by Neely Borger | Mar 19, 2014 | COBA Events, Distinguished Speakers Series, Special Speakers
On March 26th, Mark W. Albers, senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation, will be visiting ACU as part of the Distinguished Speakers Series. Mark joined the company in 1979 and has worked numerous positions, including managerial positions in development, operations, and engineering. He has also worked in Melbourne, Australia as a technical manager and operations manager. In 2001, he became the vice president, Africa, Chad/Nigeria for the ExxonMobil Development Company in Houston. Albers has served as executive assistant to the chairman of Exxon Mobil Corporation at headquarters in Irving, TX. After this position, he then became the president of ExxonMobil Development Company in October of 2004. In April 2007, Mark was named the senior vice president of the company in Houston.
Albers is a member of the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Council of International Business, the Texas A&M Engineering Advisory Council, the Society of Petroleum Engineers Industry Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc.
Mark was born in Calgary, Canada and later moved to Houston. He grew up around the oil and gas industry and pursued this field of study at Texas A&M, graduating in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering. Today, he works with different governments in influencing them to allow Exxon to come in and work, explore, develop, and produce in those countries. Mark and his wife, Cindy, currently live in The Woodlands, Texas.
Albers highly believes in the value of faith in the marketplace. He states that his faith has been the strong foundation that has built his career and the man he is today. COBA looks forward to hosting him next week. There are less than 50 tickets left for the event. Visit the COBA website to learn more and purchase tickets to the luncheon at www.acu.edu/coba.
by Neely Borger | Feb 28, 2014 | Faith Infusion, Placement stories, School of Information Technology and Computing
Imagine having a set of social listening tools that can measure exactly how effective your brand’s sharable content is. Well it is time to stop daydreaming and get social! In the fall of 2012, six founding members, including former ACU, SITC, and COBA graduates Brad Neathery (2011), Clay Selby (2011), and Braxton Huggins (2010), teamed up and created SocialRest, a set of specific tools designed to measure social shareability, engagement, and conversions made from a brand’s website content across social platforms. SocialRest measures how social users engage with a brand because of user-shared content from their website. SocialRest then follows that social user if they visit that brand’s website, listening to how they engage with content on the site and measuring conversion rates on the brand’s website.
In the fall of 2012, founder of SocialRest, Clay Selby who majored in IT in the School of Information Technology and Computing, pitched the idea at a conference in San Antonio called Three Day Startup. After the event, Clay and co-founder, Brandon Ashton, started developing the idea. After a long process of building, measuring, and learning, SocialRest became a reality, with potential to be one of the top start-ups of 2014. This set of social tools features social analytics, simple integration, impression tracking, customer behavior interest, and ROI tracking. SocialRest can also determine whether the content written on a regular basis is successful. News sites, brand-building blogs, and businesses that rely heavily on their content creators can benefit greatly with these measuring tools. SocialRest can help businesses observe, visualize, and adapt to customer responses on their site, making the process of seeing user engagement and conversion highly efficient.
The SocialRest team expects the site to become the premier listening tool for B2C (business to consumer) brands with shareable content on their website or blog. SocialRest has recently been ranked by ClubLab (a London philanthropic agency) as one of the 12 start-ups to watch in 2014, alongside high-caliber brands like Nest (acquired by Google), Topsy (acquired by Apple), and other legendary start-ups. In the month of February, SocialRest increased Twitter followers by 1200% and received over 20,000 social mentions. This company is definitely one to watch, with mentions from ClubLab’s “Top Start-ups to Watch in 2014” and Chelsea Krost’s “2014 The Year of the Millennial”.
Brad Neathery, an ACU and COBA graduate who majored in marketing, credits their success to a number of factors, including the positive mentoring influences and constant engagement with potential users of the tools. Brad also stressed how much the Lord has aided in the process, working in miraculous ways to bring glory to His kingdom. “Christ calls us to serve his people in everything that we do, and philanthropy is nothing more than an act of service. SocialRest is made up of team members that are constantly stumbling toward the cross together, and our foundation is built upon accountability in business and in life,” says Brad. SocialRest exemplifies the values COBA instills in students, preparing them to go into the world with a missional mindset and determination to bring glory to Christ and his kingdom through all aspects of business and in life. SocialRest is looking for interns for the summer of 2014. If any students are interested in the internship, they can contact COBA’s career development team, Tim Johnston or Samantha Matta.
