Dear friends,
With the holiday season approaching, it feels appropriate that this issue of eDividend is focused on a variety of ways students and alums use their business training to give back to their communities.
One of the most remarkable attributes of the Carson College is its globally engaged community of business professionals that creates value for others by paying forward talent, insights, expertise, networks, and opportunities.
In fact, creating value for others is a tenet of the college. The practice of paying it forward is part of the Carson Career Amplifier program’s cocurricular activities and creates a philanthropic mindset in our students.
In this issue, you’ll see the different ways in which the Cougar spirit is manifested through the innovative work of students, alums, and faculty.
The power of community is evident throughout the features in this issue. Our faculty feature showcases how Assistant Professor Bitty Balducci shared her teaching talents with Romanian students who had never role-played a simple business transaction. In addition to bringing Coug-style engagement to students, the time Balducci spent with peers at universities and corporations in the country laid the groundwork for international collaboration for years to come.
Our features on alums Taras Ogiychuk (’93 MBA) and Tina Zingmark (’22 EMBA) are examples of our graduates using their talents and professional skills to benefit the communities in which they live and work.
With his country gripped by war, Ogiychuk has allowed many of his ongoing ventures to become dormant, allowing him to turn his business skills toward humanitarian aid and reconstruction in his native Kharkiv.
As a business college, we are particularly proud of the value a graduate degree can bring to ambitious students and alums who wish to push their careers to the next level. Thanks to our executive MBA program, Zingmark was able to launch her new finance career with Adobe and found an opportunity to give back to the college by joining its National Board of Advisors.
Meanwhile, WSU kicker Dean Janikowski is already using skills gleaned in the Carson College’s online MBA program to increase donations to the charitable organization founded in his mother’s name, the Heather Janikowski Foundation, while successfully leveraging his status as a student athlete and social media influencer.
Other features demonstrate the dedication of the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division, who introduced students to unique career opportunities in forensic accounting, and Carson alums, faculty, and staff, who mentored students at our first Women in Business networking event. In a recap of our signature events, you’ll also see the support of industry professionals who volunteer their expertise and insights on critical business trends our graduates will soon be facing.
There are many ways to give back to your community if you are motivated by the value of your degree and want to support Carson College programs. I invite you to consider how you might contribute to students’ personal and professional success in the coming season.
Go Cougs!
Debbie Compeau, Interim Dean