Fall 2016 Stories
Featured Content
Dean for a Day
Monday, November 28, 2016 was a monumental day in SoBA history. In SoBA’s first ever Dean for a Day competition, Dean Chris Shook acceded his deanship for the day to Eduardo Hidalgo, a SoBA Senior majoring in International Business, Marketing and Spanish. In turn, Dean Shook took on Hidalgo’s...
Internship Spotlight: Emily Eicholtz, PwC Risk Assurance
Last summer, MIS major Emily Eicholtz worked an internship with PwC Risk Assurance in the Seattle office.
PwC is a global company that offers professional services including audit and assurance, tax and consulting that cover such areas as cybersecurity and privacy, human resources, deals and...
Students Awarded $3,000 at UM Startup Pitch Competition
Three students received awards at the EPIC Pitch Competition, hosted by the Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Montana, the Montana Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and UM School of Business Administration on Dec. 7 in the Gilkey Building.
Nine finalists pitched their rough...
SoBA Makes Holiday Season Brighter for Community
Through the generosity of the School of Business faculty and staff, SoBA was able to provide an unforgettable holiday this year for a family and veteran in the Missoula community. This is the fifth year SoBA has participated in the Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-Veteran programs on campus, organized...
UM’s MBA Program Ranked No. 13 Among Top 50 Most Affordable
TopManagementDegrees.com recently published its annual ranking of the top 50 most affordable Master of Business Administration programs, naming the University of Montana as No. 13 overall.
A growing online resource for information on management education, TopManagementDegrees.com specifically...
Wilma, Top Hat Owner Hires UMEM Students for New Entertainment Production Company
The owner of the Wilma Theatre and Top Hat Lounge has formed a new regional entertainment promotion and production company headquartered in Missoula.
Checota said he has hired six or seven people from the entertainment management program at the University of Montana’s School of Business...
New Dean of UM School of Business Administration Has Own Style
Chris Shook, the new dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Montana, was sleeping in a monastery in Spain last fall at the age of 53, trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.
Shook was walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage...
SoBA Spotlight: Ryan Glennon
Name: Ryan Glennon
Hometown: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Academic Program/Major: Management Information Systems with a certificate in Big Data Analytics
Why UM and why SoBA? Spending my entire life in Arizona started to get to me. I needed a fresh start and a new experience. After applying to...
Marketing Student Tessa Feemster Reflects on Kakehashi Japan Tour
"The Kakehashi trip to Japan could only be described as a whirlwind. One night we were enjoying a meal with farmers and community member in a rural mountain village, and the next we were slipping through the crowds and back alleys of Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing. The Kakehashi Project showed us...
Accounting Major Gfeller Earns Nomination for National Service Award
Winning the Allan Nielsen Award for the player who best represents Grizzly Basketball three times in three years says a lot about the kind of a person Brandon Gfeller is.
It says he's the kind of person that maintains a 3.57 GPA as an accounting major who is headed for grad school to earn his...
Student Success Center a Valuable Asset to Students
On September 26, 2016, the new Larry and Dee Dee Gianchetta Student Success Center officially opened its doors to students. The center offers a one-stop shop for all SoBA advising, career services, graduate programs, internships and scholarships.
In the first six weeks of operation, 1,670...
Sports Illustrated Interviews SoBA Marketing Professor Justin Angle for Cover Story
Sports Illustrated spent an entire month traveling the U.S., interviewing hundreds of people touched by the many tentacles the game stretches through society. The result: A portrait of today’s sport that answers the question, How do we feel about football right now? Assistant Professor of...
SoBA Alumnus Launches Startup to Help People "Delete" Junk
SoBA alumnus Nate Warner launched Delete, a company fueled by $1.25 million in investment. A byproduct of Slow Ventures’ new startup incubator, Slow Studio, the company’s mission is to be the simplest way for people to donate, recycle and dispose of their unwanted items.
Associate Dean Co-Facilitates National Impact Forum Seminar
Terri Herron, associate dean of the School of Business Administration, was chosen to co-facilitate the daylong Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) “Impact Forum” seminar offered three times a year, beginning in June 2016.
Participants of the June 2016 offering gave this...
