Though they’re doing it in markedly different ways, 2016 graduates Liliam López and Debora Castro are each using their University of the Ozarks business degrees to make a positive impact in their respective Central America countries.
The two former Walton International Scholars visited campus recently and talked about their professional careers.
López, (pictured, left) a marketing and management/business administration major living in Choluteca, Honduras, is an analyst coordinator for the Agrolibano Group, one of the top cantaloupe-producing companies in the Americas. Castro, an international business and management major living in San Salvador, El Salvador, is a partnership/advocacy technical assistant for a USAID project called Bridges to Employment, which helps at-risk youth in the country gain training and find employment.
The Agrolibano Group exports more than 4,000 large shipping containers of melons each growing season, which runs from December to May. While the fruit is shipped around the world, about 50 percent of the melons head to either the United States or Europe. López is the coordinator of the Great Britain account, handling financial reports, quality control and customer service.
López, who has worked for the company for almost three years, said it is especially satisfying to know that she is helping to promote and advance Honduras through her work.
“I’m really proud when I hear about melons from Honduras that are eaten around the world,” she said. “People will send me pictures of the stickers and it’s really neat to see. I know the passion that the growers in Honduras have for their melons and I know the work that is done to produce them, so I’m especially proud to play a small role in producing something that is in demand all over the world.”
López credited Ozarks’ diverse student population for helping her prepare to work for a global company.
“At Ozarks, you learn to get along and interact with so many different cultures and that’s been very beneficial to me,” she said. “I work with clients from all over the world and I strongly believe that my time at Ozarks has helped me in my daily interactions with my clients. Ozarks helped instill in me a cultural sensitivity and openness to others.”
Castro has worked for almost three years for the non-profit Bridges to Employment project, which is funded by USAID and implemented by DAI Global, LLC. The program works with at-risk and vulnerable youth between the ages of 16-29 in El Salvador to “successfully integrate them into the workforce as fully qualified and productive citizens to help boost the economy, lower crime, and reduce illegal immigration.”
Castro said the type of work she is doing is what she envisioned when she first came to Ozarks as a Walton Scholar.
“When I was selected as a Walton Scholar, I had dreams of going back home and helping my country, but I didn’t know exactly what that would look like or how I could do that,” Castro said, “Now I’m working with a program which uses national and international cooperation that, working together, we actually change things for the better. It’s very fulfilling, professionally, for me because I’m contributing to the development of my country and actually making an impact. That’s exactly what I wanted to do.”
Castro said her time at Ozarks and her involvement in service-oriented organizations like Enactus, PBL and Alpha & Omega helped her understand and appreciate the importance of giving back.
“The volunteering and service opportunities I had at Ozarks really opened my eyes to the impact that we all can have on others,” Castro said. “My desire to help others was definitely boosted at Ozarks and now that’s what I do for a living. My education and experiences at Ozarks prepared me perfectly for this.”
University of the Ozarks officials have announced that Dr. David Daily (right) and Joel Rossmaier have been named academic deans in their respective divisions, effective July 1. Daily, professor of religion, will serve as the dean of the Humanities & Fine Arts Division, while Rossmaier, associate professor of practice of business and accounting, will be the dean of the University’s Division of Social Sciences. The appointments coincide with the July 1 reorganization of the academic divisions. Daily has taught at Ozarks since 2000 and received the University’s Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award in both 2004 and 2009. He will replace Dr. Steve Oatis, professor of history, who has served as dean since 2015. “It will be an honor to serve as dean of the Division of Humanities & Fine Arts,” Daily said. “Through his years in that role, Steve Oatis has put the division on a strong footing, and I look forward to building on his work.” Rossmaier, joined Ozarks in 2002 as an adjunct instructor and became a full-time professor in 2003. He served as interim dean of the Division of Business at Ozarks for the 2018-19 academic year. “I am honored to be named as the dean of the Division of Social Sciences,” Rossmaier said. “The University is going through some exciting changes right now, and I look forward to being able to contribute to the growth of the programs within the division.” University Provost Dr. Alyson Gill commended the two new