COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | WINTER 2025 P LUS Jim Parkin Connects Industry and Educationp.10 The Human Side of Business AI p.12 Jeff Lulay: From Corvallis to Nike and Back p.14 SnoPlanks Academy
Michelle Snyder Executive Director of Advancement College of Business michelle.snyder@oregonstate.edu 541-737-0594 business.oregonstate.edu Cover photo courtesy of SnoPlanks. KATE O’BRIEN ON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ALUMNI CULTURE …and the opportunity to connect with us CONTENTS Inside the College of Business SnoPlanks Academy: The Ultimate Learning Experience Jim Parkin Connects Industry and Education The Human Side of Business AI Jeff Lulay: From Corvallis to Nike and Back 4| 6| 10| 12| 14| Kate O’Brien Assistant Director of Advancement Engagement and Strategy Each year, we strive to involve even more College of Business alumni in events and engagement opportunities. This academic year, we are excited to introduce (and re-introduce) initiatives that highlight our commitment to develop and strengthen our connections with alumni. Business GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) is one of them. Newly revived, Business GOLD offers exclusive events for young alumni as well as professional development opportunities and other ways to stay connected. We also are looking forward to inviting all alumni to events throughout Washington, Oregon and California. Our goal is to connect alumni to each other, so our regional Beaver network gets even stronger. Our Thought Leadership series is back this year, too. We encourage everyone to participate in these winter and spring events to discover the impactful research our faculty undertake. Look for information about attending on our social media channels, in your inboxes and on our website. We hope you join us! I invite you to reach out with your ideas to engage with the College of Business as well. collegeofbusiness@oregonstate.edu Go Beavs! THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Letter from Dean Carroll As we head into 2025, I want to reflect on an exciting, ambitious start to our academic year. Oregon State University welcomed its largest first-year class in history, making us the only R1 university in the country to grow for 28 years in a row. I’m proud to say that our college’s continual growth is key to this success. Our highly ranked partnership with Ecampus is getting stronger each year. It allows students of any age, anywhere, to pursue their business education. Ecampus business programs currently serve students from 44 U.S. states and 37 countries around the world. Not only have we contributed to Oregon State’s growth, we are university-wide leaders in creating experiential learning opportunities for our students. One of the most exciting examples is SnoPlanks Academy. The academy gives business students in Bend the opportunity to run an established business that handcrafts sustainable, stylish snowboards. The students’ first product line launched successfully in October. These kinds of experiences are foundational for students. They give students the confidence and skills they need to excel as soon as they graduate. You can read more about SnoPlanks in this issue. Additionally, College of Business volunteers are essential to our students. Volunteers help students build industry knowledge and networks as well as the confidence that goes along with learning to maintain relationships. Jim Parkin ’86, our 2024 College of Business Hall of Fame winner and our first executive in residence, is one of those volunteers. Jim is passionate about preparing accounting students for the business world. He helps them build a professional network and set expectations for their first jobs. We highlight Jim and his ethos of service in this issue. Each year, I have grown even prouder of the way the College of Business has strengthened its reputation through collaborations, research and supporting students. Our community is truly unique, and alumni are an integral part of it. I look forward to the remainder of the academic year, and all that we will accomplish throughout it. We look forward to sharing more of our stories with you. Have a wonderful, safe holiday season. Tim Carroll, Ph.D. Sara Hart Kimball Dean, OSU College of Business Business Matters | 3
INSIDE THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Michelle Snyder joins the College of Business We’re welcoming Michelle Snyder to the College of Business as our new executive director for advancement. Snyder joins us from Washington State University Carson College of Business, bringing fifteen years of expertise in giving and advancement for both athletics and the business school. Taking the “risky” out of business Some elaborate costly cyber hacks become international news stories; countless others are just part of the daily business of any IT team. We’ve recognized information security as critical to businesses and organizations and technology expertise as a critical component of business leadership. With that, the Oregon State MBA has added a cybersecurity management track, taught fully online, in-person in Corvallis and through the