SoBA Scholarship Application Now Open
Due to high demand, the SoBA scholarship application is open now through March 1. The School of Business Administration awarded 145 scholarships, totaling over $386,000, for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Follow Business Students Around as They Explore Japan
The University of Montana sent 23 students, seven of whom were business majors, to Japan as participants in the Japan International Cooperation Center's (JICE) Kakehashi exchange program. They explored Tokyo as well as Montana's sister prefecture, Kumamoto. Marketing major Tessa Feemster created...
Dean Shook Hosts Q&A Session with Prospective Students
Listen to the recorded session here!
UM Students Advance to National Sales Competition
Sixteen students and 12 judges participated in the third annual scholarship sales competition, hosted by Northwestern Mutual, at the University of Montana in October.
“The quality of the presentations was the best we’ve ever seen,” said Michael Butler, Northwestern Mutual development Officer....
SoBA Spotlight: Mackenzie Capasso
Name: Mackenzie Capasso
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Academic Program/Major: Management Information Systems and International Business
Why UM and why SoBA?: I needed a change of pace, and wanted to branch away from the in state universities that my friends were going to. I applied to universities...
You Could Win $1,000 With Just One Word
One savvy student at the University of Montana has a chance not only to win $1,000 but also to name a new student living complex.
The student marketing club is very excited about a naming contest they have been hired to run by the Farran Realty Group for a new student living complex.
The new...
Your Vote Counts!
Click here to view the finalist videos, and cast your vote by Nov. 15!
SoBA Spotlight: Raven McMurry
Name: Raven McMurry
Hometown: Great Falls, MT
Academic Program/Major: Business Management with a certificate in Entertainment Management
Why UM and why SoBA?
I grew around the University of Montana since I was in pre-school, so I’ve gotten to know the campus and university itself fairly well. It...
Business Student in Japan Blogs About Inside Look Into Sony Factory Operations
Today we visited local industry in Kumamoto, located at the base of an active volcano on the island of Kyushu. The local government officials of the Kumamoto Prefecture (Japanese word for state) arranged for us to visit production facilities for both Sony and Honda. Our group was one of the...
SoBA Spotlight: Elise Torgerson
Name: Elise Torgerson
Hometown: Sidney, MT
Academic Program/Major: Business Finance
Why UM and why SoBA?
I visited Missoula a ton growing up for football games, Griz camps, and to visit family friends. I’ve always wanted to live in western Montana since I was a kid for the outdoor aspects of it and...
SoBA Intern Looks Forward to New Career
Last summer MIS major Sarah Beccari had an internship at Advanced Technology Group (ATG), a local tech consulting firm with national reach.
Beccari learned about the opportunity from a friend and recent MIS graduate who works at ATG.
“I love Missoula, so being able to stay in the town I love was a...
UMEM Students Work on Artist Development Project Playing Monopoly with God
As part of their coursework, students in BMGT 402 Principles of Entertainment Management I are working on artist development projects.
A group of three students partnered with Melissa Bangs on her theatre production of Playing Monopoly with God, a one-woman show that tells the story of a...
'Find a Mentor': Local Female Business Leaders Share Advice on Shattering Glass Ceilings
SoBA alumni Kristin Mickey and Carey Davis are among Advanced Technology Group's female business leaders encouraging young women to find mentors and become leaders in the tech industry.
Across the globe, only 24 percent of senior business leadership positions are held by women.
That’s up from 22...
SoBA Spotlight: Riley Pateman
Name: Riley Pateman
Hometown: Shepherd, MT
Major: Marketing/Digital Marketing
Why UM and why SoBA? I wanted a change without leaving Montana. Missoula is quite different from the Billings area, and it has allowed me to live in a beautiful community in the most beautiful state. Being a part of...
Last Shot to Call the Shots: Dean for a Day
Applications are due Friday, Oct. 28. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to manage a complex organization? Have you ever wondered what a business school dean does? Do you have aspirations of becoming a CEO, COO or academic dean? Then this contest is for you. Dean Shook invites you to...
Missoula Mapping Tech Firm to Build New Three-Story Building, Add Scores of Workers
A mapping technology company is planning on constructing a new $2.36 million, three-story building in central Missoula with projections of adding roughly 56 new employees in the next two years.
With this rapid growth, onXmaps, which had its start as the winner of the 2014 John Ruffatto Business...
