Smeal Update: April 22, 2022
Smeal student’s startup wins $15,000 in Inc.U Competition
MarRosa’s Old World Cuisine, which was founded by Marcella Marino, a Smeal fourth-year student studying corporate innovation and entrepreneurship and international business, was one of two startups awarded $15,000 in funding in the 2022 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition. Read the story.
Tarriff Center collaboration helps educate incarcerated individuals
To support individuals in their re-entry into society, the Smeal College of Business Tarriff Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility has partnered with the Penn State Restorative Justice Initiative to develop and teach business skills at local prisons. Read the story. Michelle Darnell, director of the Tarriff Center, was featured in a WTAJ-TV story, discussing the collaboration.
Reed appointed to Smeal’s Board of Visitors
Greg Reed, group chief executive of Places for People, has been appointed to the Smeal Board of Visitors. Places for People is one of the largest placemaking, property investment, development, and management companies in the United Kingdom. The BOV is meeting this week. Read the story.
Smeal team finishes 1st in regional, 8th in global competition
Three Smeal students teamed up to place first in the regional finals and 8th at the global finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition, hosted by the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler College of Business. Penn State's delegation consisted of partners at Happy Valley Venture Capital: Aryaman Bhardwaj, a senior energy business & finance major; Leonardo Girlando, a senior finance & chinese major; James Shryock, a senior finance major; Nandini Patel, a junior biomedical engineering major; Dylan Benson, a sophomore finance major; and Andrew Ciotto, a sophomore economics major.
BOSS to be held in person during summer 2022
Business Opportunities Summer Session, known as BOSS, will be held in person this June. The two-week program gives high school students interested in pursuing a business education the opportunity to take college prep classes and business fundamentals courses taught by Penn State faculty.
Nominate someone for a Smeal Teaching Award
We need your help! Please take five minutes to help us recognize and reward the very best of the teaching that took place over the past year at Smeal. Nominations will be accepted until May 6, and recipients will be selected by the Smeal Teaching Awards Committee over the summer. Award winners will be announced and celebrated in September. Please visit https://tinyurl.com/Smealteachingawards and nominate someone today.
Deadline for graduate student RISE Above Award
The RISE Above Graduate Student Award formally recognizes a graduate student for their commitment to advancing Smeal’s goals of promoting honor and integrity. The commitment can be demonstrated through any combination of behaviors demonstrated in the classroom, research, professional work, or student leadership. Won’t you please consider nominating one of your students using this online form by the close of business Friday?
Oelwang book signing scheduled for Friday
Smeal Board of Visitors member Jean Oelwang, a 1987 Smeal marketing alumna, will be at the Penn State Bookstore in the HUB-Robeson Center from noon to 2 p.m. Friday to sign copies of her book “Partnering: Forge the Deep Connections That Make Great Things Happen.” Oelwang is the founding CEO and president of Virgin Unite. She has worked with partners to lead the incubation and start-up of several global initiatives, including The Elders, The B Team, The Carbon War Room (successfully merged with RMI), Ocean Unite, The Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator, 100% Human at Work, The Virgin Unite Constellation and the Branson Centres of Entrepreneurship.
Next week at Smeal
Smeal Diversity Drop-In: 4-6 p.m. Tuesday
Are you interested in being an ally for diversity, equity, and inclusion? We would love to talk to you. Drop by Happy Valley Brewing Company from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday to meet and chat with members of the Smeal Diversity Task Force. Appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. RSVP to the email sent March 30 by the end of Friday or email Emily Baxter at ekb120@psu.edu to ensure an accurate count for ordering appetizers. Can’t make it but still want to talk about diversity? Email Emily or Stacey Dorang Peeler at sld138@psu.edu to schedule another time to talk.
Know someone who rocks? Nominate them!
Each month the Smeal Staff Advisory Committee names a You Rock! Award recipient. You can nominate a co-worker for the You Rock! Award online.
The Smeal Community Weekly Poll
Click this link to participate in this week’s survey. Results will be shared during the next Smeal Community Zoom, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday.