University Scholars | Heavener School of Business

University Scholar Participants

The following undergraduates were selected to conduct research on business-related topics with a WCBA faculty mentor for the current academic year.

2012-13

Alicia Yen
Freshman, Finance
Research Project: ZIRP on Business Cycles
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Banko
Bio
Danielle Monday
Junior, Management
Research Project: Evaluating the Quality of Managerial Decisions Made by Major League Baseball Teams in Signing Players to Long-Term Contracts
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Roger Blair
Bio
Emily Basford
Senior, Economics
Research Project: The benefits and consequences of localization in relation to spending money locally and the Local Multiplier Effect
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Denslow
Bio
Joshua Williams
Junior, Business Management; Minoring in Organizational Leadership for Nonprofits
Research Project: The evaluation and comprehension of codes of ethics in business with regard to their legal ramifications and origins in philosophical works.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Emerson
Bio
Lanita Patton
Freshman, Marketing
Research Project: The Effect of Brand Image on Consumers’ Responses to Promotions
Faculty Mentor: Aner Sela
Bio
Ryan Casserly
Junior, Finance
Research Project: The Effect of Super Voting Shares on IPO Valuations
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Parrino
Bio
Steven Evens
Sophomore, Economics
Research Project: Higher Education Endowments in Economic Recessions
Faculty Mentor: Caprice Knapp, PhD
Bio

2011-12

Sabrina Mirtcheva
Senior, Economics
Research Project: Well-intentioned legislators have passed numerous statutes intended to protect us from others and even from ourselves but these statutes sometimes have unintended consequences and thereby may cause more harm than good. In this project I will focus my attention on a few specific topics and explore the costs and benefits, the unintended consequences, and the impact on consumers.
Faculty Mentor: Roger Blair
Bio
Caitlen Smaga
Sophomore, Accounting
Research Project: The conversion from United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards and the effect the convergence will have on business transactions, primarily consolidation models.
Faculty Mentor: David Reppenhagen
Bio
Chelsey Heady
Senior, Accounting
Research Project: The social implications of an adolescent's upbringing affecting them through maturity
Faculty Mentor: Kate Fletcher
Bio
Nathan Mattice
Sophomore, Economics and Mathematics
Research Project: I am studying defined benefit pension plans – namely the relationship between the predicted rate of return for pension portfolios and the ratio of benefits to current wages individuals prefer.
Faculty Mentor: David Denslow
Bio
Emily Goldsmith
Junior, Marketing and Psychology
Research Project: I will be examining how the number of alternatives available to consumers influences purchase decisions for products that are necessities that are for public or private consumption.
Faculty Mentor: Richard Lutz
Bio
Michael Stephens
Junior, Finance
Research Project: How the Manipulation of Mortgage Backed Securities Resulted in a Recession
Faculty Mentor: Andy Naranjo
Bio
Elizabeth (Betsy) Smith
Junior, General Studies and Political Science
Research Project: Impact Involvement in Structured Organizations has on Collegiate Success
Faculty Mentor: David Denslow
Bio

2010-11

Jerri-ann Berry
Senior, Management
Research Project: The Brain Drain: Exploring the Loss of Talent and Its Effects on Organizations
Faculty Mentor: Jason Colquitt
Michael Canencia
Junior, Economics
Research Project: Why are Energy Saving Appliance Manufacturers Not Marketing Cost Savings to Consumers?
Faculty Mentor: James Dewey
Chase Corbin
Sophomore, Economics/Philosophy
Research Project: Assessing the Causes of High Vacancy Levels in High-Value South Florida Condominiums
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Denslow
Mychal Estalilla
Junior, Finance
Research Project: The Role of Asymmetric Information in Market Failure
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joel Houston
Alexandra Fernandez
Senior, General Business/Criminology
Research Project: Director Responsibilities: The Weakening of the Business Judgement Rule
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Larry DiMatteo
Kyle Futch
Senior, Accounting
Research Project: Bankruptcy Prediction Models in Recessionary Periods
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Dickinson
Travis Hornsby
Senior, Economics/Math
Research Project: Why Did Voters Approve Florida's Amendment 3?
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lawrence Kenny
Sophie Kamuf
Junior, Finance
Research Project: The Correlation of House Price Changes across Japanese Prefectures
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Denslow & Susan A. Kubota
Emily Lazopoulos
Sophomore, Accounting
Research Project: Does FIN 48 Produce More Uncertainty and Cost Than Expected?
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sandra Kramer
Anna Piatyszek
Junior, Marketing
Research Project: The Degree to Which Consumers' Psychological Responses to the Aesthetics of Specific Branded Hotels' Guest Rooms Impact Purchase Decisions and Loyalty
Faculty Mentor: Joseph W. Alba
Laura Rendon
Sophomore, Economics
Research Project: Long-term Impact of China's International Trade
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chunrong Ai
Bryan Register
Senior, Economics
Research Project: The Housing Market: The Boom and Bust Over the Last Decade
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Denslow
Caitlin Sileo
Senior, Marketing/Spanish
Research Project: Why Do People Give to Charity and What Is the Best Way to Approach Them to Secure a Donation?
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alan Cooke
Briana Sullivan
Senior, Economics
Research Project: The Site Built Housing Market and the Decline of the Mobile Home Sector
Faculty Mentor: James Dewey
Walter Trauner
Senior, Economics/Political Science
Research Project: Economic Benefits of Land Conservation in Selected Florida Counties
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lawrence Kenny
George Willmer
Senior, Economics/Mathematics
Research Project: Falling Through the Safety Net - The New Poor and Government Assistance
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Hamersma

