Department Updates: Articles, Page 7 | Business and Economics

Department Updates

CBE Summer Experiences with Maya Ginter-Frankovitch ’22

By Allegheny College July 12th 2021

Maya Ginter-Frankovitch ’22, CBE Fellow and recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Junior Major Prize in Economics, is an undergraduate intern at PNC supporting the Enterprise Data Lifecycle Management team in Independent Risk Management. We asked:

How did you find your summer internship?

Maya: One of my neighbors actually works at PNC who talked to me about the internship during my Sophomore year. I was too young at the time but applied a year later during my Junior year.

What are your duties?

Maya: I mainly perform administrative tasks for my department. That includes working on Excel files, creating and delivering presentations as well as designing articles and newsletters. These tasks can be quite repetitive and are not as challenging as I was hoping… might be because Allegheny prepared me so well!

The main takeaway from this experience would be the many opportunities to learn and network. I was very unsure about networking as I did not have much practice with it beforehand. However, PNC pushes us (interns) out of our comfort zone while also supporting us in the process. For example, when I found that I am more interested in the BSA/AML LOB within risk, my team encouraged me to network in that department and even made some introductions.

Would you recommend this activity to other students?

Maya: I would recommend this opportunity to other students. While the day-to-day work can seem monotonous, I learned so much about how a big business works as well as getting the chance to further develop some of my soft skills.

Maya is a fourth-year student at Allegheny College with a major in Economics and double minors in Computer Science and Psychology. Currently, she serves as the Founder and President of the Women in Business and Economics club as well as a Center for Business and Economics Fellow. Maya hopes to combine her three academic disciplines by exploring a career in financial crime.

Marketing Monday with Kimberly Scochin ’10

By Beth Ryan June 28th 2021

Kim Scochin, GAF World Headquarters, Parsippany, NJ

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics welcomed Kimberly Scochin ’10 on March 15 to present “New Product Commercialization into various Markets through Omni-channel Strategies and Execution.” She shared her career path from Allegheny, giving students a window into the life of a busy, high profile marketing professional.

Kimberly is the Channel Marketing Manager with GAF

She is a creative, data-driven marketer who has spent the past 10 years in the manufacturing industry focusing on product commercialization, branding and channel marketing. She has extensive experience leading new product commercialization into various markets through omni-channel strategies and execution. As Channel Marketing Manager, Kim is focused on curating relationships through the development and execution of channel alignment strategies for both commercial and residential products and services from GAF to the various wholesale and dealer partners across North America.

Kimberly has also worked for companies such as Ingersoll Rand, Alpha Wire, and American Standard Brands in communications, brand marketing, and channel roles. She is a 2010 graduate of Allegheny College, and earned her M.S.B.A. Marketing in 2011 at the University of Rochester, Simon School of Business.

Celebrating Academic Excellence – Honors Convocation 2021

By Beth Ryan May 18th 2021

Each year, the Business & Economics faculty and staff meet to choose the students who will earn these annual awards. Having worked all year with so many excellent students, it is a nearly impossible task.

It is our distinct pleasure as a department to congratulate our 2021 award winners for their hard work and commitment to the study of Business & Economics:

The Prize of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants awarded for excellence in accounting studies: Owen M. Harkins ‘21.
The Economics Senior Project Prize, a monetary gift for the best senior project assigned annually by the Department of Economics to encourage understanding and good scholarship: Alex Abadi ‘21.
The Graduate Student’s Prize in Economics, an annual prize to a senior whose achievement has been outstanding and whose promise as a graduate student is substantial: Kirsten D. Lashbrook ‘21.
The Outstanding Achievement Prize in Economics, awarded to a senior with an outstanding record in economics and for general contributions to the vitality of the department: Alex Abadi ‘21 and Rachel Tobler ‘21.
The John L. Porter Prize, an award jointly assigned by the Department of Political Science and the Department of Economics to recognize a student who has written the best thesis on a topic of political economy: Victoria Vradenburg ‘21.
The Outstanding Junior Major Prize, awarded for exceptional academic achievement, performance in the seminar, and contribution to the general life of the department: Maya Ginter-Frankovitch ‘22

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.

The Omicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society for Economics inducts new members for 2021

By Beth Ryan May 13th 2021

The Omicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society for Economics, Alpha Psi Chapter met both virtually and on campus to induct new members, celebrate scholarship in economics and honor outgoing faculty advisor, Professor John Golden on March 30, 2021.

The incoming advisor, Professor Michael Michaelides was the Master of Ceremony for the annual event with welcoming remarks by Rachel Tobler ‘21, Center for Business & Economics Fellow.

“One of the most interesting aspects of economics is the wide diversity in the interests and backgrounds of its members,” cited Golden. “Many come to the field with a desire for a career in policy that can improve the way people live and work. The problems they tackle are many,” he added. “Our ODE chapter will be in excellent hands with Dr. Michaelides as faculty advisor,” he continued, “I welcome you all to Omicron Delta Epsilon and wish you success now and always.”

Congratulations to the new members for 2021:

Angel (Alyssa) Astaria	Olivia Brophy	Ian Craycroft
Ryan Dayton	Matthew Del Rosso	Morgan Douglas
Brett Heckert	Emily Jones	David Kraus
Grace Lengauer	Christian Lussier	Harley O’Brochta
Jack Parker	Megan Powell	Joseph Silvester
Nicholas Taliani	Noah Tart	Molly Tarvin
Dakchyata Thapa	Thomas Uranga	Victoria Vradenburg

Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Economics Honor Society, is one of the world’s largest academic honor societies. The objectives of Omicron Delta Epsilon are recognition of scholastic attainment and the honoring of outstanding achievements in economics; the establishment of closer ties between students and faculty in economics within colleges and universities, and among colleges and universities; the publication of its official journal, The American Economist ; and sponsoring of panels at professional meetings as well as the Irving Fisher and Frank W. Taussig competitions.

Allegheny Students Rock the 2021 Econ Games!

By Beth Ryan May 11th 2021

Allegheny College joined 18 colleges and universities participating in the 2021 Econ Games on March 12, 2021. The Econ Games are an experiential learning experience frequently referred to as “an internship in a day” for participating students. This year, the competition was held virtually the first week in March with additional networking and development opportunities throughout February. Assistant Professor of Economics and Faculty Advisor, Dr. Kathryn Bender led the way recruiting students from all majors to participate in this data analytics and research event designed to help students solve real-world problems.

Students were challenged by a corporate sponsor to help them solve a business problem. This year’s data collaborator was the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the theme was “Public Policy.” The event sponsors included StataCorp, Northern Kentucky University Center for Economic Education, and the University of Kentucky Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise. At the end of the final day, the students presented their results. Students also heard presentations from industry leaders about how they use economics and data analysis at their firm. The event included opportunities for students to build lasting personal and professional connections with peers and businesses in the region.

Dr. Bender commented, “I think the important lesson from this experience is that students learned what professional economists do in the real world. They had to not only analyze a complex data set, but they needed to draw conclusions from the data, then link the conclusions to policy implications. This effort required students to draw from all of the classes they have taken while at Allegheny to compete.”

Three Allegheny teams took on the challenge:

Quigleys	StataGators	Investigators
Sarah Schmidt George Ackerman Megan Dennis Clarissa Miller Wonjoon Cho	Morgan Douglas Kyrie Doniz Kaleel Van Voorhees	Adriana Solis Zachary Ioli Kevin Lee Noah Tart Maya Ginter-Frankovitch

For more information or to express interest in future participation or sponsorship, email Professor Kathryn Bender, faculty advisor, kbender@allegheny.edu.

