The Smeal Academy Podcast

S2E2. Interview with Raymond Kusch, CEO, American Inference

From serving as a U.S. Army infantryman to leading American Inference, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence firm, Raymond Kusch's career has always been about helping others succeed. Today, he's channeling his passion for business analytics into creating opportunities for people and organizations to thrive in the rapidly evolving business landscape.

S2E1. Interview with Daniel Ives, Wedbush Securities

Dan is a Smeal College of Business alum (finance major), the Global Head of Technology Research at Wedbush Securities, and one of the most recognized tech analysts on Wall Street. With over two decades of experience, Dan has provided insights on everything from cloud computing to AI to electric vehicles—and today, he's here to share his thoughts on the transformative role of AI in business education and to tell us about the upcoming Dan and Robyn Ives AI Innovation Day at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business on March 27th. Daniel Ives is a Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst covering the Technology sector at Wedbush Securities since 2018. Dan has been a tech analyst on Wall Street for over two decades covering the software and the broader technology sector. He spent the first few years of his career as a financial analyst at HBO and then received his MBA in Finance before becoming a globally known technology equity research analyst and Managing Director with FBR Capital Markets for 16 years, focusing on the enterprise software/hardware sectors including cyber security, cloud computing, big data technology, and the mobile landscape. A major area of his research focus is electric vehicles and disruptive technology over the next decade.   Dan is a highly sought after tech expert around the world, has been a keynote speaker across the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia and regularly makes television appearances on networks such as CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, BBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, France 24, Sky News, ABC Australia, TV Tokyo and many networks around the world to provide commentary related to his technology expertise. Dan has also appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS NewsHour, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, and CBS Evening News. Dan can be heard regularly doing radio on the tech sector for Bloomberg, ABC News, NPR, BBC, and other radio programs. Dan is often cited globally by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Investors Business Daily, Chicago Tribune, NY Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, The Telegraph, San Francisco Chronicle, Time Magazine, Le Monde, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Daily Mail, South China Morning Post, Barron's, The Times of London, Financial Times, Le Figaro, The Sydney Morning Herald, and New York Times, among many others. Named by the New York Post in 2024 as the “Best Dressed Man on Wall Street” in a fashion profile article.   He holds a BS in Finance from Penn State University and an MBA from the University of Maryland.   Twitter handle: @DivesTech  Check out the Dan and Robin Ives Innovation Initiatives fund at Smeal [https://www.psu.edu/news/smeal-college-business/story/new-innovation-fund-penn-state-smeal-students-explore-ai-initiatives] for GenAI initiatives. As part of Penn State’s commitment to pioneering leadership in business and technology, this fund is designed to catalyze your ideas, offering resources to explore and develop projects at the forefront of AI.

S1E15. Smeal Students Unplugged: Phones & A.I. in the Classroom

The conclusion of our two-part series featuring students from Smeal's brand-new BA 397 Business Communication Course, this episode focuses on the pros and cons of smartphones and A.I. in the classroom.

S1E14. Smeal Students Share What Creates Classroom Connection

This month's podcast features students from Smeal's brand-new BA 397 Business Communication Course, discussing their favorite classroom engagement strategies. They discuss everything from TopHat to AI to cold-calling in the classroom!

S1E13. Michelle Darnell on the Transformational Power of Honor and Integrity

Chris sits down with Michelle Darnell, Academic Integrity Director of the Smeal College of Business to discuss all things Honor and Integrity.