Broadcaster Press 03 December 18, 2012 www.broadcasteronline.com Verbos, PhD Project, strive to diversify corporate America Spotlight On By Travis Gulbrandson travis.gulbrandson@plainta lk.net Since 1994, The PhD Project has encouraged African American, Latino American and Native American college students across the United States to enroll in Ph.D. programs. This, in turn, will put more professors of color at the head of business classes, which may help to diversify corporate America. For close to a decade, Amy Klemm Verbos, Ph.D., J.D., an assistant professor of management at USD, has been working with The PhD Project to encourage Native Americans and others to consider business-related academic careers. “It’s just a great organization,” she said. “It’s very well-run, very professional.” A member of the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians, Tell them you saw it in the Broadcaster! 201 W. Cherry, Vermillion 624-4429 Also see us at Siouxlandhomes.com Elk Point, SD 205 E. Pleasant - $154,900 207 E. Pleasant – $139,900 Beautifully maintained 2 story with important 2-story, 2058sf finished, updates. 4 bedrooms 5-bedroom, full bath up, 1.5 bath. New up, 1/2 on main, 3/4 kitchen, appliances stay, in basement. Featuring new bath. French doors all original wood trim, to living room and paneled doors and formal dining. Butler to floors, front and back kitchen with original stairs. Huge kitchen w/ breakfast nook and sliders to cabinets. Oversized 2 stall attached, plus historic deck. carriage houses. 203 Lexington St. – $139,900 REDUCED 2007 split home, 4 BR, 1 bath. New floor in Kitchen/ dining. Stainless steel appliances stay. Lower level walk out and future family, laundry, and bath. Close to school and easy access to I 29. REDUCED! Meet Mary Schuh david.lias@plaintalk.net Patricia Curry: 605-661-2860 Andy Curry: 605-261-1202 Archie Dunham: 605-366-4625 311 Main, Jefferson – $96,500 4 bedrooms (1 down, 3 up) 1.5 bath, full bath w/dbl sinks & jet tub. Huge triple car with both alley and Main Street access. Kitchen appliances stay. W?Ž?????3 3 D 3 ?????????? 3 ?????3?Ž????????3???????3?????????3 K D 3 ????3^????3D????3??Ž?3???3???3???????3 3 ? 3????3?Ž?????3???3??3?????Ž?????????3 ? 3 ????????3d???3Ž????3?Ž????????3??Ž?3 ? 3 ??Ž???3Ž?3???????3?Ž???3 ? 3 ?????????3???3?????3 ? 3 ????????3????3?33 ?Ž3 ? ? 3 ????Ž?3?Ž????3?????????3 ? 3????????3?Ž?????3  3 ???3Z/4E3??3????????3KZ3???????? “The support is fantastic,” Verbos said. “When you graduate The PhD Program, you become a faculty member, and as a faculty member, I have presented three times.” Verbos also has presented to Native American students in the First-Year Experience class for the past three years, encouraging them to consider a business major. “I talk about what’s going on in Indian Country in respect to economic development and the exciting things that are going on with businesses that are owned by tribes, how business degrees can be beneficial to the community because of all of this new business development that’s been going on,” she “We’re trying now to set something in the literature so we know that in the future, people can find that literature and say, ‘I see that there’s a good connection between Native American values and business,’” she said. Verbos said she’s glad she became involved with The PhD Project. “There are always a few students who are interested (during my presentations),” she said. “This is a relatively small population that we would have in any given class, so a few students is a good start. That’s kind of how I look at it. “A few students is a good start,” she said. In addition to her involvement with The PhD Project, Verbos also serves on her tribe’s economic development board, the Mno Bmadsen Board, which conducts all the non-gaming, forprofit businesses for the Pokagon Band. She has taught at USD since 2009. For more information about The PhD Project, visit www.phdproject.org/. One in a VerMillion By David Lias www.broadcasteronline.com www.dunhamcompany.com Verbos was asked by the project itself to get involved in 2003. She said she attended her first official conference the next year. “There’s a Chicago conference that they have every November, and at the Chicago conference, they pre-screen potential PhD students, and then bring them in,” she said. “There are a number of sessions to get them to understand what the life of an academic is like, what you do as an academic, and to give them a realistic preview of what it would be like to be a professor.” Generally speaking, the students who get involved already have their master’s degrees. After they sign on, the become Doctoral Student Members. said. She also has made similar presentations for high school students. According to The PhD Project, there were only 12 Native Americans enrolled in business doctoral programs last year. “(The program) has been very successful with African American and Latino American (students), less so with Native Americans because of the limited population,” Verbos said. “There are just a few of us around the country, but one thing that’s really great about The PhD Project is, we know each other from working together, and we’re doing a number of research projects together.” Verbos has collaborated a number of times with Deanna Kennedy, assistant professor of operations management at the University of Washington Bothell; Joseph Gladstone, assistant professor of public health management of New Mexico State University; and Dan Stewart, associate professor of management at Gonzaga University. The students of St. Agnes School wowed the audience that packed the school’s auditorium as they presented “The Christmas Chronicles,” a Christmas musical for children, on Wednesday, Dec. 12. The success of the show is due “to the kiddos,” said Mary Schuh, the school’s music director. She also credits an incredibly flexible teaching staff that would allow students in grades K through 5 to put in the needed rehearsal time. “The students were just great. They did a really good job.” She also said an incredible support staff, ranging from her husband, Mike, to parents, grandparents and friends that donated materials and time all helped make the show possible. Mary may have been unfamiliar to many in the audience Wednesday. This is her first year as music director for St. Agnes School; after that night’s performance, those in attendance knew the school made the right decision when they hired her this fall. Mary and her husband, who works in Sioux City, IA, live in Elk Point, and she travels to Vermillion to put her To Our Loved Ones: Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! And Wishing you a Great New Year! Love Always, Oma & Uncle rich background in music education to good use at St. Agnes. “We started rehearsals for the Christmas show about seven weeks ago,” she said. “I’ve taught in a couple different places … I started out in Garretson,” Mary said. “I have a K-12 degree in both vocal and instrumental music. I taught band for several years in Elk Point, and ? SCHUH, Page 10 Bring Home the Holiday Spirit Thank you, neighbors, for visiting us this year. You’re always welcome at our door. 5 W. Cherry, Vermillion 624-4444 “Since 1880”