The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity is a forum for discussion of a broad range of contemporary issues confronting US corporations and businesses. Our concerns include corporate governance, examining legal and ethical corporate behavior, spotlighting executive accountability, corporate responsibility in global business development, risk assessment and amelioration, resolving conflicting corporate stakeholder interests, transparency of corporate reporting, and evaluating the role of governmental regulation.

The Center aims to:

• Engage in timely discussion of corporate behavior and issues
• Foster interaction among corporate leaders, regulators, scholars and Baruch students
• Increase the impact of ethics in the classroom and on our students’ lives
• Raise the ethical climate of corporate America to a higher plane
• Increase the visibility of Baruch College and the Zicklin School

The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity (CCI), formerly the Center for Financial Integrity, was established in 2002 to keep an informed spotlight on the changing issues of governance and financial reporting confronting U.S. corporations and capital markets.

Public confidence in U.S. business has eroded in recent years, and names like Enron, Andersen, and Canary Capital have created a new vocabulary of cynicism. The reputations of many corporations, banks, mutual funds, accounting firms, and senior executives have been badly tarnished. Nonetheless, CCI’s mission and underlying philosophy are rooted in a belief in the fundamental strength of American enterprise.

The goal of CCI says former New York State Comptroller Ned Regan, who helped found the center while serving as President of Baruch College, is to strengthen the American economy through discourse, education, and research that leads to greater awareness of the fiduciary and ethical obligations among the many participants in our economic system and, when necessary, to support new laws and regulations that will bolster the probity of American business.

The modern corporation is a wealth creation instrument of virtually limitless power and efficiency, with an unsurpassed capacity for marshalling capital, human resources, knowledge and intellect to achieve its goals. It is no exaggeration to say that the modern corporation is central to the progress of the world’s developed – and developing – societies. In the United States, it is the sine qua non of the highest standard of living in human history.

But there is a downside to America’s dependence on its business firms. The fallout from flaws and, worse, breaches in trust, can be catastrophic: Billions are lost in investment capital, government revenues decline and tens of thousands of jobs may be at risk. A Brookings Institution study estimates that the recent corporate scandals cost the U.S. economy $35 billion in the first year alone. In New York State, the losses associated with the scandals amounted to some $2.9 billion in economic activity and $1 billion in uncollected taxes in FY2003.

In 2002, Baruch College created a forum for the discussion of issues raised by the Enron collapse and other corporate scandals. Baruch appeared to be a natural home for these important discussions. The largest public business school in the United States and the only one located in New York City, Baruch annually graduates some 2,500 students who go on to careers in business and public service.

In addition to the Zicklin School of Business, the college comprises and draws upon the resources of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, highly regarded for its programs in ethics and business communications; and the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, a national leader in the field of nonprofit management.

Director

David Rosenberg, Esq., was appointed Academic Director of the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity in July 2012.  He is a is an Associate Professor in the Law Department in the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College.  Professor Rosenberg teaches the law of business organizations and other business law subjects in the Zicklin School’s undergraduate and Master’s degree programs.  He holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School where he was an Editor of the Cornell Law Review. He received a B.A. from Oberlin College.

Professor Rosenberg is an expert on the fiduciary duties of corporate directors and other business leaders. He has published scholarly articles on corporate governance, limited partnerships, venture capital funds and other areas of business law. His two most recent articles addressed the debate in the Delaware courts over the meaning of the term “good faith,” as it applies to a director’s duties to a corporation and its shareholders. He is currently a Director/Trustee of the Fred Alger family of mutual funds.

Director of Finance and Sustainability Programming

Lin Peng holds the title of Krell Chair Professor of Finance at Baruch College, the City University of New York, where she also serves as the PhD program coordinator. She is also an associate editor for Management Science and the Journal of Empirical Finance, a visiting scholar at Princeton University, and a member of the management committee for the Keynes Fund for Applied Economics at the University of Cambridge. 

Professor Peng has extensive expertise in the areas of investor attention, social networks, sustainable finance, and FinTech. Her expertise has been featured by media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Reuters, Institutional Investor, and the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment Newsletter. She has been named an honoree of AACSB’s 2024 Influential Leaders for her research in advancing new knowledge and creating impact in business and society. Her research has been invited to be presented at the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Reserve Bank’s Board of Governors, European Securities and Markets Authority, Bank of England, China Securities Regulatory Commission, and many leading universities and numerous conferences in Economics, Finance, Accounting, and Law.

She has published her work in leading economics and finance journals, with many among the top 50 journals as ranked by the Financial Times, including the American Economic Review, Journal of Finance (lead article), Review of Financial Studies, and Journal of Financial Economics. She has also won various grants and awards for her research, and Best Paper Awards at multiple leading conferences.

Director of Program on Tech Ethics

Professor Yafit Lev-Aretz is the Director of the RZCCI’s Program on Tech Ethics. Tech Ethics examines the ethical dilemmas associated with the various technology applications, including in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data. The tech ethics program is designed to increase awareness of such ethical dilemmas and foster a conversation on the positive and negative impacts of technology. The program also aims to equip future leaders with the insights and perspectives needed to make complex decisions about the use of technology in business and society.

Professor Lev-Aretz is a tech policy expert, researching the fascinating relationship between the law, technology, and society.  She has written about information privacy, the growing use of algorithmic decision-making, intrusive means of news dissemination, choice architecture in the age of big data, and the ethical challenges posed by machine learning and artificially intelligent systems. Additionally, her research highlights the legal treatment of beneficial uses of data, such as data philanthropy and the data for good movement, striving to strike a delicate balance between solid privacy protections and competing values.

