JMU - 2012 Archive
2012 Archive
December 14, 2012
Dr. Marshall Pattie’s Training Class Presents Final Projects to Clients
The American Woodmark Corporation team designed a training and an objective selection test for identifying potential employees who will excel in manufacturing cabinets. Team members included Daniel Dziuba, Casey (Katie) Hall, Allison Von Hausen, and Kevin Gallagher.
The Blue Ridge Legal Services team included Ally Baker, Alexis Brady, Blaine Dashiell, Stephanie O'Connor, and Sam Lantor. This group was tasked with creating a training manual for interns, as well as a law clerk manual. The group met face to face with the client and provided them with hard copies, as well as electronic copies so the documents could be updated as needed. The project was very well received by the client. One client representative said “I love it. You did a great job. I am really impressed with how detail oriented you were.”
The Ntelos team, consisting of Kelly Dengler, Stephanie Lewis, Brendan McCormick, and
Courtney Walker, reviewed the company’s current marketing program. One of their ideas was to target the college audiences, both in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, as well as to enhance and increase their advertising. The Ntelos team was pleased with the project, with one rep saying, “This was well put together, with lots of great ideas presented.”
Two different teams worked on projects for Titan America. The first team of Heather Lawhorne, Carrie Kurtz, Peter Jones, and Maura Stackley developed online training modules for the company. The training topic was “Professional Presence.” The Titan reps asked the group for more ideas on how the trainees are engaged, and how they interact during the training. The team followed up with additional information.
The second Titan group included Marc Fernandes, Catherine Casares, Ariella Kravitz, and Alex Payne. Their challenge was to research and identify all current training modules, and determine the best way to coordinate and consolidate training. The team created a Sharepoint site easily accessible by Titan employees.
The team that worked with Woodrow Wilson Rehab Center included Rachel Lewis,Laura Danaher, Leena Hamad, and Jared Shlossman. This group worked on orientation materials for new board members for the center. They developed an 11-step training to use during new board member orientation. Some ideas included a history quiz and a trivia quiz for the new members. Woodrow Wilson reps liked the ideas, and invited the team back for the next new member orientation, so they could see their ideas in action.
Dr. Pattie says, “When students leave this class, they will be more aware of how to effectively train, and how to think through different aspects of training. They will also think about their client presentations – what is the environment like, who will ask the questions, who will answer the questions, and what happens if something fails.”
Click here for more pictures.
December 7, 2012
“Collegiate Strength Innovations” Takes Top Honors at Fall 2012 Venture Creation Business Plan Competition
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Entrepreneurship is alive and well at JMU!
Dr. Ronald Carrier, President Emeritus, kicked off the 11thVenture Creation Class competition with the call for aspiring entrepreneurs to not be afraid of failure. Incremental changes will lead to lackluster performance; take a risk, dream big, and make a difference. This group of students from across the university accepted that challenge as they faced a three-judge panel. John Rothenberger, founder and CEO of SE Solutions, awarded the cash prizes which his company has sponsored for five years.
Congratulations to the team of Wesley Goodman (KIN), Grant McDaniel (ENG), McKenzie Miller (ENG),and Vincent Zampelli (ISAT), who won $800 in the Venture Creation Class Competition on December 6 for Collegiate Strength Innovations. Justin Jones, a strength and conditioning coach in the JMU Athletic Department, invented two new products for the health/fitness industry. The Bruiser Board is a varying range of motion device that replaces conventional wood board pressing used by athletes and weight trainers. The Power Heel is a cost effective way of providing the benefits of expensive Olympic platform shoes used to perform a variety of power lifts. The venture team collaborated with Mary Lou Bourne, Director of JMU Technology Transfer, to identify a potential market for these prototypes as Tech Transfer takes concrete steps to commercialize the innovations.
Coming in second for a cash prize of $400 was the Gosto team, Liza Davis(Health Science), Alex Mancil (ENG), Marina Mezzetti (COMM), and Evan Wiley (CIS). Gosto plans to introduce a Brazilian dessert, Paçoca, into the United States’ market by creating the Americanized product, Zoka. Dr. Linwood Rose joined the team to celebrate their achievement. Guests were treated with these peanut-flavored homemade cookies.
Third place and $300 went to Building Systems & Services, with team members Grant Haskins(ENG), Scott Keo (CS), Justin Phillips (MGT), and Alex Price (ENG). BSS plans to pursue growth in new geographic markets to allow Grant and his sister to join this family-owned business.
Matt McKeon was named Most Valuable Player and received $250. As a member of the Wind Turbine team and an active participant in the class, Matt demonstrated initiative to find resources, research markets, and challenge existing assumptions to prove a working business model.
The other venture teams presenting included:
The JMU Wind Turbine Testing & Training with team members Michael Kessler (ENG), Eben Knowlton (SMAD), Matt McKeon( MGT), and Shawn Schou (MUS IND), supporting the work of Dr. Jonathan Miles, Integrated Science and Technology.
Vert Design,, an architectural/engineering/interior design firm in Northern Virginia, with team membersKelly Bulak (Interior Design), Michael Curtis (MGT), Dylan Joyner (ENG), and Deanna Kohnstam (Interior Design).
Wick’s Studio & Venue in Richmond, Virginia with team members Miles Blunt(MUS IND), Jamel Mitchum (CHEM), Collin Sommers (MUS IND), Allison von Hausen (MGT), and Nick White (MUS IND)
What is Venture Creation?
The Venture Creation class, created by CFE Director Carol Hamilton and Serial Entrepreneur John Rothenberger, provides a unique experience for JMU undergraduates of all majors who have an entrepreneurial interest. Students learn how to transform a market opportunity into a viable business from launch to harvest.
The class is divided into 2-4 member venture teams and anchored by a seasoned entrepreneur. Student teams spend the semester proving the market and developing a viable business plan to present to potential investors. The class closes with a competition and networking event.
Business Plan Competition
Judges for this semester’s competition included First Lady Mary Ann Alger, Business Consultant; Michael Drzal, Esq., LeClairRyan; and Keith May, Kline May Realty. The judges asked insightful questions and provided valuable feedback to the students for future development of their business proposals.
JMU alumni/mentors, Neal Beggan, Jeff Tornell, Ryan Houlihan, and John Bomberger joined their teams to cheer them to victory. Juan Bialet and Kevin Tucker were unable to attend. Many Venture Creation alumni returned to connect with this new group of entrepreneurs as well as JMU faculty and students with over 65 in attendance.
The Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at JMU fosters a growing network of entrepreneurs through teaching, research and community engagement to provide excellence in undergraduate entrepreneurship education.
Also, be sure to read "Who is the Entrepreneur?" by Carol Hamilton.
Farmington Country Club Golf Professional Rob McNamara Shares Marketing Tips with Classes
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Professor Bill Faranda was pleased to welcome Farmington Country Club Head Golf Professional Rob McNamara to his Services Marketing classes on Dec. 6. Rob shared some basic marketing tips for services with the students. He noted that although there have been tremendous changes and advances in technology over the years, personal face-to-face interaction is still one of the most effective means of communication. For Rob, it’s all about establishing relationships.
He advised job seekers to follow some fundamental guidelines:
1. Learn people’s names, and use them often. People love to hear their own name.
2. Smile, shake hands firmly, look people in the eye.
3. Introduce yourself with first and last name.
4. Be thankful for their business and show appreciation.
5. Be polite and civil; it never hurts.
6. Send follow up thank you letters after interviews. Try “snail mail” to stand out from the crowd.
7. Use social media to develop a professional contact list and stay in touch. You never know how that will pay off down the road.
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Following these guidelines will give individuals an edge during job interviews, and also on the job once they are hired.
Rob enjoys his job as the head pro, and also as owner of the Club’s golf shop. He says it’s a hybrid job, and perfect for him. He’s an employee of Farmington, and also a business owner/entrepreneur. Rob trains his staff of 30 to create an environment for clients that is welcoming and hospitable.
The College of Business appreciates Rob taking time out of his busy schedule to come to Professor Faranda’s classes to present. Rob’s wife, Carrie, and son, Sam, (left) accompanied him.
BLAW 497 Class Visits U.S. Supreme Court and International Monetary Fund
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Last Thursday, Dr. David Parker took his International Business Law (BLAW 497), class to Washington, D.C. where they visited the U.S. Supreme Court and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Assistant General Counsel Ceda G. Ogda from Kenya briefed the class on the IMF’s history, organization and functions. Ogda is pictured at left (in the suit) showing the students in the briefing room at the IMF.
The other photo shows Dr. Parker with some students on the steps of the Supreme Court overlooking the Capitol.
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Dr. David Fordham and Dr. Brad Roof Named to Virginia Business Magazine “Super CPAs”
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Congratulations to Dr. David Fordham, Professor, School of Accounting, and Dr. Brad Roof, Professor, School of Accounting, for being named to the 2012 Virginia Business Magazine Super CPAs.
This is an annual list compiled by the magazine and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA). Virginia Business partners with the VSCPA each year to highlight Virginia’s top CPAs for their contributions to the profession.
Super CPAs are recognized for outstanding professional activity in firms, companies, nonprofits, government, and higher education and are nominated by their peers for this recognition.
Congratulations David and Brad!
CoB Students Collect 4,000+ Items for Salvation Army
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The 4th Annual Brent Berry Food Drive for the local Salvation Army was successful thanks to the generosity of the CoB students, who donated 4,700 items.
“The number of items that were given by the students has increased [each year],” said Dr. Chuck Baril, professor of accounting at JMU and coordinator of JMU’s participation in the holiday food drive.
Items collected during the drive, which was sponsored by the CoB Diversity Council, included canned foods, boxed foods, and nonperishable items.
Click here to see pictures from the event.
Dr. Dan Gallagher Delivers Madison Scholar Seminar
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Dr. Dan Gallagher, a CSX professor of management in the College of Business, and a 2012 Madison Scholar, delivered the Madison Scholar seminar on Wednesday, November 14. This is the second time he has been honored with the Madison Scholar Award; he first was recognized in 1998-99. He says, “I was honored by this award, which recognizes my body of work over many years.”
Dr. Gallagher presented his research on the contingent workforce, which includes direct hire temps, workers hired through temp agencies, and independent contractors.
He plans to continue research on psychological contracts in the temporary workforce. The presentation was followed by a reception honoring Dr. Gallagher.
Click here to see pictures.
Le Gourmet Celebrates Ten Years; Inducts Reid and Hart into Hall of Fame
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November 10, 2012, marked the 10th anniversary of Le Gourmet. This annual event is the single largest fundraiser in support of the JMU School of Hospitality Management. The proceeds from the event will establish the Susan J. Reid Scholarship and help sponsor student travel to numerous educational conferences. It also supports experiential education, as well as faculty travel and research.
Director Dr. Michael O’Fallon says, “We wanted to do something significant to celebrate this milestone anniversary of Le Gourmet. After much discussion, the HTM Advisory Council elected to create a JMU Hospitality Management Hall of Fame, and induct two very special people as charter members.” He goes on to say, “What better way to recognize and celebrate both the remarkable accomplishments of Dr. Robert Reid and G.J. Hart, as well as Le Gourmet’s tenth anniversary?”
Mr. Hart and Dr. Reid have made extraordinary contributions to society, and have demonstrated successful careers of leadership, vision, excellence, and integrity in the hospitality industry. Mr. Hart is the CEO of California Pizza Kitchens, and also serves on the CoB Executive Advisory Board. Dr. Reid is the former dean of the CoB, and currently serves as the Chief Accreditation Officer of the AACSB. Congratulations to both on this well-deserved honor!
A number of other awards were given out during the event, which included dinner, live and silent auctions, and live entertainment. The Dolley Madison Award was presented to Jenny Lucas, Director of Education and Development for Loew’s Corporation. The 5th Annual Corporate Citizenship Award was presented to Sysco of Harrisonburg, Va. Michelle Moulden and Maggie Goetzman were named scholarship recipients.
Click here to view pictures of the event.
November 15, 2012
Deloitte Managers Volunteer for Case Judging Competition
.jpg "Deloitte Case Competition Winning Team Nov 2012") |
Four managers from Deloitte volunteered their time and talents on Nov. 10 to judge a student case competition for the Management of Technology and Innovation class (MGT 420). Management professor Fariss Mousa says, “I would like to thank Ms. Tina Wink, Mr. Roberto Andrade, Mr. Jorge Parejas, and Mr. Hilton Schaffer for their help in judging the competition. Receiving feedback from professionals in the field is an incredibly significant experience for our students.”
The judging team spent all day listening to the presentations from ten different teams, questioning them, and carefully considering their case solutions.
Congratulations to the winning team of Zain Khawaja, Jong Lee, Nash Cook, and Marc Fernandes (not pictured).
Click here to view photos.
EAC Holds November Meeting
The CoB Executive Advisory Council was pleased to welcome President Jon Alger to its November meeting. Click here to read a summary of the interaction, and here for pictures.
The two-day meeting included a panel discussion on career advancement for students; a reception for EAC members, faculty, students, and alums; and committee meetings on student engagement, faculty engagement, financial resources and development, and outreach and collaboration.
The spring EAC meeting is scheduled for March 14 and 15.
The Department of Economics Fall Seminar Series Presents Tyler Cowen
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Dr. Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, spoke on Tuesday, November 13, to students, faculty and professors in Grafton-Stovall Theatre. This seminar, “The Great Stagnation,” included insight from one of his most recent books, “The Great Stagnation: How America Ate All the Low-Hanging Fruit of Modern History, Got Sick, and Will (Eventually) Feel Better.” During the seminar Cowen shared his thoughts on the economy in terms of the past, present and future.
Cowen explained how in the past, the future was pictured to model after “The Jetsons,” a popular cartoon from the ‘60s and ‘80s, including space crafts and the possibility of a colony on Mars. When describing our current lifestyle, which does not mirror futuristic cartoons from the past, Cowen said, “I find it interesting how little has actually changed [in the past 50 years].”
In the present, Cowen explained that the elderly are receiving the greatest economic gains, not those currently in the workforce or recent graduates. Cowen has also found that a majority of the sectors in our current economy are stagnant, excluding healthcare and technology.
Cowen foresees that in the near future, about 10 years from now, the most successful people will be those who can work with technology, market, motivate, manage or provide personal services. He says that, “people that are good in the dynamic sectors have a range and reach that is incredible.”
Cowen left those who attended the seminar with one major piece of advice regarding their future success. He said, “Ask yourself, will my talent [or major] complement the dynamic sectors or will I be in competition with those sectors?”
By Katie Casey, JMU Public Affairs Intern
Meet EAC Member David Kay
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“Think big. Opportunities have a shelf life; don’t wait too long to act.”
These sage words are CoB Executive Advisory Council member David Kay’s advice to students in the College of Business. He says, “If you see a void or a niche you can fill, you should act on it. Being an entrepreneur doesn’t always mean being an inventor; it means taking an idea and making it happen.”
Why JMU?
David grew up in Sterling, Va., and attended Park View High School. He currently lives in Leesburg, Va.
He selected JMU for a number of reasons, including proximity to home. He wanted to be close, but not too close. He also considered playing tennis at JMU, as he was an avid tennis player in high school. One key ingredient that sealed the deal was the myriad of outdoor activities available near JMU. David loves the outdoors, and knew he could take advantage of the opportunities in the Shenandoah Valley.
David’s original education plan was to be a doctor; he started off as a biochemistry major. Then he took an economics course, earned a good grade, and really enjoyed it. He switched his major to accounting and minor to economics, graduating in May 1989.
He enjoyed his JMU experience. “I belonged to a fraternity. At that time all the fraternities were located around the lake. It was a great environment to create long-term friendships. We always had a lot to do,” he recalls. He still keeps up with friends and contacts from his JMU years.
He’s always been a physical fitness buff. During his college years, he lifted weights, played tennis, and played other intramural sports. He says, “JMU has always done a great job of allowing students to participate in every level of sports, including intramurals, collegiate, or fraternity.”
David chuckles as he recalls, “I spent a lot of time in the library during my second year. I really buckled down and focused on academics. I wasn’t quite as focused my first year; pledging a fraternity took up a lot of time.”
Professional Experiences
With his accounting degree in hand, David immediately landed a job with Arthur Andersen, in the Enterprise Group. This group specialized in emerging companies, in particular companies that went public. He says, “I had a wide array of clients in different industries, from retail to automotive to distribution. We worked on various roll-up transactions, putting multiple companies together and taking them public.”
He goes on to say, “I left Arthur Andersen in 1997, after nearly ten years. Then I started Capital Automotive. I wrote a business plan with a partner; we raised $3.5 million. We took the company public in February, 1998. In 2005, the company had grown to $2.7 billion. We converted the company back to private that year, and it has grown to over $4 billion.”
The company owns the real estate that car dealerships reside on; the dealerships then lease back the property. He remembers, “I identified this niche opportunity while I was working at Arthur Andersen, and moved on it.”
David serves as the Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, as well as Chief Financial Officer for Capital Automotive. He runs the day-to-day business, and oversees the investments and capital stock. He works closely with his two partners.
Connection to JMU
David has remained very engaged with JMU since his graduation. He was on the recruiting team for Arthur Andersen, and spent time from 1989 to 1997 interviewing students for possible Arthur Andersen careers.
In 2003, he won the regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and was the national runner-up. At that time former CoB Dean Dr. Robert Reid reached out to him to invite him to join the CoB Executive Advisory Council, which he did in the fall of 2006.
David says, “Having professionals come back and connect with students and talk about real world experiences helps to create a great university.” He goes on to say, “I remember a marketing professor, Dr. Wynn, who had begun teaching after years of working in sales. Dr. Wynn told us he was a grease salesman. He somehow learned that the grease was edible, so he began spreading it on bread, and eating the grease sandwich during his sales pitches. He became known as the guy who eats grease; this was his hook. This was an invaluable lesson to me. We all need a hook, something that gets attention, something you’re known for. It was his real world experience that taught us this.”
He thinks it’s beneficial when successful graduates come back into the classroom to share experiences. “They may share a snippet of information, something that helped their career, and the students may take that information and go on to do great things. This giving back creates a circle, and helps to make a university great.” He believes it is one’s responsibility as a graduate to give back, to be active.
EAC
He notes that he’s met great people through the EAC. “It’s been fun personally, as well as from a business standpoint,” he says.
In addition to being an EAC member, David also serves on the Center for Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. He also has set up a scholarship endowment to help first-generation college students.
Personal Interests
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David has a 13-year-old son, Joshua, and a 10 ½ year old daughter, Sophie. He enjoys spending as much time as possible with them.
He still loves sports, and is an avid endurance racer. He competes in marathons (26.2-mile races), ultra-marathons (50-mile races), and Ironman triathlon events. An Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride, and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run, raced in that order and without a break.
David has completed more than 30 marathons, several Ironman events, and six ultra-marathons. He recently completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 3:27, finishing in the top 1,000 out of 31,000 racers. He plans to compete in three more marathons before the end of the year. He is competing in the 2013 Kona Ironman in Hawaii, representing the Melanoma Research Foundation, a charity that is near and dear to his heart.
CoB and the Future
David believes that the CoB will continue to rise in the rankings, and continue to brand itself as one of the best business schools in the country. “We have an unbelievable start. We will look back in 20 years, and realize what a great job we’ve done,” he says.
Dr. Barkley Rosser Named Ambassador of the University of Urbino
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Congratulations to Dr. Barkley Rosser for being named an ambassador of the University of Urbino at a conference in late September. The University of Urbino dates back to 1506 when Duke Guidobaldo I founded the “Collegio dei Dottori.” Urbino is the birthplace of the famous Renaissance painter, Rafael Sanzio. Located in the Region of Marche in east-central Italy, Urbino is a beautiful hilltop-walled town with limited traffic and a perfect Renaissance ducal palace in it.
Dr. Rosser (second from the right), is pictured with the rector of the university (in the red hat) and three others who were also named ambassadors: Volker Bohm of Bielefeld University, Germany; Carl Chiarella of the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia; and Tonu Puu of Umea University, Sweden.
According to Dr. Rosser, this is the first time that ambassadors have been named and honored. In addition to being named an ambassador, Dr. Rosser and the others were also awarded with 16th century diplomas.
Dr. Rosser and the other three ambassadors are tasked with representing the university to the rest of the world, as well as providing contacts from the rest of the world to those at Urbino. The basis of selection is both lifetime academic achievement, in addition to long-time working relations with the Urbino Department of Economics. This honor, according to Dr. Rosser, is one level below an honorary doctorate degree.
Dr. Rosser was named an ambassador at the Seventh Conference on Dynamic Modeling in Economics and Finance, which is held every two years. The main organizers are Laura Gardini and Gian-Italo Bischi of the Department of Economics at Urbino. Gardini was honored at this 2012 conference. In fact, there is a festschrift volume just released from the conference honoring her, in which Dr. Rosser has a chapter, which he presented at the conference. A festschrift is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academia, and presented when they reach a milestone birthday, such as 60, 65, 70, etc.
Dr. Rosser has coauthored with Gardini before, and she participated in a conference held at JMU in May 2008 that Dr. Rosser organized on "Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Economic Complexity.”
