Faculty News

Faculty Newswire:

Business professor to receive U’s top teaching honor

Professor Abe Bakhsheshy, known affectionately by students and colleagues as Dr. Abe, has been selected to receive the University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award for 2009. Bakhsheshy is a professor/lecturer in the Department of Management in the David Eccles School of Business. The award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate outstanding teaching, innovative pedagogy, and concern for students... (read more)

U professor recognized for contributions in and out of the classroom

Professor Scott Schaefer has been awarded the David Eccles School of Business Brady Superior Award for 2009. The Brady award is an annual award that recognizes one faculty member of the business school who demonstrates outstanding teaching and dedication to students in and out of the classroom. Established in 1992 by Rodney H. Brady, the award honors the faculty members who taught Dr. Brady when he attended the University of Utah in the 1950’s.(read more)

U professor recognized for impacting the lives of students

Business professor, Dr. Randy Boyle was selected as the recipient of the fifth - annual Excellence in Education Award. The award is sponsored by the Salt Lake University Institute of Religion and is given by University of Utah students enrolled in institute classes. The award recognizes a University of Utah professor who has had an impact on the lives of students and demonstrates exceptional teaching skills. (read more)

The David Eccles School of Business is Named One of the Princeton Review's Top 15 Business Schools Nationwide for Operations Management

This is the first time the David Eccles School of Business has been named in the Princeton Review ranking for Operations. The department chair for Operations and Information Systems, Don Wardell said, “The ranking is a result of the School’s faculty translating strong, cutting-edge research into a dynamic classroom experience for our MBA students.” (read more)

Utah's finance experts rank 20th in the world

The finance department in the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business has been ranked No. 20 in the world for its faculty research from 2003 through 2007. The Finance Management Association and Arizona State University annually evaluate finance departments in colleges and universities worldwide... (read more)

Research News:

Timing of earnings announcements not intended to dupe investors

It’s been long established that firms tend to announce bad news after the market closes or at the end of the week. But according to a study recently published in The Accounting Review, the reasons behind the timing of those announcements aren’t as devious as previously assumed. Rather than trying to hide unflattering news by releasing it at a time when investors and the media might not be paying attention, University of Utah researcher Matthew Magilke says firm managers have several valid reasons for waiting (read more)

Company’s stock performance tied to campaign contributions

Research findings of University of Utah professor, Michael Cooper have been conditionally accepted by the Journal of Finance. His paper, ”Corporate Political Contributions and Stock Returns,” coauthored by Huseyin Gulen and Alexei V. Ovtchinnikov, assistant professors of finance at Virginia Tech, suggests a company’s congressional campaign contributions are tied to the performance of that company’s stock. (read more)

Are all CEOs above average? "Lake Wobegon Effect" may drive up CEO pay, find University of Utah researchers

If a firm hires a hires a CEO with poor labor-market options, it could pay a low salary; say, $1 million a year, says Schaefer. Investors then might conclude the CEO isn't great and downgrade the firm's stock. If the firm decides to pay its bargain-basement CEO as if he were a superstar, investors might conclude he is a superstar and share prices might jump. If stock prices increase more than the CEO's salary, then this could be a good move for the firm. (read more)

The “Other” January Effect: first month predicts the financial year ahead

"In 'The Other January Effect,' a paper published in the Journal of Financial Economics, Cooper and co-authors John McConnell and Alexei Ovtchinnikov (of Purdue University and Vanderbilt University, respectively) use New York Stock Exchange data dating back to 1825 to demonstrate a convincing correlation between January returns and the market’s success or failure during the remainder of the year." (read more)

U.S. bankruptcy process works, weeds out weak, finds University of Utah Study

“We found that the bankruptcy system is largely successful at helping fundamentally strong companies recover from financial problems, while dismantling weaker companies whose troubles are more severe,” says Elizabeth Tashjian. The study reviews data from 530 companies that entered bankruptcy between 1991 and 2004... (read more)

Accounting professor Bob Allen receives national recognition for research

Allen's award-winning work explores academic literature to gain insight into the process of risk assessment in financial audits. The study's conclusions were framed around a project of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). (read more)

University of Utah professor puts timeless adage "Ignorance is Bliss" to the test

The study involved an examination into the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction that people experienced as a direct result of a consumer-based decision. The variable involved in the study was the amount of information provided to the person prior to making the decision. (read more)

Professor's research conclusions go before Congress

Professor Christine Botosan's research reached D.C in October when her collaborator Teri Yohn testified before Congress against an important proposed policy change. Their work responds to the efforts of the SEC to implement international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and discard procedures that reconcile differences between IFRS and US GAAP.(read more)

In the News:

Business ethics down the drain? Some say AIG bonus fiasco proves it
"'What we need to learn from this is that managers need to be not just clever. That is to say, they don't just need technical skills, but they need to be wise. They have to have good judgment,' said Harris Sondak, professor of management at the David Eccles School of Business." - KSL TV

More families are struggling as the economic divide widens
For more than three decades now, the middle class has not fared well, at least compared to the groups that book-end it, says University of Utah economist and finance professor Scott Schaefer. The country's been heading toward "haves" and "have-nots" for some time, and those in the shrinking middle know it. So do public officials. - Salt Lake Tribune

U professor honored for rescuing a police officer
"When Karl Lins isn't teaching finance at the University of Utah, the professor likes to go for bike rides in the Avenues. In this story, he was not only in the right place at the right time, but he did the right thing as well." - KSL

Falling gas prices provide bright spot in recent economic news
" 'I think people are going to be much more cautious about spending money. People have already seen the value of their houses fall. Now they've seen the value of their 401(k)s fall,' Schaefer said." - KSL

Visit the David Eccles School of Business News Center for more news

Archives:

U of U professor examines market effects of shorting

University of Utah professors share accounting expertise with the SEC

Utah professor makes major contribution to study on political campaign donations

Business professor honored by the state and university for service to the community

Business professor receives distinguished teaching award from the university

Professor Lemmon examines backdating options