2019 Spring College Celebration and Recognition
At Cal State LA, we value and appreciate our staff, faculty, and students. In doing so, we love to recognize their achievements and celebrate their successes.
On May 9th in the Golden Eagle Ballroom, we held our Spring Celebration to recognize our fellow staff and faculty for their outstanding achievements, as well as our students for their extraordinary performances in the different competitions in the College of Business and Economics.
(ICBSC) International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition
Each spring, universities from all over the world participate in the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition which is the world’s longest running, most comprehensive business competition. In this competition, each university team takes over the management of a simulated or virtual manufacturing company competing directly against 4-5 other firms run by competitor teams in its simulated world—either undergraduate or graduate worlds. This year, Dr. Laura Whitcomb was the faculty advisor for our five student participants; Josue Arvaysza, Medrik Minassian, Hrag Kartounian, Jiahui Hong, and Argenis Ruvalcaba.
(HCE) Western Regional Health Care Executives College Bowl Case Study Competition
The two-round challenge requires teams to first analyze and recommend solutions to a current issue facing a regional healthcare organization. Teams with the top solutions are then advanced by the judges to compete in a second round, which adds a new strategic challenge to the case. Teams have only 5 minutes to find and prepare to present their final solution. The judges are well-known and currently practicing C-suite executives from the healthcare industry. This year, the team faced competition with ten reputable graduate schools within the five-state Western Region. This year, Barry Hunt, Serj Eyvazian, and Andre Avramchuk were the faculty advisors for our four student winners; Josue Arvayza, Diana Ghaly, Otito Odiakosa, and Maurice Tut.
(WCA) Western Regional Health Care Executives College Bowl Case Study Competition
The WCA Conference is held yearly and is a unique opportunity to engage with other case writers in a small group format to exchange feedback and polish a case, learn about using cases in the classroom, get a peer-reviewed conference and proceedings on a vita, and enjoy presentations from leading case researchers and case educators. This year, Dr. Ellen Drost was the faculty advisor our student winner; Ezra Pugh.
2018 (C.A.S.E.) Connecting Alumni and Students with Employers
The C.A.S.E. Program at the College of Business and Economics is designed to encourage student/faculty research to support large and small businesses and is led by a faculty advisor and conducted by undergraduate or graduate students. Three top groups of students get chosen by a panel of industry- based judges on the quality of their research, data collection and analysis, and proposed course of actions for a specific company. This Year, Dr. Maryam Tofighi was the faculty advisor for our ten student winners; Yasmin Arribillaga-Bonilla, Destiny Calderon, Hector Camberos, Francis Gregory Labort, Chelsea Zelaya Lopez, Roxana Montalvan, Isabel Navarro, Aaron Rodriguez, Michelle Shaihor, and Lauren Tuch.
FMA Annual Finance Quiz Bowl
Each year the Cal State LA chapter is invited to attend the Finance Leaders' Conference in New York. The event is a two-day conference that consists of professional guest speaker panels that talk about changes in the financial and accounting industries. Students receive opportunities to learn about career preparation and continuing education. A significant portion of the conference is the Finance Quiz Competition where 40 schools nationwide compete with one another. The competition begins with a preliminary round testing participant on financial theories and concepts, which then the top 16 schools with the highest scores advance to the final rounds. This year, Nikita Lau was the faculty advisor for our three student winners; Matthew Aguilar, Steve Verdusco, and Erick Vazquez.
Outstanding Student Assistant
An undergraduate or graduate student who consistently provides excellent administrative or instructional support to staff, chairs, faculty, lecturers, or students, and who shows initiative in process improvement and follow through to complete assigned work. This year’s nominees were; Janice Marquez, Stephanie Jimenez, and Marguerite Garrison. The winner of the Outstanding Student Assistant Award was Marguerite Garrison.
Outstanding Service to the College
A faculty or lecturer who accomplishes active and meaningful work that supports the college mission and provides essential advancement of a project or outcome needed by the College. The winner of the Outstanding Service to the College Award was Dr. Laura Whitcomb.
