Business Dialog

As a part of our ongoing CBE Star Student Spotlight series we would like to highlight Emma Roth, who is majoring in Business Administration and legal studies. Emma shares that she always had a passion for business and she knew that CBE had opportunities for that passion that she would not find anywhere else. 

When reflecting on the classes she has taken in CBE, Emma states that the classes she has found the most valuable are those that are useful regardless of one’s career choice. Emma shares that Business Communications is the best example. “I’ve learned so much about how to present myself in a professional setting, the best way to go about job interviews and how to make my resume stand out.”

During her time in CBE, Emma is proud of the work she is doing with the Student Leadership Council for food insecurity. Emma explains that “I was fortunate enough to be part of the planning process and decision making process in choosing a cause that the CBE would be supporting and I think we definitely made the right choice.”

Additionally, Emma is proud to see the success of the student organizations in CBE. She shares that “as the SLC president, I saw first hand how many, if not all, of the student organizations struggled during the pandemic. Now, I see so many CBE student orgs working their way back and even thriving. Although I am not personally involved in every organization, the success of each of these organizations contributes to the success of the CBE and of the success of the students.”

Emma’s advice to other CBE students is to take advantage of the opportunities that CBE offers. 

“The clubs that you join, professors that you connect with, and leadership positions you take will all have a significant impact on your college experience. I urge students to get as involved as possible and say yes to opportunities. There are always people willing to help and guide you.”

Emma plans to graduate in May 2022 and after her time in CBE hopes to go to law school. Emma plans to keep her connections she has made in Towson University and the College of Business and Economics and wants to be a mentor to other students. 

Emma adds that “with graduation right around the corner, I look back at my time in CBE and I’m very grateful for all of the opportunities and experiences that I’ve had. With the help of the faculty, Dean’s office, and of course my fellow students, I truly feel that I have made my mark on the CBE.” 

What is business analytics? Business analytics has been around for many years but has grown as a field in the past ten years because of big data. Stella Tomasi, a professor in the Department of Business Analytics and Technology Management, began her career as a chemist in pharmaceuticals before transitioning to technology. 

 “I was curious about how things worked in pharmaceuticals and in three years I was able to learn a lot. At that point, I got a job offer at the FDA while being accepted into a master’s program in management information systems,” Tomasi says. “I chose the master’s program and switched my career into how businesses used technology to achieve their goals.” 

While working as a database administrator and building databases for clinical trials, she worked with statisticians to analyze collected data to identify the effectiveness of new drugs. 

“This was my first introduction to data analytics,” Tomasi explains. 

Afterward, as a consultant at Accenture until 2009, she worked with various pharmaceutical companies on process improvement, new system implementation, and analyzing success measures, all of which helped her bring real world experience into the classroom. She continues to talk to industry partners to incorporate new technology such as UiPath, which helps businesses with robotic process automation.  

During her time in the College of Business & Economics, Tomasi developed the business systems and process major, the business analytics minor, and the data analytics competition. 

“We have lots of data that is being collected in any industry. Regardless of what discipline you are in, collected data can be analyzed to help identify patterns, trends and ultimately make intelligent decisions for decision makers,” Tomasi says.

Interested in learning more? We encourage all students to learn more about the Business Analytics Minor. 

Tomasi is also a big advocate for careers in the STEM fields, since she herself switched from chemistry to technology. The business systems and processes major provides students with hands-on experience with an Enterprise Resource Planning system called SAP. Students learn how SAP is utilized in industry through various processes such as sales, distribution, production, marketing, human resources, and accounting. Regardless of your functional area, most large companies use SAP in their daily operations. 

Additionally, Tomasi advocates for women and minorities to participate in STEM through an organization called Girls in Technology (GIT), where she is a program director that helps connect girls with learning experiences. GIT works with young girls from grades 6-12 from various schools in the DMV area to promote STEM careers. 

This year, there is a focus on data analytics. The field of analytics is growing and jobs are expected to continue to grow. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the number of jobs in the field will increase by 28% by 2026, which means roughly 11.5 million new jobs. 

One of the reasons Tomasi developed the data analytics competition was for students to see what it is like to analyze data — but in an informal environment while helping companies with intelligent decision making. Tomasi believes that it is important to look at a practical application of data analytics that will help students understand how data analytics is helpful in any industry. 

 

Not only does the competition give students a fun way to experience analytics, but it allows participating companies to recruit students in an informal way as they are able to see how students analyze and communicate the insights. The participating students sometimes do not realize how this opportunity could potentially lead to an internship or future career. 

Stella Tomasi has contributed immensely to the College of Business and Economics, and her unique career path makes her invaluable to Towson University. 

 

Learn more about the Data Analytics Competition

Learn more about the Business Analytics Minor

Learn more about the Business Systems and Process Major

 

Written by: Millie Klefsaas

Zephinia Hill is a CBE student majoring in Entrepreneurship and Business Systems & Processes and is our next student as a part of the CBE Star Student Spotlight!  

Zephinia was inspired to join the College of Business and Economics with the goal of becoming her own boss one day. She states that “I want a sense of accomplishment where I can look back and feel proud of the journey.”

Zephinia has used her time in CBE in order to get out of her comfort zone. Zephinia shares that “I used my time at Towson to visualize my future. I treated each class as a stepping stone, and some classes I had to go gather real data and opinions from people outside of the classroom. I had to attend networking events where I didn’t know a single person. No one is just going to hand you what you want in life, you have to take the leap yourself.”

“Please use everything Towson offers to your advantage, explore everything. The shoulda, coulda, woulda, phase will never end unless you put yourself out there” she remarks. 