deans, who have a combined 36 years of Ozarks teaching experience. “Dr. Daily is a deeply respected member of the Ozarks community, and I am thrilled that he has agreed to take on this new role,” said Gill. “Since I have known him, I have found his to be a voice of gentle reason, and he brings with him not only a love for the Ozarks community, but a commitment to leading in a time of unprecedented growth with pedagogical richness. As the new dean of Humanities & Fine Arts, I believe that he will play a critical role in providing strong, consistent and communicative leadership for the division.” “Last year, I asked Professor Rossmaier to serve as interim Dean of Business. I have seen him step more fully into that role, and have grown to rely on his sound advice and ability to view things from multiple perspectives. He is a skilled navigator of complex spreadsheets, and comes into this role as a respected and thoughtful leader.” Oatis will return to full-time teaching and will continue to chair the provost advisory group and serve as the division representative on the HLC strategic assessment team. “As a new provost, I appreciate Dr. Oatis’ tireless efforts in leading the division over the years,” Gill said. “This cannot be overstated, and I am deeply grateful for his service to the University—a place that he loves and is deeply invested in.” In a related note, beginning July 1 the four current academic divisions will be aligned to reflect the LENS curriculum and will be known as Humanities & Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences & Mathematics divisions. With this re-organization, the communication and sociology disciplines will move to Social Sciences. The reorganized divisions: Humanities & Fine Arts (Dr. David Daily, Dean) MAJORS: Art, English, History, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish, Theatre MINORS: American Studies, Art, Creative Writing & Thought, English, History, Interfaith Studies, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish, Theatre Social Sciences (Joel Rossmaier, Dean) MAJORS: Accounting, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Elementary Education, Environmental Studies, Physical Education K-12, Political Science, Sociology MINORS: Accounting, Athletic Coaching, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, Film Studies, Management, Marketing, Media Production, Military Science, Physical Education, Political Science, Sociology, Strategic Communication Natural Sciences & Mathematics (Dr. Sean Coleman, Dean) MAJORS: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Health Science, Mathematics, Psychology MINORS: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Health Science, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Sustainable Agriculture The University of the Ozarks’ Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) team captured a total of 19 top-five finishes at the 57th annual PBL State Leadership Conference, held April 5-6 in Little Rock. PBL members from U of O tallied three first-place awards, seven second-place finishes, two third-place awards and seven other top-five honors during the annual state-wide event that draws PBL chapters from universities and colleges throughout the state. “These future business leaders represented University of the Ozarks well,” said Dr. Scott Sheinfeld, assistant professor of business administration and marketing and the PBL faculty advisor. “All these students worked hard applying their classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. The proud legacy of our involvement in Phi Beta Lambda lives on in this team. Congratulations to all our competitors.” For Ozarks, the team of Jasmine Williams, Juan Cano and Nicole Lopez won first place in the category of Business Sustainability and the team of Carlos Orosco, Yessenia Alvarez and Laura Gochez won first in Human Resources Management. The U of O team of Rodrigo Roldan and Henry Marin took first place in Global Analysis and Decision Making. The Ozarks team of Ralph Jean-Pierre, Spence Jean Baptiste and Richard Rodriguez finished second in Economic Analysis and Decision Making and the team of Rosendo Garcia and Yeimy Rodriguez took second in Business Decision Making. The U of O team of Katerinn Chamale, Falon Hanson and Marin finished second in Strategic Analysis and Decision Making. The duo of Yailin Blackman and Melissa Brenes took second in Business Sustainability, while Ozarks got individual second-place finishes from Rowan Westheimer in Social Media Challenge, Fernando de la Cruz in Statistical Analysis and Shanice Guzman in Justice Administration, Ozarks’ third-place finishers were, Falon Hanson in Public Speaking and Isaias Ortiz in Microeconomics. Guillermo “Will” Hernandez and Tanner Young finished fourth in Emerging Business Issues and Julio Molina took fourth in Cyber Security Desktop Publishing. de la Cruz finished fifth in Programming Concepts, while other fifth-place finishers for Ozarks included, Orosco in Job Interview, Gochez in Marketing Concepts, Hernandez in Management Concepts and Jean-Pierre in Macroeconomics. Guzman, the U of O chapter president, said she was proud of how her team competed in the state competition. "I believe that there