Dr. Barkley was also honored at the Fifth Conference on Dynamic Modeling in Economics and Finance, held in Urbino in 2008. Papers from the conference four years ago appeared in a festschrift volume entitled, "Nonlinear Dynamics in Economics, Finance and the Social Sciences: Essays in Honour of John Barkley Rosser, Jr."
Brad Roof Recognized by WVPT Leadership Society
Congratulations to Brad Roof for his recognition as a member of the WVPT Leadership Society.
Click here to see his video.
Carol Hamilton, Eric Major Selected as Finalists for Entrepreneur Award
Congratulations to Carol Hamilton, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business, and Eric Major, member of the CoB Executive Advisory Council, for being named finalists in the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) GAP 50 Entrepreneur Awards.
CIT GAP Funds will honor 50 entrepreneurs — recognized by peer entrepreneurs — as most likely to build Virginia's next generation life science, technology, and energy companies.
Nominating criteria for the finalists includes:
- Individuals who are most likely to found a high-growth tech, life science or energy venture in the next 5 years
- Individuals both with or without current involvement in a start-up
- Individuals with strong ties to Virginia (but not required to be Virginia residents)
- Individuals must exhibit substantive involvement in Virginia’s technology or entrepreneurial ecosystem
- In order to qualify for final voting individuals must be nominated by 3 people
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Carol is nominated for the Shenandoah Valley region. In the last two years, she has initiated Madison Consulting, a Net Impact chapter, the JMU Challenge and an entrepreneurship club to create opportunities for students to collaborate with faculty and business professionals to test their skills and build networks within their fields.
A Management Lecturer since 2002, she taught management with a cross-disciplinary faculty team in COB 300, a 12-credit course designed to teach the integration of business fundamentals. In 2005, she co-developed a Venture Creation course with serial entrepreneur, John Rothenberger. It is the first course in the College of Business open to all majors and the first to routinely assign alums/entrepreneurs to anchor venture teams. The class launches several small businesses a year and accelerates graduates’ careers by about two years.
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Eric is nominated for the Northern Virginia region. He is the President, CEO and Co-Founder of K2M, Inc., a fast growing global medical device company focused on developing innovative surgical solutions for the most complex spinal pathologies. Eric was previously the President and CEO of American OsteoMedix, Inc., a minimally invasive spinal device company that was acquired by Interpore International in 2001. Eric served as President of the Minimally Invasive Division of Interpore International until 2002. In 2009 Eric received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Award for Emerging Technologies in the Greater Washington region.
Eric has 15 years of experience in the spine industry. Prior to founding American OsteoMedix he served in several sales/marketing, strategic and product development capacities with various spinal companies including Acromed Spine (now a Johnson & Johnson company) and Synthes Spine, Inc. Eric holds a B.S. degree from James Madison University.
Final 2012 CIT GAP 50 entrepreneurs will be honored at an award banquet on December 13, 2012.
Dr. Mike Mitri Honored with IACIS Award
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The International Association for Computer Information Systems recently honored Dr. Mike Mitri with the Ben Bauman Award for Excellence.
Ben Bauman was a CIS professor at JMU who died suddenly in 2001. He was an active participant and officer in IACIS, and the award was set up in his name.
“This is the first time a JMU faculty member was given the Ben Bauman award,” Dr. Mitri said. “I'm honored to receive this recognition from my peers in the IS educational community.”
Dr. Mitri began his teaching career at Eastern Michigan University, and after nine years accepted a position at James Madison University. While at Eastern Michigan University, he was an active researcher, involved in curriculum design, and strategic planning for the College of Business.
Currently, Dr. Mitri serves as the interim department head of the Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics department at JMU. This year the CIS program was rated 9th in the country among information systems programs in business colleges by Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine. During his tenure at JMU he has been active in the Faculty Senate, a principal advisor to CIS majors and minors, the coordinator of assessment efforts for the CIS program, leading multiple faculty searches throughout the years, a participant in JMU’s curriculum development and improvement processes, and an active member of ABET accreditation committees through JMU’s initial accreditation in 2005 and reaccreditation in 2010.
Dr. Mitri actively participates on the editorial boards of both the Journal of Computer Information Systemsand the Journal of Information Systems Education. He designed and taught technical corporate training classes, prepared textbook supplements, and is an independent software consultant. His software development efforts over the years resulted in applications that support business processes in a wide variety of business functions and industries, including inventory management, engineering project management, milk truck scheduling, human resources, and analysis of mainframe systems.
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Mitri has been selected for many grants and awards, including two U.S. Department of Education international business grants, the Donald M. Kroeber Development Fellowship Award at JMU, the J. W. and Alice S. Marriott Faculty Fellowship Award (also at JMU), and the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council’s Innovative Technology Application Award. His more than 60 research manuscripts have been published in both academic journals and conference proceedings, as well as in the Encyclopedia of Management and IBM’s online DeveloperWorks tutorial series. He has several publications in the Journal of Computer Information Systems, and has been a regular presenter at IACIS conferences.
Dr. Mitri has a remarkable record of scholarship, teaching, and service over the past 20 years, and we congratulate him on being selected to receive the 2012 IACIS Ben Bauman Award for Excellence.
From http://www.iacis.org/conference/proceedings/IACIS_2012_Program.pdf
November 1, 2012
IMPACT3: Horse Sense for Leaders
Louis Wood Teaches Leadership Skills Through Working with Horses
OK, so how can you learn about leadership from a horse? According to Virginia Cowboy Louis Wood (pictured below), you can learn lots about leadership from working with horses. He says, “People often come in to my clinics asking ‘what do horses and communication have to do with leadership?’”
IMPACT3 Explained
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Louis’s clinic, “Horse Sense for Leaders,” was part of the 2012-13 lineup for the JMU IMPACT3 Leadership program. IMPACT3 is an internal JMU leadership program held from the beginning of fall semester through April each year. The program, which started in 2003, focuses on eight key competency areas, including communications, teamwork, and expertise. The primary goal of IMPACT3 is to prepare leaders who will affect change at the individual, campus, and society levels.
Mark Warner, Brian Charette, and Rick Larson were charged with creating the program. They wanted to do something unusual, something unique to JMU. That’s one reason “Horse Sense” has been part of the program since its inception; it has consistently been one of the most highly rated IMPACT3sessions. Brian, who is currently the associate vice president for university planning and analysis, says, “Personally, I love the IMPACT3 program. It’s helped me grow in my own leadership skills. There’s something powerful about being in a room with leaders who are passionate about what they do.” Participants are nominated for the program; to date, 83 leaders have graduated.
Horse Sense in Action
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Louis started off the leadership session by working with Belle, an 8-year-old Quarter Horse, and her owner Kristen. Belle wasn’t very cooperative initially. Through body movements and voice commands, taking small steps, he established himself as a leader with Belle. He emphasized the importance of communication and establishing mutual respect and trust. While Louis makes it clear that people aren’t horses and that there isn’t always a one-to-one correlation between what he does in the ring and what happens in the workplace, he noted that leaders direct movement; once the horse begins to move, Louis can direct its movements.
As he worked with Belle, he explained the need to position yourself as a leader, letting your horse know you are present and active. Be sure your horse (staff) knows the boundaries. Plan where you’re going and how you will get there.
Louis also talked about fear. If there is something fearful in your life, you should face it. If you’re operating from a position of fear and anxiety, this needs to be resolved before improvements can be made. He suggested when working with your staff, work with them where they are at that moment, not where you’d like them to be. This is how he works with horses; he assesses and evaluates and determines where they are at that moment, and he works from there.
He explains, “Being there when they most need you will do more to build trust than anything else.” If you’re a leader, you need to always be a leader, and have a long-term vision. Leadership is an active skill, not a passive skill.
He continues to teach as he works with Belle. “This horse is looking for that nice quiet place with you. If you’re going to be an effective leader, you need to always be a leader, rewarding the smallest thing.”
Louis’s Top Ten Leadership Tips
- Be open and honest
- Establish clear boundaries and expectations
- Establish mutual respect and trust
- Continually assess and evaluate your staff
- Face fear and overcome it
- Reward small achievements
- Help your staff achieve success
- Take things in stride; don’t get angry
- Create energy and excitement in the workplace
- Cogitate before acting
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Rick Mathieu (pictured left with Brian Charette), interim associate dean for academic affairs, is in the current IMPACT3 class. He says, “Louis’s commitment to horses is the same kind of commitment leaders need with people within organizations.” He adds, “The foundation of good leadership is built on relationships based on mutual respect and trust.”
Rick thinks the biggest benefit of IMPACT3 is networking with people across campus, and seeing people in different roles. It helps you realize how many different facets there are in a university.
Rick thinks that Louis’s personal story is in itself a lesson in leadership. He knows what he’s good at, and loves doing it.
Louis’s Background
Louis’s family goes way back in Waynesboro, Va. The family’s land was a grant from the King of England in 1750, 262 years ago. Louis grew up helping his grandfather “break” young horses. After a very bad accident in his teens, and against the advice of his doctor, Louis decided to continue working with horses, while trying a different approach. He had learned from his accident that allowing anger to take control would not work.
He says, “My grandfather was hugely supportive of my doing whatever I needed to find success with my horses. He didn't always understand or necessarily agree with some of my new approaches, which were sometimes quite different than his, but he never told me that they would not work. He let me explore to the fullest, what would and would not work successfully. He never killed my try.”
Louis’s new approach was to establish communication with his horse, allowing them to work together and learn from each other.
John Lord, director of “Horse Sense for Leaders,” says, “The methodology we use, having the audience watch Louis work with a horse, has a way of opening people up. It’s the single best program I’ve been part of that I’ve ever seen.” He adds, “The relationship between a leader and follower should be one of mutual trust and respect, with clarity so you know what’s expected. The training we offer is visceral, tangible; you can see it progress as Louis works with the horse, who begins to respond.”
Louis says his favorite horse activity is the “connection of establishing a new relationship between horses and humans. If we can tie into different energy sources and building connections with horses, just think what we could do with the same effort with humans. The world would be a better place.”
About Louis Wood
Louis Wood owns Mountainview Ranch, a working horse ranch located northwest of Waynesboro. Louis “starts” young horses and works with owners and their horses to build relationships based on mutual respect and trust. (mtnviewranch@earthlink.com, johnlord@ntelos.net)
Finance Major Plans to Teach English in Thailand After Graduation
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Kerrie Edmonds is a senior finance major, but rather than applying to jobs with the “Big Four,” she is planning to teach English in Thailand after graduation. Through CIEE, a nonprofit international exchange organization, Kerrie has applied for acceptance into a yearlong program that would place her in Thailand next October.
“The whole reason why I chose finance as my major was because I’m really good at math,” Kerrie says. “I knew I always wanted to start my own business one day, and I’m hoping going to Thailand will help me figure out what I want to do. My finance background would be the smartest option for the future when I start my own business.”
Every summer since Kerrie has been at JMU, she has worked for Southwestern Company selling educational books, CDs, and websites to families whose children need extra help with their schoolwork. Kerrie says this job has prepared her for living independently as she always travels to new places. She has lived in Houston, Charleston and Chicago for a summer, and has had to find her own host families to stay with.
Kerrie, who loves working with kids, took a 300-level education class last semester to help her with teaching concepts, and credits the College of Business for teaching her skills she will need as well.
“Being in the College of Business, you have to have great time management skills,” she says. “It makes you realize what works and what doesn’t when you’re teaching.”
Once in Thailand, Kerrie could be teaching English anywhere from the elementary-school level to the high-school level.
“I’m so excited for this,” Kerrie says. “I have a lot of friends who have done this and they’ve all loved it.”
Kerrie, who is from Allentown, Penn., was recruited to play varsity field hockey for JMU. She played for two years on a full scholarship until she chose to focus on school her junior year. She rushed Alpha Kappa Psi the semester she stopped playing field hockey.
“I love being in Alpha Kappa Psi,” she says. “Everyone is really close and we’re all good friends. It’s what I like to be around.”
Kerrie’s plan is to stay in Thailand for five years, and she says she wouldn’t mind staying even longer than that. She will find out about her acceptance into the program in March 2013.
“This is the perfect time to do it,” she says. “If I got a full-time job, I couldn’t just get up and leave. After college is the time you can travel and do whatever you want. I want to run my own business one day, and I can’t wait to run my own classroom teaching English.”
College of Business Welcomes President Jon Alger
The College of Business was pleased to welcome President Jon Alger to Zane Showker Hall on Oct. 24. President Alger visited the college as part of his nationwide listening tour. He met with faculty and students to gather their opinions and ideas on JMU and then took a tour of Zane Showker Hall.
To read more about his visit, click here. To view photos from the event, please visit our Facebook page.
CoB Welcomes Kohl’s Reps Timmy Foster and Brad Foor
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Christine Roeder’s management class was pleased to welcome Timmy Foster and Brad Foor to Showker Hall on Oct. 25. Timmy and Brad volunteered their time to conduct mock interviews with the students. The Kohl’s managers asked the students a list of questions, then provided honest feedback to help them improve their responses.
Here are some interview questions to consider and prepare for:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Tell me about a time you used fact finding to solve a problem.
- Tell me about a time you worked on a team and contributed to its success.
- Tell me about you as a student – what do you struggle with?
- What is your greatest achievement as a student?
The feedback to students included the following:
- Slow down when you speak. If you sit up straighter, it will help you slow down and focus more on what you are saying.
- Be prepared with a short introduction of yourself, and what you are most proud of.
- If you talk about a mistake you made, explain what you learned from that mistake.
- Become involved in campus organizations. The scope and level of involvement in campus organizations is more broad and complex than what you experience in the classroom.
- Come prepared to asked the interviewer at least one question.
This year marks the first time that Kohl’s has come to the JMU campus to work with students and recruits. The College of Business would like to thank Timmy and Brad for their time. We appreciate the involvement of Kohl’s in helping our students better prepare for their professional careers.
To view photos, visit our Facebook page.
Lynne Stover’s Work Highlighted in Kansas City Newspaper
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Lynne Stover’s work on teaching economics with children’s and young adult literature was highlighted in the Oct. 19 issue of the Kansas City Star. The article, by Star reporter Steve Rosen, was headlined “Try Harry Potter to teach about money and economics.” Stover serves as teacher consultant in the JMU Center for Economic Education.
“Stover has spent much of her 35 years in classrooms exploring her two core passions — economic education and children’s literature,” Rosen wrote. “Over time, she’s compiled an extensive list of accomplishments as an expert in her field — and she’s reviewed an impressive list of books that teach elementary age children up through high school about saving money, setting goals, working hard, and dealing with hard times.”
Stover was interviewed by Rosen while attending the Council for Economic Education’s national meeting in Kansas City in October.
Student Diversity Council, Beta Alpha Psi to Co-host “Business Across Cultures”
Come learn more about what it is like to work overseas and hear exciting stories from some of your favorite professors! Pizza will be provided.
When: Monday October 29th at 7-8 in Showker G5
What: Professors will share their international experience with the students and students will have the opportunity to ask questions in a discussion panel setting.
Who: Listen to some of your favorite professors (Professor Guo, Professor Pargas, Professor Mousa, Professor Semaan)
Why: The world is internationalizing. Future career is becoming globalized. Many big firms offer opportunities to work overseas. This event will discuss ways to help students learn what it is like to work in a foreign country, what adjustments are needed, and how to do business overseas.
On top of all that, we will have pizza! So come grab some pizza and join us!
Questions? Email jmucob.diversity@gmail.com.
Donate to the CoB Diversity Council Thanksgiving Food Drive
CoB students and faculty are encouraged to help those in need in our community by donating canned goods to the Brent Berry Food Drive, which supports the Salvation Army.
Beginning Monday, Nov. 5, Dr. Chuck Baril will place a box outside his door in Showker 345 for students’ items. Last year, the College of Business collected 4,000 items from students.
The deadline for collecting items is Thursday, Nov. 15, and the items will be delivered on Friday, Nov. 16, right before Thanksgiving Break.
Suggested food items for donation:
- peanut butter
- tuna fish/canned meats
- canned fruits/vegetables
- soup
- pasta/rice/beans
- cereal/oatmeal
- jelly/jam/preserves
- instant mashed potatoes
- macaroni and cheese
- tomato products (sauce/pasta/canned)
- 100% fruit juices
- dry/powered milk, evaporated milk
- healthy snack items
- diapers/baby wipes
- laundry/dish detergent
- soaps/sanitizers
- toilet paper/paper towels
- toothbrushes/toothpaste
- feminine hygiene products
Tim LaPorta of Capital One Helps CoB 202 Students with Resumes
On Monday, Tim LaPorta from Capital One and Chad Gensel from Career & Academic Planning met with students in Christine Roeder’s CoB 202 class to discuss effective resumes.
Students participated in both self-critiques and peer critiques of their resumes. Tim helped evaluate resumes and gave advice based on his experience at Capital One. Tim also emphasized the “so what?” aspect of a resume in that students should make themselves stand out from everyone else.
Visit our Facebook page to view photos of the resume workshop.
CoB Hosts Open House
Hundreds of potential students and their parents visited Zane Showker Hall on Saturday for the 2012 Academic Open House.
Visit our Facebook page to view photos from the event.
CoB Hosts Beta Gamma Sigma Induction Ceremony October 17
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Fifty-one JMU students were inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma today during a ceremony held in Zane Showker Hall.
Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) is the international honor society that provides the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a baccalaureate or graduate program at a school accredited by AACSB International. BGS is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2013. The JMU chapter received its charter on April 28, 1983.
Potential members are invited based on their high scholastic achievement in business subjects. To be eligible for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma, the academic ranking of those being considered must place them in the upper 10 percent of the junior or senior class and upper 20 percent of the graduating master’s class.
To view photos from the event, visit our Facebook page.
Congratulations to the 2012 BGS inductees:
David Aber, of Reston, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Computer Information Systems.
Richard Asbell III, of Suffolk, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Management.
Alan Becker, of Virginia Beach, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
Erin Bohannon, of Garnet Valley, Pa., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Economics.
Ryan Bram, of Richmond, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
Samantha Burch, of Buena Vista, Va., will graduate in May 2015 with a master’s in Accounting.
Carly Calhoon, of Newark, Del., will graduate in May 2014 with degrees in International Business and Marketing.
Sarah Carpenter, of Clear Brook, Va., will graduate in December 2012 will a degree in Marketing.
Luke Davis, of Doylestown, Pa., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Finance.
Shannon Engel, of McLean, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing.
Brendan English, of Centreville, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Economics.
Michael Farris, of Chantilly, Va., will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in Accounting.
Kelsey Fuller, of Ellicott City, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing.
John Hammond, of Richmond, Va., will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in Finance.
Austin Highfill, of Glen Allen, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with degrees in Marketing and Management.
Samantha Huff, of Falls Church, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing.
Thomas Jamison, of Clermont, N.J., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
David Jones, of Haymarket, Va., will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in Management.
Melissa Kniceley, of King George, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Management.
Jonathan Kurtz, of East Meadow, N.Y., will graduate in May 2014 with degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems.
Colleen Leahigh, of Dallas, Pa., will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in Marketing.
Laura Mason, of Glen Allen, Va., will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in Marketing.
Brianna McCarthy, of Middletown, Del., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
Gabriel Mills, of Rocky Mount, Va., will graduate in May 2015 with degrees in Quantitative Finance and Mathematics.
Thomas Mills, of Rocky Mount, Va., will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in Accounting.
Sean Moore, of Succasunna, N.J., will graduate in May 2014 with degress in Economics and Finance.
Nolan Morris, of Landenberg, Pa., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Economics.
Zachary Mortensen, of Richmond, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Management.
Yama Najib, of Chantilly, Va., will graduate in Mary 2014 with a degree in Computer Information Systems.
Phuong Nguyen, of Herndon, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Computer Information Systems.
Erik Norquist, of Shamory, N.J., will graduate in December 2012 with degrees in Finance and Sports Management
Jordan Peiffer, of Princeton, N.J., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Finance.
Kelly Pollhammer, of Westminster, Md., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing.
Matthew Primmer, of Berkeley Heights, N.J., will graduate in June 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
Joshua Reifel, of Grottoes, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
Danielle Robinson, of Chadds Ford, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
Scott Salopek, of Clarksville, Md., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Finance.
Rory Salzberger, of Sinking Spring, Pa., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing.
Stephanie Skaggs, of Waterford, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Finance.
Rachel Sturm, of McLean, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing.
Emily Turner, of Lynbrook, N.Y., will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in Accenting.
Taylor Wertheimer, of Virginia Beach, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing.
Joshua Winks, of Forest, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Management.
Foster Woodburn, of Richmond, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
Jingxiong Wu, of Henrico, Va., will graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Accounting.
CoB Holds Awards Gala Dinner
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Scholarship recipients, donors, and Beta Gamma Sigma inductees were honored on Oct. 17 at the College of Business Awards Gala dinner, held at the Festival on the JMU campus. Dr. Bud Clarke welcomed the attendees and recognized the many scholarship recipients and the generous donors who made the scholarships possible. Earlier in the day, 51 students were inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society for AACSB accredited business programs. These students were also recognized at the banquet.
