In “,” Peabody and co-authors Feng Han and Qi Qin, both at Capital University of Economics and Business, evaluate how incentive conflict between CEOs and CFOs, defined as the disparity in risk-taking incentives between the two executives, impacts corporate decision-making.

“We find that when incentive conflict between CEOs and CFOs is larger, firms enjoy less risk through the adoption of more conservative financial policies,” the co-authors wrote in the article’s abstract. “Greater incentive conflict is associated with lower leverage, more cash holdings and lower net debt to EBITDA ratios. This decrease in risk is not at the expense of shareholders as greater incentive conflict increases firm value.”

The co-authors’ research suggests CFOs may have greater influence over financial decisions compared to investment decisions.

Peabody joined ������Ƶ in 2021 after teaching at the University of Texas at Dallas. He earned a doctorate in finance from the University of North Texas and has research interests in corporate finance, investments, agency theory, financial institutions, and financial accounting.

His professional experiences include investment product research analyst at GuideStone Financial Resources and campus minister at Rice University.

Reisdorf and Allen completed the online coursework, which covered an introduction to sustainability reporting, the GRI Standards 2021 update, reporting on human rights, and integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into sustainability reporting.

After completing the academy, Reisdorf passed the certification exam to become a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional.

“Obtaining the GRI professional certification is beneficial for my current and future classes here at ������Ƶ, as well as for current and future collaborations on research projects and potential consulting opportunities in our community,” Reisdorf said. “It gave me an opportunity to examine the SDGs and how firms are working towards a better future utilizing the GRI framework.”

Allen, an Odyssey Scholar and environmental studies major, became interested in learning how businesses can become more sustainable while taking Reisdorf’s COR 4550: Sustainable Development course in fall 2021.

“I knew [sustainability] was a difficult and vast problem, that urgently needed a solution,” shared Allen, who is currently an administrative associate at Freedman Consulting, LLC. “Taking the GRI course gave me some insight into where to start and what sustainability reporting looks like.”

Allen and Reisdorf decided to complete the GRI Academy during spring 2022, checking in with one another regularly. The Love School of Business and the Odyssey Program co-sponsored Allen’s GRI coursework.

The pair continues to virtually meet with one another to build on this experience and collaborate on a paper exploring how the GRI Standards help multinational firms better integrate the SDGs into their sustainability reporting.

“I’m excited to use my knowledge of the GRI Standards and passion for the environment in whatever endeavors I find myself in going forward,” Allen said. She plans to take the exam to become a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional in the next few months.

The competition tested students’ business revenue-generating skills through a sales management case event, role-play event and speed-selling event.

In the sales management case event, Cassidy Perkins ’23 and Macklin Williams ’24 worked as a team to present a realistic, effective solution to the sales operations challenge presented by Gartner. The students were evaluated on their analysis, recommendations and presentation.

“This competition was a terrific learning experience because I was able to build my networking, sales and problem-solving skills,” said Perkins, a marketing major from New Hampshire. “I really appreciated the challenge of having 24 hours to create a presentation that we then presented to industry leaders solving a real-world problem.”

For the role play, Joseph Byrd ’23 and Bennet Flynn ’23 individually represented DLL Floor Planning during needs identification sales meetings with Galati Yachts. They were evaluated on the meeting opening, needs identification, presentation, overcoming objections, gains commitment, professional communication, and credibility/trustworthiness.

During the speed-selling event, Grace Bennett ’23 and Adam Craft ’23 each delivered 90-second elevator pitches to four companies. The pitches included an introduction, what they learned about the companies, and what skills and knowledge they have that would bring value to the companies. Company representatives judged the students on pitch content and delivery.

“We are really proud of our team as the students consistently demonstrated the values of hard work and integrity in preparation for and during the competition,” said Chris Nelson, assistant professor of marketing and sales team coach. “They consistently worked to help and uplift each other. They represented ������Ƶ well both in the competitive events and also by acting in a dignified manner during the entire five-day event.”

“At ICSC, I witnessed the team go above and beyond to support, coach and rally each other on to the finish,” said Byrd, a marketing and finance double major from North Carolina.

Lecturer in Marketing Rob Elbitar; alumni Ashley Pippin ’93, Skyler De Groot ’19, Florentin Kunz ’21, and Jack St. Pierre ’22; and former sales competitor Claudia Flint ’23 also helped prepare the team for this competition.

James Folds ’22, Christopher Boyette ’23, JD Grant ’23, Thomas (Ash) Watts ’23, Ismael Torres Monteverde ’24, Emma Leonard ’25, Cole Meixsell ’25 and Pacey Salzman ’25 represented ������Ƶ in the competition hosted by the U.S. Federal Reserve. This is ������Ƶ’s first appearance in the semifinals since 2013.

