Faculty of Business Administration - University of New Brunswick

Adam Martin, a 2005 graduate of UNB Fredericton’s BBA program has been accepted into Canada’s high-profile Accelerated Economist Training Program. One of 14 students chosen out of 700 applicants from across Canada, Adam is just completing an MA in Economics at UNB.

The AETP is geared towards high caliber students pursuing Masters Studies in economics or public policy, providing them with the opportunity to work with Canada’s top decision-makers on social, economic and international policy agendas. The two year program includes four six-month assignments in government departments that have economic and public policy sector responsibilities. Three placements are with the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Department of Finance, and the Privy Council Office. The fourth placement is chosen from a list of line departments. All assignments are located in the National Capital Region.

Martin applied for this program to gain a broad experience within public policy in Canada. “I realized that this was truly an exceptional and unique opportunity,” said Martin, “I have always been interested in how policies are created, how they are implemented, and who they will affect. So it seemed to make sense that I should have some part in this process.”

Seventy candidates participated in a two-day interview process in Ottawa last January. During the first day, candidates wrote a two-hour exam. The second day consisted of a face-to-face interview with a panel of five interviewers. The 14 successful candidates were notified of their acceptance in May. Martin starts his new position with the AETP on June 26.

Originally from Bathurst, NB, Martin graduated from UNB Fredericton in May 2005 with First Class Honours in Finance-Economics and a Co-op designation. As a BBA student he held a position of leadership in the Peer Mentor Program and received a variety of scholarships and bursaries for his academic achievements. “I value my experience in the Faculty of Business Administration’s Co-op Program and the three years that I spent with the Peer Mentor Program,” said Martin, “My advice to anyone in university is to get involved.”

Posted at 10:35 AM

The world’s central banks, investment institutions, commercial banks, government offices, corporations and news organizations use it.

With the recent acquisition of the Bloomberg Professional terminal, students taking courses through the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton’s faculty of business administration’s Centre for Financial Studies (CFS) will also benefit from using the world leader in financial information systems.

UNBF is the first university in the Atlantic Canada to acquire the company’s most sophisticated financial database.
Professor Glenn Cleland, the CFS director, joined a group of students from the Student Investment Fund (SIF) program in the TSX Group Boardroom to preview the functionality of the world’s premiere financial database.
The SIF program allows students to invest real money in the capital markets. Founded in 1998 by a partnership between the faculty of business administration and the New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation (NBIMC) - which sponsored the initial $1-million investment - students have grown the fund to approximately $2 million through stock selection. NBIMC has allowed SIF students access to one of their several Bloomberg terminals to conduct research.

Prof. Cleland relishes the opportunity to have his students Bloomberg Equity certified as evidence of their competence on one of the many facets of the system. “Without question, Bloomberg certification enhances investment students’ career preparedness,” he said. “The Student Investment Fund program is all about complementing theory with practical application. In addition to their already rigorous program requirements, SIF students will be required to complete 18 modules over two academic terms to obtain Bloomberg Equity certification.”

The tools the students use throughout the program prepare them well to take on the challenges of the knowledge-intensive industry.

“SIF students are known to be job ready,” said Prof. Cleland. “Our latest acquisition ensures that we offer an unparalleled opportunity within a university setting to learn the definitive tool for the investment industry.”
Pete Syroid is a former SIF student whose career path has led him to his current position as an oil and gas portfolio manager at NBIMC.

“Bloomberg is the staple for the investment industry,” he said. “In the industry, it is not a question of if, but when, you will use it.”

The opportunity to become Bloomberg certified as part of the SIF’s experiential learning investment program offers participating students and employers who hire them, considerable advantages. Students are equipped with the skills they need to be employable. Employers have to spend less to train new entrants on the quintessential tool in the investment industry.

The Bloomberg terminal is about more than just data. An intrinsic feature of the Bloomberg Professional service is its analytic ability, helping users understand the markets by means of real-time tools. The Bloomberg Professional is the most comprehensive, timely and accurate financial database available. It integrates data, news, analytics, multimedia reports and e-mail onto a single platform used by market professionals around the world.
Prof. Cleland lauded UNB’s Forging Our Futures fundraising campaign which provided the financial support to the CFS to make the Bloomberg purchase a reality.

“Without the generosity of RBC Foundation, Phillips Hager and North Investment Management and the TSX Group, there would be no Bloomberg,” he said. “Their commitment to first-class investment education has positioned the Student Investment Fund program to make this giant leap forward with the expectation of continued advancements in financial research as a result.”

The next initiative developed by the Centre for Financial Studies is the futures Atlantic Symposium which is being held Sept. 14 to 15 at UNBF. The centre has partnered with TD Securities and the Montreal Exchange bringing together business students from universities in the Atlantic region for recruitment opportunities in the national financial industry, keynote presentations and financial education, and financial services exhibit booths.

Posted at 1:59 PM

The rain clouds looming over college hill did not dampen the smiles of business administration graduates at UNB Fredericton. Graduates, family members, faculty and staff celebrated UNB’s 177th Encaenia on May 17 with a reception and awards ceremony. In addition to celebrating graduates’ completion of the MBA and BBA degree programs, they saluted top achieving business students who received Encaenia prizes. Dean Coleman bid farewell to 24 graduating MBA students and 246 BBA students. The BBA class of 2006 included 75 Honours designations, 128 Concentrations and 15 Co-op designations. Also included in the BBA class, were 41 students who completed the degree through the Faculty’s partnership with RBTT ROYTEC in Trinidad and Tobago, and four students who completed the degree through the partnership with SAMS in Egypt.