Faculty members who have received private support in the form of professorships and fellowships, as well as research and teaching support, were also honored during the banquet.
Speakers included student Allison von Hausen, accounting professor Dr. Tim Louwers, and alumnus and donor Maribeth Herod.
Allison reminded students to seek the “happiness factor.” She loved her summer internship experience with Apple, because Apple makes people happy. Allison thanked donors for her scholarship, and she left the audience with this advice: Strive to make the world a happier place.
Dr. Tim Louwers also thanked all the generous donors. He said the College of Business continues to flourish because of the continued generosity of donors.
Alumnus and EAC member Maribeth Herod congratulated the award recipients. She talked about the importance of giving back, reminding students of their responsibility to pay it forward. “Giving back is more than money; it is time, talent, and treasury,” she said.
Visit our Facebook page to view photos from the event.
Dalian University Students Visit JMU
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A group of students and faculty from Dalian University of Technology in China visited JMU on Tuesday, Oct. 16. The purpose of the Student Study Tour was to present educational sessions for the DUT students about business practices in the United States and globally. Most of the students are senior level managers or owners of companies.
They come to the United States at least annually to visit businesses and universities around the country, and learn more about business practices in the U.S. While on their JMU visit, the group enjoyed a lively question and answer exchange in Dr. Marion White’s International Management class. With Dan Zisk translating, they discussed culture, religion, the importance of a college education, the challenges of finding a job, and energy consumption.
This exchange of information was helpful to both JMU students and visiting DUT students.
Click here to view photos from the event.
College of Business to Hold Open House October 20
The faculty, staff, students, and administrators at CoB are diligently preparing events that will ensure an informative and enjoyable Academic Open House on Saturday, Oct. 20. The schedule of events is as follows:
9:00-9:45 OR 10:00-10:45 a.m.
College of Business Overview
Showker 105 and G5
10:00-10:45 OR 11:00-11:45 a.m.
Accounting
Showker 107
Computer Information Systems
Showker G2
Economics
Showker 102
Finance/Quantitative Finance
Showker 106
International Business
Showker 101
Management
Showker G7
Marketing
Showker G6
Professor Robert Davidson Gives Lecture in Accounting Workshop Series
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Professor Robert Davidson (Georgetown University) presented his paper entitled “EXECUTIVES' "OFF-THE-JOB" BEHAVIOR, CORPORATE CULTURE, AND FINANCIAL REPORTING RISK” on Monday, October 15 to a group of accounting faculty members. He also presented to students later that day.
Professor Davidson’s paper attempts to link CEO lifestyle (car type, yacht ownership, mansion size, as well as previous brushes with the law) with corporate wrongdoing.
It’s Music to Matt McKeon’s Ears
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Have you ever watched the TV drama House? Have you ever noticed the subtle, ever-changing music in the background? Matt McKeon (management, TIE, May ’13, music industry minor) certainly has. As part of his summer internship with NBC in New York City, Matt spent hours listening to and analyzing those sound clips. He listened for mood, tempo, and instrumentation, and then he entered that information into a database.
Matt has always had a love of music; in fact, the Dukes marching band is what brought him to JMU from Doylestown, Penn. He visited the campus, and loved the atmosphere. He wasn’t initially interested in entrepreneurship, but came to enjoy it during his COB 300 experience.
Importance of Internships
He thinks internships are very important and valuable. He says, “I really enjoyed working in the music industry. I’ve taken so many classes here at JMU. It’s amazing to see what I’ve learned in class in practice in the workplace. I’ve also learned that sometimes what you learn in class is not necessarily what happens in the real world.”
His internship involved working in the music services department. He dealt with copyright clearance for all sound used in television shows. He worked in all areas up until the negotiations with the publishers on the contract. He says it was somewhat tedious at times, with lots of researching and recording information.
Matt spent a lot of time fact checking information to prevent future lawsuits. Most of his research was Internet based, but he also communicated with publishers and record labels via email. The sound analyzation he did for House included all the short music transitions from one scene to the next. The writers and artists who recorded the music all need to be paid when their pieces are aired.
He worked with the Jimmy Fallon show, watching live artists perform mic checks. Matt also did the behind the scenes clearance for all of the music used on the Jimmy Fallon show and played by his house band “The Roots.” He thinks the excitement of being on a live set would be a better fit for him than simply research.
During his summer, he also learned a lot about employee communication. He says, “Some of the experiences I’ve had are close to some sit coms.” He says communication doesn’t have to be super formal all the time. In fact, many of the emails he received were short, bullet point summaries, not a long formal letter.
His other internship experience was working at a startup healthy fast food chain, Bryn and Dane’s, in Horsham, Penn.
Sparks Entertainment
Currently, Matt is interning for Sparks Entertainment, in the social media arena. Sparks was started by CoB Alumnus Gil Welsford, who asked Matt to take over writing blog posts and updating the Facebook and Twitter accounts. Matt and Gil were cofounders of the Society of Entrepreneurs.
Matt says, “I like this internship a lot. It’s taught me a lot about social media. I have a good personal network, and I’ve learned how a business network is different and helps to garner customers.” Plans are in the works to develop a quarterly electronic newsletter for Sparks Entertainment.
He says, “Web development is important. And online is the future of everything; I can’t see it dying. You fall behind if you don’t know how to do it.”
Activities and Advice
In addition to his internship experiences, Matt is active in the marching band, the Society of Entrepreneurs, and the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). The NSLS is a national organization devoted to enhancing leadership and motivation; the JMU chapter just started this year. He is also in the Venture Creation class, working on a project to monetize the East Campus Wind Testing Facility.
Matt believes strongly in networking. “Try to meet as many people as possible. JMU is a breeding ground for networking. You’ll be surprised at what people can offer and what they do to will help you.”
He makes it a point to have lunch with someone he doesn’t know every week. It’s great practice for being able to easily converse with anyone.
This aspiring entrepreneur has his networking/communications skills down. In fact, he has an idea to pitch to NBC for improving the whole process of vetting the music on shows. If his past is any indication, he stands a great shot at revamping the system and improving the efficiency of NBC, and hopefully the entire entertainment industry!
Mike Mitri Gives Overview of CIS to TAG Members
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The 12th Annual JMU Technology Alumni Group (TAG) Event, High Tech Friday, was held on Friday, October 12th.
TAG speakers, who are JMU alums, visited 17 classrooms to share their success stories. The speakers visited business classes, ISAT class, and engineering classes. Since its inception, the TAG group has visited 170 different classes.
To learn more about TAG, visit www.jmu.edu/tag.
To view pictures from the even, visit our Facebook page.
Sales Internship Leads to Marketing Dream Job for Ranna Mohajer
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“Seek out opportunities and strike the right balance between your own interest, the interest of the consumer, and that of your organization. At the end of the day, you are happiest knowing that you have done your best for all stakeholders.” So says marketing major Ranna Mohajer (’13).
Ranna believes that internships are an important aspect to becoming a well-rounded graduate who is prepared for the real world. She says, “Internships give you the opportunity to apply what you learn in class to the real world. There is a lot of long-term interaction with people – real people with real likes, dislikes, and budgets. It is so much more dynamic than just reading a textbook or answering a few questions on a test; the day-to-day working environment is also full of emotion and competition.”
Mosaic Sales Solutions/Dell
She was fortunate enough to land an internship in summer 2011 with Mosaic Sales Solutions through Recruit-A-Duke. Mosaic Sales Solutions works closely with client Dell to promote Dell’s products at an experiential level. Ranna’s opportunities were many and varied.
Ranna worked with the JMU Bookstore, helping students and parents learn more about Dell’s products. She became very well-versed on the product offerings, and was able to ensure that customers purchased the best-suited computer tailored to their individual needs. During the summer, Ranna enjoyed plenty of face-to-face time with potential customers. During the semester, she helps coordinate many student events, such as movie nights with UPB, late night breakfast events, and product demos. She looks for events that generate a lot of foot traffic so she can give out free swag while demonstrating innovative Microsoft features.
Social Media
This aspiring marketer loves the world of social media. Because of her stellar performance in sales and marketing (she was #1 in sales last year in the nation), she was promoted to a new position handling social media for Mosaic. She currently works about 32 hours a week in this role, managing Facebook and Twitter accounts for the company. She has been named #1 for the past four months in the national social media competition. The contest is based on factors such as the number of followers and the amount of engagement a site generates. Ranna is known within Mosaic as the social media guru. Managers throughout the company come to her for assistance on special projects for the client.
She says, “I love the social media aspect of my position because it allows me to engage with users from around the world. I review, edit, and schedule content for all posts before they go live on Dell’s social media pages.” She adds, “I love working on social media, while still having face to face contact. It mixes it up for me and provides me with a dynamic environment. I also enjoy the contests and bonuses that come with my job, the competitive nature provides me with an exciting work environment!“
Ranna also conducts marketing research using a customer facing application to collect useful information for Dell, including surveys that calculate pre- and post-demonstration data. She also creates dynamic Excel spreadsheets for Dell, providing valuable information for the company.
Why JMU?
Ranna is from Ashburn, Va. She selected JMU because of her positive experience at summer band camp along with its highly ranked business program, not to mention the amazing food. She reminisces, “I loved the welcoming and friendly atmosphere. With its highly ranked music and business programs, JMU was definitely my top choice.”
Other Interests
Ranna is active in a number of student organizations, including the Student Diversity Council, Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS), Mu Kappa Tau, and Reach Peer Educators. Last year, she was selected as one of 100 globally to attend the BGS Student Leadership Forum in Charleston, S.C. This year, she has been selected to be a mentor in this year’s forum, slated for St. Louis, Mo.
Her hobbies include travel and enjoying fine cuisine from around the globe.
Advice
She has these words of advice for students:
- Be persistent.
- Try to achieve your goals even if it seems impossible.
- Take advantage of any opportunity that comes up; it just might benefit you down the road.
Ranna lives her own advice, working for Mosaic, taking 18 credit hours, being active in several organizations, and taking on a second part-time job promoting Microsoft. She has already won a contest among over 600 peers from around the nation and plans to win more. “In this environment you need to hold your head up and do your best,” she adds.
Local Teachers Recognized For Economic Education Efforts
Economic education projects at six local schools were named winners of this year’s Economic Education Awards. The awards, given annually by Shenandoah Valley Economic Education, Inc. (SVEE), recognize teachers who create special units geared toward learning about economics
James Madison University’s Center for Economic Education (CEE), in partnership with the Harrisonburg Rotary Club and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, sponsor the program. The CEE, an outreach center of JMU’s College of Business, seeks to promote economic literacy in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia through teacher training and consultation.
"We appreciate the opportunity to show off the work done by outstanding city and county teachers each year," said Dr. William Wood, director of the CEE. "These teachers are integrating economic content into language arts, mathematics, social studies and other subjects—and in ways that strengthen student learning across these disciplines."
Barbara Palmer of Montevideo Middle School won the grand prize in the competition, with the project “Green Island: Living Well for the Good of the Earth and Your Pocketbook.” Palmer’s environmental economics unit centered on sixth grade students producing a marketable product from recycled material while learning about environmental choices and costs. The prize carries a $1,000 cash award.
"The judges were really impressed with Barbara Palmer's project,” Wood said. “It had sound economics, excellent pedagogy and a lot of excitement for the students.”
The following teachers were also recognized for their class projects during a Rotary meeting on Oct. 8:
- Dawn Flora and Ann Komara, Ottobine Elementary School
- Jennie Carr (a former Elkton Elementary School teacher)
- Allen Ruliffson, J. Frank Hillyard Middle School
- Bonnie Berry (who retired from Ottobine Elementary School in June)
- Jennifer Wright, Waterman Elementary School
- Cathy Glick, Wilbur Pence Middle School
To learn more about the CEE, visit http://williamcwood.com/econed/.
CoB’s Dr. Dan Gallagher Named Madison Scholar
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Congratulations to Dr. Dan Gallagher, a CSX professor of management in the College of Business, for being named a 2012 Madison Scholar. Candidates for this award are nominated by their colleagues, and winners are chosen based on the excellence of their scholarly achievement in their respective field. Dan is currently scheduled to deliver the Madison Scholar seminar on Wednesday, November 14th.
Dr. Gallagher recently spent a week in Australia meeting with faculty at Victoria University in Melbourne and speaking at a conference in Canberra.
While at Victoria University, Dr. Gallagher worked with Professor Donna Buttigieg on the final stages of a research project dealing with worker involvement and mobilization for which they have applied for funding support from the Australian Research Council (ARC).
From September 12-14, Dr. Gallagher attended The Second Psychological Contract Group Meeting at The Australian National University. The conference focused on advances in psychological contract research. Dan discussed his recent research on understanding the nature of psychological contracts outside of the typical employer — employee relationship that he has recently began working on with Professors Claudia Bernhard-Oettel (Stockholm University) and Catherine Connelly (McMaster University).
According to Dr. Gallagher, it was a small conference of about 30 people from all over the world, including South Africa, Norway, the Netherlands, the U.S and Australia. The European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology sponsored the conference. Dan, who is also on the editorial board of the EAWOP journal, said he enjoyed the conference’s small size, since unlike many of the mega-conferences, as it allowed all involved to get to know each other better on both a professional and personal level.
CoB's Matthew Rutherford and Laura Parks Featured on Bloomberg Businessweek
Congratulations to Matthew Rutherford and Laura Parks for being featured on Bloomberg Businessweek for their study that found women deans may be more likely than men to place an emphasis on ethics in the curriculum.
Their study, published in the latest issue of the Academy of Management Learning and Education, looked at 382 undergraduate business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in the 2009-10 academic year. The study examined the factors that led to the school’s decision to make business ethics a required course.
To read more, please click here.
CIS Major Reaches Out to Help Community
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Rebecca Mitchell loves crunching numbers, solving problems, and manipulating data. She also loves helping people in need.
This senior CIS major volunteers as co-president of the student chapter of Habitat for Humanity. The JMU Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, with almost 400 members, helps build affordable housing for those in need. The club sends volunteers out on the weekends to local affiliates nearby to help build new houses or repair old ones.
Rebecca is pictured at left with the president of Habitat for Humanity of Culpeper, Jeff Montag. He presented the chapter with a plaque thanking them for being a Habitat Building Partner for the 2011-2012 year.
Rebecca became involved with Habitat during her sophomore year; she and her roommate thought it sounded like fun. They joined the group, and helped build houses and raise money for the organization.
She spent her sophomore spring break helping to build houses in Broward County, Fla. She remembers that trip as a pivotal point in her life. “It was one of the most memorable things I’ve ever done. Working side by side with future homeowners was a tremendous and gratifying experience for me,” she says.
After that experience, she applied for the executive committee, and eventually worked her way up to co-president. “I like being president. It’s a lot of work, but I like being in a leadership position. We have ideas, we make them happen, and we follow through.” She wants the club to become more involved both in the JMU community and in the Harrisonburg community.
The student chapter is affiliated with the Staunton office. The group also works in with the Culpeper and Almost Heaven, WV, clubs. The volunteers convene every Saturday and travel in a 12-passenger JMU van to various sites, spending all day nailing, putting up walls, and painting. The students really do whatever needs to be done. They are currently planning their spring break weeklong trip.
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The group picture (left) is the JMU general body members who attended the build on Saturday, Sept. 29 in Culpeper.
Rebecca laughs, “My dad is a contractor, so I know how to do a lot of stuff on a construction site. With Habitat, we don’t discriminate about knowledge in construction. We accept everyone who wants to help out. My personal favorite is constructing and putting up the walls; it is just such an observable accomplishment for one day’s work.”
Rebecca, who is from Richmond, spent this last summer interning for DRC in Northern Virginia. She and several housemates rented a place in Georgetown for the summer. She says, “It was a lot of fun, and confirmed that I want to go into IT consulting after school.”
She says, “I started out in marketing. I took COB 204, and had Dr. Dillon. He encouraged me to switch to CIS as a major. I’m glad I did.”
Rebecca chose JMU after visiting the school. She remembers, “I visited JMU in the middle of my junior year of high school. I took a tour. On the way home, when my dad asked me what I thought, I said I’m going to JMU. I fell in love with it. Everyone was so friendly – it just felt like home. I applied for early admission, and made it!”
Rebecca has five siblings, spanning 21 years. This rich family background certainly has developed her skills in working with a variety of people from different age groups and backgrounds. Kudos to Rebecca and her dedication to helping those in need!
CoB, Booz Allen Hamilton Kick Off Intern Case Competition
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The Booz Allen Hamilton Intern Case Competition is an individual challenge designed to provide a real-world consulting experience for JMU students. The case provides students with an environment to apply the skills and knowledge they have obtained during their undergraduate studies and is used to gauge their problem-solving and adaptive-learning skills. The case competition was first developed and launched in the spring of 2011.
Dr. Jeffrey May is a CIS instructor and serves as the CIS/Booz Allen liaison. The competition’s participants are students who are identified and nominated by May and other CIS professors where writing, interpersonal, collaboration and problem-solving skills are used as metrics. This fall 2012 semester, eight students were chosen to participate in the competition.
“All of these students are juniors or below and have limited business experience, yet are being asked to create solutions for real-world business problems, which to me, is rather exciting,” May said. “They’re proving their ability to adapt and adjust to foreign scenarios well."
“The participating students come from all majors in the CoB, but this year there was a heavy CIS andBusiness Analytics influence,” May said.
On Tuesday, September 25th, JMU graduates and current Booz Allen Hamilton employees Carl Hurlebaus, Jon Judah and Sarah Johnson visited JMU to host the case competition kick-off meeting. During this meeting, students were introduced to the concept of a case competition and learned the specifics of what this semester’s case study entails. In addition to this meeting, the Booz Allen team held a roundtable discussion with May and some of his CIS colleagues about the need for introducing Agile methodologies to the classroom and conducted a special “Wargames” event later in the evening with members of the AITP.
Following the competition kick-off meeting, the participants have 10 days to produce a final deliverable that provides an innovative solution to the case problem statement. The students then submit their deliverable, resume and a cover letter for review. The submissions are scored against a number of criteria including the student’s ability to highlight key points, provide a creative, innovative and appropriate solution, conduct an analysis of the proposed solution and recommendations, identify Booz Allen capabilities and service offerings that can support their solution, as well as their overall presentation style. After deliberation and scoring, two finalists are selected to be interviewed for potential summer internships with the Booz Allen Strategic Technology and Innovation team.
The Fall 2012 Intern Case Competition will be the third competition that Booz Allen has held at JMU thus far. As a result of past Booz Allen Hamilton Case Competitions, three CoB students, Hannah Edmonds, Nathan Solow and Bruce Sulc, were interviewed and selected to intern during the summer of 2012. In addition, two students interned during the summer of 2011, and many of these interns were offered full-time positions on Booz Allen’s Strategic Technology and Innovation team after graduation.
Judah, an executive at Booz Allen commented, “My colleagues at Booz are increasingly finding JMU students to be exceptional and ‘good fits’ for our organization, and the firm looks forward to working with JMU students for years to come.”
CoB's Dr. Andre Neveu Named Honors Faculty Fellow
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Congratulations to Dr. Andre Neveu (Economics) for being named an Honors Faculty Fellow for 2012-2013.
Dr. Neveu received his Ph.D. in Economics from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Prior to joining the faculty at James Madison University, Dr. Neveu taught courses in economics at Skidmore College, Brooklyn College, Baruch College, and the City College of New York. Dr. Neveu’s current research examines heterogeneous agent-based models of the macroeconomy and economic business cycles. Additionally, Dr. Neveu is involved in research studying a variety of issues including tax policy, exchange rate forecasts, and income dynamics. Dr. Neveu has also published work on local earned income tax credits, the inefficiencies in the living wage, and the macroeconomic impacts of early childhood education.
Congratulations to Roger Hall (CVPA), Stephanie Stockwell (CISE), Scott Lunsford (CAL), Cheri Beverly (COE), and Monica Reis-Bergan (CHBS), who were also named Honors Faculty Fellows for 2012-2013.
These faculty members, selected by the college deans in consultation with the Honors Program director, will work to develop the program's curriculum, provide a faculty honors advisory board, and engage with students, faculty, alums, and others in support of the program. They will also play a major role in shaping the future direction of the Honors Program. The Honors Program emphasizes the value of faculty engagement in enhancing the honors community and experience. The Honors Faculty Fellows program is a major new initiative in this regard.
CoB Administers Certified Manager® Certification
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Each year, a handful of management majors are chosen by the JMU management department to obtain Certified Manager® (CM®) certification. The certification, which appeals to all levels of managers and supervisors, is sponsored by the Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM), a business center of the JMU College of Business. The business centers are grant-funded programs that tie JMU to the business community. Certification brings confidence and recognition to graduates seeking employment by offering a professional credential beyond their college degree.
To obtain CM® certification, students must meet eligibility criteria for education and experience, complete a comprehensive course of management and leadership study, and pass three challenging CM® certification exams. Successful students receive the CM® professional credential, which recognizes managerial competency and leadership potential.
The COB’s CM® program will begin next week and conclude in April 2013. Senior management students participating in this year’s program include: Peter Jones (recipient of a full CM® scholarship from ICPM), Kyle Barker, Nathan Barth, Rachel Griffin, and LeeNora Linkous.
