Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

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Friday, February 28, 2014

Dr. Larry Walther Awarded Federation of Schools of Accountancy (FSA)/Joseph A. Silvoso Faculty Merit Award


Dr. Larry Walther
In February Dr. Larry Walther, department head for the School of Accountancy, was awarded the Federation of Schools of Accountancy (FSA)/Joseph A. Silvoso Faculty Merit Award for 2013.

“I have the greatest respect for all of the past award recipients and am truly honored to receive this award,” Dr. Walther said. “I am humbled and moved that my colleagues across the country have bestowed this recognition.”

The intent of the award is to recognize and reward an outstanding faculty member, teaching in a post-baccalaureate program offered by a member school of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy. FSA promotes and supports accredited graduate programs in accounting to achieve and maintain public trust in the accounting profession.

“Larry is one of our treasures, and I simply could not be more proud of all he has done for the Huntsman School and for our students,” said Dean Douglas D. Anderson.

Dr. Walther's leadership in the profession for accounting education is known throughout the industry. 

Dr. Walther was presented with a plaque commemorating his service to the Federation of Schools of Accountancy and a stipend for $2,500. This award is funded annually by a contribution from the KPMG Foundation.

The honor was announced at the recent Accounting Program Leadership Group/Federation of Schools of Accountancy joint conference in San Antonio.

Dr. Walther’s professional experience includes having owned an outdoor advertising company and served as a director and/or consultant to various public and non-public companies. He has authored numerous accounting textbooks and articles and has been published in many major professional and accounting journals. He currently dedicates much of his time to his website: www.principlesofaccounting.com/, which is a free online textbook that has received extensive global use. As a professor, Dr. Walther focuses on rigor and excellence in his teaching.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

USU Study Details How U.S. House Politicians Have Changed the Rules for Their Own Political Gain


Dr. Diana Thomas
By Steve Eaton

A USU professor says the committee system in Congress has evolved over the years, shaped by individual “political entrepreneurs” who realized they were going to have to change the rules to push their own pet projects and policy changes through the system.

Public Choice, a top academic journal, has recognized Diana Thomas, an assistant professor of economics at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, with a “best paper” award. Her study of the evolution of the House committee system found major rule or policy changes that impact all of Congress were sparked by individual politicians she calls “political entrepreneurs” who were seeking out their own best interests or those of their special interest constituents.

The first congress had no standing committees making it very difficult for anyone to get legislation passed, Dr. Thomas said.

“What we are showing in this paper is that the rules that govern committees in Congress have changed over time to make it easier for individual politicians to seek legislation that would benefit their constituents,” she said. “Whenever they encountered road blocks, they would just change the rules of the political game and that has had a long-term impact on the way things work in Washington, D.C. For example, these rule changes have made it easier for politicians to trade votes and for lobbyists and special interest groups to influence legislation made in the nation’s capital.”

Dr. Thomas was notified recently that she and her co-author Dr. Adam Martin won the Gordon Tullock Prize for the best paper published by younger scholars in 2013. The paper, was called, “Two-tiered Political Entrepreneurship and the Congressional Committee System.” She and Dr. Martin will receive a $1,000 honorarium paid for by the publisher of Public Choice, Springer.

Gordon Tullock, who is a retired professor of law and economics from George Mason University School of Law, was one of the first academics to look at political actors as individuals motivated by their own self-interest, much like economists do when they analyze individual behavior in markets. Until 1962 most of the thinking in political science was focused on parties and organizations and how they behaved as groups, she said.

Tyler Bowles, the head of the Department of Economics and Finance, said this is a prestigious award that recognizes Dr. Thomas’s “thorough, in-depth research.”

“Dr. Thomas is a great example of the kind of quality research our professors are doing and this award indicates that the outside academic world is noticing what’s going on here at the Huntsman School,” he said. “The Gordon Tullock Prize is a wonderful accomplishment for Dr. Thomas and we are proud of her contributions to the school and our students.”

Monday, February 24, 2014

Why am I smiling and muttering to myself?



By Ken Snyder


There is structural steel above ground.

When you say that does it make you feel as good as it does me? I probably watch the progress of Huntsman Hall closer than any of you, but have you seen what’s been going on this week? The framework, the structural steel for Huntsman Hall is rising up from behind the construction fences.
It is a wonderful sight. 

There is structural steel above ground. 

Huntsman Hall is rising up.
Soon it will become less and less necessary to imagine what Huntsman Hall is going to look like because it will be taking shape right before our eyes. Okay, I may be getting ahead of myself here but … have you noticed, there is structural steel above the ground?

There is. It’s a wonderful thing.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

A True Huntsman Experience


By Steve Mortenson, 2013-14 Business Senator 
Steve Mortenson
When I realize that my time at the Huntsman School is coming to an end, I am hit with a rush of conflicting emotions. Sure, I am a little sad to be leaving Logan, but I am very excited to enter the real world, and when it comes down to it, I feel quite prepared.

This feeling of preparedness is thanks to countless professors, advisors, deans and other staff members who have donated time out of their busy lives to benefit my education. My professors have done more than just prepare lectures. They have spent time in their offices with me, emailed back and forth at all hours of the day and helped me understand my potential and dreams. Dave Patel, assistant dean of students and external affairs, has taken valuable time to teach me lessons of leadership and how to motivate others to find their dreams. My academic advisors have surpassed expectations by really getting to know me. Every time I meet with them, it is like catching up with an old friend.

The Huntsman School also has many programs that have helped prepare me for my future. I have been on several career exploration trips that have helped me clarify my goals and understand the different options available in my field of study. I have also been involved with the business council, which is a group of very passionate students willing to serve. The council has worked hard to help students find their niches and get involved around the school.

The Huntsman School has also given me numerous opportunities to go beyond the classroom. This semester I am part of a group that has been tasked to help Pepperidge Farms remove waste from their production lines at their facility in Richmond, Utah. In my sales class I have had the opportunity to shadow a sales professional and reflect on their tactics of selling. This model of real world experience holds true for most of my classes, especially thoseI have taken my senior year.

I cannot think of a better place to have completed my undergraduate education. The opportunities I have had while studying at Utah State are second to none. I am so grateful for all of the hard-working individuals who have made my experience a true Huntsman Experience.