A note from Northern Leadership Center Director Nicole Cundiff:

The Northern Leadership Center hosted Dr. Alice Eagly, who presented a lecture and workshop.

The Northern Leadership Center was proud of Dr. Alice Eagly, a Professor of Psychology and of Management and Organizations at Northwestern University, the latest chapter of the Susan Herman Distinguished Speaker Series. Eagly is one of the world’s most renowned psychologists in her field of research, which includes studies of gender, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping, and leadership.

On campus last week, she presented a lecture entitled “Women as Leaders: Progress Through the Labyrinth” and facilitated an all-day workshop with Dr. Nicole Cundiff entitled “Taking a Fine Balance: The Female Leadership Experience” at the Princess Hotel.  Both events had full registration and participation.

 

“Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders” by Alice Eaglyl

Eagly’s most recent book Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders was used as the framework for the workshop, and a book signing was facilitated during the lunch break. The goals of this workshop were to gain an understanding of the female leadership experience, to discover what it takes to be an effective leader in today’s society, to enhance participants understanding of charismatic behaviors, and to leverage feedback on personal charismatic traits in order to increase participants leadership awareness.

 

 

 

Chancellor Rogers absorbed in “Lean In” by Cheryl Sandberg, one of the books studied at Dr. Eagly’s workshop.

A diverse group attended it from the University and the
Fairbanks communities, really leaving a great impression for SOM. Evaluations were excellent with a 4.7 out of 5 ranking from 24 evaluations. Some participants said that they were “engaged the whole time” and that “it was great and we appreciated the variety of lecture, self exercises, and group exercises.”

 

 

 

For more programs coming from the Northern Leadership Center, please see our website at www.uafleadership.com

Every year the Student Investment Fund flies down to San Francisco to visit firms in the financial district. This year SIF visited:

• Bloomberg
• Bridge Partners
• Callan Associates
• Ellis Partners LLC
• Goldman Sachs
• Mosaic Financial Partners
• Orbis Funds
• RCM Capital Management LLC
• Robin Lane Investment Firm
• Wells Fargo

Here’s what Student Investment Fund president Kyla Stark had to say about her experience:

Kyla Stark in the San Francisco financial district.

The Student Investment Fund trip to San Francisco was amazing trip that provided me with opportunities and experiences I would never have been exposed to in Alaska. We spent our time visiting a variety of financial firms and had meetings with professionals from different financial sectors, such as wealth management, financial consulting and real estate investments.

My favorite aspect of the trip was the opportunity to speak with amazingly bright, smart and hardworking financial professionals. Talking to professionals about their education, work history, as well as their advice about life, careers and goals was an incredibly inspiring experience.

 

 

 

Shelby Carlson also traveled to San Francisco:

Shelby Carlson in the San Francisco financial district.

The trip to San Francisco was probably one of the most eye opening experiences of my college career. It can become a bit daunting just sitting in the classroom and studying out of the text book day after day. Having the chance to get out of the classroom and meet people doing the work I am studying helped me understand and appreciate what I need to do to get where I want my career to go.

I was very inspired after coming home from this trip, and am very grateful to my professor, Craig Wisen, alumnus Sam Enoka, and the people that took their time to meet with us.

 

View more pictures from the SIF spring break trip.

Over the last two weeks the students and faculty of the MS Resource and Applied Economics Program have held a thesis and four project defenses.  These students put in a lot of work on challenging topics.

It is also a lot of work for faculty, especially the chairs, to be on these committees.  Congratulations to Joe Little, who chaired four of the committees and to Doug Reynolds, who chaired the other.  Jungho Baek served on all five committees, Greg Goering on three and Liz Ross on one.  The students are well-served by the mentoring from these faculty.

Arnett, Jamie. Thesis “Commodity Definition and Content Validity in Stated Preference Valuation: A Meta-Analysis of Water Quality Welfare Estimates”  Joseph Little, Committee Chair, Jungho Baek and Peter Fix.

Burke, Robin, Project. ”Economic and Social Factors that Affect Satisfaction with Life of Individuals Living in the Bering Straits Region.” Joseph Little, Committee Chair, Jungho Baek and Liz Ross.