Mike Yankey, CM, faculty member of the CoB, serves as the CM instructor. According to Mike, “Certification for management students is similar to the CPA exam for accounting students. The great thing about the certification is that it helps students differentiate themselves on resumes and job interviews. When they’re competing against other students, it’s a nice way to set themselves apart.”
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ICPM has been sponsoring the certification for over 38 years. There are currently over 11,000 Certified Mangers recognized in over 60 countries. Lynn S. Powell, CM and JMU alumnus, serves as the Executive Director for ICPM. For more information about the CM®certification, please visit www.icpm.biz or call 540-568-3247.
Robert D. Putnam Delivers JIN Lecture in Political Economy
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Robert D. Putnam spoke on Tuesday, September 18 at the JIN Lecture in Political Economy. His lecture was titled "Religion and Social Capital in American Life." Putnam, left, was welcomed by JMU's Barkley Rosser and JMU President Jonathan Alger before delivering his lecture.
Putnam is a political scientist and professor of public policy at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. He developed the influential two-level game theory that assumes international agreements will only be successfully brokered if they also result in domestic benefits.
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His most famous work, Bowling Alone, argues that the United States has undergone an unprecedented collapse in civic, social, associational, and political life (social capital) since the 1960s, with serious negative consequences.
CoB’s Dr. Ina Markham Receives Recognition from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
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Congratulations to Dr. Ina Markham for being awarded the Moving Spirit Award by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The purpose of the award is to recognize volunteers who have made outstanding and sustained contributions to their chapters.
Dr. Markham teaches statistics, quantitative methods, information technology tools and methods, and technology-enhanced decision making at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Her research interests include neural networks, applied statistics, operations research techniques, organizational leadership issues, and their applications in business.
In addition to being a member of INFORMS, Dr. Markham is also a member of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI). She has served both organizations, at the national and regional levels, in a variety of roles. Dr. Markham is past President of SE DSI as well as SE INFORMS. SE INFORMS recognized her with the Distinguished Service award in October 2003. She is an At-Large Vice President of DSI and is also currently serving on the Council for SE DSI and SE INFORMS.
CoB Alumnus and Entrepreneur Lou Parrague Featured in the San Francisco Business Journal
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Lou Parrague (’79) was recently featured in the San Francisco Business Journal. Lou, who holds a degree in marketing and management from the College of Business, is the president of Capture Technologies, a company that provides video and software security solutions for municipalities, police departments, financial and legal services companies, and hospitals.
Headquartered in Oakland, Calif., Capture Technologies made $8 million in revenue in 2011. Parrague has been president of the company since 2002.
In the article, Parrague says the biggest challenge for his business is “perfecting the variable cost model, so as to profitably ride out the ebbs and flows of business.”
Read more of Parrague’s entrepreneur profile here. Visit Capture Technologies’ website at http://capturetechnologiesinc.com/.
CoB Alumnus and Small Business Owner Bill Butcher Speaks at Democratic National Convention
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Bill Butcher, owner of Port City Brewery in Alexandria, Va., recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Bill graduated with a degree in economics from the College of Business. He spent years working in both the restaurant and wine businesses before turning his focus to craft beer and opening Port City Brewing. At the DNC, Bill spoke about how under President Obama, he was able to start his first business.
“Small business really is the backbone of the economy,” Bill said. “I don’t have time to pay much attention to politics because I’m too busy running my business. I think a lot of small business owners feel the same way. We don’t care about the daily back and forth of campaigns—we just want leaders in Washington who believe in us and make it a little easier for us to succeed.”
Watch Bill’s full speech here. Visit Port City Brewing at http://portcitybrewing.com/.
Beta Alpha Psi Hosts Meet the Firms Night
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On Wednesday, September 12, Beta Alpha Psi hosted Meet the Firms Night, an annual career fair for accounting, CIS and finance majors. The event was a way for employers to share their real-world experiences and for students to ask questions about careers as financial information professionals.
To view more photos from the event, visit our Facebook page.
CoB Celebrates International Housekeepers Week by Recognizing the Showker Hall Housekeeping Staff
International Housekeepers Week, celebrated during the second full week in September each year, recognizes the professionals who maintain a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment for us all each and every day. Although this is the official week of celebration, you may celebrate with your facility's staff any time of year. IHW has been celebrated around the world since 1981.
Meet the Showker Hall Housekeeping Staff
Danielle Hallquist
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Danielle came to JMU in 2012. Prior to this, she was a work-study student at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. Danielle, who grew up in Broadway, was home schooled. She graduated from the Academy of Home Education in Greenville, S.C.
Danielle has three brothers and one sister. She plays the piano, and is the church pianist at Smith Creek Baptist Church. She also enjoys gardening. Danielle plans to begin taking classes at Blue Ridge Community College.
Donna Smith
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Donna began working for JMU 15 years ago. Prior to this, she worked at poultry companies Wampler and Rocco. She grew up in Harrisonburg, and attended Turner Ashby High School.
Donna has one daughter, Hope, who also works at JMU. Donna enjoys watching a variety of shows on Lifetime TV. She also enjoys spending time with her family, her cat, Midnight, and her dog, Bubba.
Donna Whetzel
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Donna Whetzel has been with JMU for about three and a half years. Originally from Fulks Run, she lives in Timberville now. Donna has worked at other companies in the area, including Rockingham Poultry, Marval Poultry, and Bowman Apples. She attended Broadway High School.
Donna and her husband, Bruce, enjoy traveling to theme parks and attending Turks baseball games. She enjoys horror movies, especially “The Terminator.” Donna also enjoys playing with her cat, Gabby.
Barbara Williams
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Barbara Williams started working for JMU in 1989. She grew up in Page County and attended Page County High School. She currently lives in Elkton. She has two sons, Danny and Chris. Before coming to JMU, she worked for Wrangler.
In her spare time, Barbara enjoys mowing her lawn and keeping up with her household chores. She also likes to go to McDonalds when she doesn’t feel like cooking.
The housekeeping staff enjoy working at JMU, noting it’s “interesting” and that they never know what to expect. The faculty, staff, and students in Showker Hall appreciate the hard work and dedication of the housekeeping staff!
JMU AITP Student Chapter Wins Outstanding Performance Award
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For the second year in a row, the JMU Association of Information Technology Professionals Student Chapter has received the AITP Student Chapter Outstanding Performance Award from the National Office and was one of eight chapters recognized. The AITP, through the local sponsoring chapter or region, conducts an awards program for student chapters which recognizes outstanding performance in the areas of education, membership, public relations, meetings and Association participation.
Last year (2010-2011) the JMU AITP was recognized as the largest Student Chapter and was a finalist for “The Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year.”
Each year, each AITP Student Chapter participates in five main year-long activities. Each of these activities earn points, and the student chapters with the highest points are recognized.
Winning chapters:
1. Educate the student chapter members about technology and business issues with workshops, seminars, etc. that the AITP members lead or facilitate
2. Increase or maintain membership.
3. Hold public relations activities that keep the membership informed about the profession, which includes presentations or programs by outside companies such as Accenture, Deloitte, KPMA, CapitalOne, and Booz Allen. This includes the JMU AITP members volunteering for the First Lego League Middle/High School program that the education college hosts each year.
4. Hold regular meetings and maintain high participation in chapter activities
5. Participate in AITP local, regional, and national conferences
"The AITP Student Chapter is a great place for students to learn those soft skills; organizing, communicating, achieving," AITP Advisor Tom Dillon says. "They are a fine group of student leaders.”
According to Dillon, recognition two years in a row is a great honor and also shows how hard the AITP student chapter works. They maintain a high level of professionalism and contribute heavily to the CIS major, the College of Business and JMU.
“The continuing success of the AITP Student Chapter is just one reflection of the quality students we produce in the College of Business,” says Associate Dean Rick Mathieu.
CIS/BSAN Department Head Mike Mitri adds, “We are so proud of the AITP Student Chapter for their accomplishments at the National level. Our CIS program is recognized beyond Virginia.”
Don Rainey and John Rothenberger Take Part in Jefferson Innovation Forum
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Today’s economic challenges call for renewed attention to innovation and entrepreneurship to spur economic growth, create jobs, and ensure global competitiveness. Given the urgent need for civil discourse and healthy debate about these issues, the Jefferson Innovation Forum promotes broad and impactful exchange among our nation’s leaders. JMU Board of Visitors member Don Rainey and JMU entrepreneur-in-residence John Rothenberger will both take part in the Forum.
On September 7, 2012, the Jefferson Innovation Summit for the Commonwealth, hosted by the Batten Institute in partnership with the Office of the Governor of Virginia, will convene a diverse and influential group of sixty policymakers, entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders to discuss how to create and sustain a society of entrepreneurs and innovators in Virginia.
Initiated by the Jefferson Innovation Summit :: 2011, the Forum incorporates action-oriented events, tailored research, and focused dialogue to move these discussions forward.
From http://jeffersoninnovationsummit.org/index.php
Dr. William Wood Coauthors New Book, Game, on Economics and Investing
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Learning, Earning, and Investing for a New Generation is a book of 21 lessons for use by high school teachers. As the title implies, the main topics have to do with earning and managing money, and then investing for a secure financial future. As project director on the book, CoB's Dr. William Wood headed up a three-author team. The two coauthors who joined Dr. Wood on the book were Mark Schug of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Scott Niederjohn of Lakeland College.
The book was based on its 2004 predecessor, Learning, Earning, and Investing, so some parts were simply updated from that volume. However, the authors added important all-new content and coverage of the 2007-2008 financial crisis as well. Each lesson in the book has links to the free online game, Gen i Revolution (http://genirevolution.org). In the game, students take on the role of secret agents helping people with financial problems.
The lessons and the game will be used by high school teachers. In Virginia, for example, there is a new required economics and personal finance course that all members of the Class of 2015 will need to have taken before graduation. The lessons and the game cover a number of Virginia Standards of Learning; the authors coordinated the book with the national standards in economics (which are very close to Virginia's).
The lessons and the game will be especially helpful to teachers playing the Stock Market Game, a simulation in which students invest hypothetical money for 10-week periods in the fall and the spring, seeking the highest portfolio value.
The authors added for a New Generation to the title to reflect the links to the Gen i Revolution game. It also fell to Dr. Wood as project director to coordinate design and layout for publication, and the coordinate class-testing of new and revised content by high school teachers in Virginia, Florida and Wisconsin. They received some excellent suggestions from class-testing the draft new content, and made revisions before everything went final.
Wood, Shlug and Niederjohn also served as content specialists for the development of the game, working with the programmers and artists to translate economic concepts into the game format.
MSA Students Travel to DC for Second Annual Experiential Learning Trip
Students in the Masters of Science in Accounting (MSA) program recently traveled to Washington D.C. to enhance their knowledge of the accounting field. For the second year in a row, MSA students had the opportunity to visit government-created accounting institutions and agencies, including the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Accounting Professor Tim Louwers says, “The trip provided an opportunity for our students to interact with the country’s top standard setters and regulators. This year’s group was able to speak with Jay Hanson, one of the five members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the nonprofit corporation established by Congress that oversees the audits of public companies, and other members of the PCAOB staff. At the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), we met with attorneys and accountants from the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant and the Corporate Finance Division.
“Both of these visits provided unique looks ‘behind the curtain’ at the accounting standard setting process and what happens when audit failures occur. We also met with JMU Grad Cheryl Clark and Dianne Guensberg, Director and Assistant Director, respectively, at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), who provided insights into the country’s current financial crisis and how the GAO works to ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.”
Plans are already in the works for the fall 2013 trip back to the nation’s capital.
Dr. Paul Copley, Kim Foreman Publish Article in CPA Magazine
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Congratulations to Dr. Paul Copley and Prof. Kimberley Foreman for the recent publication of their article, “The CPA Pipeline in Virginia.” It was published in the September/October 2012 issue of Disclosures magazine, which is the official publication of the Virginia Society of CPAs.
They examined whether recent changes in the CPA exam requirements would affect the supply of accounting graduates in the Commonwealth. Beginning in 2006, first-time candidates needed to take 150 credit hours of education before they could sit for the CPA exam; in May, 2009, that requirement was changed to 120 hours to sit for the exam, and 150 hours to become licensed.
Dr. Copley and Ms. Foreman found that the150 hour requirement did not deter students from majoring in accounting. Additionally, the change back to 120 hours has reduced the number of master’s qualified candidates, but has had no effect on the supply of accounting graduates overall.
They studied 15 years of research from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; the number of students majoring in accounting has continued to increase. In part due to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the demand for entry level accountants has continued to grow. Students believe the job prospects remain excellent, so they continue to major in accounting.
They conclude, “Virginia’s accounting employers have every reason to be optimistic regarding the supply of accounting graduates.”
CyberCity a Finalist in Governor's Technology Awards
Congratulations to CoB's CyberCity program for being a finalist in this year's Governor's Technology Awards. The Governor's Technology Awards program received a record number of entries in 2012. A distinguished panel of judges from education, state and local government now is reviewing the nominations and winners will be announced at a special COVITS ceremony on Sept. 6 in Richmond.
COVITS (the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Innovative Technology Symposium) annually brings together a community of senior-level executives and technology decision makers from state and local government, business, and education to identify, discuss and propose solutions to Virginia’s critical technology issues.
COVITS is a forum to discuss technology requirements, share valuable lessons from actual case studies, and glimpse the future of government interaction with its customers.
Sponsored by JMU’s College of Business, CyberCity is designed to introduce ninth- and 10th-graders to potential careers in the field of computer information systems. The program targets students who may not consider college or a career in technology as a real possibility due to economic or family situations.
Teachers accompany students and attend separate workshops highlighting ways they can incorporate technology into their curricula. CoB colleagues Thomas Dillon, Harry Reif and Daphyne Saunders Thomas created CyberCity in 2007.
August 23, 2012
Students Encouraged to Meet with Chad Gensel, the CoB Liaison from Career & Academc Planning
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Career and Academic Planning employs Academic & Career Liaisons to represent each major at JMU. Liaisons collect information about major curricula, and provide career services to students in their represented department. Chad Gensel is the liaison for students in the College of Business. Students are encouraged to meet with Chad for career advising, resume preparation, and interview practicing.
Email: genselca@jmu.edu
Phone: 540-568-6555
This semester, his office hours are every Thursday from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. in Showker 219 for any CoB student needing career-related assistance. His office hours will start September 6th and end December 6th.
College of Business Welcomes New Faculty
The College of Business is pleased to welcome the following new faculty members. We wish you much success this year!
Ms. Ida Alcantara, CIS & BSAN
Mr. Vinod Changarath, FIN
Dr. Woo-Sik (Danny) Choi, SHSRM
Ms. Angela Flannery, SHSRM
Mr. Kemper Funkhouser, FIN
Mr. Jonathan Gilbert, MKTG
Mr. Ram Gupta, MKTG
Ms. Elizabeth (Betty) Hoge, MKTG
Dr. Karen Jansen, MGT
Ms. Marlena Jarboe, CIS & BSAN
Mr. John Karabelas, CIS & BSAN
Ms. Melissa Malabad, MKTG
Dr. Joshua Pate, SHSRM
Dr. Kathryn (Kayti) Schumann, FIN
Dr. James Williams, SHSRM
President Alger Offers Ten Tips on Good Leadership to Incoming iMBA Students
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President Jonathan Alger welcomed the latest cohort of iMBA students during an orientation on Aug. 18 in Chandler Hall. He took a few moments to share his ideas on leadership with the group:
1. Good leaders are guided by ethics, and a clear sense of purpose and mission
2. In addition to being competent in your role, have passion, and take thoughtful risks
3. Be creative and willing to take a fresh look at things
4. Be patient – the process of making change is just as important as the substance
5. Use good listening skills
6. Express thanks and show gratitude, let people know you appreciate their efforts
7. Be a nonanxious presence, help others understand that this crisis will pass
8. Be authentic, be yourself, leadership comes in different styles, don’t try to become someone else
9. Become a lifelong learner
10. Be good at thinking on your feet
2012 Golf Classic Successful
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Many thanks to all the golfers and volunteers at the 2012 JMU Northern Virginia Golf Classic. This event, which is a fundraiser for the CoB and the Duke Club, was held on Aug. 17 at the Westfields Golf Club.
Sixty golfers participated and the weather was lovely. Door prizes, a silent and live auction, and team awards wrapped up the event.
View photos from the event on our Facebook page.
Dr. Reg Foucar-Szocki Honored with Lifetime Academic Achievement Award
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Dr. Reg Foucar-Szocki was recently named the winner of the 2012 Lifetime Academic Achievement Award by the Michigan State University School of Hospitality. He was recognized for his total body of accomplishments, including classroom work, professional development activities, and volunteer outreach in the community. His wife, Diane, who teaches in the JMU College of Education, and mother, Theresa Szocki, attended the celebration, which was held on Aug. 2 during the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education Conference in Providence, RI.
The School of Hospitality Business’s Alumni Association established its Lifetime Academic Achievement Award in 2008 to honor alumni whose lifetime careers in the academy have had a lasting and significant impact on hospitality education and those who study and teach it.
Reg has been with JMU since 1989. He served as the HTM Program Director, and as the J.W. Marriott professor and academic unit head from 1996 through 2005. He currently teaches in the School of Hospitality, Sport, and Recreation Management. Reg recognizes the importance of spending time in the industry; he has completed 12 summer internships/externships over the past 23 years. He also served as president and chairman of the board for the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education from 1999 to 2001. He is the founding associate editor of Housteur magazine. He earned his master’s at the State University of College of New York, and his Ed.D. from Syracuse University.
Reg says, “I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award. Being one of the recipients is truly a most special time for me, my family, and my colleagues at JMU.” He remembers, “As a kid growing up in Western New York I was blessed to have parents who believed in learning. Via their sacrifice I was able to attend a New England Prep School and then move on to MSU. I am very proud that my grandfather was in the hospitality business running a bar and grill in my hometown and one of my uncles had a ‘beer joint.’
“I learned firsthand from my mother, Theresa, what it means to love what you do, and give back. In her 50 + years of service to churches and missions she has raised millions of dollars via card parties, festivals, raffles and various ways of generating funds. I am happy to say she was able to take off work to be with us today — she currently works at the deli 4 or 5 days a week back in Silver Creek, New York as a soon-to-be 84-year-old.”
Congratulations, Reg, on this stellar, well-deserved award!
JMU Head Football Coach Mickey Matthews Meets with iMBA Students
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Dr. Mike Busing and his MBA students participated in a "Mixer for Cohorts 3 and 4" on August 9 in JMU's Bridgeforth Stadium, Club Level. JMU Head Football Coach Mickey Matthews met with the students and talked about leadership — a theme of the iMBA Program.
Matthews said, “One thing that will kill you in business is insecurity. Many times, managers fail to hire the very best people because they prefer subordinates who don't intimidate them.”
He also pointed out, “People will occasionally be unfairly judged by their boss. The cleaning people or the grounds people will never unfairly judge you.”
Thanks to Coach Matthews for taking the time to meet with Dr. Busing and the MBA students.
JMU Marketing Students Win Americas Region of the 2012 Google Online Marketing Challenge
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A team of three James Madison University graduates was named the Americas Region winner of the Google Online Marketing Challenge. The team consisted of 2012 marketing graduates, Rachel Krause (Alexandria, Va.), Nicole Behr (Basking Ridge, N.J.) and Tara Goode (Gulph Mills, Pa.). The students competed in the challenge as part of marketing Professor Theresa Clarke's Marketing 490 class.
"My first thought upon hearing the news was, wow," Clarke said. "I am so proud of the JMU students for performing remarkably well in the challenge. They are a talented, hard-working group that knows how to meet the bar when I raise it high."
The team won top honors by creating a Google AdWords campaign for Triple C Camp, a youth camp and challenge course in Charlottesville, Va. The purpose of the competition is for teams to partner with a business or non-profit website to maximize targeted and relevant traffic to the business or non-profit organization's website. Krause, Behr and Goode were among 11,000 students in 86 countries to compete in the challenge. According to Google, the 2012 competition was “the most competitive and diverse pool of teams yet."
In addition to the 2012 Americas Region winners, JMU had another team that placed among the top 15 in the Americas and among the top 60 teams in the world.
This is the third time in five years that a JMU team has won the America's region. Each member of the winning teams will receive a new laptop and a trip to Google headquarters in Mountain View, Ca.
Congratulations to Theresa, Rachel, Nicole and Tara for this outstanding accomplishment.
From JMU Public Affairs
Contact: Bill Wyatt, 540-568-4908
The Center for Economic Education Holds Training for Local Teachers
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JMU’s Center for Economic Education and teachers in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are collaborating to prepare teachers for a state-mandated economics and personal finance course, which places an emphasis on career and college readiness in local schools.
“We think it’s important for every high school student to get exposure to economics and personal finance,” says Dr. William Wood, Director of the Center for Economic Education.
Due to a mandate from the Virginia Department of Education, students enrolling as freshman in 2011 or later must take the economics and personal finance course.
“We have a great group this year with a diverse set of life experiences,” Wood says. “Some have taught this before and others are gearing up for their first time.”
