Price Newsletter - August 2022

Dear Friends,

As summer transitions to fall (and hopefully takes some of the Oklahoma heat with it), we look forward to the classrooms and hallways of Price and Adams halls and the Bolt in OKC filling once again with the excited voices of returning students.

And it’s not just the students we look forward to seeing. With numerous events planned for this fall, including a Tulsa alumni event in just a few days, the OU/Texas reception in October, our annual tailgate party later this fall, and a special event celebrating the life and legacy of our generous benefactor and namesake, Michael F. Price, we anticipate numerous opportunities to catch up with you in person. Stay tuned to our social media channels and future newsletters for more information.

In June’s newsletter, we celebrated a record-breaking graduate class. The official numbers are now in! Despite an economy recovering from an ongoing global pandemic, the number of business degrees awarded by Price College increased an impressive 20% from the previous year. The full statistics are below, but this landmark achievement serves as continued proof of the value students are placing on the quality of a Price College business education.

Speaking of quality business education, in June we announced the launch of two new online programs – a Master of Science in Business Analytics and a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management. These new programs advance our strategic priority of delivering relevant, flexible and accessible business education by providing students with the technical know-how and business acumen necessary to accelerate their careers in these rapidly growing and lucrative professions. This month, we’re excited to welcome the inaugural cohorts, and we would love for you to continue to spread the word about these new programs.

I am thrilled to share with you a final piece of good news about our fundraising efforts. During the previous academic year, Price College raised an unprecedented $47 million from 854 donors to support students, faculty, staff and our communities. This simply couldn’t happen without your continued generosity. Thank you for contributing to our continued success.

The 2023 academic year starts in just a few days on Monday, Aug. 22. The new school year is packed with potential and purpose as we welcome back our students. We hope you’ll stay tuned for the many ways you can share in our journey. In the meantime, please enjoy the latest news from Price College as we highlight the latest achievements of our students, faculty and staff. Thanks again for your continued support, which helps ensure that Price College will become bigger, broader and better in developing the future business leaders our state and nation need.

Making education affordable and accessible is core to our mission at OU and Price College. Please consider giving to our Momentum Scholarships, which support undergraduate students, or to our Do More Sooner® Scholarships for MBA students. Both scholarships allow students to focus more on their studies and less on financial concerns while obtaining the education necessary for success.

Price College saw a 20% increase in business degrees awarded during the 2022 academic year compared to the prior year. The college awarded 1,436 degrees in 2021-22 compared to 1,194 in 2020-21. The greatest percentage increase, 46%, came in master’s degrees awarded, and undergraduate degrees saw an almost 13% increase.

Price College raised an unprecedented $47 million to support students, faculty, staff and our communities, from 854 donors who made 1,178 gifts. We are grateful for our Price College stakeholders who continue to provide tremendous support as we grow bigger, broader and better. Thank you to all of those who have given and will give!

Oklahoma received a generous gift to establish the Richard L. Van Horn Chair in Information Technology and Analytics. Named after OU’s 12th president, who is also a Regents' Professor of MIS Emeritus, this endowed chair position will better equip Price College's Division of Management Information Systems to recruit and retain leading faculty scholars in information technology and analytics.

The University of Oklahoma garnered a No. 2 ranking in entrepreneurship research productivity, besting more than 300 programs around the world, according to the list published by TCU’s Neeley School of Business. The ranking is based on the number of articles published in the top three entrepreneurship journals from 2017-21.

Simple Modern CEO Mike Beckham, Price College alumnus and Senior Entrepreneur in Residence, was named 405 Business’ Innovator of the Year and is featured on the magazine’s August/September cover. The Oklahoma-based company is the largest supplier of hydration products (think water bottles, tumblers and travel mugs) to Amazon and Target and expects to generate $100 million in revenue this year.

Nate Cross, a Price College graduate, third-year medical student at OU, and Navy veteran, was named a 2022 Tillman Scholar in recognition of his pursuits in medicine and his military service. The honor includes an average award of $10,000 per academic year and access to exclusive networking opportunities.

In a recent ranking of full-time MBA programs, Price College was included in Bloomberg’s  list of Best Business Schools Hiring in the Consulting, Technology, Financial and Energy industries. Price was highlighted in the Energy category as the school with the second-highest percentage of MBA graduates taking jobs in that industry.

Price College was included in the QS Executive MBA Rankings 2022: North America. In the ranking methodology, QS considered each business school’s reputation among academics and employers, the demographics of the EMBA cohort and salary increase after graduation, among other factors. 

