Category Archive: Agile Professionals | Business and Economics

Agile Professionals

CBE Experiences with Megan Dennis ’23

By Beth Ryan August 10th 2021

Not all experiences are alike, especially during a global pandemic. CBE Fellow Megan Dennis found a creative way to make the most of her summer while continuing to broaden her learning experience. Here’s what she had to say:

Megan: Since I did not secure a summer internship due to uncertainty following the pandemic, I embraced a growth-mindset for my summer 2021 activities. Determined to continue my education, I focused on three main areas: language proficiency, knowledge, and travel. This included conversations and practice books in Mandarin Chinese and Korean, visits to New York City’s most famous museums and Colorado’s iconic sites, and a reading list self-curated from the local library. My summer reading list includes: “What Color Is Your Parachute 2020,” “The Defining Decade: Why Your 20s Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now,” and “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth.”

For Megan’s full reading list, check out her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megankdennis/.

Megan is a Junior at Allegheny College from Corry, PA. As a double major in Business and International Relations and a minor in Mandarin, Megan aims to combine cultural understanding with innovative business practices to transform the international market. Specific markets of interest include: music, sports, and the environment. She is currently preparing to study abroad in Asia where she will gain experiences and knowledge to help with the research for her Senior Comp at Allegheny as well as her future career.

CBE Experiences with Morgan Douglas ’23

By Beth Ryan August 3rd 2021

This summer, CBE Fellow Morgan Douglas is working as a Model Risk Intern under the Enterprise Risk Management division of First National Bank in Hermitage, PA. We asked Morgan…

How did you find your internship?

Morgan: I found the internship job posting on Handshake. I applied, went through multiple interviews, and then I got the job offer!

What are your duties?

Morgan: As the Model Risk Intern, I participate in ongoing model validations and model reviews, conduct model risk reviews of models currently in production, analyze results produced by models to determine their accuracy and statistical relevance, and write reports summarizing validation and review findings. Working in Model Risk has allowed me to network with other departments, communicating with other department heads about models that they use and potential new models from in-house departments and vendors. Along with applying statistical, economic, and computer science concepts to my work, I have learned about regulations that banks must follow. These skills combined allow me to explore exciting models such as the bank’s AML model.

Would you recommend this internship to other students?

Morgan: Along with model risk work, FNB provides “lunch and learn” sessions for interns to talk one-on-one with leaders of the bank, such as the CEO and CFO, who are eager to help mentor us! FNB’s core values – Integrity & Honor, Excellence & Passion, Teamwork & Collaboration, Innovation & Creativity, Leadership & Recognition – create a welcoming, educational and motivational workplace, perfect for hard-working and eager students.

Morgan is a third-year student at Allegheny College, majoring in Economics and minoring in Mathematics. Along with her studies, Morgan is the Data and Technology Intern for Residence Life (previously working as a Residential Advisor), a Fellow for the Center for Business and Economics, the Vice President of the Wealth Management Club, Women in Business and Economics Club Treasurer, a Delta Omicron Epsilon International Economics Honor Society member, a member of Bridge Club where she helps teach local high school students how to play, and has worked as a teacher’s assistant/peer mentor for the department in the past. Morgan is eager to spread awareness among peers and local high school students of career opportunities in Economics and Mathematics. She plans to pursue a graduate program for data analytics.

CBE Experiences with Noah Tart ’22

By Beth Ryan July 26th 2021

This summer, CBE Fellow and incoming Student Government President, Noah Tart ’22 is working on a research project with Dr. Kathryn Bender and Katie Nichols investigating industry compliance and food waste management. We asked Noah…

What are your duties?

Noah: We have scheduled in-person research collection in Columbus, OH, but have been compiling literature and drafts for an article that hopefully will be published. In addition, we are preparing letters for politicians to raise the issue of food waste on the federal and state levels.

What are your recommendation for students considering summer research?

Noah: I would most definitely recommend summer research for anyone who is interested in professional ethical research practices and or those who are planning to enter graduate school. On top of that, I have been studying for the GRE and preparing for graduate school applications. Furthermore, during the month of July, I am attending a Summer Data Camp where I am learning skills in Stata, R, and Tableau! All in all, it certainly keeps me busy!

Noah is a Senior at Allegheny College from Delta, PA. As an economics major with a minor in global health studies and (pending) mathematics, he plans to attend graduate school to receive a Ph.D. in economics with a focus on development and policy economics. Noah joined the Fellows in 2019 and is interested in research on poverty traps and prosperity cycles. In addition to being a Center for Business and Economics Fellow, Noah is the Allegheny College Student Government President and the Interfraternal Council Treasurer.

CBE Summer Experiences with Kaylin Tang ’22

By Beth Ryan July 19th 2021

CBE Fellow and Allegheny Navigator, Kaylin Tang is doing a finance and business operations internship this summer at the global headquarters at Leidos. Leidos is an American defense, aviation, information technology, and biomedical research company. We asked Kaylin…

How did you find your summer internship?