SoBA Spotlight: Nathan Anderson
Name: Nathan Anderson
Hometown: Missoula, MT
Academic Program/Major: Management Information Systems with a Certificate in Big Data Analytics and an emphasis in Cybersecurity
Why UM and why SoBA?
I chose the University of Montana because I knew some faculty and staff members before I attended...
Ambassador Sung Kim Speaks in International Business Courses
Ambassador Sung Kim, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and current Special Representative for North Korea Policy at the U.S. State Department, made a visit to the University of Montana last month. He spoke on the subject of the Six Party Talks with North Korea over its nuclear...
SoBA Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Gallagher Building Dedication
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the William and Rosemary Gallagher Business Building dedication on the University of Montana campus. “This is an important day for the business school,” said Dean Christopher Shook. “We’ve enjoyed many milestones in the history of SoBA, and this building...
Moss Adams Student Lounge Opens to UM Business Students
The School of Business Administration celebrated the grand opening of the Moss Adams Student Lounge in the Gallagher Business Building on October 6. The much-needed lounge renovation was funded by partners from the Moss Adams Portland office who are also School of Business Administration alumni:...
UMEM Student Has Experience of a Lifetime as Agency Intern in Boulder, Colorado
UMEM student Jesse Schuster scored an exciting internship with Madison House Inc. in Boulder, Colorado, last summer. The company provides unique and innovative management and booking for musical artists. It has offices in Boulder as well as Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Nashville, Tennessee.
“My...
Management and Marketing Advisory Board Panel to Discuss Preparing for Business Changes and Navigating the Job Market
The Management and Marketing Department invites students to attend two panel discussions with UM and SoBA alumni on Fri., Oct. 14.
Panel 1: “Preparing for the Future” GBB 123, 9 – 10:15 a.m.
This panel will focuses on the most important changes in business that students need to be prepared for in...
Dedicated UM Alumni Receive the UM Foundation’s Order of the Grizzly Award
The University of Montana Foundation honored two of its most dedicated donors with the prestigious Order of the Grizzly award at the annual President’s Club Dinner on Sept. 29. The 2016 recipients, Bill and Phyllis Bouchee, have supported UM for more than 30 years and are known throughout...
School of Business Brings World-Renowned Brand Experts to University of Montana
Distinguished brand experts Kevin Keller and Scott Bedbury visited the University of Montana on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 22-23. The duo gave two presentations to audiences of about 150 business students and they also gave talks to faculty and a brand workshop with UM deans.
Keller is the E....
Students Explore Job Opportunities in Montana at MSCPA Opportunity Night
The Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants and the University of Montana’s Beta Alpha Psi hosted about 40 students attending MSCPA’s Opportunity Night at the Holiday Inn in downtown Missoula.
Students had a chance to meet with representatives from some of Montana’s most successful firms....
Call to All Musicians!
UMEM is looking to fill Stair Sessions for the next two Thursdays (Oct. 6 and 13)! It's a short 10-minute gig and a fun opprtunity to showcase your talent. Shoot them an email at UMEM@business.umt.edu. Open to all types of music!
NBS Interviews Dean Chris Shook and Executive Education Director Kate McGoldrick on Live Radio Show
Dean Chris Shook, Executive Education Director Kate McGoldrick and Bill Whitsitt participated in Northern Broadcasting System's live radio show series Voices of Montana last Friday morning. Listen to part one and part two of the show here.
Annual Meet the Firms Event Continues to Grow
This year’s Meet the Firms event was held on Sept. 20 on the main floor of the Gallagher Business Building.
Meet the Firms is a yearly event presented by the School of Business Administration’s Career Development Program. It connects Accounting, Finance, MIS, MSBA, MBA and MAcct students with...
SoBA Student Success Center Opening September 26
The new Larry and Dee Dee Gianchetta Student Success Center in the Gallagher Business Building opens for business on September 26, 2016.
This new center houses all SoBA student services, including advising, career development, graduate programs, internships and scholarships. It is located in GBB...
Lisa Eiler Publishes Research in Advances in Accounting
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Lisa Eiler on her latest publication entitled “SEC comment letters related to permanently reinvested earnings,” which is published in Advances in Accounting.
