Awards and Recognition Archive
2006-2007
Dr. Lisa Burke was awarded 2007-2008 Student Government Association (SGA) Professor of the Year, UTC.
Dr. Richard Allen’s research on reward practices and organizational performance was cited in testimony before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Dr. Beni Asllani received an instructional excellence award for the “promodel simulation software package.”
Drs. Beni Asllani, Parthasarati Dileepan, and Larry Ettkin developed a point of distribution (POD) simulation for the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Health Department.
Through the efforts of Dr. JR Clark, the Southern Economic Journal will be published at UTC.
Dr. Stan Davis joined the College as the Guerry Associate Professor of Accounting. Dr. Davis received his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama and specializes in management accounting.
Dr. Larry Ettkin received a $7,000 grant from the New Economy Institute to provide mentoring and course development assistance for the organization.
Dr. John Friedl was appointed to a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and the Department of Accounting and Finance.
Dr. Tom Gavin served as a consultant on a prestigious ethics paper published by the International Federation of Accountants titled “Approaches to the Development and Maintenance of Professional Values, Ethics, and Attitudes in Accounting Education Programs.” Dr. Gavin also coordinated the 33rd Annual Accounting Lecture Series featuring William Acuff, CPA, CFE on Fraud Prevention, Detection and Investigation.
Drs. Diane Halstead and Michael Jones presented papers at the Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior Conference, the premier academic conference in customer satisfaction research.
Dr. Bento Lobo received a $3,100 grant to attend the 12th Annual Conference of the Multinational Finance Society in Athens, Greece.
Dr. Melanie McCoskey presented a tax research program for Joseph Decosimo and Company, PLLC.
John Riddell and Judy Stone continued to serve as Executives-in-Residence, and Spencer Wright as Executive-in-Residence Emeritus.
Dr. Kaye Sheridan was appointed a member of the AICPA Tax Policy and Legislation Committee.
Dr. Joanie Sompayrac serves as Associate Director of the UTC Honors (UHON) Program. Through the generosity of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, she was able to take her UHON Supreme Court Seminar class to observe oral arguments in two cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Dr. Greg Thibadoux was awarded a Certificate of Merit by Strategic Finance for his article titled “Profit Management and Capitation Contracts: Issues in a Physician’s Practice.”
Dr. Valerie Taylor received a JMTP Outstanding Reviewer Award. This was for her work as a reviewer from 2002-2005.
Dr. Christi Wann joined the College as Assistant Professor of Finance. Dr. Wann received her Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas and specialized in corporate finance and investments.
Dr. Kathleen Wheatley was a first round judge for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce’s Kruesi Spirit of Innovation Award.
2005-2006
Several faculty serve on the Board of Directors of not-for-profit associations. Some examples include: Obasi Akan--Hospice of Chattanooga, Gail Dawson--Girls, Inc, Cindy White--Chattanooga Community Kitchen, and Paula Haynes--The Better Business Bureau.
Beni Asllani, Parthasarati Dileepan, and Larry Ettkin developed a point of distribution (POD) simulation for the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Health Department.
Gail Dawson accompanied three management students who competed in the Society for Advancement of Management Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.
The Riverbend Technology Entrepreneurship Technology Certificate Program was offered by several business faculty; this program completed its fourth class.
Six UTC student teams competed in the Business Strategy Invitational during the Spring 2006 semester. One team was from Steve White’s class, one was from Karen Ford Eickhoff’s class, and four were from Kathleen Wheatley’s classes.
Beverly Brockman attended the PriceBabson Symposium for Entrepreneurship Educators. This seminar is the premier program for educators in the entrepreneurship area. Over the years, more UTC faculty members have been invited to attend than from any other university.
Bento Lobo and four students (Adam Jones, John Baldwin, Jennifer Chastain and Sarah Stevens) published an article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press titled “Uneasiness grows as dollar feels debt strain.”
Bento Lobo attended the 12th Annual Conference of the Multinational Finance Society in Athens, Greece.
Tom Gavin coordinated the 32nd annual Accounting Lecture Series. The speaker was Scott Taub, the Deputy Chief Accountant for the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Jeff Clark was successful in attracting the Southern Economic Journal to UTC; this prestigious journal will now be published at UTC.
Melanie McCoskey had two alumni, Kim Greene (Corporate Controller at Chattem) and Christian Bennett (Manager at Hazlett, Lewis & Bieter) speak to four accounting classes.
Under the direction of Beni Asllani, four students (Jessica Baker, Andy Darley, Charles Sereebutra, and Ashvini Somasundar), completed a time study project for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. They studied the efficiency of the inserting operation of the newspaper mailroom.
Melanie McCoskey guided a “Low-Income Tax Clinic” at the Brainerd Recreational Complex. It was operated by 9 students; a total of 339 tax returns were prepared, and they generated over $600,000 in refunds.
