Seminars & Workshops

• CPA's in the FBI
• Hot Topics in Marketing
• Corporate Ethics & Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship in Action
• Opportunities in Health Care Management
• The Commodity Exchange Game
• Internet Scavenger Hunt
• Forensic Accounting: Detecting Fraud
• Careers in Operations Management
• Reading the Wall Street Journal
• The Life of an Investment Advisor
• The Discipline of Real Estate
• Personal Selling Workshop
• Marketing Employer Panel
• Building Your Personal Leadership Style
• Financial Reporting, Fraud & Government Regulation
• Accounting Employer Panel
• Marketing Yourself to Others
• International Business & The Global Economy
• Honors College Potpourri
• Ethics in Business

Stephen Black's "Corporate Ethics and Social Responsibilty"

Mr. Stephen Black, President and Founder of Impact Alabama, discussed Focus First and then had an intimate conversation with the students about how they would respond in various scenarios, urging them to consider the ethics of different alternatives.  Focus First is a volunteer organization where college and graduate students travel to underprivileged children who live in poverty in urban and rural communities throughout the state.  Their goal is to provide children, ages 2 to 5, the best vision medically possible before they start school. Poor vision adversely affects tens of thousands of children in Alabama each year, and vision problems have been linked to reduced academic performance and behavior risks. In the past four months, trained volunteers have screened almost two thousand children for eye diseases and disorders. 

After graduating from Yale Law School, Mr. Black practiced law for several years before serving as a policy advisor to the Governor.  When he left the governors office in 2001 he began campaigning for Alabama State Treasurer and was on the Democratic ticket, but lost by 3% in the general election. He serves on several Boards, including the ASFA Foundation and the Alabama Poverty Project.    

For more information on Stephen Black, go to http://www.impactalabama.org/board.html

James Cashman’s “Building Your Personal Leadership Style”

Professor James F. Cashman leads a workshop on Building Your Personal Leadership Style as part of the Academy. Dr. Cashman advises managers in the auto industry, especially General Motors and Saturn. He also works extensively with the wood products and packaging industries in the areas of strategic management and reengineering. He also directs the University’s Business Honors Program. His workshop incorporates a discussion of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s leadership style.

For more information on James Cashman, go to http://cba.ua.edu/personnel/JamesCashman.html

John Cassimus’ “Lunch with and Entrepreneur”

John Cassimus, president and CEO of Zoe’s Kitchen, visits with the students of the Academy to discuss entrepreneurship in Lunch with an Entrepreneur. Cassimus, a former football player and graduate of the College of Commerce, shares stories about starting his own imprinting sportswear company and his current position running a restaurant chain with nationwide locations. He shares lessons learned from his part-time work as a side-line sports commentator and his passion for flying his own planes.

Dr. Ben Powell's "Understanding Entrepreneurship"

Ben Powell, assistant professor of management, explained what entrepreneurship is, debunked common myths concerning entrepreneurs, and discussed steps towards an entrepreneurial career. His presentation included the five categories of opportunities that are used by specific persons to create a wide range of effects. The entrepreneurial process was discussed at length, including how to recognize and exploit opportunities.   He also touched on the various disciplines that would provide strong foundations in entrepreneurship.   

For more information on Dr. Ben Powell, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/BenjaminPowell.html

Dr. Grant Savage’s "Career Opportunities in Healthcare Management"

Dr. Grant Savage discussed why Healthcare Management (HCM) has become such a popular field over the past several years.  He also talked about the variety of job opportunities that are available with the major, along with the career paths a student entering the field could choose, including Ambulatory Care, Health Care Sales, and Long Term Care. He explained the many scholarship opportunities that are available, and about the exceptional faculty in the department.  

For more information on Dr. Savage, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/GrantSavage.html

Dr. Diane Johnson's "Leadership Workshop"

Dr. Diane Johnson is an associate professor of management at the University of Alabama. This workshop introduced the concept of leadership, soliciting students' thoughts on who they thought were leaders. Dr. Johnson led a self-assessment exercise where she addressed the idea that "knowing yourself and reflecting on who you are and your actions are important processes to go through to become a great leader." The workshop taught students' how power and influence impact leadership. Students participated in role-playing exercises where they demonstrated the skills used in the workshop.

For more information on Dr. Johnson, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/DianeJohnson.html.

