This academic year, 20 students applied their coursework and skills to author papers under the mentorship of faculty members in the Department of Economics who guided them through the research and writing process. During the fall, students took the Senior Thesis Workshop led by Steve DeLoach, Martha and Spencer Love Professor and chair of the Department of Economics. They continued throughout the spring semester working one-on-one with individual faculty mentors as part of the ECO 499 Undergraduate Research experience.

When the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ’s shift to remote learning, the students and faculty adapted to the new conditions in order to meet their deadlines and milestones without sacrificing the integrity of the process.

DeLoach maintained consistent contact with the students, turning to Webex for regular check-ins and utilizing Moodle to provide a platform for anonymous peer review of papers. ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ continued their weekly meetings with their mentors through email and other online communications.

“From the beginning when classes first moved online, Dr. DeLoach has communicated with all of the seniors about the deadlines in place for our thesis and motivated us to continue putting in the work despite going remote,� said Marina Thornton ’20, an economics major with minors in biology, public health and policy studies. “He also worked with Stata to help students who didn’t have the software on their computer get a version to download for free in order to continue their research.�

While diligently working to revise and complete their final papers to submit to the Department of Economics in May, several students planned to present their work at Elon’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF). Since SURF did not happen on April 28 as planned, the economics department provided an online platform for students to share their work. Four seniors joined DeLoach’s Introduction to Econometrics class through videoconferencing to discuss their research. They talked about the motivation behind their chosen topics, literature studied, the data collection process, findings, and challenges encountered. The seniors also answered questions from faculty and students.

The student presentations were:

• “The Effect of New School Openings on Achievement in Pre-existing Schools: Evidence from Wake County, NCâ€�
  Jacob C. Stern ‘20 (mentor: Katy Rouse, associate professor of economics)
• “The Impact of Health Insurance and Health Shocks on Labor Supply Decisionsâ€�
  Marina N. Thornton ‘20 (mentor: Mark Kurt, associate professor of economics)
• “A Dam Problem: Investigating the Imact of Dams on Economic Developmentâ€�
  Bailee M. Castillo ‘20 (mentor: Tonmoy Islam, assistant professor of economics)
• “Contraceptive Access and Female Labor Supply: Evidence from Indonesiaâ€�
  Caitlin T. Wynn ‘20 (mentor: Steve DeLoach, professor of economics)

“It was a great opportunity for my econometrics students to see seniors present their theses,� DeLoach said. “Most of the students in class are junior economics majors and will be doing their own research as seniors next year. We heard a number of questions about how the seniors chose their topics, etc. I think it is powerful for students to see and hear how their peers apply the same skills and techniques we are covering in class to independent, real-world research.�

“Presenting my thesis on WebEx was much different than presenting in person at the Eastern Economic Association Conference in February, and it was not how I expected SURF Day to be,� Thornton remarked. “However, I really appreciated Dr. DeLoach’s effort at giving students who were supposed to present the opportunity to still do so virtually. Despite the circumstances, he has still found ways to highlight our experiences and allow us to have the best ending to this long research project given the circumstances.�

Other economics presentations originally scheduled for SURF:

• “The Effect of Concealed and Open Carry Laws on Crime Ratesâ€�
  Erin E. Byrne ’20 (mentor: Brooks Depro, assistant professor of economics)
• “Global Perspective: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Human Trafficking Reportingâ€�
  Colleen Judge ’20 (mentor: Casey DiRienzo, professor of economics)
• “The Effects of Parent Incarceration on Their Child’s Potential for Successâ€�
  Kelly Mahoney ’20 (mentor: Steven Bednar, associate professor of economics)
• “Endogenous Capital Concentration: An Examination of Inequality and Growthâ€�
  Francesco G. Storm ’20 (mentor: Brandon Sheridan, assistant professor of economics)
• “The Impact of High Impact Practices on Life After Graduationâ€�
  Danato Tempesta ’20 (mentor: Mark Kurt, associate professor of economics)

An economics, finance and marketing triple major from New Jersey, Judge is the third person to be featured in a series of Today at Elon profiles highlighting student innovation and entrepreneurship. Through simultaneously developing her business and working to complete her senior year, Judge has expanded her knowledge of human trafficking and its effects while raising money to support Polaris’ efforts in the fight against human trafficking.

She recently answered questions from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business about her venture, experiences and vision for Charms for Changes.

How did you become interested in entrepreneurship?

It was not until I attended the National Student Leadership Conference for Business and Entrepreneurship at Yale University in high school that I became interested in pursuing my own entrepreneurship venture one day. Enhancing my business acumen and knowledge at ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ along with my various internship experiences later provided me with the ambition and tools I needed to succeed. Not only am I a creative, driven and passionate person, but I also believe the best way to truly understand the “ins and outs” of a business is by starting your own.

