by Neely Borger | Sep 10, 2013 | Academics, COBA Faculty, Current Students
STAR Team
COBA’s STAR program recently added Morningstar Direct software which will help the group continue to excel in the stock market. Morningstar Direct is a software on the PC that will enable students to use analytical tools to evaluate stocks more efficiently. Since 1999, the STAR program has flourished by making solid financial decisions involving stock investments.
STAR’s primary goal is to perform as well or better than the entire stock market. In June 2000, the program made its first investment of $110,000. Today, STAR has grown its investments to approximately $540,000 invested in 60 diverse stocks including consumer goods, banks, insurance, and technology companies. Ten student managers work for STAR alongside COBA professor Dr. Terry Pope. Dr. Pope stated, “This tool will greatly assist our students with evaluating and comparing STAR’s portfolio to other benchmarks.”
Morningstar Direct will also aid the STAR program by allowing students to have access to high quality equity analysis which will contribute to better research and higher quality reports. This will provide the STAR students with the ability to make more informed investment decisions. The Investment Committee of the ACU Board of Trustees has already given STAR additional money to invest twice. STAR will continue to pursue excellence in the financial world with the aid of the new Morningstar Direct.
by Neely Borger | Sep 6, 2013 | COBA Events, Current Students, Research
You would think London might be a little dull after the lights have shut off, people have gone home, and the 2012 Olympic games have finished. Well, think again! Summer 2013 was full of excitement for COBA in England. During June, 31 students traveled to Oxford, England to study abroad with COBA. Eleven of these students had the opportunity to tour the London Olympic Park and work hand in hand with some of the top overseers of the London Olympic games, including the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation, the head of Olympic protest groups, the London School of Economics, architects and urban planning consultants, and a world champion athlete.
Accompanied by Dr. Monty Lynn, students worked on a project to present to Matt Wood, COBA alum and Chairman and CEO of Dallas 2024. The goal of the project was to learn from the organizers of the 2012 London games and apply those principles to the Dallas 2024 Olympic bid as Dallas is one of the final 10 cities vying for the 2024 Olympic games. Dr. Lynn explained how no one realizes how much work, time, resources, and money goes into preparing for the Olympic games. Dr. Lynn stated, “Each Game is unique. Unlike many other Olympic games, London put thought into what would become of the facilities after the games.” Cities like Athens and even Beijing now have billions of dollars worth of abandoned buildings around the city. London wanted a different vision, a vision that would impact east London and truly make the summer 2012 games one to remember.
London is currently in the process of transforming the Olympic park into Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a place that will connect local communities, create new business opportunities and developments, and provide new and modern living options in the park. The London planners were proactive in preparing for the future and planning for future economic growth in a socially deprived area of the city. After speaking with the different London games authorities, the COBA project team shared these principles with Dallas 2024.
The team included Hannah Bruce, Mary Beth Carter, Katy Doughty, Zach Guerra, Whitney Herrington, Emily Hill, Teddie Johnson, Cassie Powers, Evan Webb, Megan Wixon, and Matt Sanderson. Along with Dr. Monty Lynn, the team presented their project to Matt Wood and the Dallas 2024 board on Friday, August 6 in Dallas. COBA students are contributing to one of the most uniting and compelling events in the entire world, passing on the torch of excellence. We’re excited about what the future holds!
by Allison Phillips | May 9, 2013 | Academics, Current Students
We have lots of opportunities to celebrate career accomplishments here in COBA, but rarely are these accomplishments in the field of athletics. Because of this rarity, the fact that COBA student and former ACU placekicker Morgan Lineberry just signed a three-year free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers is definite cause for celebration.
Morgan Lineberry
It can be incredibly challenging to be a student athlete, but Morgan says that his COBA professors have done nothing but support him in his goals to balance school and sports.
“The professors in COBA have been an absolute blessing,” he elaborates. “They have demonstrated tremendous understanding in scheduling dilemmas as well as going out of their way to make sure I understood any material I may have missed due to football. I can say with confidence that I respect them because they respect the rigors of every student-athlete.”
In addition to working with him on scheduling issues, Morgan’s professors have done a lot to help him grow as an individual, not just a student or athlete.
“My favorite times, just in general, have been the times I spent in the offices of my professors and the time I spent working on projects with my peers,” says Morgan. “Getting to see and work with people outside the realm of the classroom brings an entirely different life to the atmosphere of COBA.”
Dr. Andy Little, COBA’s business law professor, has enjoyed getting to know Morgan as a student and believes that he is an individual who will make COBA proud.
