Annual Accounting Educators Seminar Presenters

Dr. Norma Montague Norma Ramirez Montague, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Accounting and the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs at the Wake Forest University School of Business. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of South Florida, and her BA and Master of Accounting at North Carolina State University. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., she worked at an accounting firm and taught accounting at several institutions, including a correctional facility. She has taught business courses in both English and Spanish as an instructor at a community college. At WFU, she has taught a variety of accounting and business courses in the School of Business’s undergraduate business program, Master of Science in Accountancy program, Master of Science in Business program, and Master of Science in Management program. Her research focuses on enhancing auditor and investor judgments, as well as developing innovative teaching techniques in accounting courses. Professor Montague has received the American Accounting Association’s award for Innovation in Auditing and Assurance Education (2016), the Issues in Accounting Education’s Best Paper Award (2016), and Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory’s Best Paper Award (2015). At WFU, she has been awarded the T. B. Rose Fellowship in Business for innovation in teaching and the School of Business Spirit Award for displaying good citizenship and inspiring other faculty to high achievement. Her work has been featured on the cover of the Journal of Accountancy, and has been published in Accounting, Organizations and Society, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, Issues in Accounting Education, Current Issues in Auditing, CPA Journal, Today’s CPA, Strategic Finance, and Executives’ Tax & Management Report. She currently serves on the American Accounting Association’s (AAA) Board of Directors as Vice President – focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her previous service activities include serving as President of the Diversity Section of the AAA, Treasurer of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy, and a member of the AAA Diversity Task Force. Outside of work, Professor Montague enjoys spending time with her husband, Archer, and sons, Cameron and Finn.

Inclusive and Culturally Responsive Teaching in Today’s Classroom

The culturally responsive classroom considers the social and cultural identities of both the student and the instructor in crafting inclusive course content and teaching methods. It encourages the full participation of all students in the learning process and seeks to remove barriers to participatory learning through the creation of an inclusive pedagogical climate as well as diverse and broadly accessible teaching materials. This session will focus on a comprehensive framework for such an approach that has the potential to enhance the student experience for inclusivity via key practices before, during, and after the live class session. 

Dr. Rosemary Kim is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the College of Business at Loyola Marymount University. She is a Grosch Distinguished Professor and has been teaching accounting information systems, analytics, and advanced auditing. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Management of Information Systems from Claremont Graduate University and an MBA from the University of Southern California. She has published in various academic journals and enjoys sharing her scholarly work with her students. Professor Kim is passionate about teaching and values the opportunity to mentor her students. Before teaching, she worked in internal auditing, accounting, and finance for multinational organizations. When not teaching or working on research, you will find Dr. Kim at the beach taking in the beautiful sun or scuba diving.

Integrate New Profession Competencies Using Backward Course Design

Don’t you love attending great accounting education workshops and conferences (like this one) and exchanging ideas and best practices? Join us to learn how Backward Design can help you organize and integrate new course content in a structured and meaningful way. In this session we will introduce Backward Design and discuss how and why it’s useful when developing and revising accounting courses. We will share how Backward Design can help you integrate new CPA competencies into your accounting courses.

Hands-on Backward Design

Join us for a hands-on session to learn more about implementing Backward Design in your accounting courses! During this session we will discuss best practices, tips, and tricks for how to use Backward Design to incorporate new CPA competencies, or other topics into your classes. We will share what has worked well for us and how we’ve addressed challenges along the way. Our goal by the end of the session, is for you to have your own backward design plan to implement in your courses.

Julie Ravenscraft is an Assistant Professor in the School of Accountancy at Missouri State University. Julie has eight years of teaching experience most recently as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Accountancy at Arizona State University and as an Accounting Instructor at Missouri State University.

Julie is committed to increasing interest in accounting courses and programs through student engagement and innovative teaching practices. She has experience teaching financial, managerial, governmental, and professionalism in accountancy courses.

Julie is actively involved in the American Accounting Association Teaching Learning and Curriculum (TLC) section. She served as the Program Co-Chair for the 2022 Diversity/TLC Midyear meeting. She earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University and her Master of Accountancy from Missouri State University. Julie is also a licensed CPA in the State of Missouri. Julie is originally from Festus, MO. She and her husband James live in Springfield, MO.

Integrate New Profession Competencies Using Backward Course Design

Don’t you love attending great accounting education workshops and conferences (like this one) and exchanging ideas and best practices? Join us to learn how Backward Design can help you organize and integrate new course content in a structured and meaningful way. In this session we will introduce Backward Design and discuss how and why it’s useful when developing and revising accounting courses. We will share how Backward Design can help you integrate new CPA competencies into your accounting courses.

