Spring 2022 Business and Economics Review Celebrates Big Ideas & Exceptional Academic Achievement
August 22nd 2022
Department Updates
CBE Summer Experiences with Megan Dennis ’23
August 17th 2022
Megan Dennis ’23 was all set to study away this summer when plans went awry at the last minute, so what did our indefatigable CBE Fellow do next? Certificate stacking! “I focused on personal development, which included learning to code using R through Data Camp and completing certificates in data visualization and international marketing,” Dennis reported.
Megan, tell us more…
How did you find these opportunities?
Megan: “I found Data Camp by talking with my mentor; she had used the site and highly recommended it to me. After using Data Camp this summer, I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to start learning about coding. The site does a great job offering a variety of courses and certificates and presents the information in an easily digestive way and allows practice alongside it.”
What did you learn?
Megan: “It really helped me strengthen my data analysis skills and broaden my perspective on how data can be leveraged to make better business decisions. I will be incorporating my new skills and knowledge into my senior research project.”
Would you recommend this strategy to another student?
Megan: “After using DataCamp this summer, I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to start learning about coding. The site does a great job offering a variety of courses and certificates and presents the information in an easily digestive way and allows you to practice alongside it. My advice to others looking to gain or sharpen their technical skills is to just get started and try to find time to code every day, even if it’s just 15 minutes! ”
Megan Dennis is an International Studies and Business major, schedule to graduate in 2024. She is a CBE Fellow and belongs to Lambda Sigma, the International Club and the volleyball club team. She serves as the President of the Chinese American Friendship Society (CAFS). This summer, she earned certificates in Data Visualization, Intro to International Marketing, International B2B Marketing, International Market Entry and Execution, International Entertainment and Sports Marketing, and Social and Behavioral Research.
Allegheny’s Business major is designed to help students gain a deep knowledge of the managerial and business concepts typically used by the business and non-profit world. International Studies is an interdivisional, liberal arts program that endeavors to develop and relate those analytical skills most appropriate for the examination of increasingly complex interactions among nations and regions of the world. The program also focuses on the tools, skills, and competencies needed to solve practical problems faced by organizations. The business majors from Allegheny will graduate with a strong liberal arts background enabling them to learn how they can use their financial success to serve humanity, make a difference in people’s lives and leave a legacy of success and service. Every business major is expected to engage in a mentored experiential learning project or activity – this may be satisfied by a study abroad program or an internship that exposes the student to cultural, civic engagement and global issues.
CBE Summer Experiences with Reece Smith ’24
August 15th 2022
Reece Smith ’24 was a summer Finance Intern for Aptus Wealth Planning, a small financial planning firm in downtown Pittsburgh.
How is the summer going? We asked Reece…
How did you find your internship?
Reece: “I secured this internship due to the incredible network our Allegheny College teachers and alumni have with the financial services industry.”
What are you doing during this experience?
Reece: “I had a wide range of duties, such as spearheading our inorganic growth initiative, aiding our CFP in creating financial plans for clients, creating an interactive spreadsheet for use in client meetings, handling outreach to prospective clients, uploading a large portion of our client files onto our servers, and training my replacement for the fall semester. This has been a wonderful experience, teaching me a lot about all the aspects that go into running a financial planning firm. I am very grateful for this opportunity.”
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Reece: “I absolutely recommend that other students apply for this internship.”
Reece is an Economics major, scheduled to graduate in 2024. He is a rising 2nd year student whose first year studies included a Law & Policy concentration. He was a winner in the 2021 CBE Financial Literacy Competition ($1,750 prize, First Freshman Winner) and participated in the 2022 Zingale Big Idea Competition. He serves on the boards of the Allegheny Wealth Management Club, Radio Station and Ghost Club and is a member of the Aikido and Fencing clubs. Reece hosts his own radio show featuring an hour of political and economic news, followed by an hour of music.
Studying economics at Allegheny College teaches students how people respond to incentives in making choices, and how those choices affect outcomes at both the micro and macro scale. A microeconomist might study how a firm or a family chooses to finance a new piece of equipment or a home purchase. A macroeconomist might study how a change in interest rates affects economic growth, unemployment, or the balance of trade. While economists address topics often associated with the field, like banking and finance, the range of topics studied by economists is very broad, including sports, the environment, health, crime, discrimination, and business.
CBE Summer Experiences with Richard Swanson ’24
August 11th 2022
CBE Fellow, Richard (RJ) Swanson served as a 2022 finance intern at Koppers, Inc. Koppers, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds. Its products and services are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end-markets, including the railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction industries.
How did the summer go? We asked RJ…
How did you find your summer internship experience?