Lynn Stover (pictured above), a teacher consultant for the Center, gave a presentation about using The Hunger Games, a popular science fiction book for young adults, as a learning aid for teaching economics at the high school level.
The teacher training lasts for six days and will conclude on Wednesday, July 18.
Governor McDonnell Appoints Mike Thomas, Mike Battle to JMU Board of Visitors
Congratulations to CoB Executive Advisory Council Chair Mike Thomas and former EAC member Mike Battle who were named to the JMU Board of Visitors. These new appointees will each serve four-year terms on the Board of Visitors.
CoB Interim Dean Dr. Bud Clarke says, “We are delighted to learn of the appointment of Mike Thomas and Mike Battle to the Board of Visitors. Both have been outstanding contributors to the CoB Executive Advisory Council. These gentlemen will add a great deal of knowledge and experience to the board. We certainly wish them well in this endeavor."
Meet EAC Member Tom Carr
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CoB Executive Advisory Committee (EAC) Member Tom Carr is a 1985 CoB graduate, with a degree in marketing. He’s been on the EAC since 2004. He grew up in Virginia Beach, and attended Bayside High School.
JMU Years
When it was time to select a college, Tom was heavily influenced by JMU Wrestling Coach Besnier, who recruited him for the wrestling team. Prior to this, Tom never really thought about JMU as a possibility. He wrestled freshman year, then had to hustle to support himself and pay for college, when his mother moved back to her native Panama.
When asked why he selected marketing as a major, he says, “I chose marketing because it appeared to provide me a background that leveraged my personal strengths. Most of my career has been built upon the marketing and sales foundation which began at James Madison University. My summer employment while in college, combined with the business structure provided by the JMU College of Business, allowed me to start my career with an optimal background.”
He had a very entrepreneurial approach to making money while in school. He says, “As a sophomore, I became a resident advisor working under Mark Warner and Lin Rose, which was a great experience. I was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and my next role involved being a Greek Coordinator during my last two years, which allowed me to financially complete my degree. Working with Donna Harper and others during this time to manage the Greek system at JMU was an invaluable part of my college years. My classes in the College of Business were challenging; however, these experiences provided me a solid business foundation.”
His favorite professor was Dr. C.B. Dix, who taught a Personal Selling Marketing Class. He says, “I liked him because he was a good person who enjoyed teaching this subject, which created a very positive environment. Also, during this time in my college career I knew my strengths were in the sales/marketing area as well.”
Professional Experiences
After graduation, Tom jumped right into professional life. “At 22 years of age, my first post graduate employment involved building and opening a restaurant in Farmville, Virginia. DT Bradley’s offered a college town restaurant experience with a bar vibe at night. Although I only spent a year in this area of work, a few career guiding principles were gained, which I still use today. The first for me is to make sure that I enjoy my work. Combining this thought with leveraging my personal strengths and surrounding myself with people who excel in complementary areas has served me well.”
After this initial experience, he spent the next twelve years working with sales and marketing in the medical sector with a few different equipment manufacturers. In the summer of 1998, Cisco Systems selected Tom to help launch a healthcare vertical sales team. He spent the next nine years in a variety of roles at Cisco, including Northeast U.S. Business Development Manager for Healthcare in 2006.
Tom says, “Since then, my time has been spent building two systems integration companies that work with manufacturers such as Cisco, Microsoft, EMC, and others. From 2007 to 2009, my focus involved building a company sales force and driving revenues from $8 million to $25 million resulting in an Inc. 500 ranking of 164.
“In 2009, I became a partner at SyCom Technologies where we have experienced 100% revenue growth over the past three years while expanding from 90 to 130 employees. The culture at SyCom is key to our success, which is derived from hiring talented people who believe in a team concept.”
He faced varied challenges along the way. He remembers, “My most challenging experience professionally occurred a few years ago when I assisted in building a very successful company with national accolades. We had outstanding employees but the culture and guidance at the top of our organization wasn’t one I could believe in. It was very tough for me to walk away at that time but my core beliefs have always involved a love for my work and trusting those around me. As a top executive, I walked away because the company just didn’t feel right to me. Twenty months later that company went out of business.”
Reconnecting with JMU
Tom didn’t have much contact with JMU after graduation, as he was concentrating on his career. In 1999, he read an article in Madison Magazine, noting that JMU’s endowment ranking was below Longwood, Mary Washington, and Radford. That low ranking sparked Tom into developing the JMU Technology Alumni Group (TAG) in 2000. Tom, along with fellow alumnus Kent Boerner, founded TAG, which strives to promote communication among students, alumni, and employers about opportunities in the technology sector. TAG donated wireless capabilities to JMU in 2004; JMU went from no wireless to most wired college campus in a few short years.
He says, “Since then, our group has raised more than $400,000 for the university, providing 17 scholarships and numerous equipment donations to departments within JMU. Alumni from TAG come together on campus at JMU each fall and participate in approximately 20 classes where we provide business experience presentations that are consistent with class curriculum.”
He enjoys working with students. He notes, “When you take the time away from your everyday life and spend it with a group of students who are emotionally invested in a business plan or case study, it can be very rewarding personally. In the business world we often define ourselves with boundaries; students have a different perspective, breaking down creative barriers and enjoying great results. I enjoy being a part of this process where students can use my guidance to develop viability from a business perspective.” Tom also helps mentor student teams in the Venture Creation class. His team AdArchy won first place in the most recent business plan competition.
He believes the key to success in business is putting the right people in the right places. The right people are the ones with passion and enthusiasm; the right places are the areas in which they excel. He advises people to find the intersection of their core competencies and loving what they do. With that, he says, “you can create magic in the workplace.”
He pondered a bit on the future of the JMU CoB. He believes the college needs a new building in the upcoming years. He is thankful to former CoB Dean Dr. Robert Reid for his guidance and leadership over the years, which has propelled the college of business into the number 12 business school in the U.S.
Personal Life
Tom and his family live in Richmond. He and his wife, Maribeth, have three children. Daughter Caroline, 20, is a rising sophomore at JMU and is studying communications. His family also includes a set of 14-year-old twins, Katie and Chris.
Tom likes fitness activities, including golfing, running, surfing, and working out in general. He also takes an annual trip to Panama to visit family and practice his rusty Spanish.
Advice for Students
He shares some words of advice for students: Today, businesses are often too lean to hire average people who provide a generalist approach. Develop unique attributes with your background and major that offer market value. Combine this with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment and companies will always want you in their organization.
6th Annual CyberCity Successful
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The JMU College of Business opened its doors recently to about 40 8th, 9th, and 10th graders during the 6th annual CyberCity. This event gave the students a look at potential careers in a variety of areas, including computer information systems, cyber security, finance, and GIS. CyberCity was held June 20-23 in Zane Showker Hall. About 20 teachers also attended; they went to a separate track of classes, and learned how to better use technology in the classroom.
Since its inception in 2006, the program has reached more than 200 students and 100 teachers. In fact, this year two past participants returned as teachers, Eliot Barr and Whitney Brook.
Several new programs were offered this year, including a session on making good decisions, which was presented by a representative of the Central Intelligence Agency. Also new this year was a presentation on creative problem solving, presented by a Walmart industrial engineer, Jenae Moore. In this session, students were tasked with assembling robots out of Legos. They learned how to identify the problem, determine the best approach to solving it, and work together as a team to solve it.
Kate Stevens, with the Madison Art Collection, presented a new session for teachers on using museum resources to teach across the curriculum. The teachers divided into teams, chose a subject, and created a movie or cartoon using an IPad to tell the story.
In addition to the classroom session, the students experienced a bit of college life by staying in the dorms and eating in D Hall. One highlight of the program was the etiquette dinner for the students. Local etiquette expert Terrie Dean taught the students proper behavior for dining, including:
· How to fold a napkin in a lap
· Proper utensils to use during dinner
· How to pass the bread basket and the salt and pepper shakers
· How to put lemon and sugar in a glass of tea
Prior to dinner, Terrie also talked about the importance of one’s personal brand – how you see yourself and how others see you. Her takeaway message was, “Have a strong handshake.” She reminded everyone that an impression is made in the first three seconds of meeting someone.
Plans are already underway for the 7th annual CyberCity. Click here to see pictures of the event, click hereto listen to a WSVA interview about CyberCity, and visit YouTube to see a video summary of CyberCity.
CoB and School Of Engineering Provide Opportunities for Student Collaboration
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For the last two years, Dr. Steven Harper has taught two courses (MGT 425: Project Management and ENGR 322: Engineering Project Management) during the fall semester with a particular goal in mind: to encourage collaboration between management students and engineering students.
“The idea is that in real businesses you work in cross-disciplinary teams,” Harper says, “so here we give students some practice working with people who are functionally different than them.”
The management students are assigned to help the engineering students with their two-year capstone project. Examples of these capstone projects include designing a sustainable health care center for Sub-Saharan Africa, designing an autonomous fire-fighting robot, and developing a campus composting facility.
The management students provide a management view of planning the projects; they apply what they learned in COB 300 and subsequent project based classes to assist their engineering classmates. The management students only work on the project for one semester while the engineering students work on it for two years. The goal of the collaboration is to have the students find ways to successfully work with different groups of people.
Formerly with the Management Department, Dr. Harper has been with the School of Engineering since November and was able to make this collaboration happen since he was teaching both MGT 425 and ENGR 322. Also, in 2012, the first class graduated from the School of Engineering.
Dr. Harper is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and was formally an Assistant Professor of Management. He is currently studying the effects of diversity, multiple intelligences, and decision-making processes on small group performance.
Dr. Harper earned a Ph.D. in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering and an M.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in psychology and speech communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From 1981 to 2002, Dr. Harper was in the U.S. Navy serving as an officer on three submarines, in several program management positions, and as a student at the Naval War College where he earned a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies. He also holds an M.E. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia and a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of California, Berkeley.
During his time in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Harper worked on many interdisciplinary project teams and collaborated both in research and on service committees while teaching at University of Virginia and at JMU.
Meet the Showker Hall Housekeeping Staff
Danielle Hallquist
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Danielle came to JMU in 2012. Prior to this, she was a work-study student at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. Danielle, who grew up in Broadway, was home schooled. She graduated from the Academy of Home Education in Greenville, S.C.
Danielle has three brothers and one sister. She plays the piano, and is the church pianist at Smith Creek Baptist Church. She also enjoys gardening. Danielle plans to begin taking classes at Blue Ridge Community College.
Donna Smith
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Donna began working for JMU 15 years ago. Prior to this, she worked at poultry companies Wampler and Rocco. She grew up in Harrisonburg, and attended Turner Ashby High School.
Donna has one daughter, Hope, who also works at JMU. Donna enjoys watching a variety of shows on Lifetime TV. She also enjoys spending time with her family, her cat, Midnight, and her dog, Bubba.
Donna Whetzel
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Donna Whetzel has been with JMU for about three and a half years. Originally from Fulks Run, she lives in Timberville now. Donna has worked at other companies in the area, including Rockingham Poultry, Marval Poultry, and Bowman Apples. She attended Broadway High School.
Donna and her husband, Bruce, enjoy traveling to theme parks and attending Turks baseball games. She enjoys horror movies, especially “The Terminator.” Donna also enjoys playing with her cat, Gabby.
Barbara Williams
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Barbara Williams started working for JMU in 1989. She grew up in Page County and attended Page County High School. She currently lives in Elkton. She has two sons, Danny and Chris. Before coming to JMU, she worked for Wrangler.
In her spare time, Barbara enjoys mowing her lawn and keeping up with her household chores. She also likes to go to McDonalds when she doesn’t feel like cooking.
The housekeeping staff enjoy working at JMU, noting it’s “interesting” and that they never know what to expect. The faculty, staff, and students in Showker Hall appreciate the hard work and dedication of the housekeeping staff!
Bob Eliason Named Interim Director for Interpersonal Effectiveness Institute
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Bob Eliason was recently named interim director for the JMU Interpersonal Effectiveness Institute (IEI). The IEI, established in August 2011, is a unique educational outreach initiative designed to enhance and improve interpersonal communications skills of both students and businesspeople. The IEI will offer programs on topics such as: emotional intelligence, collaboration, judgment and decision making, learning and mental agility, organization and personal alignment, and overall interpersonal effectiveness.
Interim CoB Dean Dr. Bud Clarke says, “The IEI is designed to significantly impact an individual’s ability to optimally function and fulfill their role in organizations and in their personal lives. The capability to effectively interact person-to-person is an important aptitude for lifelong success. We are excited to have Bob Eliason lead this unique partnership among JMU, corporations, and individuals.”
Bob, who came to JMU in 1999, taught the management portion of COB 300. He has also taught human resource management, interpersonal skills, and industrial/organizational psychology. He earned his undergraduate degree in human relations from High Point University, High Point, N.C., and his master of science from Wilmington College in Delaware. He also earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling and Career Development from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.
Senior Mine Action Course Wraps Up
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The five-week CISR/CoB Senior Management Training course (SMC) wrapped up yesterday, June 13, with group presentations. Each group was tasked with analyzing the current political situation in “Midlandia,” and making recommendations for moving forward. The presenters used the information they learned during their training courses, which were taught primarily by College of Business professors. The students hailed from 13 different countries, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Vietnam. This wide diversity of background led to many lively, animated discussions during the training.
The 18 senior managers from international landmine action organizations left for home on Thursday, eager to begin using some of their newly acquired tools and techniques. Some of the areas they studied included strategic management; communication skills; contracting, liability, and insurance; funding strategies and proposal writing; and managing organizational change.
The SMC is sponsored by a grant from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA). This is the third course sponsored by PM/WRA and the eighth course held at JMU.
The College of Business was pleased to again partner with CISR on this program. It was an honor to be associated with this prestigious group of international leaders. Making the world safer for all citizens is indeed a noble cause.
Click here to see photos from SMC.
Meet the COB Work Center Staff
Marcia Mumbert
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Marcia has been at JMU for almost a year and a half. In a typical day at work, Marcia assists faculty in the CIS department and helps answer any questions students may have. She also helped the Academic Service Center with transfer student orientation this year.
Marcia moved to the area 10 years ago, but is originally from Morgantown, West Virginia. Before working at JMU, she was a Contract Administrator for the Defense Department and was an Executive Secretary at Verizon. Marcia and her husband, Mark, currently live in Cross Keys. She has two sons and two granddaughters and loves to quilt and garden.
Krista Dofflemeyer
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Krista has been at JMU since 2001. During a day at work, she helps faculty and the department head with whatever they may need, and also makes copies and completes paperwork.
Krista is from Elkton and went to Spotswood High School. Before working at JMU, she worked in the real estate profession. When she isn’t taking her son and daughter to their extracurricular activities, she enjoys gardening.
Carrie Sensabaugh
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Carrie began her job as a Senior Support Staff for the Economics and International Business Departments in November 2009. She manages the 4th Floor Work Center and provides administrative support to the Department Head for Economics and the Program Director for International Business, as well as other faculty members. In addition to managing the Web pages for Economics and International Business, she also updates the Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. Carrie also hires, trains, and supervises the student and graduate assistants on the 4th floor.
Before beginning her career at JMU, Carrie worked in the legal, accounting, and real estate professions. She grew up in Augusta County, graduated from Fort Defiance High School, earned an A.A.S. in Business Management from Blue Ridge Community College in December 2007, and completed the Administrative Assistant Certification Program from JMU in December 2010. She enjoys spending time with Rusty, her golden retriever.
Chris Shiflet
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Chris Shiflet has been with JMU for nine years, and has worked for the College of Business for eight of those years. Chris believes there is no such thing as a typical day for her. She says her work is “all-encompassing” and stresses the importance of being ”information central” by getting all of the answers to any questions people may have for her.
Originally from Danville, Virginia, Chris is an avid equestrian and enjoys camping, outdoors activities, and service work. She and her husband own a cattle farm in Augusta County.
Katrina Spickler
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Katrina has been at JMU since August 2011. She hires, schedules, and supervises the student and graduate assistants on the 5th floor. Katrina and Chris work together to help the faculty with all of their needs.
Katrina is from Timberville and holds a degree in marketing from JMU. She now lives in Bridgewater with her husband Phil and their two daughters. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and Sudoku.
15th Annual Global Entrepreneurship Marketplace Fair Held
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Friday, May 25, 2012 marked the 15th year for the Global Entrepreneurship Marketplace (GEM) Fair. Simulating an international marketplace, the GEM Fair is the culmination of the yearlong Mini-Society classrooms project sponsored by JMU's Center for Economic Education. Through the program, students created their own countries — complete with a name, flag, government, trading institutions and currency — and their own products to be sold at the fair.
Training for teachers interested in participating in the mini-society program will be held at JMU in August. Upon completion of the training and the economics instructional unit, the teachers will be invited to bring their classes to the GEM Fair 2013.
Four elementary schools attended this year’s fair: Nathaniel Greene Elementary, Stanardsville, Va.; Rappahannock Elementary, Washington, Va.; Ruckersville Elementary, Ruckersville, Va.; and Smithland Elementary, Harrisonburg, Va. Twenty-two teachers oversaw 372 students as they bought and sold products and services.
Products ranged from jewelry to plastic “piggy” banks to picture frames created from magazine pages. Services included manicures at a bargain price of 5 GEM bucks, the international currency used. Designing the currency was part of the competition; the winning design was used during the fair.
Each team was evaluated by a group of roving judges. The judges evaluated whether the students were truly involved, whether they knew their product or service, and were actively engaged during the fair. The event wrapped up with an awards ceremony. The winners are listed below.
The marketplace was full of excitement and energy, as students, teachers, and guests strolled among the booths, haggling for the best price. By creating, producing, and selling products, students learn fundamentals of marketing and economics, such as supply and demand, persuasive selling, and negotiating. The students also relish the opportunity to travel to JMU and compete against students from other schools.
Lynne Stover, teacher consultant for the center, coordinated the annual event. Click here to view more photos from the event.
Outstanding Money Design Award: Joshua Danko, Ruckersville Elementary – Mrs. Debbie Day
3rd Place – Hannah McInturff
School: Ruckersville Elementary (Debbie Day)
2nd Place – Carrington Wayland
School: Rappahannock Elementary (Linda Way)
1st Place – Madeline Genz
School: Ruckersville Elementary (Debbie Day)
4th Grade Division
1st Place – Atilia Thomas
School: Smithland Elementary (Nolley)
Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs of the Year, judged by the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center
Mary Ellen Andreson, school: Ruckersville (Debbie Day)
Natalie Ferguson, school: Smithland (Andrea Nolley)
Jonathan Gonzalez, school: Nathanael Greene (Sue Gorbea)
Young Entrepreneur of the Year Honorable Mentions
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Teachers Name |
School |
Society Name |
Student Name |
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McDonough |
NGES |
Tornado Kids |
Erin Wallace |
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Dudley |
NGES |
The Mad Gorillas |
Danielle Hall |
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Hickin |
NGES |
Black Lava Dragons |
Hunter Powell
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Lamb |
NGES |
Cool Cats |
Bryson Estes |
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Williams |
NGES |
Peaceville |
Heidi Vernon |
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April Keister |
RES |
Dolphinville |
Shyheim Bright |
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Shifflett |
RES |
Kid City |
Michael Toman |
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Shifflett |
RES |
Fun Town |
David Sturges/ Jared Knights |
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Way |
Rappahannock |
Tigerville |
Even Jenkins |
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Turpen |
Rappahannock |
Panther Paradise |
Olivia Scheulen |
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Gangel |
Rappahannock |
Monkey Town |
Gabriel Heeler |
Click here for a video from the event.
Venture Creation Business Plan Competition
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On Thursday, May 3, entrepreneurs joined each of these venture to guide their efforts and challenge their assumptions as the students developed their business plans. Students had the opportunity to work alongside the entrepreneurs to experience business development from a new perspective.
Congratulations to Team AdArchy (pictured at left), composed of Jonathan Pilchard, Caitlyn Fralin, Emmalyn Carter, and Trey Mullady, who took home first place in the competition. Team HEALTHeSTUDENT, composed of Chris Freeman, Ryan Furtz, Michael Huffman, and Zach Reichard, took home second place. Team Chirp’td, composed of Michelle Carter, Amber York, Matthew Long, and Anthony Frye, took home third place.
Thanks to JMU faculty and business professionals who offered their expertise in the development of these plans. These entrepreneurs/mentors include: Terry Brandy of Dulles Consulting, John Bomberger of Choice Books, Tom Carr of Sycom Technologies, Tim Heydon of Shenandoah Growers, Wayne Jackson of Sonatype, Inc., David Kay of Capital Automotive, Susan Keys of Riverbed Technologies, and Mary Knebel of Alarm.com. Thanks to the judges, Keith May of Kline May Realty and Jeff Pompeo of PocketSonics.
Thanks also to John Rothenberger, Entrepreneur-in-Residence and founder/CEO of SE Solutions, who sponsors the competition.
Click here to view photos from the event.
May 24, 2012
CoB Partners with The Center for International Stabilization and Recovery for Senior Managers' Course
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From May 16-June 13, 2012, the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at James Madison University is hosting 21 senior managers from international landmine-action organizations for the residential Senior Managers’ Course. The SMC is sponsored by a grant from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA). This is the third course sponsored by PM/WRA and the eighth course held at JMU.