Director of Sports Ethics

Marc Edelman, Esq., is the Director of Sports Ethics for the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity.  He is also a Professor in the Law Department in the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, where he teaches courses in antitrust law, gaming law, intellectual property and sports law. Professor Edelman has published upwards of 60 law review articles on topics including how the Sherman Act applies to professional sports leagues, how gaming laws apply to fantasy sports contests, and how both antitrust laws and labor laws apply within the realm of college sports.  He is recognized as one of the leading voices in the movement to reform college sports for the wellbeing of student-athletes.

Professor Edelman holds a J.D. from Michigan Law School, an M.S. Ed. (Higher Education Administration) from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, an M.A. (Sports Management) from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. (Economics) from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.  Before entering academia, Professor Edelman practiced antitrust and sports law with the New York offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP.  He continues to consult for professional sports teams, sports labor unions, and companies in the sports gambling and fantasy sports industries.

Associate Director

Ruzdo “Rocky” Srdanovic is the Associate Director of the RZCCI. Rocky joined the Center in 2010 as a College Assistant. He later became the Conference Coordinator upon completing his B.B.A at Baruch College. Rocky was given the role of Associate Director in 2017. In addition to his work at RZCCI , Rocky has served as a Board Member of the FEBA Business Council, an organization founded by a group of business leaders and professionals with the aim of creating a positive business environment that fosters job development and promotes economic growth for the Balkan-American community.

Ensuring Integrity: The Annual Audit Conference Director

Douglas Carmichael, PhD, CPA, is the founding director of the Center for Corporate Integrity. In April 2003 he was named chief auditor of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). In 1983, he came to Baruch, where he is now the Morton Wollman Distinguished Professor of Accountancy, from over a decade with the American Institute of CPAs, where he focused on auditing standards. He has been a consultant for the Securities and Exchange Commission and an expert witness on forensic accounting and independence issues. Accounting Today selected him as one of the100 most influential accountants in the country, one of only three academics listed, citing him as “a strong advocate for safeguarding ethics and integrity in the profession.” An award-winning author, he has been a frequent source about the financial statements of public companies in the business press, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times . He recently co-authored The CPA’s Guide to Professional Ethics (John Wiley, 2000).

Financial Reporting Conference Director

Marc Siegel is the Co-Founder and Executive Advisor of Metrix Advisory. He has over 30 years of experience in public accounting, research, and accounting industry regulation and compliance. He is a former member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).

Marc previously was national office partner at PwC and Americas corporate and ESG reporting thought leader at EY. He began his career at Arthur Andersen, where he was a director.

Marc has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and is a certified public accountant.

The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity at Baruch College is pleased to announce the inaugural Cowles Corporate Integrity Student Fellowship program. The Fellowship is designed to cultivate future business leaders and instill within them an understanding of and dedication to business ethics, corporate governance, and social responsibility. Each academic year, two exceptional undergraduate students will be selected to participate in the program. Fellows will have the unique opportunity to work closely with distinguished faculty members and industry experts, gaining valuable insights into the complex challenges facing the modern business world.

Fellowship Overview

Title: Fall 2024 Cowles Corporate Integrity Student Fellow

Number of Fellowships: 2

Stipend: $3,500 per student per year

Institution: Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity, Baruch College

Application Deadline: August 26, 2024

Responsibilities

As a Cowles Corporate Integrity Student Fellow, you will:

• Actively participate in seminars, workshops, and networking events sponsored by the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity, taking place on the Baruch campus. Examples of past Center events can be viewed on Zicklin’ s YouTube channel.
• Working with Center staff, develop the skillset needed to produce concise reports on events, demonstrating their understanding of the issues discussed and providing a synopsis of the proceedings for public dissemination. These reports will be published on the Center’s website.
• Promote Center activities to make the Baruch community aware of the opportunities presented by the Center.

Benefits

Fellows will:

• Receive a stipend of $3,500 to support their participation in the Fellowship.
• Gain invaluable experience and knowledge in corporate governance and ethical decision-making.
• Network with industry professionals and experts in the field.
• Contribute to the public’s understanding of corporate integrity through the preparation of reports and other written material.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Cowles Corporate Integrity Student Fellowship, applicants must:

• be currently enrolled, full time undergraduate students at Baruch College through the spring 2025 semester.
• be available to actively participate in the full range of activities sponsored by the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity.

Selection Process and Criteria

Initial Review: The selection committee will conduct an initial review of all applications to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria and submission requirements.

Criteria: Eligible applicants will be evaluated based on the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to volunteer service in their community, interest in corporate integrity, their writing and oral communications skills, and overall fit for the program.

Interviews: After the initial review, shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview.  Interviews will take place during the last week of August.

Selection: The final decision will be made based on the application materials and interview. Selected fellows will be notified by September 5th.

Application Process

Interested applicants should complete the application form and upload the following via the form:

1. A personal statement (no more than 500 words) detailing your interest in corporate integrity and commitment to working to promote dialog and learning on the subject in the Baruch community and beyond. You might draw on your coursework or employment experience in your statement.
2. A resume or CV.

About the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity

The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity is dedicated to fostering ethical business practices and corporate governance. Through a variety of programs, the Center provides students and professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of corporate integrity in today’s global economy.

Join us in our mission to promote corporate integrity and business ethics. Apply for the Cowles Corporate Integrity Student Fellowship today!  Interested applicants can contact Ruzdo “Rocky” Srdanovic via email to Ruzdo.Srdanovic@baruch.cuny.edu with any questions about the fellowship or application process.