Business & Public Management

PROFESSOR SUSAN FIORENTINO, J.D., WILL RECEIVE THE GLADYS BLACK “WOMAN OF DISTINCTION” AWARD FROM THE FUND FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

October 17, 2023

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REYES RECEIVES COURSE HERO TEACHING GRANT

August 14, 2023

Dr. Cassandra Reyes, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at West Chester University, has been named one of 52 recipients of Course Hero’s 2023 Teaching Grant for Digital Learning. The grant program by the online learning platform is designed to support a wide range of faculty submitted “dream projects” using technology such as generative AI and VR.

“With advancements in generative AI and VR being widely and quickly adopted by students and faculty, educators are seeking out new ways to engage their students in increasingly hybrid classroom environments,” said Sean Michael Morris, VP of Academics at Course Hero. “I’m continually amazed by the ingenuity of faculty members across the country who are embracing new technologies to help today’s learners succeed and achieve their higher education goals.”

Reyes will utilize the grant to implement digital technology into sections of the CRJ 325 Animal Cruelty elective course during the Fall 2023 semester. During the course, students will gain real-world knowledge of and experience with the legislative process on the federal and state level as it relates to the development of anti-animal cruelty statutory laws. This course, designated as a speaking emphasis course, will have students complete a multimedia project for their ePortfolios, and through the grant, a Webcam, set of lapel microphones, and a ring light have been purchased for use by the students in the two sections of the course.

The multimedia project entails students working together in small groups of 4 to 5 students to hone interpersonal skills. Each group will create a 3-minute publicly accessible TikTok video to promote awareness, provide ethical dilemmas, and solicit support for actual pending federal and state anti-animal cruelty legislation. The students will have autonomy in how they create their videos.

In addition, the groups will also disseminate the information from the videos via posters and flyers around campus.

Selected through a blind review process by a team of Course Hero staff who themselves are former educators, grant recipients were selected from a pool of faculty across 142 institutions for the Fall 2023 term.

WCU FEATURED FOR USE OF LOCATION ANALYTICS IN BUSINESS PROGRAMS

June 15, 2023

The College of Business and Public Management is proud to be featured by Esri in one of its user stories. Read about how the College of Business and Public Management is helping students get ahead and meet workforce needs by using location analytics in undergraduate and graduate programs. Link to the story: https://go.esri.com/wcu-location-analytics

WCU SENIOR NETS MULTIPLE CONTEST WINS FOR HER ENTREPRENEURSHIP

May 12, 2023

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PHL17 MORNING NEWS INTERVIEWS WCU STUDENT ZACH STARR AND PROFESSOR DIGGIN

May 1, 2023

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OUTSTANDING STUDENTS HONORED

April 28, 2023

The College of Business and Public Management hosted its annual Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 27, 2023, recognizing a total of 29 students from its programs for their outstanding accomplishments. The event honored 20 undergraduate students, including students from WCU’s Philadelphia and DCCC Campus programs, and nine graduate students. 

The Outstanding Student Award is presented to both undergraduate and graduate students in each College of Business and Public Management program. Each department or program nominates and selects their award winner(s) based on criteria individual to that department.

Congratulations to the following students:

Outstanding Undergraduate Students
Department of Accounting
Brian East
Erin Heffleger
Shannon McDermott

Department of Criminal Justice
Joseph Murphy
Emily Scott

Department of Economics and Finance
Anna DeCecco
Mauricette Musser
Colby Yonchiuk

Department of Geography & Planning
Alexis Acey
Riley Nolan
Quinten Harrison
Kelsey Arrington-Podraza

Department of Management
Alisan Dodd
Hannah Karaman
Elizabeth Stewart

Department of Marketing
Delaney George
McCafferty Gray
Dylan Williams

Outstanding WCU Philadelphia Center Student
Dina Isreal

Outstanding Delaware County Community College Student
Grey Jacobs

Outstanding Graduate Students
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Erin Faucher

Master of Science in Geography
Elpidio Guzman De La Cruz

Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Don Edmonds

Master of Business Administration
Alexa Smith

Master of Science in Human Resource Management
Kristen Dinella

Master of Public Administration
Valentina Mitterer
Jane Yandel

Doctor of Public Administration
Yamillette Rodriguez
Jonathan Sternesky

6ABC ACTION NEWS FEATURES COTTRELL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPER STARR

April 27, 2023

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SUPER STARR INVENTS TOBACCO-FREE ALTERNATIVE TO NICOTINE VAPING: PRODUCT HAS JUST BEEN LAUNCHED IN THE UK

April 21, 2023

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STUDENTS CELEBRATED WITH 1871 AWARDS

April 18, 2023

This year, eight College of Business and Public Management majors were among the 61 West Chester University students recognized with the 1871 Award at a ceremony held on April 13, 2023, in Sykes Student Union. Established in 2018, the 1871 Award represents the year in which West Chester University was founded.

WCU juniors and seniors who have excelled both in the classroom and beyond are eligible for the 1871 Award, which rewards their accomplishments in academics, career readiness, leadership, and community engagement. A selection committee comprising faculty, staff, and one previous 1871 Award-winning student reviews applications, including recommendation letters written by WCU faculty and staff. 

These College of Business and Public Management students are 1871 Award winners:

Nicole Caruso, Tiara DeTommaso, Joshua Filer, Nicole Fish, Joe McSweeney, Sadie Patterson, Zoe Elizabeth Yarosz, and Anthony Zunno.

Visit the 1871 Award website for additional information.

WCU SALES TEAM COMPETES AT REGIONAL COMPETITION

April 17, 2023

The West Chester University Sales Team competed in a regional competition on April 15, 2023, at Temple University. WCU team members included Emily Gowman, Amanda Smith, Andrea Alessi, Dylan Williams, Jake Henry, Kalysta Sauder, Maria Maris, Natalie Schadler, Ryan Merkle, Sami Kakar, Meredith Cardina, Kyriaki Maris, and Madison Andrus. Dylan Williams won second place for the 90-second speed sell and took third place for the role play. Emily Gowman placed third for the 90-second speed sell. The teams were given a sales scenario four weeks prior so they could study and research the company involved in the scenario, formulate a sales role play, as well as construct a 90-second speed sell sales pitch. 

CRIMiNAL JUSTICE STUDENTS RACK UP AWARDS AT NATIONALS

March 22, 2023

West Chester University's criminal justice students competed at the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA-LEA) National Conference in Louisville, Ky., during the University's spring break. A total of 13 current WCU students and two professors combined for a total of 25 top-3 placements in the competition. Competitive events included academic exams (criminal law, corrections, policing, juvenile justice, criminology, and homeland security), fitness/agility test, crime scene investigation, student research paper competition, and a firearms competition, and were divided into three divisions: Lower (first years/sophomores), Upper (juniors/seniors), and Professional (graduates/practitioners). 

A full list of top WCU top-3 placements can be found below. 

Here is a list of the winners:

Corrections (lower)
3rd place - Evan Trego

Crime Scene Team (lower)
2nd place - Maureen Farrell, Ashley Tinervia, and Alex Mooney
3rd place - Chanet Batista, Sam Deskiewicz, and Dylan Maier

Criminal Law (lower)
3rd place - Dylan Maier

Criminology (lower)
1st place - Dylan Maier

Criminology (professional)
1st place - Megan Clancey 
3rd place - Dr. Chris Przemieniecki

Individual Firearms (lower)
2nd place - Sam Deskiewicz

Team Firearms (lower)
3rd place - Maureen Farrell, Sam Deskiewicz, and Emily Scott

Team Firearms (professional)
3rd place - Dr. Chris Przemieniecki, Professor Terence Sweeney, and Robert Duprey

Homeland and National Security (lower)
1st place - Ethan Elicker
2nd place - Evan Trego
3rd place - Jack Jennings

Homeland and National Security (upper)
2nd place - Danny Nguyen

Juvenile Justice (lower)
2nd place - Alexis White

Student Paper Competition (lower)
2nd place - Alexis White - "De-Escalation Training in the Police Force"
3rd place - Ashley Tinervia - "The Social Changes in Forensics"

Student Paper Competition (upper)
2nd place - Isla Meyer - "The Johnston Gang"

Physical Agility (female under 25)
3rd place - Emily Scott

SECOND ANNUAL PENSKE CASE COMPETITION HELD

February 24, 2023

The West Chester University Supply Chain and Business Intelligence Center hosted the Second Penske Case Competition on Thursday, February 23, 2023. Penske asked students to identify a market within the Philadelphia/South Jersey Region and locate a business to target as a Penske Rental Agent. Students Heather Canigiani, Steve Rozyckie, and Matt Dall won first place, Marcus Remillard, Dan Etling, Anthony Sanfelice, and Brian Garcia took second place, and Maddie JOhnson, Joey Harkins, and Kaylin Moll came in third. All the student groups taking part in the competition demonstrated excellent data-driven decision making and presentation skills. 

JONGWOONG KIM RECEIVES 2023 KATHY A. POSSINGER HOUSING POLICY FELLOWSHIP

December 8, 2022

Dr. Jongwoong Kim, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning, is a recipient of the 2023 Kathy A. Possinger Housing Policy Fellowship from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Kim will receive a stipend during the year to conduct research benefiting the affordable housing industry. Kim's fellowship project will connect and analyze issues that are often discussed separately but have consequences from their combined impact on seniors: those are property taxes and aging-in-place. 

Read the official Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency press release for more information. 

WCU’S BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING RECEIVES ACCREDITATION

November 11, 2022

This past June, the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) announced initial accreditation for West Chester University’s Bachelor of Science in Urban and Environmental Planning degree for a five-year term effective January 2023. WCU joins only 15 other undergraduate programs in the United States to be nationally accredited.

In its report, the review committee noted many areas of excellence including a notable strength in the use and application of technologies embodied in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which is supported by a close linkage between program faculty and ESRI, faculty engagement in community and regional planning practices, and high-quality and energetic students who gain valuable real-world experience.