During the Awards Ceremony, the following business administration graduates received prizes for their academic achievements:

MBA Encaenia Prizes

E.D. Maher Graduate Student Prize - Vishaal Baulkaran received the E.D. Maher Graduate Student Prize in Administration; this prize is awarded to the graduating MBA student with the highest CPA.

Merrithew-de Grandpré Prize in Entrepreneurship - Jeffrey Barrett, Kara Hachey, Baboloki Kgomotso and Sarah Prosser shared the Merrithew-de Grandpré Prize in Entrepreneurship. This prize of $1,000 is awarded to the group of students who prepare the outstanding business plan in MBA6314 New Venture Creation and Entrepreneurship.

MBA Society Graduation Award – The MBA Society Graduation Awards are presented by the MBA Society to the graduating students with the top three highest marks. Vishaal Baulkaran received the 1st place award, valued at $1,500; Marie Aliaga received the 2nd place award, valued at $1,000; and Feng Feng received the 3rd place award, valued at $500.

BBA Encaenia Prizes

Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick Silver Medal – Feiber Omana Silva is the recipient of the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick Silver medal. This medal is awarded to the most outstanding graduating student, based primarily on performance in the last half of the program.

Faculty of Business Administration Award – Courtney Griffin received the Faculty of Business Administration Award of $300, awarded to the graduating student with the second highest cumulative GPA.

Faculty of Business Administration Award – Xiao Yu received the Faculty of Business Administration Award of $200 for achieving the third highest cumulative GPA in the graduating class.

Business Administration Society Outstanding Student Award – Victoria Garrett is the recipient of the Business Administration Society Outstand Student Award, presented to an outstanding fourth-year BBA student, as selected by the Business Society.

Merrithew-de Grandpré Undergraduate Prize in Entrepreneurship – Paul Crosby, Kendra Haines, Hailey Matthews and Kathryn McFarland shared the Merrithew-de Grandpré Undergraduate Prize in Entrepreneurship. This prize of $500 is awarded to the group of students who prepare the outstanding business plan in ADM4175 Studies in Small Business.

Arun Datta Prize – Liqin Lu received the Arun Datta Prize. This prize is awarded on the recommendation of the Department of Economics to a student who achieves high standing in the International Economics: Trade.

Posted at 1:15 PM

Kara Hachey, a student at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, is the winner of the inaugural Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 Scholarship. This scholarship program was established this past year as part of Atlantic Business Magazine’s annual Top 50 CEO event. In addition to receiving a $5,000 scholarship, Hachey will receive a year-long mentorship with four of the Top 50 CEO award winners: Steven Burns of Bulletproof Solutions, Eleanor Humphries of Halifax International Airport Authority, Ken LeBlanc of PropertyGuys.com and Colin MacDonald of Clearwater Seafood Limited Partnership.

The mentorship provided by these top CEOs will be of exceptional value to Hachey, a soon-to-be graduate of the Faculty of Business Administration’s MBA program, as she is in the midst of launching her own business, Go Go Gymnastics. Last March, Hachey won $20,000 to go towards the start-up of this venture in the student category of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation business plan competition.

The Atlantic Canada Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEO Scholarship is offered to students throughout Atlantic Canada who are studying business or management studies at the graduate level. To enter, students had to submit their grades, résumé, a summary of their community involvement and an essay about what they believe makes a smart business leader. The scholarship was awarded to Hachey on May 11 at the Atlantic Business Magazine’s 8th annual Top 50 CEO award ceremony and dinner, which took place at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax, NS.

Posted at 10:36 AM

Dr. Donglei Du has just been named a recipient of the 2005-2006 University of New Brunswick Merit Award. This honour is awarded annually by UNB to recognize and encourage individuals who make outstanding contributions in the course of their work for the university. It is awarded to members of the faculty who have demonstrated exceptional research, scholarly or creative accomplishments that have resulted in the publication of articles and/or books, and have created for them a national or international reputation as an expert in their field. It is also awarded to faculty who make exceptional contributions to the dissemination of knowledge in their fields through the art of teaching, demonstrated by their significant innovations in teaching methods and publication of articles or books that advance effective teaching.

Dr. Du is an Associate Professor in the quantitative methods area. Before joining the Faculty of Business Administration in 2003, he held a position at the Institute of Applied Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In his citation Dr. Daniel Coleman, Dean of Faculty, noted that Dr. Du “has developed an impressive record of research and creative output. His research has appeared in prestigious international journals and other scholarly outlets in his field of study.” In addition to experiencing “significant success in securing funding support for his research endeavors, an indication of the high regard held by his peers,” Dr. Du has also established “strong teaching credentials and engaged in extensive course development”, experimenting with different delivery methods, and developing new teaching materials.

Dr. Du’s main research interests are in combinatorial optimization, online and approximation algorithm (especially on network flows and telecommunication), production and machine scheduling, and supply chain and revenue management. “Given his contributions to research, scholarly or creative activity, his roles in the dissemination of knowledge and program development,” said Dean Coleman, “Donglei Du is a highly deserving recipient of UNB’s Merit Award.”

Recent recipients of the Merit Award in the Faculty of Business Administration are as follows:
• 2004-2005 E. Stephen Grant
• 2003-2004 Robert (Bob) Maher
• 2002-2003 Muhammad Rashid
• 2001-2002 Santosh Kabadi and Barbara Trenholm
• 2000-2001 Devashis Mitra
• 1999-2000 Abdur Rahim

Posted at 10:57 AM