Saunders Business Beat!
Check out your monthly recaps covering all the exciting news from you, our Saunders community, and upcoming events. Learn about event promotions, our newly launched Saunders Ambassador Program, and more at Saunders announcements.
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Accomplishments from Saunders Students
- Brian Yan ’26 (finance and accounting) received a Financial Executive International (FEI) Scholarship Award at the FEI Scholars Night Program at the Kodak Center in Rochester. The scholarship of $1,250 went to outstanding undergraduates—Yan and four others from neighboring colleges—majoring in accounting, finance, and economics.
- Lamya Hamad '24 (EMBA), Jen Spencer
'02 (IT and security), MS '06, '23 (EMBA), and Alex Sunseri
'23 (EMBA) won the third annual Case Competition, part of the Healthcare Conference hosted by Columbia Business School (CBS) and the Healthcare Industry Association (HIA). Teammates combined their experiences in pharma, health information, and cybersecurity to propose a winning solution. This is the second consecutive year an RIT student from the nationally ranked online Executive MBA program has won the competition.
- Frank D. Cammarata ’25 (global business management and management information systems) and Logan Burns ’25 (finance) are featured in an article in Croatia Week, “From USA to Croatia: RIT students Frank and Logan’s cultural journey.” The two Saunders students visited the RIT Croatia
campus in Dubrovnik during the fall semester of 2023 as part of the Global Scholars program. The Croatia Week article describes how Cammarata and Burns “experienced a blend of new academic experiences, cultural differences, and many opportunities for personal growth.”
- Laura Gutaman ’27 (marketing and new media interactive development) and Abigail Santosh ’26 (finance) have founded a new RIT student campus group, the Multicultural Business Association
(MBA). The club aims to “help support and foster a community that celebrates and showcases the talented underrepresented students in Saunders College of Business.”
- Max Mekker
'23 (accounting), '25 (MBA), and Disha Rungta MS '24 (accounting and analytics) won accolades at the annual Saunders accounting banquet. Mekker received the Undergraduate Accounting Scholar Award and Rungta the Graduate Accounting Scholar Award. Check out event photos taken by Julia Pham.
- Eddie DiTomasso ’24 (finance and management information systems) has accepted a position with Goldman Sachs, Salt Lake City, beginning in May 2024, immediately following graduation. DiTomasso recently completed a co-op with Goldman Sachs—learn more about that experience here.
- Michael Hibbard
’25 (management information systems) recently completed an eight-month co-op as a project manager with Wegmans Food Markets.
Learn more about these accomplishments and read previous months online.
Alumni News and Recognitions
- Zining (Kelvin) Chen ‘17 (advertising and public relations), MS ‘19 (TIME), owner of Taichi Bubble Tea,
was recently added to Saunders Alumni-Owned Businesses. Taichi has been growing across the United States, across 40 stores, hoping to bring the best bubble tea, healthy poke bowl, and tasty ramen to people worldwide. They strive to provide a place to connect with family and friends while enjoying delicious drinks and food.
- Lindsay Connelly ‘11 (marketing), ‘18 (MBA),
owner of Linden Digital Marketing, was recently added to Saunders Alumni-Owned Businesses. Linden Digital Marketing offers digital marketing services in simple, straightforward service packages customized to guide customers through each stage of business growth, no matter what stage they are at.
Learn more about these accomplishments and read previous months online.
Saunders Faculty and Staff Go Above and Beyond
- Sean Hansen, Ph.D., professor and chair of the department of MIS, marketing, and analytics, with Uri Gal, professor of business information systems at the University of Sydney Business School, hosts a podcast, The Management Lab, which brings “science-based tools and insights to tackle current managerial issues.” Recent episodes include Making AI Work: The Generative Edge in Workplace Productivity and The do’s and don’ts of giving effective employee feedback.
- Duygu Akdevelioglu,
Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of MIS, marketing, and analytics, has been selected as the 2023-2024 recipient of the Richard and Virginia Eisenhart Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. This prestigious award recognizes a tenure-track faculty member who excels at teaching and leadership on campus.
