Spring 2016 Stories
Featured Content
2015-16 Dean's Report
Read about transformative gifts from alumni, the student success center and the new MS in business analytics in this year's Dean's Report.
UM Names New Dean of School of Business Administration
The University of Montana has named Christopher Shook the new dean of the School of Business Administration. Shook will succeed SoBA Dean Larry Gianchetta, who will retire in June after 41 years at UM.
Shook most recently served as Russell Professor of Management in the Harbert College of...
Tech Company, Winner of 2014 John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition Experiencing Rapid Growth
The concept is simple: Your smartphone can – and does – communicate constantly with satellites in space, so all you need is a digital map on that phone to tell you exactly where you are in relation to your environment and what your surroundings look like, even when you are nowhere near a cell...
UMEM Guest Speakers Facilitate Student Discussions About Future Technologies
On April 29, the UM Entertainment Management (UMEM) program welcomed Mike McGinley, Noah Brier, and Nick Parish to speak in class. Mike is a founder of the UMEM program and the founder of SRO Consultants, a tour accounting consultancy. Noah is the cofounder of Percolate, a system of record for...
Prime Cut Sports Radio Interviews Justin Angle
Sean Salisbury spent 10 years as a QB in the NFL and CFL, nearly 10 years as a broadcaster for ESPN & CBS Radio. Steve Bunin spent 9 years at ESPN and 2 years at Comcast SportsNet Houston prior to joining Yahoo Sports Radio. On May 19, they interviewed SoBA's Prof. Justin Angle about his...
SoBA Happy to Give Home to “Bear, Earth, Sky”
This spring, Omnibar donated a work of art to the School of Business Administration (SoBA) entitled “Bear, Earth, Sky.” It was painted for the Grizzly Prowl Project in 2005 by Janet McGahan, a third-generation Montanan in Arlee who earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana. ...
SoBA Students Take Second Place in International Capsim Challenge
Three students in the School of Business Administration (SoBA) in Shawn Clouse’s Integrative Business Simulation course competed in the International Capsim Challenge Simulation competition and took second overall. The students are Yibo Fan (Acct), Ji Qiu (Fin) and Yutong Tian (Fin). They...
UM Student Wins Business Startup Challenge, Winners Announced
The University of Montana School of Business Administration, along with the Montana Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and the Blackstone LaunchPad at UM, have announced the winners of the 27th annual John Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge. Zachary Falen of Missoula, a UM management...
UM Opens New Facility for Executive Education
The University of Montana celebrated the opening of its newest campus facility, the Harold and Priscilla Gilkey Building, on Thursday, May 12.
Generously funded through private donations, the 31,411-square-foot building is home to new executive education offerings, the Global Leadership...
Industry Expert Rob Beckham of WME/IMG Visits UMEM Course
On April 22, UMEM welcomed Rob Beckham into the upper-division Entertainment Management classes. Rob, a UM graduate, has spent the last 20 years as an agent for many notable country artists. He is the co-head of the WME/IMG Nashville office and is responsible for the daily touring, television,...
UM Accounting Students Have Highest CPA Exam Pass Rate in State
The numbers have been crunched and the results are in for the annual report of Certified Public Accountant exam pass rates. Accounting students in the University of Montana School of Business Administration who took the national licensure exam for the first time in 2015 rose to the top, ranking...
Commencement 2016
It is with great pleasure that the deans, faculty, and staff of the School of Business Administration congratulate the SoBA Graduating Class of 2015-2016 on your accomplishments. Click here for specific information for the 2016 Commencement Ceremony at the University of Montana, which will take...
Celebrate the Harold and Priscilla Gilkey Building Grand Opening With Us
Celebrate the grand opening of the Harold and Priscilla Gilkey Building with us on Thursday, May 12, at 3 p.m. The event will include ribbon cutting, building tours and a celebration of generosity. This grand opening will introduce the donors, the building and the innovative executive...
$1 Million Gift Creates Lifelong Funding for UM Professorship in Finance
In 2003, the University of Montana’s School of Business Administration created its first privately funded professorship thanks to a gift from Carol Jean Byrnes in honor of her late husband, Donald. Now, a second act of generosity ensures the Donald and Carol Jean Byrnes Professorship in Finance...