Portland Hybrid. Like all of our graduate business degrees, we’ve aligned the skill set according to industry demand, delivering technical foundations, security governance, risk mitigation, IT audit and strategic insights for comprehensive implementation and management of an organization’s cybersecurity needs. Coursework includes electives offered in partnership with the College of Engineering. You, or someone on your team, could contribute significantly to your organization’s security and sustainability with these skills. >>> LEARN MORE: beav.es/prd Cake for Austin Hall – Happy 10th Birthday! It has been ten unbelievably fast-paced years since the College of Business first welcomed students to the fresh, light-filled spaces, technology-stacked classrooms and modern functional design of Austin Hall. Kicking off the celebrations of this milestone during fall Welcome Week, Dean Emerita Ilene Kleinsorge joined us for cake and appreciation for her hard work and dedication to making Austin Hall happen. 4 | College of Business
‘Not in a textbook’: MBA capstone research with 1Path enters third year End-to-end technology provider 1Path enters its third year teaming up with College of Business graduate students from MGMT 576 for capstone research about organizational leadership. Focused on the “people integration” part of an acquisition, it’s a research project custom built from the ground up. Using 1Path company data, leadership access and interviews, and guided by senior instructor, Michele Swift, Ph.D., teams of grad students provide organizational leadership insights not found elsewhere: “How do you handle an acquisition, and how do you handle the people integration part? There is not going to be a textbook that’s going to answer this,” Swift said. Second large USDA grant for OSU and College of Business hemp bioeconomy research College of Business Centers for Supply Chain Management, and Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Business continue to make valuable contributions to OSU’s Global Hemp Innovation Center. OSU’s hemp research received an additional $10 million USDA grant, funding the development of hemp-derived biobased materials and products (BBMP). Our centers garnered more than $2 million for contributions that include collecting global hemp-industry intelligence to grow biomanufacturing, and continued responsible engagement with Native American tribes as they develop their hemp-based bioeconomy. In 2023-24, the College of Business faculty published over 40 peer-reviewed research papers featuring 35 different COB faculty. The college also doubled the total value of federal and state grants awarded to researchers in the college in the past year from $300,000 to $600,000, highlighting the impact of OSU research on businesses and communities worldwide. RESEARCH EXCELLENCE Full – of pride Achieving full professor is apex, and 2024 was apex for us. We’re so proud to introduce (l to r) Professor of Management Pauline Schilpzand, Professor of Management Jeewon Cho and Professor of Law Inara Scott. The College of Business now has five women and seven men tenured at full professor. Business Matters | 5
DELIVERS THE ULTIMATE LEARNING EXPERIENCE THE FIRST NEGOTIATION Time was running short to secure a contract manufacturer to partner with the new student academy at OSU-Cascades. With deadlines for 2024-25 product lines looming, two companies had responded to the academy’s request for quotation. A negotiation was scripted and rehearsed. A finance executive was trained to deliver the pitch. The academy would be delighted to work with an interested domestic supplier of outdoor products. But that supplier also was entertaining a compelling bid from overseas. Help was needed to close the pricing gap. Then, the longest 30 seconds of uncomfortable silence was answered: A better price to deliver the product for launch. A C-suite of undergraduate academy students – mere months into their executive jobs – closed a six-figure order deal with their new supplier. Call it winning in negotiation. Welcome to SnoPlanks Academy. SnoPlanks Academy SnoPlanks executive team (from left to right): Riley O’Brien, Caitlin Colgin, Jacob Smith, James Nicol (in foreground), Ryan Henkel and Tristan Brown – photo by Marek Leavenworth Story by Becky Barrett 6 | College of Business
HOW IT STARTED In 2023, entrepreneurs James Nicol and Ryan Holmes contacted OSU-Cascades business instructor Todd Laurence with a proposal to donate their Bend-based snowboard company, SnoPlanks. The idea was to give students a hands-on opportunity to run an outdoor products company, from product design and supply chain management to financial analysis and market execution. “They wanted to create the ultimate experiential learning opportunity,” Laurence recalled. A team from OSU-Cascades and the College of Business designed SnoPlanks Academy and launched it spring term 2024. There was no blueprint to follow. Other colleges organize internships or jobs in industry where experiential learning is heavily curated by adults and is virtually risk-free. Through SnoPlanks Academy, OSU-Cascades students are advancing their career skills by engaging in the