“The department has spent many years carefully developing a planning program that builds on the strengths of the Geography & Planning Department and the College of Business & Public Management,” said Dr. Dottie Ives Dewey, Associate Dean of the College of Business and Public Management and Professor of Planning. “Accreditation by the PAB is a great acknowledgement that our program aligns with the performance expectations, quality standards, and values central to the planning profession. We’re especially pleased that the PAB recognized the quality of our students, as they are the true testament of the quality of the program. We believe the B.S. in Urban & Environmental Planning program is well-positioned to continue to educate new planners and make lasting contributions to local communities in Chester County and beyond.”

PAB’s mission is to promote excellence among planning programs and ensure high quality education for future urban planners. PAB currently accredits 15 bachelor’s and 78 master’s programs at 81 North American universities. Accreditation by the PAB indicated that the program has undergone an external review and substantially meets the PAB standards and criteria. PAB bases its decisions on the overall quality of the program, its performance relative to its mission and strategic plan, and its performance relative to PAB’s five standards.

Accreditation (or a degree from an accredited program) serves as a marker of approval from the planning academy as well as the planning profession. Practitioners and employers view accredited programs highly in providing the core for professional education with commonly recognized standards for skills, knowledge, and values. Accreditation provides an assurance that a program’s graduates are well prepared for practice with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively serve in the workplace and with the public. Graduates from accredited planning programs are also eligible for AICP Candidacy status immediately upon graduation.

While the Department of Geography and Planning had been educating planners for many years, the B.S. in Urban and Environmental Planning officially launched in Fall 2016 with the growing demand in the region and nationally. The curriculum equips students with the professional and technical skills needed to guide the complex processes of a changing world, to utilize modern technology to create a sustainable built and natural environment, and to enrich communities through leadership, entrepreneurial creativity, social responsibility and environmentally sustainable planning and policy. As of May 2022, the program has awarded degrees to 62 students.

“I think that the planning studio courses helped solidify that planning was the career path I wanted to follow,” said Patricia Quinn ’21, M’22, who is currently a Transportation Planner for the Chester County Planning Commission. “They laid out a structured but amenable roadmap for projects and students made the final product their own.”

The most recent 2022 graduation class has a 100% placement rate of either being employed or admitted to graduate school upon graduation. Employers include townships, counties, engineering services firms, GIS and technology firms, and not-for-profit entities including environmental organizations and community development organizations.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT OUTSTANDING STUDENTS CELEBRATED

April 21, 2022

The College of Business and Public Management held its annual Outstanding Student Awards event Wednesday, April 20, recognizing a total of 27 students from its programs for their outstanding accomplishments. The event honored 17 undergraduate students, including students from WCU’s Philadelphia and DCCC Campus programs, and 10 graduate students.

The Outstanding Student Award is presented to both undergraduate and graduate students in each College of Business and Public Management program. Each department or program nominates and selects their award winner(s) based on criteria individual to that department.

Congratulations to the following students:

Outstanding Undergraduate Students

 

CONFIRMING GLOBAL QUALITY AND DISTINCTION IN BUSINESS EDUCATION

April 8, 2022

WCU has extended its accreditation in business with AACSB International (AACSB), a global nonprofit association that connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders.

Since 1916, AACSB accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards in business education. Today, a total of 935 institutions across 59 countries and territories have earned AACSB accreditation in business.

Evan Leach, dean of the College of Business and Public Management, noted, “Our quest for reaccreditation was a real team effort in which our faculty, staff and students played a significant role in the process. It is great to have external affirmation of the hard work that everyone has put in to make our business programs strong and impactful.”

Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB-assigned mentor, and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multiyear path, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB’s accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

“Every AACSB-accredited school has demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning,” said Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB. “The intense peer-review process exemplifies their commitment to quality business education.”

10TH ANNUAL BUSINESS IDEA PITCH IS APRIL 20: MORE ENTRIES, MORE PRIZES

April 8, 2022

As West Chester University wraps up its Sesquicentennial, it is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the annual Business Idea Competition hosted by the Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center. The finalists will compete in person on Wednesday, April 20, at the WCU Alumni and Foundation Center before a panel of judges that consists of business angel investors, entrepreneurs, and business advisors. Doors open for networking at 4 p.m. and the in-person pitches begin at 5 p.m. Register to attend here.

Sponsored by the Cottrell Center, the Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic, and the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce, the WCU Business Idea Competition promotes creativity and idea generation by recognizing innovative ideas for new products, services, and technology.

An increase in prize money to $15,000 for this 10th anniversary competition was made possible by a generous gift supported by the Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic.

The Business Idea Competition draws entries in four categories: WCU undergraduates; WCU graduate students, faculty/staff, and alumni; Chester County high school students; and Chester County startups. This year’s Round 1 and Round 2 panel of judges selected the following to advance to the finals:

WCU Undergraduate Track

Matthew Zwilgmeyer, VR Warehouse: a space where individuals can come to experience virtual reality in the most realistic way, as it combines both the sense of sight and touch.

Anthony Leipziger, The Ring Beat: a smart ring that tracks a person's heart rate and has GPS & telecommunication capabilities.

WCU Graduate, Alumni, Faculty & Staff

Morris Cohen, Holodeck: an experiential learning experience that combines elements of virtual reality and teacher curriculum, resulting in high levels of student engagement.

Janear Hankerson, 7th & Northampton Studio Production LLC: a program that addresses the issue of teacher shortages and how it’s rooted in the lack of classroom management. This program provides educators with humor theories, techniques, and exercises to keep their audience engaged.

Chester County High School Students

Alyana Wybranski, Brendan Pappas, James Spaulding, Kenneth Profeto, CASS – Computerized Automatic Suppression System: a computerized autonomous suppression system that can be used in place of typical sprinkler systems.

Joseph Richter, Split: an app that solves the lack of communication that divorced parents have and the effect it has on children. The features of the app include a shared calendar to manage a child's schedule, a direct line to counseling hotlines, and can be used to split expenses.

Chester County Startups

Kevin Boylan & Nicole Boylan, SCAPES: a virtual landscape design business that produces 3D custom landscape designs based on a customer's envision.

Devin Marlin, Beach Runner: a full concierge beach gear set up and clean up service.

Cottrell Center Director Pattie Diggin M’96 is pleased with the growth of the competition. “Ten years ago the WCU Business Idea Competition was established with one track and 40 participants. Since then, it has expanded to include not only our own University students, faculty, and staff but also Chester County community members and Chester County High School students, drawing more than 300 participants this year. The Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center looks forward to supporting the continued growth of creative idea development at WCU and beyond.”

The presenting sponsor for this year’s Business Idea Competition is Meridian Bank. Univest Financial is the gold sponsor.

The Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center fosters entrepreneurship across West Chester University and throughout Chester County by preparing students to contribute to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing access to a rich network of entrepreneurship resources and enhancing the startup and growth of new ventures to develop a strong WCU entrepreneurship culture and a vibrant Chester County entrepreneurship ecosystem.

WCU TEAM PLACES 12th IN ERPsim NORTH AMERICA COMPETITION

March 31, 2022

On March 25, 2022, a team of three students from West Chester University’s College of Business and Public Management finished 12th at the 2022 ERPsim North America Competition. Over 100 students from 25 universities took part in this year’s virtual event jointly organized by SAP Next-Gen University Alliances NA and ERPsim Lab –HEC Montréal.

The WCU team consisting of Joseph Harkins, Seth McLaughlin, and Andrew Zou displayed excellence in teamwork and problem-solving skills. The trio, coached by WCU Department of Management faculty members, Dr. Linda Zhu, Dr. Phuoc Pham, and Dr. Qi Zou, completed a 4-day intensive training and was able to quickly grasp the new system, comprehend the game logic, and develop strategies for maximizing the corporate valuation.

The top three teams in the North America competition advance to the ERPsim International Competition, which is being held on June 16, 2022. The teams advancing from the North America region are: Sherbrooke University, Governors State University, and San Diego State University, placing first through third, respectively.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS COMPETE AT 2022 ACJA-LAE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

March 29, 2022

West Chester University criminal justice students recently attended the 85th Annual American Criminal Justice Association (ACJS) – Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE) National Conference in Kansas City, Mo., and the Golden Rams came away champions in several categories of the competitive events. A total of 23 WCU students had the opportunity to attend the conference accompanied by CJSA faculty advisor Dr. Chris Przemieniecki and adjunct professor Terence Sweeney.

The competitive events included academic competition challenge knowledge exams in Criminal Law, Police Management, Juvenile Justice, Corrections, and ACJA/LAE Knowledge. There were two new exams added in 2022 reflecting Homeland & National Security and Forensic Psychology. There were also competitions in Crime Scene Investigation, Physical Agility, and Firearms.

West Chester University placed in the following categories:

• 1st place (Upper Division) Juvenile Justice
• 1st place (Upper Division) Forensic Psychology
• 2nd place (Upper Division) Corrections
• 2nd place (Upper Division) Crime Scene Investigation
• 3rd place (Upper Division) Crime Scene Investigation
• 1st place (Lower Division) Police Management
• 2nd place (Lower Division) Juvenile Justice
• 2nd place (Lower Division) Corrections
• 1st place (Lower Division) Team Firearms
• 1st place female (18-25 yrs old) Individual Physical Agility
• 1st place male (18-25 yrs old) Individual Physical Agility
• 2nd place male (35+ yrs old) Individual Physical Agility
• Spirit Award – Best Overall Chapter/School at Nationals

PROFESSOR MATTHEW MCMAHON PROVIDES ANALYSIS ON LOCAL ECONOMICS TO CBS3

WATCH: CBS3 discussion with Professor McMahon

WCU’S ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP CENTER SEEKS “BIG IDEAS” FOR 2022 BUSINESS IDEA COMPETITION

February 3, 2022

Now celebrating its 10th year, the Annual Business Idea Competition (BIC) at West Chester University welcomes all those who have business start-up dreams and big ideas to compete for $11,500 in prize money in the 2022 contest.

Ideas that have not yet been commercialized and can be used as the foundation for a new business are eligible for one of the four tracks in this competition:

• WCU Undergraduates
• WCU Graduate Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff
• Chester County-based Startups
• Chester County High School Students

Pattie Diggin, director of WCU’s Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center, notes that “This competition provides an opportunity for individuals and teams to explore new and exciting solutions through creative idea development. It promotes creativity and idea generation by recognizing innovative ideas for new products, services, and technology. The goals of the competition are to foster idea generation and to facilitate commercialization of business ideas.”