SoBA’s Beta Alpha Psi Chapter Celebrates Earth Day
Twenty-three Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) students from UM went to Spokane on Friday, April 22, to spend the day with BAP students from Gonzaga and professionals from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The group spent three hours planting hundreds of trees in the Feryn Conservation Area. This opportunity not only...
ESPN Interviews Justin Angle About Brand Imagery Research
Andy Katz and Rick Klein chat with University of Montana Professor Justin Angle about his study on the brand imagery of Native American mascots in professional sports.
UM Business Majors Score in 94th Percentile in Nationwide Field Test
The School of Business Administration students at the University of Montana continue to knock the Business Major Field Test out of the park. This is the seventh time in four years the UM business school students have scored between the 92nd and 95th percentile, putting UM in the top 5-8 percent...
Getting to Know SoBA Faculty and Staff: Theresa Floyd
SoBA: Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Prof. Theresa Floyd: I came recently from the University of Kentucky, where I completed my PhD and did a year of post-doc working on a grant. I was very, very lucky and happy to get an assistant professor position here at the School of Business...
SoBA Alumni Gangloff and Scotson Planning Futuristic Float Spa on Hip Strip
It’s a spring day on the Hip Strip and Matt Gangloff has just received the keys to an empty retail space still cluttered with power tools and paint supplies. But come July, the construction site will become home to a hip new day spa where customers can repose in isolation.
UMEM Hosts Annual Spring Thaw Festival on May 6
For the last 14 years, the University of Montana Entertainment Management (UMEM) program has produced Spring Thaw, an annual festival on the Oval. Each year, the festival is planned and produced by the senior-level event management class (BMGT 402). The festival gives students a hands-on...
MISA Chapter Receives Distinguished Chapter Award at National Conference
Erika Disney and Emily Eicholtz, the 2016 president and vice president of the Montana Information System Association (MISA), attended the national AIS Student Leadership Conference held at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. They networked with other chapters and gained insights...
Mascots Can Reinforce Stereotypes, a UM Researcher Finds
Take a look at the mascot for the Cleveland Indians, a cartoon with a red face and feather on its head.
Result? You're more likely to associate Native Americans with being "warlike."
Another outcome? You're more likely to make the association if you're politically liberal rather than...
Can I Analyze Your Data: UM’s New Data Analytics Masters
We live in a web of data. Our food is grown with the help of data gathered by farming machines and weather readers. Doctors are using data to prescribe medicine and treatments that actually work, because results are data-backed. The government uses data to find and prevent fraud. Concert traffic...
"Shake-It-Out" Session Before Career Networking Reception Pays Off
Last month the School of Business Administration Career Development program hosted a Career Networking Reception in the Gallagher Business Buildings piazza.
The Montana Information Systems Association (MISA) hosted a "shake-it-out" room before the event where students could ask questions and...
Justin Angle Publishes Collaborative Study: Exposure to American Indian Mascots Activates Stereotypes
Ethnic brand imagery, including American Indian mascots, can strengthen stereotypes, causing detrimental societal consequences, according to a newly published study conducted by a University of Montana researcher.
UM Assistant Professor Justin Angle, in partnership with researchers Sokiente...
UM Grad, Expert on Plastic Pollution, to Give Annual Sustainable Business Council Lecture
The Sustainable Business Council and the School of Business Administration are excited to present Triple Bottom Time: Transforming Businesses from Linear to Circular Economies, featuring Stiv Wilson, Changemaker and Director of Campaigns for The Story of Stuff Project.
Wilson, a UM graduate...
UM Programs Help Grow Montana Businesses
The Montana World Trade Center is just one of several programs that are powerful partners for Montana businesses. Others include Blackstone LaunchPad and the Montana Technology Enterprise Center.
AIBL Members Attend National Conference in Chandler, Arizona
Ten members of the UM chapter of American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL) are attending the national conference this week, April 7-9, in Chandler, Arizona. Crystal White Shield will also as the graduate assistant in charge of many of the events happening while the conference is in session. The...
Big Dipper, Owned by SoBA Grad Charlie Beaton, to Provide Ice Cream for Xanterra in Glacier, Yellowstone
The next time you're buying ice cream in Glacier or Yellowstone national parks, there's a good chance you'll be having Big Dipper. The Missoula-based company is making a new line of flavors called Big Dipper Select for the parks, which will be available when they open this season.
