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ALUMNUS
Bruzzy Westheimer ('65)
President Neal Smatresk presented Ryan College of Business alumnus Jerome Max “Bruzzy” Westheimer Jr. (’65) with the Presidential Wings of Eagles Award at this year’s Wingspan Gala, “Viva North Texas,” Nov. 16. The event celebrates teaching excellence, student success and generous alumni and friends.
“Bruzzy is one of our university’s biggest supporters. He gives with his heart and provides support across our entire campus spanning the arts, academic scholarships and athletics. Whenever there is a need, he’s sure to jump in and help,” UNT President Smatresk said. “I’m so proud of him and honored to present this award to him for all he’s done to transform our students’ experience and to benefit all of us.”
Launched during the celebration of the 125th anniversary of UNT, the Wings of Eagles Presidential Award celebrates creativity, spirit and innovation at the university. It is awarded to an alumnus or friend who embodies what UNT represents: engagement, generosity and affinity. This is the most prestigious award presented by the President to someone who has made a transformative impact on the university.
Westheimer earned his bachelor’s degree in administrative management from UNT. After college, he worked for First National Bank in Dallas for seven years, where he learned all phases of banking. His dad asked him to return home in 1971 to learn the oil business and the importance of helping society through the Jerome Westheimer Family Foundation, whose primary focus is funding education and the arts. He is president of Valbel West, an oil-and-gas producer and family business in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and president and CEO of the Jerome Westheimer Family Foundation.
“I’ve given scholarships to college students for about 40 years, and one thing I’ve learned is how important it is to encourage the students to utilize what they’ve learned in college in the real world,” Westheimer said. “As a student, I decided once I made enough money, I was going to give back. The most important part to me is that my philanthropy goes back to helping students succeed.”
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STAFF
Yvonne Dooley
Yvonne Dooley joins the Ryan College of Business as the college’s in-house librarian, supporting faculty and staff with their business related information needs.
“Whether it be identifying a relevant dataset for a research project, or information to help complete a class assignment, I hope to offer a broad range of assistance to help both faculty and students,” says Dooley.
Dooley has been working at UNT Libraries since 2017, previously serving at the Library of Congress in the Science, Technology and Business Division.
“I am most excited about developing relationships with faculty and collaborating in ways that benefit our students. I am a UNT graduate that has soared to the top of the "library world," having worked at the Library of Congress. I believe in giving back to my community by ensuring that other UNT students have the same opportunity at success.”
In addition to being the college’s go-to resource for research and consulting, Dooley and the UNT Libraries will be producing upwards of ten tutorial-type videos. These videos will cover how to conduct research and how to best use the resources available in the library, and throughout campus, such as the Bloomberg terminals.
“Face-to-face and distance students who view these videos should be able to apply the lessons to real work assignments, by accessing and incorporating respected resources that should ultimately result in a better work product,” says Dooley.
Initiated as an idea by Professor Mike Sexton, UNT Libraries is exploring ways to incorporate these videos into all business courses that require a research component.
To view the first video guide to business databases, visit the link here.
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Society for Information Management - DFW
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Outreach chair Justin Miller and Board President Nellson Burns presented the first installment of Society for Information Management (SIM)-DFW’s $30,000 commitment to the UNT Ryan College of Business this past month. SIM-DFW’s pledge to establish a legacy of impact and student success through the SIM-DFW Endowed Scholarship will help change the trajectory of students in the Information Technology and Decision Science Department.
Established to provide scholarship support to high-performing bachelors or masters students, the endowment will enable the college to award at least one $1,000 scholarship, per year, in perpetuity. The college is honored to continue its partnership with SIM-DFW in this capacity, to further enhance educational opportunities for future information systems and business analytics practitioners and educators.
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IT audit course pushes the envelope with blockchain certification
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As part of Dr. Jose Linero’s graduate IT accounting audit course, students are now required to sit for an IBM Blockchain certification. This is the first semester Lineros has added this qualification to his curriculum, but he already sees the impact it will have for his students.
Attending conferences and conducting research of his own, Lineros observed the changing landscape of the accounting industry. Ten years ago, blockchain was barely a name, but today, it has become a critical part of the accounting workplace.
“The landscape is changing in the accounting industry. Firms are saying that you’ve got to learn some rudimentary code, because you have to be able to evaluate these smart contracts that have integrated blockchain technology,” said Lineros.