“COBA craft’s the vision of its students to understand the world for what it is, and to then take their own approach on how to achieve their goals. There is an underlying belief that life should be seen as an opportunity, challenges seen as the first step to growth, and success to be seen as a humble awareness of how magnificent our creator is,” says Brad Neathery, former ACU and COBA graduate.
by Neely Borger | Feb 26, 2014 | City of Abilene, COBA Events, Current Students, Springboard
The highly anticipated event we have all been waiting for is just around the corner! Registration for the seventh annual Springboard Ideas challenge is now open and ready to start accepting applicants for 2014. Springboard is a business plan competition that takes place each year through the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy. Contestants vary, including some who have ideas and are seeking to start a business and others who have already established small businesses. The cash prizes come from several local sponsors. This year, certain phases of the competition have changed. The initial application process has been revamped to make each transition phase flow more smoothly for applicants.
The competition includes three different divisions: the community-growth division, the community-small business division, and the college division. The first, second, and third place winners in each division will receive cash prizes. For the college division, the first place winner will receive $7,500, the second place winner will receive $3,000, and the third place winner will receive $1,000. In the community-growth division, the first place winner will receive $15,000, the second place winner will receive $5,000, and the third place winner will receive $1,000. For the community-small business, the first place winner will receive $5,000, the second place winner will receive $3,000, and the third place winner will receive $1,000. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be a permanent resident of one of the qualifying 19 counties surrounding the Abilene area.
To enter the competition, applicants must initially complete an online application and pay the registration fee. The online application deadline is 5 P.M. on March 7th. Once the judging panel has advanced chosen contestants on to the next phase of the competition, a mini-business plan must be submitted. The business plan should address the fundamental issues of interest to potential investors. This document should highlight the most important and interesting points of the business, which should give potential investors a general understanding of why this venture would succeed. Contestants who advance to the next phase of the competition qualify as finalists and must prepare a presentation for a live panel of judges. The exact date, time, and location will vary by division but will take place during the week of April 6-12, 2014. Participants will be given 10 minutes to present their idea to the judges and will then be subject to 10-15 minutes of Q&A from the judges.The final phase of the competition will be the awards dinner, which will take place on April 15th. All finalists will display their ideas as part of an exhibit hall before the dinner, and then the winners of each division will be announced during the dinner. This year, Stuart Crum, President for Bridgestone Retail Operations, will be speaking at the awards ceremony.
Students have represented COBA well in the past Springboard competitions. Typically, around 30-4 students from around campus enter the competition each year. Last year, senior Luke Luttrell won first place in the college division with his Right Route idea. Right Route is a mobile app similar to Google Maps but offers more route options, optimizing the fastest route between as many desired destinations. Dr. Brent Reeves and Dr. Brian Burton were two professors that helped Luke develop his idea for the app. Luke believes that COBA was absolutely fundamental to winning Springboard. He credits his success to the help of such great professors in COBA, reiterating how involved and willing they were to reach out and help him on his journey to success. Luke also praises the competition in regards to the process. He says, “Springboard gives students the opportunity to present an idea to a panel of investors with entrepreneurial experience, resulting in great feedback on the idea and business model.” Luke has learned to always seek entrepreneurial opportunities and encourages anyone with even the smallest idea to enter the competition. Springboard is a great opportunity to grow one’s entrepreneurial skills and gain relevant experience through a high value process and interaction with professional entrepreneurs.
“The Springboard Ideas Challenge is a great opportunity for any student who is interested in entrepreneurial pursuits. It offers an unbelievable experience because it forces students to turn a simple idea into a fully functioning business model,” says Luke Luttrell, senior COBA student and winner of the 2013 Springboard Challenge.
by Neely Borger | Feb 13, 2014 | Academics, Current Students, Poverty and Development, Social Entrepreneurship
During January, several COBA students as well as non-business majors took a January short course, Social Entrepreneurship, with Dr. Laura Phillips at City Square in Dallas. In the fall of 2012, ACU began to partner with City Square, combining curricular and co-curricular experiences for student leadership development. CitySquare is a faith-based, non-profit, human and community development corporation that promotes learning and formation through engagement, including projects, courses, internships, formative experiences, and degree programs. Courses at City Square offer opportunities for in-context learning, allowing students to be hands-on outside of the traditional classroom.