operation, sustainability and growth of the company. The company’s success depends largely on them. “This extraordinary gift is transforming how OSUCascades students and faculty approach learning and teaching,” said Sherm Bloomer, chancellor and dean of OSU-Cascades. Tim Carroll, dean of the College of Business, agrees. “I’m excited that our college is part of this new platform for business and learning,” Carroll said. “The students have done incredible work so far. The academy reflects the dynamism of the Bend business community and OSUCascades. It’s an entrepreneurial, clever, crossdisciplinary venture.” - Sherm Bloomer, Chancellor and Dean OSU-Cascades “This extraordinary gift is transforming how OSU-Cascades students and faculty approach learning and teaching” Business Matters | 7
“You’ll be surprised by how much your educational experience will be amplified.” Marek Leavenworth Chief Marketing Officer, SnoPlanks THE ULTIMATE LEARNING EXPERIENCE SnoPlanks president Caitlin Colgin is a senior studying outdoor products. She is responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly and upholding the company’s vision. SETTING UP STUDENTS WITH REWARDING JOBS Laurence, now executive director of SnoPlanks Academy, along with Jenn Hoffman, associate director of student experience and Geoff Raynak, academic director, established executive and contributor roles for 27 students. The positions were filled in April with the first cohort, and SnoPlanks Academy became the largest employer of students on the OSU-Cascades campus. The academy is structured so new officers come in each spring quarter when there’s overlap with the previous officers. New officers serve through fall and winter of the following year until the next cohort is chosen. Chief supply officer Jacob Smith is in his third year studying engineering science. Smith chose OSUCascades so he could snowboard while pursuing his degree. Smith now manages a team of four students, maintains supplier relations, oversees prototype operations and contributes to design decisions. “When I first took on this role, I didn’t know what it would entail,” Smith said. He quickly developed a clearer understanding and helped negotiate the first manufacturing contract. Smith also was part of the crew that got to test the first boards at Mount Hood in August. “It was incredibly rewarding to ride them,” Smith said. “We received a lot of compliments.” Student Cory Anderson hand crafting a SnoPlanks board at the company’s R&D prototype manufacturing facility – photo by Haley Nelson. 8 | College of Business
Colgin leads weekly meetings with 30 people while navigating a male-dominated industry. “I continue to work hard to create a more inclusive environment for those who might not traditionally feel at home in snowboarding spaces,” Colgin said. “It’s rewarding to foster a culture within the company that values learning and growth, regardless of one’s experience level in snowboarding.” Marek Leavenworth is a senior studying arts, media and technology. As chief marketing officer, he’s immersed in experiential learning, from communicating with prospective manufacturers to writing proposals. “You have to learn quickly,” Leavenworth said. The marketing team generates content for social platforms, responds to inquiries, coordinates events with the sales team and promotes SnoPlanks, while Leavenworth builds management experience. “I’ve had to adapt teaching styles and learn more about delegation, ensuring that I also have time to carry out my duties as a student,” Leavenworth said. Like the other officers, he endorses the SnoPlanks Academy experience. “You’ll be surprised by how much your educational experience will be amplified,” Leavenworth said. Senior Ryan Henkle is head of finance and chief operating officer. It’s been rewarding to set up the company to comply with guidelines and regulations and drive the negotiation for the manufacturing contract. “When people hear what we are trying to accomplish, their faces light up with excitement,” Henkle said. A snowboarder since sixth grade and former high school competitor, Henkle is stoked to be riding one of the first student-produced boards. “SnoPlanks has been the best experience of my college career,” he said. It’s boosted his confidence and finds him pondering starting his own business after finishing his degree. “The knowledge I’ve gained is incredible,” he said. “There’s nothing like it.” (From left to right) James Nichol, co-founder and CEO of SnoPlanks; Ryan Holmes, co-founder and head of sales at SnoPlanks; Caitlin Colgin, president, SnoPlanks Academy; Ryan Henkel, COO and vice president of finance, SnoPlanks Academy; Jacob Smith, vice president of supply chain and operations, SnoPlanks Academy. The group spoke to more than 200 people at an event organized by the Oregon Outdoor Alliance in May, 2024 – photo by Haley Nelson. Business Matters | 9
develop partnerships within the university and beyond,” said Tim Carroll, the Sara Hart Kimball Dean of the College of Business. “I am grateful that he makes us better, boosts our reputation and helps create a singular experience for our students.” Parkin also is a member of the Oregon State University Foundation Board of Trustees; the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army of North Texas (the largest social-services provider in the Dallas-Fort Worth area) and serves on the Board of Directors for Virginia-based Tactical Retreat Unplugged, a nonprofit that supports wellness services for first responders and veterans, and their spouses. Parkin’s ingenuity and service to Oregon State as well as his 35-year career at Deloitte, much of which he spent in leadership roles, are why he is the 2024 College of Business Hall of Fame winner. “Jim has persistently worked on behalf of the college and university, and I am honored to welcome him into our Hall of Fame,” Carroll said. “Throughout his career and in his service to the university, he When Jim Parkin ’86 teaches Navigating the Profession in the College of Business, his goal is to prepare his accounting students to succeed in industry as soon as they graduate. “I’m trying to bring to them what I wish I knew when I graduated,” said Parkin, who earned a business degree with a concentration in accounting and minor in management information services. “I want to help them understand the industry perspective while they’re in college.” Parkin has served as executive in residence in the college since he retired from Deloitte in 2021. He has long been connected to Oregon State and the College of Business and is an invaluable bridge between industry and higher education. Parkin, who has also been a member of the Dean’s Council of Excellence since 1998, has dedicated himself to advancing the college more broadly. “Jim uses his expertise and network to help the College of Business evolve to further align with Oregon State’s mission, advance our goals and COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Hall of Fame Winner Jim Parkin Connects Industry and Education 10 | College of Business
has shown ethical leadership and made a real difference to our students and his community. He has been kind, insightful and down to earth. He is very deserving of this award.” Parkin started his career at Deloitte and advanced to several leadership roles in the audit practice, including chief financial officer of the U.S. audit and assurance practice and Silicon Valley audit and assurance practice leader. During his tenure with Deloitte, he lived in Portland, New York, Seattle, St. Louis, and San Jose. “I was constantly given new challenges at Deloitte,” Parkin said. “Every five to eight years, I was given a new opportunity. I could continue to learn in that culture and feel good about what I was doing.” One of the projects Parkin is most proud of is when, as a young partner at Deloitte, he helped manage Microsoft’s account. “It was a tremendous high point for me,” Parkin said. “I was working with a company who was on the leading edge of technology. Microsoft was one of the most demanding clients I worked for, but when we delivered, they were one of the most appreciative.” Parkin attributes his success in leadership, in part, to an inquisitive nature and a desire to know more about Deloitte’s mission and how the company could achieve it. “I was always trying to understand more, and I would see which leader was around the table in a work setting and ask him or her questions,” he said. “I got to thinking, ‘Is that something I could do? Is that a job I could do?’” After he retired, Parkin wanted to give back to the College of Business even more, an ethos he learned from his parents. “My parents weren’t rich, but they were charitable,” he said. “My father was a scout leader, and my mother volunteered locally in our school. They taught me the value of giving back early on, so after you spend 35 years working your tail off, it’s very satisfying to be in a position where I can share with others.” Giving back has been rewarding for Parkin: Not only has he been able to bring more than 40 industry professionals to speak in his undergraduate classroom, but some students have even reached out for advice after the class was over. “I’m building a sense of authentic trust where they would say, ‘Hey Jim, I’m wrestling with this problem. Do you have thoughts or advice?’” Parkin said. “That feels really good and fully satisfying.” He’s proud, too, of the college’s evolution since he was a student and since he joined the Dean’s Council of Excellence. “The College of Business is key to the university’s overall mission,” he said. “They are helping people in the state of Oregon, throughout the west coast and the world. I’ve seen so much progress being made, and I’m glad to be involved in whatever way I can.” I’m trying to bring to students what I wish I knew when I graduated. I want to help them understand the industry perspective while they’re in college. Business Matters | 11