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UNT Mentorship Program developed to spur entrepreneurial success
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University of North Texas Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is driving entrepreneurial creativity in new ways.
Entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to connect with business leaders and seasoned entrepreneurs through the Murphy Center’s newly formed Mentoring Program.
The Mentoring Program, featuring twelve mentors, is designed to assist entrepreneurs growing their early stage businesses. Each mentor brings decades of experience in starting, growing and exiting companies across a range of industries. Each mentee is paired with a mentor by the Murphy Center team. Critical areas of importance that mentors provide insight into include functional skills, customers/connections, pitches and the funding process.
Center Senior Director Jon McCarry is spearheading the initiative, which provides entrepreneurs additional guidance and support beyond the ideation phase, i.e. the valley of death for start-ups.
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Online MBA ranks top 35 in the nation
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The University of North Texas earned the distinction of top online MBA program of 2020 by DiscoverBusiness.us. The ranking took 233 programs into consideration, focusing on the highest percentage of students graduating in three years or less. The objective of the ranking was to compare which schools best motivated students to successfully complete their degree.
Among the 233 institutions analyzed, only 35 made the cut.The final list also outlined how each school compares to one another in terms of tuition cost, average undergraduate GPA and acceptance rates. UNT was highlighted for having one of the hardest institutions to get into, with a 60% acceptance rate, while the average program on the list accepts 73.6% of applicants. Comparatively, UNT's MBA program also touts the second highest average undergraduate GPA, and second lowest tuition rate among the group--making the program one of the best values on the list.
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Fraternal twins and freshmen Nicholas and Alexander Jo from Lone Star High school in Frisco share more than just the same birthdays, home address and school. They both chose to come to UNT and decided to pursue their BS/MS degree in accounting.
“We were drawn to Accounting due to hearing how great of a program it is at UNT," said Nicholas.
Nicholas was admitted into UNT's Accounting Scholars Program (ASP) as a direct high school applicant and is also the recipient of an Eagle Excellence scholarship. UNT seemed like a natural fit for them. Their father works in Denton and their sister and brother-in-law reside in Denton as well. So, UNT was the perfect choice since being close to family was important for the twins.
Following the Ryan College of Business' annual Business Palooza event, Alexander was also motivated to join ASP. He expressed his intention to retake the ACT, as he was close to the cut-off score and believed a retake would help. This November he was happy to inform that his current score was higher than his prior attempt, qualifying him to join ASP. He reapplied to ASP and was accepted into the program. His perseverance paid off.
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Professor Yu-luen Ma called on for auto insurance expertise
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Glen L. Taylor Professor of Insurance Dr. Yu-luen Ma shared her car insurance rates expertise on WalletHub.
“Car insurance rates are mainly based on auto accident costs. The more expensive the claims are and the more accidents people have, the higher the auto insurance rates are,” said Ma.
Ma also delved into how state and local governments can play a role in lowering insurance rates, and why credit history may not have a very big impact on insurance rates in Texas.
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PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES AT THE RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
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This holiday season, please consider a gift to the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. Your investment will help support our students and programming, providing an exceptional educational experience for years to come.
Giving is easy, and the gift you make will last a lifetime.
Please find just a few examples of how your support can
make a difference below.
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$10,000
ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP IN REAL ESTATE
Investing in an endowed professorship in real estate for the Ryan College of Business will elevate our student experiences and opportunities by hiring a well-revered professor to enhance the program. With your help in adding a professorship to roster, UNT's real estate program will undoubtedly soar to new heights.
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$5,000
THE JOHN AND HELEN GREEN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
The generosity of John and Helen Green enabled the Ryan College of Business to establish a scholarship in their honor. As an endowed fund, this scholarship will distribute every year, in perpetuity. Contributing to the John and Helen Green scholarship will amplify its impact and give students the ability to pursue their academic dreams with less financial debt.
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$1,000
STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS
Your gift will enable and empower Ryan College of Business students to be more marketable in the workforce and have a well-rounded educational experience. In today’s world, business is a global field that requires an international perspective in order to be successful.
Increasing the number of students that receive a diverse, international outlook will help the Ryan College of Business become a more competitive resource for future employers. In addition to providing a global perspective, studying abroad also helps students understand the influence that meaningful relationships can have on one’s future.
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