Early-stage venture capital firm Boyd Street Ventures received the DotCom Magazine Impact Company of the Year Award for the second straight year for making a difference to their clients while improving the world around them. The company is led by OU alum James Spann and Jeff Moore, executive director of the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth. Norman-based BSV was founded in 2021 to help provide funding and strategic and operational guidance for start-up companies developed within the OU ecosystem or founded by OU alums.

Ten Price College accounting students were among the recipients of Oklahoma Society of CPAs scholarships for 2022-23. Three of the students were among those receiving named scholarships, which are awarded to accounting students with significant achievements. These scholarships range from $500 to $4,000.

Three Price College students have gained a thorough understanding of the U.S. energy sector, developed in-depth market analysis and generated growth recommendations for a major software provider through a summer internship with the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth.

Stephanie Oakes has joined Price College as associate director of graduate placement and employer relations in the Center for Graduate Student Success at the Gene Rainbolt Graduate School of Business. Oakes is responsible for expanding employer relationships to ensure the success of career placement efforts for all master’s programs. 

Sarah Swift has moved from the OU Foundation’s University Initiatives team to serve as a development officer supporting Price College. Swift earned an MBA with an entrepreneurship concentration from Price College in 2011, graduating with honors as a Price Scholar. She is excited about the opportunity to fundraise for her alma mater. 

Congratulations to Diana Varnes, program lead, and Sarah Hamby, OK Catalyst project associate, both at the Tom Love Innovation Hub, plus John T. Steed School of Accounting alumna and board member Brittney Wycoff (BBA/MAcc, 2004), who were included in The Journal Record’s 50 Making a Difference list for 2022. The Journal Record will announce a Woman of the Year winner in October.

JCPenney Leadership Program alumni and interns spent the summer connecting at networking events throughout Oklahoma and Texas. Alumni spanning all three decades of the program’s history and current associates interning in these areas made valuable connections. Special thanks to EY, Paycom and ConocoPhillips for providing these connection opportunities.

Save the date! The JCPenney Leadership Program will present its annual Women in Business Leadership Conference Nov. 4 at the Thurman J. White Forum Building on the OU Norman campus. This conference is open to all students, faculty, staff and community members. Attendance is complimentary and breakfast and lunch are provided.

The 15-month Executive MBA in Energy launches its redesigned program in August with a new cohort of students on the Norman campus. The 36-credit-hour degree program, which includes online and in-person courses, features a 28-credit-hour core complemented by an eight-credit-hour specialization in either renewables or hydrocarbons.

Price College alumni Lou Torczynski (BBA, Management, 1972) and grandson Aaron Torczynski (BBA, Management, 2022) were featured in two recent OU Foundation articles about the family’s ties to OU. Lou and wife, Patty Torczynski (BS, Education, 1974), recently created an endowed scholarship fund to benefit future business students, and Aaron Torczynski shared stories of his favorite memories at OU.

Mathew Jensen received a National Science Foundation research grant for his project, "EAGER: Opinion Spam in Digital Rulemaking: Techniques, Effects, and Interventions.” The collaborative project investigates ways opinion spam (mass, computer-generated or fraudulent comments) might be prevented and provides evidence about which techniques are most effective.

Craig Shimasaki is featured in an Innovators & Entrepreneurs article about moving from research to commercialization. His research and development work includes searching for an HIV vaccine, genetic breast cancer risk prediction, a rapid flu test and therapeutic and biologic products for infectious diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders.

An article co-authored by Mark Bolino was published by Harvard Business Review Online. The article discusses how professionals can communicate more effectively with their partners when there is a need to go the extra mile at work. The article is a collaboration between Bolino, Price College alum Thomas K. Keleman and individuals affiliated with OU’s Department of Communication in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. 

Hua “Jonathan” Ye and Matthew Jensen’s co-authored article, “Effects of introducing an online community in a crowdsourcing contest platform,” was accepted for publication in the Information Systems Journal. They found that contestants’ performance (winning contests and crowdsourcing income) increases significantly with the presence of an online community.

Brad Blaylock was selected as an outstanding reviewer for Contemporary Accounting Research, one of the top journals in accounting. Blaylock was one of 20 international winners selected from 866 faculty reviewers this year. This is the second consecutive year Blaylock has received this recognition for his volunteer service.

Shikong “Scott” Luo’s co-authored article, “Does perception of social issues affect portfolio choices? Evidence from the #MeToo movement,” is featured in the Summer 2022 issue of Financial Management. The article utilizes the breakout of the #MeToo movement as an exogenous shock to the perception of gender equity issues.

The MIS Division now has two faculty in leadership positions in A-level publications. Shaila Miranda currently serves as one of the senior editors of MIS Quarterly, and Heshan Sun has been named a senior editor of the Journal of the Association of Information Systems. Thanks to these faculty members for their contributions to highly regarded publications in their fields.