Southern Utah University
Dixie L. Leavitt  
School of Business
2019 Dean's Report

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Message from the Dean

As I reflect upon the past year and eagerly anticipate what lies ahead, I see what makes up the experiences of being a student in the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business. It’s student-centered instruction, relevant innovative curriculum, and genuine relationships between faculty, staff, and students that make Southern Utah University a unique and enriching experience for all.

Graduates around the world rely on the practical and applied education they received at Southern Utah University to compete in a global marketplace. We are thrilled to continue this tradition and have created a strategic narrative that will serve as a road map to position the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business at the forefront of business education.

I am continually appreciative and inspired by the energy and devotion of the Southern Utah University Community and the students, faculty, and staff of the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business. In this report, we seek to affirm the long and rich legacy of the School of Business by celebrating a few of our extraordinary accomplishments and by highlighting a few of the changes we have made at the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business to meet the demands of our ever-changing world. 

Sincerely,

Mary B. Pearson, PhD, CPA, MAcc
Dean, Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business

Dean Mary Pearson

New Business Building Ribbon Cutting

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new business building occurred August 27, 2018. Momentum for the new building started in 2015, when SUU received $7.5 million from the Dixie and Anne Leavitt Family Foundation. Construction began August 2017 and was completed August 1, 2018. The new business building is 42,000 square feet and has 16 class rooms including an investment lab, a center for entrepreneurship, 2 lecture halls, 2 computer labs, eight student study rooms, banquet space, collaborative space, 31 faculty offices and two conference rooms. 


Read More:

- Business Building Dedication & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony [University News]

- New business building dedicated at Southern Utah University [St George News]

- Dixie L. Leavitt Business Building Dedication [SUU News]

Rankings

SUU Master of Accountancy Program Ranked Among Best in the Nation 
Southern Utah’s online Master of Accountancy (MAcc) has been ranked as one of the best online programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report

Top Online MBA Programs in Utah - 2019 Rankings
(SUU) "offers an experiential learning environment that combines theory and practice, and is designed to prepare students to become fully engaged, productive and ethical members of the business community and society."

Masters of Accountancy Program awarded 13th in Nation for High CPA Exam Pass Rates
"(SUU) is one of the most affordable online master’s programs in accounting in the entire country, and still one of the very best by any measure – including the first-time pass rate for CPA Exam candidates that completed the program."

By the Numbers

Fall Enrollment: 1092
30% increase in 5 years

102 Internships in 2018-19

Recent Faculty & Staff Hires

AJ Templeton

AJ Templeton, PhD

Assistant Professor of Hotel, Resort, Hospitality Management
Jeff Swigert

Jeff Swigert, PhD

Lecturer of Economics and Finance
Courtney Paulson

Courtney Paulson, PhD

Assistant Professor, Business Analytics, MSBA
Ken Hall

Ken Hall, MBA

Director, MBA Program

Melinda Ford, PhD

Assistant Professor of Accounting
Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson, PhD

Lead Student Success Advisor
Madalyn Swanson

Madalyn Swanson, MBA

Business Career Services Coordinator
Miranda Gubler

Miranda Gubler, MPA

Business Graduate & Online Coordinator

Faculty Research and Awards

Dr. Bryan Graden published a paper with Daniel Ames (Idaho State University) and Jomo Sankara (Illinois State University), August 2017, titled, “Estimation Errors Among Insurers: The Case of Subrogation.”


Jeff Orton presented at the UACPA Conference in Salt Lake City, UT, November 2017. He also received the following awards: SUU Outstanding Educator, Professor of the Year from Beta Gamma Sigma, Honorary Faculty Inductee Beta Gamma Sigma, and the SUU Influencer Award. Jeff also received 2nd Place in the 2018 Best Short Case Study. Institute of Management Accounting. for the article “Flight or Fight – A Case Study on Resolving Ethical Conflicts.” published July 2018. The study was also co-authored by David Christensen and Paul Schneider.

 

Dr. Alan Hamlin presented a paper at the Mountain Plains Business Conference, September 2017, titled, “Ransomware as a strategic Threat to Organizations.” He also published a paper with James Frost in July 2017, "Internet Security and Privacy Threats, as Perceived by American and International Business Students," in the Global Journal of Business Disciplines.

 

Dr. Azmi Ahmad presented a paper at the Academy of Business Research Conference in Las Vegas, NV, October 2017, titled, "A Successful Implementation of Quality Culture and Workers Job Satisfaction."


Dr. Gerald Calvasina presented a paper at the Institute for Global Business Research (IGBR) in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2017, titled, “The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and Recruiting.”


Dr. Emmett Steed presented a paper at the International Academy of Business and Public Administration Disciplines (IABPAD) Conference in Las Vegas. NV, October 2017 titled, “Visitor Satisfaction Levels at Southern Utah National Parks as the Number of Visitors Increases”


Dr. Bruce Haslem was granted tenure and was the recipient of the University’s Distinguished Scholarly/Creative Activity Award. He presented a paper at the Financial Management Association (FMA) Conference in Boston MA, on October 2017, titled, “How much do corporate defendants really lose? A new verdict on the reputation loss induced by corporate litigation.” This paper was chosen as best paper in Summer 2017 edition of Financial Management, and Dr. Haslem was invited to present at national Conference of FMA

 

Jacob Miller was the recipient of the prestigious Utah NASPA Outstanding Faculty Member award. He received a certificate in statistical learning from the Stanford University Lagunita program. He also presented a paper at the Western Economic Association International in Vancouver Canada on “Fetanyl Pricing on the Darknet: Trends and Effects of Regulatory and Law Enforcement Actions on Darknet Markets.”