Outstanding Program and Administrative Support
A staff member who exemplifies administrative excellence in serving faculty, lecturers, staff, and students in relation to instructional activities, department activities, or direct support of faculty and lecturers in research, department administration, or teaching. The winner of the Outstanding Program and Administrative Support Award was Liliana Lopez.
Outstanding Committee Leadershipt
A faculty member who has a leadership role on a recognized college committee and who shows notable leadership with defined and meaningful outcomes related to the committee’s charge. The winner of the Outstanding Committee Leadership Award was Dr. Nina O’Brien.
Outstanding Community Engagement and Service
Faculty, lecturer, or staff member who has accomplished meaningful and high impact projects or service directly impacting on- or off-campus community groups through demonstrated leadership and effective administration of campus or local community activities with measurable positive outcomes, receipt of recognition or award, or earned grants. The winner of the Outstanding Community Engagement and Service Award was Suren Sahakayn.
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research and Mentorship
A faculty or lecturer who advises, coaches, and mentors undergraduate students and who conducts research with undergraduate students resulting in publication or academic presentation, awards or other recognition, job placement, or career advancement. The winner of the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research and Mentorship Award was Dr. Shilpa Balan.
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Support
A faculty, lecturer, or staff member who participates in advisement, mentorship, and guidance offered to undergraduate students resulting in student success and support, support of undergraduate programs, or support for other student experiences. The winner of the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Support Award was Dr. Janet Vera Lopez.
Outstanding Student Advisement
A staff member providing advice and guidance in support of student success including initiation of events, activities, and programs that support student engagement and belonging, process improvements, or innovation related to student service and advisement. The winner of the Outstanding Student Advisement Award was Armenuhi Karagulyan.
Outstanding Graduate Student Support
A faculty, lecturer, or staff member who participates in advisement, mentorship, and guidance offered to graduate students resulting in student success and support, support of graduate programs, or support for other student experiences. The winner of the Outstanding Graduate Student Support Award was Dr. Stephen McGuire.
Innovation in Teaching
A faculty or lecturer who develops and engages in instructional practice improvement that has resulted in increased student engagement, measured learning, career preparedness, job placement, career success beyond initial placement, earned grants, engaged project-based learning, or other practices with measurable positive results. The winner of the Innovation in Teaching Award was Dr. Arun Aryal.
Outstanding Advancements of a Center or Specialized Program Development
A faculty, lecturer, or staff member working to develop or advance a center or specialized program that encourages student, faculty, and external stakeholder engagement and has resulted in receipt of awards or other recognition, earned grants or donor sponsorships, alumni participation, and meaningful student learning and career outcomes. The winner of the Outstanding Advancements of a Center or Specialized Program Development Award was Nikita Lau.
Outstanding Graduate Student Research and Mentorship
A faculty or lecturer who advises, coaches, and mentors graduate students, and who conducts research with graduate students resulting in publication or academic presentation, awards or other recognition, job placement, or career advancement. The winner of the Outstanding Graduate Student Research and Mentorship Award was Dr. Zhen (Carol) Cui.
Promising Research
A faculty or lecturer developing a new or emerging research stream that supports the college mission and has promise of high academic impact on stakeholder groups, society, or business practice. The winner of the Promising Research Award was Dr. Carlin Nguyen.
Outstanding Research
A faculty or lecturer who has an established and well-developed body of research that supports the college mission and has shown academic impact through citation counts, publication in a top tier journal, inclusion in doctoral seminars, awards and other recognition, competitive grants, or invitations to participate in academic meetings and conferences. The winner of the Outstanding Research Award was Dr. Xiaojie (Christine) Sun.
Outstanding Case Research
A faculty or lecturer who has published case research that supports the college mission and has been published and recognized to impact stakeholder groups, society, or business practice. The winner of the Outstanding Case Research Award was Dr. Ellen Drost.
Innovation in Curriculum and Programs
A faculty or lecturer who has developed or revised a program or course(s), or has developed instructional materials aligning with the college mission and recognized as innovative and impactful in the field. Curriculum should have been approved by at least the college curriculum committee. Instructional materials include development of teaching materials or books widely adopted for instructional use, innovative instructional software, cases, instructional research, and grants related to improved curriculum and program development. The winner of the Innovation in Curriculum and Programs Award was Dr. Andre Avramchuk.