College of Business - Student Stories

Online learning: Q&A with the director of digital marketing programs

April 8, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

Samantha Gibson, an instructor and director of digital marketing programs in the Department of Marketing, has over 20 years experience in business, including holding several

BELIEF members place 2nd in their division at national case competition

April 3, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Students

Alison Kramer and Sahar Baig, two members of the student organization Leaders in Ethics and Academic Discipline (LEAD), won second place in their division at

NIU Business among nation’s elite for each year of the Poets&Quants for Undergrads ranking

April 1, 2020 michelledejean CoB

79th best b-school overall and 3rd for b-schools with the most U.S. minorities For the third year running, the NIU College of Business is among an elite group in the Poets&Quants for Undergrads ranking of the

Empathy in organizations: Q&A with the Barsema Professor of Social Entrepreneurship

March 26, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Martin Luther King, Jr. Christine Mooney, the Barsema Professor of Social Entrepreneurship, earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University (2005).

Continuing to learn

March 23, 2020 COBTech CoB

As the world faces the challenge of a lifetime in the spread of COVID-19, our community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends is ready

We are here for you: Special message from Dean Rajagopalan to NIU Business students about COVID-19

March 20, 2020 michelledejean CoB, MBA Blog, Students

Dear NIU College of Business Students, The NIU College of Business community shares your deep disappointment with the disruption in every aspect of your lives

How your brand can shine during the pandemic – marketing professor’s research in ADWEEK

March 17, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

Assistant marketing professor Elina Tang’s co-authored piece on brand management in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, was published in the March 16th issue

HEAT talks expose students to unique ethical dilemmas

March 17, 2020 COBTech Alumni, CoB, Students

Huskie Ethics Awareness Talks (HEAT) are organized and presented by the Leaders in Ethics and Academic Discipline (LEAD) student organization several times each semester. The

Students of NIU Business: Olivia Elliot

March 16, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Students

Hometown: Waterman Year: Junior Major: Business Administration What do you like most about NIU? I love all the people that I’ve met. I’ve made some really great friends

Igniting Students’ Professional Resumes

March 14, 2020 COBTech CoB, Hiring, Students

Launched in fall 2018, IGNITE! connects students to local companies, start-ups and non-profit organizations for paid, professional positions during the academic year. IGNITE! students work up

Students of NIU Business: Frank Acheampong

March 13, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Students

Hometown: DeKalb, IL Major: Operations Management and Information Systems major Transfer From: Harper College What is your major, and why did you choose your field of study? My major

Connecting Students to Opportunities, Everyday

March 13, 2020 COBTech CoB, Hiring, Students

Barsema Hall Meet and Greet Tables give students the opportunity to meet firm representatives and learn about companies and opportunities in a casual environment. They

CREXi, founded by NIU Business alumni, raises $30MM in funding

February 11, 2020 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

NIU Business alumni and CREXi founders — Mike DeGiorgio (B.S. marketing ’10) and Erek Benz (B.S. marketing ’08) — were covered in TechCrunch for raising

NIU Business management alumna Deb Brucker appointed VP of American Express

February 7, 2020 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

Deb Brucker (B.S. management) is Vice President of Design & Value Generation Learning for American Express. Brucker was appointed to this role when she joined

NIU Business accountancy alumnus Terry Jiminez appointed CEO of Tribune Publishing

February 4, 2020 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

NIU College of Business accountancy alumnus Terry Jimenez has been tapped to serve as the new CEO of Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the

Students of NIU Business: Abby Price

January 24, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Students

NIU helped Abby transfer, and now she’s accomplished more than she ever imagined. Abby Price is a recent NIU Business graduate who plans to continue her

Media coverage: ‘Frugal’ NIU Professor Examines Entrepreneurs

January 23, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

NIU Business assistant professor Tim Michaelis’s research on trait frugality and entrepreneurship is being covered in media outlets, including NPR. We’ve reposted the NPR writeup

9 tips for building wealth

January 21, 2020 michelledejean CoB

Reposted from the Lawndale News. This editorial ran on January 16, 2020 and was written by NIU Business associate professor of management Tim Michaelis, who

