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Dividend The official online magazine of the Carson College of Business

A Message from Interim Dean Debbie Compeau – March 2024

Dear friends,

This edition of eDividend reveals our powerful research and education programs that transcend international borders, resulting in innovative global business solutions and life-changing experiences for students who choose to study abroad.

International study is a core component of the business training in the Carson College. Our features showcase how Cougs at every level benefit from the experience—from learning about the business climate in another country, to creating new, collaborative research opportunities, and even finding love.

Our feature on MISE student Annika Wottreng illustrates the complex potential for international travel to expand perspectives, helping young students to adopt a global mindset and align their career aspirations with their studies.

Alums Jake and Emily Stevens first met during a study abroad trip to Greece. In addition to finding their future spouse, the two say they also formed powerful relationships with other students and faculty in the program. Their destination wedding on the Greek island Santorini was predominantly attended by Cougs and featured a crimson and gray flag for guests to sign.

Other stories in this issue highlight the pervasive value international experience can have for Cougs at every stage of their career.

A shining example of this is Julie Nelsen, marketing professor and director of the CCB Center for Professional Sales at WSU Vancouver, who’s recent faculty development trip to South Korea helped to spur a new and novel path of research.

Our feature on executive MBA alum Rachel Tsang, a certified architect living in Hong Kong, shows how she was able to gain new skills and change her professional trajectory with the help of the Carson College’s flexible remote programming. She is now head of creative for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Our International Business Institute, established in 1996, is the hub of international education programs in the college, providing transformative opportunities for students and faculty alike. Faculty member Jeff Joireman was recently selected to head the institute, reinforcing the college’s commitment to pursuing scholarly work with global reach. As you’ll read about in his feature, he aims to unify our various efforts, develop a stronger identity, and increase participation in our international programs.

In university news, Washington State University is expanding its relationships with universities in central and western Africa as part of ongoing efforts to further scholarly exchange and leverage expertise to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

As we reflect on the inspiring stories shared in this edition of eDividend, let us remember the Carson College of Business thrives on fostering a global mindset among its students, alums, and faculty. I encourage you to engage with the college to help us support faculty in creating diverse opportunities that enrich our students’ educational experiences.

Go Cougs!


Debbie Compeau, Interim Dean

A Message from Interim Dean Debbie Compeau – August 2023

Dear friends,

I’m excited to contribute my first eDividend message since transitioning to the role of interim dean in July. Our former dean Chip Hunter, who led the Carson College for nearly nine years, has been appointed dean of Temple University’s Fox School of Business in Pennsylvania. We wish Chip well in his new role, and I look forward to building on the foundation he set during his tenure.

In this issue of eDividend, I’m pleased to showcase the many dimensions of innovation in the Carson College of Business. Our students continue to impress us with their innovative ideas and talents. As our recent 2023 Gen Z Spotlight Report shows, making money is not this generation’s sole focus for successful lives and careers; they are eager to do something that gives them a sense of purpose. You’ll see this mentality reflected in our feature highlighting some award-winning concepts our students presented in this year’s Business Plan Competition. Their web platforms and mobile apps improving campus safety, foster care resources, and non-emergency transportation businesses demonstrate a strong commitment toward using technology for social good.

Our feature on undergraduate Felicia Adesope also aligns with this theme. She’s researching how social media and technology correlate to an increase in mass shootings. Her work aims to provide social media and technology companies with best practices to help law enforcement detect threats of mass shootings before attacks occur.

As a college, we continually explore the value of technological innovation in our teaching and research efforts. Our WSU Entrepreneurship Skills and Knowledge Accelerator (WESKA) feature emphasizes the growth of this program designed to help graduate students from nonbusiness disciplines grow their knowledge of core entrepreneurial concepts. Many of their entrepreneurial ideas relate to technology for social good, as you’ll see in the WESKA feature referencing program participants who launched BioNutra, a successful nutrition business in Tanzania.

Our faculty research feature examines how inventors can affect a company’s innovation following a product failure. Amrita Lahiri found that inventors with more collaborative strength and a long tenure within a company are likely to reduce the propensity of drug innovation following failure, whereas those with low tenure increase it. This is but one example of how faculty are creating new knowledge about processes of innovation in organizations.

We remain focused on equipping graduates with marketable skills that bring value to businesses and communities in Washington state and the world. Our feature on alumna Carter (Marks) Wiggins highlights how our quality programming helped her build a career in Napa Valley’s wine industry. Executive MBA alumnus Jason Hostetter’s story illustrates the leadership and innovation he brings to the Pennsylvania’s electric and power industry.

I look forward to working with you to ensure our programs are highly sought after and continue to prepare our students for the increasingly complex and evolving world of business.

Go Cougs!


Debbie Compeau, Interim Dean

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

A Message from the Dean – December 2022

Some of you have heard me tell stories about my dad, Larry Hunter. He became the first person in his family to earn a four-year degree, and it opened up a lifetime of opportunities for him. At the Carson College of Business, the education we provide continues to open doors for our students—including people whose families haven’t previously benefitted from higher education.

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A Message from the Dean – August 2022

This month, the Carson College of Business marks a significant milestone: Students who were freshmen when we launched The Next Carson Coug curriculum are beginning their senior year. While we continue to focus on the academics that produce graduates with strong core competencies, students also start taking part in career development activities as freshmen, opening doors to better job placement after graduation.

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A Message from the Dean – December 2021

At the Carson College of Business, our strength comes from the power of our community—not only our faculty, staff, and students, but the 38,000-plus alumni and friends who share our vision for providing a first-class business education and contributing to a diverse and vibrant Pacific Northwest economy. Alumni from around the globe have told me how their time as WSU business students led to lifelong friendships and professional networks. In so many ways, Carson alumni and friends of the college pay these experiences forward. I see the powerful legacy your gifts create.

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A Message from the Dean – August 2021

The Carson College of Business welcomes students back to campus with a sense of gratitude and renewal. For the ingenuity, dedication, and hard work that allowed us to continue the college’s mission of teaching, research, and engagement with the business community during a global pandemic, I am thankful. For the return to in-person instruction, I am full of anticipation.

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