Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and News Briefs 2/7/18

In this issue we celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff in biological sciences, business, English, and fashion merchandising and design. We also share updated Undergraduate Research Program deadlines.

Assistant Professor of Fashion Merchandising & Design Ali Howell attended the National Retail Federation (NRF) in New York City, January 12 – 15 with Fashion Merchandising and Design students Allison High, Marie Johnson, and Patricia Kalevas. (See article for more information on the students’ experiences at the NRF Expo).

Instructor of English Jason Newport gave a featured presentation called “Finding Family” for the Kappa Nu Sigma Ceremony for Induction, in Jones Chapel on January 25. The presentation was about Newport’s Fulbright research findings and how to maximize opportunities to connect academic endeavors with personal interests.

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Maria Pickering is featured in the newest episode of The Meredith Minute. In the video, “What’s in a Scientific Name?,” Pickering explains the purpose of scientific names, how animals get their scientific names, and why these names matter. The Meredith Minute is a project of Meredith Marketing and Academic Programs. Watch The Meredith Minute on Meredith’s You Tube channel.

School of Business faculty Bing Yu, Mary Jane Lenard, and Anne York, and Shengxiong Wu of Texas Wesleyan University recently published “Female Leadership in Banking and Bank Risk” in the Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies Journal, vol 21 #3.

The team shared the following summary of their research results: “The objective of our study is to examine the role of gender diversity on the variability of bank performance, both in the executive suite and in the boardroom. We examine a sample of banks from the time period of 2003-2011 and measure bank risk as the variability of stock market return. This time period includes the enactment of the SOX legislation and the global financial crisis. Our findings support the assertion that not all women have the same risk preferences in every situation. As the percentage of women executives increases, the variability of bank performance increases. Similarly, as the percentage of women on the board of directors increases, the variability of bank performance increases. Yet when the percentage of women on the audit committee and corporate governance committee increases, the variability of bank performance decreases. Further, for women in all the positions, bank risk decreases during the financial crisis. Our findings also support the “reputation hypothesis” regarding board busyness (Chandar et al., 2012; Fama and Jensen, 1983). As the percentage of both women and men on multiple committees in our sample increases, the variability of bank performance decreases.”

Undergraduate Research Deadlines
Please see the upcoming deadlines for submissions to Undergraduate Research.  Especially note the dates previously published on UR web spaces have been changed for the Halsch Endowment & duPont Summer Research applications from students.

Halsch Endowment Summer Research Applications and duPont Interdisciplinary Summer Research Applications: BOTH due on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 by 5 p.m.  Please note that the duPont interdisciplinary applications that are not successful may “roll over” to the Halsch group of applications if faculty and students so desire.

In addition, as you communicate with your students about CSA Day please keep in mind the following deadlines:

• Abstract Writing Workshops: February 5 & 14, 10 a.m., Lux 107
• Abstract Submission Period: February 21 – 28 by 5 p.m.
• Abstract Approval Notification: Monday, March 12 by 5 p.m.
• All Abstract Revisions Due: Tuesday, March 13 by 5 p.m.
• Presentation Title Slide Due: Wednesday, March 28 by 5 p.m.
• Full Presentation Due: Thursday, April 5 by 5 p.m.
• Last Day to Submit Presentation Edits: Tuesday, April 10 by Noon

— Submitted by the Undergraduate Research Program