Collins College of Business Magazine

4 T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T U L S A B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E — Martin Lebrun and Hannah Becker — have followed successful career paths in the industry. Finally, I would like to welcome Paula Kuykendall as incoming chair of our Executive Advisory Board, as well as thank Brad Stoots for his outstanding leadership during the past two years. On behalf of the Collins College of Business, I extend my gratitude to Paula and Brad for their time, leadership and vision in our collective effort to provide an excep - tional business education for our students. I look forward to another successful year for the Collins College of Business. Sincerely, A. Gale Sullenberger Dean, Collins College of Business As the Collins College of Business welcomes new and returning students to campus this fall, things will look a little different around Helmerich Hall. We lost a dear friend and colleague in Professor Richard Gebhart, who passed away on May 30 following an illness that began in late February as he attended a Cattleman's Association meeting in Colorado. An outstanding military professional, faculty member and advocate for the cattle industry, Richard left an incredible legacy, and his presence will certainly be missed by all who had the good fortune to know him. Professors Art Rasher and Steve Platner both retired this year after successful careers serving industry and academia. I will miss the enthusiasm they brought to the classroom and to their respec - tive departments and we wish them all the best as they each pursue new adventures. We are pleased to welcome several new faces to the college — and a few familiar ones to new roles in the college. In addition, we have added a minor in innovation and entrepreneurship and a minor in sport management as a complement to our management degree. These programs will expand opportunities for our students and allow them to gain experience in different areas of business. You can read more about these changes in the feature, "For the Record," starting on Page 19. I'm also proud to share that for the third time since our undergraduate energy management program was established in 2007, a TU student has been named the American Association for Professional Landmen (AAPL) Outstanding Senior. Bryce Cason's passion and dedication to pursuing an energy business education earned him the prestigious distinction. And TU's previous honorees Message from the Dean Sincerely, Paula Kuykendall (BSBA '86) Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer Hilton Hotels Worldwide Chair, Collins College of Business Executive Advisory Board Letter from the Chair I am excited to begin my tenure as chair of the Collins College of Business Executive Advisory Board. I would like to thank our outgoing chair, Brad Stoots (BS '81), for his outstanding leader- ship during the past two years. Brad has been a constant advocate for The University of Tulsa and the College of Business and I'm honored to follow him in this role. We have an incredible level of talent on our board. Each execu- tive lends unique insight that helps shape the college's programs to ensure students graduate with the knowledge and skills employers value most. Through a collaborate effort among the board, faculty, alumni and donors, TU has positioned the college as one of the top business schools in the nation; and the caliber of students we attract has risen as a result. I am privileged to work alongside these indi - viduals and look forward to what the future holds as the college's forward momentum continues. Speaking of momentum, the progress that's taken place in our city's center — and in TU's own neighborhood — during the last 10 years is astounding. These efforts would not have been successful without the passion and drive of visionaries who dared to imagine what could be, and we are proud to count a number of our alumni among that group. I hope you will enjoy reading more about the revitalization efforts in "Transforming Tulsa" (p. 7). The individuals profiled in this feature have played a significant role in helping to reshape the landscape of downtown Tulsa and the Kendall Whittier community. Congratulations to our accounting programs for earning spots on Accounting.com's Best Bachelor's in Accounting (No. 40) and Best Master's in Accounting (No. 41) lists. As an accounting alumna, it's confirmation that the education our accounting students receive is among the best in the country. We have lots of new beginnings at TU and I am looking forward to each and every one of them.

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