Pursue Your Passion 2016-17
Pursue Your Passion is a program for women and enlightened men that aims to inspire students to discover their passions and direct them toward developing an organization. Courtney McKee, CEO of Headframe Spirits and past recipient of Montana Entrepreneur of the Year, will give this year's...
MIS Major Mike Ralston Participates in KPMG Global Advantage Program in Dublin, Ireland
MIS major Mike Ralston took a whirlwind trip to Dublin, Ireland, last summer for KPMG’s Global Advantage (GA) program. The GA program is a three-day training for future KPMG interns that focuses on some of the key attributes of a successful KPMG professional.
About a week following interviews at...
SoBA Hosts 3rd Annual Northwestern Mutual Scholarship Sales Competition
Northwestern Mutual is hosting a Scholarship Sales Competition for all UM undergraduate students in partnership with Blackstone Launchpad. This is a unique opportunity to combine academic knowledge with interpersonal skills and professionalism to compete against other top students.
Students will...
Computer Lab Features New Hours, Payment System
The School of Business Administration’s general-use computer lab in GBB 209 has new hours. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The lab is closed on Saturdays and holidays.
For the convenience of SoBA students, the lab is now self-service....
Empowering Professionals
Jakki Mohr, Regents Professor of Marketing and Gallagher Distinguished Faculty Fellow, talks about what sets the University of Montana's School of Business Administration apart. With opportunities for students to learn from experienced business executives and collaborate with disciplines across...
Welcome to Our 2016-17 Graduate Assistants
Welcome to our 2016-17 graduate assistants! They are David Brewer, Bryn Christopher, Xiaoning Cui, Hannah Doerner, Tatum Hoehn, Tyler Leslie, Madisen Overholtzer, Olga Voevodina, Emily Weaver, Miles Wetzel and Jessica Wyrick.
Study Abroad in Romania
This is a faculty-led, intensive, two-week summer school program on international business in a unique setting: Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, Romania. The program is designed to expose students to the realities of conducting business in an international environment. Learn more at the info...
SoBA Intern Works for Ketchum's Sustainability and Social Impact Practice in NYC
Tessa Feemster, a junior majoring in marketing, spent the summer in New York City as a fellow with global PR firm Ketchum. Feemster was one of 15 fellows, out of 1,000 applicants, at the New York office. She worked for Ketchum's Sustainability and Social Impact (SSI) practice with clients such...
Music Industry Executives to Mentor UM Students, Help Start Record Label
When Blind Melon's "No Rain" came out in 1992, some people in the music industry thought songwriter Brad Smith was "an overnight success."
That fast timeline was news to Smith, who visited the University of Montana this week for the entertainment management program at the School of Business...
Save the Dates!
Dean Chris Shook looks foward to meeting SoBA alumni and friends for jambalaya and cold drinks prior to each University of Montana Grizzlies home game. We are located between the Washington-Grizzly Stadium and the Clark Fork River in Tailgate Space #13.
2016 Tailgate Schedule
9/3 Saint Francis...
New Faces at SoBA
Christopher Shook, Dean
Chris most recently served as Russell Professor of Management in the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University and previously served as chair of Auburn’s Department of Management. He also has served as the director of Auburn’s Central and Eastern European Studies...
SoBA Accounting, MAcct Alumna Wins Practitioner Excellence Award for Finance
SoBA alumna Beth Atherton recently won InsideNGO's Practitioner Excellence Award for Finance for her work as finance director at Nuru International, a non-governmental organization that works to end global poverty.
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Atherton earned her bachelor’s in business and...
Explore New Zealand and Australia This Wintersession
Join us during wintersession as we explore the outstanding landscapes and generous peoples of New Zealand and visit the thriving commercial center of Sydney, Australia. Info sessions for the New Zealand-Australia study abroad start next week: Sept. 6, 7, and 8 at 4 p.m. in GBB 119.
Welcome, Class of 2020 and Returning Students
We'd like to offer a warm welcome to all the new students in the class of 2020 as well as all of our returning students. Please plan to attend Academic Convocation on the Oval Wed., Aug. 31, at 8:30 p.m. and WelcomeFeast on Fri., Sept. 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Take a look at the other
Spend 10 Days in Japan This Fall
Applications due Sept. 9! Travel dates are Oct. 31-Nov. 8, 2016. Q&A on Wed., Aug. 31 from 12-1 p.m. in the Mansfield Center, Mansfield Library 4th floor. This program provides students with the opportunity to travel abroad and learn more about Japan at a very limited cost. The majority of...