Dr. Lenita Davis's "Personal Selling Workshop"

Dr. Lenita Davis is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Alabama. In this workshop, she discussed networking and the importance of introductions and handshakes. Students participated in exercises where they tried to "sell" random objects drawn out of a brown bag to their classmates, including a candy hotdog and a plastic rat!

For more information on Dr. Davis, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/LenitaDavis.html

Dr. Gary Hoover's "Commodity Exchange Game"

Dr. Gary Hoover, associate professor of economics, led a game called "The Commodity Exchange Game: A Market for Wheat," created by the National Council on Economic Education. The game simulated actions at the Chicago Board of Trade. Students were given buy/sell orders for bushels of wheat with specific instructions and then met on the "trading floor" to make deals with other students. The exercise demonstrated how people who are just looking to increase their own opportunities create a market.

For more information on Dr. Hoover, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/GaryHoover.html

Alumnus Alton Sizemore's "CPA's in the FBI"

Alton Sizemore introduced the glamorous side of accounting in his presentation to students. Former FBI Special Agent Sizemore covered career opportunities available to CPAs in the FBI. His session also included a display of SWAT gear, weaponry, black light technology, and various anecdotes about prior cases and challenges he has faced. Students participated in a mock search for digital evidence, playing the role of an FBI agent conducting a search. He also discussed his new role in a forensic accounting firm as Director of Investigations following 25 years of adventures in the FBI.

For more information, go to www.forensicstrategic.com/viewprofile.php?id=8

Todd Hines and Paul Brothers “Corporate Research Workshop”

Todd Hines and Paul Brothers are reference librarians and assistant professors in the Angelo Bruno Business Library. In their workshop, the students learned how to use some of the advanced business research sources in the library. Students were given real world business questions to research and asked to report their findings back to the group. The students were also provided with a customized business research tip sheet and instructed on how to find detailed information about the companies they would be isiting during the Academy’s trip to Atlanta.  Students then reported their findings to the group, including financial information such as cash flow, net income, and recent acquisitions.

For more information on Todd Hines, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/ToddHines.html

For more information on Paul Brothers, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/PaulBrothers.html

Dr. Charles Sox’s "Introduction to Operations Management"

Dr. Sox, professor and University Chair of Manufacturing Management, spoke about the great opportunities a student could have with a major like Operations Management. Dr. Sox showed a video entitled “What is Operations Management?” and he discussed the many different career paths, depending on which aspect of OM the student wants to specialize in.  He alked about the many benefits of having such a small major, including endless opportunities for internships and co-ops.

For more information on Dr. Sox, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/CharlesSox.html

Donald H. Minyard, Forensic Accounting: Detecting Fraud

Forensic Accounting is the use of accounting information to rovide evidence for legal proceedings.  It integrates accounting, auditing, and investigative skills.  Mr. Minyard discussed the relationship between forensic accounting and litigation support, where each is needed, and why the preservation of evidence is so important to the science of forensic accounting.  He talked about the common characteristics of people who commit fraud and exactly why they do it.  Finally, he closed with a discussion of personality traits of forensic accountants and the career path to become a forensic accountant.     

For more information, go to http://www.forensicstrategic.com/viewprofile.php?id=4

Dr. Tom Downs' "Financial Market Information on the Internet"

Professor Tom Downs presented the variety of job opportunities available to finance majors, explaining typical corporate hierarchies with CFO's and controllers and finance sub-disciplines such as Corporate Finance and Investments. He also explained the various certifications available to finance majors, such as CFA and a NASD brokers' license. Dr. Downs then illustrated how the students could gather financial information about companies on the Internet. He explained the basics of initial public offerings, mergers, and acquisitions, to give students an idea of what the study of finance involves.

For more information on Dr. Downs, go to http://www.cba.ua.edu/personnel/ThomasDowns.html

Owen Sweatt's "Kiss of Yes" Leadership Workshop

Professor Owen Sweatt presented a workshop in which he and the students contrasted leadership and management. The group first framed a definition of leadership, discussing traits, behaviors, domains, and specific examples in history. They discussed the importance of communications, both verbal and nonverbal, techniques for effective listening, and how and why organizations change. Sweatt explained that, by understanding these concepts, we can avoid having people in our organizations who say they are on board, but are really not (the "kiss of yes").