Episode 30: Built @ Darla Moore Vision with Dean Verma
Rohit Verma is the dean of the Moore School. He joins us for the second time to discuss the new Moore School brnading inititive: Built @ Darla Moore.
Hosted by Kasie Whitener, Moore School clinical assistant professor of management, this podcast covers a range of topics on business, education and community engagement involving faculty, students and alumni of the Moore School.
Season 2 Episodes
Episode 29: Translating Military Research Into Corporate Impact
Dr. Paul D. Bliese is the Jeff B. Bates Professor of Management and Chair of the Management Department at the Darla Moore School of Business. A former U.S. Army Colonel and research psychologist, he spent 22 years at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, where he directed studies on stress, leadership, and soldier well-being, including oversight of the Army’s Mental Health Advisory Team program in Iraq and Afghanistan. His academic work bridges military and corporate contexts, advancing organizational research, leadership development, and statistical methods, and he currently serves as the incoming Editor-in-Chief of Organizational Research Methods.
Episode 28: EPIC Policy Briefs-- Recent Research in School Free Lunch Programs and Baby-Friendly Hospital Designations
Orgul Ozturk was on Season 2 Episode 1 to talk about long-term impact of teacher incentive pay programs. In this visit, she focused on the two recent papers she had accepted for publication. But first, we talked about the academic structure of approved research, methodologies, submission for publication, peer review, and the importance of the structure.
Episode 27: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Recent International Business Changes Associated with it
Dr. Chris Yenkey appeared on Moore Impact Season 2 Episode 6 when we talked about government interference in markets and corruption in African nations. In this episode, Dr. Yenkey revisits some of the corruption symptoms but we start with neoliberalism and how the policies of Reagan and Thatcher shaped the globalism that blossomed in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Episode 26: Qatalyst Health and Fostering New Businesses at the Moore School
Brandon Mendez has had a hand through student project teams in supporting two new businesses at USC: Qatalyst Health and SOS eCharging. In this episode we talk about both and unpack some of the questions business owners face when getting a new idea up and going.
Episode 25: The Federal Reserve Explained by Jason DeBacker
When last we had him on Moore Impact, Jason DeBacker helped us understand the On Big Beautiful Bill’s positives and negatives. He also talked about the impact of protectionist policies on trade. In this episode, we ask him to explain the Federal Reserve and its role in economic policy.
Episode 24: How the Moore School Prepares Graduates for Future Careers
We hear from Grantland Rogers, a recent graduate of the Moore School’s International Business program with a major in finance and also the South Carolina Honors College. The general business principles are easily accessible across the Moore School but the application of those principles varies widely depending on the coursework, the activities, and the careers our students choose.
Episode 23: Education as an Export
New Executive Director of the Faber Entrepreneurship Center Dr. Geoffrey Graybeal joins Moore Impact to talk about how the Entrepreneurship Center and management curriculum is exporting education. It’s the third episode in a series on tariffs and trade policy.
Episode 22: Taxes and Tariffs with Jason DeBacker
When last we had him on Moore Impact, Jason DeBacker helped us understand the South Carolina drive to zero percent income tax. Now that the general assembly session has ended, we get an update from Jason on South Carolina tax policy, the One Big Beautiful Bill, and a macro view of tariffs. It’s part two in the Trade Policy series on Moore Impact.
Episode 21: Tariffs and trade Policy with Bill Hauk
The news is full of economic policy these days as the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law on July 4 and tariffs received another delay shortly thereafter. In this episode from June 17, 2025, Dr. Bill Hauk discusses trade deficits, tariffs, and who is really benefitting from the economic shuffleboard happening right now.
Episode 20: The Degree Gets More Valuable with Alumni Success
The alumni network at the Moore School has been strengthened over the years by the work of the Young Alumni Board. In this episode, we speak with David Looper, one of the earliest members of the Board, and Dillon Chewning, a recent member of the Board, about the work the organization is doing.
Episode 19: Corporate Relations and Leadership Training
Universities have relationships with corporate partners that span multiple disciplines and schools. Coordinating those relationships takes transparency and leadership. In his new role as Associate Dean of Corporate Relations, Dr. Pat Wright is representing the Moore School in a campus-wide effort to get on the same page with our corporate partners. In this episode of Moore Impact, we discuss the role, the responsibilities and the opportunities presented by moving the Moore School forward.
Episode 18: Short Term Rentals Get the Academic Treatment
The South Carolina legislature is considering taking action on short-term rentals and several local county councils and city councils have already done so. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Mark Ferguson from the Moore School Management Science department who, in collaboration with colleagues in the School of Hospitality, Retail, and Sports Management recently hosted a scholars event to focus on short-term rentals.
Episode 17: Freshly Minted Alumni Share Excitement for the Future
Trey and Laurel are recent graduates (like from a week ago) from the Darla Moore School of Business and joined Dr. Whitener in the studio to cut up about the experience they had on campus. They share the changes they went through, the studies they enjoyed, and advice for rising seniors.
