Author: Flinchum, Emily

Karla Kaliman is a Business Administration major with a concentration in HR here in CBE and she is the highlight of our next Star Student Spotlight! 

When sharing her story of what made her join CBE, Kaliman told us “When I met Lisa Simmons, I was confused and unsure about my future and my career. I didn’t know where I wanted to go after finishing my degree in International Relations. I always knew that I wanted to help people and my community on different levels; Lisa showed me a new way to accomplish this goal. She inspired me to join CBE by showing me my ‘incalculable’ love for HR and how I can make a difference for my community by advocating for policies that can truly change an employee’s life and improving the diversity of a workplace to ensure that people feel understood and supported. Lisa saw my potential, personality, and challenged me and pushed me out of my comfort zone to find my passion for HR.”

Kaliman is especially proud of her work during the Live Strategy Case Competition as it allowed her to test the knowledge she has been learning throughout her academic career while also being a great way to get exposed to topics that are beneficial to her career path. “I practiced my teamwork, presentation, and analytical skills by analyzing and researching a specific industry and being able to interpret that information to form an educated assessment for a specific business with real-world experience,” said Kaliman. 

The most helpful classes for Kaliman in her time at CBE have been MNGT 483, MNGT 452, and MNGT 381. Kaliman emphasized how she was able to not only learn the theories ofHR, but also how to apply what she’s learned in these classes. Taking these courses during the pandemic, it stuck with Kaliman how HR is crucial in managing responses to COVID-19 at an organizational level. 

“Human Resources has been the driving force in keeping the workforce and organization engaged, productive and resilient. This situation has illustrated the true value of HR and demonstrated the importance of investing in HR structures and processes.” she said. 

Resiliency is important to Kaliman, as she has been able to overcome adversity and stay true to herself. When giving advice to other CBE students, she wants them to know to “fight to find your purpose and be confident that whatever passion you want to pursue your survival is assured and remember that each person has a message to share simply by owning their own life story and willing to share it with others.” 

After graduation this May, Kaliman hopes to use what she has learned in CBE to lead changes within business and to drive a culture of resiliency with her work. “As a Latina woman who faced systemic discrimination and bias, I would use my skills to help people believe in themselves and help companies make more inclusive employment decisions,” Kaliman said. 

In her final remarks, Kaliman added “I would like to thank CBE for providing me with mental, emotional and practical support when I need it most. For being my ‘happy place’ where I go to be fully present with myself and where I have opportunities to find meaning and a platform to achieve greatness. as well as thank all my professors and mentors who encouraged me to be a better person every day.”

Our next star student is Nico Boone. Boone is a Business Administration major with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. He says “ I’ve always enjoyed the many aspects of business and wanted to educate myself on how to be a successful entrepreneur. I knew the faculty and staff would be able to help me develop and provide opportunities for me to exercise my skill set.” 

 

During his time at TU he has dedicated himself to helping other students outside the classroom. He is involved in various organizations with Towson University including: VIBE Dance Team, Venture Club, Entrepreneurship@TU, the Towson University StarTUp and more! As he reflects on these experiences he says “I’ve had the luxury of being a student aid in educating fellow classmates on entrepreneurship, as well as how to best pitch their business ideas.”

 

Being a senior in the College of Business and Economics, Boone has been able to experience a variety of different classes. When asked about which class was most valuable to him he says “the classes revolving around entrepreneurship, such as “Creativity & Innovation (ENTR110)” and “Social Entrepreneurship (ENTR380)” have expanded my mindset to what entrepreneurship is, what it can be, and how possible it is for so many individuals. What’s really stuck with me is pitching. Pitching is a life skill, not just a skill used to sell someone on your business. It’s about a story, the story of your business, and getting people invested in your venture.” 

 

In everything Boone does, he advocates for entrepreneurs. If he could give any piece of advice it would be to  “become an entrepreneur! Don’t be afraid to fail, don’t be afraid to get involved & network with others, and I strongly encourage others to be as creative as they imagine. Turn that idea into a thriving business, and don’t let anyone discourage you.” 

 

Boone is on track to graduate next month, in May of 2022. After his time at Towson he plans to exercise his expertise in entrepreneurship, branding, and marketing to help others with their businesses at TU StarTUp.  Additionally he plans on expanding his current businesses and creating new ones. Outside of TU,  Boone has  several different interests such as  music & performance art, social media content creation & marketing,  and graphic design. 

 

As we look to Boone’s future and celebrate his past, we are thankful for his contribution to CBE and look forward to all of the places he will be going in his career. 

Written by: Millie Klefsaas

Dr. Koushikee Dutta is an assistant professor in the CBE Department of Management. Dutta received her Doctor of Business Administration (Management) from Louisiana Tech University. Prior to joining academia, she worked in start-ups in India and Singapore as a Human Resource Business Partner across various industries. Dutta is currently teaching EBTM 350, Introduction to Business Analytics. Through this class, she hopes that students will use data to discover patterns and trends to make predictions and solve business problems. Her current goal is to step outside her comfort zone, as well as to “become an impactful educator and researcher.”

