Archive: Beth Ryan | Business and Economics

Beth Ryan

CBE Summer Experiences with Morgan Libell ’23

By Beth Ryan July 20th 2022

Morgan Libell at her internship at Giant Eagle Corporate in Pittsburgh, PA — Morgan Libell in front of her office at Giant Eagle Corporate

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

By Beth Ryan May 2nd 2022

2022 Zingale Big Idea Competition Winner's Circle - – from the left: Event Sponsor Lance Zingale, Arigun Bayaraa, Tergel Buyanbat, Binderiya Batsaikhan, Mariah Nablo, Dakchyata Thapa, Entrepreneur in Residence, Chris Allison — 2022 Zingale Big Idea Competition Winner’s Circle – – from the left: Event Sponsor Lance Zingale, Arigun Bayaraa, Tergel Buyanbat, Binderiya Batsaikhan, Mariah Nablo, Dakchyata Thapa, Entrepreneur in Residence, Chris Allison

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

By Beth Ryan April 26th 2022

Sigma Xi participants, first row from left: Arigun Bayaraa, Professor Gaia Rancati, Khalid Mohamed; second row: Raymond Englert, Nabid Agag, Thi Thao Nguyen

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

The CBE Fellows Inspire Students to Ace Their Next Interview

By Beth Ryan April 21st 2022

The CBE Fellows Inspire Students to Master the Art of the Ace Interview — CBE Fellows from left: Morgan Douglas ’23, Noah Tart ’22, Megan Dennis ’23, Maya Ginter-Frankovitch ’22, Kaylin Tang ’22, Arigun Bayaraa ’22

The CBE Fellows created their second event of the academic year in March, organizing an informational and interactive workshop to enable students to learn how to prepare for, and ace their next interview for a job or internship. According to the Fellows, “interviews can be intimidating. If you aren’t sure about the kinds of questions people will ask or how to prepare, we can help!”

Quigley auditorium was filled with students on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to listen to the Fellow’s informative and sometimes humorous presentation of the dos and don’ts of interviewing.

The Fellows created an engaging interviewing experience for fellow students, beginning with an informative slide presentation presented by Maya Ginter-Frankovitch ‘22 and Kaylin Tang ‘22. Arigun Bayaraa ‘22 demonstrated how to find opportunities and resources on the Allegheny Handshake website, with a special invitation for students to take advantage of the Career Education’s interviewing rooms in Pelletier Library.

To illustrate the points in their presentation, the Fellows did a humorous demonstration with Noah Tart ‘22 as the “good” interview, and Morgan Douglas ‘23 as the “bad” interview. Megan Dennis ‘23 was the interviewer, doing a great job as “the boss.”

CBE Fellow Kaylin Tang commented, “We split the 40 students into pairs in all the Quigley rooms and had them practice answering questions. I heard a lot of good answers. We then brought them all back for a Q&A at the end, and passed out interviewing survival kits as prizes!”

Director of Career Education, Jim Fitch commented, “Congratulations on a well-developed and presented Interviewing Workshop on Sunday! It has been such a pleasure to read about how you engaged students and demonstrated real-time examples of how to ‘Ace’ an interview. Thank you for the investment of time, energy, planning, and resources that you made and for the valuable gift that you presented to the community.”

The CBE Fellows Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics would like to thank Jim Fitch and the Career Education team for their guidance and support for the Fellows as they conducted the research for this important event. The CBE Fellows are a select group of motivated students that function as a leadership team to support CBE programming and act as student ambassadors. Activities are structured to enable students to include this position on their respective resumes as a valuable work experience. To qualify for this position, students must have a keen interest in both business and economics, maintain a good academic standing, and regularly attend all CBE activities.

Celebrating Scholarship in Economics

By Beth Ryan April 18th 2022

2022 Omicron Delta Epsilon lunch celebration

This spring, the Business and Economics Department welcomed the newest members of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Honor Society for Economics. Thirty-five students joined the Alpha Psi Chapter in 2022 at a luncheon ceremony in the Tippie Alumni Center. Maya Ginter-Frankovitch ’22 welcomed the group to the gathering and Noah Tart ’22 kicked off the meeting sharing the wisdom and humor involved with the study of economics.

