Undergraduate Research Grant awarded to DCOB’s Cebula

Undergraduate research is one of the unique activities used to enhance students’ educational experiences while pursuing their bachelor’s degree at Jacksonville University. These experiences are available in all academic disciplines, including economics and finance, where Dr. Richard Cebula has already assisted four undergraduates to publish their scholarly research in referred academic journals.

Dr. Richard Cebula, Bill J. Walker/Wells Fargo Endowed Professor of Finance, was recently approved for a $5,000 undergraduate research grant by the Charles G. Koch foundation.

“I believe that I was approached by the Charles Koch Foundation initially due to the nature of my research on economic freedom, economic behavior, and private enterprise and the result in 2014 was a research grant to develop a course dealing with these scholarly issues. Subsequently, when I informed them that I was doing a book with the Edward Elgar Publishing Company that addressed these same three issues, I was encouraged to apply for a research grant for student research assistance, a grant that was subsequently awarded for use in 2015,” said Cebula. “This book will be conducted at a very high and contemporary level, making the project very rewarding.”

With this grant, Cebula has secured the assistance of JU senior Accounting and English major Alyssa Stubbs, of Jacksonville, to assist in his book. This book, with a working title of “Economic Behavior, Entrepreneurship and Economic Freedom,” will consist of 21 chapters, each addressing a different dimension of the three topics mentioned in the title. Stubbs will be working with Cebula in areas of editing, formatting and preparing the chapters for publishing.

“Editing an economics publication combines my interests in business and writing and I appreciate Dr. (Bob) Boylan for recommending me to Dr. Cebula for this opportunity,” Stubbs said. “Dr. Cebula is easily among the best in his field in this country, and I am grateful for an opportunity to work alongside and learn from him.”

Stubbs, a Jacksonville native who will graduate in April, is an active member of the Brumos Circle of Excellence, Business Manager of the JU Student Newspaper The Navigator, works with Dr. Russ Baker on his academic journal publishing business, Academic and Business Research Institute, and just began an internship with Interline Brands in Jacksonville.

“Alyssa has proved to be very enthusiastic, efficient and punctual,” Cebula said. “We work very well together, and it has been a pleasure to work with her on this project.”

Cebula came to JU in 2010 and is an established author of another 14 scholarly books, and has served on editorials boards of 17 international scholarly journals and has published more than 550 scholarly publications in areas of economics, finance, general business, management and statistics. Cebula has been ranked in the top 1% of all research economists worldwide over the last 10 years by IDEAS, which is managed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

“Rich (Cebula) is a great asset to the Davis College of Business through his versatility and dynamics of his research capabilities,” said Don Capener, Dean of the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. “His ability to share this knowledge in the classroom and with research assistants allows for our students to have ample opportunities to expand their business knowledge.”

The Charles G. Koch Foundation, founded in 1980, provides support to universities and other non-profit organizations to explore the institutions that foster societal well-being. The University of Chicago and Harvard University are among the other universities to receive such support.