• Claudia Costiuc, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Marketing
  Dr. Costiuc comes to Kent State University where she earned her doctorate in Marketing. 
• Rachel Smith, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Leadership
  Dr. Smith comes to us from the University of Nebraska where she earned her doctorate in Organizational Behavior and Leadership. 

Like many Purdue University Calumet students, Lazorik has worn many hats. In addition to pursuing a double major in human resources and marketing, the 32-year-old Merrillville resident works at running a business, Bryco Services, Inc., a Merrillville-based janitorial services company.

As busy as being a double major and employer of 14 workers can be, Lazorik is not too busy to give back. He voluntarily has served as a mentor to the Purdue Calumet chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO Club), informing prospective business owners of the challenges he has faced as a business owner.

He also has been active in church music ministry-at multiple churches, if fact. He plays organ for mass, directs a choir, has served as music director at St. Joseph’s Church of Hammond, and is staff organist and choir director at a Chicago church. Additionally, he has been a parochial school teacher, resigning last year to spend more time with his business.

A recipient earlier this year of the Chancellor’s Outstanding Student Award for the Department of Marketing, Human Resources and Management, Lazorik is a candidate to receive his baccalaureate degree Sunday (5/17) during Purdue Calumet Spring Commencement Exercises at the Radisson Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville.

While employed after high school as an office manager, he enrolled in night classes at Purdue Calumet, where “I was impressed with the quality reputation of (the) management program and the fact that most of the instructors have actually worked in the field and could share real work experiences,” he said.

Initially an accounting major, he changed his focus to human resources and marketing. The concepts he learned in his classes also encouraged him, he said, to take a leap of faith and start his janitorial business more than eight years ago.

“My education has been really useful to my business,” he said. “I most value the opportunity I had to learn something one day in class and immediately apply it to my business. Though it was tough starting a business and attending classes, I feel the experience of being able to apply my learned knowledge immediately and then seeing the results helped me to be a better student and a better business owner.”

Professors in Purdue Calumet’s School of Management have encouraged Lazorik to take advantage of opportunities to help other students.

“Bryan was a mentor in Management 450, an experiential learning class,” Assistant Professor of Management Arifin Angriawan said. “He helped students write strategic plans of simulated firms, and he attended and gave feedback to their strategic plan presentations.”

After graduation, Lazorik plans to continue to grow his business, which he says has experienced controlled growth throughout his student years at Purdue Calumet. He also has his sights set on earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

Note:  Originally published at http://webs.calumet.purdue.edu/news/2009/05/13/lazorik/