Maureen Bosire, Project. “Analysis of factors affecting water demand in the Western United States.” Joseph Little, Committee Chair, Jungho Baek  and Greg Goering.

Santoro, Carrie, Project. “Contingent valuation survey assessing revealed preferences for participation in the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s change out program to reduce PM2.5 levels within the EPA-designated non-attainment area”.  Joseph Little, Committee Chair, Jungho Baek and Greg Goering.

Woodbury, Zach, Project defense. “Search for the up-flow zone: Optimal search theory utilizing crowd based a priori probability distributions and Bayes’ Theorem in Geothermal Drilling.” Douglas Reynolds, Committee Chair, Greg Goering and Jungho Baek.

Kudos to Cam Carlson, Director of the Emergency Management & Homeland Security program for the recent approval of the Military Security Studies minor and his efforts to reach out to the military.

Here’s some congrats from Senator Begich:

Letter of Congratulations from Senator Begich

Alexandre Padilla will be presenting, “Immigration: Myths and Realities” on Monday, March 25 in the UAF Schaible Auditorium at 10:30am and 2:15pm.

The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation is sponsoring this event and the SOM student organization Students Who Enjoy Economic Thinking (SWEET) is hosting.

Click to view PDF.

GAAP President Chris Piech and speakers Laura Edmondson of Mikunda & Cottrell, Co. Inc., Charlie Kozak of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and Aaron Schutt of Doyon Limited.

On February 4, the Great Alaskan Accounting People (GAAP) student organization hosted the Alaska Native Corporations Seminar. Speakers Aaron Schutt, CEO of Doyon Limited, Charlie Kozak, CFO/EVP of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and Laura Edmondson, Consulting Department Manager of Mikunda & Cottrell, Co. Inc., spoke to students and accounting professionals about Alaska’s native corporations, 8(a) contract issues, and the future of these corporations.

Candace Crews, accounting student and GAAP member, organized this event and answered the following questions.

What sparked the idea for the Alaska Native Corporations Seminar?
In Ken Abramowicz’s income tax class, he asked how many of us were aware of how Alaska Native corporations operate and what the term “8a” meant. I had to admit I knew very little beyond the basic history of ANCSA. After doing a bit of research and reading past issues of Alaska Business Monthly, I realized how big a slice of the Alaska economy Native corporations form. I recognized that if I work as an accountant in Alaska, I needed to know a lot more.

What do you think students took away from this seminar?
When students go to work in accounting firms – really in any business in Alaska – they need specific information on Alaska’s economy. The learning curve in the early years of a new job is steep. If students can learn the basics of how Alaska’s economy works by learning about Alaska Native corporations, as well as other major industries in our state, then this can help them be prepared.

GAAP President Chris Piech and speakers Laura Edmondson of Mikunda & Cottrell, Co. Inc., Charlie Kozak of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and Aaron Schutt of Doyon Limited.

What did YOU take away from this seminar?

I learned a great deal organizing this event because I had to research the topic in order to understand the basics of what we wanted seminar panelists to discuss. In fact, I felt that by the time of the seminar the speakers probably would not provide me any new information – was I wrong!  The panelists shared the basics and, helped by questions from the audience, they moved into topics I had not researched: tax basis issues, 7(I) funds, and the future visions held by many of the corporations. I can’t stress enough more how useful all of their discussions were for the students and professionals in attendance.

How has your experience with the Great Alaskan Accounting People (GAAP) been so far?
GAAP is a great organization. It has a clear mission – to prepare accounting students for their careers. I am a non-traditional student and I have prior degrees and experience at two other universities. While I belonged to clubs and student organizations at those universities, I can say that no other group comes close to the professionalism and dedication in preparing students for their future career field. The more speakers GAAP can share with students in weekly meetings and special events like the Alaska Native Corporations Seminar, the better UAF students will shine in the professional world.

Pictures from this event can be found on the GAAP Facebook page.

Interested in being a guest speaker for a GAAP meeting? Contact Emma Zeisel.

More information about this student organization can be found on the GAAP website.

