After a successful 30-year career in finance, University of Norther Iowa alum Jeff Quint ('85) felt pulled to follow his true passion and in 2005 opened Cedar Ridge Distillery in Swisher, Iowa, the first distillery to open in the state since prohibition. Cedar Ridge Distillery has since become the top bourbon maker in the state, producing more than 200 barrels a month.
With all the buzz, you might think the Metaverse is a brand-new concept – the cutting edge of technology where all ideas are new and innovation is celebrated. Meanwhile, University Archivist, Jaycie Vos is working to acquire more than a decades’ worth of historical and virtual documents related to UNI instruction, research, and creative activity in the metaverse.
UNI alum Sam Parkkal's life has come full circle from his time being mentored at the JPEC to now becoming a mentor as the executive director of JoyCorps.
Two members of UNI College of Business’ Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) placed at the National Leadership Conference in Chicago this summer. Brady Beyer (‘23) came in third in statistical analysis category and Lauren Kraemer (‘24) placed fourth in the digital media category, beating out students from colleges across the United States.
Throughout their time at the College of Business, Management Information Systems (MIS) students take in a well-rounded curriculum full of fundamental principles, applications and more. This coursework prepares them for a career in technology and business. One course, Information System Development Projects, taught by Betsy Ratchford, is intended to bundle those lessons and apply them in real-world scenarios.
A group of entrepreneurship students from the University of Northern Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) were selected to attend the Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute (OEI) this summer, gaining valuable skills and taking home some hardware.
Madison Kraemer (Marketing and Organizational Leadership, ’23) spent the last year serving on the national board of directors for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), a student organization dedicated to future business leaders in middle school, high school and college. Her goal quickly became to become president and help advocate for the organization.
A new scholarship will give one business student a full ride to UNI, including tuition, books and room & board. Marcelo Acosta, a student at East High School in Des Moines who will attend UNI in the fall, is the first recipient of the Noel Scholars program, created thanks to a generous gift by Rick (Accounting, ‘90) and Lisa Noel.
Emily Mensen, a UNI Business management alum, uses her analytics skill to help top executives interpret data to drive business decisions. Mensen said UNI Business was fundamental to her career. Her courses were well-rounded, and she learned people skills, communication and bridging generational gaps, which has come in handy when working with coworkers of all ages.
The University of Northern Iowa’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is here to help those growing or starting a business in the nine-county area around Waterloo and Cedar Falls. The center, which is housed in the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center on campus, provides no-cost, confidential business counseling customized to each client’s needs.