Dr. David Berri presented two papers at the North American Society of Sports Management Meetings in Halfix, Nova Scotia. “Are All Coaches Treated the Same in the WNBA? Evidence of Gendered Treatment Discrimination” and “Investigating Exploitation in College Women’s Basketball.” He published over 70 articles for Forbes.com including "Let's Talk About What's Truly Wrong With Women's College Basketball." (March 18). Dr. Berri also published a book titled Sports Economics with Worth Publishers and Macmillan Education. He also co-authored a paper, with Paul Holmes and Rob Simmons, published in the International Journal of Sport Finance called, “Moneyball and the Baseball Players’ Labor Market.”


Dr. Joshua Price was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Economics and Finance. He presented a paper at the XII Gijon Conference on Sports Economics in Gijon, Spain titled “Game, Set, Match and Loss Aversion in Tennis.” The paper is co-authored with Jacob Miller and Mikala Lowrance (SUU ’18). He also presented a paper at the American Education Finance and Policy Conference in Portland, OR on “Nudging Students to Apply and Enroll in College with Information on Pell Grants.” 


David Christensen along with Paul Schneider, was awarded the 2018 Notable Contribution to Management Accounting Literature Award and the Lybrand Certificate of Merit for the article “A Note on Using Microsoft Excel's Iterative Calculation Option in the Reciprocal Method of Service Department Cost Allocation” (Strategic Finance published May 2017). Dave also received 2nd Place in the 2018 Best Short Case Study. Institute of Management Accounting. for the article “Flight or Fight – A Case Study on Resolving Ethical Conflicts.” published July 2018, co-authored with Paul Schneider and Jeff Orton.

Paul Schneider along with David Christensen was awarded the 2018 Notable Contribution to Management Accounting Literature Award and the Lybrand Certificate of Merit for the article “A Note on Using Microsoft Excel's Iterative Calculation Option in the Reciprocal Method of Service Department Cost Allocation” (Strategic Finance published May 2017). Paul also received 2nd Place in the 2018 Best Short Case Study. Institute of Management Accounting. for the article “Flight or Fight – A Case Study on Resolving Ethical Conflicts.” published July 2018. The study was also co-authored by David Christensen and Jeff Orton.
 
Robin Boneck received the SUU Community Engaged Faculty Member Award for 2018/2019 academic year.

Entrepreneurship

Geode Swimwear

Student Entrepreneurs Create Modest Swimwear Company

Jake, a junior finance major and Jenna, a senior marketing major, are in the process of creating a modest swimwear company, Geode Swimwear.

Street Credit App Entrepreneur

Student Entrepreneurs Want to Up Your Street Cred

Accounting student Dakota Denver and Computer Science major Adam Peterson team up to launch a new venture with the support of the Miller Entrepreneurship Center at SUU.

Best Business Idea Winners

Best Business Idea Competition Prize Winners

The results of the 13th Annual Best Business Idea and Opportunity Quest Competitions are in! Eleven finalists were chosen to present their business ideas to a panel of judges. The top three finishers in each event received prize money ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Beyond SUU

Neal Marchant

Neal Marchant Discovered the World of Finance at Southern Utah University

Neal Marchant always figured he would become a dentist, but finance classes at Southern Utah University changed his mind and today he is the co-owner of Vantage Advisors, a CPA and financial advising practice in St. George, Utah.

Vince Rosdahl

SUU to Accounting Firm Partner

Idaho native Vince Rosdahl originally came to Southern Utah University to play basketball. In between his time on the court, starting a family, and working various jobs on and off campus he found his career path in accounting.

Landon Smith

Entrepreneur in Residence Fosters Students’ Business Ideas

As Southern Utah’s entrepreneurship program continues to grow and develop, a new and enterprising position has brought former SUU student Landon Smith back to his alma mater as the program’s new entrepreneur in residence.

Jodi Hart-Wilson

Utah Lobbyist Presents in Entrepreneurship Class

Southern Utah University welcomed Jodi Hart-Wilson, a prominent Utah lobbyist, as the first speaker of the semester for the Entrepreneurship Speaker Series. The Entrepreneurship Speaker Series is a course on campus that invites various successful business owners and executives to present to the class each week.

New Programs and Restructuring

MSBA Degree Offered

Masters of Business Analytics to be Offered at SUU

The Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business at Southern Utah University continues to grow with a new Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program beginning fall of 2019.

Event Planning Minor

New Minor in Event Planning

Students can soon add Event Planning and Management to their curriculum. After much preparation, Southern Utah University’s Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business is announcing a new minor and emphasis to their ever-growing program.

Online MBA

Online MBA Program Ranked Second in State

After a thorough assessment of over 300 online MBA programs across the United States, Online MBA Report awarded Southern Utah University’s program second in state.

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