During the short course, 18 guests came to speak with students about social organizations and the different pieces that make up these organizations. The class offered a series of breakfast lectures where speakers discussed vital parts of nonprofit businesses that must be considered when working for or starting any nonprofit. Guests speakers, including Suzanne Smith, Founder and Managing Director of Social Impacts Architects and Co-Founder of Flywheel: Social Enterprise Hub, spoke about measuring success from a social perspective. Mark Jacobs, Senior Director of Operations for The Medicines Company, started His Chase Foundation in 2010 and is now focusing all efforts in Rwanda, providing 250+ students with educational opportunities. Mark gave students opportunities to engage and brainstorm ideas for his initiatives in Rwanda. Speakers also addressed questions concerning other aspects of a non-profit organization such as raising funds, the grant application process, how to start a board of members, social media, and the basic business principles included in a financial statement.
The majority of the class was comprised of business majors but all students found the information very useful even if they had no intention of starting an enterprise. Shanleigh Clinton, a nutrition major, says that she was worried the material would not be applicable to her. However, she says, “This class actually helped me understand how to balance mission and margin and how to have a greater impact in what I do.” Shanleigh plans on becoming a registered dietician, partnering with a feeding and nutrition education program and potentially working with a social enterprise.
by Neely Borger | Jan 28, 2014 | Current Students, Faith Infusion
After an unforgettable experience in Moree, the group was eager to head to the big city of Sydney! After a long day of travel (8 hours on a bus and another hour on a plane to be exact), the weary group met Dr. Shepherd at the Adina Hotel in the heart of the city. With its tall buildings, beautiful beaches, quaint local coffee shops and cafes, and other unique attractions, students were ready to explore everything Sydney had to offer. Students met for one last class to discuss and debrief their experiences over the past week in Moree.
For the next couple of days, students spent their time exploring the grand city. Some local “must see places” included Patty’s Market, the famous Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, Darling Harbor, the Sydney Bridge, and the world famous Sydney Opera House. Some of the students joined Dr. Vardiman and his wife, Jackie, and took a dinner cruise around the Sydney Harbor one night. Many students went to see the showing of “The Magic Flute” at the Sydney Opera House. One day, the group went on a hike deep into the Blue Mountains, seeing a variety of forest life and high waterfalls. They also visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park, a zoo with Australian animals, including koala bears, kangaroos, and several different bird species. On the last day of the trip, a group of students went to the Hillsong Church in Sydney. Hillsong is a praise and worship band known throughout the world. Students were able to attend the worship service and meet some of the band members.
“Hillsong is one of my absolute favorite bands! Going to this church was the perfect way to end our trip. I will never forget the memories and friendships that I made in Australia! Traveling abroad is definitely one of the highlights of my college career,” says Angela Conway, a junior math major minoring in business.
On January 12, it was time to say goodbye to the Aussies and travel back to America. Brisbane, Moree, and Sydney had been completely different, each offering unique Australian experiences in a new cultural context. Students came back to Abilene with a greater understanding of global entrepreneurship and how business operations function in a different country. Working with the native Aboriginal children in Moree allowed students to apply concepts learned in class to see the impact of technology and education in impoverished areas.
So long sunny skies, sandy beaches, and Aussie accents. It’s time to head back to Abilene! G’day-until we meet again!
The group says goodbye to Australia as they head to the Sydney airport.
by Neely Borger | Jan 22, 2014 | Current Students, Faith Infusion
After a week in Brisbane, the group headed to a small town called Moree in the Australian Outback. In Moree, students planned to work with native Aboriginal children with different forms of technology, including the iPad, Microsoft Office programs, and other programs on both the Mac and PC systems. The team was excited to partner with missionary Brad Johnson and expand upon the principles they had learned concerning global poverty and lack of education in class the previous week. Working with these less fortunate kids was a great way to broaden students’ perspectives with global mission work, focusing on education in an impoverished area. Unfortunately, Dr. Ian Shepherd was not able to come to Moree due to an illness he came down with in Brisbane. Dr. Phil Vardiman along with his wife, Jackie, and the 22 students stayed at a private school in Moree.
