Steven Amendola is only a sophomore, but as one of the most promising students in Fordham’s College of Business Administration, he has been selected to work side-by-side with faculty members on sophisticated accounting research. Amendola is among CBA’s first four Fr. William Boyle Fellowship winners. Each fellow works with Fordham professors to prepare research for publication and networks with professionals in his or her field of study. Students will conduct at least 40 hours of research a month and will be paid about $10 an hour. “We are forming business partnerships with our students while fostering an environment of academic excellence,” said Sharon Smith, dean of the College of Business Administration.
“Students are learning and working in their discipline and it’s a true benefit to the faculty, whose work is enriched by the research of the students.” The fellowship program enables sophomores to work closely with faculty to develop projects and skills that would make them eligible for prestigious graduate awards, such as a Rhodes Scholarship or Fulbright Fellowship. Twelve students were invited to apply last semester.
The recipients include Amendola, who is paired with Professors Bruce Koch, Aditya Saharia and Robert Tucker; Evangelia Stavros, who is working with Professor Larry King on a marketing project; Helen O’Connor, who is paired with Professor Dawn Lerman on a marketing project; and Anthony Vernace, who is working with Professor Willianallur (R.P.) Raghupathi on finance and information technology research.
Amendola, who has been helping his faculty mentors research Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) internal audits, said he has already realized the fellowship’s academic and professional potential. “It’s challenging because I’m only a sophomore and getting into ERP systems. It’s a real leap,” said Amendola, an accounting major and president of CBA’s Global Learning Opportunities and Business Experiences (G.L.O.B.E.) Club. “I’ve met new professors. I now have connections with the MTA and it gives me a working knowledge of a professional atmosphere.” The new fellowship program complements CBA’s Fr. William Boyle Society, an honor society that offers academically outstanding students opportunities to advance their education through internships and other professional experiences.
The society is named after the late Rev. William Boyle, S.J., who was the assistant dean of CBA. The new program was made possible by a donation from alumnus Kenneth Fields (CBA, ’64), president of Klingenstein Fields & Company, LLC, who was a protege of Fr. Boyle’s. Student fellows, who maintain good grades, may keep the fellowship until they graduate. Smith hopes the program will grow to about 25 students. Through the efforts of alumni Peter Howe (CBA, ’70), a CBA advisory board member, Angie Monaco-Cercone (CBA, ’81) and Paul Ostling (UG, ’70, LAW ’73), the accounting firm Ernst & Young has made the fellowship program a priority for its matching gifts program. A fellowship bearing the company’s name will be offered in the fall semester, Smith said.