In coming months, Business Matters will explore the development of AI in business operations, research and education. Our first installment details the college’s leadership in navigating AI’s powerful impacts. The race for better artificial intelligence tools may come down to how well they address persistent needs in business. From marketing and customer analytics to human resources, companies are turning to AI to increase efficiency and improve day-to-day operations. The impact will be comparable, experts say, to the introduction of the PC, the internet and the cell phone. While the use of tools such as Microsoft’s CoPilot, Open AI’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini puts tech in the headlights, the focus for the college remains squarely on humans. “We center people in all of the work we do around artificial intelligence,” said Inara Scott, Gomo Family Professor and senior associate dean. “We ask questions like: How can technology help us build more human-centered and engaged workplaces? How can we use technology to further shared prosperity and strengthen communities? “We are teaching our students to employ technology ethically, using it alongside people to help them achieve their goals, not to replace but to empower them.” Researchers have used basic AI such as machine learning and neural networks for decades, but the rise of “large language models” and generative AI are making these tools as indispensable as the spreadsheet. “They are going to be part of students’ working environment going forward,” said Bret Carpenter, senior instructor who is coordinating AI strategies in the college. Take, for example, a common HR task: how to keep employees informed about company policies and resources. Businesses typically use a variety of tools to meet that need: booklets, training sessions, online FAQs and internal networks. Now, they may be turning to chatbots, software designed to mimic human conversation. But which ones are best? How well do they perform for each task? At what cost? And how should these tools and the data they require be managed? For Portland General Electric (PGE), a search for answers led last spring to Professor Bin Zhu’s analytics capstone class. Students broke into two The Human Side of Business AI Story by Nick Houtman 12 | College of Business
teams to consider how chatbots could meet the needs of PGE’s more than 2,800 employees who work in offices and in the field on the company’s power distribution system. Over the course of the semester, the class developed a detailed framework for evaluating commercially available chatbots according to PGE’s criteria. They ran evaluations on chatbots from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI and other developers. The PGE project was not the first for Zhu. She has advised other student teams working with Daimler Trucks North America and Burgerville. Within the college, students also are developing a chatbot to help their peers navigate the complexities of program requirements and course options. Other faculty members are digging into the use of AI tools in employee performance evaluation, social media analytics and vendor negotiations. For example, employees tend to distrust automated performance evaluation systems. Even as AI-based evaluation expands, managers play a crucial role in working “carefully, vigilantly and conscientiously” to align employee behavior with company policies, wrote Keith Leavitt, professor of management, recently in Academy of Management Review, a top management journal. Social media analysis may offer clues for marketing and product development. Xiaohui Chang and Tim Kaskela, associate professor and assistant professor of business analytics respectively, use AI tools to analyze social media data. Chang evaluates the spread of misinformation while Kaskela focuses on user sentiments and content analysis. AI can assist in one of the most difficult aspects of business development: negotiating contracts for supplies and personnel. Laura Rees, associate professor of organizational behavior, delves into socially interactive aspects of AI, including how it presents emotional cues. In class, her students gain experience in both negotiating with AI and designing their own AI negotiation agents. For Scott, the rapid changes in the AI landscape bring uncertainty, but also opportunity. “We know there’s a lot of concern about how AI will be used in the future and believe business has a unique and important role to play in finding ways to ensure that it works toward the greater good,” Scott said. “This is not just about computers and software for us — it’s about how we can create the brightest possible future using these amazing new tools.” Business Matters | 13
Finding a ‘Culture of Connectivity’ from Corvallis to Nike and Back Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade Jeff Lulay ‘16 reflects on his career thus far and connecting to people through sports Jeff Lulay ‘16 always knew he wanted to work in athletics. His first plan was to play football at a small West Coast college. Then, while he was finishing high school and figuring out his next steps, he decided it was time to hang up his cleats and make sports his occupation. That focused his college selection to the two universities he’d applied to: Oregon and Oregon State. All it took was one visit to Corvallis – ”maybe one hour of walking around campus,” he said – for him to know it was home. “It’s the most corny thing,” he said, “but it is truly what happened. I was standing in the middle of the Memorial Union, and I realized how welcomed and comfortable I felt. I knew it would be a place where I could be myself while pursuing my professional goals.” At the time, the College of Business was expanding rapidly, so he wound up in the right place at the right time, he said. He participated in the Weatherford Accelerator Program, and Austin Hall opened while he was a student. He even met his wife, Brittany Lulay ‘16, in the Weatherford Business Series, though they didn’t start dating until after they’d both graduated. His interest in sports first led him to focus on events. He worked with Beaver Athletics in a variety of roles throughout the four years he spent in Corvallis. He and his friends started a Story by Jess Kibler 14 | College of Business
