Steven Bugajski, center, at the awards ceremony with his wife, Yvette, and son, Adam, a current Behrend student majoring in Project and Supply Chain Management and Management Information Systems.
MIS/MBA Alumnus Presented with Behrend Achievement Award
Steven Bugajski, a 1994 Management Information Systems and 2004 MBA graduate, was recently presented with the Behrend Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.
The award is presented annually to a graduate of Behrend who has made significant contributions to and achievements in their profession, in their community, and at Behrend. Recipients are those who have demonstrated professional leadership, been active in community affairs, and contributed to the betterment of society, social values, and/or justice.
Bugajski is the vice president and chief information officer for U.S. Steel, where he leads the company’s global IT operation, including digital strategy and cybersecurity.
He serves as an executive in residence for the Black School of Business, has mentored dozens of Behrend students, and together with other U.S. Steel IT professionals, has developed programs for students to learn about business, technology, and cybersecurity in the corporate world. He also sits on the executive committee of the Black School’s advisory board and the MIS program advisory board.
Black School a Smart Investment
A report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has ranked the programs of the Black School of Business among the top 10 percent in the country for value, or financial return. The report ranks more than 1,700 colleges and universities nationwide based on graduates’ annual net earnings two years after graduation and their level of student debt. At all levels—associate, bachelor’s, and master’s—the net earnings of graduates of Behrend’s business programs were among the best.
Did You Know?
The Black School of Business is a leading partner in Behrend’s Virtual/Augmented Reality (VAR) Lab, directed by Dr. Chris Shelton, assistant professor of clinical psychology. The VAR Lab has three spaces—the VAR Lab research and development unit; the VAR Studio, an extended reality (XR) maker space; and VAR Edu, where students and faculty can interact with VR/AR technologies.
“The Black School of Business is our biggest partner, and the school’s investments in the VAR Lab have helped us to purchase equipment and expand capabilities,” Shelton said. “The school is forward-thinking and can see the future of these technologies in business sectors.”
Faculty and Staff News
New Faculty and Staff
The School of Business welcomed four new faculty members: Dr. Amit Agarwal, assistant professor of marketing; Dr. Ben Lee, assistant professor of marketing; Kevin Pratt, lecturer in marketing; and Dr. Hafez Shurrab, assistant professor of project and supply chain management. In addition, Lea Saunders has joined the school staff; she serves as academic programs coordinator.
Promotions
Ten School of Business faculty members have been promoted: Dr. William Johnson to professor of management; Dr. Jeffrey Coy to associate professor of finance; Linda Hajec to associate teaching professor of accounting; Dr. Christopher Harben to associate teaching professor of management; Dr. Byung-Cheol (BC) Kim to associate professor of project and supply chain management; Dr. Babajide Osatuyi to associate professor of management information systems; Dr. Xianghui (Richard) Peng to associate professor of project and supply chain management; Eric Robbins to associate teaching professor of finance; Phil Stuczynski to assistant teaching professor of finance; Dr. Hyunsoon (Sean) Yim, to associate professor of marketing.
Other News
Dr. Ray Venkataraman, professor of management and department chair of the Marketing and Project and Supply Chain Management programs, recently celebrated 25 years with Penn State.
Filbeck Given Lifetime JA Achievement Award
Dr. Greg Filbeck, director of the Black School of Business, was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award from Junior Achievement (JA) of Western Pennsylvania. The award is given just once every five years.
JA is a global organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy. The Black School of Business has partnered with JA of Western Pennsylvania for many years, offering professional expertise, assisting with materials, and hosting events.
The Black School of Business held its annual welcome-back event—“Back 2 Business”—during the first week of the 2022-23 academic year.
Celebrating the Start of the New Academic Year
The Black School of Business held its annual welcome-back event—“Back 2 Business”—during the first week of the 2022-23 academic year. Each business club had a table to share information, and faculty members were on hand to talk with new and returning students. There were games, fun, and food, including Penn State’s famous Berkey Creamery ice cream!
Dr. Eunjoo (EJ) Han
Han Chosen for Early-Career Professorship
Dr. Eunjoo (EJ) Han, assistant professor of marketing in the Black School of Business, is the second Behrend faculty member to receive a new early career professorship designed to support the teaching and research of a faculty member in the first decade of their career.
The endowment for the Dr. Chester “Chet” L. Wolford Early Career Professorship was made possible through a gift from Ed Auslander, retired president and chief executive officer of LORD Corporation, and his wife, Elaine, to honor the late Wolford, a former professor of English at Behrend. Auslander, a 1985 graduate of the Penn State College of Engineering, earned an MBA at Behrend in 1991.
Auslander said that, throughout his career, which included oversight of business operations in twenty-six countries, with annual revenue in excess of $1 billion, he relied on skills he learned in a business writing course taught by Wolford.
Han teaches courses in marketing, marketing research, and buyer behavior and applied research. Her research focuses on sustainable consumption, charitable giving, and consumer goals and motivation.
The first recipient of the professorship was Dr. Joongseo Kim, an assistant professor of management, whose term ran from 2020 to 2023. Han will hold the professorship from 2023 to 2026.
Dr. Jeffrey Coy
News From the Center for Financial Literacy
Dr. Jeffrey Coy, associate professor of finance, has been named academic director of the Black School of Business Center for Financial Literacy, which provides research-based financial education to high school students, secondary school educators, and adults.
The Center partners with CFA Society Pittsburgh, a world leader in financial literacy outreach, and also with the nonprofit organization Next Gen Personal Finance, which has a mission of ensuring all students take one semester of personal finance courses before graduating high school. Pre- and post-assessment tools developed and implemented by the Center are currently being piloted through Next Gen with more than 400 teachers and 10,000-plus students from 41 states participating. Next Gen is the largest provider of financial literacy content in the United States, reaching more than 58,000 teachers and 1,000,000 students nationwide.
Black School Supports 5k Run/Walk
Inaugural event drew nearly 200 participants
Penn State Behrend’s rich history of influential women began with Mary Behrend, who in 1948 donated her Glenhill home to the University in memory of her husband, Ernst, founder of Hammermill Paper Company. The first Behrend student was a woman—Dorothy Holmstrom, an engineering major, who was at the front of the line to enroll in the initial class of 146 students.
Recognizing that legacy and the growing importance of engaging women in leadership roles, Penn State Behrend formed the Women’s Engagement Council (WEC) in 2020.
In August, the organization held its first public event, the Run for Women 5K run/walk, drawing nearly 200 participants who completed the 3.1-miile course in Behrend’s Knowledge Park.
Among the highlights: Berkey Creamery ice cream at the finish line, courtesy of the Athletics Department, and Nittany Lion-shaped awards that were designed and 3-D printed by students in the college’s James R. Meehl Innovation Commons. The Black School of Business provided funds to buy much of the race equipment that can now be used year to year.
WEC’s future plans include a mentoring program, an awards program/luncheon, and a woman-focused speaker series designed to engage women at Penn State Behrend and in the greater Erie community.
The board recently began accepting applications for free membership in the council. Follow WEC on Facebook and Instagram.