George M. Fenton was the student speaker at Boise State’s 90th Commencement ceremony on May 12, where students and guests responded to his remarks with a standing ovation. During the ceremony, the largest ever for the university, a record 11 doctoral degrees and more than 2,400 bachelor’s and master’s degrees were awarded in front of a capacity crowd that topped 13,000.

Fenton, from Post Falls, Idaho, graduated with a bachelor of arts in economics and a minor in mathematics.

Cody B. Barney, D.B. Fitzpatrick and Co., Inc.
Jason Coronado, Deloitte
Lance Fenton, Cooper Norman Certified Public Accountants
Travis B. Hawkes, Sports Fan Corporation
Travis L. Higgins, UCI Wealth Advisors
Terence Alan Longhurst, Scentsy, Inc.
Bernadette Madarieta, Boise Inc.
Jarred McKenzie, Dykman Electrical, Inc.
Kristine Mitchell, Origin, Inc.
W. Ben Slaughter, Trout Jones Gledhill Fuhrman Gourley, P.A.

For 13 years Idaho Business Review has recognized 40 accomplished men and women under the age of 40.

“These talented young professionals represent a generation that is shaping our state, our image and our expectations,” said Idaho Business Review President and Publisher Sean Evans.

The young leaders are nominated and chosen by a panel of their peers. The six-member selection panel comprised past Accomplished Under 40 recipients scoring in four categories: professional accomplishments, leadership skills, community involvement and long term goals. More information.

This spring’s student Commencement speaker is George M. Fenton, from Post Falls, Idaho, who is graduating with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average, earning a bachelor of arts in economics with a minor in mathematics. Since January 2011 Fenton has served as an intern for Keynetics CEO Brad Wiskirchen, director of the Salt Lake City Federal Reserve. In 2010 he participated in a summer program at Georgetown University and fulfilled an internship at the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.

Fenton has been a member of the Honors College since coming to Boise State in 2008 as a Brown Scholar. He also was an award-winning member of the national champion Boise State University Speech and Debate team, the “Talkin’ Broncos. He has been accepted to Oxford University and plans to pursue graduate school after serving two years at the Federal Reserve.

Management Department Faculty Awards

Outstanding Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty Research: Chris Baughn

Outstanding Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty Undergraduate Teaching: Brian McNatt

Outstanding Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty Internal Service: Dusty Bodie

Outstanding Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty Community Service: John McIntosh

Outstanding Special Lecturer Teaching: Susan Park

Outstanding Special Lecturer Internal Service: Susan Park

Outstanding Special Lecturer Community Service: Christy Suciu

Outstanding Adjunct Teaching: Janet Stephens and Melissa Luke

The COBEAC is made up of business leaders who counsel COBE administration on a wide range of strategic issues central to the College’s mission. The COBEAC reveiew team had high praise for Bahnson and Barney and for all the nominees which are:

Teaching: Karen Coral, Brian McNatt, Somia Islam, and Troy Hyatt

Research: Jeff Sugheir, Regis Terpend and Shikhar Sarin

Podium Presentation:

“A Modern Look at the Black-White Income Gap,” by Adam Wolfe; faculty sponsor: Dr. Samia Islam

Poster Presentations:

“The Efficacy of Drug Treatment Programs with a Criminal Justice Component, ” Team Members: Steve Canty, David Welsh; faculty sponsor: Dr. Kelly Cobourn

“The Economics of Buying Local,” Team Members: Victoria Kazimir, Scott Johnson, Shaun Wheeler, Douglas Avera; faculty sponsor: Dr. Scott Lowe

“A Comparison of Pollution Mitigation: Taxation or Biologically Driven Pollution Control, with Increasing, Inherent Benefits,” Team Members: Eric Brigaman, Robert Humphrey, John Riddle, Chelsea White; faculty sponsor: Dr. Scott Lowe

The Dykmans gift toward the Micron Business and Economics Building will be recognized in the Dykman Financial Trading Room. On the second floor overlooking the Jackson commons below, the Dykman Financial Trading Room is a technologically sophisticated lab where students manager equity and bond portfolios using real money.

Dykman has served as president of the Bronco Athletic Association, the Alumni Association and the Boise State Foundation—one of only two people in Boise State history to serve as president of all three groups. He also co-chaired the university’s first-ever comprehensive campaign and is currently working with the Alumni Association to raise funds for a new Alumni and Friends Center. In addition to continued charitable gifts to Boise State, he and Dixie have endowed scholarships at each of Idaho’s public four-year institutions of higher education.