is no word such as quitting, but with perseverance, now that takes you further in life. That's exactly what U of O's PBL team portrayed over the weekend,” Guzman said. “Not only did our team bring home several top finishes in various categories, they also worked hard to prepare. I know that they will keep working hard to hone these skills and knowledge as they prepare for their future careers. I am definitely proud of them.” Students in Dr. Deborah Sisson’s promotion strategies class received some real-world marketing experience during the Fall 2018 Semester by working on a project for Clarksville Light & Water (CLW). The 15 students in the upper-level marketing class split into three teams of five to develop throughout the semester a marketing and promotion strategy for CLW’s planned unveiling of new internet services through its fiber optic network. The three teams made their pitches to officials from the municipally owned utility company at the end of the semester and a winning team was announced during the week of finals. “We tried to make it as realistic as possible for them—from working with a real client that has specific needs, to collaborating as a team to come up with a plan, to making their pitch to the clients,” said Sisson, Baum Professor of Marketing. “I was very proud of the work they did and the effort they put into this project.” John Lester, general manager of CLW, said he was impressed with the marketing proposals and may implement some of the ideas. “I was a marketing major in college and some of the ideas were ones we hadn’t thought of and were quite good,” Lester said. “I heard a lot of good ideas and tidbits of information that we might be able to use. I love the idea that college students are engaged in the process of thinking about and working on real projects. It helps them get a sense of what it’s like to work on these projects and it gives us an opportunity to hear some new ideas and different perspectives.” The winning team of 360 Advertising was made up of Maria Corea, Dakota Ebarb, Ryan McNeill, Jamy Teni and Sam Todd. Using a motto of “Small Town, Big Speeds,” 360 Advertising’s objective was to “inform and foster brand awareness and persuade customers,” to switch to CLW internet services. “We had different students from all over the world and with different backgrounds in our group and I think our different experiences helped us come up with some unique ideas,” said Teni, a senior international business major from Guatemala. “It was a good mixture of knowledge and ideas.” McNeill, a senior strategic communication major from Rogers, Ark., said he enjoyed working on a project that had real-world implications and challenges. “This wasn’t hypothetical problems and solutions, these were real,” he said. “For example, we had to consider the demographics of Clarksville and how people get their information here. We couldn’t do an all-social media campaign, we needed to implement newspaper ads and flyers.” Some of the ideas that Lester especially like from 360 Advertising was having a city-wide “Fiber Day” to kick off the campaign and to use testimonials from residences who had made the switch to CLW internet services. “We were looking for a centerpiece to revolve everything around and Maria had the great idea of a Fiber Day,” said Ebarb, a senior business administration major from Nevada, Texas. “It was really exciting working on this proposal. You can read all about marketing concepts in books but it doesn’t compare with working for a real client.” There was an extra bonus for the project — a crisp new $100 bill for each member of the winning team, compliments of their professor. “This makes it extra sweet and will definitely help out with Christmas gifts,” Ebarb said. Denise Duarte is on a mission to help as many entrepreneurs in her home country of Nicaragua as she possibly can. After graduating from University of the Ozarks in 2008 with a perfect 4.0 GPA and with a triple major in accounting, marketing, and management, Duarte returned to Nicaragua to work as a financial auditor for a major company, while earning an MBA. But Duarte knew she wanted to use her skills and knowledge to uplift women in her country, so she began looking for a position that would allow her to do just that.Partnering passion and purpose
That’s when she found the non-profit agency Agora Partnerships in Nicaragua, an organization whose mission is to strengthen entrepreneurs’ business models and prepare them to access the impact investment market through custom business services, world-class consultants, and global network access. She started as a consultant and quickly worked her way up to development manager and then to country director for all of Nicaragua. The former U of O Walton Scholar works primarily to empower women entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive. “I feel like I’ve found where I’m supposed to be,” said Duarte. “We provide resources ranging from human capital and financing to networking for entrepreneurs who are committed to solving the most pressing social and environmental problems in Latin America. This position became the perfect way to put into practice what I had learned in business school while making an impact in