Participants will be evaluated in two steps. Ideas will initially be reviewed by business angels and business advisors. In a fast pitch competition on Wednesday, March 30, the top ideas in each category will be selected for the in-person Business Idea Pitch Competition that will take place on Wednesday, April 20, at the West Chester University Foundation, 202 Carter Drive, West Chester.

Prizes include:

• Grand Prize $2,500
• First Place Prize in each track $1,500
• Second Place Prize in each track $750

Proof that WCU’s BIC is a springboard to entrepreneurial success is evident in past winners from all categories, some of whose ideas have become reality. One example is last year’s start-up track first place winner Gene Williams, whose concept for Athletes Untapped sports coaching platform launched in August.

Another is Jake Henry, a junior Honors Pharmaceutical Product Development major and the 2021 BIC grand prize winner with his new venture, Lectra, a wireless and portable electrically conductive athletic tape designed for athletes who suffer from muscle strains. “The University’s Business Idea Pitch Competition was my first chance to test my entrepreneurial skill set,” he said. He later pitched Lectra at Entre’s Pitch Competition and took second place.

“Throughout the different phases of the competition, I learned how to create a successful elevator pitch and business model and I got first-hand experience pitching in front of a live audience. It has also given me connections that have helped me finish prototypes, acquire funding for business ventures and patents, and develop even more skills to take my business from an idea to a market disruptor.”

Henry was also among the 100 top collegiate entrepreneurs in the country who competed at the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) People’s Choice Awards in Florida. He attended the conference with Diggin and Patrick Bassil, a WCU Business Management and Biology major, where they placed 4th of 35 competing teams in the market simulation segment.

The 10th Annual WCU Business Idea Competition is co-hosted by WCU’s Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center, the Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic, and the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce.

The presenting sponsor of the competition is Meridian Bank and the Gold Sponsor is Univest.

WCU Business Idea Competition partners are SCORE of Chester & Delaware County and the Chester County Economic Development Council initiative i2n.

Business experts, Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic Angel Investors, and members of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce will judge the idea pitch.

Winners will be announced, and awards will be presented at the conclusion of the Idea Pitch.

For more information, e-mail cottrellcenter@wcupa.edu.

LORI FULLER RECEIVES OUTSTANDING AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION AWARD

February 3, 2022

Lori Fuller, professor and department chairperson in the Department of Accounting, received a 2021 Emerald Literati Award for Outstanding Author Contribution for the chapter, “Will Cognitive Style Impact Whistleblowing Intentions.”

The chapter, published in Volume 23 of Research on Professional Responsibility and Ethics in Accounting, was co-authored by Tara Shawver, Chairperson of the Department og Accounting at King’s College.

In the chapter, Fuller and Shawver conducted an exploratory study to determine if one’s cognitive style affects whistleblowing judgment and intent.
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explores whether cognitive style affects moral sensitivity,whistleblowing judgments, and whistleblowing intentions.

The full chapter is available to read here: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S1574-076520200000023003/full/html

ONLINE MBA STILL A TOP PROGRAM ON TWO U.S. NEWS LISTS

January 26, 2022

In an increasingly crowded and competitive market, West Chester University’s online graduate programs continue to be ranked highly among more than 1,200 programs surveyed by U.S. News for its 2022 best graduate programs. Only regionally accredited institutions whose programs are offered mostly or entirely online were evaluated.

The University’s online Master of Business Administration is ranked at #56 nationally on the newly released 2022 U.S. News Best Online MBA Programs list. MBA Coordinator Brian J. Halsey, WCU professor of business law, noted, “We’ve generally maintained our status in a fiercely competitive environment.”

WCU shares the #56 spot with five other institutions on this list of 328 qualified schools. The majority of schools are tied, with a single point on their scores often representing a large movement up or down in the rankings. U.S. News lists the tied universities alphabetically.

U.S. News also released the list of the top Online MBA Programs for Veterans, placing WCU at #38, tied with three other schools. Only 95 institutions are ranked on this list.

WCU’s online MBA is one of the most affordable AACSB-accredited programs in the country. Tuition has been frozen since 2019. The program has been online for more than 10 years and is offered in an asynchronous format with respected faculty, many of whom have taught online for more than 20 years.

For the 2022 rankings, U.S. News evaluated institutions using five categories: engagement (30%), expert opinion (25%), faculty credentials and training (15%), student excellence (15%), and student services and technologies (15%).

U.S. News surveys schools annually to collect the data necessary for its rankings.

In addition, for the third consecutive year, U.S. News administered a separate peer assessment survey directly to deans of business schools with online MBA programs and top distance-learning officials at those institutions. Their methodology states: “A survey of high-ranking academic officials at MBA programs helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that statistics do not capture.”

The complete rankings are available online from U.S. News.

THREE PROGRAMS RANK IN NATIONAL LISTS FROM INTELLIGENT.COM

December 14, 2021

West Chester University’s College of Business and Public Management had three of its programs featured on Intelligent.com’s national lists for 2022. Overall, the University was ranked on 17 of Intelligent.com’s national lists, including being in the top 10 on nine of these lists.

The College of Business and Public Management has been recognized with the following rankings:

Best Online Doctorate in Public Administration Programs #1

Best Online MBA Programs #6

Best Criminal Justice Degree Programs #44

Intelligent.com assesses the top programs in the nation based on flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation. Their methodology ranks each program on a scale from 0 to 100 across five categories: program strength, student readiness, return on investment, cost, and student engagement. Researchers compared 704 programs from 2,900 universities and colleges across the United States.

West Chester was included in the top 10 rankings for:

Best Child Development Degree Programs #2
Best Online Master's in Early Childhood Education Programs #2
Best Online Master's in Special Education Programs #3
Best Online Ph.D. Programs #4
Best Online Colleges in Pennsylvania #7
Best Early Childhood Education Degree Programs #8
Best Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Degree Programs #10

On its website, Intelligent.com offers hundreds of program rankings and user-friendly guides that include information about financial aid, internships, and even study strategies.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS CASE COMPETITION HELD

December 9, 2021

The second annual Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics Case Competition was held Wednesday evening, November 3, 2021. The student team Triple Threat of Desmond Brock, Dominic Cipriano, and Kole Sample won first place. Make it Chain, comprised of students Cole Bono, Owen Rocks, and James Forsythe, came in second place, and Called it, formed by students Mark Dumont, Clay Corcimiglia, and Tyler Yeagy, placed third in the competition.

All three winning groups were invited by the Chief Supply Chain Officer from IKEA to present their case competition solutions at the IKEA Customer Fulfillment Council meeting held December 7.

This year, 10 teams presented on a real-world case from IKEA, and nine industry leaders from JPMorgan Chase & Co., APICS Brandywine Valley Chapter, SAP, Endo Pharmaceuticals, UHS, Bristol Myers Squibb, and IKEA served on the judging panel.

COTTRELL CENTER HOSTS INAUGURAL SOCIAL INNOVATION COMPETITION

November 15, 2021

With $5,000 in prize money, WCU’s Social Innovation Competition has inspired entrepreneurs who hope to make positive social advances. The five finalists in this inaugural competition will pitch a panel of judges, Shark Tank style, on Tuesday, November 16, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the West Chester University Alumni and Foundation Center, 202 Carter Drive. This new competition is organized by WCU’s Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center. The in-person pitches are free to watch.

The Social Innovation Competition encourages participants from diverse disciplines to develop an entrepreneurial idea that addresses and solves significant social or environmental problems. Ideas must be related to at least one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The competition is open to all West Chester University undergraduate students, graduate students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

On hand to further inspire will be Nick Bayer, CEO of Saxbys, and one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 100 Most Powerful Leaders in Philadelphia. He will keynote the event and discuss Saxbys’ recent designation as a Certified B Corporation. B Corps are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

The competition moderator is Emily Yates, Smart City director for the City of Philadelphia. With her background in urban policy, in 2019 she founded and was principal of Urban Revolution Group, LLC, a sustainability and economic development firm that assists policymakers and practitioners in developing strategies and implementing projects and programs that create resilient and inclusive cities of the future.

The five finalists in WCU’s first Social Innovation Competition are:

• The Caring App – Tom Elmer (WCU adjunct marketing faculty)
• Music Service Learning – Marci Major (WCU assistant professor and chair of music education and music therapy), Lauren Ryals (WCU adjunct faculty), Spencer Camacho (WCU alumnus), and Adam Gumble (WCU assistant professor, music education, and director of athletic bands).
• Roasting Composting – Kylie Trankle (WCU undergraduate)
• Fischer General Store – Lorraine Fischer (WCU undergraduate)
• All-In-One-Tactile Urbanism Platform – Alden Ritchey (WCU undergraduate)

Register to attend here.

The West Chester University Social Innovation Competition is sponsored by TD Bank, and is co-hosted by The WCU Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center, The WCU Office of Sustainability, The WCU Center for Civic Engagement & Social Impact, and PRME.

The Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center at West Chester University inspires students to engage in entrepreneurial ventures, facilitates regional economic development, and fosters entrepreneurship literacy across WCU, in Chester County, and in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Global Entrepreneurship Week

The Social Innovation Competition occurs during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), an international initiative that acknowledges and promotes entrepreneurship in six continents each November. This week’s programs from the Cottrell Center include:

• Entrepreneurial Leadership Mindset

Wednesday, November 17, 6 to 7 p.m.
WCU College of Business and Public Management Center
Free
Patrick Murray, founder, president, and CEO of STP Investment Services, his vision for a world-class, client-centric operations services and technology provider. STP has grown at a breakneck pace, crossing $330 billion in assets served and capturing industry recognition along the way, including by the Philadelphia Business Journal, and Inc. 5000 growth awards.

• Lunch & Networking Celebration of Entrepreneurship In Chester County

Thursday, November 18, 12 to 1:30 p.m.
2 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382
The Cottrell Center hosts Chester County entrepreneurs and like-minded professionals who share a common goal of growing their network to help improve others, their businesses, and careers. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. This event is open to Chester County start-ups, professionals, and students.

