All-America Student Analyst Competition a Success for Students in Finance 470 Trading Class

 

Student Analysts battled a bull market in the 2nd annual All-America Student Analyst Competition

 

In its second year, the All-America Student Analyst Competition pitted undergraduate and graduate students from all over the U.S. against one another in the hunt for investment returns using a professional-style trading engine. More than 2,100 students from 81 schools participated in the competition, which is supported by ALPHASEAL®, a software platform developed by Stamford, Connecticut–based Mark My Media.

The platform measures the daily performance of participants’ portfolios, calculating six investment factors – net benchmark outperformance, volatility, balance sheet impact, net exposure impact, long alpha and short alpha – employing the Russell 3000 Index as its benchmark. Three times as many students competed than did in the inaugural year, with more than double the number of participating schools.

The competition was part of Finance Professor Osman Kilic’s Finance 470 Trading Strategies class in the Fall 2013 semester. All 25 students competed in the AlphaSeal trading competition. Congratulations to Marissa Conde (48th Place) and Zachary Tolkinen (49th Place). All of the 25 QU attendees performed well.

The article and complete results of all ranked schools and students are available here: www.institutionalinvestor.com/STUDENTCOMP

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CIS Student receives scholarship from Apple; Will be attending Apple’s Worldwide Conference

 

Anthony Geranio will be attending Apple’s 2014 WWDC, after receiving scholarship.

Anthony Geranio, a CIS major in the School of Business, won a WWDC 2014 Student Scholarship from the Apple Corporation. The scholarship is an invitation to the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is considered to be one of the premier events for Apple application developers.

To apply, Anthony had to create an app showcasing projects he has worked on, including his educational goals and technical skills.They awarded 200 of these this year, but had over 2,000 applicants.

To see more information on the scholarship, please visit this link: https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/students/

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“People Helping People”: QU Senior launches inspiring crowdfunding campaign for South African classroom

Vaatjie Primary School is located in Atlantis, a province approximately 30 minutes outside of Cape Town city center.

Andrew Larkins, a senior studying Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac University,  has launched a crowdfunding campaign based on South Africa. The campaign is founded upon the guiding principle of the Tippy Toes Foundation.  That principle is the power of People Helping People. One of the foundation’s current goals is to raise $12,000 to build a new classroom for the 7th grade students at Vaatjie Primary School in Cape Town, South Africa. Andrew and other fellow students in Entrepreneurship and Small Business management are part of the endeavor.

Andrew is one of 12 Quinnipiac students who participated in an alternative winter break trip in Cape Town, South Africa in January 2014. The group of Quinnipiac students worked with the Tippy Toes Foundation to conduct a week long holiday camp for the students at Vaatjie Primary School. The camp included soccer and dance activities, but also focused on reinforcing the importance of education for the students because school is their best opportunity for a better future. An excerpt from Andrew’s journal about his experience after the first day of camp reads:

“The children stole my heart as soon as we arrived at the Vaatjie School. My stomach dropped; I was immediately touched. Their smiles and giggles were contagious. I was in one of the most impoverished regions that I have ever been to, and I could not have been happier. This was the true meaning of happiness: People Helping People.”

When Andrew returned from the trip, he felt obligated to continue his support to the students. Teaming up with four of his fellow Entrepreneurship classmates at Quinnipiac, they decided to brainstorm and figure out a way they could continue their outreach to Vaatjie. After skyping with Tamarin, the founder of Tippy Toes, she quickly replied to them with her proposal. Tamarin, in collaboration with the Vaatjie Principal, identified a new classroom as the biggest need. The team is confident that they can meet their goal and provided the 7th grade studenents in Vaatjie Primary School with a much needed classroom space.  For further information, please follow the link below:

The link to the Indiegogo page: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/people-helping-people–24#home

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QU Alumni, Jason A. Souza, Joins The Bulfinch Group as Financial Representative

Jason A. Souza, Quinnipiac Alumnus

The Bulfinch Group just announced that Jason Souza of West Warwick, Rhode Island has become affiliated with the firm. Headquartered in Needham, MA with offices throughout New England, The Bulfinch Group is a financial services firm helping individuals, families and businesses build and preserve wealth.