Students of NIU Business: Grace Piotrowski

January 17, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Students

Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL Year: Expected graduation: May 2020 Major: Accountancy Are you attending NIU on any scholarships? NIU Scholars Scholarship, Crocker Endowed Scholarship in Business. What is your

Innovative faculty research: frugality and entrepreneurship

January 16, 2020 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

It wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate to say that Tim Michaelis, assistant professor of entreprenuership at NIU Business, can squeeze two dimes out of nickel. An

From NIU Huskie to Google Noogler

January 14, 2020 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

Not everyone can claim to be a Noogler (a new hire at Google), but recent grad Priyanka Gollamudi (MIS 2018) can. She reached out to

Young alumnus of NIU Business: Zohra Firdose

December 20, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

When Zohra Firdose transferred to NIU in 2017, she was, by her own description, uncertain and lacking in confidence. Despite her trepidation, she set a

NIU Business student Matt Baker’s light display draws thousands

December 20, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

Northern Illinois University business freshman Matt Baker says he simply likes to bring “a bit of magic” to the holidays. His bit of magic involves

Alumnus Dean DuCray receives NIU honorary doctorate

December 17, 2019 COBTech Alumni, CoB

Alumnus Dean DuCray (B.S. 1964 ACCY and pictured far right) received an honorary doctorate at the NIU graduate commencement ceremony on December 14. DuCray’s journey

Students of NIU Business: Zayra Estupinan

December 11, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

From time to time, we’ll share profiles of some of the wonderful students of NIU Business. Meet OM&IS major Zayra Estupinan. Hometown: Carpentersville, IL Major: Operations Management

New LinkedIn training and career check-ups for students

November 22, 2019 michelledejean Students

NIU Career Services is dedicated to making a positive impact on NIU students by offering a strong foundation for career development success. As the gateway

International Education Week guest speaker Eric Tagliere, SVP and CTO of Marriott

November 13, 2019 michelledejean CoB

International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, begins this year on November 18th.

Students of NIU Business: Miguel San Juan

October 29, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

From time to time, we’ll share profiles of some of the wonderful students of NIU Business. Meet accountancy major Miguel San Juan. Hometown: St. Charles, IL

NIU Business welcomes Daewoo Park, newly appointed associate dean

October 17, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

For Daewoo Park, innovation can be rooted in the past – if only because his unfailing belief in the importance of breaking new ground spans

#HuskiePride expands with new sculpture

October 16, 2019 michelledejean CoB

A new landmark debuted in early October on the campus of Northern Illinois University, as President Lisa Freeman and benefactors Dennis and Stacey Barsema unveiled

NIU #DigitalHuskies compete at AMA conference

October 10, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

This year’s annual American Marketing Association (AMA) conference was dedicated to teaching students about how Gen Z is going to transform the business world, and

Healthcare, the digital revolution, wearables

October 8, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

Assistant marketing professor Elina Tang’s co-authored piece on healthcare and the digital revolution was published in the October 7th issue of Adweek magazine. Tang’s co-author

Master of Science in Financial Risk Management launches in Shenzhen, China

September 26, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

Representatives from the Northern Illinois University College of Business, in their commitment to cross global boundaries, traveled to Shenzhen in East Asia for the launch

BELIEF Week fall 2019 speaker series

September 25, 2019 michelledejean CoB

On October 7-11, the NIU College of Business will hold its fall semester BELIEF Week. BELIEF is the name of the applied business ethics program

Is there life on Mars: NASA, Moon to Mars, and teams

September 20, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

Suzanne Bell, PhD, senior scientist at KBR/NASA Johnson Space Center, will visit the NIU College of Business to deliver a guest presentation for the Department

Accountancy alumnus named CFO of Spectrum Brands Holdings

September 10, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

Jeremy Smeltser, outstanding NIU accountancy alumnus, is named Executive Vice President and CFO of Spectrum Brands Holdings September 09, 2019 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time.

Alumni success story – NIU Football Coach Thomas Hammock

September 6, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

Thomas Hammock, a former Huskie player and assistant coach, has returned home as the 23rd head coach in the history of the Northern Illinois University

NIU Business alumna named 2019 NELC Fellow.