ALEX COHEN CREATES ACCESSIBLE PHARMACY TO ASSIST THOSE WHO ARE BLIND AND HAVE LOW VISION

November 3, 2021

Alex Cohen, West Chester University professor of marketing, is making a difference to provide more accessibility to blind people and those with low vision through Accessible Pharmacy, a company he co-founded in May 2020.

Accessible Pharmacy has been featured in both the New York Times and locally on 6ABC.

MARKETING STUDENTS COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES

November 1, 2021 

The West Chester University Department of Marketing and adjunct professor Tom Elmer’s MKT 425 Marketing Strategy and Planning course students are collaborating for the seventh semester with the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce this fall to provide nine local businesses with marketing assistance from WCU students. The marketing students will be assisting these businesses with marketing plans and strategies.

The local business clients attended class on October 29, 2021 to celebrate the project’s launch and meet the marketing course students. The local businesses participating this semester include: 938 Church, Inspire Lens Media, Exemplary Performance, Eddie Knows West Chester, Chester County Bar Association, West Chester Gift Card, Kraft Bus, Structured Resources, and Stoltzfus RV's & Marine.

ANIMAL CRUELTY STUDENTS MEET WITH PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATIVE LEADERS

October 22, 2021 

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Cassandra L. Reyes and students from the CRJ 325 Animal Cruelty course recently held zoom meetings with Pennsylvania State legislators and members of their staffs during The Humane Society of the United States-Pennsylvania (HSUS-PA) Humane Lobby Week.

Reyes and two students in the Animal Cruelty course met with Pennsylvania State Senator Carolyn Comitta’s Constituent Services Specialist, Julia Loving, on October 4, 2021 to discuss The HSUS-PA’s priority pending legislation and the Pennsylvania State House and Senate’s Animal Protection Caucus.

On October 20, 2021, Reyes and five students from the class met with Pennsylvania State Representative Dianne Herrin to discuss the topics from above and ending wildlife killing contests in Pennsylvania.

These meetings during the fall semester provide students with opportunities to learn about how laws are created through the legislative process. Students then apply what they have learned in the course to real-world settings as they advocate for pending anti-animal cruelty legislation on the Pennsylvania and federal levels by writing letters to their elected officials and creating videos for social media platforms.

BETA ALPHA PSI HOSTS SECOND ANNUAL ETHICS CASE COMPETITION

October 13, 2021

West Chester University’s Nu Zeta Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, the International Honor Organization for Financial Information Students and Professionals, hosted the Second Annual Ethics Case Competition on Friday, October 8, 2021. The competition was made possible through a sponsorship by Wipfli, who had its working professionals serve as the judges for the event.

The two winning teams at the Ethics Case Competition were The Accountants, comprised of Maria Coyle, Joseph Harkins, Kathryn Kelly, Lucas Klein, and Isabella Stanziani, and West Chester’s Finest, whose team members were Nick D’Angelo, Nate Frankel, Daniel Gauntlett, and Brendan Keane.

A Kick-Off Event was held on September 28 where the teams, comprising students of all majors and academic years, were presented the case and the teams had until competition day to prepare their presentation and decide whether the case was ethical. Each team gave a 10-minute presentation on the case in front of the judging panel. The teams were then asked questions about their presentation, and based on their performance, two sets of judging panels crowned two first-place winners, along with second- and third-place recipients. In all, the competition included 116 participants making up a total of 29 teams.

PETE EARLEY KEYNOTES MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK EVENTS

If you or someone you know is in a mental health emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.

September 30, 2021

What happens to mentally ill people who break a law?

Pete Earley knows – and will share what he has witnessed when he speaks on Tuesday, October 5, as the keynote of West Chester University’s Mental Illness Awareness Week events. His 6 p.m. speech and Q&A in Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall is free and open to the public.

Earley’s nonfiction book CRAZY: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness was one of two finalists for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize. He emphasizes that he uses the word “CRAZY” in the book title to refer to the mental health care system.

His book chronicles his struggle to help his adult son after he develops a severe mental illness and is arrested. His son’s arrest prompted Earley, a former Washington Post reporter, to spend 10 months inside the Miami Dade County jail as a reporter where he followed prisoners with mental disorders through the criminal justice system to see what actually happened to them. CRAZY has won awards from the American Psychiatric Association, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Mental Health America, and prompted CNN to name him one of the nation’s top “Mental Wellness Warriors.”

“I feel more passionately about this book than any I have ever written,” says Earley, who has authored 11 nonfiction books and 10 novels. “Our nation’s jails and prisons have become our new mental asylums. I wrote this book as a wake-up call to expose how persons with mental illness are ending up behind bars when what they need is help, not punishment.”

WCU students in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) On Campus organization were instrumental in coordinating Earley’s visit and in organizing other campus activities for Mental Illness Awareness Week October 3–9.

NAMI On Campus President Hannah Crespy, a psychology major, said that she and her club’s board members “believed that it would be important to bring in a speaker who could tie in the complexities of mental illnesses and relate it to a real-world problem such as the intersectionality of mental health and the justice system. We believe that it is crucial for NAMI On Campus to provide education and ‘real people’ experiences to campus in hopes of reducing stigma.”

Crespy also emphasized how important it for students to understand that they are not alone in their struggles with mental health. That resonates with Jose F. Tena, a criminal justice major who is president of the criminal justice honor society Nu Beta (Alpha Phi Sigma): “I wanted to help NAMI On Campus, knowing how important it is to speak up about mental illness and seek help.”

The event is free but registration is required. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-illness-awareness-pete-earley-tickets-154835931439?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

Pete Earley’s presentation is sponsored by the WCU Office of the President and the Office of Educational Accessibility as well as the academic departments Criminal Justice, Health, Psychology, and Public Policy & Administration. Off-campus sponsors are Brandywine Valley Counseling & Neurofeedback Center, Chester County MH/100, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on Campus, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Main Line, PA.

For more information, contact Dr. Michele P. Bratina, Department of Criminal Justice: mbratina@wcupa.edu.

Also During Mental Illness Awareness Week

In addition to Earley’s presentation, a free panel presentation on the Stepping Up Initiative will take place Wednesday, Oct. 6, in Sykes Student Union Theater from 3 to 4:30 p.m. This event is open to the public and anyone can attend virtually.

The Stepping Up Initiative is a national movement to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails. Stepping Up asks communities to come together to develop an action plan that can be used to achieve measurable impact in local criminal justice systems of all sizes across the country. For Chester County, Susanne Fink, Mental Health Diversion Specialist, is coordinator for CIT and the Stepping Up Initiative. In addition to Fink, the other panelists are from the Council of State Governments and Justice Center: Gretchen Frank, Senior Policy Analyst, Behavioral Health and Kati Habert, Senior Policy Analyst.

Campus mental health services include the WCU Counseling Center (610-436-2301) and the WCU Community Mental Health Clinic (610-436-2510; cmhs@wcupa.edu). Or call the Chester County Mental Health Crisis Intervention Hotline at 1-877-918-2100.

STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS FROM PENNSYLVANIA CPA FOUNDATION

July 20, 2021

Four West Chester University students, Morgan Culbreath, Zachary Davis, Nicole Leventhal, and Mallika Tarigopula, were recently awarded scholarships by the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation.

Davis was the recipient of a $4,500 Academic Merit Scholarship, and Leventhal received a $4,000 Academic Merit Scholarship. Culbreath was the recipient of a $3,000 Minority Scholarship, while Tarigopula was the recipient of a $2,000 Minority Scholarship.

The Academic Merit Scholarship is awarded to full-time accounting students attending a Pennsylvania college or university, completed intermediate accounting, and has earned 45 credits and a minimum GPA of 3.4.

The Minority Scholarship is awarded to full-time accounting students attending a Pennsylvania college or university, who is an ethnic minority, and has earned 30 credits and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

The Pennsylvania CPA Foundation awarded more than $213,000 in scholarships and awards in 2021 to help future CPAs reach their goals. Read more about all the scholarship recipients. 

DPA PROGRAM RANKED BY BEST VALUE SCHOOLS

July 2, 2021

West Chester University’s online DPA program is ranked at #4 in the Best Online Doctoral Programs in Public Administration in 2021 by Best Value Schools released on July 1.

Best Value Schools evaluates programs using a point-based system in which schools are awarded points in two categories: value as it relates to tuition and relative class enrollment size.

BRATINA HONORED WITH NEACJS FOUNDERS AWARD

June 30, 2021

Dr. Michele Bratina, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, was recently honored as the recipient of the 2021 Northeast Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (NEACJS) Founders Award during its annual meeting in June.

Established in 1997, the Founders Award in presented annually in recognition of outstanding service to the NEACJS. To be eligible for this award, an individual must have been an active member in good standing of the NEACJS for four consecutive years, and has to have made substantial and significant contributions in service to the Association.

PROFESSOR DAVID DOORN DEFINES INFLATION ON KYW NEWS RADIO'S INDEPTH

June 25, 2021

WCU STUDENTS STAFF NEW E-COMMERCE SITE NAZBI

June 8, 2021

Small businesses suffered during the pandemic but a new local online platform — staffed by recent WCU grads and students — is now available to help small artisan businesses in the greater Philadelphia region market their products virtually.

NazBi launched in late May. It’s the brainchild of Komeil Nasrollahi, business engagement manager for the Chester County Economic Development Council, who teaches in WCU’s College of Business and Public Management.

“During my time as a WCU faculty member, I’ve met a handful of students who truly exceeded my expectations of young adults,” he notes. He recruited them to help launch NazBi.

Danielle King said Nasrollahi called her in January. She’s NazBi’s social media manager. “To be able to stay in West Chester after college, to live and work here and enjoy this amazing community is a dream come true. But what is even better is that I get to be part of a team whose sole purpose is to bring value to our local community and to support the shops and the town that we all know and love,” she says.

King earned her bachelor of science in international business with a minor in Spanish in May 2020 and has been working full time since November for West Chester-based healthcare company Global Doctors US as their VP of operations, marketing, and pharmaceuticals.