What inspired you to develop Charms for Changes?

Since my junior year, I have worked closely with Dr. Casey DiRienzo to better understand the economic implications of human trafficking. After serving as her research assistant, I grew passionate – and ultimately quite frustrated – about the lack of awareness on ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ’s campus pertaining to this global issue and blatant crime affecting millions of men, women and children each year. While I later took on the challenge to research the effects of natural disasters on human trafficking worldwide for my economics senior thesis, I wanted to do more. Yes, I was furthering research on this growing black market industry. But, my work was not going to raise funds nor sufficiently push for the awareness this problem so desperately deserves. This is where Charms for Changes comes in.

What goals do you hope to accomplish in the future?

My ultimate goal is to raise as much awareness as I can about human trafficking. I hope when people use, wear or share one of my products, the Charms for Changes’ mission of spreading awareness is at the forefront of their mind.

Once you came up with the idea for Charms for Changes, how did you go about creating and launching your project?

Like swimming or driving a car, anyone can learn a skill as long as you consistently practice and put in 110 percent effort. In my opinion, jewelry making is very similar. After my first year at Elon, I interned at a jewelry start-up, Chavez for Charity, which gave me a glimpse of what the jewelry retail industry looked like. But, I learned primarily through research and, of course, trial and error. Once I had created a handful of products I was proud of, I thought to myself, “Now what?�

Thanks to the unwavering support of my friends and loved ones, I partnered with the . This is the student-run online store for student artists on campus. Consequently, I launched my brand on Instagram (). My brand name and logo would not be what it is without the help and long nights of brainstorming with my fellow Elon peers: Anna Gordon ‘20, Emily Epstein ‘21 and Meg Boericke ‘20.

A key factor for Charms for Changes’ success so far has been the support of the Elon community, including students, faculty and campus organizations.

How have your experiences at Elon prepared you for the work you’ve done so far?

I began making jewelry and planning my business in January 2020 while I was taking one course over January Term – Nature Awareness with Scott Morrison, associate professor of education. Especially as a triple major in finance, economics and marketing, this course was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I spent three hours a day, every day in an outdoor classroom, no matter what the weather was. And it was totally worth it. Professor Morrison pushed self reflection, critical thinking and challenged me to think creatively.

By the end, a strong appreciation towards nature was instilled in me. Through this experience, I realized how much time is wasted indoors and on technology. Creating jewelry became my alternative. It could be done anywhere, even outside. I would encourage others to find a passion that pushes them to be outside and take a break from the internet, social media, etc.

How has the outbreak of COVID-19 impacted your business?

Because my primary method of selling and distributing products was by sending them to campus boxes of Elon students, I’m struggling with sales and my target market. I now have to re-evaluate my whole distribution platform. However, being partnered with the Student-Made Store, where buyers can order online and have products delivered to them, definitely helps. More personally, the coronavirus quarantine has given me a lot more time to work on my brand and make more products. It’s obviously very difficult to be away from so many friends and loved ones, especially when so many are struggling right now, so I have been sending some of my friends and loved ones my products as a surprise to brighten their day.

Do you have any advice for fellow students looking to start their own business?

Do not avoid or shy away from criticism or feedback. Instead, embrace it and ask for it!

What is next for you and your company?

As of right now, Charms for Changes primarily sells bracelets and keychains. I hope to later expand into other product offerings such as earrings or necklaces. In addition, Charms for Changes is most widely accessed via Instagram. I hope to expand to other social media platforms and, more specifically, create a website to boost legitimacy and accessibility.

About Polaris
Polaris works to dismantle the systems that make sex and labor trafficking possible and profitable in North America. For more than a decade, Polaris has provided real-time response to victims and survivors through the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and harnessing what is learned from that experience to help inform, design and implement scaleable, long-term, solutions that leverage the insight of survivors and hold all actors in the human trafficking ecosystem accountable.

People can be connected to help or report a tip of suspected human trafficking by calling the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, texting “BeFree� (233733), or chatting at .

Thomas, a finance and marketing double major from Cary, North Carolina, is the second person to be featured in a series of Today at Elon profiles highlighting student innovation and entrepreneurship. The senior Business Fellow takes an active role on video production as a creative director, while managing operations like internal processes, metric tracking and quality control.

He recently answered questions from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business about his company, experiences and visions.

When did your interest in entrepreneurship begin?

I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship. Something about working for myself and building a meaningful, impactful company has always driven me to pursue this type of career. I started Triad Studios, a media production company specializing in videography, roughly two years ago with four other co-founders – Baaqir Yusuf, Tristan Gardner, Justin Fouts and Daniel Pan. The company has grown exponentially over the past two years as we’ve completed over 100 different projects for various clients across the country in Maine, Ohio, Texas and more.

