Year in Review 2024 - Student & Community Stories

How Frida Formann Is Mastering Basketball and Business

Kelsey Cipolla — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 18:24:19 +0000

How Frida Formann Is Mastering Basketball and Business Kelsey Cipolla Thu, 11/07/2024 - 11:24

Jane Majkiewicz

Basketball is in Frida Formann’s (EvnSt’24, MBusAn’25) DNA.

Her parents met in the gym, and her father coached her mother when they were dating. “I don’t know how they made it through that, but they did,” Formann laughed.

Fast forward four kids and several grandchildren later, and the whole family is in on the game back in her homeland of Denmark. Her sister and brother even started a team called Baby Sharks for 2-to-5-year-olds. Formann’s mother, at 60, still plays once a week.

So, there’s that family legacy, and one other thing: Formann, a guard now in her fifth year on the CU women’s basketball team, also happens to be good at the game. Really good. Last year, she became Colorado’s all-time 3-point leader. Headlines regularly followed her success, like March Madness’ “Colorado’s Frida Formann lit up LSU with 7 threes” and ESPN’s “Frida Formann sinks it from downtown.”

CU’s BuffZone.com featured a Daily Camera article quoting the team’s assistant coach Shelley Sheetz: “It’s really cool to have a front row seat watching Frida. … I see her work ethic. I see her getting extra shots up. I see her being a student of the game.”

Formann foresees basketball playing a role in her life for a “very, very long time.”

“My plan after graduating is to enter the WNBA draft and see what the options are, and then definitely continue with a professional basketball career, in whatever country that might be.”

Boosting confidence

Formann isn’t only a student of basketball. She returned to CU for a fifth year to earn her master’s in business analytics, a program now in its tenth year at Leeds. It appealed to her for the ways it could complement her bachelor’s in environmental studies, bringing in the business lens of “what is valuable to a company and where they might not want to spend as much time or money.”

“The business analytics program has taught me how to be able to talk to executives, how to develop a strategy that they can use,” she said.

Through that she’s gained something she can take onto the court and equally into the boardroom: confidence.

“I think I came here and kind of was trying to hide a little bit,” she said. “I've learned now from the American culture that it’s OK to really think highly of yourself—as long as you put action behind it, and as long as you’re still kind and a good teammate. It’s OK to know that you’re one of the best.”

“It’s OK to know that you’re one of the best.”

Frida Formann (EvnSt’24, MBusAn’25)

Formann has found parallels between excelling in sports and succeeding in business. Working with big datasets has given her an even deeper appreciation for small details.

“It reminds me of going back and watching film on a game or going back and looking at a scouting report and figuring out what are the little key moments where you could change something. What are little things that were good or bad, and then trying to figure out together how to implement new strategies. I can do that with data, and I can do it with basketball.”

Building a sense of community

For Formann, developing a fluency in data, as with basketball and English, is ultimately underpinned by the universal language of culture and community.

“My parents always preached building community and showing up not just for kids, but for everyone who needed it. That’s something I try to apply to being a leader on the team. Everyone is deserving of a spot there and everyone needs to feel valued,” she said.

Although this year’s team includes 10 new teammates, Formann is optimistic about the season. “With a new team, it just shows what culture we’ve built here at CU—that it’s a culture of consistent work, and no matter what players come in, we are true to CU and to basketball.”

Cultivating a culture of care

Formann knew nothing about CU when she applied, but she wanted to get into a bigger market for basketball, fell in love with the school and was thrilled to get a scholarship. She arrived in 2020 during the pandemic. Between that and being an international student, she knows what it’s like to feel out of place.

“It was very isolating, you know, coming from Denmark and not knowing anyone. I only had my teammates and my coaches that I actually could interact with,” she said. Due to COVID, all her classes were on Zoom, and she ate all her meals alone.

“It was hard to navigate socially, but I was so focused on just coming here and playing basketball and doing the best I could. And luckily, I could do that. I could play a full season and actually perform,” she recalled.

“I think culture is everything because, you know, when someone gets injured or you have things that don’t go as you want them to go, the culture is really what carries you through,” she said.