The Wealth Management Club provides a clear understanding of personalized finance

By Beth Ryan April 22nd 2021

During the 2020-2021 school year, the Allegheny College Wealth Management Club was focused on gaining new members. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions in place, the club was unable to participate in many events, and instead turned to planning for the 2021-2022 school year. Current President Rachel Tobler ‘21 and Vice President Alex Abadi ‘21 worked on spreading the news about the club, whose purpose is to provide a simple and clearer understanding of personalized finance and the instruments that it uses.

This involves attending CFA Society events, workshops on personal finance, and any other events members want to see involving investment and personal budgeting. At the end of the spring semester, the officers have been working with incoming President Morgan Libell ‘22 and Vice President Kevin Lee ‘23 to further increase membership and restart regular club meetings and events in the fall. Promotional campaigns, expansion of the board, and event planning have been the focus this year to get the Wealth Management Club running and successful in the fall of 2021!

Interested students can contact Morgan Libell or Kevin Lee.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics attracts Allegheny’s next generation of business innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a host of co-curricular activities that connect with and deepen their classroom experiences. The Wealth Management Club is designed to give students a collaborative environment in which they can openly discuss and learn about topics relating to personal finance. The club will invite guest speakers, use simulations, and perform individual research in order to educate members about personal finance topics and learn how to get a head start on managing their own money.

Marketing Monday: Storytelling in Marketing

By Beth Ryan April 15th 2021

The Bruce R. Thompsons Center for Business and Economics will present another Marketing Monday on the practical use and benefits of Storytelling in Marketing. This event is open to the Allegheny community via Zoom, please email Beth Ryan at bryan@allegheny.edu for a link to this session, to be held on Monday April 19, at 12:15 pm.

Our speaker is Prof. Payal Trivedi, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSOM), in Bengaluru, India. At JAGSOM, she teaches Marketing Management and Consumer Behavior. Her research interests include consumer behavior and digital marketing. She has published and presented her research at various national and international symposiums.

Dr. Trivedi completed her Bachelor and Masters degrees in the field of management from the state university system of India. Her doctoral studies focused on the field of consumer behavior from MICA, Ahmedabad, India. She is a visiting scholar at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo. Previously, she worked as an Assistant Professor (Marketing) at the Pune Institute of Business Management (Pune) and as an Academic Associate (Marketing) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). In addition to her academic experience, she served as an inbound sales executive with Jindal RHM Interactive Private Ltd., Ahmedabad.

Students Explore International Business Opportunities with the German American Chamber of Commerce

By Beth Ryan March 8th 2021

With the generous support of the Max Kade Foundation, Allegheny World Language & Cultures has partnered with the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics to present a virtual tour of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce featuring chapter President, Rachel Mauer on March 2, 2021.

The German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter (GACC PIT) was founded in 2015 to promote and support bilateral trade between Germany and the U.S. It is a private, non-profit organization and serves as the official representative of German trade in Western Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Chapter is part of an international network composed of 140 German foreign chambers of commerce and government offices in 92 countries.

Rachel Mauer is the Co-founder and President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce (AHK Pittsburgh Chapter) with the mission to foster trade with Germany and to grow the regional economy. The German American Chamber of Commerce provides educational and network opportunities, hosts international delegations, and formal events. Rachel and her team also launched the German Dual Apprenticeship program. The registered apprenticeship programs are industry-led programs, including Mechatronics, Mechanic in Polymer Technology (plastics), Sales Engineering (technical sales), and (upcoming) CAD Programming. Rachel’s professional history includes serving as the Co-Director of the American Council on Germany’s Pittsburgh Warburg Chapter, Vice Chairman on the Board of Global Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh 40 Under 40 in 2017. Rachel is a graduate from Cornell University with a degree in International Government and has a Leadership Certificate from Leadership Pittsburgh.

