Saint Vincent College McKenna School

SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE’S MANAGEMENT: OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE PROGRAM RANKED IN TOP TIER OF ONLINE MASTER’S IN BUSINESS PROGRAMS LATROBE, PA On January 25, 2022, U.S. News & World Report released its rankings for the Best Online Master’s in Business (non-MBA) programs. SVC’s Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence (MSMOE) has once again paced in the top 100 programs. Out of 193 ranked schools and programs nationwide, Saint Vincent’s program was ranked 78 and w...as ranked in the top 10 programs in the state of Pennsylvania, coming in at number 9. According to U.S. News & World Reports, the rankings assess master's-level business degree programs that are not MBA programs. Examples of non-MBA graduate business programs include degrees in accounting, finance, insurance, marketing and management. Highly ranked programs have strong traditional academic foundations based on the excellence of entering students, graduation rates and instructor credentials. They also excel at educating distance learners while offering robust career and financial support. Schools are ranked using five categories: Engagement, which accounts for 30% of the score; Expert Opinion, which accounts for 25%; and Faculty Credentials and Training, Student Excellence and Student Services and Technology, each of which accounts for 15% of the total score. SVC’s MSMOE program offers students a curriculum focused on preparing future and current managers for major challenges that they will face in today’s turbulent environment. I am so proud and excited about these new rankings. Being in the Top 100 programs by US News and World Report is an honor, especially in this category, said Dr. Michael Urick, graduate director for the MSMOE program and associate professor. Urick further expressed his gratitude for and thanked the members of the SVC community who’ve made the program into what it is today, saying, As the pandemic continues to emphasize the need for online learning and there are an increasing number of such programs worldwide in which learners can choose to enroll, this category of Best Online Master’s in Business is really competitive. It is an honor to be ranked alongside so many other prestigious institutions of higher learning. Being ranked in the Top 100 by U.S. News & World Report is truly a testament to the strength of the program’s students, faculty and community partners. Those interested in learning more about the MSMOE program can do so by visiting https://www.stvincent.edu//management-operational-excellen. Read the full list of rankings at https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education//rankings. See more

Merry Christmas from the McKenna School!!!

December 2021's SAP Business One OWL Workshop with Professor Bob Markley. With special guest lecturer/mentor (top right), Ben Grassi, C'16, Senior SAP Business One Consultant at Pioneer B1 in Phoenix.

The Game!!! Excellent finish by Lindsey Stormer and Wade Rashilla in the Business Strategy Game Simulation Global 100 Rankings, Fall 2021. They were tied for first place in the global competition the last four weeks. Outstanding! Team, FastTrack Footwear comprised of Lindsey Stormer and Wade Rashilla made the Global Top 100 lists for the weeks: October 17, 2021 (BSG Year 13) Overall Score of 108.5 tied for the 44th best Overall Score.... October 24, 2021 (BSG Year 14) Overall Score of 109.5 tied for the 16th best Overall Score. October 31, 2021 (BSG Year 15) Overall Score of 109.5 tied for the 16th best Overall Score. November 7, 2021 (BSG Year 16) Overall Score of 109.5 tied for 27th best Overall Score. November 14, 2021 (BSG Year 17) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for 1st best Overall Score. (out of 5,224 teams) Stock Price of $557.29 was the 83rd best Stock Price performance. November 21, 2021 (BSG Year 18) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for 1st best Overall Score. (out of 4,835 teams) December 5, 2021 (BSG Year 19) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for 1st best Overall Score. (out of 2,642 teams) Earnings Per Share of $20.85 was tied for the 95th best EPS. Return on Average Equity of 44.8% was the 94th best ROE. Stock Price of $500.76 was the 91st best Stock Price performance. December 12, 2021 (BSG Year 20) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for 1st best Overall Score. (out of 1,540 teams) Earnings Per Share of $25.52 was tied for the 40th best EPS. Return on Average Equity of 55.4% was the 28th best ROE. Stock Price of $620.98 was the 36th best Stock Price performance

Holiday Cheer: Dr. Quinlivan and Mrs. Quinlivan celebrated December 19 with (L-R) Mauricio Sanchez (Finance from Venezuela), Leonard (Haoyu) Wang (Economics and Mathematics from Qingdao, PRC), and Spencer McKee (Finance and Mathematics from Blairsville, PA). We attended the show, "A Musical Christmas Carol" in Pittsburgh and then back to Latrobe for dinner with the Quinlivans.

