Academics – Business Dialog

November 14, 2024November 14, 2024

Pitching their big ideas

Shark Tank meets TU at the Big Idea Pitch Competition. Budding entrepreneurs brought their best and brightest ideas to the stage last week at the 2024 Big Idea Pitch Competition in front of a panel of judges. Hosted by the Dept. of Management and the Venture Club, the competition featured 10 ideas pitched in rapid fire by eager, entrepreneurial TU students.

Ideas were judged by their scalability, creativity, and presentation by judges Adeola Ajani (CEO of Fem Equity), Molli Chang (Business Analyst at StarTUp), and Greg Vetter (author and CEO of Tessemae’s All Natural).

One of this year’s judges, Molli Chang, is a former student and top-3 winner of the Big Idea Competition and returned to share her experience and expertise with current participants. She shared how gratifying it was to see her former classmates get up on stage and pitch their big ideas. “It was amazing to see how far they’ve come, how far they’ve grown,” Molli said. “It warmed my heart to reconnect with professors and classmates.”

Here’s a rundown of the top three winners.

First Place

Name: Camila Hoyos

Idea: SynchroSound, earbuds that translate dozens of languages in real-time. The product innovation was founded to address the imminent issue of language barriers. Through the earbuds, the device will translate the language of the person speaking through the call. The product is intended for multinational corporations, tourists, health care providers, and people who want to learn different languages.

Second Place

Name: Bria Reeves, Jordon Brinkley, Albery Arriaza, Lauren Fulmer, Jonathan Yohannes, Ryan Scho

Idea: S&F Watch, a crime-reporting app for campus communities. The idea is an innovative safety platform that streamlines how students connect with campus authorities. It enables quick, discreet reporting, real-time notifications of potential threats, and alerts for nearby incidents — empowering users to stay informed and safe on campus.

Third Place

Name: Alexander Schafer

Idea: Sprout with Us, a subscription service for sustainable baby clothes. About a year ago, his brother and his wife decided to have a child. The idea was created to solve the financial strain caused by consistently buying clothes for their quickly growing child.

Check out some photos from the competition below.

April 19, 2024

TU’s accounting and business advisory services M.S. receives STEM designation

Program emphasizes the growing role of technology and data analytics in the accounting profession

Towson University’s accounting and business advisory services master’s degree earned designation as a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program from the Maryland Higher Education Commission. This designation serves as a recognition that the courses in the curriculum reflect what students need to be successful in the accounting industry today and in the future.

This designation recognizes the program’s emphasis on the growing role of technology and data analytics in the accounting profession.

“As the accounting profession has evolved, technology has played an increasingly important role in professional practice,” said Dr. Charles Russo, associate professor of Accounting and director of the M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services at Towson University. “Data analytics with the use of technology pushes the profession toward higher order thinking skills.”

The program’s updated curriculum reflects the evolving demands of the profession.

The landscape of accounting services is being fundamentally reshaped by technological advancements, data analytics, and the rise of generative AI. The STEM designation highlights TU’s commitment to equipping the next generation of accountants with the modern skills they need to be successful in the profession.

A key advantage of the TU program is that it’s offered jointly by Towson University and the University of Baltimore, a partnership which began in 2004. The joint program allows students to enroll in accounting courses at both universities and offers a flexible format, including courses offered online and on-campus, making it ideal for working professionals seeking to advance in their careers.

The new designation gives international students the benefits of optional practical training (OPT) eligibility and an additional 24 months of United States residency with the STEM OPT extension on their visas. Towson University also offers a five-year accelerated dual degree in accounting (B.S.) and accounting and accounting and business advisory services (M.S.), which allows international undergraduate students to be eligible for OPT if they choose to add on the master’s degree.

Learn more about the accelerated dual degree in accounting and business advisory services

Towson University’s accounting programs emphasize high-quality academics and applied learning. In this program, students learn advanced skills in applied information technology, finance, and other relevant areas. Towson University is accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), the highest standard for business education.

With a STEM-designated degree, students can expect hands-on learning experiences with real-world application, a high return-on-investment; and higher pay scales, job availability and longevity when entering STEM-oriented positions.

Learn more about TU’s M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services program and the College of Business and Economics.

April 8, 2024

CBE Student Abigail Kuehl Wins 2024 College Cup

Antidote Haircare, a plant-powered haircare brand developed by Abigail Kuehl, a Towson University College of Business and Economics student, won the third annual College Cup.

Kuehl was one of seven finalists to pitch at the April 2 event, held at the StarTUp at the Armory in downtown Towson. She took home a cash prize of $10,000 to put towards her venture and a spot in the 2024 StarTUp Accelerator, where she will join several other founders for eight weeks to collaborate and accelerate their ventures.

“Thank you so much. I didn’t honestly think I was gonna win. I really came into it for the experience. Throughout this journey working with [the StarTUp Team] I have learned so much. Their feedback was so helpful and it was non-biased, and that’s exactly what I needed. I needed the outside perspective,” said Kuehl during her acceptance.

Kuehl boasts a wealth of experience as a master stylist and boutique salon owner and has a passion for addressing her clients’ needs. She’s committed to crafting a professional brand centered around clean, ingredient-first formulas. Along with her business partner, David Calle, they brought together product developers, stylists, and product testers to develop their brand.

“This has been a journey for me and I’ve put my heart and soul into this business. I hope you can tell. And I’m really out here to make a difference and make healthy living easier for people. That’s really the goal. So thank you again,” she added.

