4 People, 3 Questions: Spring 2024
Friday, April 5, 2024
Helen Moser
Senior Lecturer, Finance
What are you reading?
I am drawn to biographies and autobiographies. I recently finished reading Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. It is a humorous take on his difficult life in South Africa during apartheid, where being mixed race meant not belonging. It is also about the strength of a mother’s love. I am now reading Confidence Man, a book about Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman. She had intimate access to some key moments during his run for office and time as president.
What is your favorite website?
I probably spend the most time on finviz.com. It is a finance site that allows you to screen the stock universe for key metrics. You can then analyze key financial information for the subset of companies (discounted cash flow analysis). Finally, you can analyze the technical stock movement for key entry and exit points.
What is your dream job?
I will start out by saying that I do love what I do now. The autonomy of the job and joy of meeting so many new people each year make this such a great career. However, if we are talking about the ultimate dream job, I think traveling the world as a travel vlogger would be a great way to marry my love of travel with my desire to still connect with people wanting to learn.
Deborah Roedder John
Professor, Curtis L. Carlson Chair in Marketing
What are you reading?
I recently re-read Mrs. Kennedy and Me, written by Clint Hill, who was Jackie Kennedy’s personal Secret Service agent during her time as first lady. Although originally dismayed he was not assigned to President Kennedy’s Secret Service detail, Hill developed a close and trusted relationship with the first lady. His poignant stories about life with Jackie Kennedy provide a close-up view of one of the most famous women of the 20th century.
What is your favorite website?
My favorite website is bogleheads.com, a personal finance site. The website provides information and advice on investing based on the principles of John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group and creator of the first index mutual fund. The site promotes passive investing using index funds as opposed to active trading of individual stocks.
What is your dream job?
Starting college as a business major, I wanted to be the first female CEO of a major company. At the time, there were very few women in business schools and even fewer in top business positions. Then, I got a job as a teaching assistant and my dream changed to getting into a top PhD program and becoming a business professor. Looking back, I’m sure I picked the right dream, although I wouldn’t mind having access to a corporate jet!
Salman Arif
Associate Professor, Accounting
What are you reading?
I’m “reading” (OK, listening) to the autobiographies of Trevor Noah, Born a Crime, and Michelle Obama, Becoming. These audiobooks are magical. Both are narrated by the authors and it feels as if I’m sitting across from these trailblazing stars in my home as they tell me the story of their lives. I can’t recommend these books enough—they are by turns hilarious, inspiring, and touching!
What is your favorite website?
Audible.com. Several years ago, I discovered the joy of audiobooks and now I’m a devotee of the format. Thanks to audiobooks, I’ve traveled to new countries and planets while doing laundry and taking out the trash. I’m always on the lookout for new titles!
What is your dream job?
Astronaut. I haven’t given up on my dream, so if the Carlson School of Management ever establishes a space campus, I’ll be first in line!
Beth Campbell
Associate Professor, Work & Organizations
What are you reading?
For evidenced-based non-fiction, I’m fortunate that many friends and mentors write great books! Recently, I read three of theirs: The Power of Saying No by Vanessa Patrick, Hidden Potential by Adam Grant, and The Coachable Leader by Carlson School Senior Lecturer Kevin Wilde. I also love Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters From An American, a semi-regular newsletter contextualized with historical expertise and not editorialized. For fiction: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo and The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn.
What is your favorite website?
For news, The Daily. For boosts in productivity, ChatGPT. For dips in productivity, The Bond Between (formerly known as Secondhand Hounds)—a Minnesotan nonprofit that works with fosters to rehabilitate and find great homes for animals.
What is your dream job?
This is an impossible question for someone who studies jobs and work for a living! With sincerity, I’m delighted with the job I have—a professional nerd who gets to study psychological phenomena in the workplace and teach MBA students. If you really forced me to choose another, maybe a hiking guide in Utah or a human rights lawyer.
This article appeared in the Spring 2024 alumni magazine
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