Hands-on Backward Design - Dr. Rosemary Kim & Dr. Julie Ravenscraft

Join us for a hands-on session to learn more about implementing Backward Design in your accounting courses! During this session we will discuss best practices, tips, and tricks for how to use Backward Design to incorporate new CPA competencies, or other topics into your classes. We will share what has worked well for us and how we’ve addressed challenges along the way. Our goal by the end of the session, is for you to have your own backward design plan to implement in your courses.

Margarita Maria Lenk’s signature enthusiasm, caring ethic, and her intellectual curiosity have served the accounting profession and students for decades as a national and international accounting professional, instructor, author, mentor, coach, consultant, presenter, and researcher. Professor Lenk studied accounting, computer science, psychology, and economics, with degrees and teaching awards from the University of Central Florida, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of South Carolina. Dr. Lenk integrates ethics, critical thinking, risk management, and data-driven decision-making perspectives in all her work. Her expertise includes data analytics, artificial intelligence, AIS security, controllership, governance and internal controls, sustainability accounting, goal congruence, social media risk management, service-learning, and university-community engagement and research partnerships. Margarita has published over 50 interdisciplinary research articles in journals such as Journal of Information Systems, Strategic Finance, Review of Accounting Information Systems, Journal of Production Planning and Control, Issues in Accounting Education, Journal of Information Systems Education, The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, and Business Communication Quarterly. She has won over 30 instruction and mentoring related awards, including the 2019 Michael J. and Mary Ann Cook/Deloitte Foundation/AAA Prize for Outstanding Accounting Undergraduate Professor, the 2009 Outstanding Accounting Professor in the state of Colorado and the CSU System Board of Governors Outstanding Undergraduate Professor, and the 2006 Best Information Systems Professor from the Strategic and Emerging Technologies of the American Accounting Association. In 2021, she was inducted into the PhD Project Hall of Fame for mentoring and coaching three decades of diverse accounting faculty and students.

Integrate New Profession Competencies Using Backward Course Design 

Don’t you love attending great accounting education workshops and conferences (like this one) and exchanging ideas and best practices? Join us to learn how Backward Design can help you organize and integrate new course content in a structured and meaningful way. In this session we will introduce Backward Design and discuss how and why it’s useful when developing and revising accounting courses. We will share how Backward Design can help you integrate new CPA competencies into your accounting courses.

Hands-on Backward Design

Join us for a hands-on session to learn more about implementing Backward Design in your accounting courses! During this session we will discuss best practices, tips, and tricks for how to use Backward Design to incorporate new CPA competencies, or other topics into your classes. We will share what has worked well for us and how we’ve addressed challenges along the way. Our goal by the end of the session is for you to have your own backward design plan to implement in your courses.

As President of EFL Associates | CBIZ Talent & Compensation Solutions, Meschke has completed more than 700 successful senior-level search assignments in the financial services, nonprofit, CPG/retail, technology, aerospace, energy, agribusiness/food, manufacturing and professional services industries. These searches include positions such as president/CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CHRO and board members. Meschke launched his career in Texas with one of the country’s 25 largest banks. Subsequently, he joined two banking franchises in Kansas City, one as its Chief Lending Officer/Minority Owner and another as President. Both institutions were successfully sold to NASDAQ traded companies.

During his 30-year history in the executive search field, Meschke has achieved milestones that place him in the top one percent of all search consultants, nationwide. Routinely sought after as a subject matter expert in the field of talent management, he has been quoted in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, CNN.com, Fortune.com, Human Resource Executive, Employee Benefit News, SHRM.org, and Business Week.

He is a contributing American Management Association blogger and has been a guest speaker/panelist for distinguished associations or groups such as the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Society of Corporate Secretaries, Game on Business Talk Radio, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Institute of Management Accountants.

Highly active in civic and philanthropic pursuits, Meschke served as chair of KCPT Public Television, the University of Kansas School of Business Board of Advisors, and the Shawnee Mission Medical Center Foundation, plus as a board member of multiple organizations. He continues to serve on the boards of the University of Kansas School of Business and the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, a venture development organization as its immediate past chairman. Meschke also functions on the Senior Advisory Board of Star Mountain Capital, a NYC headquartered PE firm.