RJ: I was aware of Koppers in high school when they were a sponsor for a nonprofit I was involved with, so I knew that they were a company with the right values. As I looked for job postings on LinkedIn, this made Koppers specifically stand out to me.
What are your duties and what are you learning about?
RJ: I worked in the finance department under the title, “Shared Service Intern.” I completed tasks for every position in the department, giving me a better understanding of the finance department at Koppers as a whole. Most of my work was centered around payables, receivables, and some work with the banks Koppers use.
Would you recommend this experience to other students?
RJ: Absolutely. The biggest difference with Koppers is their company culture. Koppers is consistently ranked one of the best workplaces in Pittsburgh, and Newsweek ranked Koppers as one of the most responsible companies in 2021.
RJ is a CBE Fellow and incoming President of the Wealth Management Club, planning to graduate in 2024. He is a major in Economics and minors in Communications and Political Science. He is the Delta Tau Delta Alpha Chapter Public Relations Chair and Interfraternity Council Vice President.
Studying economics at Allegheny College teaches students how people respond to incentives in making choices, and how those choices affect outcomes at both the micro and macro scale. A microeconomist might study how a firm or a family chooses to finance a new piece of equipment or a home purchase. A macroeconomist might study how a change in interest rates affects economic growth, unemployment, or the balance of trade. While economists address topics often associated with the field, like banking and finance, the range of topics studied by economists is very broad, including sports, the environment, health, crime, discrimination, and business.
CBE Summer Experiences with Andrew Strobel ’24
August 8th 2022
CBE Fellow Andrew Strobel ’24 is continuing his remote internship that began in January 2022 at the First Bank of the Lake. The First Bank of the Lake provides a full range of deposit products and services, along with consumer, residential mortgage, and commercial lending. The Bank is also an SBA lender throughout the United States.
How is the summer going? We asked Andrew…
How did you find your internship?
Andrew: “I was recommended from a senior who just graduated, Blake Gendron ’22, who was offered a full time position at their office in South Carolina.”
What are you doing during this experience?
Andrew: “I am learning about loan forgiveness and the processes of how small businesses receive aid from the SBA. I’m also learning about how to interact with borrowers on the custom service side and help answer their questions and get them the help they need. It feels so great to help get a loan across the finish line fully forgiven that helped a business through the pandemic.”
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Andrew: “I would highly recommend this internship as the team and leadership supervising us is very supportive and helpful.”
Andrew is an Economics major and German minor, scheduled to graduate in 2024. He is a student athlete returning to campus in August to play defense for the Allegheny College men’s soccer team.
Studying economics at Allegheny College teaches students how people respond to incentives in making choices, and how those choices affect outcomes at both the micro and macro scale. A microeconomist might study how a firm or a family chooses to finance a new piece of equipment or a home purchase. A macroeconomist might study how a change in interest rates affects economic growth, unemployment, or the balance of trade. While economists address topics often associated with the field, like banking and finance, the range of topics studied by economists is very broad, including sports, the environment, health, crime, discrimination, and business.
CBE Summer Experiences with Rutendo Mavunga ’24
August 3rd 2022
CBE Fellow Rutendo Mavunga ’24 is working at her internship at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pittsburgh. EY serves customers worldwide offering professional services for assurance, audit, tax, financial, and business advisory services to automotive, financial, government, entertainment, mining, real estate, technology, and telecommunication industries.
How is the summer going? We asked Rutendo…
How did you find your internship?
Rutendo: “I discovered this opportunity through Allegheny College’s career services who supported me for a very long time, and I used Handshake* to apply.”
What are you doing during this experience?
Rutendo: “I’m a Financial Services (FSO) business consulting intern in Pittsburgh. The FSO area is focused on the financial sector exclusively, and learning how to develop feasible solutions to support clients within this sector. I have thoroughly enjoyed my internship and learning about the field of consulting and financial services.”
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Rutendo: “This has been a rigorous yet enjoyable experiences and I would highly recommend this experience to other students.”
Rutendo is an Economics and International Studies major and French minor, planning to graduate in 2024. A CBE Fellow and Social Entrepreneur, she earned 2nd prize recognition at the 2022 Zingale Big Idea Competition, pitching her company, Batanai, where she plans to have an impact on women’s health In Zimbabwe. Rutendo’s summer activities included participation in the 19th Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics program at Chatham University.
International Studies is an interdivisional, liberal arts program that endeavors to develop and relate those analytical skills most appropriate for the examination of increasingly complex interactions among nations and regions of the world. It draws upon the disciplines of economics, history, language, and political science.
