At the commencement liturgy on Friday, Most Rev. Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws.

On Saturday, May 11, undergraduate students received their degrees at two separate ceremonies in the Gallagher Center. Nikolas Wallenda, the world-renowned daredevil who triumphantly crossed Niagara Falls on a two-inch steel wire last June, delivered the commencement address to Niagara’s colleges of Business Administration and Hospitality and Tourism Management at the morning event. He and John P. Rumschik, ’77, president and chief operating officer of M&T Insurance Agency Inc., received honorary degrees.

That afternoon, Niagara’s colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education heard from Father Levesque, who was presented with the university’s prestigious Medal of Honor in light of his numerous contributions to Niagara University and the surrounding communities.

Also at the ceremonies, NU alumnus Sen. George Maziarz,’76, received the St. Vincent De Paul Award for his “vision, accomplishments, and good works (that) reflect the life and ministry of St. Vincent de Paul.”

You can listen to all three commencement addresses here and see photo galleries here.

View the Global Top 100 lists for that week.

The project was part of the students’ work for a MGT 691 course (Business Research, Strategy and Planning) taught by Dr. Stephen Mayer, assistant professor of management.

The purpose of the game is to give students an opportunity to make real-world business decisions and to see the results of those decisions. Over the last 12 months, the Business Strategy Game has been playedby 45, 979 students in 2,495 classes/sections at 561 college/university campus locations in 49 countries.

To learn more about Niagara University’s MBA programs, please visit mba.niagara.edu.

The main objectives of Omicron Delta Epsilon (ODE) are recognition of scholastic attainment and the honoring of outstanding achievements in economics, the establishment of closer ties between students and faculty in economics, the publication of its official journal, The American Economist, and the sponsoring of panels at professional meetings. ODE is one of the world’s largest academic honor societies.

Each student was selected based on the completion of 12 semester hours of economics courses, attaining a minimum of a B average in all economics courses and an overall GPA of a B average in all classes.

Dr. William Peek, professor of economics and ODE faculty advisor, commended the students on this achievement, quoting the famous economist John Maynard Keynes, “Keynes once said that, ‘The theory of economics does not furnish a body of settled conclusions immediately applicable to policy. It is a method rather than a doctrine, an apparatus of the mind, a technique of thinking which helps its possessor to draw correct conclusions’”

Dr. Peek added, “This quotation resonates strongly with the students inducted this year. The inductees have all excelled in the study of economics using critical thinking and problem solving and have now been inducted into a very select group.”

Students attended workshops, career panels and listened to keynote speakers ranging from prominent economists and finance professionals to investment managers. A few of the esteemed speakers included Dr. Roger Ibbotson, professor in the practice of finance at Yale University and chief investment officer of Zebra Capital Management LLC, Guy Adami, managing director at Drakon Capital and fast money contributor for CNBC, and Dr. Frank Hathaway, chief economist for NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.

Professor Hutton advised, “This was a wonderful opportunity for students to network with some of the best financial managers in the world.”

According to finance major Marco Bubic, “For future students and members of the Niagara University Finance Association, I would highly recommend participating in the New York City trip. The G.A.M.E. conference that we attended was an excellent opportunity for finance and business majors to gain invaluable industry knowledge, while simultaneously creating an excellent networking opportunity for those looking to work in the finance industry upon graduation.”

The first day of the forum was comprised of keynote panels discussing the global economy, global markets, corporate governance and provided a Federal Reserve perspective. Day two included a variety of breakout panels, workshops and keynote perspectives emphasizing on portfolios, trading, trends and analysis. The last day focused on panels discussing career opportunities within the financial services industry.

Finance major Debra Ishman added, “Attending the Quinnipiac G.A.M.E Forum was an excellent experience that enhanced my professional and educational development. Being exposed to top finance professionals within the industry and surrounded by students from many different backgrounds allowed me to have a different perspective on the financial topics discussed. This is a trip that I would recommend the university take part in every year and all business students should have the opportunity to attend.”

Dr. Lisa Williams, assistant professor of management, had a myriad of speakers from Ingram Micro come to her management and human resources classes this semester. Jeff Streb, senior director of human resources at Ingram Micro, presented on compensation systems and the importance of compensation management to an organization. He focused on issues such as how systems are developed and the importance of partnering with management to increase system effectiveness and used “real-life” examples to illustrate how compensation systems are developed and support organizational goals.

