Ethics

Students Callie Blase, Sarah Greichen, Sarah Siayap, and Lauren Gross won a year of in-state tuition from Otter Products after taking first place in the second annual OtterBox Ethics Challenge, a case competition testing how ethical decision-making skills can be applied in professional settings. Otter Products donated $100,000 to fund the competition and brought in seasoned business professionals from its organization to coach students through the challenging ethical dilemma.

Meet the Founders: Dick Monfort, CEO of the Colorado Rockies

Dick Monfort, who has served as CEO of the Colorado Rockies since 1997, shared insights from his career and how he helped to build the Rockies franchise into one of the leading organizations for sport and business in the Rocky Mountain region.

NoCo Real Estate Conference Connects Industry Leaders

The 23rd Annual Northern Colorado Real Estate Conference, hosted by the College of Business Everitt Real Estate Center, brought together over 300 leading real estate professionals from across industries to discuss emerging trends such as housing prices, population growth, and retail habits.

Scholarship Recipients Awarded More Than $900K

The annual scholarship luncheon celebrated student recipients and the donors whose generosity has enabled the College to award more than $900,000 of scholarship assistance over the academic year. Thank you!

November

Welcome, President McConnell!

Joyce McConnell, who became the 15th president of CSU on July 1, was formally inaugurated. She is the first woman to hold the position. She joined CSU from her previous role as provost and vice president for academic affairs at West Virginia University. Follow @CSUMcConnell on Twitter

Meet the Founders: Luis Gonzalez, CEO of Old Elk Distillery

For the final Meet the Founders lecture of 2019, Luis Gonzalez described his work leading Old Elk Distillery through growth and planning initiatives as well as distribution and brand strategies.

Sherman Miller Real Estate Competition Winners

With only five days to conduct an analysis, prepare a presentation, and defend it to industry experts, undergraduate students Scott LaHerran, Will Denton, Matt Gasser, and Nick AmRhein came out on top among Colorado contenders at the Sherman Miller Real Estate Competition, beating teams from CU-Boulder and the University of Denver and leaving with the $1,500 first-place prize.

GSSE MBA Wins Esteemed Innovator Award

After 13 years at the forefront of sustainable business education, the GSSE MBA received the prestigious MBA Roundtable Innovator Award in recognition of its commitment to innovative business education. This award further confirms that the continually evolving MBA is vital to professionals passionate about using business to improve the world around them.

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December

President McConnell and Otter Products Founder Curt Richardson Celebrate Fall Grads

CSU President Joyce McConnell and Otter Products founder Curt Richardson joined the College to celebrate the accomplishments of fall business graduates and shared advice for how the newly minted alumni can make the most of their journeys beyond CSU. We’re so #ProudToBe a part of supporting our students as they achieve this milestone!

Students Engage in Community and Culture in Ecuador

As part of the College’s Go Abroad program, 15 students, led by CSU faculty, traveled more than 3,000 miles to take part in the Community and Cultural Engagement program in Ecuador over winter break. The experience integrates meaningful service with instruction and reflection to teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities.

Mitch the Elf’s Holiday Escapades

The entire College banded together to help catch and return Mitch the Elf after his daring escape from Dean Beth Walker’s office just before the holidays.

Outstanding Grad: MBA Focuses on Reducing Air Pollution

Even before Michael Somers graduated from the GSSE MBA, he already had his next goal in mind: eliminating hundreds of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere through Ouro Mobility, an electric car-sharing business he founded with his classmates.

Outstanding Grad: Accounting Undergrad Strives to Become a CPA

Matt Maguire struggled through high school and reached a point where he had to make a decision: either he took responsibility for his choices, or he didn’t. Taking charge of his academic pursuits, he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in accounting after transferring to CSU from Front Range Community College and is focusing on becoming a CPA.

Undergrad Biz Rams Win First Place in Real Estate Challenge, Overtake Top Grad School Competitors

A team of three College of Business undergrads, Grant Williams, Nidhi Bansal, and Ben Dlin, took home first prize and $10,000 at the Colvin Case Study Challenge – a real estate competition usually won by teams of graduate students. “I don’t think we knew that we’d be competing against Cornell and NYU grad students,” Dlin said. “When we ... saw that they were 30, 35 years old and had been in the industry, it was pretty intimidating.” The experience gap clearly didn’t throw the trio off its game. Way to go, Biz Rams!

Professor Susan Golicic Recognized as a Top Supply Chain Professional

Susan Golicic, a management professor and director of the Supply Chain Management Forum, was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential women in supply chain by Global Women Supply Chain Leaders. Over her career, Golicic has seen a paradigm shift take place: “It is inspiring that women in the field are being increasingly recognized for their leadership and impact.”

January 2020

Online MBA and Online Master of Computer Information Systems Ranked No. 1 in Colorado

Our Online MBA and Online MCIS programs once again ranked No. 1 in Colorado by U.S. News and World Report! Even better, our Online MCIS achieved its highest ranking ever, coming in at No. 7 for veterans and No. 14 nationwide among public schools. The rankings, based on excellence in categories such as engagement, expert opinion, and faculty credentials and training, demonstrate the College’s commitment to providing an exceptional learning experience to students.

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Institute for Entrepreneurship Director Recognized as Top GenXYZ Talent

Director Scott Shrake’s zero-barriers approach to entrepreneurship has helped hundreds of budding entrepreneurs refine their ideas and grow their business plans. This innovative approach earned Shrake a place on ColoradoBiz magazine’s lists of the 2020 Top 50 GenXYZers and Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in the state.

beverage business institute symposium series

$1.25M Grant Helps College Provide Deeper Foundations in Ethics

A five-year grant from the Daniels Fund will allow the College to enhance principle-based ethics education and decision-making through classroom learning, competitions, and events. The grant also helps the College attract partners that give students opportunities to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world situations.

Beverage Business Institute Kicks Off Speaker Series

Zach Mercurio, a CSU psychology instructor and author who has delved into the world of finding purpose and meaning in organizations, work, and life, led a conversation on how beverage professionals can focus on purposeful leadership to improve their organizations, themselves, and the people around them at the first Beverage Business Institute Symposium.