Chris Brockman coordinated a breakfast with Jeff Diermeier, International President and CEO of the CFA Institute. Those attending were faculty, students, and members of the professional community.
Kaye Sheridan was appointed to the AICPA Tax Policy and Legislation Committee.
Under the guidance of Rick Turpin, Beta Alpha Psi was recognized as a “Superior Chapter” by the national organization.
2004-2005
The Accounting Department was one of few universities in the U.S. that
offered "pre-testing" for the new CPA exam. 200 individuals participated.
The Entrepreneurship concentration now has almost 100 majors, and over 40
students are obtaining a minor in Entrepreneurship. It is clearly the
fastest growing concentration on campus and its enrollment exceeds that of
many established concentrations.
UTC's College of Business hosted its ninth annual Clarence E. Harris
Entrepreneurial Forum on November 9, 2004 for nearly 350 students and
guests. W. Allan Jones, founder of Check Into Cash, Inc., was the featured
speaker. Stephen Culp, Smart Furniture, LLC, and Jonathan Bragdon, Tricycle
Inc. discussed "Raising Money Via Venture Capital". Kurt Faires, Choo Choo
Customs; John Marek, Cherokee Foods; Tony Vest, Teton Springs; and Tina
Williams, Brookwood Associates spoke on "Harvesting Your Business."
Stephen Culp, CEO of Smart Furniture and presenter at the Entrepreneurial
Forum, was featured on the November 2004 cover of Inc. magazine.
Dr. Richard Becherer was a member of the Chamber of Commerce's
Entrepreneurship Committee.
Dr. Jeff Clark, Scott L. Probasco Jr. Chair of Free Enterprise, brought
Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies, to campus for
the Burkett Miller Distinguished Lecture Series. Amos' speech "The Secrets
to Entrepreneurial Success" related to portions of his most recent book "The Cookie Never Crumbles" and drew a standing room only crowd.
Professor Karen Ford Eickhoff served as Chair of the Board of Governors of
Parkridge Medical Center, Parkridge East Hospital, and Parkridge Valley
Hospital, the three HCA Tristar campuses in Chattanooga.
Dr. Tom Gavin continues to bring in speakers with national recognition for
the annual Accounting Lecture Series. Past speakers include Walter
Schuetze, charter member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and
former Chief Accountant at the Securities and Exchange Committee, and Floyd
Norris, Chief Financial Correspondent of The New York Times.
Charles Groves was honored for his professional success and service to the
community and university by the UTC chapter of Beta Alpha Psi. Beta Alpha
Psi a national scholastic and professional fraternity for accounting and
finance students and professionals. Charles is head of the audit practice
of Joseph Decosimo & Company. He serves on the accounting advisory board
and is an alumnus of the UTC College of Business.
Dr. Bento Lobo worked with the International Trade Center of Tennessee and
the U.S. Department of Commerce to offer seminars in international trade to
current business students, alumni and the general public. The seminars
dealt with the essentials of importing/exporting, the legal aspects of
foreign trade and trade financing.
Dr. Kaye McClung graduated from the Chamber of Commerce's Leadership
Chattanooga, and Dr. Mark Mendenhall made a half-day presentation on
Leadership at the mid-year Leadership Chattanooga retreat
Dr. Marsha Scheidt is working with SRC Network & Software Solutions, an
affiliate of Henderson Hutcherson & McCullough, to train accounting
students on the latest enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Over
the course of one month, students gain exposure to various accounting and
report writing software packages, including Peachtree; Microsoft Great
Plains; Best Software MAS 90; Microsoft Access; and Crystal Report
Writer. This partnership with outside professionals is a unique experience
for our students; guest speakers are common but this extended commitment
from a corporate group is not often seen in business schools. The College
is most appreciative of SRC's desire to give our students real life
application and better prepare them for the competitive workplace.
Dr. Samuel Spralls serves on the Urban League of Chattanooga's Economic and
Business Development Committee.
Judy Stone and John Riddell join the College of Business as
Executives-in-Residence. Judy is a former CPA with Joseph Decosimo &
Company. John is Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth. Both
will share their expertise and talent with faculty and students.
Anne Wilkins was honored for her professional success and service to the
community and university by the UTC chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma. Beta Gamma
Sigma is the national honor society for AACSB accredited schools. Anne is
the Founder and Vice-President of the Wilkins Crews & Henderson. She
specializes in business planning and consulting, taxation and auditing.
Anne is a UTC alumnus and serves on the accounting advisory board.
2003-2004
The College received high praise from AACSB for its strategic planning process and have been asked to present it at AACSB’s national meeting. The Strategic Planning Committee is led by Richard Becherer, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, and Kathleen Wheatley, Management. College advisory board members Hicks Armor, Killebrew, Lyman & Woodworth; Roger Smith, Huffaker and Trimble Inc.; and Dr. Ronald Blankenbaker, UT College of Medicine, also serve on the committee.