Taking her best shot

This year, Formann wants to focus on leaving her mark and helping others as a team veteran, a leader, and as a female athlete. She’s passionate about advocating for women’s sports, particularly advancing salaries for women athletes and increasing media visibility to promote growth. She believes women athletes work equally as hard as men and are equally as inspirational.

As this year’s basketball season gains momentum, Formann knows when she steps on the court, her hours of training and studying all come into focus.

“Every time a game is about to start, it’s always exciting. It’s what you work so hard for,” she said.

“Knowing that I’ve put in the work, that I’ve had great preparation, makes me relax and just feel the joy in the moment.”

��񱦵�’s women’s basketball standout Frida Formann (EvnSt’24, MBusAn’25) blends her competitive edge with strategic insights from her graduate studies in business analytics at Leeds.

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��񱦵� Is Named a Top 50 Ignition School

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 17:46:33 +0000

��񱦵� Is Named a Top 50 Ignition School Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 10/30/2024 - 11:46

Kristen Fischer

Fast Company and Inc. released their inaugural list of “Ignition Schools”—institutions that impact society through innovation and entrepreneurship. How is the Leeds School of Business igniting some of that impact?

Fast Company and Inc. recently published their first list of Ignition Schools—the top 50 institutions that lead in entrepreneurship and innovation—and ��񱦵� made the list.

The Leeds School of Business and Deming Center for Entrepreneurship play an integral part in CU’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, thanks to the dynamic teaching and research that shapes trailblazing entrepreneurs long before they graduate.

Brad Werner, the Deming Center’s faculty director of the New Venture Launch program and the JRN Faculty Scholar, who teaches undergraduates through PhD students, has seen Leeds grow tremendously since coming to the university seven years ago. He teaches the fundamentals of starting a business and shows students how to understand and solve problems. Classes go beyond just memorizing facts; they teach students how to think.

“I think it’s really eye-opening for the students,” Werner said. “They become empowered.”

Whether students launch businesses or not, they still can bring entrepreneurial problem-solving skills to the table at large companies. “It’s not just starting businesses, it’s creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere,” Werner added.

Erick Mueller, an adjunct professor and Deming’s executive director, says classes are unique because they use existing partnerships that give students revenue to pursue ideas. Faculty often leverage their own connections in the business arena to support students.

“We connect students with world-leading experts and scientists,” Mueller said. “There’s all this breadth of opportunities for them.”

Another differentiator: Faculty members guide their students and graduates to scale up after their business launches.

“We meet them where they’re at and we help them move a step or two forward,” Mueller added.

“It’s not just starting businesses, it’s creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere.”

Brad Werner, Faculty Director of New Venture Launch

Deming stands above

Leeds was ranked the 14th best public undergraduate entrepreneurship program by U.S. News & World Report in its  2024 Best Undergraduate Business Program  rankings, thanks to award-winning professors and programs at the Deming Center.

The center has won multiple awards from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers—the preeminent organization in entrepreneurship education worldwide—including the Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines award and the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation award. In addition, the center won global acclaim in the 2020 Innovations That Inspire Challenge by the AACSB International and the 2019 MBA Roundtable Innovator Award for their programs.

In addition, Deming hosted the Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Conference (GEIRC), which drew attendees from around the globe to highlight top research papers in the field.

From world-class to worldwide

The New Venture Launch (NVL) program, which is a class open to about 20 students each spring, has churned out 12 companies in the last two years—10 of which are still going strong. Students in the program compete in the New Venture Challenge, a competition that unites students and the greater Boulder community to formulate and fund ideas. 

Deming’s podcast, Creative Distillation, hosted by Werner and Jeff York, the faculty director of the Deming Center and associate dean for strategic initiatives, has helped put the program on the map, bringing together entrepreneurs and researchers from around the globe to review their research and share insights.

“We’re not only doing work that’s important to Boulder…we’re doing work that’s world-class,” Werner pointed out.

Colorado, one of the technology hubs for quantum computing, leads the world in terms of quantum organizations and jobs. Faculty and students engage with these startups, and several graduates are even leading them.

Deming also brings in leaders in the entrepreneurial arena who have real-world experience to serve as instructors. David Brown, who co-founded the massive commercial accelerator Techstars in Boulder, is now a faculty member associated with the Deming Center.