Education

Master of Business Administration, University of Kansas
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Kansas

The Path to the CFO Chair – How to Prepare Students

What are the skills students need to possess to realize an ultimate career objective to sit in the CFO chair? As educators within the accounting profession, teaching students for a career in public accounting is more than preparing one to pass the CPA exam. It’s about being able to formulate robust financial analyses and modeling, running a budgeting process, and serving as a critical cog in M&A activities. It’s about accumulating soft skills to lead people and weigh in on such important functions as strategy, human resources and technology. Bottom-line, the CFO is the right-hand person to the CEO - the closest confidant and, in many cases, the person that is linked to the heartbeat of the organization.

As President of EFL Associates, one of the top executive search firms in the country, Jay Meschke will lead an interactive discussion to delve into the attributes needed beyond the classroom as a practical synopsis of real-world skills and abilities for the long-term success of students.

Dr. Bruce Runyan is an associate teaching professor of accounting at the University of Missouri - Columbia. He teaches primarily in the areas of financial and managerial accounting with an emphasis on emerging technologies. After a career in public accounting and software development, he taught his first accounting class in 1995 and has been in academic since completing coursework at Texas A&M University in 2003. Dr. Runyan started accounting conferences in east Texas, western North Carolina, and north Texas. He has been advisor to the Professional Accountants Student Society (PASS) and Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). He is active in the Institute of Management Accountants and regularly organizes student attendance at the IMA Student Leadership Conference.

Recruiting Trends in the Accounting Profession – Ask the Recruiters

Recruiters from various market niches will give their perspectives on the current state of hiring in accounting and be available to answer our questions.

Shalyce Adamson is a campus recruiter at RSM US LLP, where she specializes in recruiting for RSM’s audit and tax lines of business in their Missouri and Nebraska markets. At RSM she serves on multiple committees focused on contributing to and improving their already flourishing Culture, Diversity and Inclusion efforts.  Prior to joining RSM, Shalyce was a Senior Human Resources Specialist at a Kansas City based asset manager.  Shalyce received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, her Master’s in Business Administration and Master’s in Human Resources from Webster University. In 2021, Shalyce also completed the requirements for Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification.

Recruiting Trends in the Accounting Profession – Ask the Recruiters

Recruiters from various market niches will give their perspectives on the current state of hiring in accounting and be available to answer our questions.

Bailee Moylan, MBA, is a talent acquisition specialist at MarksNelson located in Kansas City Metro area. Bailee attended Benedictine College, where she attained an undergraduate degree in Business Management and Marketing in 2018 and a Masters in Business Administration in 2019. She began her career in sales at Spring Venture Group, and then transitioned into a management role at a local trucking company in Kansas City. She was able to help build out a recruiting platform from scratch, and implement a process for hiring and onboarding. Bailee has recently joined the MarksNelson team as their Talent Acquisition Specialist, and is excited to learn the different ways to recruit top talent in the KC area. When she is not traveling to career fairs and recruiting events, she enjoys reading next to her pet cat Frankie!

Shalyce Adamson is a campus recruiter at RSM US LLP, where she specializes in recruiting for RSM’s audit and tax lines of business in their Missouri and Nebraska markets. At RSM she serves on multiple committees focused on contributing to and improving their already flourishing Culture, Diversity and Inclusion efforts.  Prior to joining RSM, Shalyce was a Senior Human Resources Specialist at a Kansas City based asset manager.  Shalyce received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, her Master’s in Business Administration and Master’s in Human Resources from Webster University. In 2021, Shalyce also completed the requirements for Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification.

Recruiting Trends in the Accounting Profession – Ask the Recruiters

Recruiters from various market niches will give their perspectives on the current state of hiring in accounting and be available to answer our questions.

Alicia Green is a University Recruiter for KPMG. She recruits at five area schools - KU, K-State, Mizzou, Truman State, and Saint Louis University. Although she is based in the Kansas City office, she sends candidates to offices nationwide. Prior to joining KPMG, Alicia worked in Higher Education at the KU School of Business in both academic advising and career services. She is also an adjunct instructor at Johnson County Community College, where she teaches a career development course.

Recruiting Trends in the Accounting Profession – Ask the Recruiters

Recruiters from various market niches will give their perspectives on the current state of hiring in accounting and be available to answer our questions.

Shawn Barnes is Williams-Keepers LLC’s Director of Business Development and Recruiting. He has 30 years of professional experience in news media, higher education, state government and professional services and joined WK in February 2002.

