Now that 2019 has come to a close, we reflect on the exciting work and accomplishments that this year has seen from our Lerner College students, faculty, staff and alumni. From student success to new faculty research, here are our top 10 blog stories from 2019 at Lerner:
After a particularly volatile year in the financial markets, many investors incurred significant losses in 2018. However, the group of savvy investors from the Blue Hen Investment Club(BHIC) rose to the challenge and outperformed the S&P 500 market indexes. At the end of 2018, the S&P 500 Index lost ground with a total return of -4.4% for the year. Meanwhile, the BHIC held steady, through a combination of good research analysis and stock picks, and returned -2.7% which equates to +1.7% outperformance of the S&P 500 Index. This was the largest improvement on the index the club has achieved in its 20-year history, and it was able to outperform this benchmark consistently throughout the year.
Class of 2018 graduates of the Lerner College are earning above-average starting salaries across a number of fields, according to this year’s 2019 Salary Survey of over 100,000 students from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). In several fields, Lerner College grads beat national starting salary averages by up to 20%.
3. Five Tips for Creating a Gender Equitable Workplace
Amanda Bullough, associate professor of management and global leadership, and co-director and co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, shared five action steps that organizations can examine and improve in order to create more gender equitable workplaces.
4. “My Summer Internship” Series
Each summer, students from the Lerner College gain important real-world professional skills through internships and externships. Eighteen students from majors across Lerner College departments shared first-hand accounts of their time as summer interns and externs in our nine week “My Summer Internship” series. This series highlighted each student’s experience securing their internship, working as an intern and deciding what comes next once the summer was over.
A team’s emotions may be one of the most important factors affecting their creativity and success, but emotions can often be difficult to understand. Thanks to new research from Assistant Professor of management Kyle Emich, we can now predict how team members’ emotions will affect the team’s creativity, and the results include a number of surprises.
6. Vita Nova Renovation Unveiled
Just five years after its “Front of House” renovation, Vita Nova, the University of Delaware’s student-operated and managed fine dining restaurant, has revealed a major transformation in the “Back of House.” This project will ensure that UD’s hospitality business management (HSBM) students have the opportunity to learn pivotal professional managerial skills working in a state-of-the-art facility. On Thursday, May 16, 2019 UD President Dennis Assanis, leadership from UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and supporters of the renovation came together to celebrate the updated Teaching Kitchen, Bistro Dining Room and Demonstration Innovation Kitchen at Vita Nova.
7. Carl Stewart: Blue Hen Move-In Day
Moving into your first dorm room can be both an exciting and somewhat intimidating introduction to college life. This fall, Carl Stewart joined over 750 incoming students to the Lerner College moving into their new home at UD. For our first student-generated video, Stewart documented his entire day from packing up his car in the morning through saying goodbye to his parents and heading out to his first night of activities. Stewart, a sport management major, shows what it’s like moving in at UD from the incoming student’s perspective.
8. Lerner Tax Clinic Serves Community
Thanks to donations from alumni, the Lerner College has established the Lerner Tax Clinic, providing students with real-world tax experience while offering free tax services to the community. This Clinic enables UD students and faculty to serve more individuals and to extend the program’s availability from seasonal to year-round. The clinic is also now able to provide transportation options and higher levels of certification, including retirement and investment planning, providing students with additional exposure to the tax industry as early as freshman year.
9. Blue Hens of a Feather: From Friends to Founders
The “Blue Hens of a Feather” series, new in 2019, highlights students and alumni of the Lerner College who “flock together” with fellow Blue Hens to launch successful business ventures. This article tells the story of two friends who started their company in 2014 while they were students at UD and who have remained true to their Blue Hens origins as their business, LendEDU, has expanded.
Hearing the words “team project” can spark fear in the hearts of students and business professionals alike. Does this initial negative perception mean that the project is doomed from the start? UD’s Dustin Sleesman, assistant professor of management, explored this question in an article on team dynamics. The study found that the initial beliefs of team members can influence the resulting success of the team.