Jennifer Catleugh, a recruiter from Ingram Micro, provided information about the company, the recruiting process and what recruiters are looking for in job candidates. Kim Brostko, senior human resources business partner at Ingram Micro, discussed performance management and focused on topics such as the purpose of evaluations, the calibration process and key outcomes. Under the direction of Jeff Streb, Ingram Micro is developing a partnership with Niagara University and the College of Business Administration.

This semester, through the aid of Dr. Williams, the faculty advisor for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Mike Skowronski, corporate relations director in Career Services at Niagara, a Meet the Professionals Night was sponsored by the Greater Niagara Human Resource Association (GNHRA). Local professionals from Goodyear, the New York State Power Authority, Norampac, Olin, and SIHI Pumps discussed careers in human resource management, focusing on career paths that can be achieved through HR, specialization within HR, managing an HR career and their own experiences. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session and networking opportunities.

Dr. Jay Walker has been involved with the National Association of Parts Manufacturers-Buffalo (NAPM), an organization whose mission is to advance the purchasing profession through high ethical standards of conduct and fairness and to encourage the social and educational opportunities of its members to be effective as possible in their profession. Dr. Walker has been generating reports for NAPM since December, which consists of pulling data from surveys of local manufacturing companies and using the information to generate the report. Since this is the Buffalo chapter of NAPM, it is a local version of the report, though the same questions as the national survey are used. These reports are useful because they give companies a measure of how much manufacturing is going on and whether it is trending up or down.

The latest report was summarized in the Buffalo News but can also be found on Dr. Walker’s website. If this wasn’t enough, he also presented a co-authored paper with Wes Routon, Student-Athletes? The Effects of College Sports on Collegiate Outcomes, in a seminar at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tenn., in March and at the Midwestern Economics Association Conference meetings in Columbus, Ohio, also in March. Also, he presented a co-authored paper with Dr. Anna McNab and Wes Routon, For Love or Money? Altruistic Value Formation in College, at the Business Research Consortium of Western New York in Buffalo, N.Y., in April.

Dr. Jim Kling, associate professor of management and academic director of the Center for Supply Chain Excellence, and Jack Ampuja, director of the Center for Supply Chain Excellence, arranged a focus group with Dr. Alan Saipe of Supply Chain Surveys Inc. through the Center for Supply Chain Excellence at Niagara University. The center organized and hosted a portion of a Canadian government research project led by Saipe on assessing the state of e-commerce business activity in Canada. At Niagara, the researchers met with American supply chain managers associated with e-commerce as a control group to help understand why Canadian firms are less likely to engage in e-commerce than businesses in other countries. By way of comparison, Canada’s e-Commerce makes up 3 percent of the country’s retail sales while the U.S. is at 6 percent, the United Kingdom at 13 percent and Germany at 15 percent.

Dr. Kristine Principe brought in a group of six executives to speak to her Financial and Managerial Accounting in Healthcare Organizations class this semester. These executives are a part of the healthcare industry and gave an overview of initiatives in Western New York regarding population health. Vicky Landers is the new director of the Medicaid Health Home initiative at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. Michele Brooks, coordinator of New York State Healthy Mom and Baby Program in Western New York,  referenced the role of case workers. Ann Moretti, leader and coordinator of the Safety Net Association of Primary Care Affiliated Providers (SNAPCAP), discussed her work with SNAPCAP, which is a group of safety net primary care and hospital safety net providers in WNY that have collaborated to benefit the area in regard to low-income healthcare access and limited community resources. Niagara University’s own Dave Taylor, director of the Institute for Civic Engagement, presented on the work being done with the Niagara Falls Mayor’s task force along with what the Institute for Civic Engagement’s activities. Lastly, Carol Cassell, principal, strategy and performance improvement of the Healthcare Division at Freed Maxick CPA’s P.C. presented on the Community Health Foundation as well as her work with Medicaid reform in New Orleans. These presentations focused initiatives to improve community health were very informative and very beneficial for the students.

Dr. Lei Han invited Bev Junevic, an accountant at the Controller’s Office of Niagara University and occasional accounting adjunct, to her Government and Non-Profit Accounting class. Junevic introduced the basic types of nonprofit organizations and accounting methods. She shared both her 25 years of experience with nonprofit companies and working as an accountant at Niagara. In the Q-and-A session, students got to ask questions regarding the financial-related events on campus and Junevic shared her comments. Dr. Han stated, “This was the second time that Professor Junevic gave a presentation on nonprofit accounting for my class. Her decades of work experience in the field of nonprofit, her unique identity as the accountant of our university and her sense of humor made the presentation very relevant, insightful and enjoyable. We all learned a lot from the presentation.”