Eighty-four teams analyzed U.S. economic and financial conditions and formulated monetary policy recommendations, modeling the Federal Open Market Committee.

Eighteen semifinalist teams, including ������Ƶ, participated in question-and-answer sessions held in November. Teams were evaluated on economic analysis, responses to judges’ questions, teamwork and presentation.

“The Federal Reserve Challenge solidified my passion for economics,” said Leonard, an economics and psychology double major. “It was such a great learning experience that showed me the importance of collaboration, research and presentation skills, teamwork and communication. My economics knowledge and understanding has grown exponentially.”

“As a result of the Fed Challenge, I feel extremely well-prepared and sufficient in macroeconomic understanding, policy decisions and conducting research, as well as working collaboratively with a team of people on presentations and professional write-ups,” added Grant, who has been a member of ������Ƶ’s team for three years.

The ������Ƶ students prepared for the competition by taking the ECO 3130: Federal Reserve Challenge course taught by Associate Professors of Economics Vitaliy Strohush and Brandon Sheridan.

“Having the opportunity to discuss ideas and ask questions of two professors simultaneously in a fun, casual, classroom setting was such a unique learning environment,” Grant said. “There is no better way to motivate real learning than working in a competitive manner with an amazing team of peers.”

Princeton University, University of North Carolina – Wilmington and Dartmouth College placed first, second and third, respectively.

“We want to encourage people who want to make a difference, at every stage of their careers, to consider public service,” said Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome H. Powell. “These students view the issues we face as a country from their own perspectives, and those fresh views and understanding are valuable.”

They are among 242 students from 63 higher education institutions in 16 countries to join the University Innovation Fellows program managed by Stanford’s d.school.

At ������Ƶ, the program is supported and sponsored by the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This year’s ������Ƶ cohort joins cohorts from the previous two years in advancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus.

University Innovation Fellows strive to create opportunities to help their peers build the creative confidence, agency and entrepreneurial mindset needed to address global challenges. They serve as advocates for lasting institutional change with academic leaders, lending the much-needed student voice to the conversations about the future of higher education.

“The new Fellows are designing experiences that help all students learn skills and mindsets necessary to navigate these uncertain times and to shape the future they want to see,” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “They are giving back to their school communities, and at the same time, they’re learning strategies that will help them serve as leaders in their careers after graduation.”

Following acceptance into the program, students participated in a six-week online training in which they analyzed their campus ecosystems; identified opportunities for change related to innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking and creativity; worked to understand the needs of peers across disciplines and the perspectives of faculty and administrators; and applied this new knowledge and perspective to design new educational opportunities for their peers. They will now work to implement the projects they crafted and continue to serve as change agents and leaders at their schools and beyond.

“It’s been gratifying to see how dedicated our new fellows have been throughout their UIF training,” said Alyssa Martina, director of the Doherty Center and ������Ƶ’s faculty champion for the University Innovation Fellows program. “I can’t wait to see what will emanate from their research and efforts.”

According to , Scrum, an agile framework, provides “just enough structure for people and teams to integrate into how they work, while adding the right practices to optimize for their specific needs.”

The certification exam tests competencies in the following areas: understanding and applying the Scrum framework; developing people and teams; managing products with agility; developing and delivering products professionally; and evolving the agile organization.

The students learned the material needed to become Scrum Masters as part of MGT 4700: Agile Project Management, a new course designed for project management majors. The course, taught by Lecturer in Management Scott Oakes, exposes students to the agile work environment and the roles comprising an agile team, including Scrum Master.

“Agile Project Management has taught me so much about the project management world and all the opportunities within the field such as becoming a Scrum Master, and now with this certification I stand out,” Maxine Rieder ’23 said. “This certification will help me excel in any field and I can use it to start a Scrum Team in future positions.”

Along with gaining experience and knowledge through project-based assignments, simulations and guest speakers who provide real-world perspectives, obtaining the Professional Scrum Master I certification will make students more marketable post-graduation while also giving them confidence and needed skills for their future careers, Oakes shared.

“Obtaining my certification is a large step in the right direction in shaping my career as a project management major,” Julia Cox ’23 said. “This class prepared me with all the right resources in order to succeed and I truly enjoyed it.”