In conjunction with department leaders, Shawn creates and manages recruiting and hiring plans for new members of the firm’s professional staff. He has served in recruiting/hiring advisory roles for several colleges and universities located throughout Missouri as well as for the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants (MOCPA). Shawn also works with WK’s partners and associates to develop innovative business development strategies designed to reach existing and prospective clients.

Shawn earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s of education from the University of Missouri.

Recruiting Trends in the Accounting Profession – Ask the Recruiters

Recruiters from various market niches will give their perspectives on the current state of hiring in accounting and be available to answer our questions.

 

Katelyn Rodabaugh is a Campus Recruiter for FORVIS located in Springfield, MO working primarily with their Southern Missouri offices. She has worked with the firm for almost four years, previously known as BKD LLP. She graduated from Missouri State Universtiy with an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Advertising Promotion. She enjoys connecting with students, helping them walk through the recruiting process and showcasing the opportunities that a career in accounting can bring to the student.

Recruiting Trends in the Accounting Profession – Ask the Recruiters

Recruiters from various market niches will give their perspectives on the current state of hiring in accounting and be available to answer our questions.

Andrew is the Director of Outreach and Business Development with the Missouri Society of CPAs. Andrew meets regularly with firms, businesses, and educational institutions throughout Missouri to speak with firm partners; corporate accounting and finance leaders; and university professors about high-profile profession issues. In addition, Andrew works with stakeholder groups such as the AICPA, NASBA, review course providers, and other accounting-centric organizations to help drive new business opportunities for members.

Prior to joining the Missouri Society Andrew worked for the AICPA, with some of the most prominent authors in the profession. He holds bachelor and master degrees in English Literature; is a graduate of Mizzou and UMSL; and holds a Certified Association Executive credential.

Looming 2024 CPA Exam Changes: A Campfire Story 

From high school to college, accounting school students enjoy the flexibility of “choose your own adventure” career pathways. It is challenging to keep up with all career pathway permutations for your students, and can be disorienting when those pathways experience major changes. Join us for an interactive, candid story of CPA Exam Evolution – the why’s, how’s, and pathways for you and your students to navigate this new adventure.

Connor Hutchison is a financial compliance and controls analyst for BAE Systems, Inc. and adjunct instructor at Missouri State University teaching intermediate accounting. He graduated from Missouri State University and Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Accountancy with a focus on data and analytics, respectively. He is a CPA and uses his interest and knowledge in accounting to promote the profession in and out of the classroom. In his free time, Connor enjoys travelling, credit card hacking, and learning languages. (

Breaking Down Barriers: Communicating Across Generations

We are in a once-in-a-lifetime era – five generations in the most technologically advanced workforce…and still dealing with a pandemic. This session plans to provide multiple perspectives on why building connection is the answer to working better in today’s workplace.

Rebekah (Becky) Sheely Heath has been teaching all areas of accounting for the past 25 years. She has been nominated for various university and college teaching awards over her career. Becky earned her PhD in Accounting from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 1999 and has obtained the CPA and CIA certifications. Becky is currently employed at Kansas State University as a Teaching Professor – the first in the College of Business. Currently, her primary teaching area is audit.

Becky primarily performs research in the area of accounting education. She has published in Accounting Horizons, Advances in Accounting, Advances in Accounting Education, CPA Journal Internal Auditor, Internal Auditing, Journal of Business Case Studies, and Journal of Applied Business Research.

Using Brain Science Insights to Help Students Learn

Researchers have discovered so much over the past 10 years about how the brain “learns”. We educators have been told to incorporate certain practices into our courses such as retrieval practice and interleaving. But do we really know why?  This session will quickly summarize the research to date.  In addition, participants will discuss teaching and learning myths and will leave with an inventory of brain-based learning activities.

A full-time instructor at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS since 2004, David enjoys engaging with students and figuring out new ways to make the subject of accounting more interesting and fun. Dave began his career as a CPA in a public accounting firm and has also owned and operated a variety of businesses. He has a passion for student mental and emotional health, and in creating ways to get students to put down their phones and communicate deeply with each other.

International students are another focus for Dave, as he acts as an adviser to the JCCC International Student Club. This May, Dave will lead a group of 20 college students on a two-week trip to Berlin to discuss the Cold War and what we can learn from the way Germany has dealt with their past.

Dave is a strong advocate of the use of video to educate students.   Currently he has created hundreds of videos available publicly on YouTube to students worldwide.