As faculty advisor for the Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization (CEO), Dr. McNab invited William Angus to speak to the club members. He presented on the importance of body language for success in the world of business and interactively taught the students. Dr. McNab also brought another interesting speaker to Niagara, Deborah Gondek, director of sustainability at Rich Products. This presentation, open to all Niagara students, was about sustainability, its importance and the steps she has helped Rich’s products to take towards a more sustainable business. Her presentation was very timely because sustainability is gaining much force in the business world, yet many businesses haven’t reaped the benefits of becoming more sustainable yet.

James Ingham, assistant professor of accounting, has also enhanced his lectures with guest speakers, including Elena Mendel, chief auditor, and Jordin Staschak, ’04, financial auditor of National Fuel Gas Company. Mendel and Staschak presented to auditing classes on internal controls, external auditor assistance, the major differences between public accounting and internal auditing, as well as their personal experiences with public accounting and internal audit. Ingham commended their presentation stating, “The presentation fell in the crosshairs of our course material, giving students direct reinforcement of the auditing concepts and the importance of learning them. I greatly appreciated the time they took to share their knowledge and experiences.”

Dr. Anna McNab, assistant professor of management, received the award for excellence in research. She received the Best Paper Award for a manuscript published in the AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction in 2011, titled “Designing Emergency Response Dispatch Systems for Better Dispatcher Performance.” Dr. McNab also has a forthcoming paper accepted by MIS Quarterly, titled “Reliability Generalization of Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, and Behavioral Intentions.” Lastly, Dr. McNab has collaborated on a pair of projects that investigated the effects of various types of media on perceptions related to sexual assault and the intentions to intervene in such situations. These were published by leading communications journals and have seen some attention from the popular press.

Dr. James Kling, associate professor of management and chair of the commerce department, received the award for excellence in service. As chair, he manages all the courses and faculty associated with economics, finance, marketing and management. He is also on the university’s Academic Integrity Board, Niagara University Senate Executive Committee, and is the academic director for the Center for Supply Chain Excellence, which he founded in 2000. He serves on the board of directors at Stella Niagara Education Park, a pre-K through 8th grade private Catholic school in Lewiston, N.Y. Just last week, he completed the Vincentian Mission Certificate program, an 18-month program designed to help deepen Catholic and Vincentian values at Niagara University.

The award for excellence in teaching went to Dr. Christopher P. Wright, assistant professor of management. This undoubtedly was for his ability to make quantitative methods accessible and at demonstrating the applied side of statistics. He also uses technology in and out of the classroom, including video lectures on Blackboard, his use of a tablet in class and the online homework system through Pearson.

Dean Daly added, “Dr. McNab published an article in one of information systems’ very most prestigious journals, making her our Researcher of the Year. Following years of outstanding service, Dr. Kling had the “perfect storm” in 2012-13: He was acknowledged for Service of the Year, with his involvement on the  university’s Senate Executive and numerous college-level committees, as well as serving as department chair. Dr. Wright was recognized as CBA’s Teacher of the Year for his innovation in teaching and developing new methods for engaging students in heavy quantitative courses, one of our most difficult tasks. Their efforts exemplify the diversity of talents and performance across a wide range of activities that make the faculty at Niagara University so special.”

Father Levesque will step down from the President’s Office this summer after spending 13 years at the helm of the Catholic and Vincentian institution.

Niagara University will hold three commencement events this week – two for undergraduates – as well as a special liturgy and ROTC commissioning, all of which will take place on the upper level of the Gallagher Center. Admission will be granted to ticketed guests only.

The keynote speaker for Niagara’s graduate commencement exercises, scheduled for Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m., will be Kenneth D. Taylor, the former Canadian ambassador to Iran who helped orchestrate the escape of six Americans from captivity during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979. For his efforts, Taylor has received the United States Congressional Gold Medal, The Order of Canada and keys to the cities of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Dallas. From 1998 to 2004, Taylor served as chancellor of Victoria University in The University of Toronto. He, William Lishman, an award-winning sculptor, filmmaker, inventor, naturalist and public speaker, and John M. Howard, an NU Trustee and owner of John Howard Cellars of Distinction, will receive honorary degrees.