Episode 16: What We Know About Remote Work
There’s a trend in workforce dynamics right now to return to office, or end remote work arrangements. To respond to that, we brought Dr. Anthony Nyberg, a human resources researcher to talk about compensation, incentives, succession planning, and competitive advantage through personnel.
Episode 15: Tax Superbowl with Jason DeBacker
It’s like the tax Super Bowl in April 2025 as income tax is waffling between expirations and renewals, South Carolina is looking at moving toward a flat tax, and the president is hiking tariffs across a spectrum of international markets. Moore School economist Jason DeBacker came back into the studio to talk about why it’s a great time to be a tax researcher.
Episode 14: Global Interconnectedness with Christina Ahmadjian
Americans are invested overseas, many times through their own 401k or pension fund. That investment creates an interdependence, a reliance on international businesses for one’s own investment security and growth. Those businesses are governed by boards of directors, boards that include scholars like Christina Ahmadjian.
Episode 13: Slow Scholarship but Super Fast Start Ups with Brandon Mendez
Dr. Brandon Mendez left the Navy where he was a naval flight officer to pursue a finance degree. He teaches Financial Statement Analysis but his research follows his interests including art and football. In this episode, he talks about how his curiosity had him chaperoning a lock-in on quantum computing.
Episode 12: Building Businesses IRL
We visit with Dean Kress, retired Director of the Faber Entrepreneurship Center and the OG entrepreneurship instructor at the Moore School. We talk about what it takes to build a business in real life (IRL) and how we help students cultivate that skill set.
Episode 11: Emergency Center Wait Times and SC Healthcare
Dr. Orgul Ozturk helps unpack Dr. Lindsay Woodworth's research on hospital emergency room wait times in this episode.
Episode 10: Folks Center Director Amy Thomson
The Folks Center for International Business at the Darla Moore School of Business is under the leadership of a veteran international commerce professional, Amy Thomson. In this episode she shares her business experience, the Folks Center's mission, a preview of an upcoming event, and a sneak peak at the next Center fellow arriving in April.
Episode 9: Give4Garnet
On Wednesday, March 26, 2025 and Thursday, March 27, the University of South Carolina will host its annual Give4Garnet event, a one day, eight hours, and one minute (1801) event to demonstrate the power of engagement with USC. Leading the effort at the Moore School are Baylee Shipes, Director of Annual Giving, and Mark Richter, Senior Director of Development. In this episode of Moore Impact, the two visited the studio for a live radio session discussing the event and the value and impact of philanthropic support to the Moore School and to USC as a whole.
Episode 8: SC as an emerging market
Dr. Gerald A. McDermott, “Gerry,” is the department chair and a professor of international business at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He specializes in international business and political economy and in this episode he dissects South Carolina's position as a global emerging market.
Episode 7: Entrepreneurship with AI and Name Image Likeness Projects
In this semester's entrepreneurship consulting class, Dr. Geoffrey Graybeal is helping students and an alumni founder work out the details of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals for athletes.
Episode 6: Starting the "Is our country corrupt?" Conversation
What are the symptoms of a corrupt government? Are we seeing them in our own U.S. government? Dr. Chris Yenkey shares his research on the topic.
Episode 5: College Tuition Rates and Choices with Lois Miller
Let’s talk about college tuition. How it’s gone up, how students and their parents pay for it, and what state legislatures are doing to try to reign it in. Dr. Lois Miller is an assistant professor in the Economics Department in the Darla Moore School of Business who researches topics in higher education, with a focus on how access to, and resources within, postsecondary education can affect inequality and social mobility.
Episode 4: Feeding the Entrepreneurial Spirit with Caroline Crowder
Caroline Crowder is a two-time alum of the Moore School and now an instructor in the Management Department teaching entrepreneurship. Her journey is one of discovery far and wide and recognition of unique opportunities to learn, grow, and teach. In this episode she shares her story and the mission and vision of the Boyd Innovation Center Powered by GrowCo.
Episode 3: Business of the Game
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, the Moore School hosted Business of the Game at Williams Brice Stadium in part to introduce a number of Moore School student athletes to potential employers. The event was previewed in this episode of Moore Impact when panelists Lisa Burgess and Briana Reckling talked about the skills they learned in competition that have helped them in their business careers.
Episode 2: Bringing Business into the School
The Moore School’s Office of Career Management focuses on the critical metric of job placement and assists our constituents in several critical ways. In this episode, Jamie Peebles, Employer Relations Manager, talks about the way OCM identifies right-fit companies to partner with and encourages those firms to participate in a variety of activities.
Episode 1: Teacher Performance Pay Works in SC
Episode 1 featured Dr. Orgul Ozturk of the Economics Department and the S.C. Economic Policy Center. She co-authored a paper demonstrating the long-term positive outcomes for students in the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). Introduced in South Carolina in 2007, TAP is a national model of teacher performance pay, which embeds incentives for teacher performance alongside professional development, the potential for career advancement, observations of teacher performance, and test-score based accountability.