Shelbie is attacked by mosquitoes on Murphy Dome.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in Interior Alaska, am a graduate of North Pole High School and received my graduate degree from UAF in 2005. I have worked at UAF since 2008, first in enrollment management and public information at the College of Liberal Arts, and now as the undergraduate advisor and admissions outreach coordinator for SOM. I have experience working in a management consulting firm, in operations and marketing for a custom commercial food processing facility, and as both an administrator and an assistant guide for a big game guiding service.

In my spare time I enjoy getting out and enjoying Alaska as much as possible.  This includes hiking, camping, skiing, sledding, traveling, attempting to successfully grow tomatoes in the summer and spending quality time with family. I love to swim and I take WAY to many pictures of just about everything. I like to read and daydreaming is my favorite pastime.

Shelbie and her son, Aiden, fish south of Fairbanks in the Alaska Range.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I love to travel and there are SO MANY places I plan to visit. One place I would like to go that is not currently on my “active planning” list is Europe. I am of European decent and my ancestors came to this continent in the mid-1700s to early 1800s. I would love to go to Europe and visit all the places my family came from. This would be very expensive and would involve traveling to several countries – I’m saving this trip for when I strike it rich. J

 What do you like about working with students?
I like working with students because I love to help people and the diverse UAF student body is so interesting. I learn new things about my community all the time from conversations with students. I think education is a privilege not everyone has the opportunity to pursue, and navigating the university system can be very confusing. I feel honored to have the opportunity to play a small part in helping students realize the dream of their college degrees.

Shelbie on a Granite Tors hiking trip.

If you could time travel, what useful advice would you give your college self?
What a question! I am stubborn and hard-headed and I was even more so in my younger days. If I would have listened, I would tell myself to slow down and enjoy every minute of it. I think this is good advice in general: enjoy every minute of your life.

Nanook Accountants placed in the top 20 in a national accounting competition. Team members are faculty advisor Ruth Prato, student Danelle Small, team captain Lyssa Kemper, Mindy Haugeberg, Adam Morotti, and faculty advisor Amy Cooper.

UPDATE: Go vote for the UAF Nanook Accountants team!

UAF School of Management accounting students participated in a national competition for the first time – beating teams from across the nation to place in the top 20 and compete for their spot in the top 3.

The 2012 AICPA Accounting Competition presents a different topic each year. Students form teams and argue for their solution in an 1000-words-or-less paper. The 2010 and 2011 topics were sustainability and fraud & forensics. This election year, the scenario is:

You’ve joined a team running an election campaign for the next President of the United States of America.  Your organization has seen its clients struggling with the financial issues faced by many Americans and you believe that your years of experience in management accounting gives you the big picture perspective needed to provide practical solutions to these issues.

Like in every election, your team must develop your candidate’s proposed solutions to address current issues as part of the candidate selection process. For the purposes of this debate, you will briefly outline your proposals for 2 of the 3 main issues: social security, income taxes, and the deficit.

The SOM team Nanook Accountants sent in their proposed solutions to the deficit and income taxes and were advanced to the top 20. At the next level of competition students created a video expanding on one of the issues they choose in the beginning; Nanook Accountants choose their deficit solution. Their solutions include “Compliance Auditing” for government entitlement programs, as well as financial literacy in education curriculums to allow American youth to better understand national issues and to obtain financial skills to secure their own financial future.

Public voting starts Thursday, November 8. A panel of judges will rank the videos, taking into account public opinion, and announce the top 3 on Friday, November 16. The top 3 will be flown to Washington, D.C. where they’ll have 10 minutes to wow the judges. Third place receives $2,500; second place, $5,000; and first place will take home $10,000.

“We’re really proud of them – it’s been amazing. The competition has been a huge undertaking and they’ve exceeded my expectations every step of the way.” – Amy Cooper

“This competition is a great resume builder, not to mention the experience of competing in a national competition. Here, they’re competing against their buddies in the classroom, but now it’s students from all over the country.” – Ruth Prato

Alyeska Pipeline MBA Fellowship recipient Jennifer Maguire poses with her mother, Cora.

