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Dividend The official online magazine of the Carson College of Business

August 2023 – New Hires

Scott Jackson is a communications coordinator with the college’s Marketing and Communications team. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, he moved to Idaho as a teenager and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Idaho. He has spent the last decade working in radio, web, and newspaper journalism as an anchor, editor, and writer, including six years with the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and the Lewiston Tribune. In addition to writing and editing, he has experience in web and social media management, email newsletter strategy, audio production, and podcasting. Off the clock, he enjoys reading, crocheting, baking, gardening, and rock climbing.
Mick LeClaire is an administrative assistant in the Dean’s Office. He graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2021, after completing his studies at the College of Western Idaho in 2018. He has worked as an administrative assistant for UIdaho’s Department of Psychology and Communication, a fellow for Carolyn Long’s Congressional campaign, a bartender, a waiter, a call center manager, a retail worker, and more. His enjoys movies, reading, and cultivating his indoor plant collection.
Joshua Maestas is a support technician 1 in the Office of Technology. He has worked in the IT field for the past three years. Previously, he worked for a Colorado school district’s IT department before moving to Pullman. He holds an associate degree in animal science from the Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver, Colorado, and was a certified veterinary technician for 10 years before changing careers. He enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, trying new food, and learning about technology.
Savannah Maltos (’23 Mktg., Entrep.) is the program coordinator for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Carson Business Solutions Programs. She assists with overall management, operations, event planning, and leadership for the programs she oversees. As an undergraduate, she participated in the Business Plan Competition and the Northwest Entrepreneurship Competition with team “KESO,” placing third in the traditional business category and won the People’s Choice awards.
Mat Morgan is the new director of the Marriot Hospitality and Culinary Innovation Center and the executive chef for the School of Hospitality Business Management. His expertise includes a focus on fine dining wine dinners and large events. He also has professional management experience in health care, university dining, and resorts with high-end restaurants. Coming from a background of ranching and family farms, sustainable and local farm-to-table dining drives his creative work as much as possible, along with a bit of international gastronomic flair.
Austin Nasralla (’23 Comp. Sci.) is a support technician 1 in the Office of Technology. Prior to working at WSU, he was a tech intern for the Pullman School District. Before transitioning into a full-time position at the college, he worked as a student technician while studying for his bachelor’s degree. He was born and raised in Pullman. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends, family, and playing video games.
Stephanie Sobol is an administrative assistant in the Department of Hospitality Business Management. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, she had planned on moving overseas and teaching English as a second language. She completed her program right after Sept. 11, 2011, and her plans changed. She fell into bookkeeping and office management and worked in that capacity for 20 years. She and her husband moved to Pullman to be near family and for a different pace of life. They enjoy camping, fishing, and most things outdoors.

A Message from the Dean – March 2023

Dear friends,

Watching our students walk across Beasley Coliseum’s stage during graduation is a highlight of the academic year for me.

For some students, earning that diploma was a real struggle, while others never doubted they would graduate. Whatever their circumstances, witnessing students’ joy and sense of accomplishment reminds us of how the Carson College of Business influences lives through education.

As I write this message, we are just seven weeks away from WSU’s spring commencement. This year, I’m proud that we’ll be graduating the first class of The Next Carson Cougs.

Seven years ago, I asked our faculty what it would take for the Carson College to become the No. 1 choice for undergraduate students seeking a business degree from a Pacific Northwest university. Faculty members responded enthusiastically to the challenge, taking ownership of the question and pushing for changes in our undergraduate business education. The result was The Next Carson Coug program.

Revising our curriculum was not a top-down process. A taskforce of faculty and staff led the work, and we repeatedly reached out to alumni and industry partners for feedback on how we could increase students’ professionalism and career readiness while continuing our strong academic reputation.

Besides the valuable input, many of you also have contributed to the Carson College Fund, which supports undergraduate education. Among other things, the fund has helped us reduce class sizes, resulting in higher student expectations and class participation.

In this issue of eDividend, you’ll hear from graduating seniors Dan Mauk and Brian Patrick about how the Carson College prepared them for careers. You’ll also meet Paulina Gastelum, who talks about her family’s migrant roots in agriculture and how her executive MBA studies prepared her for a chief executive role in the agribusiness industry. In addition, we’ll take you into a classroom for a look at faculty-written business case studies.

We recently took the pulse of the region’s business community with the 2023 Business in the Northwest report. Last year, the business community combatted inflation, supply chain, and labor issues, while employees prioritized a desire for higher salaries and better work-life balance. Despite these challenges, our report found both business leaders and employees are cautiously optimistic as they look toward the next three years, though less so compared to pre-COVID levels.

Whether you’re in Pullman on May 6 for the spring commencement, or elsewhere, I hope you’ll take a moment to remember your own graduation day and celebrate the value of an education from WSU and the Carson College of Business.

Go Cougs!

Chip Hunter, Dean

Business in the Northwest Report – 2023

Last year, the business community combatted inflation, supply chain, and labor issues, while employees prioritized higher salaries and better work-life balance. Despite these challenges, our 2023 Business in the Northwest Report found that business leaders and employees are cautiously optimistic about the next three years, though less so compared to pre-COVID levels.

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