*Allegheny College is a partner of the Handshake career community to provide students and recent graduates with access to job and internship opportunities from more than 400,000 employers.
CBE Summer Experiences with Lucia Jueguen ’24
August 1st 2022
This summer CBE Fellow Lucia Jueguen ’24 is taking a class about International Relations at American University, as well as working at the Small Business Administration in the office of International Trade in Washington D.C. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of International Trade’s mission is to enhance the ability of small businesses to compete in the global marketplace.
How is the summer going? We asked Lucia…
How did you find your internship?
Lucia: “I found the internship thanks to the American University’s network in D.C.”
What are you doing during this experience?
Lucia: “At my internship, I am learning all about small businesses in America, international trade, and finance. My duties consist of working with the finance and marketing teams to improve the business owner experience in the international trade area of the SBA. I performed research on international trade finance, gathered reports, collected and analyzed data, and collaborated with other agencies such as the Department of Commerce. I also worked on the creation of a webinar that will be presented in August!”
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
I would highly recommend working at the SBA to everyone as getting experience in a federal agency can be rewarding and can allow you to find a new unexpected career path!
Lucia is an International Studies, Business, and Arabic student with a graduation date of May 2024. She is a CBE Fellow and serves as the President of the International Club. She participates in the Model UN, and is a Global Citizen Scholar.
Allegheny’s Business major is designed to help students gain a deep knowledge of the managerial and business concepts typically used by the business and non-profit world. The program also focuses on the tools, skills, and competencies needed to solve practical problems faced by organizations. The business majors from Allegheny will graduate with a strong liberal arts background enabling them to learn how they can use their financial success to serve humanity, make a difference in people’s lives and leave a legacy of success and service. Every business major is expected to engage in a mentored experiential learning project or activity – this may be satisfied by a study abroad program or an internship that exposes the student to cultural, civic engagement and global issues.
CBE Summer Experiences with Morgan Libell ’23
July 20th 2022
This summer CBE Fellow and rising senior, Morgan Libell is a Merchandising Intern for the Procurement and Space Planning teams at Giant Eagle Corporate. Giant Eagle, Inc., ranked among the top 40 on Forbes magazine’s largest private corporations list, is one of the nation’s largest food retailers and distributors with approximately $9.7 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. has grown to be a leading food, fuel and pharmacy retailer in the region with more than 470 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.
How is the summer going? We asked Morgan…
How did you find your internship?
Morgan: “I found my internship through LinkedIn and through friends of mine.”
What are you doing during this experience?
Morgan: ” My job is to facilitate meetings with people all over the company to understand the seasonal merchandise process better, and at the end of the summer I will present on these issues and solutions I have found viable to make Giant Eagle a ‘seasonal destination’.”
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Morgan: “Giant Eagle has created a great environment for young people to grow and learn more about retail and various roles in general. I would happy to return there this January, if they will have me back. I would definitely recommend this internship, I would just try to ensure that you have a contact before applying. ”
Morgan is a Business Major and Global Health Studies Minor, planning to graduate in January 2023. She is currently a CBE Fellow and the past President and Senior Advisor to the Allegheny College Wealth Management Club.
Allegheny’s Business major is designed to help students gain a deep knowledge of the managerial and business concepts typically used by the business and non-profit world. The program also focuses on the tools, skills, and competencies needed to solve practical problems faced by organizations. The business majors from Allegheny will graduate with a strong liberal arts background enabling them to learn how they can use their financial success to serve humanity, make a difference in people’s lives and leave a legacy of success and service. Every business major is expected to engage in a mentored experiential learning project or activity – this may be satisfied by a study abroad program or an internship that exposes the student to cultural, civic engagement and global issues.
2022 Zingale Big Idea Competition Crowns 10 Winners
May 2nd 2022
On Saturday, April 30, the judges of the 2022 Zingale Big Idea Competition crowned 10 winners including Edible Roots, a social purpose venture seeking to create green spaces and community gardens in urban settings and Blue Ciel, an importer of Mongolian cashmere. This year’s winners shared a total prize pool of $32,000.
“This year’s pool of entrants could be the most interesting and diverse in the competition’s history,” said Chris Allison, Co-Director of Allegheny College’s Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics. “And for the first time, we had more social venture ideas than for-profit enterprises,” he added.