Currently, Werner is looking to create a Founder’s Program that will build a support system to help founders who raise money while they’re in their early stages. Intuitive Foundation will fund the program, which could morph into regional chapters that provide support to students long after they graduate from ��񱦵�.

“We have this amazing area of talent that they’re looking to help,” Werner said.

In addition to sending students to South Africa and Israel to act as consultants to local entrepreneurs, the school runs a five-year program to help rural areas and native communities in Colorado grow ventures by presenting workshops. Leeds engages a local chamber of commerce or economic development organization that will empower entrepreneurs to improve the local economy.

“It’s not just helping students, it’s helping Colorado,” Mueller said.

York has published several studies on environmental entrepreneurship, which is the intersection of creating eco-friendly and economically friendly startups that solve problems. The fusion of sustainability and business is a big focus in the Boulder region and has led to many companies launching in the area.

“It’s a place where people care deeply about environmental issues but also social issues,” York said.

This special interest—along with the university’s involvement in environmental ventures on and off campus—is unique to ��񱦵�. York pointed out that many visitors to the university’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute also collaborate with Deming to bring innovations to life in the business world.

“The university’s willingness to collaborate throughout campus and throughout the community is a real driver of change,” Werner said.

Today’s innovators, future igniters

Student success contributes to Deming’s notoriety in the entrepreneurial education arena.

For example, Jamie Saunders (pictured right, center), a Leeds MBA graduate, took part in the New Venture Launch, where she drilled down her idea and created Affix Communities. The startup makes tiny homes that become legal year-round residences in most jurisdictions, paving the way for more affordable homeownership.

Icarus Quantum, which was pioneered by Poolad Imany, Kaden Sisk and Christian Wagner, is developing quantum dot technology to further secure quantum communications and better protect new computers. It provides expanded data security that’s about 70 times more efficient than competitors, according to Werner.

Sristy Agrawal, Cameron Ghia, Ty Silver and Madeline Maersk Moller founded Mesa Quantum to build next-generation quantum devices. The company makes chip-sized atomic clocks that enable high-bandwidth use, precision GPS navigation and better connectivity in smartphones, computers and other electronic devices.

“One of the most valuable skills I gained through the course was the practical knowledge of entrepreneurship, which was transformative for me, coming from an academic background,” said Agrawal, the current CEO. She completed her PhD in physics from CU and took the New Venture Launch class.

“I learned how to develop a business from the ground up. [The New Venture Launch] course gave me the tools to not only register my company but also build my first pitch deck, secure my initial grant and launch Mesa Quantum Systems,” added Agrawal, whose company has raised $4 million in venture capital and secured a $2 million government grant from the U.S. Space Force and the State of Colorado.

Aloukika Patro, a sophomore leaning toward majoring in finance and management, along with pursuing the entrepreneurship certificate, is grateful for the resources and support she has gotten from Deming—especially in the Innovation Workshop Series.

“They give us insights on the business basics and how to bring it to reality,” said Patro, who is launching her own nonprofit organization to raise awareness about kindness and mental health among youth.

“One skill that I have taken away from these workshops is the importance of having a growth mindset, as starting a business or nonprofit can be challenging at times. I believe that having a growth mindset and persevering through challenges in the journey is what is going to lead us to success.”

Fast Company and Inc. released their inaugural list of institutions that impact society through innovation and entrepreneurship. How is the Leeds School of Business igniting some of that impact?

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In Good Company: Leeds Welcomes New Faculty

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 20:55:57 +0000

In Good Company: Leeds Welcomes New Faculty Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 09/18/2024 - 14:55

Jane Majkiewicz

A large cohort of faculty members arrived this fall to contribute their talents to Leeds’ world-class scholarship and teaching.

Pictured from left to right: Michael Gropper, Xiaobo Yu, Ying Zeng and Rodrigo Dias.

Among the 20 new faculty members who started at Leeds this semester, four tenure-track scholars hail from top business schools including Duke University, the University of Chicago and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Michael Gropper, visiting assistant professor of finance, worked for several years in litigation consulting prior to pursuing his PhD at the University of North Carolina. He says his professional experience has proven invaluable in different projects over the years, including “valuing intellectual property, working on antitrust litigation in the healthcare industry and working on securities class-action lawsuits.” That experience translates well to the classroom, he says, enabling his students to connect concepts to the working world.