my country.” Her role with Agora includes leading a team of consultants in helping prospective business owners secure the financing to follow their dreams. She finds its particularly fulfilling to work with women entrepreneurs on such things as soft skills. “We work with women in areas like communications and negotiation, which are traditionally not taught in countries such as Nicaragua,” she said. “These are types of skills that can empower women and make a difference on whether their business succeeds or fails.” Duarte, who is married and has a 2-year-old son, is excited about making a difference in her country. “I remember hearing numerous times that one of the purposes of becoming a Walton Scholar was understanding the importance of free enterprise and being able to apply what I learn in my country,” she said. “I actually earn a living doing just that. I work helping entrepreneurs, not only in Nicaragua but across Latin America, get investments and resources to grow their business and expand their impact. And, I don't support just any type of business; I work with those that have at its core the mission of creating better and more inclusive communities.”Rebuilding process
Duarte said the recent political turmoil in Nicaragua makes work like hers even more important. “Especially now, I feel even more committed to supporting entrepreneurs since it will be them that will allow us to be reborn,” she said. “It is a challenging time and we are definitely having to reinvent ourselves, but we have done it in the past and I am convinced that we will do it in the future and that I will be able to contribute to that rebuilding process.”Ozarks impact
Being a Walton Scholar at U of O made her a more “well-rounded and sensitive” person, Duarte said. “I was definitely challenged to exceed academically, but more so to be a better person not only to those that I had to engage with on a daily basis but also to those who I hadn't met and sooner or later would be impacted by my actions,” she said. “I still remember one of my professor’s words in one of his classes. He emphasized that we were not citizens of X or Y country, but that we are all citizens of the world. My experience at Ozarks shaped me at the personal and professional level and above all instilled in me values that I have been able to apply in all aspects of my life, including those of perseverance, hard work, teamwork, honesty, and fairness.” Joel Rossmaier has been appointed interim dean of the Division of Business at University of the Ozarks for the 2018-19 academic year. Rossmaier, associate professor of practice of business and accounting, joined Ozarks in 2002 as an adjunct instructor and became a full-time professor in 2003. “I am delighted that Joel has agreed to take on the role of interim Dean of Business,” said U of O Provost Dr. Alyson Gill. “Over the past several months, I have found him to be a thoughtful and creative partner in executive discussions with the other deans, and feel that the Business Division will thrive under his leadership.” Rossmaier earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas before spending more than 20 years in private accounting, working as a plant controller and international audit manager. Three of his children — Jason, Jana and Jack — are graduates of Ozarks. “I am pleased and honored to be appointed dean of the Business Division for the coming year,” Rossmaier said. “It is an exciting time to be part of the University community as we grow in enrollment, enhance the degree programs we offer, and explore new ways to provide a solid foundation for our students’ successes. U of O has always been an educational leader, and I look forward to having some small part in continuing that tradition.” The University of the Ozarks’ Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) team captured a total of 20 top-five finishes at the 2018 PBL State Leadership Conference, held April 6-7 in Little Rock.Awards
PBL members from U of O tallied two first-place awards, seven second-place finishes, four third-place awards and seven other top-five honors during the annual state-wide event that draws PBL chapters from universities and colleges throughout the state. For Ozarks, the team of Jose Salinas, Franchesca Garcia, and Luis Robles took first place in the category of Global Analysis & Decision Making. In the category of Marketing Analysis & Decision Making, the Ozarks team of Falon Hanson, Katherinn Lopez, and Henry Marin also won first-place honors. The University’s second-place finishers included Oscar Roldan in Entrepreneurship Concepts, K.C. Nkalari in Future Business Executive and Public Speaking, Gladis Alvarez in Human Resource Management, Laura Gochez in Management Concepts, Thibault Melchior in Marketing Concepts and the team of Lorenzo Bac and Maria Corea in Strategic Analysis & Decision Making. The third-place finishers for Ozarks were Ohany Roman in Accounting Principles, Melchior in Macroeconomics, Marin in Client Services and Rowan Westheimer in Social Media Challenge. Other students who placed in the top five were, Yailin Blackman, Melisa Brenes, Isaias Zapata, Ester Lopez and Ronald Flores. Teaching runs deep in Sarah Scroggins’ family and she’s excited