All the positions at NazBi are volunteer. “This company was established to help others and to help the positive growth of our community,” she explains. “We like to say that NazBi was made local, for local, and it could not be more true. Our mission is to make #shopsmall more than just a hashtag, to make it a true community initiative.” The company’s slogan: Go Buy Where You Go By!

“NazBi is a great opportunity for me to give back to the community I grew up in,” says Joey Wikol, who earned his bachelor’s this year in professional studies with minors in international business, applied statistics, and psychology. “I am in charge of outreach so I have conversations with Chester County’s small business owners about how NazBi can promote selling their products locally. It’s inspiring and energizing.”

Nasrollahi reports that approximately 35 local artisan businesses have become partners so far. All are small and local, some are home-based, and many are women-owned businesses.

The marketing team provides all the e-commerce support for partners, creates their personalized web page including photography and videography, and positions their products and brands on NazBi’s website and social media. NazBi is designed to be easy to use, convenient, and efficient for all parties, charging 7.5% on transactions. Unlike other platforms such as Etsy, there are no hidden fees for retailers or buyers.

“These are stories about our creative neighbors,” says Nasrollahi. He envisioned NazBi as a place for the region’s artisans to connect easily with their neighbors and for buyers to conveniently support their favorite neighborhood small businesses.

Braedon Swindler ensures that user-friendliness as online platform operations manager while working full time as a digital marketing division lead at IT Edge, a local tech consulting company. His own efforts in working to bring a business idea from concept to company, using the resources of the University’s Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center, brought him into digital marketing, including website development, analytics tracking, and omnichannel customer journey development. He says he “thought that it was slightly ironic that my first business venture was driven to a halt due to not having a tech guy, but now, here I am, working as a tech guy!”

Swindler earned both his bachelor’s in international business (2020) and his master’s degrees (2021) in just four years at WCU by accelerating both programs.

Giana Reno, a 2021 WCU graduate with her bachelor’s in communications and media, interned with NazBi this spring during the final semester of her senior year and is now its content creation manager. The concept, the team, and its company values convinced her to stay with NazBi post-grad “watching more and more people get excited about what we're doing.”

Rising senior media and culture major Kylie Hayward joined NazBi in April as a social media and content creation intern. In that short time, she has recognized how the team’s passion and NazBi’s goals benefit small businesses in West Chester and beyond: “I hope we can help everyone recognize how important it is to shop local and what it means for our community.”

Eventually, Nasrollahi expects to launch NazBi platforms in other cities across the country.

For more information, email customerservice@nazbi.com.

THE 1871 AWARDS CELEBRATE EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS

April 9, 2021

Seven students who are part of the College of Business and Public Management will be recognized with this year’s West Chester University 1871 Award in a live virtual presentation on YouTube on Thursday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m.

In all, 40 outstanding students across the University were selected for this award, which recognizes juniors and seniors who excel in the academic and co-curricular realms.

The 1871 Award Class of 2021 is comprised of the following students with connections to the College of Business and Public Management: Tanya Adkins, Joseph Bevilacqua, Amondo Clayton, Sydney Fritz, Erin Kaliszak, Shreya Sukur, and Amber Young.

The 1871 Award was established in 2018 and represents the year in which West Chester University was founded. This year’s awards are unique as the University celebrates its sesquicentennial – 150th – anniversary in 2021.

Each year, a selection committee comprising faculty, staff, and one student, reviews applications and then selects up to 71 students for the 1871 Awards which rewards their outstanding accomplishments related to academics, leadership, community engagement, and career readiness.

Recipients of the 1871 Award will be honored by the academic dean of their respective colleges, in alphabetical order. Other speakers are WCU President Chris Fiorentino, Vice President for Student Affairs Zebulun Davenport, and Assistant Vice President for Student Development in the Division of Student Affairs Judy Kawamoto.

Visit the 1871 Award website for additional information.

VIRTUAL BUSINESS IDEA PITCH COMING ON APRIL 14

April 7, 2021 

Anyone who wants to start a business should watch budding entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in the annual Business Idea Competition hosted by West Chester University’s Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center. These finalists will compete virtually on Wednesday, April 14, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in a live event before a panel of judges that consists of business angel investors, entrepreneurs, and business advisors. See what makes a winning business proposal by registering and attending the free online event.

Sponsored by the Cottrell Center, the Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic, and the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce, the WCU Business Idea Competition promotes creativity and idea generation by recognizing innovative ideas for new products, services, and technology.

Now in its ninth year, this competition draws entries in four categories: WCU undergraduates; WCU graduate students, faculty/staff, and alumni; Chester County high school students; and Chester County startups. The top six ideas from each track submitted a two-minute video in a virtual fast pitch competition on March 25. This year’s panel of judges selected the following to advance to the finals:

WCU Undergraduate Track

Jake Henry: LECTRA, combines kinesiology tape with electric muscle stimulation

Nate Gittleman: Fog Frogs, an attachment for eyeglasses to prevent fogging, particularly helpful when wearing a mask

WCU Graduate, Alumni, Faculty & Staff

Talonda Rogers and Gina Torrie: LISTEN App provides healthcare and coaching to women during pregnancy

Robert Lowrie: Smart Route, an application for sales people to help them map their route and keep accurate notes

Chester County High School Students

Arparna Vagvala, Downingtown STEM High School: Healthy Habits – The Ruko Ring, a Smart Ring worn on a finger to alert the wearer when you are touching your face.

Kathryn Palmer and Jake Coombe, West Chester East High School: Safe Away, an insulated locked box to protect packages that are delivered to your home

Chester County Startups

Gene Williams: Athletes Untapped, a web service that matches young athletes with private coaches

John Scott: MDSB Innovations, a multi-dimensional sports bet application

The presenting sponsor for this year’s Business Idea Competition is Meridian Bank. Univest Financial is the gold sponsor.

Pattie Diggin, director of the Cottrell Center, reported that all the ideas submitted this year were promising. Her message to those not making it to the finals: “I encourage you to continue to work on your business idea and to connect with the Cottrell Center for potential support that we might provide.”

Diggin also noted that the Cottrell Center will launch its first Social Innovation Competition this fall. Qualifying business ideas will demonstrate some benefit for social or environmental issues. She said the Cottrell Center team has been gauging the growth of this entrepreneurial field in recent years. “This past year has put a focus on it. We have seen … acceleration due to COVID.”

The Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center fosters entrepreneurship across West Chester University and throughout Chester County by preparing students to contribute to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing access to a rich network of entrepreneurship resources and enhancing the startup and growth of new ventures to develop a strong WCU entrepreneurship culture and a vibrant Chester County entrepreneurship ecosystem.

 

State System Startup Challenge

In addition, Diggin noted, WCU students have done well in this year’s Startup Challenge hosted by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. She will moderate the virtual competition on Wednesday, April 21, at 7 p.m.

Two WCU students have advanced to the final round: Connor Wagner with The D.A.R.T., a product to help with defensive lineman drills in football; and Emma Wagner with Wear To Go, a clothing service that provides information on what to where when traveling.

Plus, three student teams have advanced to the semi-final round:

Grace McDonough and Dylan Martin: Rent U, a web-based application to support off-campus housing for West Chester University students;

Emma Wagner: Ever Décor, a rental service for home accessories and seasonal decorations; and

Matthew Zwilgmeyer: Auto Saddle, a DYI car roof rack.

The Cottrell Center and West Chester University are sponsoring the PASSHE State System Startup Challenge this year and the University is sponsoring the fourth place prize of $1,500.

CHARITY ALINDA EARNS FULBRIGHT AWARD TO TAIWAN

March 23, 2021

A self-professed proponent of international education, Charity Alinda M’15 will have the opportunity to “walk the talk” on a higher education program in Taiwan in 2022. He is one of the 12 U.S. higher education officials chosen for Fulbright’s International Educators Administrators (IEA) seminar.

Ugandan-born Alinda is assistant director of international programs in the University’s Global Engagement Office (GEO), where he had been the graduate assistant while he earned his MPA. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Uganda in 2009, he came to the United States as an international fellow with a New Jersey non-profit. He is currently completing WCU’s Doctor of Public Administration program.

Alinda considers his personal and professional mission to be “building intercultural bridges” and he has advanced that mission in his role with CIP, working with students from more than 40 countries each year. “I work closely with WCU students, faculty, and staff to support internationalization initiatives. The advising I provide for all WCU F-1 and J-1 visa students includes immigration, cultural adjustment, campus integration, and visa status benefits. I am also responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of programs and services to enhance and enrich the educational and cultural experience of students and scholars at WCU.”

To that end, he established the University’s annual International Education Week, now in its fifth year. He designed CIP’s Global Ambassador Program through which former WCU study abroad participants serve as peer advisors. He advises both the undergraduate and graduate WCU International Student Associations. Alinda also serves on WCU’s Council on Diversity, Inclusion and Academic Excellence.

“This work has afforded me the ability to better understand the value of intercultural competence,” he notes.

Alinda says he has no prior experience with Taiwan or its culture save for the few Taiwanese students with whom he has worked. “Ever since high school, Taiwan has always fascinated me — not only because of its rather rapid economic growth, but also its higher standing in global education,” he says. “This program is a great opportunity for me as an international administrator to expand my personal and professional experience in this part of the world.”

While he makes professional connections and studies Taiwan’s higher education system, Alinda will also share “my knowledge and expertise in student and scholar immigration advising. I will be able to share how prospective students and/or visiting scholars from Taiwan would navigate the rather complex immigration system of the United States.

“In 2019, the University completed a self-study through the framework of the ACE Internationalization Lab through which WCU developed goals that would set the institution on a clear path to more comprehensive internationalization. My participation in the IEA Taiwan program will contribute to WCU’s intentional cultivation of global diversity and awareness.”

Once he completes the seminar in Taiwan, Alinda expects to share what he learned “and will be able to better support efforts to accomplish the goals established by the ACE self-study. What I will gain will contribute to the internationalization initiatives of the University and will bring WCU closer to its goal to become more comprehensively globally engaged.”

In addition, he noted that since WCU is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, other institutions in the system could also benefit from his participation.