“The finance department at Leeds is home to world-class scholars whose research interests are similar to my own,” said Gropper, pointing to the household insurance research by Tony Cookson and Emily Gallagher, and to the study of target date funds by Shaun Davies.

Gropper looks forward to collaborating with others across disciplines—an exciting advantage, he said, of working at Leeds.

Xiaobo Yu, assistant professor of finance, is similarly impressed with Leeds. “I am a corporate finance theorist,” he said, “and Leeds has the biggest theory community in the U.S. I have a lot of people that I can talk to and get insights from.”

Among Yu’s accomplishments are receiving the best paper award from the Finance Theory Group and the Brattle Group Prize from the Western Finance Association. “Nothing beats recognition from the people you admire,” he said.

Assistant Professor of Marketing Ying Zeng begins her first teaching job at Leeds, where she is excited to become a colleague alongside her “academic heroes and role models.”

Zeng earned her PhD from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, a master’s from the University of Chicago and dual bachelor’s degrees from Peking University. She also studied for a summer at Oxford University. She credits her international education to sparking her interest in the universally applied commonalities underlying human decisions, especially those that produce inconsistencies and biases.

Rodrigo Dias, assistant professor of marketing, is also interested in decision-making. He received his PhD in marketing from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, where he also received the best dissertation award.

“We’re eager to see the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas this new cohort of professors will bring to our faculty.”

Sarah Zechman, Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Professor of Accounting

Dias sees Leeds as a critical research hub, specifically pointing to the Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision-Making. This aligns well with his interests in marketing questions at the intersection of psychology and economics.

“I am particularly interested in financial decision-making and the psychology of happiness and well-being,” he said. He is currently exploring questions related to inflation and its impact on consumers, and how inflation differs from other forms of financial constraints.

“We’re thrilled to welcome this talented group to our faculty,” said Sarah Zechman, senior associate dean of faculty and professor of accounting. “I have no doubt that their research will contribute significant insights to benefit consumers, regulators, investors, the greater business community and beyond and anticipate they will make a lasting impact in the classroom."

The Full Roster

The following is a complete listing of new faculty, organized by their areas of study.

Accounting

Jane Garrard, lecturer, is a retired corporate financial executive with over 25 years of experience in diverse industries including public accounting, passenger and freight airlines, consumer products and direct selling. Jane completed her BBA in accounting at The Anderson School of Management at University of New Mexico and earned an MBA in finance from Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College.

Russell Jeans, lecturer and CPA, is a seasoned leader in the fields of accounting and financial management, with over two decades of experience across diverse industries. He serves as the director of accounting in the Controller’s Office at ��񱦵�, where he oversees the financial operations of the university, ensuring fiscal compliance, cost and campus accounting, debt and asset management, and financial reporting.

Kirsten Ortez, assistant teaching professor, moved from Chicago this year to begin teaching at ��񱦵�. After earning her master’s from the University of Arizona and becoming a licensed CPA, she worked in audit at PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializing in both the asset and wealth management and technology, media and telecommunications industries. She is teaching the intro and intermediate financial accounting courses.

Finance

Michael Gropper, visiting assistant professor, will teach corporate finance in the undergraduate program. He conducts research exploring corporate and household finance, as well as studying the forces that affect how employers offer retirement benefits to employees.

Nicole Hunter, associate teaching professor, held several positions at the Jacobs School of Management at SUNY Buffalo, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Focus areas have included fixed income securities, corporate social responsibility, global economics and macroeconomics.

Jennifer Kilpela, lecturer, pivoted to focus on the incorporation of sustainability in investments after a 20-year career in institutional investing. In addition to teaching the new Investing in Sustainability class at Leeds, she is a member of several boards and chair of the investment committee of The Denver Foundation.

Xiaobo Yu, assistant professor, earned his PhD from Columbia Business School. He uses game theory to study financial transactions where multiple agents interact strategically, such as takeovers, debt restructuring and bankruptcy. He also studies the stability of the financial network, particularly how the network topology interacts with financial contracts. He is teaching undergraduate corporate finance.