And, this spring’s student Commencement speaker is COBE economics student George M. Fenton, from Post Falls, Idaho, who is graduating with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average, earning a bachelor of arts in economics with a minor in mathematics. Since January 2011 Fenton has served as an intern for Keynetics CEO Brad Wiskirchen, director of the Salt Lake City Federal Reserve. In 2010 he participated in a summer program at Georgetown University and fulfilled an internship at the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.

Fenton has been a member of the Honors College since coming to Boise State in 2008 as a Brown Scholar. He also was an award-winning member of the national champion Boise State University Speech and Debate team, the “Talkin’ Broncos. He has been accepted to Oxford University and plans to pursue graduate school after serving two years at the Federal Reserve.

The Commencement ceremony will include a processional and recessional, individual recognition of graduates and the hooding of doctoral candidates. Widescreens will be set up so family and friends can see the graduates up close as they are individually recognized. Boise State will broadcast the ceremony live online for those who cannot attend.

A reception for graduates and their families will be held immediately following the ceremony on the Intramural Field adjacent to Taco Bell Arena and the Appleton Tennis Center. Each college will have a designated area where graduates can meet family after the ceremony to take photos and introduce them to faculty.

Research Proposals

“The Carbon Footprint of Higher Education,” Tom Gattiker, Scott Lowe and Regis Terpend

“The Adoption and Use of Mobile Learning Strategies by Business Faculty Members to Support Blended Learning Environments,” Doug Lincoln

“Challenging the Foundations of Stakeholder Theory: Does Urgency Moderate the Effects of Power on Stakeholder Salience?” Jason MacDonald and Matt Maher

“The Political Economy of Major Water Infrastructure Investments in the Western United States: Evidence from Historical Voting Rounds,” Zeynep Hansen and Scott Lowe

“Clickers in a Large Legal Studies Classroom,” Susan Park

“Multidisciplinary Research and Formation of New College Majors: Impact on Business Innovation,” Zeynep Hansen and Samia Islam

“The Impact of Academic Rank and Tenure Status on Grading Outcomes: An Empirical Analysis from a Large Public University,” Zeynep Hansen and Scott Lowe

“Electronic Textbooks: Antecedent of Students’ Adoption and Learning Outcomes,” Regis Terpend, Tom Gattiker and Scott Lowe

“The Use of Online Versus Traditional College Degrees in Hiring Decisions,” Gundy Kaupins

Teaching Innovation Proposals

“MBA 588 Online,” Susan Park

“Designing Management Communications: MBA Course Development & Integration,” Pat Delana

“Sustainability Teaching Case: Lifecycle Assessment at Great Outdoors, Inc.” Tom Gattiker

“A Teaching Innovation: Integrating Sustainability into the COBE Curriculum,” Scott Lowe

“HRM 340 Employee & Labor Relations – Online,” Jim Wanek

“Developing an Undergraduate Accounting Research Course,” Paul Bahnson and Mark Cowan

Thanks to the following for their time and talents in reviewing the proposals:

Research – Tom English, Brian McNatt, Kent Neupert, and Charlotte Twight

Teaching Innovation – Elorriaga Professors Phil Fry and Gary McCain

The prestigious and competitive conference is attended by more than 5,100 students from around the world. Boise State students represented the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and had the opportunity to meet and speak with a representative from the Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations. Other participating students included Alex Emanoff, interdisciplinary studies and political science students Sean Murphy, Jayson Vial, Mike Fitzgerald, Chris Fries,  Andrea Orozco, Nancy Orizaba, Jesse Martin, Ingrid Ebbers, Kerry Dougherty, Alexa Walker, Ashley Prince and Rialin Flores. They are part of a model UN course taught by Garry Wenske, executive director of the Frank Church Institute.

The delegation spent three months preparing for the conference, where they debated real issues that confront the international community, such as human trafficking, an arms trade treaty, disaster relief and emergency preparedness, and the upcoming Rio+20 Conference.

Over the course of five days, the summit acts as a simulation of the United Nations, where students learn to negotiate, compromise and pass resolutions while bearing in mind the interests of their assigned country. Delegations are evaluated by how well they remain in character, participate in committee and properly use rules of procedure.

Organizations supporting the Model United Nations Club include the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, ASBSU, the College of Business and Economics, and the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs.

Our programs provide a diverse group of informed students and faculty a forum for addressing global concerns in a “real world” context. Conferences address important issues including regional conflicts, peacekeeping, human rights, women and children, economic and social development, and the environment. In its simplest sense, we work to

provide student participants with a better understanding of the inner working of the UN as they build skills in diplomacy and compromise.