Sumanth Varaganti: Outstanding International Student

Sumanth Varaganti is an international graduate student from India.

He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Information Systems. He was recently elected the Public Relations and Advertising Representative for the International Student Organization (ISO) on-campus, and he has helped put together a number of great events at Murray State. He states:

The very first impression on Murray State University was a great kick start with a very friendly atmosphere and a great campus, cheering up the spirits high at its best which made me to get more involved into the campus activities. My participation in ACS (All Campus Sing) was a great experience which is quite memorable. Being a Public Relations and Advertising member for ISO (International student organization) got new responsibilities in getting close to the students making them breaking the ice. The university has a great unity with all the cultures from every corner of the world, with this diversity of traditions together makes every student lively. This experience made me stronger than that I get from books.

Murray State Student Meets President

Last April, Wissem Zrelli, a Tunisian exchange student at Murray State University, was invited to the White House to meet President Barack Obama. 

News Release: Vietnamese Accounting Student Coauthors Research Study

Nhi Le, a Vietnamese student who finished her MBA at Murray State University in May 2014, coauthored a research paper during her time at Murray State:

Business Prof and Grad Students Author Paper on Accounting in Belgium, Brazil and Vietnam

Accounting Department Head Dr. Don Chamberlain congratulates Dr. Murphy Smith and Nhi Le (shown in photo), as well as Heather Anderson and Casey Reineking, on their forthcoming article in the professional journal, Internal Auditing. Le, Anderson, and Reineking were students in Smith’s graduate-level international accounting class in the spring 2013. Based on work done in class, they developed their paper, which is titled ‘A Look at Accounting and Business Matters in Belgium, Brazil and Vietnam.’

Smith explains, “The activities of internal auditors, management accountants, and other business professionals are increasingly affected by the globalization of business. Internal auditors and management accountants have to understand accounting and business developments in places where their companies carry out operations.”

In the U.S., financial reporting is based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), but in other countries, other accounting standards apply. The article examines developments in Belgium, Brazil and Vietnam, representing the continents of Europe, South America, and Asia. A summary of accounting and business matters is presented, along with a brief history of each country.

Dr. L. Murphy Smith is the David and Ashley Dill Distinguished Professor of Accounting in the Bauernfeind College of Business at Murray State University. Dr. Smith's academic record includes numerous professional journal articles, research grants, books, conference presentations, and awards for teaching and research. Heather Anderson, Nhi Le, and Casey Reineking are graduate accounting students at Murray State University.

Student Profile: Maroo Lee

Maroo Lee is a Korean student at Murray State University. He studied Marketing as an undergraduate at Murray State, and will graduate with an MBA from Murray State this December (2014). His goal is to become the CEO of a car and automotive company.

Lee has accomplished a lot during his time at Murray State. He was elected President of the Korean student organization and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an honors society for business students. He has been very active in the Murray State community, and has also gotten competitive internships in his field.

Lee took a three-month internship at the E-Land Group, an international fashion company, as a Strategic Intelligence Intern. He states:

The competition rate was almost 400:1 and it was hard to get it. After I applied for the position, I took one exam and had two interviews. I had to spend more than 19 hours per day at work, but it was worth to get practical experience as a business student and it was a great opportunity to learn how people think. It was a three month internship and I worked in Seoul, Korea and Shanghai, China. The company wants [to meet] the real and actual needs of customers’ demand... Even though I couldn't speak any Chinese, I communicated with them by using gestures and English... We started by studying [our] competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, we researched why customers like competitor’s brands and their identities. We found the reason and applied our own strategies to our brand. The project was successful and actual profit of the brand went up. We got the special prize from the company’s headquarter, too. It was great experience and fun! 

Over the summer, Lee was invited to a 2014 International Business Seminar in Italy, where he presented an IBS paper. This trip allowed him to visit three major cities: Rome, Sienna and Florence.

His experiences include:

•  Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at Murray State University, 2013.
•  Graduating from Murray State University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, December, 2014.
•  Experience in various cultures through travel and living in over 30 foreign countries, including countries in Europe, Asia as well as the United States.
• ESI Intern, E-land Group
• Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Full-time summer internship in the headquarters of E-land Group working in Business Strategic department with professional staff to launch new brand in China and Korea
• Made business strategy for penetration in Chinese market
•  Research and analyzed market environment
• Working with Chinese corporation company and employees
• UNESCO
• United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
• Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Full-time summer position in UNESCO working in cooperation with professional staff to prepare meeting for foreign organizations.
• Made schedule and plans for the meeting.
• Managing visitors and their needs 
• Organizing meeting results and issued research paper