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Dividend The official online magazine of the Carson College of Business

Scholarships Help First-Gen Student Stay in School

Without family resources to help pay for college, accounting student Samantha Kelley was shouldering the bills for tuition and living expenses herself. Thanks to generous scholarships, her senior year tuition is paid for. She received $5,000 each from the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Jacob W. Oswald Scholarship. Other awards came from Deloitte, the Cougs Helping Cougs Scholarship, and a WSU scholarship for first-generation students. » More ...

PACCAR Mentoring Program Gives Insights Into Professional Work

Thanks to Carson College alumnus Brad Johnson, PACCAR Inc. will help students learn what it’s like to work for a Fortune 500 company through a mentoring program at the Carson College of Business. The program launches this fall, pairing sophomores and juniors with PACCAR employees. PACCAR mentors will help “simulate the business world” for students, says Johnson, national sales manager for PACCAR Parts. “We’ll try to answer questions from the mundane ‘What can I wear to work?’ to the super technical ‘What software should I use for this project?’” » More ...

Annual Events, Speakers Offer Insights to Pacific Northwest Business & Policy Communities

As an integral part of Washington’s research-oriented land-grant institution, the Carson College of Business creates value for business and academic communities by hosting the annual Burtenshaw Distinguished Lecture and Power Breakfast events, along with industry speakers throughout the year. In 2019, a mix of globally competitive business leaders and entrepreneurs shared their professional insights through panels and lectures on the Pullman campus and in Spokane. » More ...

August 2019 – New Hires

Mia Gleason is the new communications manager for the Office of Graduate and Online Programs. As a first-generation college graduate, she earned both her bachelor’s in public relations with a triple-specialization in sports business, advertising, and nonprofit administration, and her master’s in athletic administration from Central Washington University. Prior to joining the Carson College’s marketing communications team, Gleason was the social media specialist at the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
Lisa Hill is a new academic advisor in the Carson Center for Student Success. She earned both her bachelor’s and a master’s in adult, organizational learning, and leadership from the University of Idaho. Before joining WSU, she advised students at the University of Idaho for seven years, and prior to that, she served students in a variety of roles at North Idaho College.
Becky Kramer is a communication manager in the Office of Marketing, Communications, and Events. She is a Northwest native, who previously spent more than 25 years working for newspapers in Washington and Idaho. She was most recently a reporter for the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, where she wrote about business, energy, and the environment. She enjoys hiking, swimming, entertaining, family time, and reading mysteries.
Kate Merrick (’19 Strat. Comm.) is a new program specialist at WSU Vancouver. She will work on marketing for the Business Growth Mentor & Analysis Program (MAP) and the Carson College at the Vancouver campus. She is a third-generation Coug and recently graduated from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. While in Pullman, she worked at the WSU College of Education as a marketing and communications coordinator. Merrick is excited to continue working in the Coug family and to support upcoming students in their education.
Melissa Painter is the new administrative assistant in the Dean’s Office. She graduated from Lewis-Clark State College with a bachelor’s in business management. She is a first-generation college graduate. After graduation, she managed a Sherwin Williams paint store in the D.C. metro area before coming back to the Pacific Northwest. Most recently, she was the administrative assistant at WSU’s Cougar Health Services. She enjoys learning and experiencing new things, travel, and spending time with friends and family.
Kristen White is a new academic and student success advisor in the Carson Center for Student Success. She earned both her bachelor’s in psychology and her master’s in student affairs and higher education from the State University of New York Plattsburgh. While finishing graduate school, she worked as an academic advisor for undecided students and as an academic personal trainer for students on academic probation.
Tian Xu is a new post doctoral research associate in the Hoops Institute of Taxation Research & Policy. She attended Randolph-Macon College, where she double majored in mathematics and accounting and minored in economics. She received her master’s in actuarial science from Columbia University. Her research interests include financial reporting, accounting for income taxes, and taxes and corporate behavior.