Fulbright’s International Education Administrators (IEA) awards are seminars designed to help U.S. international education professionals and senior higher education officials create empowering connections with their counterparts and higher education systems of other countries. Selected applicants have the opportunity to learn about the host country’s education system as well as establish networks of U.S. and international colleagues over the course of an intensive two-week grant duration. Awardees return with enhanced ability to serve and encourage international students and prospective study-abroad students.

FIRST-GEN STUDENTS HONORED AT INAUGURAL TRI-ALPHA INDUCTION

Congratulations to the 11 undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Business and Public Management who were part of the inaugural class into West Chester University’s chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha. WCU has established a new chapter of an honor society for first-generation college students: Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha). The inaugural group of 56 inductees were honored on Wednesday, Feb. 3, with a Zoom virtual ceremony.

WCU’s undergraduate inductees from the College of Business and Public Management, their majors, and hometowns are:
Kara Bethas, Accounting, Spring Grove, PA
Rebecca L Eck-Olsen, Marketing and Business Management, Trondheim, Norway
Kaitlyn Juhasz, Marketing and Finance, Lake Ariel, PA
Kelsey Schwalm, Marketing, Hegins, PA

WCU’s College of Business and Public Management graduate inductees are:
Tamerra Bailey, Doctor of Public Administration, Bronx, NY
Hector Febo, Master of Public Administration, Mount Pocono, PA
Sarah Foster, Doctor of Public Administration, Ruston, LA
Michelle Gherardi, Doctor of Public Administration, Lancaster, PA
Amanda Kennedy, Doctor of Public Administration, New Braunfels, Texas
Rhonda Parham, Master of Public Administration, Philadelphia
Melissa Rowedder, Master of Human Resource Management, Horsham, PA

First-generation college students are the first in their families to go to college. Neither of the student’s parents, nor step-parents, nor legal guardians, completed a bachelor’s degree.

Students qualify for induction into Tri-Alpha by earning at least 30 credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree and achieving an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2. First-generation graduate students must have completed the equivalent of at least one term (9 or more graduate credits) and have a GPA in their graduate program of at least 3.5.

U.S. NEWS RANKS WCU’s ONLINE MBA, AND FOR VETERANS

January 26, 2021

The University’s online Master of Business Administration has achieved a solid ranking on the newly released 2021 U.S. News Online MBA Programs list, coming in at #51 nationally. More than 320 eligible institutions are on the list.

U.S. News also released the list of the top Online MBA Programs for Veterans, placing WCU at #32, tied with William & Mary and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Only 78 institutions are ranked on this list.

MBA Coordinator Brian J. Halsey, WCU professor of business law, said he was pleased with the ranking. “We’ve generally maintained our status in a fiercely competitive environment.”

WCU shares the #51 spot with Hofstra University and six other institutions. “The schools that ranked at #45 scored just one point more than us on the scale, and the schools that ranked at #40 scored just two points more. It is a very competitive environment where one point means large moves in the rankings,” noted Halsey. U.S. News lists the tied universities alphabetically.

Tuition for WCU’s online MBA has been frozen since 2019. The program has been online for more than 10 years and is offered in an asynchronous format with respected faculty, many of whom have taught online for more than 20 years.

For the 2021 rankings, U.S. News evaluated institutions using five categories: engagement (30%), expert opinion (25%), faculty credentials and training (15%), student excellence (15%), and student services and technologies (15%).

U.S. News surveys schools annually to collect the data necessary for its rankings.

In addition, for the second consecutive year, U.S. News administered a separate peer assessment survey directly to deans of business schools with online MBA programs and top distance-learning officials at those institutions. To increase the number of ratings for a better representation of schools for the “expert opinion” category, U.S. News aggregated the peer assessment data collected in 2020 with data collected in 2019 and 2018. Their methodology states: “A survey of high-ranking academic officials at MBA programs helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that statistics do not capture.”

The complete rankings are available online from U.S. News.

In September 2020, U.S. News ranked WCU a Top 10 Public and Top 50 Regional University.

WCU Entrepreneurship Club Wins Chapter Award at CEO Global Conference and Pitch Competition

December 7, 2020

The College of Business and Public Management is excited to share and celebrate that the WCU Entrepreneurship Club – Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) WCU Chapter won first place in the category for Best Cross Campus Entrepreneurial Diffusion Innovation & Networking Award from the CEO Global Conference and Pitch Competition, which took place November 6-7, 2020.

This accomplishment wouldn’t have been possible without the team effort by Joey DiGiacomo, Nicole Waslenko, Zaria Jones, Mykeer Spuriel, and the Entrepreneurship Club’s President Cassidy Williams. As Williams attests, “networking has given our chapter an exceptional amount of insight into the minds of our current and prospective members.”

This award recognizes a CEO chapter that is “not only impacting business majors, but expanding well beyond the college of business and interacting, organizing and engaging other colleges of programs.”

The CEO chapter from The University of Texas at El Paso won second place in this category.

The WCU Entrepreneurship Club is the local chapter of the nationwide Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO), and aims to inspire, enlighten, and empower its members to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation. The club has weekly meetings where student entrepreneurs are introduced to a variety of entrepreneurial concepts through workshops, guest speakers, chapter activities, presentations and conference. Interested students can contact Club President Cassidy Williams (cw914651@wcupa.edu) and Faculty Advisor Dr. Yong Wang (ywang2@wcupa.edu) for more information.

The WCU Entrepreneurship Club’s activities have been supported by Dr. Monica Zimmerman, who leads the Entrepreneurship Minor program in the Department of Management, and Professor Pattie Diggin, who is the Director of the Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center.

CEO is the premier entrepreneurship network which serves to inform, support and inspire college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation. With a diverse entrepreneurial community and global network, CEO provides student entrepreneurs with opportunities, events, chapter activities and conferences to help start businesses.

Kreischer Miller Funds Scholarship for Diversity In Accounting

November 9, 2020

West Chester University is pleased to announce the creation of the Kreischer Miller Scholarship for Diversity in Accounting. Kreischer Miller, a leading independent accounting, tax, and advisory firm serving the Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, has been active with West Chester University for many years and employs several WCU alumni, including its Managing Director, Chris Meshginpoosh (pictured).

“Kreischer Miller is already lucky to have so many talented WCU alumni on our team. Having benefited from the education, mentoring, and support I received as a student at West Chester University, I know firsthand how well West Chester prepares students for their careers in accounting,” Meshginpoosh said. “By establishing this scholarship, we hope to provide diverse students with the opportunity to realize those same benefits, as well as help shape a profession that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.”

Awarded annually by the chair of the accounting department in the University’s College of Business & Public Management and in collaboration with the WCU Foundation, this scholarship serves as a reflection of Kreischer Miller’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in the field of accounting. Recipients must be recently declared WCU accounting majors from a racial or ethnic background that the University has identified as an underrepresented minority group. Recipients will also have the opportunity to connect with Chris Meshginpoosh for a personal conversation.

The sentiment behind this scholarship mirrors important efforts that the College of Business and Public Management has already set in motion. In fall 2020, the College launched a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee to focus on initiatives related to student support and outcomes, especially for: underrepresented – students of color; culture and climate in the college; and curricular and co-curricular programming. The committee includes a faculty member for each of the College’s departments, a staff representative, and will eventually incorporate graduate and undergraduate student representatives.

The Department of Accounting has historically provided the opportunity for students from the group National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) to attend the NABA Eastern Region Student Conference. The conference includes workshops, seminars and interview sessions designed to prepare students of color for careers in accounting and financial management disciplines – this year’s conference was held virtually at the end of September. Another student group, Women In Business, helps members develop professionally and cultivate connections.

“West Chester University is committed to the success of our students and to building a diverse and inclusive culture,” said Evan Leach, dean of the College of Business and Public Management. “This scholarship program will move us forward in attracting the best and brightest students to our accounting program.”

The Kreischer Miller Scholarship for Diversity in Accounting adds a significant sum to existing resources for students of color, including several donor-funded scholarships.

The WCU Foundation is proud to partner with the University to advance the common mission of student success.

Supply Chain & Operations Management Competition A Learning Experience for Students

October 9, 2020

The First Supply Chain and Operations Management Case Competition hosted by the Department of Management and the Supply Chain Management Center went virtual this fall. The event was sponsored by Clark Associates (1st-place sponsor) and the Management Fund started by Professor Yu Ru (2nd and 3rd places).

Six student teams were provided one of three business cases developed by Universal Health Services (UHS), United Parcel Service (UPS) and the Department of Management. The cases each addressed a different aspect of supply chain and operational management.

The group of Austin Hake, Ryan Link and Andres Penaloza took first place presenting on UHS’ Procurement Case. Second place went to Sofiane Bensmail, Lauren Cooperman and Mya Ruffin on the Study Abroad Case from the Department of Management, and Shelby Applegate took third also on the Study Abroad Case.

UHS developed a case related to the healthcare industry experiencing product availability issues. The teams with this case were challenged to analyze the challenges, develop a cost-efficient procurement plan to ensure the products that are needed to treat patients are available, and recommend alternative sources of products when production is back to normal.

The case by the management department was developed around a study abroad trip to China. All available spots on the trip were filled within one day of applications opening, but due to changes at the partner university, housing at the university is no longer being offered which has raised additional hotel costs. The study abroad trip was later canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. In this case, students were asked to discover the challenges, develop a risk-mitigation plan for future study abroad trips, and identify which entities that should bear the costs associated with the trip.

UPS’ case focused on the logistics of a company expanding into international markets and how to most efficiently create a supply chain for their first international warehouse wholesale store. Students were asked to first identify the challenge in this case, develop a strategic plan for constructing a facility to assist its supply chain, and determine a supply chain strategy to minimize cost and obsolete inventory.

The judging panel which included J.B. Anderson, Risk Strategy & Execution Vice President at JPMorgan Chase & Company, Yana Walker, Global Supply Chain Director at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Jennifer Taylor, Contract Manager at Universal Health Services (UHS), Michael Bracciante, President of APICS Brandywine Valley, Yu Ru, Executive Senior Director at TEVA Pharmaceuticals, Jennifer Ahern, Senior Contract Analyst for UHS, and Jack Kupsky, Director of Procurement for Clark Associates provided feedback and engaged with the students in evaluating their proposals.