2009-10

Michael Biemann
Senior, Finance
Research Project: Sources of Portable Alpha Across the Spectrum of Hedge-Fund Strategies
Brett Bishop
Senior, Marketing
Research Project: Generation's Effect on Consumer Decision Satisfaction
Patrick Breshike
Junior, Accounting
Research Project: Inventory Valuations Impacts on Share Market Value
Tolulope Bukola
Senior, Economics
Research Project: Measuring Prediction Market Efficiency
John Ciotti
Senior, Economics
Research Project: The Impact of Major Injuries on the Labor Market in Professional Baseball
Rebecca DeSimone
Research Project: The Effect of Student Migration on the Size of a State's Higher Education Budget
Meg Gregoire
Senior, General Studies w/International Studies specialization
Research Project: Microcredit Lending in the United States
Katy Kasser
Junior, Accounting
Research Project: How Executive Compensation Affects the Performance of Banking Firms
Johnathan Lott
Junior, Economics/Political Science
Research Project: Education Vouchers in Florida and Wisconsin
Gia Nardini
Sophomore, Marketing
Research Project: Green Marketing and Consumer Decision Making
Jenny Petrie
Senior, Marketing
Research Project: The Effects of Environmental Stimuli Within the Retailing Atmosphere on Consumer Emotions and Purchasing Decisions
Andrew Starling
Junior, Finance
Research Project: Why General Motors' Viability Plan is Bad for GM and America
Melanie Taylor
Senior, Marketing
Research Project: Exploring Franchising and Licensing as Business Ventures
German Velasco
Senior, Economics
Research Project: Measuring House Price Variation Across Space: Investigating the Tradeoff Between Land and Construction Costs

2008-09

Michael Cooper
Junior, BA-Finance
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Naranjo
Research Project: Transfer Pricing
Joseph Dal Santo
Senior, BA-Marketing
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Richard Lutz
Research Project: Collegiate Selling: Exploring the Value of a Sales Education
Laura Diaz
Senior, BA-Finance
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Denslow
Research Project: The Structure of Wages in Miami-Dade County
Joshua Gutter
Senior, BA-Accounting
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Dickinson
Research Project: An Inquiry into the Impact of Subsequent Event Disclosure on Stock Price
Sam Itayim
Senior, BA-Finance
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Emerson
Research Project: The Growth of Franchise Law Globally
Rahin Khandker
Junior, LS-Economics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Denslow
Research Project: Testing Glaeser's Housing Supply Model Using Two Independent House Price Measures
Jordan Loh
Senior, LS-Economics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Figlio
Research Project: Diseconomies of Scale in School District Sizing
Lauren MacDonald
Senior, LS-Economics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Hamersma
Research Project: The Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa
Henrique Romero
Senior, BA-Economics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Dewey
Research Project: Why Less Can Be More for Spatial Price Indices: Improving the Tradeoff Between Accuracy and Project Budget
Samuel Rosati
Senior, BA-Accounting
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stephen Asare
Research Project: College Student Spending: A Recession Shelter for Gainesville's Businesses
Jacquelyn Selbst
Senior, BA-Finance
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Naranjo
Research Project: Medical Outsourcing and its Effects: A Global Perspective
Luke Spreen
Senior, LS-Economics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Damon Clark
Research Project: The Effect of Merit Based Financial Aid on University Enrollment Levels and Tuition Rates: Evidence from Florida's Bright Future's Program
Kate Stein
Senior, BA-Marketing
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Richard Lutz
Research Project: Eyes in an Aisle: Vegetable Shopping in Supermarkets
Alisa Woideck
Senior, BA-Management
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Kammeyer-Mueller
Research Project: Causes of Emotional Labor and Burnout in Teachers: A Survey