Michigan State professor to lead business forum at Evangel

Michigan State University hospitality professor Ray Schmidgall is scheduled to host a business-leadership forum at Evangel University – his alma mater – on Friday.

The forum, which is being held at 1 p.m. in Trask Hall, room 101, is free and open to the public and will focus on “Partnerships + Work + Faith = Success.”

Schmidgall, who in 1967 received a bachelor’s in accounting from Evangel, is a professor of hospitality financial management in The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State. He also holds an MBA and doctorate from MSU.

Prior to teaching, Schmidgall was the financial controller of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Educational Institute, and worked as an auditor with Ernst and Ernst, according to an Evangel news release.

Schmidgall, who serves on Evangel’s board of trustees, has authored or co-authored more than a dozen textbooks, another dozen chapters in books and more than 250 articles, the release said. The eighth edition of his college textbook “Managerial Accounting for the Hospitality Industry” is slated to be published in October.

“Dr. Schmidgall will encourage our current students to see how someone can grasp God’s calling in the area of business and integrate his faith with all aspects of his life and a successful career,” said Bernie Dana, chair of the Evangel Department of Business, in the release.