One aspect of the program that has stuck with her is the advantage it has given her towards ideation and failure. “One of my professors once posed the question of ‘would you rather fail here at Towson or out there in the rest of the world.’ I didn’t know what to make of that question because I, like many, would not like to fail at all. But when you look at it through an entrepreneurial lens, I would rather fail at Towson. I know if my idea didn’t win the competition, I have more than enough teachers willing to help me make my vision and presentation stronger. So when I pitch my idea to investors outside of the four walls of Stephens Hall, I will be prepared for whatever is thrown my way.” 

When giving advice to other CBE students, she shares that it is important to not compare your journey to the journeys of others. She shares “I am guilty of this myself; I have been working on The Mensuration Situation since the fall of 2019. I thought I would be a lot farther along in my journey than where I am now. Truth be told, I don’t know what I’m waiting on; maybe I want to be in the right mindset or have certain products. Either way, it’s always going to be a constant battle of what is the competition doing that I’m not. Comparison is the thief of joy, so keep an open mind and focus on yourself.”

Zephinia plans to graduate in the fall and when asked about her future plans she shares “After I leave CBE I’m hoping to follow through on the many promises I made myself over the years. For one, officially launching my business venture, The Menstruation Situation, which has been a work in progress for so long that I have to see it through for my own sanity. Something else I hope to achieve after my time in CBE is a stable work life balance. With being one’s own boss you can get swept away in the operations of the business without taking time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

What is financial planning? This is exactly the question four industry professionals sought to answer during the Department of Finance’s first in-person Meet and Greet. Held in Stephens Hall on a Friday afternoon in early October, more than 50 students, faculty, and staff gathered to glean advice from local firms including Greenspring Advisors, Financial Consulate, Jacob William Advisory, and Life Science Wealth.

For many, the financial planning profession conjures images of cut-throat, unscrupulous individuals chasing wealth. This reputation is reinforced by shows like Showtime’s Billions or HBO’s Industry. But, as Patrick Collins, CFP®, Graham Ewing, CFP®, and Dan Morrison, CFP® pointed out, this is no longer the case. The industry has changed. Financial planning isn’t just about advising people on investments, nor is it just about finance.

Patrick Collins, CFP®, partner, CEO and co-founder of Greenspring Advisors says, “Managing investments is 20% of the job, soft skills make up the remaining 80%.”

Graham Ewing, CFP®, TU alum and director of financial planning standards at Financial Consulate added, “You need to be able to communicate with clients.”

When discussing skills required to succeed as a financial planner, the professionals agreed, data analysis, communication, and problem-solving are important. Above all, however, is the desire to work with and help people. Chris Sarlo, CFP®, wealth consultant at Life Science Wealth and Graham Ewing, CFP® both noted that relationship management is a massive part of being a financial planner.

Patrick Collins and Dan Morrison, CFP®, founding partner & wealth advisor at Jacob Williams added that the goal of today’s financial planner is to “make people’s lives better.”

If helping people isn’t incentive enough, the CFP Board reports that financial planning offers plenty of job opportunities for tomorrow’s young professionals. In fact, the U.S. Labor Department estimates that jobs in this field will increase at a rate of seven percent through 2028, faster than the average job growth rate.

To learn more about financial planning and whether or not it’s the right career path for you, reach out to senior lecturer Chinedum Nwadiora or visit their web page. The opportunities are endless!

Katherine Conroy is a current student in CBE and our first student of the CBE Star Student Spotlight! She is currently double majoring in Accounting and Business Administration with tracks in Business Analysis and Project Management. Initially, Katherine wanted to be a forensic psychologist, but chose accounting to become a forensic accountant while still having the flexibility to choose other accounting career paths in the future. Katherine shares that “Business has always fascinated me, as a complex yet rewarding industry. Financial freedom is a significant goal of mine, and I truly feel as though joining the CBE was the best choice for me to pursue both my interests and long-term goals.” 

This year, Katherine has received the Accounting Alumni Scholarship Award for her achievements. While she never expected to experience this success early into her college career, she is thankful for the opportunities that CBE presents in order to receive such an award. 

The most valuable class that Katherine has taken so far is Accounting 201 with Dr. Rao. She shares that Dr. Rao is thorough with information, is always available to help, and sets up mentorships for students. Continuing on her experience, Katherine adds “My experience in the mentorship – along with the invigorating encouragement during one of the most rigorous courses of my first year – continues to serve as a driving force behind my motivation to persist in difficult courses. As an advisor, Dr. Rao helped me to set up a double major, something I never considered going into college. I feel prepared for each course in the major, and that I am truly equipped with the knowledge set I will need to pursue a variety of professions in the business field.”

When asked if she has any advice for other students, she shares “My advice to incoming Pre-Accounting majors would be to focus your absolute hardest in Accounting 201. This being the introductory course, it truly serves as the foundation for all classes to come, and that knowledge is crucial to your success in higher level classes. I found that reading and taking extensive notes on each chapter in the book was very helpful to myself, but definitely find your best study strategy and absorb as much of the information as possible. These core concepts are the hardest to grasp in the beginning, but once you have a handle on the foundations of accounting, the higher level classes seem much more doable!”

“A core theme in accounting that has stuck with me has been the concept that accounting provides value to companies beyond financial understanding and reporting. The ultimate goal of accounting being to provide proper financial information to external users – potential investors and lenders – provides an even deeper value to businesses” Katherine remarks. 

Katherine hopes to keep a high GPA throughout her time in CBE as well as involve herself with clubs, internships, and mentorship programs with the intent to take the CPA exam upon graduation in 2024.