UAGC Announces the 2021 University Fellows Program Winners (UFP)

 

Greetings Readers, Faculty and Students,

 We are excited to announce the grant winners of the 2021 University Fellows Program (UFP).

All full-time faculty members engage in appropriate levels of scholarly activity, and the UFP is an opportunity to acquire additional support for such work. Each year $100,000 is allocated to supporting faculty research and scholarship. This year’s UFP proposals were a competitive group that represented the collaborative efforts of University of Arizona Global Campus scholars across departments, programs, and colleges.  Proposals represented key funding priority areas of retention and student success with 25% of 2021 funding allocated towards High Impact Practices (HIPs) research.  We have again exceeded prior years’ efforts in being able to fund 15 grants. These grants will be used to support research efforts that will further improve the quality of teaching and learning here at UAGC. Opportunities to hear about progress and findings for each of these studies will be available throughout 2021, so be on the lookout for future invitations.

 Special thanks to each faculty member who submitted a proposal for the 2021 University Fellows Program.   Each proposal helps to elevate the University Fellows Program and identify it as a valuable example of UAGC’s commitment to student success. We are pleased to announce the following proposals have been selected as University Fellows Program 2021 Awardees.  Please extend your congratulations to the following researchers: 

 

Primary Investigator (PI)	Team Member(s)	Title of Project	College of PI
Connie Lower	Stacy Manning, Nathan Pritts	UAGC Cohort Jumpstart	College of Arts & Sciences
Hwangji Lu	Robert Smiles	Quality Improvement in Online Course Design: A Case Study	College of Arts & Sciences
Hwangji Lu	Robert Smiles	Collaborative Project and ePortfolio: The Impacts of High-Impact Practices on Online Learning*	College of Arts & Sciences
Sonja Bethune	Mingzhen Bao, Nathan Pritts, Marc Hyntka, Christopher Foster	Live Learning: Supplementing Asynchronous Courses with Synchronous Web Meetings*	College of Arts & Sciences
Jennifer Robinson	Stacy Manning, Diane Hilbrink, Kathryn Kleypas, Cathlene Dollar, Benjamin Sorenson	Live Learning as a requirement of asynchronous first-year experience: Themes and understandings from student responses *	College of Arts & Sciences
Dan Tinianow	Marc Hnytka	Immersive experiences for student engagement	College of Arts & Sciences
Jennie Walker	Brandy Havens, Gwendolen Stutler, Maja Zelihic	Bridging the motherhood penalty: Identifying the specific challenges working mothers face in completing their education and advancing their careers and strategies to support their success	Forbes School of Business & Technology
Peggy Sundstrom	Jennifer Robinson	Evaluating the Use of Doctoral Writing Coaches to Enhance Doctoral Student Retention and Success: A Pilot Study*	Forbes School of Business & Technology
Jennifer Zaur	Dr. Amy Johnson, Dr. Allison Rief	The Role Scaffolding Plays in Student Success and Faculty Satisfaction	College of Arts & Sciences
Cheri Ketchum	Chelsey Yeats, Daria LaFave, Elaine Phompheng	Interaction or engagement: What do our students really want?	College of Arts & Sciences
Holly Ourso		Live Learning Mathematics	College of Arts & Sciences
Stephanie Anderson	Kim Cowan, Bill Davis	Constructing CARE in the Online Setting: Perceptions and Experiences of Compassion, Acknowledgement, Respect, and Encouragement in the Classroom	College of Arts & Sciences
Teresa Handy	Dr. Tamecca Fitzpatrick	Walk the Talk	College of Arts & Sciences
Christopher Foster	Clifford Blizard	The Impact of Experiential Learning in the Asynchronous Online University Classroom*	College of Arts & Sciences
Shari Schwartz	Pamela Murphy	The Use of Digital Badges to Enhance Student Engagement and Retention	College of Arts & Sciences
Allison Rief	Teresa Kuruc, Matthew Phillips Matthew, Kim Cowan	The Power of One: Flexibility as a Specialized Need for Non-Traditional Student Success	College of Arts & Sciences
Karen Ivy	Tahereh Daneshi, Lisa Sims, Michael Hayden, Shavon Andrews, Myinn Cohen, Karrie Suess	Student Organization Involvement with Matched Mentors and Mindsets: Creating a Culture of STEM Leadership	Forbes School of Business & Technology