What inspired you to found Triad Studios?

All the founders have a strong passion for videography and business. We were all primarily inspired by content on YouTube which we paired with our business degrees to ultimately form Triad Studios.

How did you go about creating your project and launching your brand?

We started out by doing a lot of pro-bono and small budget projects for clients to begin building our portfolio and continue developing our skills. We continued to increase our prices, improve our services and reach out to new clients over time.

What has been the greatest challenge you’ve encountered as an entrepreneur?

There have been many challenges in the startup growth phase – managing emotions in various situations, managing projects and work with the entire team being full-time students, onboarding and training new employees, standardizing the quality of our work amongst new employees, meeting crazy client expectations, etc. For me the biggest challenge has been managing the growth of the company while still in school. Balancing work, school, and a social life is hard but possible if you’re passionate about what you’re doing and prioritize the right things. Last year I was still playing soccer for the varsity team at Elon while going to class and traveling to work in the evenings. It came with a lot of stress and not a lot of sleep but this sacrifice is now beginning to pay off.

What has been a key factor in Triad Studio’s success so far?

The passion and commitment of each of the company’s founders have truly driven the success of the company. Each founder brings a unique personality to the team which has built a collaborative culture and enabled the growth of the company so far.

How have your experiences at Elon helped prepare you to run Triad Studios?

The business school program has enhanced my skills as a business professional which have been extremely helpful for client interactions, business strategy, and various other administrative tasks.

What is next for you and your company?

We want to open a studio in Raleigh sometime in mid-2021. We don’t have plans to expand the number of team members currently, however, we are always actively searching for more clients and projects – especially ones focused on long-term brand strategy and development.

What is your advice for your peers who are interested in starting a business?

Pursue your entrepreneurship goals as early as possible. You can always find time for what you’re passionate about and the best time to take risks is when you’re young so there’s no reason to wait.

Mitten, a finance and applied mathematics double major from Cary, North Carolina, is the first person to be featured in a series of Today at Elon profiles highlighting student innovation and entrepreneurship.

He recently answered questions from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business about his venture.

When did your interest in entrepreneurship begin?

I have been interested in entrepreneurship ever since I was a kid. Creative ways to make money and inspire others have always been intriguing to me.

What inspired you to found Climate Change Apparel?

Climate Change Apparel was an idea I had for many months. I created some designs during the summer of 2018 and then turned them into T-shirt prototypes in February 2019. Since then, I’ve made different designs, styles and colors. The idea behind the brand is to raise awareness for a social issue I’m passionate about – climate change. I wanted to make sure the brand had a purpose behind it, so a portion of profits are donated to charities.

How did you go about creating your project and launching your brand?

I got my friends on board first, gained traction through social media and word of mouth, and eventually spread the clothes to people all across Elon’s campus and beyond! Elon is a great place to try out a proof-of-concept for a brand, and the whole Elon community has been extremely supportive of my efforts.

What has been the greatest challenge you’ve encountered as an entrepreneur?

My greatest challenge has been figuring out distribution of the apparel. For now, I use a local screen-printer to create the apparel, pick it up myself, and hand-deliver or drop off the items. In the future, it would be nice to have an automatic distribution system with shipping included, but it’s been a challenge to do everything on my own. Luckily, I enjoy the work, and find it super rewarding to see my apparel worn across campus.

What has been a key factor in Climate Change Apparel’s success so far?

Elon students are awesome. They are very aware of social issues like climate change, and many of them have been willing to support my brand.

How have your experiences at Elon helped prepare you to run Climate Change Apparel?

I’ve gained expertise in all of my business classes, helping me to become a more well-rounded entrepreneur. My experience in the Management Information System course (in which I got Microsoft Excel certified) has been helpful for keeping track of the whole company, and my experience in competitions like the Elon Innovation Challenge and Amica Elon Sales Challenge have helped me in terms of my professional selling skills.

What is next for you and your company?

I spent J-Term in New Zealand learning about sustainability and conservation efforts there, and this spring I’d love to sell new designs and apparel, as well as advertise the brand more. I’d also love to use sustainably-sourced fabrics. The current problem with that is the minimum order/price is too high for these fabrics, but I’m working on addressing this. Other than that, I’d love to continue to build the brand and gain support, while donating some of the profits to charities that fight climate change along the way.

What is your advice for your peers who are interested in starting a business?

Start small, get friends and family on board, and then expand from there!

The career event, which was organized by the Department of Finance and the Porter Family Professional Development Center, included informative presentations about the participating firms followed by a networking reception.