Marketing

Rodrigo Da Silva Dias, assistant professor of marketing, is interested in financial decision-making and well-being, researching topics that lie at the intersection of marketing, finance and consumption. He received the Rising Star Award from the American Marketing Association, the Mathew Joseph Emerging Scholar Award from the American Marketing Association, and the Ferber Award for the best dissertation-based article published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

David Laverty, lecturer, has worked as a business instructor at Red Rocks Community College for 15 years and has taught marketing, management and business writing courses. Outside of teaching, he has managed his own company with business plan preparation, website development and operational education. He also worked as the director of specialty markets for Nexus Greenhouse Systems in Northglenn, Colorado.

Ying Zeng, assistant professor of marketing, studies inconsistencies and biases in consumer decisions in the context of digital marketing, competition, consumption experience and risky decisions. She is teaching undergraduate marketing research.

Nicole Zimmerman, lecturer, is a Leeds alumna and a certified digital marketing professional.

Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

Conner Lyons Brown, lecturer, is teaching a section of the Information Management and Analytics course, incorporating the latest practices, such as the applied use of generative AI tools. He works in product operations for a leading digital asset custodian focused on the world of decentralized finance. Prior to transitioning into the crypto space, he worked for a digital product agency as a product architect. He holds a bachelor’s in economics and a master’s in technology and cybersecurity.

Ben Hoffman, lecturer, has expertise in data engineering and machine learning.

Mark Susol, lecturer, is a hybrid data scientist/machine learning engineer at Oracle, where he spearheads the development of generative AI applications within the enterprise engineering team. In the classroom, Susol focuses on bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world application of AI technologies in enterprise settings.

Joanne Zeas, lecturer, is the chief human resources officer for the City of Longmont. She has an MBA and an EdD from Temple University. She is teaching Employer-Employee Relations.

Professional Effectiveness

Julie Alexander, assistant teaching professor, earned an MA in communication from the University of Colorado (UCCS). Most recently, she was the curriculum director at the Tippie College of Business and a lecturer in business communication, both at the University of Iowa. Her academic specialty focuses on international organizational psychology, behavior and media representation, with an emphasis on parasocial relationships, the parasocial contract and gender theory.

Carly Fabian, assistant teaching professor, has research interests in transnational social movements, queer-of-color analysis, feminist rhetorical criticism, digital media and contemporary sexuality. Fabian received an ABD in communication studies from the University of Georgia.

Matthew Higgins, assistant teaching professor, is a researcher and educator specializing in resilience, well-being and meaningful work. With eight years of teaching experience and a background in college and professional basketball coaching, he combines academic research with practical expertise in leadership and teamwork. He is teaching multiple sections of Communication Strategy.

Katrina Newell is a lecturer (details to come).

Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Jeffrey Butt, lecturer, is a former renewable energy executive with over a decade of experience commercializing solar, wind and energy storage projects across the U.S. He teaches about the intersection of energy and sustainability and what it takes for renewable energy projects to go from concept to producing clean electrons. He has an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

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Leeds Alumnus Slides Into a Deal on Shark Tank

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:37:45 +0000

Leeds Alumnus Slides Into a Deal on Shark Tank Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/05/2024 - 16:37

Katy Hill • Photos provided by ABC Entertainment

Leeds alumnus Marc Herzberger (left) and business partner Cheng Kue wowed Shark Tank's investor panel with their “SLYDR” shoes.

A Leeds alumnus’ customized shoe company is gaining traction, thanks in part to his recent appearance on the TV show “Shark Tank.”

Marc Herzberger, a 2012 Leeds graduate with degrees in accounting and Chinese, and his business partner, Cheng Kue, pitched Shark Tank’s panel of venture capitalists on the show’s April 19 episode—touting the Hype Company and their custom and licensed slide-on shoes.

The pair landed a deal with investor Barbara Corcoran for $100,000 in cash and $250,000 as a line of credit for 25% equity in the company.

“It was a great experience that cast us into a national spotlight,” said Herzberger.