“I was not sure what to expect coming into Moree. By the end of our visit, I had built strong relationships with many of the Aboriginal children. It was neat knowing that I had planted a seed for the continuing of their education,” says Alex Cotton, a sophomore Accounting major.
Every day, around 25 students from the local community came to the private school. Each ACU student was partnered with one of the local kids from the neighborhood. For most of the day, ACU students would work with the kids using different technological programs, teaching them various functions on Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, iMovie, and other general applications on the iPad. After a couple of days, many of the local kids felt more comfortable using these programs. The kids were fast learners, quickly applying the new skills they had learned to projects they worked on throughout the week. The children did learn many new computer skills; however, seeing strong relationships form between ACU students and the kids was also a highlight of the trip.
For the final project, groups of students acted out and filmed parts of Bible stories with the kids. The Bible stories included Jonah and the whale, Moses and the 10 plagues, and David and Goliath. Using the iMovie program, students edited the videos and then showed them to the entire group at an “awards” ceremony the last day. Working with the Aboriginal kids allowed ACU’s students to take concepts learned in the classroom and apply those principles in a real life situation. ACU students walked away with a greater understanding of poverty and lack of education in a different culture. They also left Moree truly feeling how God’s presence had blessed both them and these children over the past four days.
by Neely Borger | Jan 17, 2014 | Current Students
On December 26th, 22 students along with Dr. Phil Vardiman and Australian native Dr. Ian Shepherd boarded a plane heading to Australia. 16 hours later, the group arrived in Brisbane. Unlike the cold Texas winter, Brisbane offered sunny skies and a beautiful beach in walking distance of the Mantra hotel. Students were eager to explore the amazing coast, do some sight seeing, and learn about the business environment in the Australian context. The perfect combination of a relaxing vacation, learning about business operations in a different culture, making lifelong friendships, and experiencing God in an entirely new way…what better way could students spend a winter break?!
A major theme throughout the trip focused on poverty and its effect on business opportunities throughout the global marketplace. In Brisbane, students met twice for class to watch videos and discuss the challanges associated with businesses in countries that struggle with poverty. Students were able to share opinions and ideas about how to decrease these poverty rates, integrating Christian values and perspectives with a mission to aid entrepreneurs in developing countries with starting new businesses across the globe.
Also in Brisbane, students were able to tour two local businesses, Industrial Tool Service and Carba-tec. Both companies allowed students to see how business operations differered in Australia from the United States. Industrial Steel Company is a smaller, family run business with only four employees. The company caters mainly to local businesses, specializing in bike pedals and other custom made steel products. Carba-tec is a company that specializes in wood making machines, offering a variety of products specifically designed for the creative handyman. At Carba-tec, students were able to visit with the company’s CFO, CMO, and head of operations. They also toured the facility, including the calling center, the distribution center, and the retail store. Despite the differences, both businesses shared the common theme that honesty, integrity, and customer satisfaction are critical factors in running a successful organization anywhere in the world.
“Touring Industrial Tool Service and Carba-tec allowed us to see the business environment in a new culture. It is always refreshing to get new perspectives on how operations are done differently in different settings,” said Libby Sinclair, a senior marketing major.
So were students allowed to participate in any other activites besides touring businesses and meeting for class? Oh yes! Students had plenty of free time to hang out by the beach, explore and shop in Surfer’s Paradise, go snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, and a couple of crazy students even went skydiving! On New Year’s Eve, many students went to the beach to watch an amazing fireworks show. On one of the days, students went on a four-wheeling tour up the mountain, learning how to throw a boomerang, seeing kangaroos and koalas, and hiking into a rainforest to see numerous forms of wildlife and plant life.