Season 1 Episodes
The Office of Alumni Engagement launched the Moore School Mentor Network in 2020 and this past semester paired 171 students with alumni for mentoring. In this episode, Corey Mikels talks about how the program works, the advantages it offers our students, and the rewarding experience for alumni who engage,
Kacie Ingram is a USC alumna and Senior Career Coach at the Moore School's Office of Career Management (OCM). Dedicated services to get students ready for their professional journey, there's no "need" the OCM can't fulfill.
In this episode, Caroline Crowder takes us through her journey from double Moore School alumna to non-profit Executive Director. She's building the Columbia, S.C. entrepreneurial ecosystem one program, one founder, one day at a time.
Dr. Orgul Ozturk is the chair of the Economics Department and this fall launched the newest center on campus, SC Economic Policy and Innovation Center (SC EPIC). She talks in this episode about translating research into usable policy analysis and recommendations.
Dr. Sanjay Ahire talks about the Operations and Supply Chain Management major's surge in popularity, racking up successes and gaining recognition.
USC Alumni Aaron and Candice Hark visited the Faber Entrepreneurship Center in the fall semester of 2022 as part of the Faber Speaker Series. Together, they gave the Maxient story.
Dr. Audrey Korsgaard has been at the Moore School since 1991 and shares in this episode her priorities now that she's Senior Associate Dean for Research and Academics, and Professor of Management.
Dr. Deb Hazzard introduces us to the work of the Office of Access, Opportunity, and Community Engagement including the Rising Scholars program, Business Success Academy, and Power Forward. They're the busiest summer office at the Moore School.
After one year at the helm, Dean Rohit Verma talks about building on the Moore School's strengths and pursuing continued excellence in classrooms, research, and community.
Dr. Joel Wooten teaches in management science, a major usually thought of as the data-side of operations, but Joel's passion is innovation. In this episode, he talks about getting to the heart of the question before ideating answers, student projects, job prospects for management science majors, and a really cool new class that will follow a rock band for a full semester.
The Master of Human Resources program is a 16-month program that includes early onboarding and a cohort structure that fully engages students to ensure success. Dr. Maz Aziz has been Managing Director of the MHR program at the Moore School for three years and sees more growth, innovation, and engaged community partners on the horizon.
Dr. Jason DeBacker teaches macroeconomics, a required class for undergraduates in economics, and this year will teach a political economy undergraduate course. Dr. DeBacker’s classroom is focused on connecting the news students read each day with the mathematical practices that influence political initiatives.
The finance major is the most popular degree program at the Moore School, making up one-third of the 1500 students in any given cohort. In this episode, Dr. Eric Powers talks about the wide range of opportunity in undergraduate studies including the Finance Scholars program, what’s exciting about studying finance, and what’s on the horizon for the 2024-25 school year.
In this episode, we discuss how the Moore School influenced entrepreneur Elena Arecco Bridgmon’s career, how it set her up for success, why she decided to strike out on her own, and what she hopes to do through LUMO.
In this episode, Mara Zepeda and Kasie Whitener talk about the recently concluded first-ever domestic onsite Maymester through the Honors College, a class dedicated to examining the economic model in place in Lake City, South Carolina, under the stewardship of philanthropist and business school namesake, Darla Moore.
Artfields is the 10-day annual event that transforms Lake City, South Carolina into an art town. In visiting Artfields, our Moore School faculty and staff hoped to get a glimpse into the event’s breadth and depth.
The Moore School’s entrepreneurship program took center stage on April 19, 2024 in the second half of the Moore School 50th Anniversary of International Business event. The stage was Proving Ground, a pitch competition for student entrepreneurs. One of the organizers and hosts was the Outreach Director for the Faber Entrepreneurship Center, Dr. Geoffrey Graybeal. In this episode the topics are bringing more applicable learning experiences around entrepreneurship into the classroom and helping students envision changing the world through business.
This episode defines sustainability beyond its buzzword status and talks about the efforts the Moore School is making to ensure students are aware of the required skills, metrics, and vocabulary around sustainability initiatives. The Moore School’s lead on sustainability is Dr. Kealy Carter, Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing.
The Moore School celebrated 50 years of international business this year and one of the professors in that department is Dr. Dirk Brown whose special interest is international entrepreneurship. In this interview, we focus on Dr. Brown’s work with the McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise and its ability to bridge siloed schools and departments with a common interest in entrepreneurship.
The Moore School’s Faber Center for Entrepreneurship presents its annual pitch competition, Proving Ground, in conjunction with the April 19, 2024 celebration of 50 years of international business at the Moore School. In studio with Dr. Whitener on April 9, 2024 were two semifinalists for Proving Ground, seniors in the business school who represented their teams in the interview.