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Dividend The official online magazine of the Carson College of Business

PhD Corner – Director’s Message – August 2022

Dear friends,

Academic conferences represent the single best way to disseminate current research and personally connect with colleagues from around the world. At this stage in my career, the best part about conferences is the opportunity to meet up with Cougar PhD graduates who have established their own careers at universities far and wide.

This fall, we are excited to roll out a new fellowship program for our PhD students who present their research at conferences, tapping into some of the generous donations to our scholarship funds. Sometimes, scholarships are used to attract top candidates to the program and help with their expenses once they’re here. We’re expanding the use of scholarship money to encourage and reward PhD candidates for their research by offering stipends when they present their work at academic conferences. Students will be able to receive up to three stipends for presenting different papers during three academic years.

Conferences are typically organized by our professional societies, such as the Academy of Management and the Financial Management Association. Several hundred up to 10,000 attendees gather. Most are academics, but some conferences also appeal to industry professionals. The typical conference lasts for three to five days. Each day is packed with plenary sessions, workshops, company tours, and parallel sessions that focus on a specific research subject.

Typically, research paper presentations last about 20 minutes, which is long enough to share the work’s main points and include some detail. Sometimes the room is full, while other times the presenters end up just presenting to each other.

Often, the most valuable parts of these sessions are the 15-minute breaks. Interested scholars frequently strike up conversations with presenters or other audience members and begin connections that can lead to official collaborations down the road. I find these between-session discussions more productive for networking than showing up at a huge reception and randomly striking up conversations.

Presenting their research is great experience for PhD candidates, and students often receive valuable feedback from audience members. Every now and then, presenting leads directly to a job opportunity from the school of an impressed audience member.

We expect students to take advantage of this fellowship opportunity and increase the volume of Carson College research presented at conferences. Over time, this will result in an increase in journal paper submissions from our students, more journal publications, and even better job placement opportunities for them.

Especially during this inflationary period, we don’t want travel costs to hinder students’ participation at conferences. Thank you to our wonderful donors for making these opportunities possible!

Chuck Munson,
PhD Program Director

August 2022 – New Hires

Michelle Atwell is the administrative assistant in the Department of Finance and Management Science. She previously worked at WSU in Counseling and Psychological Services and the Department of Military Science. She also spent three years working as a Navy recruiter in the area. Atwell has been in the Navy for 19 years, where she is currently a reservist. Her husband also works at WSU, and the couple has two children.
Tishara Day (’21 Psych.) is a scholarship program coordinator at the Carson Center for Student Success. She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Day has a one-year-old German shorthaired pointer, and she enjoys traveling, art, live music, and photography in her free time.
Zahra Debbek (’21 Digi. Tech. & Cult.) is a graphic designer in the college’s Office of Technology. She previously worked as the graphic designer at WSU’s School of Music, an administrative assistant for the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at WSU, and the clerical assistant for the WSU Creamery. Debbek has a passion for the arts. In her free time, she enjoys painting, photography, and spending time with her loved ones.
Kayce Edwards is an administrative assistant in graduate and online programs. She previously worked for the Moscow School District, where she was the secretary for the Moscow High School counseling program and secretary for the district’s student nutrition program. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, relaxing around the house, and enjoying good food.
Jamie Garlinghouse is the employer development manager for the Carson Center for Student Success. She previously worked at the University of Idaho in employer relations with Career Services. Prior to that, she worked in the U of I Registrar’s Office, handling commencement event logistics and processing graduation applications. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, live theatre, and traveling.
Paris Kemmer (’22 Mktg., Mgmt.) is the student engagement marketing coordinator in the Carson Center for Student Success. As an undergraduate, she was a Carson College student ambassador for three years, a peer mentor for first-generation students, and an advising intern. She also has worked as an executive intern for Target, a digital marketer/search engine optimization analyzer, and athletics marketing intern, and she was a WSU Boeing scholar.
Shir Levy (’22 Psych., Advert.) is the employer connection coordinator at the Carson Center for Student Success. She was a forward on the WSU women’s basketball team and was named to the 2022 Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll. She is conducting research on team dynamics in sports.
Cesar Munguia (’15 Socio.) is a career consultant at the Carson Center for Student Success. He is the oldest of three siblings and the first in his family to graduate from college. Munguia previously worked for GEAR-UP in Benton City, which helps low-income high school students prepare for post-secondary education; Cougs Rise in Pullman; and he also had a short career as a flooring installer. He enjoys hiking, snowboarding, playing soccer, and spending time with family.
Lori Peterson is the faculty affairs coordinator in the Dean’s Office. She has worked for WSU for 28 years, with most of her time spent as the principal assistant for the Department of Chemistry. Prior to working at WSU, she worked in the legal field. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, boating, Mariners baseball (when they are winning), and spending time with her family and two rescue dogs.
Brandon Schafer (’17 Poli. Sci.) is an IT support technician in the Office of Technology. He has worked in several other fields such as project management and manufacturing. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his Newfoundland puppy as well as writing and producing music for his rock band, Space Club.
Leah Wacker is an academic advisor in the Carson Center for Student Success. She previously worked as an advisor in student services at the University of Washington and WSU. As a first-generation college graduate, she is excited to help students navigate their way to academic success. In her free time, she likes to hike, follow professional tennis, and travel with her family.