Jennifer Maguire was the Alyeska Pipeline MBA Fellowship recipient for the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters. Jennifer received her undergraduate degree in English, with a double minor in Applied Business and Alaska Native Studies. She is pursuing her MBA and will plans to graduate in December 2013.

Why did you decide to earn an MBA?

I would like to be my own boss. Also, I would like to work with my family – my sister and I like to talk about business and what sort of business we could start.

You and your siblings are second-generation UAF alumni – can you share with us the degrees they received?

My father, Bob, earned his Masters of Education from UAF. My mother, Cora, received her degree in education and has worked as an elementary teacher for many years. My sister, Gail, has a nursing degree and she works for the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, and my brother, Jeremy, has a Wildlife Biology degree and he works down in Seattle for a school district there.

Why did you decide to attend UAF?

I started at another school and then decided to attend UAF. I like that evening classes are offered and the classes are small. If you need help with anything, you can go to the professors. I like the small-school feel.

I’ve gone to other colleges and overall, I like UAF the best.

How did receiving the Alyeska Pipeline MBA Fellowship help you?

The Alyeska Pipeline MBA Fellowship rewards $12,500 to two MBA students every year.

I probably would not have gone to graduate school without it, for financial reasons. I like UAF and I had heard the business program was good and I am grateful for the opportunity the fellowship gave me. It feels good to know that the community as a whole is supporting Native students going into business. Even in our own Native corporations, there are not enough managers who are Native – many times we have to hire outsiders to come in and manage us.

What do you hope to accomplish with your MBA?

An MBA shows you have the skill to run different types of programs and manage different departments.As of September 2012, I was named CEO of Interior Regional Housing Authority!

For more information on scholarships, visit the University of Alaska Foundation.

“It’s like drinking out of a fire hose for 12 weeks. You have to keep in mind that you’re in a 12-week interview,” Sierra (left) on her internship at BP.

Sierra Sadler is an MBA student at the School of Management. This summer, Sierra worked as a financial intern for BP.

Why did you want to intern at BP?

I thought they had the best program – it’s set up with the college intern in mind. They push you and integrate you into the team. I thought it was the best opportunity for me to get into the field of finance.

I also like working in the oil industry. It’s fast-paced and one of the best industries to work in in Alaska. I think in the next 10 years with the natural gas pipeline, there’ll be a lot of opportunities.

What did you do as an intern?

You’re given a project with the goal to complete it give a final presentation. Each project is specific to the intern. You also go to a lot of meetings and learn the day-to-day work of what people do at BP. There was something different every day.

Compared to what you learn in the classroom to what you learn in an internship, how was that different?

I had the foundation from my classes but the interaction in the business world was what was what I learned from my internship. I also learned how to engage other people in your work and the practical aspects of setting up meetings with important people. Being concise with what information you need from them and what you’re working on. If you calculate how much they are getting paid, and you’re taking up their time – your meeting could waste thousands of dollars, so you learn to prepare. It’s more high-pressure compared to the classroom.

What advice do you have for students interested in internships?

Don’t be afraid to apply to your dream job. Internships are the key to finding a job after graduation. Apply your sophomore or junior year, that’s when you’re setting yourself up for a career. An internship makes you stand out in this economy.

What was the best thing about your internship?

BP gave me a taste of what it’s like to work there. You feel like you’re a part of the team, not just an intern.

Do you think you had an advantage coming from UAF?

I would never have known about the internship opportunity unless I was in the UAF MBA program. You hear about things around campus.

“BP has a strong team spirit. One of their core values is ‘one team’ and employees know and follow the company’s core values,” Sierra Sadler (middle).

There are a lot of opportunities for networking at UAF. I learned about the internships through career fairs on campus, as well as talking with School of Management alumni. Then, at events like the Business Leader of the Year, I was able to network directly with people from BP.  I think BP is one of the companies in Alaska that really care about hiring students from UAF.

BP notices the students coming out of the UAF MBA program are staying in Alaska and they’re excelling.

You do have an advantage if you come from UAF.

Sierra has accepted a job offer from BP and will start work there in the spring.