On Friday, May 10, Niagara will host a senior class brunch at 10 a.m. and a celebratory event at noon. At 3:30 p.m., a commencement liturgy will take place in the upper level of the Gallagher Center, during which the Most Rev. Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws. The day concludes with a senior class gala at 5 p.m. and the ROTC commissioning at 7 p.m.

Nikolas Wallenda, the world-renowned daredevil who triumphantly crossed Niagara Falls on a two-inch steel wire last June, will deliver the commencement address to Niagara’s colleges of Business Administration and Hospitality and Tourism Management on Saturday, May 11, at 10 a.m. He and John P. Rumschik, president and chief operating officer of M&T Insurance Agency Inc., will receive honorary degrees.

At 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, Niagara’s colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education will hear from Father Levesque, NU’s fourth-longest tenured president and the man responsible for spearheading the most transformational period in the university’s 156-year history. Father Levesque will be presented with the university’s prestigious Medal of Honor in light of his numerous contributions to Niagara University and the surrounding communities.

For more information on Niagara University’s 2013 commencement ceremonies, please visit www.niagara.edu/commencement.

Congratulations to the following students that were inducted into Beta Alpha Psi: Sarah Best, Michael Federspiel, Susannah Kushner, Jessica Martinez, Rhiannon McDonell, Alex Nowocien, Megan Patterson, Emily Read, and Ellen Senf. In addition, several current BAP members received their honor cords for graduation: Amber Baker, Caitlin Cima, Kevin Flynn, Hilary King, Sarah Lefevre, Jesse Lewandowski, William Munschauer, and Mark Stamer.

Also inducted were faculty member Steven Gattuso, assistant professor of accounting, and honorary initiate Ronald J. Soluri Sr., CPA, managing director of Freed Maxick CPA’s P.C. Soluri’s main responsibility lies in managing the firm, which consists of four offices, as well as consulting, accounting and auditing. A graduate of Niagara University, Soluri is a member of both the Buffalo chapter of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Said Beta Alpha Psi’s faculty advisor Christopher Aquino, assistant professor of accounting, “Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) welcomed nine new members and said goodbye to eight graduating seniors. In addition, we invited Steve Gattuso, our newest accounting professor, in to the fold and recognized Ron Soluri for all he and his firm, Freed Maxick, have done to advance the ideals of BAP. It was a wonderful event whose outcome will help to strengthen the NU chapter of BAP for years to come.”

Along with inducting new students, Beta Alpha Psi has been very busy this semester providing technical events for students to attend which emphasize expanding their knowledge of accounting, finance, management systems and ethics. Accounting technicals included Nick Dentice from Becker presenting on the CPA exam and Jesse Gasbarro from Freed Maxick CPA P.C. discussing what it is like to work at Freed Maxick. Kenneth Blazik from the Horizon Group and Amanda Torrelli and Ryan O’Connor from Northwestern Mutual, and Geoffrey McDermid from Mass Mutual Financial Group discussed their careers as financial advisors along with different career opportunities in the field. Other technicals included Tyra Johnson of Blue Sky Design presenting on sustainability and David Stacey from Mass Mutual Financial Group discussing interview and resume writing tips.

The Rev. John Gouldrick, C.M., associate vice president for mission and director of the Vincentian Scholars Program, and Dr. Thomas Chambers, director of the master’s program in interdisciplinary studies and chair of the history department, were also welcomed into Kappa Gamma Pi as honorary inductees.

The purpose of Kappa Gamma Pi is to strive for a high standard of personal Christian excellence, service and scholarship among members; to encourage individual and group initiative and participation in local and national church and secular affairs; and to awaken a spirit of Christian leadership among the undergraduates of Kappa affiliated colleges and universities.

“Let that be our prayer, to go out together and to serve those most in need,” said the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, NU president, during his remarks.

Father Levesque has made community service a focal point of his presidency at Niagara University, which will conclude this summer after 13 years.