about being the latest in a long line of educators. The University of the Ozarks senior from Oark, Ark., is completing her Internship II at Lamar High School this semester. She will graduate in December 2017 with majors in business administration and business education, following in the footsteps of several family members who are also in education. Her mother, Janet Scroggins, is a math teacher at Oark Elementary School, while older sisters Micah Scroggins and Rachel Scroggins Turner are both U of O graduates who were also bitten by the education bug. Micah, a 2012 Ozarks graduate, is a migrant education advocate for the Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative in Branch, Ark., and Rachel, a 2013 Ozarks graduate, is a preschool teacher for the ABC program at Oark. “I have always wanted to become a teacher because that’s what I saw my mother do and it seemed like the perfect fit for me,” Scroggins said. “I also had a great business education teacher, Deborah James, in high school and she really inspired me to go into this field.” Scroggins said she particularly likes to teach business classes because her students can quickly see the real-world applications. “I love business and I know the importance of high school students knowing the basic principles of business,” she said. “These classes provide a good foundation for future learning, no matter what careers they pursue.” The University’s Pat Walker Teacher Education Program is considered one of the strongest in the region. According to the Arkansas Department of Education’s 2017 Novice Teacher Survey, Ozarks’ program exceeded or matched the state average in 16 out of 22 areas. For example, in the category, “Designing coherent Instruction — learning activities, Instructional materials and resources, Instructional groups, and lesson and unit structure,” Ozarks scored 3.47, compared to the state average of 3.18. In the category, “Creating an environment of respect and rapport — teacher interaction with students and student interaction with other students,” Ozarks scored a 3.53, compared with the state average of 3.37. “I can’t say enough about my professors at Ozarks and how they’ve helped prepare me for the classroom,” Scroggins said. “The support I have gotten from professors like Ms. Pam Terry and Dr. Brett Stone is unforgettable. The professors truly care about the students and want them to succeed. I’m so thankful that I came to Ozarks.” Scroggins said the time U of O education majors spend in the classroom before graduating is another significant advantage of the Ozarks program. “I’ve learned so much from being inside the classroom with the students,” she said. “We get double the time in the classroom than most other university internships. We have two semesters of internships, with 60 hours of observations in Internship I and the whole semester teaching within the classroom during the Internship II. The internships that we have are excellent and I feel like I’m ready for my own classroom.” Scroggins also has some advice for younger students who are going into the teaching field. “I would tell them to never give up on themselves. Teaching is one of the most difficult fields to go into and sometimes it can get discouraging,” she said. “You may find yourselves questioning if this is what you really want to do, but the reward of seeing your students’ success makes you realize that it is not about you. Being a teacher is all about making a positive difference in the lives of children and I’m excited about that future.” University of the Ozarks business administration major Quinten Parker is applying the knowledge and skills he's learned in the classroom to benefit Johnson County. The senior from Gravette, Ark., is assisting one of his professors, Associate Professor of Economics and Business Robert Wofford, on a feasibility study for the Johnson County Regional Library. The study is part of a sabbatical project that Wofford is working on for the library through the Fall 2017 Semester. The 12-month study is looking at expansion and enhancement opportunities for the library based on new revenue that will be coming to the facility through a recent millage increase. Parker, who will graduate in May, has been busy this semester conducting research and interviewing directors of other libraries throughout the region. "I'm basically looking at everything from renovations and building layout to technology to staffing needs," Parker said. "Our goal is to get as much information and feedback from other libraries as possible in order to get the best library we can for Johnson County."!["Robert]("/includes/images/news/20170414Parker.jpg")
Senior business major Quinten Parker has been working with his professor, Robert Wofford, on a feasibility study for the Johnson County Regional Library.!["Ozarks]("/includes/images/news/20160804Paris.jpg")
Nine University of the Ozarks students took their business education to the City of Light during the summer of 2016 by enrolling in a two-week program at the Paris School of Business (PSB). The students studied such topics as luxury brand management and global conflict diplomacy at the world renowned business college, which has an international partnership with U of O.