Alumnus Aaron Conn (Marketing '13) Shares Expertise on Today.com
Aaron Conn tells us how Even, a finance app, works. "It does something called 'income smoothing,'" says Zeno Group's Aaron Conn, who works on the app's marketing team. "It calculates how much users make, on average, then when they get paid more than that, it calculates the right amount to...
Whatever You're Doing, Keep It Up!
Firms attending the recruiting event for the accounting and finance industries were duly impressed by how professional School of Business Administration (SoBA) students were.
Students traded in their jeans and sneakers for suits and dress shoes for the event on Wednesday, March 16, in the...
SoBA Alumni Coach Current Students as Part of KPMG Women in Advisory Program
KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services, and it is a top hirer of SoBA graduates. It is a company with strong women’s initiatives to enhance career opportunities for women as well as their recruitment, retention and support. As part of these...
Crawford, Retired Senior Partner from the Executive Offices National Office of KPMG New York, Returns to His Roots
Craig Crawford, (Accounting ’79) joined SoBA this spring to teach accounting and auditing. Crawford has created quite a buzz among accounting students who understand how fortunate they are to be able to take a class from someone with such an impressive professional record. Craig Crawford...
UM School of Business Administration to Offer Master’s Degree in Business Analytics
The School of Business Administration at the University of Montana will help meet a growing workforce need when it launches its new master’s degree in business analytics this fall.
The Master of Science degree, a joint effort between marketing and management information systems, will combine new...
Fall 2016 Advising Begins March 22
SoBA Information Sessions are mandatory for SoBA students depending on level and status. Other students can obtain their advising number by going to the SoBA Advising Office for an appointment. A student must have an approved schedule from SoBA Advising prior to getting their number.
What Are You Doing This Summer?
Are you planning to take courses this summer? Sign up today! No advising number is needed. Courses with low enrollments may be cancelled, so don’t miss your chance! Here is a list of SoBA requirements that are available Summer 2016.
First Session (May 23—June 24)
ACTG 201—Principles of...
UMEM Students Work With Alumnus on Local Marketing Campaign for Big-Name Band
An integral, and the most valuable, part of the UMEM program is its students, both past and present. At the end of February, Damon Metzner, a former UMEM student, returned to Missoula to share his experience and expertise with current Entertainment Management students through a marketing...
New Campus Podcast Features Interview with UMEM Director Mike Morelli
University of Montana marketing, communications and journalism students recently launched UM’s first podcast, titled “32 Campus Drive.” In episode 1, "No Business Like Show Business," they interview Director Mike Morelli about the Entertainment Management program.
New Companies Join Student-Employer Networking
Spring 2016 has been busy with employers in the Gallagher Building recruiting students for internships and full-time positions.
In addition to three major-specific formal networking receptions, students also have the opportunity to meet with employers during Employer Information Booths. These...
UMEM Announces Collaborative Event With Local Venues
UMEM partnered with the Badlander and the Palace Lounge on their first collaborative event, The Big Gig. This free event will take place at the Palace Lounge on Thursday, March 24, at 9:30 p.m.
The Big Gig will feature Conor Dannis, Darah Fogarty and Ryan James, Jordan Lane and Ian Velikoff, and...
Beta Alpha Psi Holds Spring 2016 Initiation Banquet
The Delta Kappa Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi held its initiation and recognition banquet at the Holiday Inn on Thursday March 3, 2016. During the ceremony, nine students were initiated as members of Beta Alpha Psi. These students met requirements for professional and service hours and activities...
SoBA, Missoula College Grad Gives Back to Alma Maters as Employee
Rossmiller began teaching classes at Missoula College in 2015 and was hired as a systems administrator for UM’s IT department. “It has been an extremely rewarding job and I couldn’t be happier,” he said. Rossmiller has a BS in Management Information Systems from UM’s School of Business...
SoBA Alumnus Tim O'Leary Co-Sponsors Writing at Work Conference at UM
Tim O'Leary will offer the keynote address at noon and will speak during the 1:10-2 p.m. session entitled "Using Your Skills in Business." The conference is Friday, March 11, from 12-5 p.m. in the UC Theater. Some sessions may be of particular interest to our students who have a passion for...
Anna's Reflection on Pollstar Live!
