A future in finance
Eddie Warr's journey
"I know there are going to be stumbles and falls, but if I can be proactive about the things I want to learn, it will come back tenfold."
—Eddie Warr had just started a new full-time position as a wealth management assistant at Greenleaf Trust, while taking 15 credits toward his finance degree at Western Michigan University and raising his 4-year-old daughter, Cecilia.
Perspective: Molly Millerwise Meiners
From Capitol Hill to capital investment
Crashing on the floor of her sister’s apartment as she completed two internships in Washington, D.C.—that was the beginning of Molly Millerwise Meiners’ career. Her goal: to work on Capitol Hill. Soon after graduation, she became press assistant and then deputy press secretary for the House Republican Conference and later served as the press secretary for the Ways and Means Committee.
Faculty Impact
Women entrepreneurs use grit and resilience
Dr. Laurel Ofstein’s research details how women entrepreneurs persevere despite challenges and what strategies lead to long-term success for women business owners.
Dr. KC Chen earns second prestigious Fulbright award
This project will allow me to share my research, teaching and curriculum design experience in analytics and project management, which will help build expertise at the host institution.
—With his award, Chen will complete a project at Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland that aims to exchange research experiences and establish partnerships.
A safe space for all students
For me, NABA is critical to promoting accountancy and finance to a new generation of African American students and to retaining talented students in our discipline.
—In an effort to build supportive communities focused on professional and personal success, Dr. Ola Smith, chair of the Department of Accountancy, helped students reestablish the WMU National Association of Black Accountants chapter.
WMU researchers study food consumption behavior during pandemic
This study may shed light on the psychological motivations for food consumption during an epidemic and what coping strategies best allow consumers to adapt to new conditions in a crisis.
—Dr. Ann Veeck, professor and acting chair in the Department of Marketing, and Dr. Hu Xie, assistant professor of marketing, conducted a survey in China from Feb. 15 to Feb. 23, as the COVID-19 virus was rapidly spreading in several regions.
Perspective: Frederick Paul II
Stepping up for Detroit
When I saw dozens of sneakers spread across my bedroom floor, I suddenly had an idea.
—Necessity is the mother of invention. Frederick Paul II knows this all too well. His senior year at WMU found him needing cash to meet his financial commitments. Today, his business, Fahrenheit 313, is where sneakerheads go to get the hottest kicks.
Celebrating Alumni and Friends
In the Spotlight
Holly Harmon: HR impact in action
Holly Harmon has had one goal since transferring to the Haworth College of Business: to positively impact as many people and communities as possible. As a human resource management major, she believes that starts with helping businesses invest in their most critical resources—their employees.
Perspective: Paulina Costa Zyskowski
Leveraging opportunities
The best opportunities are the ones that we create for ourselves.
—That’s the mantra that has guided Paulina Costa Zyskowski, senior account manager at Kalsec Inc., in her professional life.
COVID-19 and the Haworth College of Business
Responding to the pandemic provides the opportunity to support each other. Here we highlight how faculty, staff, students and alumni are answering the inherent challenges the crisis brings through empathy, expertise and innovation.