Allegheny College to Compete in the 2021 Econ Games

By Beth Ryan January 19th 2021

Allegheny College to compete in the 2021 Econ Games Allegheny College will join 22 colleges and universities participating in this year’s Econ Games on March 12, 2021. The Econ Games are an experiential learning experience frequently referred to as “an internship in a day” for participating students. This year, the competition will be held virtually the first week in March with additional networking and development opportunities throughout February. Assistant Professor of Economics and Faculty Advisor, Dr. Kathryn Bender and the Womxn in Business and Economics Club will lead the way recruiting students from all majors to participate in this data analytics and research event designed to help students solve real-world problems.

Students are challenged by a corporate sponsor to help them solve a business problem. This year’s data collaborator is the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the theme is “Public Policy.” At the end of the final day, students will present their results. Students will also hear presentations from industry leaders about how they use economics and data analysis at their firm. The event will include opportunities for students to build lasting personal and professional connections with peers and businesses in the region. Learn more here

Students who are interested in participating in The Econ Games should fill out the Google Form at https://forms.gle/2htrcRUN9a4Zqb2t8. Dr. Bender will hold a Q&A session on January 27th at 12:30 p.m., eastern standard time.

NOTE: There are no restrictions on who can participate in terms of year or major.

To learn more, follow The Econ Games on your favorite platform:

Twitter https://twitter.com/theecongames
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/theecongames/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theecongames/
Website https://www.theecongames.com

Dr. A’s Coffee Break YouTube Video https://youtu.be/qI0pHXuc3CY – is available to give students more insight into The Econ Games. Spoiler alert: After viewing this video you might experience a strong craving for coffee!

For more information email Professor Kathryn Bender or CBE Fellow Maya Ginter-Frankovitch, President of the Womxn in Business and Economics Club.

Sixteen Gators Earn Bloomberg Certification

By Beth Ryan December 1st 2020

Quigley Hall is the home to the Bloomberg Lab at Allegheny College

During the fall 2020 semester, sixteen Allegheny College students distinguished themselves by completing BMC Certification in the Bloomberg Lab located in Quigley Hall. By taking the Introduction to Bloomberg Terminals Course, students received an introduction to financial markets, benefiting from faculty guidance and instruction throughout the process. With on-campus course integration, students learned how to use important analytical functions in the terminal, conduct economic research and analysis, and benefit from a wide-range of pre-built analytical models.

Adapting to the “new normal’ while earning certification

According to Assistant Professor Tim Bianco, “The students thrived taking the Bloomberg course during the pandemic, even those attending remotely. Those taking the course in person were able to get the desirable hands-on training in Bloomberg as usual. Even those taking the class remotely thrived. We adapted by using more case studies and discussing current topics regarding the markets and Covid-19. The remote students are eager to get back to campus soon, and when they do, they will already have a new set of skills using Bloomberg.”

Bloomberg certification is a globally recognized credential, giving students a competitive edge when looking for post-graduate opportunities in banking and finance. The Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) is a course that provides an interactive introduction to the financial markets. BMC consists of 3 sections — Core Concepts (includes four modules – Economic Indicators, Currencies, Fixed Income, Equities), Getting Started on the Terminal and Portfolio Management.

Students who completed certification in the fall include:

Ariana Clark	Chukuwuebuka Oradubanya	Conner Mastalerz
Kaylin Tang	Harley O’Brochta	Marcus Wolf
Morgan Douglas	Nolan Thompson	Noah Tart
Jacob Dukman	Logan Chisholm	Matthew DelRosso
Maxwell Hammond	Nazareth Greer	Ryan Hiltz
Shawn Stelling

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics is home to the Bloomberg Lab at Allegheny College. When hiring new employees, businesses involved in banking and finance are looking for students skilled in utilizing the Bloomberg terminal to conduct research using the world’s most valuable tool in banking and finance. Allegheny’s Bloomberg terminals teach students to access and analyze real-time data on every market, discover breaking news, perform in-depth research and take advantage of sophisticated communications tools.