Pollstar Live! is an annual entertainment business conference that brings together entertainment professionals from around the nation. Each year, UMEM students attend the conference as volunteers and have the opportunity to network and learn more about the industry. Consistently, SoBA students...
Montana’s High-Tech Industry is Growing Seven Times Faster than Other Sectors
Employment and revenues in Montana’s high-tech industry are growing at rates seven times that of the statewide economy, with salaries in the high-tech sector increasing 30 percent faster than other sectors, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and...
The Branding Game: Research Delves Into Use of Native Sports Mascots
Rows of race bibs from ultra-marathons and bike rides fill one wall of Justin Angle’s office on the third floor of UM’s Gallagher Business Building. The numbers serve as sentimental reminders, each one a personal touchstone for a story of endurance.
For the UM assistant professor, the race...
Klaus Uhlenbruck Invited to Train Business Doctoral Students at Three High-Ranking European Universities
Professor of Management and Chair of the Department of Management and Marketing Klaus Uhlenbruck has been invited to train business doctoral students at three high-ranking European universities in summer 2016.
Uhlenbruck will hold a 1.5-day seminar on writing and publishing in scholarly, A-level...
Tessa Takes a Trip
MIS major Tessa Feemster is finishing her study abroad at the University of Aarhus in Denmark and blogging her about adventures around Europe.
Entrepreneurs Start Healthy Food Delivery Business in Missoula
Kayle is a locally owned startup that aims to provide affordable and healthy meals quickly to businesses and households in Missoula. It was started by Harry Ward and RJ Wimett with the help of Ben Sokoloski, former business student at the School of Business Administration and the owner of...
BBER Report Finds High-Tech Industry is Outpacing State Economy, Providing Jobs for SoBA Grads
Montana’s largest cybersecurity firm, LMG Security, hired five new full-time employees last year for a total of 20 at its downtown Missoula headquarters, and founder Sherri Davidoff expects to hire four to eight more this year.
The company brings a substantial amount of out-of-state money to...
UM’s Blackstone LaunchPad Kicks Off Second Session of Pursue Your Passion Program
Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Montana, the Montana Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and the Women’s Foundation of Montana will kick off the second session of the Pursue Your Passion program on Monday, Feb. 22, in the Payne Family Native American Center at UM.
The event will...
DocShop Free to Students
The 7th Annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festivals DocShop is a five-day conference engaging Missoula and the documentary community-at-large on the art and impact of filmmaking. The workshops are free all UM and MSU students.
Read the UMEM Newsletter!
UMEM had an exciting fall semester in the classroom and in the community! Read all about the program's events, guest instructors, students and alumni here.
Business Student Wins 2016 Charter Day Award
Winner of the 2016 ASUM Student Service Award for Charter Day, Byron Boots is a senior graduating this spring double-majoring in Management Information Systems and International Business with an Accounting Information Systems certificate.
Finance-Economics Double-Major Reflects on Experience in Asia
Caleb Chestnut, Presidential Leadership Scholar and a finance and economics double-major, recently completed a study abroad to South Korea and blogged about the experience. "I will return to Korea one day, hopefully soon" he wrote in his most recent entry. "I can’t wait for my next Asian...
UMEM Founders Crucial in Building Entertainment Scene in State
Brian Knaff, chairman of TBN Entertainment in Las Vegas, calls Montana natives who work on the national scene in the entertainment business the Montana Mafia.
There are people like Deer Lodge native Mike McGinley, who served as the Rolling Stones tour accountant for 20 years as president of SRO...
SoBA Marketing Alumna Gwen Mann Hobnobs With Mardi Gras Royalty
Gwen Mann graduated as a University Scholar in 2014 with a degree in business administration and a minor in theatre. She focused on two disparate areas of study, marketing and costume design, but they worked together better than some might think.
According to Mann, “Business is practical, and...
VITA Program Offers Free Tax Assistance in Missoula
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is back this year at the University of Montana.The program started in 1971. It offers free tax help to those with an income of $54,000 or less.
Learning About Sustainability Against the Backdrop of The Lord of the Rings
UM students in undergraduate and graduate programs in the School of Business Administration and School of Forestry and Conservation set out on their intensive New Zealand and Australia study abroad experience on December 27 and returned on January 19. Led by Prof. Shawn Clouse of the MIS...