Kaylin: I heard about the company because it is right by my hometown and has a good global reputation.

What are your duties?

Kaylin: Within the role, I help my managers with financial analysis and forecasting, dealing with revenue, operating income, fees, and other measures of the contracts that the Health group has. I learn to use the systems within my company to create queries and pull data, conduct data analysis, and then send out reports to division managers. I am also involved in an intern group project where I am working to create a more efficient way to forecast depreciation of capital expenditures for the company.

Would you recommend this internship to other students?

I would recommend it to other students. It’s a great learning experience like any other internships and the intern program in finance is extremely organized and engaging at Leidos!

Kaylin is a senior majoring in Business with a focus in finance and minoring in Global Health Studies. This is her second year as a CBE Fellow and she is excited to continue her role and influence in the Business and Economics department. Outside her involvement in the CBE, Kaylin is also on the softball team at Allegheny and is a Navigator on campus.

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.

How can a student discover a career in the NFL? Isaac Gittens ’14 can help

By Beth Ryan October 16th 2020

On October 22, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics welcomed Isaac Gittens ’14, Senior Program Coordinator at the National Football League (NFL) who presented “Building a Career in Sport.” Isaac shared his journey from Allegheny College to the NFL, using Twitter and showing up when unexpected. How can a student discover a career in the NFL? Isaac can help.

According to Isaac, there are 4 must-have skill sets for a successful career in the NFL:

Excellent presentation skills – be prepared to present at a high level.
Organizational skills.
Interpersonal communication skills- the ability to work with all kinds of people.
Time management skills – everything moves very fast in the sports universe.

View Isaac’s presentation here on YouTube

Isaac Gittens joined the National Football League in 2016 in Player Engagement. After serving two years in PE he transitioned to the Y&HS Football department in Football Operations. A New Jersey native, Isaac earned a bachelor’s degree in managerial economics from Allegheny College and master’s in sport management from Baylor University. During his time at Baylor, he served as a graduate assistant at the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

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 Lunchtime Learning Lecture Series provides students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers.

Stretching your Degree and Resisting Prescription: Defining your Path and Taking the Road Less Travelled

By Beth Ryan October 15th 2020

Denise Jones ’13 returned on Wednesday, October 14 to discuss her unique journey from Allegheny to the University of Michigan, where she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Health, Education, and Psychology.

In her conversation, she addressed

Her experiences as one of the only black female Economics students in the Department, and how she cultivated mentorship relationships that assisted her in pursuing work that mattered,
How to utilize one’s Economics Degree as a means to an end, and not the end itself,
The value of an Economics Degree in non-traditional careers,
Why students should “resist” prescriptive career routes and think more openly and creatively about connecting one’s academic training with their passions and purposes,
The importance of doing the “unglorified” work.

Click here to view Denise’s presentation on YouTube.

Denise Jones is an educator, scholar, student advocate, and non-profit leader with over six years of practical and professional experience. Upon graduating from Allegheny College with a degree in Economics and Black Studies, Denise set out to transform the lives of students as a classroom educator in San Antonio, Texas. There, she facilitated the learning of over 180 6th – 8th graders in the subject areas of English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and AVID.

During her time, Denise taught dedicated scholars who, despite their difficult circumstances, invested in learning and growing academically and personally. While she received great joy from her students’ growth and development, Denise recognized that she and her students’ commitment to learning were not enough to break the cycles of poverty and oppression that impeded their successes. Her frustration with the school system’s approaches to addressing inequities and disparities led Denise to pursue a master’s degree in Education Policy from Columbia University’s Teachers College (TC).

As a TC student, Denise amalgamated her practical classroom experiences with theoretical training and utilized her students’ unique stories and experiences to cogitate sustainable solutions to our educational system’s most critical problems. Denise also taught adult student learners and supported their journeys toward obtaining their general education diplomas. Beyond this, Denise worked with distinguished faculty from Columbia and NYU on research projects involving school choice, teacher evaluation, and student health.

These diverse experiences informed Denise’s graduate studies and further catalyzed her interest in
exploring out-of-school and summer-time learning, peer mentoring, and educational inequity.
Denise returned to Youth Enrichment Services (YES), where she currently serves as the Assistant
Executive Director, once she completed her master’s degree. What started out as a three-month summer
appointment turned into four years of youth engagement, student advocacy, program implementation,
strategic planning, non-profit leadership, and community-based research.

Denise’s time at YES has been extremely fulfilling as she has collaborated with partners and stakeholders to move the grassroots non-profit forward, remained actively involved in research and scholarship that has led to national and international conferences and publications – with the most recent in the After school Matters Journal – developed meaningful youth enrichment opportunities that impacted the health of local communities, increased the programming scope and budget, co-facilitated sessions empowering African scholars and female entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, committed to the professional growth and development of her colleagues, and supported the collegiate journeys of over 30 youth.