Congratulations to the following students on obtaining the Professional Scrum Master I certification:

• Jessica Boyer
• Julia Cox
• Will Dallas
• Chris Dimedio
• Mason Duval
• Maxine Rieder
• Daniel Young

The pair, mentored by Associate Professor of Business Law Christy Benson, joined students from schools around the world for the Oct. 13-15 competition held in Tucson, Arizona. Role playing as financial consultants to the senior leadership of a non-profit university foundation, teams evaluated whether the university should invest a significant amount of endowment funds into cryptocurrency. Teams’ evaluations and recommendations needed to account for stakeholder, economic, legal and ethical considerations.

The judges, who included University of Arizona faculty, executives from companies such as 3M and Hewlett-Packard, and Tucson-local business owners, evaluated presentations on delivery, depth of analysis, persuasiveness, creativity, recommendations in both an ethical and practical context, and responses to the judges’ questions.

“The competition was an incredibly cool experience to grow as a person and network with others my age,” Purdy shared. “It allowed me to explore areas outside of my comfort zone and identify aspects of myself that I can work on to become the best I can be.”

During the presentation, “Entrepreneurship on the Cutting Edge of Innovation,” Gong will share her work with tracking body movement using AI data sensors and Sharma will discuss his work transforming pollutants into ink and plastics.

Gong is the CEO of Figur8 Inc., the industry leader in transforming musculoskeletal care with objective data and AI-driven biomarkers. Her work has been recognized by major news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg and INC.

Previously, Gong was a member of the award-winning founding team of 3dim Tech, a gestural control for mobile devices that was acquired in 2014, and founder and managing partner of Circular2, an engineering consulting firm specializing in rapidly transforming ideas into production-ready products. Her clients included MIT and Harvard, as well as Fortune 50 companies such as Google and Samsung.

Gong received a doctorate from the MIT Media Lab in 2013. As an innovator driven by rigorous scientific and engineering training, she has published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and filed and granted over 10 U.S. patents to date.

Sharma is a designer, inventor and engineer, who launched and led 0→1 commercial and non-profit ventures based off his research that impacts human wellness and environment.

As co-founder of Graviky Labs, he is working to sequester carbon emissions from air-pollution by recycling it into other materials such as ink. Graviky’s AIR-INK has sparked a global art movement with artists and print industry around the world using it to create beautiful narratives of protest and carbon dependence to spread awareness about the environment.

An interdisciplinary researcher, Sharma is interested in utilizing sensors (electronic and imaging), bio-feedback and AI to weave I/O intelligence into everyday objects that promote better physiology, mind-body-world interaction. His work has been recognized by TED, MIT TR35, Forbes 30 Under 30, and TIME’s ‘Best Invention of the Year’ in 2020. He is a graduate from the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT Media Lab.

The C. Ashton Newhall Endowed Lecture Series, named for ������Ƶ trustee C. Ashton Newhall ’98 and hosted by the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, brings successful entrepreneurs to campus to share their knowledge and experience managing the risks and rewards of entrepreneurial endeavors.

James Folds ’23, JD Grant ’23, Emma Leonard ’25, Cole Meixsell ’25 and Pacey Salzman ’25, all members of ������Ƶ’s 2022 College Fed Challenge team, learned about various career paths in economics, networked with private and public sector economists and other professionals in the field, and toured the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The conference highlighted successful women and people of color in economics. “Diversity in economics is critical to ensuring that the right questions are being asked, yet less than 25 percent of economists are people of color, and no more than 30 percent of career economists are women,” the .

Dana Peterson, chief economist and center leader of economy, strategy and finance at The Conference Board, delivered the keynote address, sharing inspiring stories about her unplanned career trajectory.

Her presentation “reassured us that there is more than one way to become an economist,” Grant said.

Grant added, “The Diverse Economics Conference was an amazing opportunity to hear from a wide range of economists, as well as talk with recent college graduates currently working at the different Federal Reserve Banks. As a senior applying to jobs at the FED, this experience was invaluable! Getting to speak with recent college graduates about their experiences at the FED provided incredible insight and got me excited about post-grad life.”

������Ƶ’s chapter is one of more than 600 collegiate chapters around the world. Each spring, the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business inducts the top 10% of the junior and senior classes and the top 20% of graduate students into its chapter, which is advised by Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Love School of Business, who serves as the chapter’s president.

“Our chapter focuses on fostering a community with diverse thinkers and change-makers,” said Nicole Dischinger ’23 G’23, vice president of ������Ƶ’s chapter. “Throughout the past year, we’ve held events to help students connect with each other, alumni and industry professionals in order to build life-long connections and promote continual learning. The values of our society- honor, integrity, the pursuit of wisdom, and earnestness – reflect in our actions as students and BGS members.”