Students are invited to join the society each Spring if they meet the academic criteria set by the international organization. The minimum requirements for admission are completion of 12 credit hours of economics courses, attainment of a GPA of 3.0 or better in economics courses, and an overall GPA of at least 3.0.Certificates were then presented to these new members:

Hadi Al Khafaji	Maxwell Hammond	Hanah Simmons
Meredythe Baird	Gretchen Kiefer	Katherine Stancil
Jacob Boord	Logan Koontz	Shawn Stelling
Katherine Burgess	Morgan Libell	Rachel Stephany
Gary Chen	Sarah Lipniskis	Jacob Stotsky
Caitlin Comunale	Jacob McGee	Richard Swanson
Jacob Dukman	Payton Mineweaser	Vicki Ta
Karen Duverglas	Nicholas Murawski	Kaylin Tang
Raymond Englert	Sarah Pillittieri	Andreas Vukas
Lydia Giannini	Anna Poach	Alexander Winklosky
Matthew Good	Simone Robinson-Stevens	Joel Zahradka
Jordan Greynolds	Mark Schmechel

Professor Nonnenmacher offered closing remarks reminding students that the study of economics will benefit them throughout their lives whether watching the news or in the ordinary problems of everyday life. Special thanks go to faculty advisor, Assistant Professor Michael Michaelides and Sarah Holt, Quigley Coordinator.

Omicron Delta Epsilon 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 ODE Graduate Research and Undergraduate Research Award competitions.

News from Allegheny’s Department of Business and Economics: Winter 2022

By Beth Ryan February 17th 2022

Please enjoy our Winter 2022 newsletter providing a summary of a wonderful set of in-person and virtual visitors to our department and campus during the fall semester, an introduction to our fantastic Fellows, and an overview of some student and faculty achievements.

As always, I welcome your feedback and insights into our programming and hope to connect with you soon. You can contact me at tnonnenm@allegheny.edu.

Tomas Nonnenmacher
Department Chair, Business & Economics

Prefer a .pdf version? Download here

Mapping Out a Business & Economics Experience and Becoming a Great Business Leader

By Beth Ryan December 2nd 2021

Patrick Colletti, leadership and corporate culture expert, champion for “refounders” and author of the book “Refounder: How Transformational Leaders Take What’s Broken and Make It Better” presented his vision for student success during the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics Lecture Series on December 2. During his visit he shared stories from his two decades as President of Net Health and of the remarkable leaders who took struggling enterprises and made them better. He gave students tips on how they too can become a “refounder,” and provide the leadership to make any organization better – better for employees, better for customers and better for the community.

Patrick Colletti is a leadership and organizational culture expert, business growth advisor, champion for “refounders” and author of the book “Refounder.” He draws on his experience as a technology executive, scaling new and existing ventures, and a passion for creating amazing cultures. His growth-oriented guidance challenges social and cultural norms, both in the workplace and in the community. Patrick is passionate about creating and empowering the next Refounders — generational leaders and entrepreneurs who revitalize the places where they live, work and play.

During the second half of our session, CBE Co-Director Chris Allison gave an overview of The Roadmap, a planning tool for mapping out a business and economics experience that will help lead you to that dream job or acceptance into your ideal graduate school. “The Roadmap enables you to squeeze every ounce out of your educational investment,” according to Allison.

The Roadmap is a discussion guide for students with interests in the broad fields of business and economics. The real world changes constantly, and new opportunities open up every day. We created this guide to help students to start the conversation about their future with their family, Allegheny faculty, staff and alumni along with all of the people they will encounter throughout their college journey. Download the latest version at allegheny.edu/roadmapforbusiness, or stop by Beth Ryan’s office, Quigley #224, for your copy.

The Lunchtime Learning Speaker Series provides students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers in business and economics. Speakers often choose one of two broad areas to discuss with students. The first is career oriented, the second is issue oriented. Both topics enable students to navigate and explore job options, understand the steps necessary to pursue opportunities and learn how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.

Executive Female Talent and Managerial Inclusivity

By Beth Ryan October 27th 2021

An Interview with Paola Corna Pellegrini, CEO of Allianz Global Assistance in Milan, Italy and Allegheny President Hillary Link, moderated by Professor of Marketing Gaia Rancati

This discussion held on September 21, focused on inclusivity inside companies through an important reflection on the topic of female talent. Allegheny President Hillary Link joined CEO Paola Corna Pellegrini for a discussion on the ability of both public and private companies to recognize merit as the keystone for women in executive roles. Ms. Pellegrini and President Link explored the roles of the women who over the years have demonstrated the quality of their skills through excellent performance in executive and managerial committees.