December 18, 2021: Thirty-Seven McKenna School graduates celebrated commencement--13 graduate students in MSMOE and Criminology and 24 undergraduates students. I was able to get a few pictures of students following the ceremony. The commencement speaker was Evan Frazier, "corporate executive, nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, author and family man." He is currently the Chair of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality Legacy Fund Group. Photos below: top (L-R: Dr. Mic...hael Urick, Erin Giancola, MSMOE 2021, and Dr. Jeff Godwin), Bottom left: (L-R: Dr. Jeff Godwin, Evan Frazier (commencement speaker), Tyler Jones, C'21, and Dr. GQuinlivan), Bottom Middle: two generations of Malone graduates with five SVC degrees (L-R: Dr. Godwin, Dr. Urick, James Malone, C'20 & MSMOE 2021, John Malone, C'83, GQ, Johnny Malone, MS'20 & C'15). Bottom Right: Mark Boulis, MSMOE'21 and Dr. Urick. See more

Great Picture of Taylor Grabiak, C'11 (left) and Rhonda Sulkosky, C'1987. Taylor is the Marketing Director at Lesco FCU and Rhonda is the CFO. Taylor graduated in marketing and Rhonda in accounting. Rhonda was in the first graduating class of women at SVC. Thanks for the picture! GQ

CENTER FOR CATHOLIC THOUGHT AND CULTURE PUBLISHES NEW ACADEMIC JOURNAL LATROBE, PA The Saint Vincent Center for Catholic Thought and Culture has announced the publication of its first academic journal, Conversatio: A Journal in the Tradition of Catholic, Benedictine, and Liberal Education. Inspired by the Benedictine Hallmark of conversatio, or the way of formation and transformation in community, the journal is dedicated to developing and continuing scholarly dialogue in...Continue reading

Exciting News!!! Dr. Jerome Foss received the Thorburn Excellence in Teaching Award. This award is the top teaching honor given to SVC professors. The award is determined by nominations from our alumni, 5-7 years out. Dr. Foss delivered a wonderful presentation expressing his appreciation. Watch the Founders Day Celebration: https://vimeo.com/641193802

A special thank you to Karen Puchalsky, C'87, for lecturing in Professor Bob Markley's Management Information Systems class. Karen is the Founder and CEO of Innovate E-Commerce a Managed Services provider specializing in management of critical business information. Her firm works with company leaders who have goals to increase efficiencies and reduce costs in their supply chain.

A special thank you to (L-R with Professor Robert Markley) McKenna School graduates: Allie (Alexandra) Gerstel, C'21; Kamlin Davis, C'21; and Lauren Zalich, C'21 of Attivo Consulting (SAP B1). On November 10, they presented a lecture on Attivo to Professor Robert Markley's classes.

The Game!!!! We are off to a good start. Dr. Godwin reported that Lindsey Stormer and Wade Rashilla, co-managers of FastTrack Footwear have made the Global 100 list two weeks in a row with rankings of: Tied for 44th best Overall performance with a score of 108.5 for the week ending October 17th Tied for 16th best Overall performance with a score of 109.5 for the week ending October 24th

McKenna School Football Party, October 16. We did not beat Grove City, but we had a great game and the Bearcats played well. A special picture of me with two of my first SVC economic graduates. From the class of 1983, (L-R) John Malone, Senior Vice President/Commercial Lending/Somerset Trust Company, GQ, and Dane Ficco, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Excela Health Medical Group. John went on to finish his MPA at GSPIA University of Pittsburgh and Dane finished his MBA at the Katz School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Dane also complete Executive MBA course at the Wharton School.