August 23, 2019 COBTech Alumni, CoB

Danielle Harris, ’13, has always had a penchant for overachieving, but even she is surprised by the strides she has made in the world of

A well-traveled alumnus’s path to the import-export food industry.

August 22, 2019 COBTech Alumni, CoB

Known globally as a powerhouse in the import-export food industry, Jerry Allison exemplifies the qualities of a Huskie: smart, driven, and innovative — representing Northern

Global learning; global reach. Reflections from an MBA student.

August 22, 2019 COBTech CoB, Students

Like many NIU students, Devin McDonough (2017 B.S. ACCY; Global MBA 2019) never traveled outside the U.S. That is, until he came to NIU. The

Dean’s update

August 22, 2019 COBTech CoB

We are excited about the promise of this year’s new additions to the Huskie alumni family who crossed boundaries of various kinds to transform their

NIU accountancy major wins PCAOB Scholarship.

August 20, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

NIU accountancy major Chad Young was named a PCAOB Scholar by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Young is one of only 207 accounting students

Micro-internship initiative brings huge opportunities.

July 25, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

“Crossing the boundaries from the classroom to real world problem solving is in our DNA,” Balaji Rajagopalan, dean of the NIU College of Business, told

Cross global boundaries: IBS program.

July 3, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

In the Age of the Interconnected Global Economy, opportunities to cross global boundaries at NIU Business are many and varied. Currently, the college welcomes students

Executive MBA launches in Nanjing, China.

June 28, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

On June 16, 2019, the Northern Illinois University College of Business crossed global boundaries in East Asia by announcing the launch of its Executive MBA

Freshly-minted alumna of NIU Business: Cordnei Gibson.

June 4, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB, Students

From time to time, we’ll profile some of the wonderful students and even young alumni of NIU Business. Meet Cordnei Gibson, who graduated in May

Scandinavian Study Abroad 2020 announced

May 24, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

Next spring, a group of Northern Illinois University students will have a chance to study in Sweden. The school will be offering a 10 day

Accountancy alumnus Richard Haas named Office Depot CAO

May 21, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP), a leading B2B integrated distribution company providing business services and supplies, products and technology solutions, today announced the appointment of Richard

Young alumnus of NIU Business ~ Eduardo Rodriguez

May 21, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB, Students

At age 16, Eduardo Rodriguez, of Elgin, watched as his parents (who came to America from Mexico 30 years ago) lost their home. He vowed

Marketing Professor on ‘Ask the Experts’

May 7, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

WalletHub featured Mark Groza, NIU Associate Professor of Marketing, for its most recent “Ask the Experts” segment. We’ve reposted that Q&A here: Why would a

NIU Accountancy hosted MAC Accounting Research Symposium & Accounting Analytics Competition

April 18, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Faculty, Students

On April 5th-6th, NIU Accountancy welcomed faculty representatives from nine Mid-American Conference (MAC) schools who arrived on campus to attend NIU’s 2019 MAC Accounting Research

Students of NIU Business

April 15, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

From time to time, we’ll share profiles of some of the wonderful students of NIU Business. Meet marketing major Justin Wilson! Hometown: Dixon Major: Marketing major Are

NIU Business Olympics news coverage

April 12, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

The Journal & Topics ran a story on Maine East student teams that won the Investment Association Valuation Challenge of the NIU Business Olympics event.

Accountancy alumnus joins NIU as controller

April 11, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

An NIU alum is bringing his talents back to campus to oversee accounting and financial reporting and to ensure the university is in compliance with

Four accountancy majors selected for AICPA leadership workshop

April 10, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

NIU Accountancy majors Hend Alkarzon, Chad Young, Cammi Krause, and Jordan Arcilla were selected by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) to participate in the

Alumna Erica O’Malley to receive the NIU Alumni Achievement in Business and Industry Award

April 8, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

Erica O’Malley credits her career success to employers’ willingness to let her put her family first. The winner of the Alumni Achievement in Business and

A little networking can go a long way

April 1, 2019 COBTech CoB, MBA Blog

What’s good and different about the NIU MBA program are all the tools and skills we’ve been provided to expand our professional footprint. Examples include

The future is here: Humans. Robots. Hubots.