Jason earned his BS in International Business and a minor in Spanish from Quinnipiac University, and has also traveled to Ireland and Spain. Jason is a member of the Toastmasters International and the Estate Planning Council. As an alumni of Hendricken High School, class of 1995, Jason is an active member of the Junior Achievement Program, educating middle and high school students on the importance of higher education and the understanding of financial competence and business concepts.

“We are pleased to have Jason join our organization,” explains Bulfinch Group President, Seth Medalie. “Jason brings a wealth of knowledge, regarding the complexities of business development and wealth protection to his new post. He will be a tremendous addition to The Bulfinch Group and a remarkable asset to his clients.”

 

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International Business Students Present Research at Sigma Xi Conference

International Business Student Yesim Memis

Three international business undergraduate students presented their research at Quinnipiac University’s 2014 Sigma Xi Graduate and Undergraduate Student Poster Conference.

Sigma Xi is an international, multidisciplinary research society whose programs and activities promote the health of the scientific enterprise and honor scientific achievement. There are nearly 60,000 Sigma Xi members in more than 100 countries around the world. Sigma Xi chapters, more than 500 total, can be found at colleges and universities, industrial research centers and government laboratories. The Society endeavors to encourage support of original work across the spectrum of science and technology and to promote an appreciation within society at large for the role research has played in human progress.

Yesim Memis’ research poster entitled “Effect of Culture, Infant Mortality Rate and Corruption on Economic Development” examined the national cultural dimensions of individuality and power distance along with the healthcare indicator, infant mortality, and government corruption in 91 countries. Her findings indicated that, while all four variables examined can significantly impact the economic development of a country, corruption had the most significant impact.

Christine Little and Alyssa Thomas’ poster entitled “Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility Between the United States and South Korea” examined the perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in university students in the U.S. and South Korea. They found that although there were some differences between countries, the subjects of both countries responded favorably to CSR. fThe team’s findings indicated that CSR performance was necessary, considered it when purchasing and searching for employment, as well as found it important for industries to comply with CSR standards.

 

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Quinnipiac Business Mentorship Program very successful and continuously growing

Student mentee “speed-networking” with mentors.

The Quinnipiac School of Business Mentorship Program, lead by Grace Peiffer, Director of Employer Relations, held their annual Networking Event at the Rocky Top Student Center.

The mentors and mentees took part in a “speed networking” session, in which the mentors answered a series of questions aimed to help the mentees gather a better perspective on their careers. Each mentor gave their own account of their careers and how the decisions that they made impacted their success. 

The Ambassadors of the 2013-2014 Program set up the mentees to learn different key factors for success, such as patience and persistence. The younger mentors, who have had experience in searching for jobs in the current market, resonated the same advice that the older mentors had, showing that many of the same traditional factors are still relevant today. After the speed networking session, everyone shared a meal.  As Ambassadors to the program, many have gone through this networking event previously, and this year it was unanimously claimed to be better. As Grace stated, “It’s safe to say that this program will only grow exponentially, as the mentors and mentees for each year have had great experiences and received career advice that could only be experienced through years of being in the field.”

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The Second Annual Connecting Women Breakfast Forum a Success

The Second Annual Connecting Women Breakfast Forum was held before spring break. The forum, which was sponsored by the School of Business, the School of Business Advisory Board, BWISE and QWMBA, focused on the theme of “Building Your Network.” Participants included professional guests, members of the steering committee, professors, and students—including some recent alumni. Professor Judy Gedge, who teaches business law at QU, moderated the event and Sharon Porter, analytics manager at Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, was the Forum Committee Chair.

Women gathered at 8:00 AM for coffee, breakfast and conversation before the more formal events of the morning began. Students, professionals, and professors took turns in a round-robin discussion, responding to questions such as “How do I get started networking?” and “Where should I network?” All participants then switched tables to network with other members at the event, discussing questions such as “What is a good length of time to talk to the professional?” and “When should I give my resume versus my business card?”

In proper networking format, the morning concluded with another shift of tables. A final exchange was made with new professionals, who responded to the question “What are the benefits of social media and how should it be used?” Overall, the attendees unanimously benefitted from the event. If you are interested in learning more about Quinnipiac Women MBAs please visit them on Facebook at QWMBA.