The SMC is a five-week program taught in coordination with the JMU College of Business and designed specifically for upper-level managers of international organizations responsible for the removal and abatement of landmines and explosive remnants of war. The course combines lectures, workshops and case studies to integrate effective management and communication skills within the context of post-conflict stabilization. CoB's Dr. Brian Charette taught a class in Effective Communications on May 18, 2012.
The JMU College of Business is proud to partner with the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery to host prestigious guests from around the world who are working diligently to make the world safer for all.
Click here to view photos from the event.
Carol Hamilton Named Director for Center for Entrepreneurship
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Carol Hamilton was recently named director for the JMU Center for Entrepreneurship. The CFE, founded in July 1985 as an interdisciplinary unit of the College of Business, focuses on venture creation and entrepreneurship.
CoB Interim Dean Dr. Bud Clarke says, “We are pleased that Carol Hamilton has accepted the position of director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. Carol’s knowledge and passion for entrepreneurship have already resulted in the creation of several innovative CFE programs. We are confident that Carol will further develop the JMU entrepreneurial culture to the benefit of our students, faculty, and community.”
Carol has worked at JMU since 2002, when she was a management lecturer, and taught the management portion of COB 300. In 2005, she co-developed a Venture Creation course with serial entrepreneur, John Rothenberger. It is the first course in the College of Business open to all majors and the first to routinely assign alums/entrepreneurs to anchor venture teams. Carol was named interim director of the CFE in 2009.
Carol earned her MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at JMU in 1997. She then worked as a management analyst for the JMU Small Business Development Center. In 1999, she co-founded Valley Microenterprise Alliance, a local non-profit, microlending program.
She began her career with IBM following graduation from Clemson University with a B.S. degree in Administrative Management in 1980.
CoB Reognizes its Retirees
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The College of Business would like to recognize and thank several faculty members who retired at the end of this academic year. Pictured are Claire Bolfing and Ruth Shelton.
Claire Bolfing, marketing, started working at JMU in 1990.
Brooks Marshall, finance, began his JMU career in 1985.
Ruth Shelton, marketing, began working for JMU in 1984.
Faye Teer, CIS, started with JMU in 1986.
Many thanks to these dedicated faculty members. We wish them well in the next chapters of their lives!
CoB Students Take Experiential Trip to NYC
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Thirteen students, mostly rising juniors, returned May 11 from a week-long experiential learning tour of the New York City financial industry. For the third consecutive year, students had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the various aspects of the financial industry and to meet with executives and managers at firms such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and DeloItte Consulting.
The group also enjoyed guided tours of the New York Stock Exchange and the New York Mercantile Exchange. Lunch and dinner meetings offered additional chances for students to connect with successful businesspeople, and learn more about professional opportunities in the finance industry.
One student commented, “I did not know there were so many different career opportunities in finance before this trip. The experience should help me figure out what I want to do with my major.”
Associate Dean Joyce Guthrie, faculty advisor for this trip, says, “This experience is a first step in the journey. The contacts and connections these students make are really just the beginning. It is up to each of them to follow-up and take advantage of the offers that could lead to an internship or entry-level position down the road.”
The program, sponsored by the College of Business with tremendous support from CoB alumni, began Monday evening, May 7, with a networking reception with New York area alumni and culminated Friday, May 11, with each student spending one-on-one time with a manager at one of the firms visited.
The students and the College of Business appreciate the support and hard work of the New York City alumni, who helped to make this program a reality. A core group dubbed “the NYC Trip Advisors” did everything from scrub student resumes, arrange for the meeting at their firm, and scramble to fill meeting agenda slots when someone could not attend at the last minute.
As one alumnus said, “I know how much this experience did for me two years ago; that’s why I am happy to work on this end to make the trip a reality for students coming behind me. I hope we are serving as role models to these students, that they see how important it is to ‘pay it forward’ in whatever way you can.”
Pence Middle School and Albemarle High School Students Excel in Stock Market Game
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Teams from Wilbur S. Pence Middle School and Albemarle High School have won the top prizes in the Stock Market Game for the James Madison University region for 2011-2012.
The Pence team turned a hypothetical $100,000 into $114,079.18 in 10 weeks during a volatile fall stock market, scoring the highest portfolio value among 131 competing teams in the JMU region.
Team members were Andrew Eberly, Jackson Brunk and Austin Back. Their faculty adviser was Cathy Glick.
The team from Albemarle won the spring semester game by parlaying $100,000 into $115,786.85 in 10 weeks, the top showing among 157 spring teams. Team members Sarai Hipolito-Mata and Iretioluwa Akinola were advised by Ruth Sisman.
The game is coordinated in the area by the JMU Center for Economic Education, which is holding a reception to recognize both fall and spring winners on May 17 at JMU with the sponsorship of Wells Fargo Advisors of Harrisonburg.
In the game, students “invest” $100,000 of computer money, buying and selling stocks at actual market prices.
Other area winners included:
A team from Wilson Elementary in Fishersville, the top elementary school team in the fall game at $100,112.00
A team from Albemarle High School that won the fall game for grades 9-12 with $111,210.23.
A team from Eastern Mennonite Elementary School that won the spring game’s elementary division with $107,917.59.
A team from Jackson P. Burley Middle School that won the spring game’s division for middle schools with $108,668.10. Pictured above are Andrew and Colin, the representatives from Burley Middle School.
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“Persistent investors have been rewarded over time by the stock market, but this year has had some hard knocks,” said Dr. William C. Wood, director of the center and professor of economics at JMU. “Students learned how risky it can be to take short-term positions in playing the Stock Market Game.”
JMU’s economic education outreach is a sponsored program of Shenandoah Valley Economic Education, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting economic literacy.
Winning team members receive certificates and T-shirts that say, “I Won My Shirt in the Stock Market Game.”
The Center for Economic Education provides training and support for teachers.
Pictured at left are Lynne Stover and Debbie Bollinger greeting guests at the Stock Market Game reception on May 17.
May 18, 2012
Eight Marketing Students Earn Google AdWords Certification with Search Advertising Specialization
Eight JMU marketing students recently passed the required exams and demonstrated proficiency in necessary subject areas critical to gaining competence in Google AdWords. Google awarded these students with an AdWords Individual Qualification with Specialization in Search Advertising.
Google Adwords are based on Pay per Click (PPC). This means the advertiser only pays money to Google when someone clicks on their ad. Theoretically, the advertiser should have a much higher chance of selling something to the people who click through their ad than they would from a normal ad. These AdWords are the advertisements positioned on the right hand column of the page when a Google search is done.
Individuals who pass the examinations in this globally recognized program are qualified to effectively manage Google AdWords campaigns using the latest tools and best practice techniques. Google rewards these professionals with an official program logo and Professional Status page that touts the achievement.
Marketing Professor Dr. Theresa Clarke says, “I am so very proud of these students from my MKTG 490(Google Online Marketing Challenge) course. This is a tough exam, and requires a great deal of hard work and study. Congratulations to the following students:
May 15, 2012
JMU College of Business Ranks Well in Specialty Programs
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“These rankings reflect the commitment and dedication to learning displayed by our faculty, staff, and students,” says Dr. Bud Clarke, interim dean of the College of Business. He adds, “It is rewarding to have our programs nationally recognized. We are proud of everyone who continues to work so hard to ensure the overall quality of education in the College of Business."
May 14, 2012
Meet Mark Langer, CoB Graduate and Member of the Executive Advisory Council
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Mark Langer, 1988 CoB graduate in accounting, is an active member of the College of Business Executive Advisory Council (EAC), which was formed in 1985 to enhance the liaison between the JMU College of Business and the business community. The council provides advice to the dean and faculty and assists the college in advancing its overall commitment to excellence. Mark has been on the EAC since 2000.
Originally from Rockville, Md., he decided to attend JMU because it “had a great reputation, and an environment that was ideal in terms of size, location, and quality of programs.” When it came time to select his major, he chose accounting because of his high school experience as an intern in a regional accounting firm.
He says, “I really enjoyed my JMU experience. I thought the faculty was approachable and accessible. I had direct access to my professors. The student body was great; I felt like part of a community. I made genuine friends with people I liked to be around.” He added that there always seemed to be a good balance at JMU between working hard and playing hard.
Upon graduation, Mark worked for KPMG in Washington, D.C. He worked in the audit area, and had significant exposure to real estate, pension funds, and transportation companies, including the airline sector. His experience there also included working on initiatives regarding training, human resources, and recruiting.
He became an audit partner in 1998. In 2000, Mark left KPMG to work as Chief Operating Officer for Johnson Capital, a small investment management company in Fairfax.
At the end of 2007, he left that position to join Equity One, relocating to Miami, Fl. Equity One is a fully integrated real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition, asset management, development and redevelopment of quality retail properties located in strategic metropolitan areas in the coastal markets of the United States. These centers are anchored by leading supermarkets, pharmacies and retail store chains. As of March 31, 2012, the company had 164 properties comprising 16.9 million square feet and assets of $3.3 billion.
At Equity One, he started as the Chief Administrative Officer and moved into the Chief Financial Officer role in 2009. He is responsible for all accounting and finance functions and also oversees the company’s information technology and various organizational initiatives.
Connection to JMU CoB
Even after graduation and beginning his professional career, Mark wanted to remain connected to JMU and the College of Business. He says, “I reconnected for many reasons. I’ve always liked the JMU community, the students and the faculty.”
Through his role at the EAC, he learned that many faculty members wanted outside speakers to interact with their students. When he lived in Northern Virginia, he would travel to Harrisonburg to personally meet with classes. It became a bit more problematic after Mark moved to Florida, but he continues to give his time and talents to CoB students through video classroom interactions.
He says that students want to know how to apply their knowledge in practice, how to move beyond the theory and use what they’ve learned in a practical way. Mark enjoys the interaction with students; he likes to draw them out and see how they approach business problems.
He says, “I am happy to give back to the university. I’ve really enjoyed it from several fronts. What I most enjoy is seeing the way students think about business today, and interacting with them on a personal basis. I like to see how they approach capital market decisions using real world examples, and challenge their thinking as they are forced to explain their decision-making process in their own words.”
Mark noted that he does some student mentoring. In fact, the EAC has a formal mentoring program established in which members work with individual students. He is starting to work with the Center for Entrepreneurship and Interim Director Carol Hamilton and looks forward to interacting with students who want to start their own business.
Mark adds, “My hope is that the College of Business continues to fulfill its mission to prepare students to be great leaders and achieve success in their chosen fields.”
His leisure activities include fishing, boating, and traveling. He also loves to golf when he can find the time. Living in Florida does offer him more opportunities to pursue these pastimes.
His wife, Karen, is a graduate of JMU, with a degree in finance. The couple has three boys: 15-year-old twins Corey and Curtis, and 11-year-old Patrick.
When asked what advice he would give students today, Mark says,"Pursue a career that you are passionate about. I still believe the old template of working really hard, staying enthusiastic, being a positive role model and having the willingness to take calculated risks is a template that willprovide long term benefits."
May 10, 2012
JMU’s FMA Chapter Recognized as a Superior Chapter
The Financial Management Association (FMA) chapter at JMU has been recognized as a Superior Chapter for the 2011-2012 year. The adviser is Mark Graham.
FMA sponsors over 200 undergraduate and MBA-level student finance clubs around the world.
Student members receive a number of special benefits geared specifically to their educational and career goals, have the opportunity to participate in a number of competitions, and are invited to attend the annual Finance Leaders' Conference, a two-day seminar tailored specifically to finance students.
The mission of the FMA is to broaden the common interests between academicians and practitioners, provide opportunities for professional interaction between and among academicians, practitioners and students, promote the development and understanding of basic and applied research and of sound financial practices, and to enhance the quality of education in finance. The objectives of the organization are to ensure that its members:
- Obtain valuable career information
- Develop professional insights and attitudes
- Gain experience in problem solving and decision making
- Increase professional and faculty contacts
- Improve social and interpersonal skills
- Demonstrate competence in skill areas beyond those needed to obtain a college degree
These objectives are met by encouraging social interaction between students, faculty, and businesses. Professional speakers, fundraising, and community service are just a few activities available to members of FMA.
There are certain requirements regarding membership and activities that a chapter has to meet in order to be nominated for the Superior Chapter recognition.
The highest honor for an FMA Student Chapter or Honor Society is the attainment of the Superior Chapter designation. Of the over 200 active student chapters, less than 5% receive this honor each year.
Congratulations to JMU’s FMA student chapter for this accomplishment.
CoB's BBA in Finance Accepted into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program
CoB’s bachelor of business administration in finance has been accepted into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program. This status is granted to institutions whose degree programs incorporate at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), which provide students with a solid grounding in the CBOK and positions them well to sit for the CFA exams.
Click here for more information about the University Recognition Program.
May 7, 2012
CoB Graduation Ceremony Held
Congratulations to the 600+ students who graduated from the College of Business on May 5. Kudos to iMBA and MSA graduates, whose ceremony was held Friday evening, May 4. Click here to see graduation photos.
To view vidoes of the speakers from graduation, visit the following links:
Dr. Robert Reid’s Tips for Success in Life (from commencement speech May 5, 2012)
1. Focus on the things in life that matter – your family, your friends. Focus on what you can do today to make tomorrow better.
2. Follow your passion and your interests.
3. Give back to your university, your college, and your department.
4. Think about your core values and your non-negotiables.
5. Be a giver, not a taker. Become a coach, a mentor. You will make a difference in the lives of others.
6. Focus on results, not who gets credit for the results.
7. Become a student of leadership.
May 7, 2012
CoB Faculty to Present at VSCPA Educator’s Conference
On Thursday, June 7, Kimberly Foreman, Dr. Paul Copley, and Dr. David Fordham will make presentations at the 14th Annual Educator’s Symposium for the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants in Richmond.
The conference is designed to bring Virginia college and university educators up to speed about the latest in accounting education.
For more information, visit http://www.vscpa.com/Public/Conference/Description.aspx?courseID=135-105
CoB Students Inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma
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Ryan Bixler, Heidi Boese, Heather Cox, Mark Isaacson, Theresa Reimbold, Zachariah Scully, and Robyn Weekly were recently inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma.
Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society for AACSB accredited business programs, encourages and honors academic achievement in the study of business, and personal and professional excellence in the practice of business.
Potential members are invited based on their high scholastic achievement in business subjects. To be eligible for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma, the academic ranking of those being considered must place them in the upper 10 percent of the junior or senior class and upper 20 percent of the graduating master’s class.
Pictured from left are Heather Cox, Robyn Weekly,Zachariah Scully, and Theresa Reimbold.
Congratulations to C0B's Outstanding Graduating Students
Click here to see photos of these students.
Accounting
Federation of Schools of Accountancy Achievement Award – Eric Robbins
Outstanding Graduate in Accounting – Armun Asgari
Outstanding MSA Student – Jaclyn Roth, Alexandra Volta
Computer Information Systems & Business Analytics
Computer Information Systems Outstanding Senior Award – Lauren Danker
Computer Information Systems Consulting Award – Jessica Chiu, Vivian Ho, Larry Plaster
Economics
Outstanding Senior in Economics – Anna Faria
Faculty Award for Academic Excellence in Economics – Andrew Kirk, Jeno Pizarro
Finance & Quantitative Finance
Outstanding Senior in Finance – Melissa Band
Outstanding Senior in Quantitative Finance – Luke Makai
Hospitality Management
Outstanding Senior in Hospitality Management - Emilee Haverkamp
International Business
Outstanding Student in International Business – Richard Reese
Management
Outstanding Student in Management – Alyssa Richardson
Charles Pringle Award – Diana Chiu
Certified Manager Certificate Award – Meredythe Fallon, Christine Luong, Kyle Rosel
Management Faculty Award for Excellence – Natalie French
Zane Showker Award – Gilbert Welsford
Marketing
Outstanding Student in Marketing – Sarah Carpenter
Derek Sprague Marketing Award – Sandra Tran
JC Penny Spirit Award – Adrienne Blevins
Marketing Faculty Award for Excellence – Melissa Knowles
College of Business
Alpha Kappa Psi Award – Amanda Hoffman
Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key – Melissa Band
Master of Business Administration
Outstanding MBA Student – Robyn Weekley
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COB Honors Thesis Recognition
Computer Information Systems Department – Fiona Colquhoun
Economics Department – Anna Faria, Jeno Pizarro
Management Department – Mollie Brooks, Meredythe Fallon, Jessica Merz, Alyssa Richardson
Pictured from left to right are Jeno Pizarro, Anna Faria, Meredythe Fallon, Jessica Merz, Mollie Brooks, Fiona Colquhoun, and Alyssa Richardson.
Christine Harriger Wins Patricia J. Carretta Special Achievement Award
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Christine Harriger, the Associate Director of the Academic Services Center, was recently presented with the Patricia J. Carretta Special Achievement Award from the Virginia Association of Colleges & Employers.
As a past president of VACE, Christine was surprised at the President’s Dinner during a recent conference.
The Patricia J. Carretta Award is named after one of Christine’s former directors who is now the Senior Vice President at George Mason University and a great mentor to many directors in the Virginia system.
Pictured with Christine is Laura Hickerson from Career & Academic Planning. Laura received the John Chase Meritorious Service Award.
Congratulations to both Christine and Laura for their achievements.
April 30, 2012
Reception Held for Dr. Robert Reid
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A going away reception for Dr. Robert Reid was held on Thursday, April 26. Dr. Reid served as dean of the College of Business for 15 years; he is relocating to Tampa, Fla., where he will serve as Chief Accreditation Officer for the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business.
His CoB colleagues presented him with a panoramic picture of James Madison University. We wish him great success in his new endeavor and thank him for his hard work and dedication to JMU.
JMU Alum’s “Rebound Hoof Pack” Rocks the Equestrian World
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In the horse industry, new products crop up from time to time that truly make a difference. Ashley Kehoe, a 2011 management major, has developed just such a product – Rebound Hoof Pack. Rebound is a hoof packing product that is formulated to draw pain, soreness, and inflammation out of the hoof.
Ashley, a competitive horseback rider from Purcellville, Va., came up with the idea for Rebound Hoof Pack while attending JMU. In the fall of 2009, she was a student in Bill Wales’s Entrepreneurship class, and was tasked to develop a product that solves a need. Her group was initially investigating a salon product; that idea didn’t pan out. With only a month to come up with a second idea, Ashley hit upon the hoof pack product, which actually was built on the basis of the salon product that didn’t work.
Background
She owned a horse with hoof problems; the only way to relieve the mare’s pain was to mix together a remedy of different topical medications, cover the hoof with the mixture, then wrap a diaper around the hoof. It was time-consuming, tedious, and messy. Rebound is a super sticky hoof packing that requires no diapers or duct tape. In addition to an anti-inflammatory agent, it includes Epsom salts, iodine, and other all natural ingredients that help keep the correct moisture balance within the hoof.
Rebound is more medicinal than other hoof products. It will help a horse who has pulled a shoe, stepped on a nail, or gotten sore from strong gallops on hard surfaces. It can also be used in advance of a hard ride to prevent soreness.
Independent Study
As a high level competitive rider, Ashley would spend winters training in Ocala, Fla., along with other top riders and Olympic hopefuls. While in Ocala and under the tutelage of Bill Wales, she worked on an independent study to learn more about how to market her product idea. She talked to vets, farriers, and Olympic equestrians, sharing product samples. She also created a logo, website, and brochures.
Karen O’Conner, member of the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team since 1988, as well as female equestrian athlete of the year ten times, was very impressed with Rebound, and is using it on her horses. She is pictured at left competing in a CIC*** event at The Fork, Norwood, N.C., in early April. She won the competition.
Fellow Olympian Will Faudree also lauds the product, “We usually go through rolls of duct tape and vet wrap to pack our horses’ feet; with Rebound it’s so much easier and the results have been more effective than anything else we’ve ever used.”
Kehoe Enterprises LLC
When she returned to JMU for the Fall 2010 semester, Ashley took Carol Hamilton’s Venture Creation course, creating a business plan and forming Kehoe Enterprises, LLC. She began to step up her marketing efforts. After she got endorsements by Olympic riders, it was easier to get Rebound into stores selling horse supplies. Today, Ashley’s product is in more than 100 stores in 20 different states. Rebound has proven very successful in the world of three-day eventing; Ashley is targeting the racing world next.
She currently has two partners working with her - her mom, Louise, and dad, Peter. Although her parents aren’t “horse people,” they are hard at work each day actually producing Rebound in house. They are both retired, and love helping their daughter achieve her dream. Since demand for the product continues to grow, Ashley is currently looking for a contract manufacturer.
The initial capital was raised through family donations, and the sale of a horse. Ashley says, “We needed very little start-up money. As soon as we made the product, it sold. We put any profit into advertising.”
JMU Experience
Ashley says, “My experience at JMU definitely helped me with the launch of this product. I took COB 300 first. It helped me formulate all the black and white business ideas, and map out my strategy, where I wanted to be positioned in the marketplace. It was huge in figuring out the business plan and financials.” She adds, “I’m creative. I enjoyed exploring creating something that meets a need, and figuring out how to market it.”
