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The Gavel Strikes 20

The Gavel Strikes 20

2023 marks the 20th year of law firm Steptoe & Johnson’s participation in the FAFE (Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination) graduate program’s Moot Court exercise. This capstone experience puts students’ skills to the test by having them investigate mock cases based on real-world financial crimes, culminating in a trial where they must testify as to their findings.  

Every trial needs a judge, however, and that’s where Steptoe & Johnson comes in. Their attorneys supervise the depositions and assess the quality of the investigative work, giving FAFE students experience – and professional feedback – they can apply in their careers. 

This longtime collaboration testifies to one thing alone: the strength of the Chambers College’s bonds with its corporate partners. 

Steptoe & Johnson logo

“Steptoe & Johnson’s 20 years of participation have been invaluable and are a point of pride for WVU’s FAFE programs,” said Accounting department chair Dick Riley

“Because of this partnership and the Chambers College’s emphasis on experiential learning, our FAFE and MS-FFE students not only have the skills – they can do the work.” 

The Future is Innovative Females

In an effort to reach innovative and entrepreneurial females throughout the state, the WVU Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab hosted its Second Annual Women Innovate Pitch Competition. Ten women entered the virtual competition in October in hopes of winning prizes up to $5,000 to turn their idea into a reality. The contestants had to consider every aspect of their pitch – everything from production to advertising – and field questions from the all-female panel of judges. First place went to Anna Cummings, a business management major and entrepreneurship minor from Ashburn, Virginia, whose pitch identified an unaddressed need for a device to help earring-wearers attach their earring backtracks. “The Women Innovate Pitch Competition is an important opportunity for women entrepreneurs,” said Carrie White, executive director of the Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab. “The LaunchLab is here to provide support to all student innovators. However, historically we have seen fewer female clients as compared to male. This event is designed to level that field. The first year we held it, we saw our female entrepreneurs increase by 20 percent. We want to provide encouragement to all WVU students who wish to create something new!” 

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From West Virginia to Japan

A May 2023 graduate in finance and economics earned a highly competitive U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to travel abroad to learn a new language and immerse into cultural experiences. 

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Supply Change

Bernie Quiroga, associate professor of supply chain management and program coordinator of global supply chain management, coauthored a paper that analyzes the effectiveness of urgent care for stroke victims. The paper, published in the Journal of Operations Management, uses supply chain methodology to determine best practices for patient care. 

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Brant Hammer Appointed Fred T. Tattersall Excellence in Financial Industry Chair

Brant Hammer, teaching assistant professor in the Finance department, has been appointed as the Fred T. Tattersall Excellence in Financial Industry Chair.

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Tipping Points

Here’s a tip for New York City taxi drivers seeking bigger tips: Pick up tourists. Adam Nowak, associate professor of economics, and Amir B. Ferreira Neto, ’19, PhD Economics, studied data on yellow taxis in the Big Apple to see if tourists tipped more than locals. They do. Furthermore, theatergoers tip more than non-theatergoers, based on their findings that zeroed-in on drop-offs and pickups near Broadway. These differences between tourists and locals may affect the allocation of taxis throughout the city, conclude Nowak, Neto and Amanda Ross, of the University of Alabama.

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