Tag Archives: Honors Business Association

Annual HBA Company Field Trip Brings Students to Washington D.C.

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CFT 2014

Written by Jace Barton

Four days. 23 students. Three companies. Good memories? Too many to count.

The Honors Business Association recently traveled to Washington D.C. for its annual Company Field Trip. A broad mix of students, from freshmen to seniors, marketing to finance, took advantage of an incredible opportunity to network with executives at top companies in the city while learning more about the non-traditional doors a McCombs major can open.

The first company visit was to Marriott. We toured sample rooms from six of Marriott’s brands and learned about the intricate process behind crafting the perfect hotel rooms. We also gained insight to the subtleties of hotel branding, and how even the smallest details can make a difference in guest experience. The Marriott visit also included a tour of the Innovation Lab, where Marriott is testing new designs to place itself at the cutting edge of the hospitality industry. The visit concluded with a quick tour of the rest of the headquarters building and a question-and-answer panel with two Longhorn alumni.

Thursday night, the group was treated to even more alumni interaction through the annual Alumni Dinner. Four local BHP alumni joined us at the Texas-themed Rhodeside Grill. We chatted with the alumni to enquire about their career paths and gathered advice on fun classes to take and quirky hole-in-the-wall restaurants to try. With outstanding food and even better company, the night was a treat for all involved.

Friday started with a tour of the White House. While not all of us have political ambitions, it was hard not to fantasize about one day calling 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. home. After the White House, we trekked to one of Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Laboratories. Various company executives talked to us about multiple facets of the company’s business, including aerospace & defense, space, and information technology. At the end of the visit, we took turns piloting Lockheed Martin’s F-22 and F-35 simulators. While no student has voiced intent to leave the Business Honors Program to become a fighter pilot, several were tempted!

Friday concluded with a visit to the Central Intelligence Agency. We were treated to a tour of the Main Hall and museum, where the history of the agency is illuminated through photographs, artifacts, and exhibits. After the tour, two officers from the Agency’s recruiting division talked to us about how business majors make an impact in the CIA. We departed extremely impressed with the level of excellence the CIA attains. We would tell you more, but we’ve been sworn to secrecy…

Saturday, we started the day with a tour of the Capitol. Following this, we broke off into small groups to explore all Washington D.C. has to offer. Popular destinations included the Newseum, the National Zoo, several Smithsonian museums, and many of the national monuments.

Sadly, the trip needed to end sometime, and the group returned home Sunday. While the trip was finite, we all knew that the memories of good times with great friends in an amazing city would last forever.

Barton

HBA Hosts Events to Connect Students with Profs Outside of the Classroom

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On Wednesday November 6, Honors Business Association students celebrated Thanksgiving early with a few “turkeys.” While no birds were consumed, fun was definitely on the menu as about 30 students gathered in the Texas Union Underground bowling alley for a PHIT (Professors Have Interests Too) with Dr. Burris and Dr. Prentice. The professors were eager to interact with students outside of the typical classroom environment, and students took full advantage of the informal networking opportunity to get to know two of the Business Honors Program’s finest professors. While some bowling balls may have ended up in the gutter, the event overall was a striking success!

Meanwhile, for one day only, FIN 357H students were able to forget about betas and the Capital Asset Pricing Model to focus on the beauty of the Texas Hill Country. At the annual Professor Hadaway DWAP (Dinner with a Professor), students were treated to a relaxing visit at the No Rules Ranch located outside of Dripping Springs. Away from the hustle and bustle of Austin, Professor Hadaway and her husband treated her students to a tour of the ranch and a wonderful meal. Due to the recent rains, students even got to see the rarest of sights – a waterfall in Texas! While it was easier for some students than others to put finance out of their heads for one day, all students agreed that the net present value of the DWAP was overwhelmingly positive.

–Written by Jace Barton, HBA Financial Chair

Students Get to Know Professors on a Different Level during DWAP Events

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Every semester BHP professors volunteer to participate in a program coordinated by the Honors Business Association, called Dinner with a Professor (DWAP). DWAP was started five years ago and has become one of the most popular events for students and professors alike. Students from the program are invited to dinner with a BHP professor at a location of the professor’s choice.

William O’Hara, a professor with the Department of Accounting, and his wife, Beverly, took around 60 students to Dave & Buster’s last semester for a dinner and dessert buffet as well as games. According to O’Hara, the students were as competitive playing games as they are in the classroom. At the end of the night though, they all came together and surprised him by pooling the tickets they won from their games to buy him an enormous Clifford The Big Red Dog to thank him and his wife for hosting the event.

When asked why he enjoyed hosting the event, O’Hara said, “Even with the smaller class sizes of BHP, it is still hard to get to know your students well. I think the education process is better when you know them better and unless they come to office hours, it is hard to do that. This provides that opportunity.”  O’Hara noted that the event developed a camaraderie that translated to the classroom. “I noticed a difference afterwards that some of the students who didn’t participate much in class before, were now participating.”

For students, the appeal of these events is that they allow students to get to know their professors on a personal level and see them in a different environment than they usually do. Prabhudev Konana, a BHP MIS professor, has hosted a DWAP at his house every year for around 70 students since 2008. He admits that is a lot of work for him and his wife, but says he wants to expose students to their culture. They serve Indian food, expose them to Bollywood and Bollywood dance, and show them the Indian artwork in their house. Courtney Brindle, a junior BHP student who participated in Dr. Konana’s DWAP last year, had heard about the impromptu Bollywood dance parties beforehand, but being a participant last year, she thought it was, “really cool to have fun with Dr. Konana and see another side of him.”

HBA plans around five DWAPs per semester. Forrest Ripley, president of HBA, thinks these events are important for the BHP culture. “Professors are at the core of what makes BHP so great. Giving students a chance to bond with their professors on a personal level is one of the best services that HBA can offer students.”

Professor O’Hara said he and his wife Beverly will definitely be hosting a DWAP again this year. “Beverly is very interested in education and she wants to be involved. She still talks about what a great evening it was. We heard comments from students that the event was the perfect break during a tough time of year and allowed them one night to be a kid again. We will be on board to do it again this year!”