 

*The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship would like to thank the UAGC High Impact Practices (HIPs) Committee for their review and support of the 2021 UFP researchers. The HIPs committee endorsed the following research projects that have a direct alignment to HIPs and a clear impact on student retention through the HIPs model:

·         Collaborative Project and ePortfolio: The Impacts of High-Impact Practices on Online Learning

·         Live Learning: Supplementing Asynchronous Courses with Synchronous Web Meetings

·         Live Learning as a Requirement of Asynchronous First-year Experience: Themes and Understandings from Student Responses

·         Evaluating the Use of Doctoral Writing Coaches to Enhance Doctoral Student Retention and Success: A Pilot Study

·         The Impact of Experiential Learning in the Asynchronous Online University Classroom

 The HIPs Committee and ORCS also commend and celebrates the following HIPs faculty champions:

o   Julie-Ann Adkins,

o   Sonja Bethune (PI),

o   Clifford Blizard,

o   Cathlene Dollar,

o   Christopher Foster (PI),

o   Teresa Handy,

o   Stephanie Heald,

o   Diane Hilbrink,

o   Marc Hyntka,

o   Kathryn Kleypas,

o   Hwangji Lu (PI),

o   Stacy Manning,

o   Nathan Pritts,

o   Allison Rief,

o   Jennifer Robinson (PI),

o   Latisha Shipley,

o   Robert Smiles,

o   Benjamin Sorenson,

o   Peggy Sundstrom (PI)

o   Jessi Upshaw

 

Regards,

Dr. Iris Lafferty, Dr. Pamela Murphy, Dr. Murad Abel, Dr. Mingzhen Bao, and Dr. Newton Miller

Office of the Provost and Office of Research & Creative Scholarship

Male Allyship Influence on Gender Equality? - A Discussion Between the Center for Women's Leadership and Harvard Business Authors

 Re: Center for Women's Leadership Hosts Discussion with Harvard Business Publishing Authors on the Importance of Male Allyship for Gender Equality 

On November 16, 2021, the Center for Women’s Leadership (CWL) hosted guest speakers, Dr. David Smith and Dr. Brad Johnson, the authors of Harvard Business Publishing books Athena Rising and Good Guys. They focused on the importance of male engagement in gender equality initiatives, exploring why men are often absent from gender equity work, and why genuine equity in the workplace is good for both men and women. They said that men may incorrectly believe that they have no role to play in addressing issues and leveling the leadership playing field.   

Dr. Smith and Dr. Johnson's research debunked this thinking pattern, discussing the many roles men play in bringing about gender equality including leveraging mentorship, sponsorship, and workforce partnerships. They offered a new perspective on recognizing preconceived notions about gender behavior and expectations, promoting meaningful dialogue on gender equality in the workplace, and creating a positive corporate culture that offers all employees a viable path towards leadership and success. Gender partnership is a powerful tool in propelling next generation leadership that is diverse, inclusive, and reflective of our global society.  

Professor Bios:

Professor Brandy Havens
LinkedIn Profile

Brandy Havens is a CPA, Core Faculty in accounting at the Forbes School of Business & Technology at University of Arizona Global Campus, and a board member at the Center for Women’s Leadership.

Professor Dr. Jennie Walker
LinkedIn Profile

Dr. Jennie Walker is a SHRM-CP, Lead Faculty in Leadership at the Forbes School of Business & Technology at University of Arizona Global Campus, and Chair of the Center for Women’s Leadership. 

Professor Susan Gould Discusses Coffee, Critical Thinking, and Finance

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating information to guide belief, decision, or action. Finance students and professionals are uniquely positioned to utilize critical thinking effectively and persuasively.

To understand how critical thinking is a key element of finance, imagine it is the beginning of your work day. It’s been a busy week, you have a lot of projects you are working on, and it’s important for you to be productive today.

You think about starting work, and you consider getting a cup of coffee. What course of action will you take to get a cup of coffee, and how much will that cup of coffee cost you?