 

When asked what made her want to become a professor for CBE, she explains that, “I am a life-long learner and have always been curious about learning new things. I believe that curiosity can spark explorations and creations in driving the society forward. It was this curiosity that led me to ask this question to myself about How can I create an impact? All the answers led to the idea that education is one of the most powerful tools to empower and aid brilliant minds. This led me to switch careers , from being an HR professional to academia. And, four years later, I feel fortunate to finish my program and find a job at TU. I believe that TU has created an environment that sparks curiosity, experimentation, and innovation, things that are meaningful to me. In turn, I can aid students in realizing their possibilities and not their limitations.”

 

During her time at Towson so far, Dutta has enjoyed being back on campus and engaging with students in-person. “The students at Towson are keen to learn, and it puts a smile on my face knowing that I am playing a small role in their learning process. I have enjoyed getting to know my new colleagues and exploring teaching and research projects with them. Towson has taken every step and has provided ample resources to ensure a safe and healthy on-campus environment, so challenges have been minimal.”

 

Dutta believes that teaching is one of the most impactful ways to empower and create change. She states that while at CBE she looks forward to “creating a shared impact by learning new things, helping my students unlock their potential, and realize their life and career goals. In addition, I look forward to collaborating on research projects with other TU faculty members.”

 

In her current research, Dutta explores micro and macro level concepts within strategy and entrepreneurship. Dutta explains that “one of my research streams focuses on mission driven ventures and mechanisms of resource acquisitions, which raises several interesting research questions. Nascent ventures often acquire a particular type of resource through participation in accelerator programs which substantially aid and accelerate new venture development. One of my research projects explores how social impact accelerators make cohort admission decisions. Additionally, in another current research project, I utilize an experience sampling methodology to understand the role of affect and creativity in new venture performance.”

 

Dr. Dutta shares that having lived and worked in three different countries, she has developed an interest in learning about different cultures, languages, and folklore. She is a trained Hindustani classical vocalist, as well as a major horror movie fan. We are excited to have Dr. Dutta as part of our CBE team!

Our next faculty feature highlights Dr. Brett Kazandjian, an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing. He received his PhD from Mississippi State University in 2021 where he was a research assistant. He is currently teaching Strategic Marketing (MKTG 485) and Advanced Selling and Sales Management (MKTG 452).

 

Kazandjian places heavy emphasis on making his classes as close to real-life as possible and accomplishes that through various teaching methods. “For example, my strategic marketing students are doing a simulation where they are in charge of making strategic marketing decisions for their car brand while competing for market share against other students in the class.I hope that these practical exercises help students be more confident when they graduate and enter the professional world. Not only am I using practical exercise in the classroom,I am also trying to bring practitioners into the classroom to offer students a different perspective.”

 

Regarding transitioning to CBE he says “There were a few factors that made Towson the place I wanted to teach and research. I think that Towson offers a great balance between teaching and research, which I was hoping to find. Moreover, the opportunity to teach sales and contribute to the success of the sales competition were two of the deciding factors for me. In addition, the location made Towson very attractive!”

 

Kazandjian enjoys teaching and says “Teaching at Towson has been a fantastic experience. The students have been engaged throughout the semester and brought their own experiences to the class. I am happy to be teaching in person and get to know the students in my class.”

 

One of the things that he is looking forward to is creating a new sales course. He says “I would love to contribute to growing the offering in sales class by creating a technology sales course to dive deeper into the software used every day by most salespeople.”

 

Looking to the future Kazandjian says “I am focusing on tweaking my classes to make them better while also making progress on my research. I have research at different stages and I hope that some of them get published soon. I will be happy to share my work once it is accepted.”

 

Welcome to the Tiger family Dr. Kazandjian!

 

By: Millie Klefsaas

Dr. Qing Yan is currently teaching Principles of Financial Management (FIN331) and Financial Institutions and Management of Risk (FIN430) in the College of Business and Economics as one of our new faculty members. Yan received her Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Arkansas in 2021. Yan’s research focuses on investments and machine learning. Her research has been presented at multiple finance conferences including Midwest Finance Association, Eastern Finance Association, and Financial Management Association annual meetings. During her Ph.D. studies, she has taught both undergraduate level and graduate level courses in finance. Before studying in the US, she worked as an investment consultant at one of the largest investment banks in China for three years.

 

Yan expresses that “in addition to the subject matters, I also hope students will learn how to learn.” 

 

When asked what led her to become a professor at Towson, Yan explains that CBE’s department of Finance’s emphasis on data analytics to prepare students for success in their careers resonates with her teaching and research interests. 

 

“Seeing the ‘aha’ moments from students when they see the connections between different concepts we have discussed has been the most enjoyable part of teaching at Towson” Yan shares. 

 

Outside of teaching, Yan is currently working on mutual fund performance prediction. Yan states that “I and my co-author find that mutual fund managers who have previously demonstrated better risk management skills deliver superior performance in the future.” 

 

Her professional goals include improving her teaching and helping “students feel learning finance is not only useful but also fun.” 

 

Yan is looking forward to the successful graduation of her students during her time in CBE. Outside of teaching and research, Yan also loves sketching and painting. Welcome to CBE Dr. Yan!