She adds, “I was in Florida each year during the winter training season. JMU worked so well with me in transferring basic classes down to the College of Central Florida, so that I could continue my education.”
Horses – Past, Present, and Future
Ashley started riding when she was five, and horses became her passion. She hopes that Rebound will provide her enough capital to continue competing at the top levels. She says, “It costs from $30 to $35 thousand for me to compete one year at an advanced level. In addition to my regular horse, I need a backup in case my first horse develops any problems that prevent me from riding that horse.”
She has had success with her mount Mazetto. Watch this video to see Ashley and Mazetto competing in cross country jumping.
For more information, please visit www.reboundhoofpack.com; to learn more about Ashley’s riding record, please visit www.useventing.com.
April 23, 2012
School of Strategic Leadership Studies Sponsors Towards Nonprofit Excellence Conference
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More than 100 people attended the first-ever nonprofit excellence conference, held at JMU on April 19. The JMU School of Strategic Leadership (SSL) was proud to host this conference geared toward those who work in the nonprofit arena. Others partners for the event included the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg/Rockingham, the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services, and the Nonprofit Institute at JMU.
Keynote speaker Bunkie Righter is the development director for GuideStar USA., the organization that gathers, researches, and publicizes information about nonprofit organizations. She talked to the audience about the different ways nonprofits are rated.
Other sessions included Best Practices in Nonprofit Strategy, the Benefits of Collaboration, Best Practices in Managing Volunteers, and Social Media & Marketing: Making the Plan.
The luncheon session included a panel of speakers who discussed the topic “Inside the Donor’s and Funder’s Mind.” Panelists included Rachel Jackson, Senior Administrative Assistant, MillerCoors; Neal Menefee, President, Rockingham Group; Richard Baugh, Mayor, City of Harrisonburg; Wayne Harrison, Darrin-McHone Charitable Foundation; Beverly McGowan, Philanthropist; and Daniel Uribe, Vice President and Financial Advisor, Good Wealth Management.
The group discussed how funding decisions are made by their organizations. The speakers stressed the importance of being passionate about your cause, being accountable, and impacting the community in a positive ways.
They left the audience with some words of advice:
- Be sure to state a clear and convincing case on why your organization should be funded.
- What community needs won’t be addressed if we don’t support your organization?
- Tie your organization’s mission into what is measurable.
- Develop and follow a five-year strategic plan.
- Send a hand-written thank you note to the donor.
- Send a photo to the donor demonstrating how the donation was used.
Dr. Karen Ford, Professor and Advisor to Nonprofit and Community Leadership Concentration, notes, “This is the first time we’ve held this event. We have tapped a vein of interest in the community.”
SSLS Director Dr. Susan Murphy adds, “It was a great turnout for an inaugural event. We’ve received excellent feedback. We will definitely explore the possibility of holding a similar conference in the future.”
April 20, 2012
Melissa Band Named Valedictorian for COB
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Congratulations to Melissa Band, the valedictorian for the College of Business’s class of 2012.
Melissa, a finance major and economics minor, will graduate with a 3.95 cumulative GPA and a 4.0 major GPA. She says the honor came as a surprise to her.
“I’m honored to represent the school,” she says, and attributes her success to her COB professors’ experience- and example-based teaching methods.
Melissa is active in Student Ambassadors, Pi Sigma Epsilon, Student Advisory Council, and Madison Investment Fund. In July, Melissa will begin working for Ernst & Young Financial Services in New York City, and she is also pursuing her CFA.
Congratulations, Melissa, for your hard work and dedication to the College of Business.
April 19, 2012
CIS Team Wins DRC/HPTI Consulting Challenge
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On Saturday, April 14, the High Performance Technologies Group, a division of Dynamic Research Corporation, sponsored the second annual Consulting Challenge for CIS, ISAT and CS sophomore and juniors.
According to Dr. Mike Mitri, the interim Department Head of the Computer Information Systems and Management Science Department, it is important for the CIS/MS department to develop and maintain relationships with the companies that recruit our students. DRC, for example, has hired CIS students in the past; there are currently 15-20 alumni who work for the company, which also hires COB interns.
DRC sent eight employees, five of whom were COB alums, to help out with and judge the three-hour long consulting challenge, which incorporated systems analysis-based and business-solving problems.
Students were instructed to go through a simulation and series of activities that incorporated the “Zombieland” theme.
The competition enlisted teams to navigate through a storyline featuring an abandoned amusement park that had become overrun with zombies when a science experiment went awry. Directed by Bruce Willis, head of the Department of Homeland Security, teams were required to solve puzzles in order to gain valuable requirements for an effective method of eradicating the zombies once and for all.
Puzzles included calculating the critical path in a project schedule, determining the output of a computer program, and decoding a secret message hidden inside an image file.
“We’re really lucky to have these firms that create these fun and challenging activities and interact with our students,” event coordinator Tom Dillon said.
“The CIS program emphasizes participation,” Dillon explained. “The more we engage students, the more we put them in business settings, the more prepared they are for the business world.
Congratulations to Team Pike, composed of CIS students Michael Kotarski, Michael Schaffer, and Ryan Moore, who won first place and took home $600. Team Showker Consulting, CIS students Michelle Isabelle, Jordan Molnar, and Stephanie Gast, won second place and took home $375. Team PWP, CIS students Hoon Patterson, Andrew Piemonte, and Kaleb Woudeneh, won third place and took home $225.
Visit the COB Facebook page to view photos from the event.
April 19, 2012
Alpha Kappa Delta Phi Collecting Used Textbooks for Book Drive
Jasmine Walker and Michelle Agtuca, of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, collect unwanted textbooks that students cannot sell back.
They take books that are in any condition, and there is no limit in the amount of textbooks they take back, and they are collecting them until the end of this semester.
If you have any textbooks you can donate, please drop them by ZSH 614 on or before Friday, April 27.
Contact Michelle Agtuca directly for additional information (agtucamm@dukes.jmu.edu).
April 19, 2012
DeLoitte Employees Volunteer for Case Judging Competition
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Four employees from DeLoitte Consulting volunteered their time and talents on April 13 to judge a student case competition for the Management of Technology and Innovation class (MGT 420). Management professor Fariss Mousa says, “I would like to thank Mr. Schaffer Hilton, Mr. Roberto Andrade, Ms. Maura Ellis, and Mr. Ussama Baggili for their help in judging the competition. It was a great learning experience for the students.” Six teams competed to do a case analysis of Nespresso. The teams presented their findings and recommendations to the judges.
Visit the COB Facebook page to view photos.
Each team took a look at Nespresso, and the individual-serve coffee market. They shared recommendations on how to improve the company’s bottom line.
Schaffer Hilton is an ’82 COB management graduate. His wife and mother are also JMU grads. He currently serves as the National Managing Director of the TMT Industry for Deloitte Consulting in the U.S. His expertise and focus is on Asia Market Entry and Competitive Assessment, Customer and Market Strategy, and Acquisitions & Divestiture.
Roberto Andrade joined Deloitte one and a half years ago. He is currently a second-year Senior Consultant within Deloitte’s Systems Integration practice. He is the global UAT lead for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) deployment in five Latin American markets for a leading telecommunications company.
Maura Ellis is a consultant specializing in technology transformation programs in the TMT industry. She was a Deloitte Summer Scholar. Her experience is focused in international implementations and telecommunications.
Ussama Baggili is a manager with over 12 years of experience in information technology serving clients in TMT, insurance, and health care. He specializes in technology implementation and transformation initiatives that require striking a balance between IT and business priorities.
Congratulations to the winning team of Jamal Mustapha Abbas, Lauren Anne Johnson, Zachary David Reichard, Constantine Michael Tsantes, and Arielle Elissa Williams!
April 18, 2012
JMU Independent Study Brings SharePoint Workflows to the Classroom
This semester two CIS students worked with Professor Carey Cole and Dr. Rick Mathieu to complete an independent study on MS SharePoint. They developed a project that enables COB 204 and CIS 304 students to further their experience with SharePoint and gain exposure to programming logic through the use of SharePoint Workflows. The independent study participants, Lauren Danker and Kristen Podwika, created training materials and user documentation to assist with the assimilation of this assignment into the classroom. In addition, they have written monthly posts for the Microsoft SharePoint blog explaining how other universities can incorporate a similar program. This study will be continued next semester by three rising CIS seniors.
After graduation, both Lauren and Kristen will be joining Deloitte Consulting as business technology analysts.
April 18, 2012
Good Wealth Management Teams Honored for Investment Challenge
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Five students representing two teams were recognized by Good Wealth Management on April 17 for their work on the Good Wealth Investment Challenge. The event, held at Spotswood Country Club, was the culmination of several months of work by six COB student teams.
The students were tasked with developing a portfolio for a “client” who was 65, close to retirement, with a $1.2 million stock portfolio, and an aversion to risk. They were judged on the quality of their investment strategy, as well as the performance of the portfolio.
Dr. Rick Mathieu, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, says, “We are excited to have this partnership with a business in Harrisonburg. Good Wealth Management is helping to prepare our students for success in the workplace.”
Good Wealth Management President Ed Good notes, “I’m quite impressed with the students. It’s been a wonderful opportunity for us to work with them.”
The idea for the investment challenge was suggested by an intern working at the firm a few years ago, who said she liked building portfolios, but never had much of a chance to do that.
Congratulations to the following COB students for winning the investment challenge:
Team #3: J.P. Kril, Andrew McMillan, Bryan Stretton, and George Snyder, all finance majors.
Team #6: Darren Appanah (fin), Jon Asgari (ibus), Evan Botello (econ), Susanna Chacko (econ),
The JMU COB thanks Good Wealth Management for providing this real-world experience to our students. Click here to see more pictures from the event.
April 17, 2012
Harry Reif Wins 2012 ITERA Service Award
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Dr. Harry Reif was recently selected as the 2012 International Telecommunications Education and Research Association service award winner. The award, which is given to only one recipient a year, was presented at the annual ITERA conference on March 31 in Indianapolis.
“I’m honored. It’s great to be able to represent JMU, have a way to engage students and have them compete as undergraduates,” Harry says. “I’m humbled that I was chosen; there were lots of great candidates.”
Harry is a founding board member of ITERA, as well as past president of the organization. He has served in numerous other roles over the years. He most enjoys volunteering as the case study competition coordinator. In this role, he writes case studies for students to consider.
This year’s challenge was to set up a small, efficient telecom business to support medical offices and insurance offices. The business would include elements such as cloud computing and voice over Internet protocol. Past case studies included helping small businesses in Florida continue operating even after a devastating hurricane.
A JMU CIS team, consisting of Michelle Isabelle, Andy Barnett, Sarah Johnson, and Dan Eisenberg, was a finalist in this year’s competition. In fact, CIS teams have been finalists each year since the contest began several years ago.
The ITERA conference gave students an excellent chance to showcase their talents to the professional judges, as well as to other business universities. The entire process helps validate the team’s confidence; validating that they are ready to work upon graduation.
In addition to a student team attending the ITERA conference, another group attended the Association of Information Technology Professionals conference in San Antonio. The AITP team consisted of Matt Acors, Sarah Axelson, Sean Britt, Lauren Danker, Kevin Davis, Nick DeMaggio, Michael Fakhari, Christina Hansbrough, Lindsay Holt, Amy Hui, Nick Kerschl, Pam Norkus, Tasya Robbins, Cabell Spicer, Stacey Walker, and Evan Wiley.
Congratulations to Dr. Reif on this honor, and to the student teams who represented JMU COB in international conferences.
April 17, 2012
COB Executive Advisory Council Meets
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The COB Executive Advisory Council met April 12 and 13 at JMU. Interim Dean Dr. Bud Clarke presented a COB update, and Nick Langridge, Acting VP for University Advancement, also updated the group on advancement activities.
The EAC committees met Friday morning to review goals and objectives, and to work on action items. The next meeting of the EAC will be in the fall of 2012.
Several EAC members volunteered to serve on a panel on professionalism Thursday evening: Jeff Carlton, SVP, UBS; Eric Major, President and CEO, American Osteomedics; Kim Bram, General Counsel, Southern States Cooperative; and Katie Byrne, Partner, WeiserMazars, LLP. Click here to view panel discussion.
The panel answered questions from the audience, addressing topics such as dress, email etiquette, and working well in teams. Many thanks to the COB alums who serve on the EAC, giving their time and talents back to the university.April 13, 2012
Student Diversity Council, Beta Alpha Psi Students Tour Walmart Distribution Center
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About 20 COB students recently had the rare opportunity to take a tour of the Walmart Distribution Center in Mt. Crawford, Va. On April 11, representatives from the Student Diversity Council and Beta Alpha Psi visited the distribution center for an overview and tour of the facility.
General Manager Gary Brasseur presented a history of Walmart before the actual tour. He shared the following quick facts with the group.
1962: Walmart started in Bentonville, Ark., when Founder Sam Walton purchased an existing Ben Franklin store and renovated it, renaming it Walton’s.
1972: Walmart went public.
1984: Walmart opened its first store in Virginia in Big Stone Gap, located in SW Virginia
1991: Walmart opened its first store outside the U.S. in Mexico City.
1995: Walmart entered its 50th state, Vermont.
He also spent some time explaining Walmart’s corporate diversity initiatives. The company seeks to hire and promote people from a variety of backgrounds. Diversity within the employee ranks results in new ideas and different perspectives, which means more success for the organization.
Gary next gave an overview of the distribution center, which opened in 2006. He noted there are approximately 120 stores and four distribution centers in Virginia, with 40,000 employees. The Mt. Crawford facility emcompasses 1,250,000 square feet of space, on 206 acres.
“You could fit 24 football fields, 7 baseball fields, 800 tennis courts, or 10,000 cars within this facility,” Gary said.
The facility also includes 15 miles of conveyor belts.
After the presentation, the group toured the facility, starting with the IT department. Next stop was receiving, where students witnessed the efficiency of the process as items were scanned, then sent on to the appropriate storage area before being shipped out.
The group next learned about Walmart.com, which is competing with Amazon.com to quickly and accurately ship items to customers. This fulfillment center began operations in June, 2011, and has grown dramatically since its inception.
Shipping was the next stop, where each truck is earmarked for a specific Walmart store. The final stop was on the second level, where the 15 miles of conveyors merged in one area.
“If you like conveyors, this is the place to be,” Gary said.
After the tour, the group had the chance to ask a few final questions. One of the questions was, what does Walmart look for in an interview? Gary left them with this advice, “We can teach you logistics, how to receive merchandise, or how to ship it. But what we can’t teach you is your ‘personal brand.’ We can’t teach you work ethic, values or responsibility. These are the skills we look for during an interview."
Many thanks to Gary Brasseur and his colleagues for providing this exceptional learning opportunity for COB students. Plans are in the works for similar events in the future.
To view photos from the tour, click here.
April 12, 2012
CIS Department Renamed
The Department of Computer Information Systems and Management Science (CIS&MS) was recently renamed as the department of Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics (CIS&BSAN).
This change reflects the transformation of the old Management Science minor into a new Business Analytics minor. Interim CIS Department Head Dr. Mike Mitri says, “The name was changed to reflect the fact that the discipline is evolving. Business analytics has emerged from a combination of disciplines including management science, operations research, and artificial intelligence. With the advent of business intelligence, 'business analytics’ became a more current and relevant term for defining our curriculum than 'management science.' "
The Business Analytics minor now includes new components in data mining and business process modeling, which makes it broader in scope than a management science minor. There are also more cross disciplinary opportunities under this new model, with courses from CIS, Finance, and Economics majors satisfying BSAN credit requirements.
The revised minor was developed primarily by the senior management science faculty, involving Susan Palocsay, Scott Stevens, and Ina Markham. The change underwent a long approval process through both the College of Business and the university as a whole.
Many thanks to everyone who helped with this process.
April 11, 2012
JMU Alumnus Kevin Tucker Talks about SOLitude
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Kevin Tucker, a 1993 COB management graduate, began his company, SOLitude, in 1998. He visited a COB entrepreneurship class in early April to talk about how he got started.
SOLitude focuses on managing fresh water, both residential and commercial. He started the company as a sideline, but it soon grew into a regional company with 20 employees.
“I have a passion for the outdoors, especially water. That’s one reason I started this business,” says Kevin. “Overall, my experience at JMU was wonderful, and prior to having a child, I thought JMU was one of the best things that happened to me.”
He recalled that in the first few years of his business, he did everything.
“Ingenuity and hard work can help you succeed even if you don’t have much venture capital,” he says.
He advises students to think big, think about where you want to be in five years, ten years, and twenty years. He also reminded the audience that relationships are key, noting “We focus on maintaining strong relationships with our clients. We don’t compete on price; we take care of our customers.”
Kevin left the group with this thought: “If you stop innovating, I don’t think you have a chance.”
Many thanks to Alumnus Kevin Tucker for taking time out of his schedule to meet with Carol Hamilton’s Entrepreneur class.
April 11, 2012
G.J. Hart, EAC Member, Recognized in Top 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry
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Few CEOs have defended meetings as strongly as G.J., who earned the appreciation of the meetings industry in April 2009 when he went on NBC News to advocate the value of incentive events and conferences at a time when most organizations were cancelling meetings in the wake of the AIG Scandal.
Then the CEO of Texas Roadhouse, he made the case for the company’s five-day incentive event for its restaurant managers, stressing its business value and contribution to the satisfaction and success of the company’s front-line managers.
The straight-talking executive has since moved west, taking over as California Pizza Kitchen’s CEO last August, but his stance on the importance of meetings has not budged—nor has his strategy towards dealing with media inquiries about them. He still speaks to the consumer press about the value of meetings and has also keynoted at meetings industry trade shows and conferences.
In a landscape where few CEOs are willing to talk publicly about their meetings strategies (or are even aware that a meetings industry even exists) G.J. is rarity — and a role model for all C-suite executives.
Congratulations, G.J.!
From Successfulmeetings.com.
April 11, 2012
Congratulations to Gilbert Welsford ('12, Management) for "All Together One" Award
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Gilbert, a member of the Student Advisory Council in the College of Business, was one of five recipients of the highly honored JMU "All Together One" awards. President Linwood Rose was also recognized, as well as Carroll Ward (Nursing faculty), Lisa Ellison (Counseling Center), and Geary Cox (Center for International Stabilization and Recovery).
Since President Rose introduced the university theme “All Together One” in 1999, it has been used by numerous JMU student groups to express and shape their ideas and goals.
The "All Together One" community gathering was created in 2000 by members of the JMU Circle of , the National Leadership Honor Society. Each spring, student members host this special event. Awards consist of a pin, a stone placed in the commons, and an inspirational story about each award recipient read on the commons at 12 noon.
Recipients were nominated based on the following factors: building community, inspiring others, a feeling of caring, a dedication to learning, or a commitment to working together.
Congratulations to everyone who was honored.
April 11, 2012
Madison Marketing Association Wins Silver Chapter Award
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At the 2012 American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference, the Madison Marketing Association was awarded a Silver Chapter Award. The conference took place from March 22-24 in New Orleans, LA.
MMA took 15 members to the conference where they networked with other universities, attended workshops, and some members competed in the Northwestern Mutual Sales Competition. Kelly Starry, the VP of Professional Development, and Sarah Carpenter, President of MMA, presented at a chapter management seminar giving advice to other chapters on how to plan and execute professional development activities.
The Silver Chapter Award placed the MMA in the top 12 collegiate chapters out of over 350 collegiate AMA chapters. This is the best finish ever in the history of MMA, but follows in its rich tradition of top ten finishes.
The MMA is a student club is affiliated with the AMA, a national market association for marketing professionals, faculty, and students. MMA is open to all JMU students; however, 90 percent of members are marketing majors or minors. MMA is comprehensive with its marketing programming and offers students information and activities in direct marketing, retailing, and marketing management.
April 9, 2012
OMNIAid Donates $10,000 to CyberCity
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OMNIAid, the foundation arm of OMNIPLEX, has pledged $10,000 for the first time ever to help support CyberCity. OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation is a privately held company based in Chantilly, Va., with annual revenue of $100 million. OMNIAid was created in February 1997 to identify, organize, and facilitate corporate-sponsored charitable events, programs, and donations in our community.
Bill Turk, a 1983 graduate of the College of Science and Math with a major in Geology, is Vice President & General Counsel of OMNIPLEX. He received his MBA from The College of William and Mary, and his law degree from George Mason University. Previously, Bill was Vice President of Contracts & Corporate Counsel for OMNIPLEX. He has over 20 years of business and legal experience for government contracting firms in the service industries.
Bill’s ties to JMU helped lead CyberCity Co-Founder Tom Dillon to apply for a grant from OMNIPLEX. A grant was written to apply for the funds. In February, the CyberCity leadership team made a presentation to the OMNIAid board. In early March, the team learned that the grant request was approved for $10,000.
Sponsored by JMU’s College of Business, CyberCity is designed to introduce 8th, 9th, and 10th graders to potential careers in the field of computer information systems. The program targets students who may not consider college or a career in technology as a real possibility due to economic or family situations. The goal is to help attract more students to a career in STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math.
