Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Honors, awards and other recognition for our faculty members, students and their work.
Finance Club names favorite professor at the 2024 awards banquet
David Kaiser, lecturer and director of the Chadwick Banking Program, was named Favorite Professor by the Finance Club during their annual awards banquet in April.
"It is an honor to work with this great group of students and I am so very appreciative of this recognition," Kaiser said.
Dr. Ryan Phelps named a 2024 Service Excellence Award recipient
Dr. Ryan Phelps has played an integral role in services at the university and community levels. Along with raising external funds of more than $100,000 for various scholar programs, awards and reading groups, he has initiated student engagement programs, created study abroad opportunities and served as a board member for the Regional East Texas Health Network in Nacogdoches, among many other initiatives.
The Service Excellence Award recognizes the voluntary activities performed by the faculty members who, usually behind the scenes, help the institution function as a first-rate post-secondary institution.
2023 Undergraduate Research Conference
Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:
Finalists
- Salma Ben-Salah
"What Are The Leading Causes of Death in Texas in 2021?"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Rebecca Davis - Elena Bleicher, Jennifer Loredo and Valerie Routzong
"Leading Causes of Death in Texas for 2021"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Rebecca Davis - Sera Do
"What Determines Grades for K-12 Students?"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Beverly Mendoza - Ngoc Hoang
"A Comparison of Investing Strategies for Individual Investors"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Emiliano Giudici
Dr. Emiliano Giudici received the 2022 Faculty Mentor of the Year award
Finance Club names favorite professor
Dr. Emiliano Giudici, professor of finance, was named Favorite Professor by the Finance Club. “Personally, this is a particularly meaningful award because it is driven by our students,” Giudici said. This is his third time to receive the award.
2022 Undergraduate Research Conference
Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:
Top Scholar
- Linh Le
"Factors That Impact the Net Expense Ratio of ETFs"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Emiliano Giudici
Dr. Emiliano Giudici received the 2022 Faculty Mentor of the Year award
"Many undergraduates perceive research as something that’s overwhelming and beyond their reach. As a mentor, my primary goal is to help them discover if research is something they could enjoy by helping them see past those perceived barriers. My secondary goal is to use the research project as a tool to help them develop confidence in their independent learning skills. The third objective is to help them produce research of publishable quality. In this process, the role of a mentor can be impactful, particularly for first-time researchers.
"Most of the pivotal moments in my life were influenced by my mentors. As a teenager, a family friend and mentor, a former Italian Air Force officer, introduced me to his passion, aviation. After a short flight in an SF-260, I applied to an aviation high school and was awarded a scholarship. Along with a diploma, I earned a private pilot’s license, which allowed me to join the Italian navy. I served as an officer. Later, with the help of another mentor, I was able to attend college in the United States where I earned my degrees.
"It is my hope that my mentoring of undergraduates goes well beyond the writing of research papers. I want them to become aware of their abilities, further develop their self-reliance, consider new possibilities for their careers and develop a curiosity that will motivate them to continue pursuing knowledge."
Dr. Rebecca Davis named AARC Bravo Award recipient
The Academic Assistance and Resource Center recently named Dr. Rebecca Davis of the Department of Economics and Finance an AARC Bravo Award recipient. The award acknowledges her outstanding support of the AARC Supplemental Instruction program. Her SI group had the highest attendance for any group in the program during the semester. Davis continually promotes the AARC in her lectures to encourage students' growth as learners.
2021 Undergraduate Research Conference
Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:
Top Scholar
- Rachel Rucker
"County Level Changes Alone Predicted Biden Win in Both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Ryan Phelps
2020 Undergraduate Research Conference
Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:
Top Scholar
- Karina Weathers
"Do Bilinguals Earn More in Texas?"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Rebecca Davis
Finalists
- Helena Collmorgen
"Sector Correlations and Rotational Investing"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Emiliano Giudici - Hannah Percell
"Using Power BI Reports to Support Stakeholder Relations for a Regional Non-Profit Mental Health Care Provider"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Ryan Phelps
2019 Undergraduate Research Conference
Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:
Top Scholar
- Kia Fisker
"European Labor Market Policies and Unemployment Rates"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Stephen Kosovich
Finalists
- John Bledsoe, Braxton Berthot, Ashley Spitzmiller, Joshua Hunter McClellan
"A Valuation of Trecora Resources"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Samuel Kyle Jones - Seraiah Scamardo
"The Influence of Political Ideology and Mass Shootings on Firearm Acquisition in the United States"
Faculty sponsors: Drs. Rebecca Davis and Stephen Kosovich - Miguel Silva
"An Investigation into the Factors Driving Oscar Nominations"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Ryan Phelps - Josephine Unger
"A Macroeconomic Approach for Modeling Road Traffic Fatality Rates"
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Ryan Phelps
Economics alumna visits campus as guest speaker
McKenna Maxwell '05 returned to campus in 2019 to meet with current students and impart career wisdom while touting the college’s impact on her education.
“I got a great education from SFA because of professors who are invested with their students and where they go from there,” Maxwell said. “They keep in contact with graduates after they leave, they’re always willing to help, and they gave me an education that is comparable or better than what I would’ve gotten anywhere else. Being able to count on a close, personal relationship with professors gives SFA students a leg up compared to some of the bigger schools in Texas.”
Dr. Mark Scanlan receives Bright Spots: Teaching award
The award, presented by the SFA Faculty Senate, the Center for Teaching and learning, and university vice presidents, recognizes faculty and staff members who have gone above and beyond to create positive learning experiences for students.
It was a group of SFA students who coined the term “Scanlanomics” in recognition of one of their favorite economics professors, Dr. Mark Scanlan. "Many students express that Mark is not only great at delivering difficult material and making it relatable, but also caring, understanding and accessible," said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, department chair. "Every semester, there are at least a handful of student comments on class evaluations declaring Mark to be the best professor, and that is no small feat for someone teaching economics."
Through an online prediction game, Fredcast, developed by the Federal Reserve Bank, students predict key economic variables. Scanlan designates a day each month for students to discuss their predictions and research, with the goal of making the material “meaningful, interesting and relevant for students.” He invites banking guest lecturers to visit his class and discuss different topics the students have learned in his money and banking course. Read more.
