News & Views‌

You may recall a recent news story and photo of a young, enterprising man with a garage full of toilet paper, hand sanitizers, and other merchandise. This was early in March, and he decided to invest money in items that might escalate in value. Although there was a “run” on toilet paper, the young man certainly did not “corner the market” on these commodities. He broke no laws or used any inside political advantage. Other people were free to stuff their garages with toilet paper and hand sanitizers.

The Covid-19 virus has turned the college experience upside-down as students have been removed from dorms to stop the spread of the disease, and face-to-face classes have been moved to remote delivery.  Potential first-year and transfer students are being encouraged to consider a ‘gap year’ and delay enrollment until the educational environment returns to ‘normal.’

It’s hard to replicate the feeling of investing in a real portfolio made up of real money. At UNIBusiness, the Krause Fund provides an opportunity for students to do exactly that. It started more than two decades ago, when Bill Krause, the founder of Kum and Go, donated $100,000 to four universities, including UNI, hoping to see them compete on performance.

Ryan Cahalan (Finance, ’99) has always considered Iowa his home. That was true even as he worked almost 20 years of his real estate career outside of the state. He returned to Iowa just a few years ago, and is now working to grow his own business, Artisan Capital Group in Des Moines, of which he is a co-founder and partner.

Lawrence Jepson understood the importance of global economics long before many of his peers in the 1970s. A Wall Street businessman, Jepson used to say if a Zurich banker sneezed, someone in the United States caught a cold. Jepson came to the United States as an immigrant from Denmark.

Faculty are the life-blood of our educational mission -- getting students ready for business. They provide the leadership and direction for our future while balancing three significant responsibilities -- teaching, scholarship, and service. Our first three awards recognize faculty whom the leadership team believes perform at the highest levels in each of these distinct areas. They distinguish themselves in their excellence and commitment.