“Morgan is an outstanding kicker and an even better human being,” Dr. Little explains. “It’s been my privilege to work with him in two classes and a guided study project, and I’ve probably learned more from him than he learned from me. He is a quick, analytical thinker who expresses himself well. He’s the kind of person who makes me almost want to switch my football loyalties and become a raving Carolina Panthers fan. Almost, but not quite. But I will at least be following his career closely, and I wish him the best.”
Congratulations, Morgan!
by Allison Phillips | May 7, 2013 | Academics, Current Students
On April 23rd, fourteen COBA students were honored at a luncheon celebrating their induction into Beta Gamma Sigma, a business honors society. Dr. Monty Lynn, acting dean of COBA, described this honor, saying, “Given that the top 20% of the junior and senior class and the top 10% of graduate students in COBA may be considered for membership, induction into BGS recognizes exceptional academic accomplishments.”
Ashley Crisp receives her certificate of membership
BGS is a significant honor because it takes into account the merit of both the students and the college of business.
“Only AACSB accredited schools of business are allowed to have a BGS chapter,” elaborates Dr. Lynn. “Internationally, BGS is recognized as the best academic performance in the best business schools. We’re glad that the diligence and talents of our students can be recognized by an international standard.”
Allie Rostron, one of the students who received this honor, was thankful for COBA’s acknowledgement.
“It was a great honor and I was very appreciative. It was nice to see my hard work pay off.”
Dr. Don Pope could not contain his excitement as he presented Allie Rostron with her certificate of membership
Courtney Richardson, another award recipient, said that she feels her BGS membership is just one more example of the wide array of opportunities that COBA provides to its students.
“I was honored to hear that I had been selected for Beta Gamma Sigma,” Courtney said. “COBA has been a special place for me already in my time at ACU, and the ability to join this prestigious honor society only added to the numerous opportunities COBA has presented to me.”
This year’s inductees come from a variety of majors and include the following students:
Ashton Bailey
Jonathan Bryant
Lauren Carr
Corbin Cross
Michael Davis
Jenny Dudensing
Olga Ivasina
Keegan Kinder
Emily Kruse
David Legler
Amy Morris
Courtney Richardson
Allie Rostron
Paul Valamides
You can learn more about Beta Gamma Sigma on their website: http://www.betagammasigma.org/. We’re incredibly proud of these students’ academic accomplishments and the incredible way that they represent COBA!
by Allison Phillips | May 3, 2013 | Current Students, Poverty and Development, Research
We are so proud of Dr. Monty Lynn’s International Poverty and Development class for the work they recently did researching alternative lighting sources. The project looked at alternative sources of lighting that could be used in the place of kerosene, which is a health hazard. The Optimist did a great write up on this project, which you can read here:
We are incredibly thankful for the way our COBA students demonstrate what it looks like to apply the principles of business to something bigger than themselves!
The project is on display in COBA this week
by Allison Phillips | May 1, 2013 | Current Students, Faith Infusion
On April 3, four ACU students, accompanied by Dr. Vic McCracken, traveled to Washington D.C. in order to attend the IJM Student Conference and Global Prayer Gathering. These students made the trip as part of their involvement in ACU’s chapter of International Justice Mission, or IJM. IJM is committed to raising awareness and stopping trafficking around the world, whether that be sex trafficking, child soldiers, or forced labor.
Kayla, Carlee, and Sarah in D.C.
The Global Prayer Gathering, an event at which students gather to pray and hear the stories of former trafficking victims and caseworkers from the field, was very meaningful to Carlee Finkelstein, a junior marketing major from Plano.
“For me it was really amazing to pray with people all across the world for IJM and their mission,” she explained. “As a college student I know that I can’t just write a huge check to IJM to help with their work, but I can pray and that is what God has called us to do.”
Kayla Lawrence, senior accounting major from Cross Plains, felt that the student conference provided a lot of insights on running an event like Justice Week, ACU’s annual event focusing on social justice.
“I learned the most at the student conference by hearing ideas from other schools on how we can improve our Justice Week even more,” she elaborated. “It was very interesting to talk with students from across the states and hear what events and strategies have worked on their campus to spread awareness and what earned the most success. I thought it was very helpful and we plan to incorporate some of those cool ideas into ACU Justice Week 2014!”
In addition to learning, a couple of ACU students were asked to speak at the Student Conference about Justice Week and the way their social justice organizations are run here on campus.
Sarah Ratliff, a senior marketing major from Lake Kiowa, who was asked to speak at the Student Conference, said she really enjoyed getting to talk about what IJM is doing here at ACU.
“Getting to go is so exciting,” she said, “but being asked to speak and display our leadership is another thing. I hope that we can continue to have great leaders that can continue to set a great example on campus and off so we can make more trips like this.”
There’s a lot of opportunity for COBA students to make a difference in the world, so be sure to check out opportunities like IJM!
The IJM Group in Washington D.C.