The College Cup is a university-wide challenge that helps students develop new socially- or commercially-oriented ideas and innovations to positively impact the world.

This year, a record number 25 student-led ventures applied for the challenge. Students came from nearly every TU college. Eventually, 15 ventures made it through all the programming, which includes a bootcamp, submitting an executive summary, a “learn to pitch” classroom session, and practicing pitching to the StarTUp team. The students also had access to and gained feedback from members of the ETU Council, a coalition of faculty and staff engaged in developing and strengthening entrepreneurship across campus.

A group of students pose together after competing in the competition. — Towson University students participated in the 2024 College Cup pitch event at the StarTUp at the Armory on April 2, 2024.

Seven made it through to the end. And, over the course of the last several weeks, they honed their ideas, developed pitch decks, and refined their pitches before pitching in front of a live audience and a panel of business leaders and TU alumni.

The other six finalists include:

Campus Connect, led by Xavier Sabree and Derek Knight: An app that connects college students with other student entrepreneurs/student-run companies on campuses.
Dropped, led by Aliya Pemberton Lightbourne: A platform/business that gives commuter students access to bus transportation to and from campus.
Events by Elle B., led by Lianna Banks: An event planning company.
MAI PT, led by Molli Chang: An app for physical therapy patients to remind them of at-home physical therapy exercises and uses AI technology to guide patients through PT goals.
My Campus Hubs, led by Andres Londoño, Jake Furtaw, Matt Dibbern, William Duckworth III, Caleb Blomquist and Ryan Kraft: An app that connects college students with each other socially, with professors and classmates academically, and with the community surrounding their campuses.
Urban Companions, led by Anastasia Kolomytseva and Eliza Petrova: An app that connects college students with shared housing options off campus.

The finalists each received $1,000 to put toward their venture.

(This article has been reproduced from EngageTU and was originally written and posted by TU StarTUp on April 4, 2024.)

October 2, 2023

CBE Launches “Meet the Majors” Series

This fall, Student Academic and Career Services (SACS) in the College of Business and Economics (CBE) will host three “Meet the Majors” sessions as an opportunity for students to learn more about all of CBE majors and academic program offerings.

Geared toward freshmen and sophomores but open to all students, the Meet the Majors series will give students the opportunity to talk with current students of the major, ask questions of faculty members, and learn more about the majors’ courses and projected career outcomes.

The schedule for the Fall 2023 Meet the Majors series includes:

Thursday, 10/5: Meet the Majors: Accounting and Finance
Tuesday, 10/24: Meet the Majors: Economics and BATM
Tuesday, 10/31: Meet the Majors: Marketing and Management

Each session will take place in the hallway outside the Dean’s Office (ST218) in Stephens Hall between 12pm and 1:30pm.

These informal sessions are a great opportunity for students to get a sense of what the majors are like to help them make decisions on which major to pursue. Professional development partners (PDPs), faculty members, and current students in the major will be on site to provide guidance and answer questions.

Questions? Contact Meghan Behm at mvbehm@towson.edu.

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023

CBE Announces New Master’s Program in Economic Analytics

The College of Business and Economics is proud to announce the approval of a new M.S. in Economic Analytics at Towson University. In this master’s program, students will use economic theory, econometrics and data science to understand how laws, policies, and other interventions impact people’s lives. The program will soft launch in Fall 2023, allowing current Towson University undergrads to take courses in the master’s program as part of an accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program. The full launch will take place in Fall 2024, with applications opening September 15, 2023, at which point anyone will have the opportunity to apply for the program, including international students.

Dr. Finn Christensen, professor in the Economics Department and the program director, took the lead in bringing the program to fruition, with the support of Dr. Melissa Groves and Dr. Herbert Zhao. TU’s program differs from those offered by other universities in the region. “Our economics program is the first in the area to combine data science and econometrics as part of the standard curriculum,” Dr. Christensen said.“The program can be completed in 16 months whereas most programs in the area are 2-year programs.”

The program will not only present opportunities for students in the area, but also faculty. While existing faculty can teach all the courses in the program, this will take them away from existing responsibilities, so up to two new professors will be hired to fill the gap.

It will take students up to 16-months to complete the 33 credit hours required to graduate from the program. The content will focus on applied microeconomics, with an emphasis on data analysis. The program will be offered face-to-face and full-time attendance is optimal – however, the program can be completed on a part-time basis. Students who have recently graduated with an undergraduate degree are encouraged to consider the new program, particularly those in majors such as Economics, Business Administration, Accounting, or any quantitative major such as computer science, math or physics. Students will acquire job-relevant skills such as Stata, R, and Python without needing prior knowledge in the topics. Mid-career professionals and those seeking to later complete a Ph.D. in economics or a related field are welcome. The career prospects upon graduation include roles as a data analyst, an economist, or a statistician. These positions are well paid with average salaries in excess of $80K and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported median pay in 2019 for those with a masters degree in Economics of $105,020. Due to the fact the program is a STEM-designated degree, students on an F-1 visa will be eligible for up to 3 years of OPT after graduation through the STEM OPT extension. For domestic students, this designation signals rigorous preparation to potential employers.

“We’re very excited to provide students with the opportunity to earn a STEM designated MS degree in Economic Analytics at TU,” said Dr. Judy Harris, Interim Dean in the College of Business and Economics. “This is a growing field and with hands-on application of data analysis techniques like the modeling of big data and machine learning, graduates will be well suited to meet the evolving needs of employers in the region.”