Dave is a keyboardist/harmonicist who has played in a blues band since 2007. During COVID, he also began a hobby of rockhounding, and he can often be found wading in local creeks and rivers. He lives in Overland Park, KS with his wife of 32 years. They have two adult sons, as well as a cat who sometimes makes poor choices.   

Twenty-five quick tips/trips/techniques to raise the engagement and socialization levels in your accounting classes!

Whenever I attend a conference, my goal is to return to my classroom with new practices I can immediately implement to make the learning experience more engaging. Thus, I created this presentation so that attendees to be able to go back to their students with at least a handful of techniques and tips that can help in connecting with learners. Some of these techniques I have acquired from others, others I have created myself. Some tips have specifically to do with the topic of accounting, others have more to do with increasing engagement levels of students.   Some highlights of the presentation are below:

• How to literally create more classroom minutes to make space for engagement and participative exercises.
• A guaranteed way to change the vibe of a classroom that has some “bad mojo.”
• Creating more effective and professional PowerPoints with one simple change.
• Two classroom participation exercises that I created that you can use in your introductory accounting classroom.
• One simple way to immediately increase student participation in classroom discussions.
• An extremely simple technique to make MS Excel presentations smoother and more sequential.
• The two most meaningful practices I began that have transformed my relationship with students.
• And much more!

If you goal is to obtain practical teaching and engagement techniques, this is the session for you!

Jose Lineros teaches information systems and IT Audit at the University of North Texas. He has a BBA in Accounting, Masters in Telecommunications, and a PhD in Educational Psychology. He currently holds a CPA, CISA, CIA, CFE, CSX, and CRISC along with a designation as a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist. He has published in the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, Community College Journal of Research & Practice, New Directions for Institutional Research, and the Global e-Learning Journal.

The promise and peril of ChatGPT in higher education

Generative AI technologies like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Deep Mind represent revolutionary changes in natural language processing. Their effects on education and the underlying professions they support will be felt by every market participant. Within these possibilities lie great promise and peril as educators address the inherent technology and its capabilities.

Noelle is the Senior Portfolio Manager for Financial, Managerial, and Intermediate Accounting at McGraw Hill. In this role, she works with authors to strategize, plan, and develop educational content for key titles in accounting including the Spiceland/Thomas franchise, the Garrison/Noreen/Brewer franchise, Phillips, Libby, and more. She also partners closely with marketing and sales to support customers and promote products and tools.

Noelle has been with McGraw Hill for over 15 years, and she loves that her job allows her to learn new things every day. Noelle was born and raised in Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan. She lives and works in the Chicago suburbs with her husband; two daughters, Nora (9) and Ivy (5); and their dog, Ollie. She enjoys biking and hiking with her family, but she spends most of her free time reading.

Equipping Students with Career Readiness Skills

Join McGraw Hill as we discuss how our data analytics and Excel tools can be easily incorporated into your course from the introductory level all the way up the curriculum to help prepare your students for their career.  Learn about our Integrated Excel capability within Connect.  Excel opens seamlessly inside Connect with no need for uploading or downloading any additional files or software.

 

Pamela J. Schmidt is an Associate Professor at the Washburn School of Business where she holds the Dibble Professorship in Accounting and Finance. She teaches Data Analytics and Accounting Information Systems classes, she has presented teaching cases at numerous AAA conferences, and has published educational cases. She earned a Ph.D. in information systems with an emphasis in accounting from the Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California. She holds the ISACA professional certification in risk assessment and information systems controls (CRISC). She has received numerous awards for innovations in teaching about and with technology. Dr. Schmidt’s prior business experience includes technical development of new digital products (broadband internet, data networks, internet services, high-reliability computer systems and telecommunications infrastructure), R&D management and corporate product management positions at AT&T Bell Labs, AT&T Corporate, Ameritech and SBC Inc.

Analysis of Topeka Metro Bike Public Dataset Using Open Source Geographic and Statistical Tools

Accounting educators are seeking business data analysis cases that students will relate to, and that appeal to students as familiar, practical and impactful. This Metro Bike case is an example of a regional community-based data set that can be used as a guided case and also promotes critical thinking by students. A range of technology tools can be used for this dataset including Excel, PowerBI, Access database, SQL and open source tools. The case can be augmented using public data sources for students to acquire such as weather data and census data. The geographic data tools used are open source and the dataset is available online in an educational university website. The case can also suggest an approach that could be used to partner with your own local services or companies.

