George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics

08/20/2026

JCBE students: mark your calendars. The Meet the Firms Accounting Career Fair returns on Thursday, September 3rd from 4-6 PM on the 1st floor of the Johnson College of Business and Economics.

This event connects students with accounting firms actively recruiting talent, and while it's traditionally geared toward accounting majors, finance and economics students are welcome and encouraged to attend as well.

Register for the career fair and for one of the two prep workshops using the links: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/tcApBQf6mq

We look forward to seeing you there.

08/18/2026

A photo like this has become a JCBE tradition! 💚

Kim Land and Michael Wooten are kicking off their 12th First Day of Class at JCBE!

ALERT: A rare photo of a smiling Prof. Wooten has been detected! 😁

08/14/2026

Summer is winding down, but our excitement for Fall is just getting started!

Over the last orientations, we loved meeting so many incoming and transfer Spartans at the JCBE table! Thank you for stopping by, asking questions, and letting us be part of your first steps on campus! We can't wait to watch you grow, learn, and succeed.

Here's to a great year ahead. Welcome to the Spartan family! 💚

08/13/2026

Big news from JCBE! Our Academic Advisor, Victoria Lockhart, defended her dissertation last week and now is officially Dr. Lockhart!

She earned her Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University, all while continuing to show up for our students as their Advisor.

We are SO proud of you, Victoria! This achievement is a testament to your hard work, late nights, and dedication, and we know it'll only make you an even better resource for the students who rely on you.

Drop a 🎉 in comments below to help us celebrate her!

08/11/2026

Paisley Hammonds is a JCBE Accounting junior interning at Mauldin & Jenkins CPAs & Advisors in Greenville this summer, participating in the firm's 360 Program, which gives interns exposure to both tax and audit within a single placement.

She's been shadowing managers on audit review, sitting in on tax client meetings, and collaborating with other interns on a three-week audit project and presentation.

"My mentor, Shannon Kelleher, a Senior Tax Associate, has helped me since day one by creating a welcoming environment, encouraged asking questions, and holding one on one meetings to check in and answer any questions that I have with the firm," Paisley shares.

She's not sure yet whether her specialty will be tax or audit. The 360 Program is designed exactly for that kind of exploration. But her goal is clear: CPA.

08/07/2026

Last week, Maria Kirienko, our Senior Marketing major, packed her bags for Seattle, where she attended a conference room full of engineers, scientists, and executives from across the nuclear industry.

Maria was selected as a sponsored student for the U. S. Women in Nuclear (U.S. WIN) National Conference, one of the largest gatherings of its kind, with over 1,000 professionals in attendance this year.

Over two days, she sat in on panels covering leadership, salary negotiation, and professional development. She connected with women across engineering, marketing, communications, and HR roles, swapping career stories and advice with people years into industries she's only beginning to explore.

It's not every day a marketing student finds herself deep in conversations about nuclear energy and sustainability, but that's exactly what makes us proud. Maria didn't wait for an internship or a class assignment to seek this experience. Instead, she raised her hand, applied, and spent part of her summer break learning about an industry critical to our future.

JCBE students go above and beyond, and this is what they do best. Our grads show up in finance, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, tech, and everywhere in between, bringing the same curiosity and drive Maria showed this week.

We're proud of you, Maria, and we can't wait to see where this takes you!

08/04/2026

Gracelyn Morrow is spending her summer at Smith + Howard as a Tax and Assurance Intern, working across both disciplines and building hands-on proficiency in Engagement, QuickBooks, Axcess, FACS, and GoFileRoom.

For an accounting student heading into her senior year, that kind of exposure across tax and assurance practice areas is a significant head start.

"Throughout the internship, I had the opportunity to assist in both tax and assurance, which broadened my understanding of key accounting practices,"" she says. ""As a result, I feel more confident in preparing business tax returns, performing assurance procedures, and contributing to review engagements."

Congratulations, Gracelyn. That's a Business Spartan at work!

07/30/2026

When Cierra Lewis started her summer at Mauldin & Jenkins CPAs & Advisors, she figured the 360 Program would help her pick a lane: tax or audit. It didn't quite work out that way.

The JCBE Accounting senior rotated through tax, audit, and advisory over the course of the summer, collaborated with fellow interns on a three-week project analyzing and presenting on financial statements, and worked alongside a firm buddy who made sure she always felt supported and comfortable asking questions.

"This internship has shown me that I have interest in not only tax or audit, but maybe advisory as well," Cierra shares. "It has given me an experience that goes far beyond book knowledge."

She arrived looking for clarity but found something better: a genuine picture of how much the profession has to offer.

"This internship has given me more than just the experience, it has also given me networking opportunities which allowed me to meet some of my future classmates."

Proud of everything you built this summer, Cierra!

07/28/2026

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Boran Kim to the USC Upstate family! Dr. Kim will be leading our brand-new Hospitality and Tourism Management program at the JCBE.

Dr. Kim earned her Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from UNLV and brings more than ten years of real-world experience in integrated resort operations in Las Vegas. Her research explores how technology is transforming the hospitality industry, along with consumer behavior and sustainability practices, topics that are shaping the future of the field.

She is passionate about student success and mentoring future hospitality leaders, and we know she is going to be a tremendous asset to our students and our community.

Welcome to USC Upstate, Dr. Kim!

07/27/2026