He’s no stranger to the footwear industry. Before he joined The Hype Company in 2022, Herzberger worked for Crocs for a combined 10 years at the company’s Broomfield, Colorado, headquarters as well as at its European headquarters in Amsterdam and Asian headquarters in Singapore, focusing on finance and supply chain analysis. Kue, who has a degree in industrial design from Georgia Institute of Technology, worked with Herzberger at Crocs.

The Hype Company makes two types of slide-on shoes. The original “SLYDR” features college logos, which it licenses primarily through the Collegiate Licensing Company. The SLYDR Pro, which has become the team’s focus for future growth, has customizable, interchangeable straps.

“Collegiate was a nice place to start the brand since it’s easily recognizable to anyone at least who has an affiliation with that brand,” Herzberger said. “Colleges will always be part of the brand, but now the business is shifting away to focus on people’s passions, whatever they may be.”

On their “Shark Tank” presentation, Herzberger and Kue said they felt fan gear had grown stale with many companies selling the same types of products, so they created slides intended to be “fan forward” rather than “brand forward,” Herzberger said.

“A lot of people were asking, ‘Can I get my high school sports team logo (on the slides)? Can I get my over-30 soccer league or my church softball team logo?’ We realized there was a huge market that nobody was really addressing in footwear,” he said.

The team separates the shoe into two components, importing blank white straps and printing custom logos in Denver. “People can upload a photo of their family, dog, cat, team sport,” Herzberger said. “We have the ability to print just one pair, so people can just go to the website and upload a picture.”

Aside from on its website, the company sells the slides via wholesale as well as drop-ship through Fanatics, Finish Line and Target. The slides retail for $50 to $60.

Since the episode's airing, the pair have been in contact with Corcoran’s team, Herzberger said, working through plans.

The Hype Company, which had over $500,000 in sales in the last five years, saw a boost after the show aired.

“Our ultimate goal is to be a leader in on-demand, personalizable footwear,” Herzberger said, adding plans include exploring other types of customizable footwear, such as clogs.

Herzberger and Kue applied to be on the show in the fall of 2022. Shark Tank’s team reached out in the spring of 2023 to get more information, and in March 2024, they found out they were selected for an air date.

“When you say you’re a ‘Shark Tank’ company, everyone recognizes it, and I think it’s really fun. There’s also some really fun ‘support groups’ for lack of a better term … where you can network with other people on the show and learn how they raise capital,” Herzberger said.

He added: “It’s been really great to become part of this greater network of the sharks and their teams, but also all the other companies that have come before us, and ideally we will continue to learn from everybody.”

The Hype Company wins a $350,000 investment in its custom and licensed slide-on shoes.

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Navigating the Challenge of Athletics and Academics

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:53:05 +0000

Navigating the Challenge of Athletics and Academics Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:53

Mia Armbruster (Mktg’24) , Student Writer

To excel as both a business student and CU athlete is a tall order, but student-athletes say it’s worth the challenge.

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) is a long-snapper on the CU Football team, but he also juggles being a Boettcher Scholar, Leeds Scholar and a Leeds Honors student.

The student-athlete life is not for the faint of heart. Practicing for multiple hours each day, while still attending their regular classes, student-athletes’ skills are put to the test throughout the whole year, including the summer. So, how do they do it? It is no easy task, but it is definitely one worth working for.

The student-athlete journey begins with recruitment, and no one knows the process for Leeds students better than Don Oest, teaching associate professor for Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics who recruits athletes to Leeds. Sharing insights about the life of a student-athlete, Oest explains the rigor of managing both: “It’s 100% student and 100% athlete, so it’s two completely different jobs and you have to really be able to manage your time appropriately.”

It is a difficult balance. But they do it because they love it.

Chasing a passion

Choosing to be a student-athlete comes with both benefits and challenges, says Ashley Stokes (Fin‘24), an attacker on the CU Lacrosse team.

Ashley Stokes (Fin‘24), an attacker on the CU Lacrosse team, shares that she loves the competitiveness of her sport, “I didn’t want to stop [playing], I knew starting in high school that I wanted to play in college. It was my dream, so I wanted to work towards that.”

For many of these athletes, playing a sport in college began as a childhood dream, and their perseverance and competitiveness kept them committed to the sport. Facing challenges every day becomes an act of endurance. They continue to push forward because they know they can do it because it is something they truly care about.

