Welcome from the Dean
You have checked in at the right place! Welcome to the website of Kent State's premiere business school. I am proud to welcome you to my alma mater and the place where I serve as Dean. Our AACSB-accredited business school is on the move. We are working hard to keep up with the exciting changes that are occurring in the business world. Four advisory boards that consist of executives and managers review our academic programs, marketing, internships and placement, and leadership programs to assure that our degrees are current, relevant, and timely. The Dean's Student Advisory Board meets with the dean and sponsors a forum where the dean gives a presentation to all students and responds to their questions.
Consistent with our mission, our faculty members are academically qualified with appropriate terminal degrees, including Ph.D. degrees, masters of tax degrees, and law degrees. Many of our professors have academic credentials and meaningful work experience at the professional, managerial, and executive levels. These individuals blend theory and practice so that students may apply what they have learned in the real world.
Undergraduate students may pursue several majors and minors: Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations Management. International Business is offered as a minor. Undergraduate students are encouraged to gain "real world experience". This experience might include internships, company projects, visits to companies, spending a day or part of a day with an executive (shadowing program), or other meaningful experiences.
Graduate students can earn Masters degrees in Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, or Financial Engineering. We also offer the doctorate in business.
Some recent highlights
- We have established a new Global Management Center.
- The Masters of Science in Financial Engineering Program is ranked 13 in the world!
- The live trading floor for the Financial Engineering program was named for Olga A. Mural.
- Michael D. Solomon Lecture Series in Entrepreneurship:
- We held a formal event on April 4, 2005 with 85 students, faculty, alumni and business owners. This event generated a $10,000 challenge for the KEA students to develop a business plan competition. Two of our speakers, Mark Brandt and Gary Trinetti each contributed $1,000 to the challenge. There was a lot of energy generated that evening, with an overwhelming response to hold entrepreneurial events more often.
- Capitalizing on the energy and enthusiasm from April 4, we also had an informal “Entrepreneurial fireside chat” on May 5. This brought in 42 students and faculty. The responses continued to be very positive with a request to have more informal activities like this one.
- Our student association, Kent Entrepreneurship Association (KEA), through Dr. Pam Grimm is actively bringing in speakers, participating in Entrepreneurship programs and recently became affiliated with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).
- Lee McMannis, a BAC member has offered to be our first Entrepreneur-In-Residence as a key part of getting the Entrepreneurial Lab off the ground in Fall 2005. Lee has volunteered his time to this initiative.
- The Review of Future Markets Journal is now housed in the college as a result of a donation from the Chicago Board of Trade.
A Few Success Stories
- KSU Student-Athletes do a superb job of balancing academics and athletics. In the College of Business, Ms. Lindsay Shearer, a Finance major and All-Mid American Conference basket ball player, has been recognized for her academic prowess, including recognition as a member of the MAC All-Academic First Team.
- KSU Marketing major and Women's Team Golfer Gabrielle Wedding was twice chosen as Mid American Conference Golfer of the Year and is a leader of the Women's Golf MAC Championship Team. Her excellent academic performance has earned her membership on the All-Academic First Team.
- Dr. James Boyd received the William F. Sharpe Award for the best paper of the year in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. The journal is among the top-ranked journals in finance.
- Dr. Marvin Troutt, Professor in Management & Information Services, received the Kent State 2005 University Distinguished Scholar Award
- Beta Alpha Psi, the College’s student accounting association, received the Community Service Award at this year’s regional meeting. The group, under Don McFall, won the Innovative and Professional categories for their service effort to raise awareness of college age smoking and its disgusting byproduct—cigarette butts!
George Stevens, Class of DBA '79
Dean