- Ashok Robin,
Ph.D., professor of finance and accounting, has been selected as the 2023-2024 recipient of the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring. The award “honors an RIT faculty member who actively helps in the development of a junior colleague’s career by offering advice, feedback, and guidance that reflects a deep understanding of their department, college, and university.”
- Jerrie Hsieh,
Ph.D., professor of international hospitality and service innovation, and Muhammet Kesgin,
Ph.D., associate professor of international hospitality and service innovation, were featured in a Spectrum News story, “Western N.Y. workforce training program helps refugees get jobs.” The segment covers Saunders’ Hospitality Workforce Training Program for Refugees and Immigrants,
headed up by Hsieh and Kesgin, which offers “this underserved population hospitality job skills training to enable them to find employment, secure a financial means of living, and re-establish their credentials.”
- Jancy Nightingale-Burch,
’25 (MBA), Saunders assistant director for marketing, was spotlighted by Rochester Professionals Under 40. As the acknowledgment notes, “Jancy is a life-long learner, who strives to maintain a healthy balance between personal well-being, outdoor exploration, and sustainable practices.”
- Maria Richart,
director of RIT career services and cooperative education, was quoted in an article in U.S. News & World Report, “Co-op vs. Internship: Know the Differences.” Says Richart, "My advice is, regardless of whether it's required for your degree program, it doesn't matter. You could be a journalism student or a biology student. Do something that will expose you to the potential field that you are interested in going in." U.S. News ranked RIT #5 in coops/internships for 2024.
- Rick Mislan,
Ph.D., senior lecturer of management information systems, marketing, and analytics, is part of a team that has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant of $100,000 to develop MAGNETO: Magnetometer-based ATAK Guidance for Network Evaluation of Threats and Operational-Conditions. This technology “harnesses the untapped potential of smartphone magnetometers for sensing and mapping RF spectrum data” and has several defense applications.
Learn more about these accomplishments and read previous months online.
Students, alums, faculty, and staff can share their news with your Saunders community by emailing us at communications@saunders.rit.edu.
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News
See these and past news online.
Media Coverage
- There are alternatives to the four-year degree. The Rochester Business Journal talks to Richard DeMartino, professor of management and director of the Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, about education options in career areas outside of a bachelor’s degree.
- States Where Employers Are Struggling the Most in Hiring. WalletHub talks to Dena Bareh, an adjunct faculty member at the Saunders College of Business, about why some states struggle to hire even as the labor market improves.
- RIT's 'Beers of the World' course brews excitement among students. Spectrum News talks to Ted Ganster, lecturer in the Department of International Hospitality and Service Innovation, about how RIT's Beers of the World class provides students with a broader palate and historical understanding of craft beer brewing.
- Western N.Y. workforce training program helps refugees get jobs. Spectrum News talks to Jerrie Hsieh, professor, and Muhammet Kesgin, associate professor, both in the Department of International Hospitality and Service Innovation at Saunders College of Business, about a new workforce training program aimed at refugees.
See these and past news online.
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Upcoming Events
- 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5
MBA & Grad Chat Series: Current Student Panel
- 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6
University-Wide Career Fair
- 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 8
Submission Deadline - Business Analytics Competition (2nd Round)
- 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 18
Results Announced - Business Analytics Competition (2nd Round)
- 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 21
MBA & Grad Chat Series: Faculty Roundtable
- 8 a.m. on Friday, March 22
Traveling Tigers - Northwestern Mutual, Manning & Napier, and Five Star Bank
- 9 a.m. on Monday, March 25
MBA & Grad Chat Series: Career/Co-op (Internship) Opportunities
- 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27
MBA & Graduate Chat: Ask Me Anything
- 10 a.m. on Friday, March 29
Presentation & Award Ceremony - 2024 Business Analytics Competition
- 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 6
Accepted Student Open House
See these and upcoming events online.
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