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) is a long-snapper on the CU Football team, but he also juggles being a Boettcher Scholar, Leeds Scholar and a Leeds Honors student. When he received a preferred walk-on offer to the team, Camden knew this was the path he wanted to take. He admits that this lifestyle “really helps you figure out what your priorities are and how to get your schedule straight,” but more than that, he “[gets] to be a part of something bigger than [himself] while [he’s] working on [his] coursework as well.”

Not only are they able to chase their passion, but the experiences and connections they make along the way are unique and often, cannot be found elsewhere.

“You could have an awful workout, but at the end of the day, you have to show up for your team and after that, you have to show up for class.”

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25)

Taylor Simpson (Fin‘25, PFP) has been captain of her volleyball team since her sophomore year and now plays as the center. She notes, “The best part of it is the relationships I make out of it. You spend so much time with the people on your team…they really become your family.”

Many athletes are far from home, and might not have the in-person support of their families that they need to stay motivated, so they create their own support system with their teammates and coaches. Spending hours each day together and traveling hundreds of miles across the country, an unbreakable bond is created. This bond is what helps keep them going. Their genuine excitement for each other’s success helps them all grow as a whole, making the team stronger and more successful as a whole.

It takes a team

Being a student-athlete would be much more difficult, if not impossible, without the amount of support received: from their teammates, coaches, families, professors and Leeds staff. Everyone wants to see them succeed.

Campus resources, including the Herbst Academic Center, offer support to student-athletes like Tristan da Silva (Fin‘24), a guard on the CU Basketball team.

Tristan da Silva (Fin‘24), a guard on the CU Basketball team who came all the way from Munich, Germany, points out that he receives support from the Herbst Academic Center, which provides mentors, tutors and academic advisors. The program allows him to feel comfortable, in that “whenever I need help or I am stuck in a course, there are always people I can reach out to and ask for help.”

While it is no easy task to make time for both academics and athletics, completing mandatory advisor check-ins throughout freshman year sets the tone for success, and allows students to create a connection with their support system early on.

While Herbst plays a major part in this support, the coaches and teammates do as well, offering words of encouragement throughout the season. Many athletes say they have sayings on their team that help them keep going: “Give 100% of what you have that day. You don’t always need to be at 100%, but if you’re at 80% give that full 80%,” says Simpson.

“It’s 100% student and 100% athlete, so it’s two completely different jobs, and you have to really be able to manage your time appropriately.”

Don Oest, Teaching Associate Professor for Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics who recruits athletes to Leeds

“You could have an awful workout, but at the end of the day you have to show up for your team, and more than that you have to show up to classes after that,” says Dempsey.

Another big source of support is the fans. Da Silva notes, “I’m out there in the public representing the university and I have gotten a lot of love from the community and student section. Walking around campus, people telling you ‘great game last night,’ it’s a pride thing where you can be happy with the work you put in and see it pay off.”

These support systems don’t just help athletes to succeed, but they also teach and shape them into who they are today.

Choosing to be a student-athlete comes with both benefits and challenges, but most will agree, “It’s awesome. I love to do it every day. I wouldn’t change it for the world,” says Stokes.

To excel as both a business student and CU athlete is a tall order, but student-athletes say it’s worth the challenge.

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Leeds Welcomes a Juggernaut in Information Systems to its Faculty

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:18:45 +0000

Leeds Welcomes a Juggernaut in Information Systems to its Faculty Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/14/2024 - 10:18

Anneli Gray

Considered the most prolific researcher in Information Systems, Jason Thatcher has won awards for teaching, research and service—but he’s most proud of his work with PhD students.

He didn’t come to Boulder for the views or an insatiable love of the outdoors. Jason Thatcher joined the Leeds School of Business this past January because he saw a chance to make a real impact.

“It was the opportunity to build something here. This is one of the few Information Systems (IS) departments that combines leadership and human behavior with information systems—the fit with my research interests was ideal,” says Professor Thatcher, the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Esteemed Chair at Leeds.