Congratulations to the inductees:

• Kristy Barrett (Kenmore, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Special Education
• Kelly Byrne (Lewiston, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• David Cheung (Calendon, Ontario)
  • Master of Science/Education 5-12
• Christianna Chiavetta (Amherst, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Education 5-12
• Andrea Fazio (Toronto, Ontario)
  • Master of Science/Education 5-12
• Elona Finlay (Guelph, Ontario)
  • Master of Science/Education 5-12
• Stefanie Fortunato (Woodbridge, Ontario)
  • Master of Science/School Psychology
• Jordan Goldstein (Amherst, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Mental Health Counseling
• Nathan Johnson (Grand Island, N.Y.)
  • Master of Business Administration
• Gloria Kordasiewicz (Lakeview, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Criminal Justice Administration
• Kristin Lundy (Spencerport, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Criminal Justice Administration
• Lori Majewski (Cheektowaga, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Education B-6
• Brittany McMahon (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/School Counseling
• Brittany Miles (East Amherst, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Education B-6
• Emily Oleyourryk (Oswego, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Literacy Instruction
• Kyle Phillips (Akron, N.Y.)
  • Master of Business Administration
• Kathryn Potter (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Literacy Instruction
• Sean Patrick Repman (Buffalo, N.Y.)
  • Master of Business Administration
• Kirsten Rodgers (Wilson, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Education B-6
• Christopher Russell (Youngstown, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/School Counseling
• Laurice Russell (Ransomville, N.Y.)
  • Master of Arts/Interdisciplinary Studies
• Katelyn Schober (Amherst, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/School Psychology
• Jennifer Cardamone Schultz (Lewiston, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/School Counseling
• Ashley Serwon (Cheektowaga, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Literacy Instruction, B-6
• Kayla Snell (Lockport, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/Education B-6
• Latrell Sturdivant (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)
  • Master of Science/School Psychology
• Olivia Wells (Stoney Creek, Ontario)
  • Master of Science/Education B-6
• Jamie Lynn Whiffing (Hamilton, Ontario)
  • Master of Science/Education B-6

Kappa, gamma and pi are the initial letters of the Greek phrase that means “Catholic Women Leaders.” The original name has been retained because of its importance in the society’s history. However, both non-Catholics and men are welcomed to the membership of Kappa Gamma Pi each year.

Membership in Kappa Gamma Pi is a promise for the future, to continue in service to church and community. Members are chosen because they have already demonstrated this commitment, and are expected to continue in this leadership role after graduation.

Additional photos from the event are posted on Niagara University’s Facebook page.

To learn more about the graduate programs offered at Niagara University, please call 716.286.8769 or visit www.niagara.edu/graduate.

Accounting major William Munschauer, mentored by Dr. Hannon, assistant professor of management, did a panel presentation on “Business Incubation Facilities: An Analysis of Best Practices Among Various Facility Types and their Benefits.” According to Dr. Hannon, “Will has shown tremendous initiative researching a very dynamic and important topic. Small business is the future of America. His research provides the academic community with new insights into the current and future role of incubators, and their ability to improve the odds that new companies will survive and succeed.”

“Do Investors Rationally Evaluate Investment Fees? A Behavioral Finance Investigation” was presented by finance majors Kevin Ryan and John Osberg, under the guidance of Prof. Hutton, assistant professor and director of the Financial Services Lab. Hutton advised, “John and Kevin examined a very important issue for their honors thesis. They looked at how emotions affect investing behavior; they analyzed whether or not investors rationally analyze investment fees. Their work has important implications for anyone who has to make choices about investing.”

Liberal arts major Lidia Montesino did a poster presentation on “The Affordable Care Act and Population Health” with the guidance of Dr. Principe, assistant professor of economics. Dr. Principe said, “Lydia researched the potential impact of the Affordable Care Act on population health. Her investigation is quite timely given that population health is at the center of the new reimbursement models. She did an excellent job analyzing a very complex piece of legislation.”

Marketing major Gabriel Sorrentino did a poster presentation under the advisement of Prof. Pikas, professor of marketing, on “The Effectiveness of Online Advertising.” According to Prof. Pikas, “Gabi Sorrentino did a wonderful, professional job fielding numerous questions during her poster session. Her participation in the research poster session was a feather in our CBA cap and highlighted our top students to the rest of the university community.”

Under the advisement of Dr. Choong, associate dean and professor of marketing, marketing major Mitchell Piper did a panel presentation on “Food Labeling: A Consumer Behavior.” Dr. Choong advised, “His research deals with food and nutrition labeling and their impact on consumer choices. I anticipate that the findings of this study would be interesting to organizations who are interested in growing their market share in the healthier food segments as well as to policy makers who need to persuade population segments to make healthier food choices.”

The College of Business Administration congratulates these students on their hard work and applauds their interesting research.