Looking Towards the Future

While her work at YES has been extremely rewarding, Denise is ready to connect her grassroots efforts to
the academy to support youth far beyond YES. With the help of scholars at Michigan, Denise hopes to
continue testing YES’ mentorship model and building the case for how community-based practitioners can
help underserved students in out-of-school learning spaces. Denise is eager to explore how to embolden
students from inner-city, low-income communities to shift their mindsets about themselves and to look
inward in a way that connects them to their life purposes and elicits their sense of civic responsibility to their communities.

Denise is especially interested in investigating the factors that youth identify as important to navigating the craziness of their communities and to persisting through their often disturbance-ridden secondary institutions. Denise is also interested in examining the relationship between mentorship and motivation and how this effects youths’ college access and persistence. Ultimately, Denise’s work is youth-
centric and multidisciplinary in nature as it combines a host of disciplines and academic thoughts.

Denise foresees her future as a researcher pursuing solutions and strategies to ameliorate the challenges
that persist in urban communities and schools. Upon obtaining her PhD, she fully anticipates leading – and using – research to better serve youth. Her role will be that of changing lives, building wealth, and
empowering the community, as she believes the community is the unit of change – it builds the knowledge
and then informs the academy.

Denise is excited to join a unique cohort of scholars whose alliance is critical in advancing education policy issues.

This presentation is sponsored by the Womxn in Economics Club at Allegheny College. Please email womxninecon@allegheny.edu for more information.

Marketing Monday – John Paul Marcantonio ’01

By Beth Ryan October 14th 2020

On October 5, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics welcomed John Paul Marcantonio ’01, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Gale Pacific Ltd. John Paul will share his Allegheny journey and how his company has adapted during the ongoing pandemic.

GALE Pacific Limited (GALE) is a trusted leading global marketer and manufacturer of branded screening and shading products for domestic, commercial and industrial applications. The company has recently introduced GALE Guard reusable face masks to meet the public’s needs for face masks with antimicrobial treated fabric.

Click here for John Paul’s Presentation on YouTube

John Paul joined GALE Pacific in October 2017 as the General Manager of the Americas business. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer in November 2019 and was appointed as Managing Director in August 2020. John Paul has extensive experience working across both consumer and commercial products sectors globally. Prior to joining GALE Pacific, John Paul built an impressive career at Newell Brands in roles of increasing responsibility in marketing, sales and management over fifteen years.

John Paul lived and worked in Melbourne, Australia for several years as the Regional Marketing Director of Newell Brands’ APAC hardware businesses and has held multiple global product and brand marketing leadership positions over his tenure. In his last role before joining GALE, John Paul served as the Global Vice President of Marketing for the Rubbermaid brand.

Allegheny Fellows Interview Anne Gearan ’85, White House Correspondent for The Washington Post

By Beth Ryan October 1st 2020

On Wednesday, October 7, Allegheny College will welcome Anne Gearan ’85, White House correspondent for The Washington Post to answer questions from both the Center for Political Participation and Center for Business & Economics Fellows concerning this year’s presidential election campaign. The Allegheny community is invited to listen in as Anne fields student questions and illuminates presidential campaign media coverage.

Allegheny Community members can supply their questions in advance of this event due to the tight time constraints, and the Fellows will ask the questions on your behalf.

To register for what promises to be a lively discussion, please email bryan@allegheny.edu.

Anne Gearan is a White House correspondent for The Washington Post, with a focus on foreign policy and national security. She covered the Hillary Clinton campaign and the State Department for The Post before joining the White House beat. She joined the paper in 2012 from the Associated Press, where she served as chief diplomatic correspondent, Pentagon correspondent, White House reporter and national security editor. She also covered the Supreme Court. Anne is a 1985 Allegheny College graduate with a BA in English and History.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics is partnering with the Allegheny Law & Policy Program to sponsor this special event.

Creating Good Policy at the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank

By Beth Ryan September 30th 2020

October 6, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics will host Julianne Dunn, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. “Good policy can’t be created in a vacuum, “says Julianne Dunn. She emphasizes including the real drivers of the economy—businesses and workers—to ground and inform economic policy.

To register, email bryan@allegheny.edu

As an economic analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, she combines insight from business and community leaders with economic data to assess regional conditions and to craft the policy message for briefing President Loretta Mester ahead of each FOMC meeting. She also contributes to Bank publications including the Beige Book, District Data Briefs, and Metro Mix.

While pursuing master’s degrees in International Relations and Economics at Syracuse University, Julianne researched how multinational companies contribute to economic growth in developing countries. During an internship with the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service in Bangkok, Thailand, she advocated for more resources to strengthen the United States-Cambodia trade and investment relationship. Before joining the Fed, Julianne worked on economic forecasts as an economist at MarketResearch.com. A lifelong Big Ten football fan, she received a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Ohio State University.