Faculty from the College of Business worked with the Riverbend Technology Institute and Tech2020 (Center for Entrepreneurial Growth) to offer a fast-track non-credit certificate program regarding entrepreneurship and technology. Marketing and Entrepreneurship faculty involved with the program include: Richard Becherer, Beverly Brockman, Lawrence Ettkin, Diane Halstead, Michael Jones, and John Riddell. Joanie Sompayrac, Accounting, and Kathleen Wheatley, Management, also taught in the program.
Debbie Archambeault, Accounting, has been hired to teach in the auditing and financial accounting areas.
Richard Becherer, Lawrence Ettkin, and Michael Jones, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, conducted research studies for the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to assess visitors’ experiences in Chattanooga and determine the effectiveness of CVB advertising and promotions.
Parthasarati Dileepan, Management, and Tom Gavin, Accounting, won a "Certificate of Merit" for the article “Work-Related Stress of Management Accountants” that was published in Strategic Finance.
Lisa Pinckney Flint, External Affairs, received a $45,000 grant from the UC Foundation to support alumni marketing efforts and the development of a fundraising system.
John Fulmer, Associate Dean, and Vance Lesseig, Finance, receive inquiries from practitioners nationwide about their "15 year versus 30 year" mortgage article that appeared in Journal of Financial Planning.
Durwood Harvey, Accounting, was honored for his 50 years of teaching at UTC. Harvey became a full-time assistant professor at UC from 1948 through 1951. After spending four years in public accounting, he has taught continuously at the University as an adjunct professor.
Ray Jeffords, Accounting, is retiring and will leave the teaching profession to enter the business world. We will miss Dr. Jeffords' teaching, research, service and guidance, and wish him the best.
Michael Jones, Marketing, and Vance Lesseig, Finance, were quoted in Consumer Reports, Time Magazine and USA Today for articles concerning mutual fund performance.
Bento Lobo, Finance, compiled essays by his students regarding deflation in Japan and featured them in a Chattanooga Times Free Press newspaper article.
Kaye McClung, Accounting and Finance Head, received 2 scholarships from the American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA) at the national level and 3 scholarships from the local ASWA chapter. ASWA only gives out 10 national scholarships per year. These scholarships were awarded to five accounting students.
Melanie McCoskey, Accounting, received a $10,000 grant to conduct research for the article “Does Earnings Management Exist in Governmental Organizations? Evidence From and Recommendations Regarding Prepaid Section 529 Plans.”
Mark Mendenhall, Management, has written two books; “Handbook of Global Management: A Guide to Managing Complexity” is published by Blackwell Publishing and is currently available. Stanford University Press will soon publish “Managing Culture and Human Resources in Mergers and Acquisitions.”
2002-2003
John Fulmer was promoted to Associate Dean for the College of Business. In this role, Dr. Fulmer will assist the Dean with the overall vision and objectives of the College and will oversee the accreditation process. He has served the last 20 years as the Head of the Accounting and Finance Departments.
Tom Gavin, Accounting, received the 2002 Lifetime Achievement in Accounting Education Award for the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants presented the award to him in honor of his contributions through teaching and active involvement in the CPA profession.
Diane Halstead, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, was named as the inaugural holder of the Mary Harris Distinguished Professorship. This newly established Distinguished Professorship was created and named in honor of Mary Harris, the sister of Clarence E. Harris who founded Carriage Industries. The Harris Foundation established the endowment for the professorship and Brenda McKenzie provided additional operating monies. The professorship will provide support and funding for additional research, teaching, and community service in the areas of small business management and entrepreneurship.
Ray Jeffords, Accounting, is an active member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Chattanooga Chapter. He currently serves as Associate Research Foundation Trustee and is chairperson of the Research Committee. In this capacity, Dr. Jeffords promotes research and publication by members of the local chapter and supervises student research projects at UTC. Over the years, projects assisted by UTC students have been awarded First, Second, and Third Places in the IIA's International Chapter Research Competition among contending chapters from as far as Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX and Rome, Italy.
Melanie McCoskey, Accounting, established a Tax Resource Room for the College of Business. The room provides resources for faculty and students to develop and improve their research skills and knowledge. McKee Foods provided funding for the room's creation.
"Don't Volunteer for Trouble," written by Joanie Sompayrac, Accounting, was published in the January 2003 issue of The Journal of Accountancy. The article provides practitioners across the country with advice on minimizing legal liability when serving on nonprofit boards. The Journal of Accountancy is the leading practitioner publication in the Accounting profession. The Board of Editors selected this article as the most valuable in the January issue.