Many people will answer this query with “go to (fancy coffee shop) and it will cost $5.”  Some will say “I will go to (franchise donut shop) and it will cost me $1.50.” Others will say “I’ll brew my coffee here at home, so it will cost a few pennies.”  Still others will say “I don’t like coffee, so I will get a glass of water instead, and it won’t cost anything.”

What’s the right answer?

As with many financial decisions, there is no single ‘right’ answer. However, the process to arrive at the answer that is right for you illustrates how critical thinking is applied in finance!

In the morning coffee example, each person applied several steps to arrive at their decision. These steps involved many elements of critical thinking:

·         Creativity: what else could I drink?

·         Context and background knowledge: what does coffee cost at various places?

·         Financial acumen: is it worth it to me to spend $5 or $1.50 on a cup of coffee in this moment, and how does this impact my financial goals?

·         Ethical and social responsibility concerns: do I agree with the coffee shop’s social and environmental actions?

Once a decision is made to buy a cup of coffee, there is a financial transaction – handing over dollars and cents to the store in exchange for the product.

Many people believe that the field of finance is focused on the that last step – the financial transaction. Certainly, the exchange of money for goods, services, investments, or securities is worthy of extensive study. And, there is no doubt that finance professionals love numbers and can devote significant time and effort to analyzing numbers!

However, the field of finance is really about all the thought process that leads to the financial transaction. Additionally, the field of finance is about the long-term implications of that transaction. Thus, the ability to communicate the context of a financial decision, as well as the long-range impact of various paths considered, is a critical capability. 

Replace the morning coffee example with a company’s capital investment decision, and the process is exactly the same. Although there is (most assuredly!) quantitative analysis to consider, a manager or executive must also reflect on:

·         What other options are there?

·         What is the competitive environment, and strategic opportunity?

·         What is the cost and long-term financial impact on the company of implementing this decision?

·         Does this decision reflect the company’s mission, ethics, and values?

It is no surprise that finance professionals are experts at quantitative analysis. However, financial decisions are most successful when evaluated within the right context, and with significant consideration of alternatives and long-term impacts. Finance students and professionals are expert critical thinkers and communicators!

Professor Susan Gould Bio:

Professor Susan Gould
LinkedIn Profile

Susan Gould earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University, and a Master of Management degree with majors in finance and managerial economics from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She also holds the CFA designation from the CFA Institute.  Susan is the Lead Faculty of the BA in Finance and MS in Finance programs at UAGC.

 

Susan worked for 20 years in corporate finance, where she prepared business valuations of privately held companies in a wide variety of industries, including natural gas, printing, construction equipment manufacturing, architecture and engineering, retail, and commodities trading. Susan specialized in representing Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) from implementation and stock purchase through sale transactions.

 

Professor Bill Davis Taps Into Insight Provided by Leading Industry Expert Chuck Muth (Brands and Global Marketing)

UAGC Professor Bill Davis Taps the mind of leading industry expert Chuck Muth to better understand Brands and Global Marketing.

Description of Event: 

The University of Arizona Global Campus and the Forbes School of Business & Technology welcomed Chuck Muth, the former Chief Growth Officer (CGO) of Beyond Meat. Under Chuck Muth’s guidance and leadership, Beyond Meat grew their revenues 2400%, going from $16 million in 2016 to over $400 million in 2020. Mr. Muth helped launch the brand into more than 120,000 outlets worldwide. UAGC’s own Bill Davis, who worked with Chuck in the 90s in Chicagoland when Chuck was an Executive Marketing Executive for Seagrams Beverage invited Chuck to share his insights with us. UAGC Lead Faculty Brandy Havens introduced Chuck and Bill Davis led the interview exploring sales, marketing, and the keys to brand success. Chuck brought a unique and cutting-edge perspective on hot business topics such as health, climate, sustainability, and branding. Bill and Chuck engaged in dialogue that broaden everyone’s perspective on real-world application of global marketing, leadership, operations and supply chain management. Forbes School of Business & Technology Executive Dean, Bob Daugherty, stated, “This was a terrific opportunity for our students to learn from faculty and practioner alike! Nicely done Bill, Chuck lived up to and exceeded all the wonderful things you shared about him.”  Below is the link for the full interview as well as specific links to specific parts of the interview for our leadership, marketing, global marketing and supply chain management courses and students.