Justin Angle on MTNPR: Yellowstone River Fish Kill Challenges Montana's Image Of Unspoiled Nature
Angle says Montana taking on the brand of a last best place in the West means some wildness is expected. Things are going to happen that no one can predict, and Angle says the brand should embrace that, with nuance, telling that story while keeping the positive associations of the landscape.
SoBA Graduation and Major Applications Due Sept. 23
Plan ahead for Spring 2017! SoBA graduation and major applications are due on Sept. 23. Please see Moodle or the SoBA Advising website to submit your application. Contact SoBA advising at sobaadvising@business.umt.edu or 406-243-5971 with any questions.
Alumna Turns Capstone Marketing Project into Plunger Business
A voracious fan of Rocky Mountain big dumps, alpine skier Kelly McBroom has dropped into more bowls than anyone in the Bow Valley. Now, she's turning her excitement over double entendres into a business with the creation of Big Dump Plungers.
SoBA IT Overhauls Systems Before New Academic Year
The School of Business Administration (SoBA) IT staff work to meet the changing needs of staff and faculty and to deliver the best in-classroom and online experiences for students.
In preparation for the new academic year, IT Director Eric Tangedahl and Systems Administrator Thomas Crane are...
MBA Student Creates Fundraiser to Provide Hay for Horses Displaced by Roaring Lion Fire
The entire Bitterroot Valley community was affected by the Roaring Lion fire near Hamilton. Numerous structures were destroyed, and over 500 homes were evacuated. As a result, an overwhelming number of horses needed food and shelter.
School of Business Administration MBA student Miles Wetzel...
Summer 2016 Internductions: Jenae White
Jenae White is a business major with minors in communication studies and biology. In this blog post, White shares a bit about herself and her experience as an assurance intern at Moss Adams San Francisco office this summer.
SoBA Graduate Derek Duncan Helps Market Team USA for the Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games are underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and millions of people around the world are watching with bated breath. Derek Duncan, a 2009 University of Montana marketing graduate, is among those excitedly following the events.
As fans cheer on Team USA as they strive for gold...
UMEM Alumnus Michael Gill Brings Plus One Music Festival to Missoula
Michael Gill, a University of Montana Entertainment Management alumnus, is bringing a music festival to Missoula this September.
Gill is a Montana native who now lives and works as the talent buyer for the Central Saloon in Seattle, Washington. After years in the music industry, both in Montana...
Mo Club purchased by former Griz standout, NFL player Colt Anderson (MIS '09)
On July 28, former University of Montana Grizzlies MVP and 2009 MIS graduate Colt Anderson flew to upstate New York for NFL training camp, where he is again looking to earn a roster spot for the upcoming season, this time with the Buffalo Bills. Before his offseason in Montana ended, though,...
Awards Celebrate Classroom Excellence
Last winter, Pacific Coast Banking School (PCBS) established the Pacific Coast Banking School Outstanding Faculty Award at the School of Business Administration. It’s the kind of award that doesn’t come along too often – one where the winners are chosen by students. Five faculty members with...
SoBA Alumnus Mike Manhardt Becomes New MMEC Business Adviser
Michael Manhardt joined the staff of MSU's Montana Manufacturing Extension Center and will have an office with the UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. BBER Director Patrick Barkey said, “It’s great to be hosting Mike and MMEC in BBER. There is an excellent fit and long relationship...
Christopher Shook, PhD, Named New Dean of the Business School
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Christopher Shook joined the University of Montana as Dean of the School of Business Administration (SoBA) on July 18.
Dr. Shook most recently served as Russell Professor of Management in the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University and previously...
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Internship
Entertainment Management is a proud sponsor of Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, which will host its 14th annual festival in February 2017. The festival draws an audience of 20,000 and provides a week of filmmaking, networking and screening of documentary films in conjunction with community...
2016 John Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge to Take Place May 5
For the past 27 years, a group of young entrepreneurs has gathered in the spring at the University of Montana in Missoula to showcase their business ideas.