SAP Update from Professor Robert Markley: A wonderful presentation today by five alumni of the Saint Vincent College #SAPBusinessOne program who all work for Pioneer B1! Thank you Lauren Figurelli, Benjamin Grassi, Hannah Carey, Kaitlyn Hinds and Lucille Volna! Mark Boules Haley Cannada Jeremy Capella Cameron Cox Augustine Frohnen Matthew Furrer Ashlee Graham Nicolien Klooster Alexander Knox Isaac Little Alison Moret Evan Ray Jordan Sabol Georgeann Volna Kimberly Weinman Justin Wright

Pictured is McKenna School marketing major, Arika McCall, C'23 and super achiever--she will be graduating Fall 21. She is presently a Sales Coordinator Intern for Stanley Black & Decker’s Global Tools & Storage Division and specifically works in the Outdoor Tools Department for DEWALT. This summer she will be a Channel Marketing Intern for Stanley Black & Decker’s Global Tools & Storage Division! Arika is a Saint Benedict Hall Prefect, the Treasurer of Women in Business, and a Stanley Black & Decker Scholar at Saint Vincent College.

Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Daly, McKenna School Assistant Professor of Criminology at Saint Vincent College. She received the 2021 Quentin Schaut Faculty Award. Named in honor of Rev. Quentin Schaut, O.S.B., an English professor and the seventh president of Saint Vincent College, the award recognizes the contributions, leadership and achievement of a junior faculty member to the curriculum and life of the College. Dr. Daly’s broad areas of research include violence, gender,... and online communities. She has a number of journal articles currently in progress and under review on these topics as well as COVID-19 and attitudes about weapons. She has written seven book chapters, and she is the solo author of a forthcoming manuscript on involuntarily celibate men and the 2018 book Everyday School Violence, a handbook for educators to prevent and reduce violence in schools. Dr. Daly has also served as the editor for two volumes, Assessing and Averting Mass Violence and Theories of Crime through Popular Culture. In her five years at Saint Vincent College, she has applied for 11 grants and fellowships and shared her research at eight professional conferences and other presentations, including the American Society of Criminology, the Eastern Society of Sociology, the Western Society of Criminology, and the Criminology Consortium (CrimCon). Dr. Daly has also provided briefings for federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DOJ, and Southwestern PA Fusion Center, and she has testified before the PA House and Senate Education Committees about school violence. She has also offered insight to local new sources in the aftermath of mass violence, and she appeared as a guest on the podcast, Untenured Tracks, to discuss her research (https://tinyurl.com/yboorkht). She has chaired (or is currently chairing) seven graduate thesis students, and she is the co-founder and co-editor of the new Journal of Mass Violence Research (jmvr.org). She is also the host of the YouTube channel Crime and Culture Talks, and she is an active participant in the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Victimology. She is also on the Board of Directors of Alpha House, Inc., a substance use treatment facility in Pittsburgh, and a member of the Newsletter Editorial Board for Notre Dame Women Connect, an alumni organization. See more

The Game!!! Dr. Jeff Godwin reported: The last two weeks of the BSG simulation we’ve had two teams at 110 overall score. This has not happen before since I have been here (two teams at 110 in one week). These are: Team, Athletes Foot comprised of Sarah Alesantrino (Left) and Claire Crater (Right) made the Global Top 100 lists for: April 25, 2021 (BSG Year 17) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for the (1st) best Overall Score. (n=4504); Earnings Per Share of $35.29 was the 22nd... best EPS; Return on Average Equity of 61.8% was the 58th best ROE; Stock Price of $741.07 was the 40th best Stock Price performance. May 2, 2021 (BSG Year 18) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for the (1st) best Overall Score. (n=3126); Earnings Per Share of $36.47 was the 26th best EPS; Return on Average Equity of 54.7% was the 72nd best ROE; Stock Price of $919.22 was the 12th best Stock Price performance. Team, Duffy-Bash Inc. comprised of J.P. Duffy (Left) and Tom Bash (Right) made the Global top 100 list for: April 25, 2021 (BSG Year 17) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for the (1st) best Overall Score. (n=4504) May 2, 2021 (BSG Year 18) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for the (1st) best Overall Score. (n=3126)