Here is a list of the winners:
| Competitor | Big Idea | |
| First Place | ||
| Mariah Nablo | Edible Roots | Urban Green Space Developer |
| Binderiya Batsaikhan | Blue Ciel | Cashmere Importer |
| Second Place | ||
| Funda Eskalen | Conmigo | College Social Networking |
| Rutendo Mavunga | Batanai | Women’s Health In Zimbabwe |
| Third Place | ||
| Samone Brosier | O’Day’s Relief | Free Credit Counseling |
| Arigun Bayaraa | Campus Carpool | College Ridesharing |
| Dakchyata Thapa | Campus Carpool | College Ridesharing |
| Riley Sawyer | Campus Carpool | College Ridesharing |
| Alexander Lawson | Transamerica Partnership | Job Placement For Central Americans |
| Andrew Strobel | Transamerica Partnership | Job Placement For Central Americans |
| Lucia Jueguen | Transamerica Partnership | Job Placement For Central Americans |
| Meadville Community Track | ||
| Shannon Gilmore | Meadville Bed Bug Task Force | Bed Bug Remediation |
| Abigail Marshall | Meadville Bed Bug Task Force | Bed Bug Remediation |
| John Walton | Angel Animal Haven, Inc. | Pet Pantry & Shelter |
| Next Big Idea | ||
| Tergel Buyanbat | Food For Thought | Healthy Eating Awareness |
This year’s judges included:
- Lisa Frankovitch, CEO, Uplogix;
- John Golden, Associate Professor of Economics, Allegheny College;
- Andrew Gottlieb ’11, CEO, No Typical Moments;
- Liana Leja ’17, Clinical Research Coordinator, Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute;
- Rich McIntyre ’88, President, McIntyre, Thanasides, Bringgold, Elliott, Grimaldi, Guito & Matthews, P.A.;
- Clayton Morris ’15, Vice President of Development and Leasing, Sampson Morris Group;
- Byron Rich, Director of Academic Innovation Partnerships, Allegheny College;
- Rob Smith ’73, Executive Chairman, Acutec Precision Aerospace;
- Andy Walker ’00, Executive Director, Allegheny Office of Economic, Civic and Community Engagement;
- Christian D. Walker ’20, Social Media Marketing Manager, Bitski;
- Lance Zingale ’77, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Sykes Enterprises (retired).
The Zingale Big Idea Competition is a student-focused seed-funding business pitch presentation competition. It is designed for new business ideas, which have yet-to-receive funding. This contest emulates the experiences seen on the popular CNBC broadcast, Shark Tank, but with a heart.
Allegheny Students Take Top Prizes in Marketing and Economics at the PSU Behrend-Sigma Xi Conference
April 26th 2022
The Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference provides an opportunity for students to present their research and creative accomplishment results in a public setting. Many students use this regional conference to practice their presentations prior to presenting them in a national or international setting.
Allegheny students having recently completed their senior projects, participated in the Marketing and Economics session in preparation for their upcoming oral defense. The students presented before a panel of judges made up of academics from a variety of disciplines from western Pennsylvania and Ohio.
- First prize – Raymond Englert, Analyzing Manufacturing Employment Decline in Western Pennsylvania (Professor Rancati)
- Second prize – Thi Thao Nguyen, Customer Experience in Coffee Stores in Vietnam: A Multidisciplinary Research (Professor Rancati)
- Nabil Agag, State of The American Healthcare System: The Failure of our Time (Professor Michaelides)
- Arigun Bayaraa, Super Bowl commercials’ effectiveness in creating a diverse and inclusive brand image: A neuromarketing approach (Professor Rancati)
- Khalid Mohamed, To What Extent is the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax an Effective Government Intervention Towards Public Health? Reviewing Discrepancies Between Sales and Consumption (Professor Michaelides)
The Allegheny College Senior Project
The Allegheny College Senior Project is not a mere report or semester paper, but a significant piece of independent study, research or creative work conducted under the supervision of one or more faculty members. The outcome of a Senior Project is more than a grade or a written document; for the student it often results in a new way of looking at complex problems and inspires an appreciation for the power of ideas that might previously have seemed like abstract concepts in a textbook. Often it can be a pivotal time when a student realizes his or her own abilities and potential. The Senior Project also improves opportunities for graduate school and employment. Learn more
The Department of Business and Economics
At the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics, students may choose to pursue a major in economics or business with each course of study applying the rigor of a strong background in economic theory with the added benefit of interdisciplinary course work that allows students to create a concentration that matches their personal interests. Like many related disciplines in a liberal arts curriculum, Business and Economics emphasizes oral, written, and quantitative methods in courses and seminars.
We offer students a program that requires a balance of theory and application in its curriculum. The offerings are a combination of theory courses, quantitative work, and a number of field courses that are also accessible to non-majors and minors. It is a program designed to provide a liberal educational foundation for citizen and voter, for postgraduate study and careers such as international affairs, law, business, banking and finance, human resources, accounting, marketing, education and public policy. Learn more