SoBA Students Use Big Data and Business Skills to Aid Libby Rebranding
James Fay and David Brewer are both graduating seniors in MIS. When it came time to select a project for the capstone course Strategic Venture Management, taught by Prof. Bambi Douma, they both chose the data analytics team as part of the Libby Branding Project.
Fay, Brewer and other SoBA...
UMEM Alumnus Michael Gill Makes Central Saloon Cool Again
Before Jimi Hendrix was a statue on Broadway, he was a real live person, who played the Central Saloon. Before Kurt Cobain died for our sins, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden played their first shows there, making it one of the early hubs for grunge. When grunge’s flame was smothered by...
Renowned Talent Buyer and SoBA Alumnus Featured on New Album
We would like to congratulate Brian Knaff, SoBA alumnus and co-founder of the UM Entertainment Management program, on the release of Long Time Comin’–Lost Sounds from the Treasure State.
Alumni Philanthropy Supports Future Dean of UM Business School
The University of Montana now has its first endowed dean’s position, thanks to the generosity of two UM families who came together to ensure the school will always have strong leadership.
Mark Burnham ’84 and Eric Sprunk ’86, together with their families, have each made a $1 million contribution...
Jakki Mohr Invited to Saudi Arabia to Help Solve Global Issues
When the University of Montana is mentioned in a group of high technology experts, a typical response might be, “Isn’t that where Jakki Mohr teaches?” Indeed, Professor Jakki Mohr has enjoyed a global reputation for her research and teaching in the field of High Technology Marketing for many...
Success Starts Here!
We are offering over $300,000 in SoBA Scholarships for sophomores, juniors and seniors. The application deadline has been extended through Monday, February 8. Apply now!
Jack Kempner, A SoBA Legend
Retired accounting professor, Jack Kempner, passed away this year leaving behind a legacy of excellence in accounting education. According to Professor Teresa Beed, an award-winning professor in her own right, “Jack Kempner was ahead of his time in many ways.” In particular, “Jack Kempner gave...
Ch-ch-changes!
The University of Montana Entertainment Manangement (UMEM) program office has moved. The UMEM office is still on the lower level of the Gallagher Business Building, but its new home is in L02.
“We couldn’t be happier with this move, which places us in a much more visible and accessible location...
International Student Spotlight: Remy Perrot
What is your home town and country?
I am from Toulouse, located in the southwest of France, where we eat good food, drink good wine and support our local rugby team, Stade Toulousain.
What made you choose the University of Montana for your master's program?
I was an undergraduate exchange program...
Welcome Back for Spring Semester 2016
Welcome back, students! Please click here to see important dates and deadlines for this semester.
Has the Time Come for a Philosophy Shop?
Professor Cameron Lawrence introduced two speakers, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, to his Information Infrastructure class. The topic? Minimalism.
A predictable response a few years ago might have been, “Wait. What room am I in?” But instead of being bewildered by the topic, the...
PowerHouse Montana Interviews Jakki Mohr
PowerHouse Montana recently interviewed and featured Jakki Mohr. PowerHouse Montana is an initiative of the Women’s Foundation of Montana that connects women with the resources, mentors and opportunities they need to thrive and works to increase women in leadership roles. Mohr answers questions...
App to Detect Dangerous Sunlight Radiation Wins UM Startup Pitch Competition
A team of local entrepreneurs that developed a smartphone app to fight skin cancer has won the University of Montana's annual Fall Startup Pitch Competition, a program designed to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
Ryan Duarte of Victor founded Montana Root...
SoBA Co-Sponsors Penny Conference
Women think, spend, and invest money differently. That’s why Montana’s Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Monica J. Lindeen is bringing women together for a free, one-day workshop to talk about money: no financial experience necessary. Warning: this event may shift the way you think about...
Getting to Know SoBA Faculty and Staff: Shawn Clouse
This is the first in a series of cameos designed to introduce you to the remarkable faculty and staff who dedicate themselves to SoBA students and the Missoula community.
Shawn Clouse is a professor of management information systems (MIS) in SoBA. He teaches courses on networking, e-commerce,...
Student Volunteers Offer Missoula Community Free Tax Assistance
Every Saturday from January 30 through March 5, SoBA business students with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) will donate their time in order to help hundreds people in the Missoula community of file their taxes. The program offers free tax help to individuals or families who...