August 2019 – Research & Popular Press

“Becoming a Must-See Destination: Building Customer Loyalty“

Christina Chi, associate professor of hospitality business management, shares tips on how the travel industry can build customer loyalty in an article published on May 18, 2019, in Money Inc. In her research, Chi identifies four key components that contribute to customer loyalty: experience, image, value, and motivation.

“WSU Survey: Marijuana the ‘Next Big Thing’ for Pacific Northwest“

Chip Hunter, Carson College dean, discusses what employers and employees think “the next big” thing the Pacific Northwest will be known for, in Anthony Kuipers’s article published in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. The second annual Business in the Northwest report looks at the business and employment climate in the Pacific Northwest, with results that relate to employment issues across regions and industries. Hunter also shares insights from this report into how companies can build a strong talent pipeline to create a brand that can last for decades in “Low Unemployment, Increased Competition: How Companies can Build their Talent Pipeline,” published on June 11, 2019, in Money Inc.

“Identifying and Developing the Three Types of Entrepreneurial Imaginativeness“

Alex Kier, assistant professor of entrepreneurship, explains three types of entrepreneurial imaginativeness, the role each type plays for successful entreprenuers, and strategies for developing and strengthening those skills in an April 6, 2019, article for Money Inc.

“Before You Offer That Generous Trade-In Incentive, Read This“

Chadwick Miller, assistant professor of marketing and international business, and coauthors discuss their research study analyzing the impact of trade-in incentives on consumer upgrade behavior in the February 22, 2019, issue of American Marketing Association. Concerning car purchases, for example, does the owner of a Toyota Corolla upgrade incrementally to a Camry—or dramatically to a premium vehicle such as a Lexus—and what motivates upgrade decisions? Their findings help manufacturers understand the impact of their trade-in incentive strategies and targeting strategies to better accomplish critical business goals.

“Leveraging Hometown Appeal to Overcome Big Box Retailers“

How can small businesses market themselves to be competitive even against big box retailers?

Ron Pimentel, clinical professor of marketing at WSU Vancouver, shares three ways small businesses can stay competitive and create value for consumers in an article published in the May 3, 2019, issue of the Vancouver Business Journal.

“Planned Paine Field Hotels to Offer Park-and-fly Perks“

Jenni Sandstrom, clinical assistant professor of hospitality business management at WSU Vancouver, speaks to the developing hotel market in Everett due to the newly implemented services of Alaska and United Airlines at Paine Field’s new passenger terminal. The article, written by Janice Podsada on Wednesday, June 3, 2019, is published in the Everett Herald.

“Putting a Price on Women’s Emotional Labour in the Workplace“

Leah Sheppard, assistant professor of management, information systems, and entrepreneurship, is featured in Gwen Morgan’s In the Black article published April 1, 2019. Sheppard comments on the backlash that can occur in the workplace when women violate the behaviors that are expected of them.

Sheppard is featured in several publications for her research investigating the “femme fatale” effect that considers attractive businesswomen less trustworthy and less truthful in the workplace.

“Attractive Businesswomen Considered Less Trustworthy, More Fireable, Researchers Find.” March 27, 2019, KOMO News.

“In Her Words: Pretty Can Hurt Women’s Careers”, April 23, 2019, New York Times.

“Attractive Businesswomen Viewed as Less Trustworthy ‘“Femmes Fatales’” April 11, 2019, Tacoma Daily.

Sheppard was also featured in Harvard Business Review’s May 20, 2019, podcast “When Women Compete.” Drawing from her research, Sheppard explains how stereotyping and gender inequity can shape the way women think about and approach competition at work.

“Next Carson Coug Rolls out Fall 2019“

Tom Tripp, senior associate dean for academic affairs, discusses the rollout of the Next Carson Coug curriculum reform in Jessica Swanson’s article published in the May 17, 2019, issue of the Vancouver Business Journal. Starting in 2019, Carson College undergraduates will be required to participate in cocurricular activities through a new milestone system that provides a menu of activities and tracks involvement.