The Game!!! Dr. Godwin reported that the Business Strategy Game is in year 16. Two of our teams finished in the top 100 compared to 5,359 teams worldwide. The Duffy-Bash team was once again tied for #1 in the world. Team, Athletes Foot comprised of Sarah Alesantrino (left) and Claire Crater (right): April 18, 2021 (BSG Year 16) Overall Score of 109.5 tied for the 44th best Overall Score. (n=5359) Earnings Per Share of $27.84 was the 65th best EPS. Return on Average Equ...ity of 59.7% was the 83rd best ROE. Team, Duffy-Bash Inc. comprised of J.P. Duffy (left) and Tom Bash (right): April 18, 2021 (BSG Year 16) Overall Score of 110.0 tied for the (1st) best Overall Score. (n=5359)

https://lawliberty.org//rawls-religion-and-judicial-polit/ A new publication by Dr. Jerome Foss, associate professor of politics, which serves as a refresher on Rawls for the 50 anniversary of "A Theory of Justice."

Dr. Mike Urick just released his second book entitled A Manager’s Guide to Using the Force: Leadership Lessons from a Galaxy Far Far Away through Emerald Publishing. The book details best practices in leadership by examining the influence techniques of the Jedi from the popular Star Wars franchise. Since its release, the book took the #1 New Release spot in Business Management on Amazon. It also is currently in the Top 20 Human Resources books on Amazon.

Earlier this week Women in Business hosted Backpacks to Briefcases which was the first part of their virtual professional development series. The three remaining sessions will be partnered with the Career Center in which they will be presenting on Resume building, LinkedIn profiles, and Networking. Three alumni joined during the Backpacks to Briefcases session to talk about their professional journeys thus far. Amanda Cecconi, Natalie Kunkel, and Shannon Tantlinger spoke on ...how thier careers developed upon graduating from the McKenna School at Saint Vincent College. They offered tips on how they found their job and what guided them in choosing the career path that was right for them. Thank you, Amanda, Natalie, and Shannon! Lucille Volna Saint Vincent College 2021 President of Women In Business

Dr. Bradley Watson, McKenna School Politics Professor is a Finalist! Great book! ISI has announced six finalists for the prestigious Conservative Book of the Year award: Christopher Caldwell, The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties (Simon & Schuster)... Ross Douthat, The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success (Avid Reader Press) Rod Dreher, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents (Sentinel) Yuval Levin, A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream (Basic Books) Robert R. Reilly, America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding (Ignatius Press) Bradley C. S. Watson, Progressivism: The Strange History of a Radical Idea (University of Notre Dame Press) See more

Business Policy and Strategy Game (Worldwide University Competition) for fall 2020: One of our best competitive achievements ever! Dr. Jeff Godwin reported that we had four teams make it into the Global 100: "Basics," comprised of Laruen Zalich and Doug Koza (bottom left picture) on Sept 13; "Birkenstock," comprised of Madison Reeping and Kevin Martin (top picture), who tied for our best performance ever by placing in the Global 100 nine out of a possible ten times; "Fury Footwear Co." comprised of (R-L) Robert Borbonus and Patrick Counihan (middle bottom picture), who place in the Global 100 five times in a row; and "Fresh Foot," comprised of (L-R) Alona Sleith and Lucy Volna (bottom right), who made the list on the last competition date of November 15, 2020. Congratulations to our McKenna seniors for and outstanding performance!

Dr. Sarah Daly's popular culture book is coming out soon (electronic version this month and hard copy in January). She also started her own YouTube channel. It’s called Culture and Crime Talks. She interviews criminologists from across the country and some other folks about portrayals of crime in television, movies, and more. The first episode starts tomorrow (and she will have new interviews each week), but she allowed us a sneak peek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJtqq...qnJtQ4&t=2s. Next week’s episode features a professor from MSU talking about cybercrime and the movie Hackers, and the following week is an interview with a retired US Secret Service agent talking about the movie Olympus Has Fallen. Enjoy the video!!! Dr. Sarah Daly is a McKenna School professor with the Criminology, Law, and Society department at Saint Vincent College. See more

Nice review of book by Dr. Jerome Foss. : https://voegelinview.com/hillbilly-thomism-and-the-history/

McKenna School graduate, Zachary Good, C'18, was the featured lecturer in Professor Bob Markley's MIS class this week. Zach is presently working for Navigator (SAP B1) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Zach is also presently seeking a masters degree in our nationally ranked MS in Management: Operational Excellence program. Thanks Zach and welcome back to SVC!