Cornell Johnson Announces New Dean, and More – New York News
Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from New York business schools this week.
Kevin Hallock Named Dean of SC Johnson College of Business – Cornell Chronicle
The SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University recently announced noted economist Kevin F. Hallock as its new Dean, effective December 15 and expected to run through June 30, 2024.
Provost Michael Kotlikoff explained the unique qualifications of Professor Hallock, an “expert on executive compensation, compensation design and labor markets.”
“As an accomplished economist, scholar and administrator, Kevin provides the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business with the leadership to maximize its enormous potential. His thorough familiarity with Cornell’s administrative workings is a significant asset, and the college will be well served by his deep understanding of business administration theory and practice.”
Hallock reportedly told the Cornell Chronicle that he is “grateful and excited to start this new chapter at Cornell.”
“The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, in its infancy, faces challenges, like many new organizations, and those challenges are part of what attracted me to this role. But there is also enormous opportunity, outstanding strength and unique advantages in the college and its three schools. I am excited to work with its talented staff, students, faculty and alumni, and I am exceptionally optimistic about the future of the college.”
You can read more from the Cornell Chronicle article here.
College of Business and Economics Donates Barron’s Subscription to BASD – Lehigh College of Business and Economics News
The Lehigh College of Business and Economics recently donated a 12-month subscription to Barron’s to the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD), which Dean Georgette Chapman Phillips explains is an effort to provide “experiential learning opportunities “ to BASD students and faculty.
According to the article, Barron’s “covers global financial information, market developments, and includes a weekly summary of market activity.”
BASD Assistant Superintendent for Education and Chief Academic Officer Jack Silva explains, “The subscription will be used by students in our government and economics class. It’s a valuable resource that they can access 24/7 and supports our existing curriculum.”
Dean Phillips writes, “We are partnering with our community by sharing what we do best—business education.”
You can find out more about the donation and the business school here.
Finding Narratives in Numbers in Financial Reporting – Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business News
The Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business recently profiled Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. Elaine Henry, who’s work focuses on financial reporting as communication and recently coauthored a new Review of Accounting Studies paper on “flexibility in cash-flow classifications under the International Financial Reporting Standards.”
In an interview with the Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business News, Dr. Henry explains how they are continually inspired by the challenge that companies face to “tell their stories better and describe their economic reality more clearly.”
When it comes to financial reporting, there are stark differences between domestic and international guidelines that determine “how the underlying economic reality is portrayed.”
For instance, “under U.S. GAAP, companies must categorize interest paid, interest received and dividends received as operating cash flow, but IFRS gives companies the freedom to classify these items under operating, financing or investing cash flow. If, for example, an IFRS company chooses to classify its interest paid as a financing activity rather than an operating activity, that choice will result in the company showing a larger amount of operating cash flow—an important metric for financial analysis and valuation.”
You can read the rest of the Stevens interview with Dr. Elaine Henry here.
Lehigh Student Startup Kickstarts Ghanian Shea Industry
When it comes to startup companies, often the best route of success means going right to the source. For Lehigh University College of Business and Economics grad Miles J. Davis’ (’16), that meant traveling all the way from Bethlehem, PA, to West Ghana for the purest shea butter in the world.
Shea butter is famous for its cosmetic and skincare applications, as well as its uses in waterproofing waxes, cooking oils, wood preserving, toilet tissue, and candle-making. Shea butter is produced by extracting fat from the nut of the fruit of the shea tree, which is indigenous to the dry Sahel region of Africa, which spans northern Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In his master’s thesis, Davis outlined a plan to develop an ecologically, agriculturally, and financially sustainable production system for shea butter processing in Ghana.
“My dream for this project is to help develop a permaculture system that will have a collective positive impact,” Davis tells Lehigh. “Permaculture is a whole functioning system where everything coexists in balance. It requires a lot of observing and listening to learn how natural systems work and how to make human systems function just as organically and just as naturally.”
Davis’ research focuses on land-use policy. “Who owns the land? Who can get access to shea trees to make shea butter from the shea nuts? What policies are in place to protect these forests so people don’t cut down the trees to get firewood for their cook stoves? How do we develop better roads and transportation methods for people living in this region so they can get to the main market and sell their stuff?”
Superior Shea is just one small step in Davis’ vision for an economically emerging Ghana.“Ghana has one of the strongest economies in Africa. It is definitely on the rise. There’s a lot of potential for growth, in terms of sustainability through business, improved infrastructure and sanitation.”
You can read more of Kurt Pfitzer’s in-depth interview with Davis here and get more familiar with Superior Shea on Facebook.