The Topeka Metro Bike (TMB) program, a bike-sharing program, was formed in early 2015 as a means to provide enhanced public transportation infrastructure. Over 140 unique Topeka Metro Bike hubs were installed in the community within the program's operating period to offer an affordable means of supplementing well-defined Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority bus routes. Due to vendor management concerns and prohibitive costs associated with updating emerging geolocation technologies, the program closed in July of 2020. This research project is a post-analysis of the TMB exposes students to the value of data analysis. The case is a means to understand the characteristics of program members, the influence of weather, and the geographic concentration of bike routes to address business questions posed by TMB Board. The primary goal is to use data in an effort to provide data-driven insights to the community biking program. To access geographic characteristics this project demonstrates use of websites for GPS Visualizer and Google Maps, open-source tools QGIS, GPS Babble, and Open street maps to visualize ridership concentration. For further analysis of the data, we used Excel, R programming language, and PowerBI Dax coding language.

Kristen Hearrell is a senior in the Business Data Analytics Program at Washburn University. Her favorite is learning open-source analytics tools to enhance civic engagement. Kristen’s focus is ensuring the proper use of statistics and visualizations in analytics projects. Currently, Kristen is in her last semester at Washburn University and plans to pursue graduate studies.

Analysis of Topeka Metro Bike Public Dataset Using Open Source Geographic and Statistical Tools

Accounting educators are seeking business data analysis cases that students will relate to, and that appeal to students as familiar, practical and impactful. This Metro Bike case is an example of a regional community-based data set that can be used as a guided case and also promotes critical thinking by students. A range of technology tools can be used for this dataset including Excel, PowerBI, Access database, SQL and open source tools. The case can be augmented using public data sources for students to acquire such as weather data and census data. The geographic data tools used are open source and the dataset is available online in an educational university website. The case can also suggest an approach that could be used to partner with your own local services or companies.

The Topeka Metro Bike (TMB) program, a bike-sharing program, was formed in early 2015 as a means to provide enhanced public transportation infrastructure. Over 140 unique Topeka Metro Bike hubs were installed in the community within the program's operating period to offer an affordable means of supplementing well-defined Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority bus routes. Due to vendor management concerns and prohibitive costs associated with updating emerging geolocation technologies, the program closed in July of 2020. This research project is a post-analysis of the TMB exposes students to the value of data analysis. The case is a means to understand the characteristics of program members, the influence of weather, and the geographic concentration of bike routes to address business questions posed by TMB Board. The primary goal is to use data in an effort to provide data-driven insights to the community biking program. To access geographic characteristics this project demonstrates use of websites for GPS Visualizer and Google Maps, open-source tools QGIS, GPS Babble, and Open street maps to visualize ridership concentration. For further analysis of the data, we used Excel, R programming language, and PowerBI Dax coding language.

 

Sangya Yogi is a senior majoring in Business Data Analytics and Finance at Washburn University. Sangya has a keen interest in reporting and enjoys using different data visualization tools. Besides academics, Sangya works at Security Benefit as a Business System Analyst Intern. After graduating in May 2023, Sangya hopes to work as a Financial Analyst.

Analysis of Topeka Metro Bike Public Dataset Using Open Source Geographic and Statistical Tools

Accounting educators are seeking business data analysis cases that students will relate to, and that appeal to students as familiar, practical and impactful. This Metro Bike case is an example of a regional community-based data set that can be used as a guided case and also promotes critical thinking by students. A range of technology tools can be used for this dataset including Excel, PowerBI, Access database, SQL and open source tools. The case can be augmented using public data sources for students to acquire such as weather data and census data. The geographic data tools used are open source and the dataset is available online in an educational university website. The case can also suggest an approach that could be used to partner with your own local services or companies.

The Topeka Metro Bike (TMB) program, a bike-sharing program, was formed in early 2015 as a means to provide enhanced public transportation infrastructure. Over 140 unique Topeka Metro Bike hubs were installed in the community within the program's operating period to offer an affordable means of supplementing well-defined Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority bus routes. Due to vendor management concerns and prohibitive costs associated with updating emerging geolocation technologies, the program closed in July of 2020. This research project is a post-analysis of the TMB exposes students to the value of data analysis. The case is a means to understand the characteristics of program members, the influence of weather, and the geographic concentration of bike routes to address business questions posed by TMB Board. The primary goal is to use data in an effort to provide data-driven insights to the community biking program. To access geographic characteristics this project demonstrates use of websites for GPS Visualizer and Google Maps, open-source tools QGIS, GPS Babble, and Open street maps to visualize ridership concentration. For further analysis of the data, we used Excel, R programming language, and PowerBI Dax coding language.