basketball tournament in his backyard that over the years grew to 60 participants and hundreds of spectators. When he was selected for a competitive summer internship with Nike Football, he began to see the grander possibilities available to him. “I realized I wanted to be somewhere big and bold,” he said, somewhere that gave him the ability to really connect with a consumer, beyond a single event. The internship led to a job offer, and he’s been at Nike ever since. Earlier this year, he moved into a role in global brand marketing for men’s sport, which includes golf, tennis, baseball and American football. He sees a lot of potential for the future of Nike and their athletes in these sports. Since graduating, Lulay has continued to stay involved with the College of Business, visiting classes to talk about his career journey and meeting with and mentoring students who are interested in working in sports marketing. Earlier this year, the College of Business recognized him with the Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade award, which is given to alumni “with less than 10 years of professional experience who have shown significant contributions to their community, their profession or the college through early career roles, leadership and/or volunteer service.” Lulay checked every box. “I know a lot of people from Oregon State who are doing amazing work,” he said. “To know that I was selected from amongst that group – a group with many people deserving of an award like that – means the world to me.” His focus on service has been with him since he was a child growing up in Wilsonville. “In my family, inclusivity and belonging are just built in. My parents absolutely shaped my perspective,” he said, his face lighting up. “I am this way because of them.” “Giving back was just something my family did,” he added. “It was ingrained into our daily routines.” Lulay’s brother and sister both experience developmental disabilities, and his family has been involved in a variety of organizations that provide services and programming for kids and adults who experience disabilities. Lulay said he hopes to one day help run a permanent space for athletes who experience disabilities to practice and play sports. His brother plays in a baseball league, and Lulay has seen first-hand the high cost and limited availability of rental space. “These programs and leagues do so much for so many,” Lulay said. “Cost and access to a facility should never be a barrier to sport.” “I want to build something that is sustainable and accessible to more kids,” he added. “I would love to be the champion of something like that.” Lulay said he always intended to stay connected with the university after graduating. What he didn’t expect, though, is just how much he enjoys helping today’s students. “The college thinks they benefit from me visiting classes and mentoring students,” he said, “and I suppose they do. But it’s so fulfilling for me, it fires me up, to meet these students and follow their successes.” He said he was surprised to discover how happy it makes him to help out in this way, but it seems of a piece for someone so driven by connection, someone who wants more people to feel like they have somewhere to belong, like he has. “I’m so proud of where I’ve been and where I’m going,” he said. “I get emotional when I talk about it. Oregon State is an incredible institution, and I really value the culture of connectivity I found there.” The college thinks they benefit from me visiting classes and mentoring students ... but it’s so fulfilling for me, it fires me up, to meet these students and follow their successes. Business Matters | 15
Supporting Finish in Four means crafting the future of business in Oregon and prosperity for all. Join us. beav.es/fif Finish in Four COLLEGE OF BUSINESS OSU’s new Finish in Four program provides four-year scholarships for low-income Oregon residents, but the program is more than financial aid: It’s a multifaceted, university-wide effort designed to help students thrive. Program participants are part of a supportive cohort that builds a sense of belonging. They receive financial education as well as academic counseling. “I am committed to the Finish in Four initiative because it will help College of Business students graduate, and graduate on time.” Tim Carroll Sara Hart Kimball Dean Oregon State University College of Business
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