A Strong Showing for WCU Teams in the Virtual 8th Annual Business Idea Competition

September 25, 2020

The grand prize winners of this year’s Business Idea Competition was a team in the WCU Graduate Student, Alumni, Faculty and Staff Track. PROmotion Health, an application to assist in detecting depression in college athletes was presented by the team of WCU Faculty members Lindsey Keenan, Rachel Daltry and Kellianne Milliner.

In addition to being the 2020 Business Idea Competition winner, PROmotion also took home the top prize in the WCU Graduate, Alumni, Faculty & Staff Track. The team plans to use the $4,000 in prize money to continue to advance and promote PROmotion for use by athletic departments in the PASSHE system and the NCAA.

From the West Chester University Undergraduate Track, Grace McDonough, Dylan Martin, Eric Garman, and Samuel Gangel won first place forRent DubC, a user-friendly application that provides knowledge to first-time student renters. The application is designed to educate users about leasing and insurance, in effort to make the rental process more efficient.

The winner of the Chester County High School Track was Shruti Meenakshi for OpTIMEmistic, an application designed to provide young students with personable schedules, in effort to improve time management. The application aims in assisting students to add structure to their day and maximize work output.

The winner of the Chester County Based Start-up Track was Adam Salamon for Pression, an innovative, active wearable compression technology to help athletes recover faster, train harder, and increase their winning potential.

This year’s pitch event was sponsored by Meridian Bank (Host Sponsor), Univest (Gold Sponsor), and PSECU (Gold Sponsor). The Eighth Annual Business Idea Competition was co-hosted by the Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center, the Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic, and The Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce.

WCU Alum Frederick E. Hubler, Jr. Emerging As A Leading Expert

September 23, 2020

West Chester University alumnus and current WCU Business Advisory Board member Frederick E. Hubler, Jr. ’96 has emerged as a leading expert in the field of alternative investments, especially over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. Just this year, Hubler has had more than 10 media mentions by local, regional and national outlets. Most prominently, Hubler, who is the President and Chief Wealth Strategist of Creative Capital Wealth Management Group, has appeared in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) twice this summer. Hubler’s contributions to articles in the WSJ can be found here:

The Case for Alternative Investments

If Saving During a Pandemic Is Hard, Here’s How to Stay Motivated

M.S. in Human Resource Management Achieves SHRM Alignment

September 15, 2020

West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s College of Business and Public Management announced today that the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that its Master of Science in Human Resource Management program has renewed its alignment with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates.

Every five years, the program goes through the process of asking the Society for Human Resource Management – the professional body representing HR practitioners in the United States – to recognize the program as being aligned with their academic curriculum. Throughout the world, over 400 programs in approximately 375 educational institutions have been acknowledged by SHRM as being in alignment with its suggested guides and templates.

The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines – created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010, 2013 and 2017 – are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in university business schools and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards.

WCU Joins SAP University Alliances Program

September 9, 2020

West Chester University’s College of Business and Public Management is now a member of the SAP University Alliances program. The Department of Management and the Supply Chain Management minor will be offering the SAP Student Recognition Award certificate to students who successfully complete SAP-integrated courses beginning during the Fall 2020 semester.

The SAP University Alliances program “enables faculty around the world to educate next generation talent with SAP skills for the intelligent enterprise and the experience economy, engage with SAP events, build industry partnerships, launch graduates in the SAP ecosystem, and inspire young thinkers.”

WCU’s SAP pilot courses include three sections of MGT 341 and one section of MIS 300 in Fall 2020. During the Spring 2021, one section of MGT 351 and one section of MGT 381 will be added as SAP integrated courses. Students who complete three of the SAP-integrated courses with a grade of “C” or better are eligible to receive the SAP Student Recognition Award certificate. Students who earn this certificate have gained hands-on understanding of technology-enabled business process integration, business data mining, and strategic thinking.

Students who plan to take these courses specifically to obtain the SAP Student Recognition Award certificate should check with the instructor to ensure the required SAP content will be covered. It is highly possible for students to graduate with the Minor in Supply Chain Management and the SAP certificate since most SAP-related courses are based on the supply chain management minor courses. For additional information about the SAP courses and the SAP Student Recognition Award certificate program, please contact Dr. Mark (Ma Ga) Yang at myang@wcupa.edu.

SAP Student Recognition Award certificate courses:

• MGT 341 Production and Operations Management (three sections From Fall 2020)
• MGT 351 Supply Chain Management (one section from Spring 2021)
• MIS 300 Intro to Management Information Systems (one section from Fall 2020)
• MGT 381 Quality Management (one section from Spring 2021)

Scott To Serve As Practitioner-in-Residence for Public Policy and Administration

August 19, 2020

The Department of Public Policy and Administration is pleased to announced Chaya Scott as its “Practitioner-in-Residence” teaching PPA 533 Nonprofit Fundraising Essentials for the Fall 2020 semester.

Scott brings a wealth of subject matter expertise and practitioner experience to the classroom for West Chester University Master of Public Administration (MPA) students. Students benefit from being mentored by practitioners who have engaged in practice outside the academic setting.

Scott, Chief Aspiration Officer for Chaya Scott Consulting, LLC, has been serving in executive leadership roles in the nonprofit sector for over 18 years, including the establishment and significant growth of two nonprofit organizations.

Scott began consulting in 2001 to inspire mission-based and for-profit businesses to build more sustainable organizations that anchor thriving communities. In 2008, her career pivoted when her services were retained by the Brandywine Health Foundation to design and lead a community planning process that resulted in a new youth development initiative serving the greater Coatesville community. Following the creation of the Coatesville Youth Initiative, Scott became its founding Executive and served in that role from 2009-2019.

Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations (Magna Cum Laude) from Temple University, a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Immaculata University, and various leadership development certificates.

She began teaching in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at West Chester University as an adjunct professor in 2016. Scott taught MPA courses in Foundations of Nonprofit Management, Grant Writing, and Nonprofit Fundraising.

Center for Newcomer Onboarding Hosted "Best Practices in New Faculty Onboarding" Virtual Event

July 24, 2020

West Chester University’s Center for Newcomer Onboarding hosted a Zoom event on Thursday, July 23, 2020, for leaders in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), titled Best Practices in New Faculty Onboarding (NFO). The event had participation from 10 of the 14 state universities, and each university gave a brief presentation of a best practice, followed by Q&A. The event was very interactive, providing each school with the opportunity to highlight one strength of their NFO, and for all participants to interact and learn from one another.

The Center for Newcomer Onboarding is devoted to facilitating newcomer onboarding experiences through teaching, research, and practice. West Chester University’s Johnna Capitano, Julie Ferris, and Diane D'Archangelo organized and moderated the event.

To learn more about the Center for Newcomer Onboarding, please visit the center’s website.

 

Long Presents with Marshall Award

June 30, 2020

West Chester University graduate student Gabrielle Long was awarded the Lewis H. Marshall Award which is presented annually by the Chester County Association of Township Officials (CCATO) to a West Chester University student demonstrating academic excellence with a career intent to work in local government in Chester County.

Long, who earned a B.S. in Integrative Biology in 2018 and GIS Certification in 2019, recently completed her M.S. in Geography in 2020. She has served as a GIS Analyst and Parks & Recreation Ambassador for East Goshen Township.

The Marshall Award dates back to in or around 1972 and honors Lewis Marshall. Marshall served as the Secretary/Treasurer of West Goshen Township, CCATO, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

 

Anderson Earns CREW Philadelphia Scholarship

June 12, 2020

West Chester University graduate Melanie Anderson ’20 was recently announced as one of six recipients of a Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Philadelphia Scholarship. Anderson graduated this spring with her M.S. in Geography.

CREW Philadelphia awards annual scholarships to deserving local college and university women who are pursuing a career in or related to commercial real estate. The women chosen for the scholarships receive a monetary award, as well as benefits including membership in CREW Philadelphia and opportunities to attend Chapter and CREW Network events.

“Throughout my academic experience, I have completed many courses and projects that focused on sustainability,” Anderson said. “My passions are in sustainable economic development that prioritizes the best interest of the people and our natural environment.

“As an Urban and Environmental planning major, I have learned about the importance of community engagement, planning history and ethics, population geography, and land use planning. As a graduate student, I have gained more experience in GIS and data analytics. I hope for a career in commercial real estate where I can apply all these skills to assist in creating a place that will be representative of all values of sustainability.”

CREW Philadelphia is the commercial real estate industry’s premier business network dedicated to supporting the achievements of women in commercial real estate. They have more than 180 local members who are engaged in all facets of commercial real estate. CREW Philadelphia is one of 75 local chapters of CREW Network. More than 11,000 CREW Network members represent nearly every discipline within the industry and are located in over 70 major markets across the globe.

 

Olejarski Completes First Year as Managing Editor of Public Integrity

June 9, 2020

Dr. Amanda Olejarski, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, is finishing up her first year as Managing Editor of Public Integrity. Public Integrity is the flagship scholarly journal for the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) addressing ethical issues affecting society.

“Working with my co-editor, Mike Potter, our editorial members, and the publisher at Public Integrity has been one of the most rewarding and fun jobs in my academic career,” Olejarski said. “For so many people to join together in support of ethics in public service is inspirational.”

Olejarski was selected to a three-year editorial term by the ASPA, and began her service on July 1, 2019. Part of her responsibilities, along with editor in chief Mike Potter, include onboarding manuscripts, communication with authors and reviewers, and recruiting editorial members.

6abc Features Recent Marketing Grads Helping Local Businesses

May 19, 2020

Watch the video clip

Cottrell Center's Business Idea Pitch Goes Virtual

May 19, 2020

Read more about the Business Idea Competition Finalists

Evan Leach Named Dean of the College of Business and Public Management

April 20, 2020

Following a national search, Evan Leach has been named dean of the College of Business and Public Management at West Chester University (WCU). His appointment is effective immediately.

A faculty member in the WCU Management Department for 25 years, Leach most recently served as the interim dean of the College of Business and Public Management (CBPM) for the past 20 months, overseeing more than 150 faculty members across seven academic departments. He has held a variety of administrative positions at the University including associate provost, vice chair (chair, elect) of West Chester University’s Council of Chairs, chair of the Management Department, and chair of the CBPM Curriculum Committee.