Ryan Kasakove ’22 remarked: “Meet the Firms was an invaluable experience. Having the opportunity to network with financial professionals helped me learn what it takes to succeed in the world of wealth management.â€�

After the event he feels, “more confident, prepared, and well-informed to discuss and work in this industry.”

Firms present at the event were:

• Fidelity
• Merrill Lynch
• Envestnet
• Barnum Financial Group

“Our students were prepared, professional and interested in learning about the high-quality firms in attendance,� Chris Harris, associate professor of finance and chair of the Department of Finance, said. “My personal opinion is that this will be an interesting field over the next 10-15 years because the industry is getting older and really needs to recruit good people. For example, there are more Certified Financial Planners over the age of 70 than there are under the age of 30. This means there will be a lot of opportunities for young people getting into the industry, and that they may be able to progress more quickly, than has been normal in the past.�

Harris hopes this event will continue to grow and be successful in years to come.

Held in McKinnon Hall, the event drew over 80 students interested in finding internships and full-time employment in sales, marketing, customer relations or business development. ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ were able to meet and talk with recruiters and alumni from a diverse selection of local, national and global companies.

“The Sales Meet and Greet was helpful to get me in front of employers, to feel comfortable pitching myself and finding the best questions to ask,” remarked Maggie Miniati ’20, a marketing major and leadership studies minor. “It allowed me to narrow my job search and get a better idea of the types of roles I’m looking for to transfer my past professional and class work to a job post grad.â€�

The following employers attended the event:

• ½ý±ô²¹°ù³¾.³¦´Ç³¾
•  A³¢°­±«
•  Amica Mutual Insurance
•  A°Õ&²¹³¾±è;°Õ
•  B²¹²Ô»å·É¾±»å³Ù³ó
•  Call Box
• ÂÌ̳󲹲ԲԱð±ô´¡»å±¹¾±²õ´Ç°ù
•  CHG Healthcare
•  Dell | EMC
•  EF Education First
•  G²¹°ù³Ù²Ô±ð°ù
•  G±ô²¹³æ´Ç³§³¾¾±³Ù³ó°­±ô¾±²Ô±ð
•  John Galt Staffing
•  L±ð²Ô´Ç±¹´Ç
•  O³¾²Ô¾±³¦±ð±ô±ô
•  P²¹²â³¦´Ç³¾
•  P±ð±è²õ¾±°ä´Ç
•  P°¿³¢±õ°Õ±õ°ä°¿
•  The Select Group
• ÂÖò³Ü°ù²ú´Ç²Ô´Ç³¾¾±³¦

The , established in 2008 by an endowment gift from Elon Trustee Thomas E. Chandler, owner of Chandler Concrete Company, and his family, promotes professional selling and sales management, provides high-quality instruction to both students and sales executives, and conducts research that advances the field of sales.

The next Sales Meet and Greet will be held in spring 2020.

About a dozen finance majors participated in interviews with members of the Elon Parents Council who have experience within finance and the financial services industry and finance professors Kate Upton, Adam Aiken, Margarita Kaprielyan and Chris Harris. In superday fashion, each student had consecutive interviews of various styles – traditional, behavioral and technical.

Elon’s Finance Mock Super Day simulates the back-to-back interviews that students often undergo during the final round of the recruitment process for internship and entry-level opportunities within the finance industry. The professional development event gives students insight into what to expect during a superday as well as feedback on their interview skills.

I really enjoyed the Finance Mock Super Day and found it extremely beneficial. I walked away with more confidence in my interviewing skills as well as great advice about areas where I can improve. I highly recommend this event to any student pursuing a career in finance.

Tolmie and co-authors Kevin Lehnert of Grand Valley State University, and Hongxin Zhao of Saint Louis University, propose that the firm’s consideration of multiple stakeholder expectations moderates the complex formal and informal institutional relationships.

The authors write, “Firms have to account not only for domestic pressures when considering implementation of CSR strategies, but must also consider constraints placed on them from international authorities and cultural norms. Institution theory supports the notion that informal pressures, namely, societal values of self�transcendence, have a positive relationship with CSR behavior. This suggests that informal pressures, in the form of values of acceptance and appreciation for people and planet, have a direct relationship with CSR action.�

Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management focuses on social and environmental responsibilities in the context of sustainable development. The refereed journal has an impact factor of 5.513 (InCites Journal Citation Reports) and is ranked in the first quartile by Scimago Journal and Country Rank (SJR).

Tolmie joined Elon in 2013.  Her research focuses on corporate social responsibility, environmental sustainability and ethics, in particular how these concepts are influenced by culture, consumer perceptions and identification. She earned her doctorate in international business and marketing from Saint Louis University.