With a long history of accolades in academia, and funding from organizations like National Science Foundation and IBM, Thatcher’s reputation as a juggernaut in IS research precedes him. So much so, that he was hired into the newly established endowed chair position at Leeds created by Tandean Rustandy (Fin’87), a ��񱦵� alumnus and generous donor.

A ‘modest’ start

Thatcher started his first semester with a bang, fresh off winning the Best Paper award at MIS Quarterly for his collaborative work on how bots disseminate information on social platforms.

“It’s about how bots make things go faster and how they alert people if something’s going on, and how they can change online conversations,” he explains. “I was surprised it won Best Paper. You never expect to win anything,” he says.

He gives the lion's share of credit to his co-authors, one of whom was a former PhD student he had previously mentored. “I truly learned by trailing along and watching [my co-authors] craft a masterpiece,” he said on LinkedIn.

In truth, his modesty belies his accolades.

Kai Larsen, a Leeds professor in the division of OLIA and chair of the hiring committee for Thatcher’s appointment, lists off a few of his impressive accomplishments:

Recognized as the most productive researcher in the IS discipline.
Has been published in journals such as MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of Management Information Systems, Journal of the AIS, the European Journal of IS and other Financial Times listed business journals.
Has served as president of the Association of Information Systems and on the editorial boards of top journals listed on the UT-Dallas list.
Has won countless awards for teaching, research and service.
Collaborates with teams around the world on cutting-edge research.

“He is a mentor to thousands of PhD students...on how to be a good person, how to handle research ethics, and how to do high-quality research.”

Kai Larsen, Professor of Information Systems

Recent curiosities

His primary research areas focus on understanding how the interaction of people and technology change the world we work in. He has studied diverse topics such as individual decision-making, strategic alignment and workforce issues as they relate to how people use information technologies in organizations.

His interests take him down countless paths. “I have academic attention deficit disorder,” he says. Lately, he’s been looking at how online technology impacts people.

In a recent study, his team found that when employers check up on an applicant’s social media activity, what they find factors into their hiring decisions. He warns: “Your personal views are potentially discoverable by anyone.”

On the flip side, his team also found that those with no online activity are far from in the clear: “If you have no social presence, it evokes suspicion.”

Thatcher’s teams have also looked into cybersecurity’s effect on employees, a study scheduled to be published in the Journal of Association for Information Systems. He found that when cybersecurity workplace policies require the monitoring of employees’ emails, they feel betrayed and less secure. To protect themselves, they end up finding workarounds for communicating.

Conversely, in another paper scheduled to appear in Information Systems Research, they found that overtrust in cybersecurity can lead to sloppiness, e.g., too much trust makes us more vulnerable to potential threats.

Stewarding students

You might say Thatcher is a big supporter of PhD students—and that would be an understatement. When it comes to doctoral students, he is deeply committed to their success, as evidenced by the recognition he’s received for his service and mentorship over the years.

“I know I’m successful when [students] no longer need me.”

Jason Thatcher, Tandean Rustandy Endowed Esteemed Chair

Larsen says, “He is a mentor to thousands of PhD students and young faculty who follow his copious daily LinkedIn posts on how to be a good person, how to handle research ethics, and how to do high-quality research.”

Thatcher contends that there are not many professional accomplishments of greater value than watching a young scholar mature and flourish. “I know I’m successful when they no longer need me,” he says.

“My role is a stewardship role. By helping others get on a trajectory to where they want to go, I become better, too. It works for me because I can sleep at night.”

Needless to say, he intends to continue bolstering students’ success at Leeds, building on the already successful work of Leeds’ faculty. He hopes to facilitate even more connections with “the rest of the world” because, he says, “it broadens students’ perspectives and makes them better scholars.” For starters, he would like to invite colleagues of his—faculty from Germany, China, Manchester and Copenhagen—to share their perspectives with PhD students.

When it comes to gaining a global perspective, he walks the talk. His academic career has followed him to universities around the world.

Here in Boulder, Leeds' Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean Vijay Khatri looks forward to the impact Thatcher will make. “I'm extremely excited about Jason coming on board at Leeds. His presence promises to infuse our environment with fresh perspectives and groundbreaking ideas, offering immense benefits to students and faculty alike.”

Considered the most prolific researcher in IS, Jason Thatcher is most proud of his work with PhD students.

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