For more information about women in business careers and networking opportunities please contact Grace Peiffer, Director of Employer Relations: Grace.Peiffer@quinnipiac.edu.

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Students gather at Google

Group of QU students gathers at the front desk during their visit to Google in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

On Thursday, March 27^th, Dimitri Restaino, a major in Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management, and a small group of other QU students were given the opportunity to visit Google in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Accompanied by Grace Peiffer, Director of Employee Relations, the students had the opportunity to meet with Steven Geller, a QU alumnus currently working at Google. Dimitri explained that, like all the QU alumni he had been introduced to on this occassion, Mr. Geller was welcoming and knowledgeable about what it takes to be successful in business. Dmitri explained that, “It is always pleasant when students are able to see welcoming and hospitable QU alumni in a major business environment.”

 While on a tour of the premises, students were able to meet some of the employees and chat with them. The students were also given time to network with everyone attending the event and meet members from the QU Boston alumni chapter. Students left the event filled day with new contacts and a better sense of how Google does business–especially on site.  As Dimitri noted, from the private nap stations, to the fully stocked kitchens on every floor, the design was impressive.

“All in all, this was both a very beneficial and eye-opening experience for me as a second semester senior looking to enter the real world soon,” Dimitri stated, including that “…this was all possible due to the partnership between the Office of Development & Alumni Affairs and the School of Business Career Office.” 

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Undergraduate students and professor present research at Northeast Decision Sciences Institute

Six international business undergraduate students and their professor, Dr. Robert Engle, presented research papers at the Northeast Decision Sciences Institute 2014 Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA. All papers were also accepted for publication in the conference proceedings.

Alyssa Thomas and Christine Little’s paper, Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility Between the United States and South Korea, explores the difference of CSR perceptions among university students in the United States and students in South Korea. The paper is a discovery of how the subjects of each country view importance of CSR in various settings and experiences.

Briana Nash and Marcin Mazurek’s paper, The Role of Cultural Dimensions on Economic Development, examines the relationship of two major cultural dimensions: power distance and individualism. Their paper also explores the economic freedom and development of 70 geographic regions over a 30 year period.

Lisa Alessandrello and Tatiana Shams Costa’s paper, Behavioral Cultural Intelligence: The Influence of Multicultural Interaction, Time Spent in Foreign Countries, and Language Skills, looks at the relationship that multicultural interaction, language skills, and total time spent in foreign countries have on a subject’s behavioral cultural intelligence.

Robert Engle, professor of international business, presented a paper entitled The Impact of Cultural Intelligence on Problem Solving Performance. The topic is about the degree to which the four dimensions of cultural intelligence impact a subject’s ability to successfully solve a cross-cultural problem. He also presented a paper with a colleague from Widener University, The Antecedents of Cross-cultural Stress in Short-term International Assignments.

The conference provided an opportunity for students to join with faculty from QU and other institutions at a site for collective intellectual exchange.  Congratulations to all.

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Long-term Care (LTC) certificate benefits those it touches

Pamela Shepperd is starting her career in long-term care exceptionally well.

Quinnipiac University alumni, Pamela Shepperd, completed her Long-Term Care (LTC) Certificate program in 2013. It took 15 months to complete the program and she passed the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) in December 2013. After earning her Master of Social Work (MSW) at Fordham University, she decided to pursue long-term care. Pam has also succeeded in becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Nursing Home Administrator (NHA).

She has been a social worker at her company, Hancock Hall & Filosa in Danbury, CT, for three years. Pam was sponsored by her company to complete the LTC Administration program and continue working for the third-generation run organization. In January 2014, Pam was promoted to Director of Social Services at Hancock Hall and Filosa. She is now responsible for managing the social services needs of both Filosa facilities, and she has taken on Administrative responsibilities including monitoring managed care cases.

The LTC Certificate allowed Pam to continue the hands-on social work that she loves, while advancing at a company for which she has much faith in. When asked about why Pam chose Quinnipiac, she explained that it was “for [Quinnipiac’s] strong reputation, ease and convenience of classes, and fulfillment of her longtime dream to attend Quinnipiac.”

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