After long days on the beach, wildlife adventures, and visiting local Australian businesses, it was time to say goodbye to Brisbane and head to the Outback! Next stop: Moree!
by Neely Borger | Jan 5, 2014 | Current Students
On December 26, 25 COBA students along with Dr. Phil Vardiman and Dr. Ian Shepperd left Abilene to escape the cold winter weather and head down under to a much warmer climate…Australia! After an 18 hour flight, the group landed in Brisbane where they plan to stay for one week until heading to Moree in the Outback to train and teach Aboriginals some various technological applications used on the iPad. The group will then travel on to Sydney for a couple of days before coming back to the states. In Australia, students will have the opportunity to meet with the Johnson and Johnson Company as well as the Brisbane Business Company. Both of these experiences will allow students to see and experience business in the global context.
Some other activities students will be able to participate in include Surfer’s Paradise, theme parks, and Movie World on the Gold Coast, Bridge Climb, the Sydney Transportation System, tour to the Blue Mountains, and a visit to the Featherdale Wildlife Park.
So the countdown begins! With all of amazing activities and visits planned, this trip is sure to be an experience of a lifetime!
by Neely Borger | Dec 13, 2013 | COBA Faculty
Last month, ACU celebrated our veterans during chapel. This month, we want to continue to take time to remember those who have courageously fought for our country’s freedom. Rob Byrd, a member of the ACU faculty and a former officer in the US Air Force from 1982 – 1992, served as a navigator, electronic warfare officer, flight simulator programmer and supervisor, instructor, signals collection specialist, and mission director. He was born in Lafayette, Indiana and graduated with a degree in math from Harding University. He was commissioned into the Air Force in 1982 and served for 10 years before gaining his Masters in Math with an emphasis in Computer Science from Creighton University in 1992. Rob taught in the computer science department Western Kentucky University in addition to developing a new technical major titled Information and Knowledge Management at the York College in Nebraska. Rob joined the ACU faculty in January and now works in the school of IT and Computing.
Rob originally joined the military seeking an adventure and ways to serve others. He describes his time in the military as a time of serving others but in a completely different way. He states, “There were just people, missions, and opportunities to help people-the same opportunities I would have had if I had chosen any other career.” While in the military, Rob learned the life lesson of serving those who are hard to work with, no matter what the circumstance might be. Serving in the military truly opened his eyes to a different angle of service, performing difficult jobs most people would not want to do. In addition, Rob believes his service has directly translated to the service he does here at ACU, striving to humbly serve individuals and help them to accomplish their own missions in life. From Paul’s words, Rob encourages individual’s not to “become weary in doing good”. In order to live out God’s calling and mission for our lives we must serve others. ACU honors and thanks other family members, friends, and faculty in the ACU community who have served our country. These include: John Altman, Jim Bartee, Rob Byrd, Malcolm Coco, Brian Golden, Don Jackson, Ray Pettit, Jim Porter, Charles Small, David Swearingen, and Vince Swinney.
“Ultimately, what I learned was that one doesn’t really serve countries or companies, but individuals, and that it is more fulfilling to serve others than to be served,” says former Air Force officer Rob Byrd.
by Neely Borger | Dec 9, 2013 | Careers In..., Current Students
COBA’s Amy Morris had the opportunity to shadow COBA alum Chad Baker, Executive Vice President and Regional Director of Jones Lang La Salle, for two weeks this past summer. She was able to gain hands on experience by attending meetings, conference calls, and strategic development sessions with Chad. Amy learned several things about the commercial real estate business, but more valuable than that, she learned how to conduct herself humbly and honorably in tough business positions. She explains how true character truly reveals itself in those hard circumstances dealing with different people and that until you are actually out in the world and experiencing this hands on, you do not have a good feel for how to handle certain situations.
Chad Baker strongly believes in the shadowing concept and how it can give students a vision for their career choice. “I believe young adults can utilize the shadowing concept to obtain a vision (or glimpse) of various professions/professionals and to begin internalizing the path to pursue in their lives today which would lead to fulfilling their respective vision…with God’s blessing and favor.” As students begin to start their journey in the workplace, shadowing older and mature believers and leaders in the business world is the perfect way to see how students can start to discover and utilize their God-given gifts in whichever career path they choose.
“I was so blessed by my experience with Chad, and I would encourage others to find an opportunity to find and shadow a mentor. I have discovered that many professionals are eager to share their knowledge with college students; all we have to do is ask! There are few substitutes for real life experience.”
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