About Professor Bill Davis

Professor Bill Davis

Bill Davis has extensive experience and education in all aspects of business: consultant, management, leadership, sales, marketing, strategic planning, human resources, and organizational change. He has over three decades of experience working in the beverage industry, specifically in the PepsiCo system, a Fortune 500 company, serving in front, middle management, and executive level leadership positions.

Bill is a pracademic who successfully transitioned his highly successful career into academia. He has over 16 years of extensive academic experience serving as a program chair, lead faculty, assistant professor, core faculty, instructor, instructional specialist, instructional specialist manager, and associate faculty. He loves furthering student learning and seeing student success.

Bill has received numerous local and national awards for excellence in teaching, leadership, management, community service, scholarship, sales, and marketing. Recently, Bill was recognized by the Forbes School of Business & Technology for Excellence in Service (2016), Excellence in Teaching (2017), and Excellence in Scholarship (2018). In 2016, Bill received the Distinguished Ashford University President's Award for his service to the university. In 2019, he was named Ashford University's Faculty of the Month. He has successfully taught over 200+ courses in accelerated education, developed courses and curriculum, and contributed to academic textbooks. In 2008, Bill received the Distinguished CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Commission for Accelerated Programs. He was one of three educators in the nation to receive this award. He was also awarded the Institute of Certified Professional Manager's (ICPM) Managerial Excellence Award (2016). Bill is on their Board of Regents, Chair of their Bylaws and Policy Committee, and a Board Member in ADEIL, the Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning. He is Chair of their Marketing Committee. He has served and been a Board Member of numerous organizations in his community, specifically United Way and Optimist International.

Here is a local article on Bill's work in his community: Man on the run: For Bill Davis, life means getting involved

Bill has published and presented at numerous academic conferences nationally and internationally and to several businesses, community organizations, and Fortune 500 companies. Bill has published 100+ articles on business, strategic planning, marketing, management, leadership, organizational change, and adult learning and development. In 2019, he coauthored “Staying Engaged It’s Essential – Leadership Principles for Success.”

Here is a sample of Bill's body of work:

Execution and Measurement – Two Steps for Success and Relevance (B.Davis)

Stay Engaged…It’s Essential! - Chunks of Leadership Wisdom and Knowledge to Improve Your Leadership Effectiveness (B.Davis, M.McAuliffe, and C. Minnick).

Bill Davis – 2019 Ashford University Faculty of The Month (Ashford Interview/Article)

Education

Master of Organizational Leadership from St. Ambrose University, Certified Manager Certification from Institute of Professional Managers, Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Lewis University

The University of Arizona Global Campus Presents Building a Future Legacy in STEM

Building a Future Legacy in STEM 9/24

Building a Future Legacy in STEM 9/24 at 2 pm Pacific with STEM pioneers Dr. Guion S. Bluford Jr., American Aerospace Engineer, Cheryl McNair, founding director for Challenger Center, Ed Dwight, AA First Astronaut Candidate to be selected by JFK as the first African American Astronaut, and Major General Charles F. Bolden Jr. , 12th Administrator of NASA.-Hosted by UAGC's Women in STEM

To register please go to: https://lnkd.in/g3RpQg7a 

Faculty Video and Pictures of the UAGC MZeroA "The Drone Experience"

Bravo and Wonderful "The Drone Industry Experience" webinar, Everyone!!!  

To our MZeroA Partners and Drone Webinar Speakers... You are Simply Awesome!   Jason Schappert, Magda Riutort, Rodger Ozburn, Brennon Edward, John Wolcott, Matt Lyon, and Probe Thompson.

Thank you for sharing your Drone Aviation content, expertise, and industry excitement!   The content was amazing and an inspiration to our UAGC students!   

Well done, to our UAGC Team - Bob Paxton, Karen Ivy, Michael Hayden, Pete Limon, and Shari Schwartz!!

From our University of Arizona Global Campus - Forbes School of Business & Technology Leadership - We Thank You!

Karen