Published in numerous refereed journals, Leach’s research focuses on cognition in employee selection decisions and performance measurement in nonprofit organizations. In addition, Leach conducts research on management pedagogy, specifically in the area of team effectiveness. His research has been published most recently in the Journal of Employment Counseling and Internet Research.

“Dr. Leach’s expertise and experience will continue to advance WCU’s College of Business and Public Management and his leadership is a tremendous asset to our students,” said Laurie Bernotsky, executive vice president and provost. “His leadership will enhance the strategic path that the University is taking to prepare our students to work in a variety of demanding fields and expand their opportunities for rewarding careers in jobs not yet identified.”

Leach received both his doctorate and his master’s degree in Organizational Behavior from Yale University, as well as a master of arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from West Chester University and a bachelor of arts in Psychology from Penn State.

The College of Business and Public Management offers nine undergraduate degrees, 12 undergraduate minors, and seven graduate programs. The CBPM School of Business is accredited by AACSB International, the global accrediting body for schools of business, and the Master of Public Administration is accredited by NASPAA. The college is also committed to incorporating social responsibility into its curriculum and is a signatory school of Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).

WCU Online MBA Is in the Top 20 on the East Coast

April 6, 2020

Read more about the MBA program rating

WCU Students Finish Runner-up at 2020 Regional CFA Institute Research Challenge

February 19, 2020

A team of West Chester University students from the College of Business and Public Management finished as runner-up at this year’s Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Research Challenge for the Philadelphia region. This marks the first time that West Chester University has been represented in the regional finals.

Sultan Ali, Clay Corcimiglia, Eric Parker, and Jacob Zeitz comprised the WCU team that was among the four finalists in the Philadelphia region this year. Other area finalists were teams from the University of Delaware, Rowan University and La Salle University. The finalists were chosen following the first round which began in October 2019, which required the team to research and analyze a publically traded company and create a detailed report, along with a recommendation to buy, sell or hold stock from that company.

West Chester returned on February 18 for the second round of the challenge where the four finalists all presented their research report to a panel of industry experts, and WCU was named the regional runner-up.

The WCU student team were advised and mentored by professors Dr. Dazhi Zheng and Dr. Euikyu Choi, and industry mentor, Jean M Rosenbaum, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Hotaling Investment Management, LLC, during the challenge process. The CFA Institute Research Challenge is a worldwide investment competition with over 1,000 universities competing in a challenge that tests the critical analysis, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills of university students. Teams from over 20 universities in the Philadelphia region participated in the 2020 CFA Institute Research Challenge.

Online MBA Program Ranked in the Top 50 Nationwide, Top 30 for Veterans

January 14, 2020

Global Entrepreneurship Week at WCU

November 25, 2019

College of Business and Public Management Joins Principles for Responsible Management Education

October 25, 2019

West Chester University’s College of Business and Public Management became a signatory of the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative in the summer of 2019.

PRME is a global effort aimed at incorporating the values of sustainability into business and management education, research and thought leadership, while promoting awareness of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). West Chester joins over 650 leading business and management schools from more than 85 countries dedicated to advancing values such as sustainability, responsibility, and ethics.

The College of Business and Public Management had its official launch of its PRME membership on October 23, 2019 with an educational event. Faculty, staff and students were invited to learn more about the PRME initiative, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which courses offered at WCU have a sustainability focus, and get feedback on how to better equip students with educational opportunities focused on sustainability.

Another highlight of the event was the ribbon cutting of the College of Business and Public Management’s new composter, located outside the second floor entrance of the Business and Public Management Center.

Innovative Use of GIS Nets International Award for Geography and Planning

July 24, 2019

West Chester University’s Department of Geography and Planning was honored with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award during the annual Esri User Conference, held in San Diego, CA, this summer. More than 19,000 professionals, educators, and students attended the conference.

WCU was one of only three institutions of higher education that received an award out of 178 institutions acknowledged this year in fields spanning local government, agriculture, environmental analysis, emergency response, retail, and water management. Esri’s annual SAG Awards recognize select organizations from around the world that are using geospatial technology to solve pressing challenges and those setting new precedents and innovation in the use of GIS.

Calling the award “a fantastic honor,” Gary Coutu, WCU professor of geography and planning, noted that the department received the award for its innovative use of GIS and 3D modeling for facilities mapping and management of campus. A WCU team created a virtual reality model of campus to allow a user to “walk around” campus as a tour and to envision new campus buildings, public space, and review tree growth, over time, across campus. A web-based scene of this application was produced to share these visualizations across the internet. Seven students who worked on specific aspects of the 3D project were Kevin Hazley, Morgan Sapia, Jason Karian, Kyle Erisman, Rich Simpson, Tyler LaMantia, and Eric Quinn.

Graduate assistant Sapia also assisted Coutu this summer with creation of a 3D image and map of the interior of the Business and Public Management Center, where the department and GIS lab are located. Working with Matthew Waychoff, building information architect at Philadelphia-based mobile capture and computational modeling company StartingPoints.xyz, they used a handheld LIDAR camera to capture imagery that is being integrated into their current 3D model of the building. It will be online later this semester.

Individual buildings are also being modeled for office and classroom management. This includes a QR code-enhanced building management application that allows facilities personnel to inventory a room and create a work order to request maintenance. The next application of the indoor models will be for emergency response and delivery management.

“West Chester University has a special relationship with Esri,” notes Coutu. “We use the entire suite of their software and it is part of our education, research, and management activities. Our in-depth knowledge of GIS software and geospatial software has given us the opportunity to work closely with Esri solutions engineers: We have served as beta-testers for some of their software. Students come to WCU to learn GIS because of our reputation and relationship with Esri. Eight of our alumni currently work at ESRI headquarters in Redlands [CA] and we have about 10 other alumni at ESRI Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Denver. It is exciting to be associated with a company that is so innovative and committed to action on local and global issues.”

Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, builds ArcGIS, the leading mapping and spatial analytics software for desktop, software as a service (SaaS), and enterprise applications.

WCU’s project deployed this tech: ArcGIS, ArcGIS Pro, AGOL, CityEngine, Collector, Survey123, Workforce, Business Analyst, Community Analyst, Geoplanner, ArcGIS 360 VR, and ArcGIS Indoors (beta).

 

West Chester Student Wins Eighth Annual Student Business Plan Competition

April 4, 2019

West Chester University of Pennsylvania student Salih Salaam, a junior accounting major, captured first place and the $10,000 top prize at Wednesday evening's eighth annual Student Business Plan Competition sponsored by Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.

Salaam developed "Tutors 4 University Students," a plan for connecting college students with tutors "whenever" and "wherever" they need them. This service matches students with tutors in the subjects where they need help "at a price point affordable by the student and attractive to the qualified tutors."

The annual business plan competition is designed to provide students entrepreneurs an opportunity to share their original business plans and to win funds to assist in the start-up or expansion of their businesses. Students from all 14 State System universities were invited to participate in the competition.

The awards were presented during a ceremony held at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg. West Chester University also had two other students selected as finalists this year.

The other WCU students and the business plans submitted are:

William Todd: Nexus Integrated Security Solutions. Provides premium security services to commercial, industrial, and retail clients.

Matthew Heilman: Wish Respect. Offers a first-of-its-kind advance care documentation ecosystem that allows healthcare payers to store and share their members' wishes with loved ones and providers.

In addition to the business plan awards, the seven best poster displays from participants who did not make it to the finalist round were honored. WCU's Braedon Swindler exhibited his poster plan for Entourage Music, a web-based central repository for emerging musicians to raise funds, develop fan-focused communities, and network with other artists.

Judges for the finalist round were Sheri R. Collins, deputy secretary for the Office of Technology & Innovation in the state Department of Community and Economic Development; Michael Gildea, founder and CEO of Brain Gain, LLC; Chris Rhine, university development manager for the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU); Laura Potthoff, director of business & workforce development for the Cumberland Area Economics Development Corporation; and Matthew Lancaster, president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Keiretsu Forum.

WCU’s Criminal Justice Student Association Racks Up Awards At Regionals

Members of the West Chester University Criminal Justice Student Association (CJSA) attended the American Criminal Justice Association (Lambda Alpha Epsilon) Regional Competition in King of Prussia, Pa., October 25-27, 2018.  WCU students came away from the conference winning 28 individual and team awards, with 16 of those awards coming in the academic categories. West Chester also earned the 2018 ACJA Region IV Runner-up Award. West Chester University students who won awards at the regional competition are listed below:

Business Management Student Named Gold Leaf Scholarship Recipient

September 27, 2018

West Chester University of Pennsylvania Business Management student Cierra Johnson was selected as this year's Gold Leaf Scholarship recipient, and was honored at the 10th Annual Gold Leaf Celebration Luncheon on Thursday, September 27, 2018. The Gold Leaf Scholarship is presented by The Main Line Chamber of Commerce and West Chester University.

Following the tradition of The Main Line Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber's mission to enable members to succeed, promote economic growth in the region, develop an informed business community, and enhance the quality of life on the Main Line, the Chamber and West Chester University are providing a WCU female student with a one-time, $4,000 scholarship.

The Gold Leaf Scholarship is awarded to a female student at West Chester University who has:

• Overcome challenges to reach the current level of education
• A demonstrated financial need
• A distinguished character and is preparing to enter or re-enter the workforce
• Distinguished herself through service to the Main Line Community at large
• Demonstrated academic excellence
• Exemplified the Chamber's commitment to leadership

Criminal Justice Student Noor Butt Wins 2018 NEACJS Student Paper Competition

June 9, 2018

West Chester University Criminal Justice student and Nu Beta (Honor Society) member, Noor Butt, won the 2018 Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (NEACJS) Undergraduate Student Paper Competition. Butt traveled to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, to accept her award and present her paper at the NEACJS 2018 Conference held June 7-9. Her paper was about the pros and cons of body-worn cameras for police. As the winner of the competition, she was awarded a certificate, a $500 check, a one-year membership to NEACJS, conference registration, and a one-night stay at the conference hotel.