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SVC’s McKenna school to offer seminar series in partnership with Greater Latrobe – Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce

by Public Relations | January 03, 2024

LATROBE, PA – The Alex. G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government at Saint Vincent College has announced its partnership with the Greater Latrobe – Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce that will offer "Chamber University," a series of short seminars geared toward helping working professionals in the region. The courses will be taught by Dr. Michael Urick, dean of the McKenna School and professor of management and operational excellence; Dr. Kayla Jachimowski, director of the Master of Science in Criminology Program and assistant professor of criminology, law and society in the McKenna School; and Christina Gibson, instructor of accounting in the McKenna School.

More information and registration is available at https://business.latrobelaurelvalley.org/events/details/chamber-university-basics-of-accounting-and-understanding-financial-statements-10695

All sessions will count for 1.5 continuing education credits/hours by the Institute for Supply Management and Society for Human Resource Management.  

The below are details about each session.

                         

SESSION DETAILS

Basics of Accounting and Understanding Financial Statements

January 30, 8:30-10:00 a.m.

This session will review financial statements and their interpretation for both publicly traded and not-for-profit companies. The role of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and how Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) allow for consistent accounting among companies will be discussed.

This session will be taught by Ms. Gibson.

Conflict Management

April 30, 8:30-10:00 a.m.

This session will explore the basic types of conflict that attendees are likely to experience and will identify the common causes of conflict. It will also consider the relationship between conflict and approaches to communication. Attendees will be provided with strategies and approaches for how to resolve conflict.

This session will be taught by Dr. Urick.

Fraud and White-Collar Crimes

September 24, 8:30-10:00 a.m.

This session will provide an overview of white-collar crimes, including historical crime rates and preventative strategies. This session will take an in-depth look at corporate fraud including the falsification of financial information, self-dealing by corporate insiders and money laundering.

This session will be taught by Ms. Gibson and Dr. Jackimowski.

Improving Team Performance

December 10, 8:30-10:00 a.m. 

All, teams, regardless of industry, go through common stages of team development. This session will explore these stages and help you to identify the stage of your team in order to help you become more influential. It will also explore concepts such as pros and cons of different types of teams, size of teams and composition of its members among other crucial considerations to improving team performance.

This session will be taught by Dr. Urick.

 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS

Christina Gibson

Christina Gibson is an instructor of accounting at Saint Vincent College. She is a finance professional with more than 25 years of diverse professional experience in various finance leadership roles, such as director of financial planning and analyses and assistant corporate controller. Ms. Gibson is experienced in partnering with C-suite and executive management; collaborating with cross-functional teams, external vendors and auditors; maintaining GAAP and SOX compliance; coordinating global annual budgeting and forecasting processes; solving complex problems; and leading large, globally diverse teams and projects.

Dr. Kayla Jachimowski

Dr. Kayla Jachimowski is an assistant professor at Saint Vincent College, specializing in Criminology, Law and Society. She directs the Master of Science in Criminology Program and focuses on mental health and criminology, hate crimes and quantitative methodology. Dr. Jachimowski is pursuing an accredited financial counselor certification (AFC) through AFCPE to bridge criminology and financial management, aiming to address societal issues holistically. Her dedication to teaching, research and interdisciplinary connections marks her as a dynamic and forward-thinking academic shaping the next generation of criminologists and financial counselors.

Dr. Michael Urick

Dr. Michael Urick, MBA, MS, SSGB, SHRM-CP, is dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government at Saint Vincent College as well as a professor of management and operational excellence. Dr. Urick has taught undergraduate and graduate courses related to organizational behavior, human resources, communication, conflict, organizational culture, operations and research methods. His research has been widely cited in academic publications as well as in news media outlets such as the “Wall Street Journal” and the BBC. Among various teaching awards, Dr. Urick was also recognized by the Institute for Supply Management as a "Person of the Year" in the learning and education category. Dr. Urick is an associate editor of the “Journal of Leadership and Management,” which is based in Poland; the North American associate editor of the “Measuring Business Excellence” journal; and on the editorial board of “Management Teaching Review.” He is also the editor for the "Exploring Effective Leadership Practices through Popular Culture" book series from Emerald Publishing. Much of his research and consulting work focuses on issues related to intergenerational phenomena within organizations. He also often examines how popular culture can be used to advance organizational behavior theory. In addition to authoring or co-authoring more than 50 publications, including multiple books and peer-reviewed articles, he has presented his work on four continents.