March 28, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

As part of the college’s partnership with WorldChicago, NIU Business Dean Balaji Rajagopalan traveled with a delegation to the Varazdin National Theatre in Croatia for

Students of NIU Business

March 21, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

From time to time, we’ll profile some of the wonderful students of NIU Business. Meet accountancy major Fan Hu! Hometown: Hefei, Anhui Province, China Major: Accountancy Graduation

Cross boundaries to innovation: 2019 NIU Business magazine

March 19, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB, Faculty, Students

The recently released 2019 NIU Business magazine contains stories about innovation. One describes what NIU Business students learned after attending a Second City workshop. Another

NIU APICS student chapter wins 1st place…again

March 11, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

The NIU APICS student chapter in the College of Business won first place for the second consecutive year at the APICS Case Competition. APICS is

Barsema’s Closet – Northwest Herald media story

March 11, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

“Helping students dress to succeed” tells the story of bringing ideas to life. This Northwest Herald article showcases NIU Business majors Emma Stettner and Cordnei

Research spotlight on reliability statistics

March 6, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

Faculty research: “Meta-Analysis of Coefficient Alpha: A Reliability Generalization Study.” Published in Journal of Management Studies. NIU Business author: Assistant Professor of Management Bethany Cockburn. Additional

NIU Business Olympics returns on April 6th

February 28, 2019 michelledejean CoB

High school students and community college students have the opportunity to go for the gold during the NIU Business Olympics set for April 6 at

NIU Business student competes on The Titan Games

February 12, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

To those working out beside him at the Student Recreation Center, Covenant “Covie” Falana is just another NIU student. More than 100,000 people throughout the

Barsema’s Closet: dress for the job you want

February 7, 2019 michelledejean CoB, Students

Emma Stettner and Cordnei Gibson are helping fellow NIU Huskies dress for success. The NIU College of Business students are the co-founders of Barsema’s Closet, a new

A high flying idea from an NIU alumna

January 4, 2019 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

NIU OM&IS alumna Suzanne El-Moursi had a high flying idea that’s taken off. So much so, Crain’s Chicago Business ran a story on her fourth

NIU Business ranks among the very best … again

December 14, 2018 michelledejean CoB

The NIU College of Business continues to be ranked among an exclusive group of the best undergraduate business schools in the country. The latest ranking

Sales on Wheels 2018

December 7, 2018 michelledejean CoB, Students

Seventeen NIU Professional Sales Students will hit the road on a Huskie bus next Sunday, December 16th to jump-start their sales career. This intersession class

A partnership for heroic change

December 4, 2018 michelledejean Alumni, CoB

The NIU College of Business has entered into a partnership with Chicago-based incubator MATTER . The entity was established in 2015 and focuses on creating heroic change

Social entrepreneur Somya Munjal

November 27, 2018 michelledejean Alumni

NIU Business alumna and social entrepreneur Somya Munjal is included in a recent Crain’s Chicago Business story entitled “Social impact businesses don’t get much venture

Alumni Success Story: Brent Brodeski, CEO of Savant Capital Management

October 16, 2018 COBTech Alumni, CoB

Savant Capital Management, a nationally-recognized, fee-only wealth management firm headquartered in Rockford, has been ranked by Barron’s in its list of Top 40 Registered Investment

Cross Global Boundaries: China

October 11, 2018 michelledejean CoB, Students

On October 11th, the second installation of “Global Thursday” happens. This time, Lei , who is a NIU Global MBA student, will make a presentation about her

Cross Global Boundaries: Colombia

October 11, 2018 michelledejean CoB, Students

“Global Thursday” is a new, ongoing event at NIU Business, where students from around the world make a presentation about their home country. Juli, who

Citizen diplomacy: NIU Business partners with WorldChicago

October 9, 2018 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

WorldChicago, NIU Business and citizen diplomacy. WorldChicago officially welcomed Balaji Rajagopalan, dean of the NIU College of Business, onto its board of directors. WorldChicago is

NIU Accountancy professor quoted in MarketWatch on JOBS Act

October 3, 2018 michelledejean CoB, Faculty

Assistant accountancy professor Aleksandra B. Zimmerman‘s expertise on the Security Exchange Commission and the JOBS Act disclosure exemptions were included in a recent MarketWatch article.