Paola Corna Pellegrini, CEO of Allianz Global Assistance

Paola Corna Pellegrini is the President of AICEO, the Italian Association of CEOs, a non-profit association
of people, founded in July 2011 with the aim of promoting the exchange of experiences between
members to generate ideas, innovation and visions on the future, to identify successful experiences and
propose concrete solutions to the problems of companies and more generally of the country.
Always committed to the enhancement of women since 2018, she has been President of the Scientific
Committee of the Winning Women Institute, a non-profit association active in the gender equality
sector that launched the first gender equality certification in Italy, and since 2019 she has been Vice
President of the Forum of Meritocracy with which she launched the Valeria Solesin Prize that she
recounts as the genesis and the ideas in her book, “FORZA RAGAZZE, AL LAVORO! – The word to young
people for a fair, inclusive and meritocratic world. ”

In Allianz Partners since 2011 as CEO, Paola Corna Pellegrini boasts a career that began 38 years ago,
after a degree in Mathematics from the University of Padua and an MBA from the CUOA Business
School, passing from international multinational companies to family ones, which led her to hold top
positions with responsibilities both locally and internationally.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics (CBE) prepares Allegheny College students to succeed in a diverse, global economy. The Lunchtime Learning Lecture Series provides students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers.

“Growing Diversity in the Financial Services Sector” with Robert Marchman, Esq.

By Beth Ryan October 13th 2021

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics is pleased to present Allegheny Trustee Robert A. Marchman ’80 Esq., Senior Policy Advisor on Diversity and Inclusion at the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission at our Lunchtime Learning Lecture series on October 14 at 12:30 pm on Zoom. Mr. Marchman presented “Growing Diversity in the Financial Services Sector” to illuminate the state of Diversity and Inclusion in America’s financial center.

Robert A Marchman, Esq.

In January 2020, Mr. Marchman was appointed to the new position of Senior Policy Advisor on Diversity and Inclusion at the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission. His responsibilities include advising Commission senior management on the development and implementation of strategies to promote diversity and inclusions both within the SEC and through external engagement with agency partners and market participants. In addition, Mr. Marchman assists the agency’s on-going efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in underserved portions of the investor community. In June 2010, Mr. Marchman joined Finra as Executive Vice President and Head of the Market Regulation Department’s Legal Group. He also assisted with the implementation of the organization’s diversity initiative and served as a member of Finra’s Executive Diversity Leadership Council.

Prior to joining Finra, Mr. Marchman, the first African-American Executive Vice President in the NYSE’s history, headed the New York Stock Exchange Regulation’s Enforcement Division and Regulatory Risk Group as well as its Market Surveillance Division. Mr. Marchman also served as Chairman of NYSE Diversity Council from its inception in 1999 until his departure from the NYSE. Mr. Marchman is a magna cum laude graduate of Allegheny College, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In addition, Mr. Marchman attended Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development. Mr. Marchman is engaged with numerous civic and professional organizations such as the Community Coalition on Race, the NYC Bar Association, Operation HOPE and NSHSS and has been recognized for his professional accomplishments and diversity, equity and inclusion work in the financial services industry.

Afua Osei ʹ08, 2021 Executive in Residence

By Beth Ryan October 7th 2021

Lunchtime Learning event with Afua Osei, from left: Arigun Bayaraa, Noah Tart, President Hillary Link, Kaylin Tang, Afua Megan Dennis, Morgan Douglas, Maya Ginter-Frankovitch and CBE Co-Director Professor Tim Bianco

Afua Osei is a social impact leader with more than 10 years of global experience in creating purposeful partnerships to advance women’s economic participation. As a Co-Founder of She Leads Africa, Afua built a digital lifestyle platform for multicultural women reaching more than 800,000 women across 100+ countries. Afua built the sales team and relationships to execute innovative brand partnerships with brands such as Facebook, Google, Unilever, Visa, Nestle and L’Oreal. Featured in the Financial Times, BBC, CNN and CNBC, Afua has had the privilege of sharing her expertise at high profile global leadership, entrepreneurship and digital conferences across North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Executive in Residence, Afua Osei ’08

As this year’s Executive and incoming Allegheny College Trustee, Ms. Osei visited classrooms and met with students in the Business & Economics and Political Science departments in Quigley Hall as well as the Allegheny IDEAS Center.

Tuesday, October 12, 12:40 to 1:30 pm
“Afua Osei ʹ08 – A Remarkable Allegheny Journey”
Quigley’s Henderson Auditorium, Q101

Wednesday, October 13, 12:40 to 1:30 PM
“Should Government be in the Business of Entrepreneurship?
Quigley’s Henderson Auditorium, Q101

The Executive in Residence program is a co-curricular activity sponsored by the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics. The event is designed to connect Allegheny students and faculty with prominent business executives who spend several days on the Allegheny campus speaking about their life experiences in business, paths to success and lessons learned.