Teachers accompany students and attend separate workshops highlighting ways they can incorporate technology into their curricula. Forty students and twenty teachers attend the yearly event. Students stay in dorms on campus, and enjoy meals at the dining halls. The students also learn about business fundamentals, business ethics, and business etiquette.
COB colleagues Thomas Dillon, Harry Reif and Daphyne Saunders Thomas created CyberCity in 2007. Additional staff from COB, the College of Education, and the College of Integrated Science and Technology help out also. The College of Business Executive Advisory Council is a strong supporter of CyberCity; in fact, past EAC member Mike Battle teaches one of the sessions.
This year marks the 6th year for the event, which will be held June 20-23 in Zane Showker Hall.
April 3, 2012
Madison Investment Fund Receives Recognition as the Top Student-Managed Value Fund Internationally
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The Madison Investment Fund, a student-led investment fund that serves as a money manager to the JMU Foundation, has won first place among student-managed value equity investment funds at the International R.I.S.E. XII forum. (Redefining Investment Strategy Education)
The announcement was made on Friday, March 31, at the R.I.S.E. XII conference held at the University of Dayton, Ohio. Student-managed investment funds from hundreds of national and international universities compete at this most prestigious conference, and this year the MIF secured first place. MIF representatives (pictured above) Daniel Curtis, Sarah Dolson and Jean-Pierre Kril were present at the forum to receive the award following a presentation they gave on the fund’s performance and investment strategy.
Last year, the MIF came in second in the competition, underperforming the top fund by 0.93% on a risk-adjusted basis according to records released from the competition. This year’s success will be the second year of placing first in the competition since 2004 and is the second year in a row the organization had held a top position among all competing funds.
MIF President Ed Andrews, a senior Quantitative Finance and Economics double major remarks, "Our success is a product of our strict adherence to our core investment philosophy as well as the incredible support offered to us by the JMU Foundation, alumni, faculty, CoB administration, our faculty advisor Dr. Elias Semaan and our members. It is through all of our stakeholders that we not only succeed in our fiduciary duty but also in forming future professionals of the highest caliber."
Many schools have investment funds as part of a senior capstone finance course. The Madison Investment Fund is a real world portfolio management group that operates year round, even during the summer when students are on break. Andrews notes, "We do not work for credit and this is not part of a class. We do this because our members exhibit tremendous passion and a desire to learn more about investing."
"Our fiduciary duty to the Foundation, to preserve and build capital, is only one pillar of the MIF experience. Education and professional development of our members and the College of Business are core to the organization and what sets us apart from any other student-managed fund," says Andrews.
The MIF recruits once a year during the fall semester and is open to all majors. Click here for more pictures. Click here for an interview with Ed Andrews from WSVA.
April 2, 2012
CFA Investment Challenge Team Places Third in Competition
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Congratulations to the JMU Chartered Financial Analyst Investment Challenge Team who came in third place during the March 1 competition in Richmond.
The CFA designation is a mark of distinction that is globally recognized by employers, investment professionals, and investors as the definitive standard by which to measure serious investment professionals.
Pictured from left to right are Kevin Rowley (FIN), Anoop Nath (QFIN), Practitioner Mentor: Asa Graves , Dan Curtis (QFIN), Academic Mentor: Pamela Drake, Steve Sullivan (FIN), Melissa Band (FIN).
March 30, 2012
COB's Dr. Eric Boyd a Visiting Scholar at Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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Over spring break, COB’s Dr. Eric Boyd spent the week as a Visiting at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Dr. Boyd presented two papers during his visit. One paper, entitled “CMO Migration and Its Impact on Firm Value,” was presented to PhD students and was the same paper he had presented a few weeks earlier as Madison Scholar for the COB. The second paper was presented to the faculty at was entitled “When Should Marketing and Sales Report to One Top Manager?”
It was Dr. Boyd’s first time to Hong Kong.
“The people were delightful, friendly and approachable,” he says. “And English was not a problem at all. The infrastructure was so striking — everything there is state of the art, from the public transportation to the skyscrapers.”
Boyd says his stay as a visiting scholar was successful in that the experience helped him further develop his papers, which he says will soon be submitted for publication in two academic journals within marketing, the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Marketing Research.
“It was interesting to see an international perspective of the academic world,” he says, “especially seeing the balance between both the East and the West from a business perspective.” He also emphasized that “We hear about China and see it on TV. But it’s not until you’re there that you experience it on a different level. It’s a new dimension.”
Dr. Boyd was invited back for another visit, and next time, he hopes to stay longer so that he has a chance to further explore China and other Asian countries like Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam.
March 29, 2012
iMBA Spring Leadership Workshop Held
"Big doesn’t beat small anymore; fast beats slow,” says Jeremy Vogan, one of 40 iMBA students who attended a leadership workshop on Saturday, March 24. Jim Carroll, author of "Ready Set, Done: How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast," keynoted the day by sharing information on the latest trends in innovation.
Jim is widely recognized for his deep research and analysis of how innovative organizations are achieving market or transformational growth despite deep economic challenges. He is the first external speaker to have ever been invited to the Annual General Meeting of the PGA. Jim has been featured in "Business week" as one of four leading sources for insight into future trends and innovation and was a featured expert on the CNBC Series "The Business of Innovation."
He advised participants to foster innovation within their organizations by always keeping these three key questions in mind:
- What can your company do better?
- What can you go to grow your company?
- How can you transform your company?
The afternoon session included an interactive role-playing exercise in which students formed “Innovation Teams” to help them improve their leadership development portfolios.This presentation was led by Mark House and Maureen Blackwell of empoweringLEADERS LLC, which helps companies combine industry standards and proven methods to create a successful, sustainable environment for business and technology teams. Mark and Maureen also work as adjunct instructors in the iMBA program.
Student Craig Honeycutt summed up the workshop as a “a fun, enlightening and humbling process. Even those of us who think we are great communicators have a lot to learn about the true art of real communication.”
The iMBA program offers a leadership work each spring, bringing in outside speakers who are experts in their fields.Plans are already underway for next year’s workshop. Click here to see pictures from the workshop.
March 28, 2012
Team Tilapico Takes Top Honors in COB 300 Business Plan Competition
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Congratulations to Team Tilapico, who took first place in the 2012 COB 300 Business Plan Competition, held on Saturday, March 24. Team members included Jacqueline Cheff, Cheryl Jones, Michael Schaffer, Philip Slocum, and Arun Sundaram. Their business plan was to create a fish-farming company that specializes in the farming of tilapia and the growing of tomatoes. Many thanks to the students who participated, the judges who volunteered their time, the parents and family members who attended, and the faculty and staff who attended and supported the event.
This competition marked the 10th year for the annual event. The five finalists were selected from 120 teams. They were selected during two rounds of judging by judging panels consisting of College of Business alumni and business professionals who reviewed and rated the plans. Prizes and scholarships totaling $25,000 were awarded to the winning teams. These funds are provided by the College of Business Executive Advisory Council and friends of the College of Business.
Teams
Tilapico, 1st Place, Accenture Innovation Award
Jacqueline Cheff, Cheryl Jones, Michael Schaffer (MVP), Philip Slocum, Arun Sundaram
Green Paws, 2nd Place
Samantha Amick (MVP), Megan Becker, Cody Bowers, Harrison Gandee (MVP), Brittney Vance
DuraLawn, 3rd Place
Wesley Hamrick, Clara Lacey (MVP), Samantha Morgan, Arnan Sinthorntham, Casey Wojciechowski (MVP)
Loan Star Cycles, 4th Place, Team Award
Alexis Brady, Robert Catapano, Samuel Easley, Angelina Le, Christian Millen, Tyler Wallace
Green Envisions, Fifth Place
Michael Curtis, Duy Duong, Ronald Landy, Matthew Nye, Bradley Oyer (MVP), Patrick Sjogren
Many thanks to the following alumni who volunteered to judge the competition:
- Courtney S. Bromley, IBM Corporation, Vice President, Homeland Security
- Tom Carr, SyCom Technologies, Vice President of Sales
- E. Wayne Jackson, Sonatype Inc., Chief Executive Officer
- Cynthia Perini, Hendershot Financial Group, Senior Vice President
- Don Rainey, Chief Judge, Grotech Capital Ventures, General Partner
- Frank Ridgway, Cardinal Health, Vice President of Sales, Executive Selling Organization
- Michael Ross, Hewlett Packard, Chief Talent and Rewards Officer
- Phil Salopek, Notable Solutions, Inc., Senior Vice President & CFO
- Deb Tees, Lockheed Martin, Director of Talent & Organizational Capability for Information Systems & Global Solutions
The COB 300 Business Plan Competition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students. This showcase event gave students the opportunity to present their business cases to a distinguished panel of judges. It provided them an excellent opportunity to experience presenting business proposals in a real-world setting.
Congratulations to all the team members! Click here to see more pictures.
March 28, 2012
COB's Dan Gallagher and Jason Fink Honored
COB faculty members Dr. Dan Gallagher and Dr. Jason Fink have been selected for outstanding faculty awards.Dan, CSX Professor of Management, has been selected as the 2012 College of Business Madison Scholar. The Madison Scholar designation is awarded each year to a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary research throughout his or her academic career.
Jason, Chandler/Universal Professor of Banking and Associate Professor of Finance, has been awarded the 2012 College of Business Distinguished Teaching Award. This award goes each year to a College of Business faculty member who has an established record of exemplary teaching.
Dan Gallagher
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Dan has been with the College of Business since 1987. Prior to this, he taught at the University of Iowa. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and his Masters and PhD from the University of Illinois. He teaches two graduate classes, Info -Sec MBA - Organizational Behavior and iMBA -Negotiations and Conflict Management. He also teaches several undergraduate classes:Negotiations and Conflict Management, Compensation and Benefits, Human Resource Management, and Business Ethics.
Dan was also named Madison Scholar in 1998.
Dan says, “Of all the awards I’ve received both at JMU and professionally over the past 25 years, this Madison Scholar Award is the most meaningful to me.”He notes that the award recognizes recipients for the body of knowledge they have created over time. “It’s nice to be recognized by my peers as my career winds down,” he adds. His primary area of research is in contingent employment contracts. Dan’s research is the most cited work in the entire field of contingent employment contracts.
Since 1998 he has also had multiple publications reviewed and accepted for publication in journals ranked as being in the highest quality and reputation tier in their academic disciplines.His current research interests include the study of why individuals and organizations renege upon or break voluntary agreements.
Management Department Head Dr. Scott Gallagher says, “Dan Gallagher is an outstanding academic who represents the best ideals of scholarship and professorial conduct. As a scholar of international reputation he has represented JMU on at least four continents (North America, Australia, Europe and Asia) in just the last year. His work in the area of labor and human relations results in him often being called on by firms and agencies to help mediate disputes. He has tremendous visibility in our field and has played a major role in elevating the status and prestige of the COB. I’m glad we were able to recognize him in this way and I’m already looking forward to his talk next March!”
Jason Fink
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Jason began working at the College of Business in August 2001, when he was recruited to implement the new quantitative finance major.He worked for Fannie Mae prior to coming to JMU. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in economics from Florida State, and his PhD from the University of Virginia. Jason teaches Introduction to Derivatives, Securities Pricing, and a seminar on Financial Engineering.He also serves as an associate editor of the “Journal of Undergraduate Research in Finance.”
When he learned that he had been selected for the award, he says, “I was thrilled about it, although a bit surprised.It’s been a lot of fun.” He adds, “I like teaching here. I get to work with some very talented students.”He especially enjoys teaching the financial engineering seminar, which is the last class taken by Q-FIN majors before graduation.
Dr. Pamela Drake, Finance department head, says, “Jason teaches one of our most difficult courses, yet he manages to get the best student evaluations, which is a challenge. He makes math more approachable. He has coauthored research with students, and worked with students on their papers that have been published and presented.”
Congratulations to Dan and Jason for their outstanding achievements!
March 27, 2012
JMU Students Trying for Walmart Shelves
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How many times have you lost your JACard or I.D.? Do you hate digging around in your purse or wallet trying to find important cards or cash?
JMU students in the College of Business's Entrepreneurship class have created a product to help with just that.
Enter the Priceless Pocket, an adhesive, water resistant pocket that sticks to the back of your phone case where you can store your JACard, license, credit cards, cash and more. The best part? The cards won't fall out, and if you ever need to remove the Priceless Pocket, it will peel off easily without any sticky residue.
Visit http://www.getontheshelf.com/product/3376/Priceless-Pocket and vote for the Priceless Pocket by text or on Facebook. If the Priceless Pocket wins, Walmart will put the product on its shelves!
Help support these JMU students in their entrepreneurial venture!
March 22, 2012
JMU College of Business Maintains Excellent BusinessWeek Ranking
JMU’s College of Business remains in the top 5 percent of undergraduate business schools ranked annually by “BloombergBusinessweek” magazine. The College of Business again ranked 12th among public institutions and 32nd among all business schools; receiving high marks in a number of areas, including small class sizes, engaged and responsive professors, high number of job placements, and “real-world” experiences in which students are involved.
“The Bloomberg BusinessWeek rankings reflect the commitment and dedication to learning displayed by our faculty, staff, and students,” says Dr. Bud Clarke, interim dean of the College of Business. He adds, “The overall level of faculty/student engagement within the college is extraordinary. This engagement creates a distinct learning environment whereby COB graduates are superbly prepared for their respective careers.”
The COB has consistently ranked in the top 5 percent of business schools since the BusinessWeek survey started 7 years ago. The survey uses nine measures of student satisfaction, postgraduate outcomes and academic quality. Student responses count for 30 percent of the final ranking, with recruiter responses contributing 20 percent. Bloomberg Businessweek polled 749 corporate recruiters for companies that hire thousands of business majors each year. The recruiters noted which programs turned out the best graduates and which schools have the most innovative curricula and most effective career services.
March 21, 2012
JMU Alumnus Jack Gerblick Celebrates Entrepreneurial Success
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Jack (’81) is a successful entrepreneur who, after years in corporate America, first founded Peachtree Secure Shredding 2004. This mobile shredding business deployed trucks all around Atlanta to satisfy corporate customers in need of flexible document destruction and recycling capabilities. After selling his business to Cintas, Jack was searching for another area in which to apply his extensive knowledge of route-based businesses.
Enter The Food Movement.
The Food Movement is a young company whose mission is closely intertwined with the emerging food truck culture and market place in greater Atlanta. Jack manages The Food Movement with two other experienced entrepreneurs and foodies, Greg Gordon and Paul McKeon.
The company's goals include:
- Bringing interesting, eclectic and wholesome street food alternatives to market
- Using only the freshest, healthiest ingredients whenever and wherever possible
- Helping to build the mobile food industry in Atlanta
- By creating a food truck hub, helping to create jobs and foster a business environment where people with an entrepreneurial spirit can grow and be successful
From http://www.food-movement.com/main.html
March 20, 2012
'Dress Down' and Support Relay for Life
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The Relay for Life executive board has planned a campus-wide Dress Down Day/Week fundraiser to help raise money, promote Relay, and involve more COB faculty members in the event.
The fundraiser begins today, which marks the start of Cancer Awareness Week. For the event, a professor or faculty member would pay $10 a day or $40 for the whole week to “dress down” in casual clothes.
“Cancer affects everyone,” says Adrienne Blevins, a senior marketing major. “When I joined Relay, it was a way I could support my mom, who is a cancer survivor, from here at school. There’s no reason not to participate in Relay for Life. It’s a really great cause.”
The Accounting, Finance and HTM departments are already planning to participate, so it would be great if we could get every COB department involved.
The executive board is participating in many other fundraisers, such as a dodgeball tournament, a bake sale, and a proceeds night at Dona Rose, to promote Relay for Life. There will also be a casino night, which is this year’s Relay theme, which the board is planning to co-sponsor with the University Program Board.
March 14, 2012
JMU Alumnus Enrico Gaglioti Named Global Head of Equities Sales for Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
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Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. announced today that Enrico Gaglioti ('94) has been named Global Head of Equities Sales.
He previously served as the head of Equity Sales and co-head of Equities in North America at Goldman Sachs. He serves on the firm-wide suitability committee, Securities Division Operating Committee and the Securities Division Business Practices Committee. Enrico joined Goldman Sachs in 1998 and was named managing director in 2001 and partner in 2002.
Enrico joined COB’s Executive Advisory Council in 2007 and is on the U.S. Soccer Foundation Board of Directors.
Congratulations, Enrico!
March 13, 2012
The Washington Post Features Bestselling Book by JMU Alumnus Doug Moran
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Doug Moran (’87) founded If You Will Lead, LLC in 2009 to focus on leadership development, executive coaching, and infrastructure and technology strategy. Doug believes fervently that everyone has the capacity to be a leader. He is passionate about helping those who choose to lead by fostering the skills and competencies necessary to do so powerfully and effectively. Doug speaks and writes on a variety of topics related to leadership and change. Doug is the author of the bestselling book, If You Will Lead: Enduring Wisdom for 21st-Century Leaders, which The Washington Post named one of the "Best Leadership Books of 2011." His articles and interviews have appeared in a variety of national magazines, including Investor’s Business Daily, CIO Insight, Leadership Edge, Inside Business, Leadership Excellence, Training Magazine and Enterprise Leadership.
Doug has more than 25 years of hands-on leadership experience. He has led organizations of all sizes, from a complex enterprise of more than 16,000 employees to small teams of individual contributors. Before starting If You Will Lead, Doug spent ten years with Capital One Financial Services in a variety of executive roles. Most recently, he was CIO for Capital One’s Financial Services Division, providing technology leadership for domestic and international business units. Doug also oversaw the company’s Merger and Acquisition IT team.
Doug served Virginia’s Governor George Allen as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources, COO of the Department of Social Services, and Director of Telecommunications. Under his leadership, Virginia revolutionized its welfare system, putting more than 50,000 unemployed citizens to work. He was recognized by both the National Association of State Telecommunications Directors and the National Public-Private Partnership Association for outstanding leadership and innovation. Doug started his career with Verizon, where he led two new product launches and patented three inventions.
Doug is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Leadership Coaching Program, and he is designated as an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation. Doug holds a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University. His community involvement centers on education, affordable housing, and children’s healthcare.
From http://ifyouwilllead.net/biography
February 29, 2012
COB's Dr. Chengqi Guo's Paper Highly Ranked by AIS
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Congratulations to COB’s Dr. Chen Guo, whose paper “Twitter, Google, iPhone/iPad, and Facebook (TGIF) and Smart Technology Environments: How Well Do Educators Communicate with Students via TGIF?” is ranked the all-time 6th most popular paper by the Association for Information Systems library.
The AIS is an elite association within the computer information systems field, and the paper’s success has made a “huge global impact,” according to Guo.
Guo’s paper is a summary of a 2011 Association for Information Systems Americas Conference on Information Systems panel discussion regarding current issues and future directions in the use of mobile technologies and social networks in education.
One reason Guo says he was interested in this research was to “pick up cutting edge technology and its influences on young generations.” He says students’ learning processes are significantly influenced by technology and it’s important to take advantage of these advancements to facilitate knowledge.
The paper discusses the evolution and history of e-learning, use of smartphones and tablets in education, development of social network services, and the use of social media (i.e., teaching with blogs and wikis) in the classroom. Future directions in Twitter, Google, iPhone/iPad, and Facebook technology environments are also investigated.
“People are constantly subscribing to mobile platforms to obtain access to a continuous data service,” Guo says. “Students work on homework, prepare for exams, all on the go. The ultimate goal is to offer ubiquitous access to this data and for students to feel like they never leave the classroom and be able to connect at all times.”
Guo’s paper, which was co-authored by J.P. Shim, Sasha Dekleva, and Daniel Mittleman, is also ranked the most popular paper within the journal of Communications of the AIS.
In addition to this accomplishment, Guo also just sold the first copy of his new book, “The Business of Criminal Justice: A Guide for Theory and Practice,” that he co-authored with Daniel Adrian Doss and Joo Young Lee.
“I’m excited to do more,” Guo says. “I have a stronger motivation to do better research.”
To read Guo’s paper, visit http://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol29/iss1/35
February 28, 2012
SIFE Members Volunteer at Mercy House
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Question: What do a business club, a hardware store, and a homeless shelter have in common?
Answer: A cooperative solution to meet a community need.
These three organizations converged on February 26 to provide a safer, fresher living space for local homeless families. With truckloads of supplies provided through a Lowe’s grant, the James Madison University chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) spent much of the day refurbishing an apartment and playground at the Mercy House family shelter in Harrisonburg.
“The JMU club heard about the grant competition from SIFE headquarters,” explained Dr. Bill Ritchie, faculty advisor. “Clubs throughout the United States competed for a limited number of Lowe’s grants for $2,000 cash to be spent on a community development project benefitting a local 501-C(3) charity.”
The work day at Mercy House was already planned and scheduled when the club learned it had won the Lowe’s grant. “I was happy to hear we got the grant because we were going to help out and improve the Mercy House regardless if we got it or not, so it's nice to be rewarded for helping out the community,” said Allison von Hausen, president of JMU’s SIFE chapter.
According to its website, SIFE is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Participating students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.
“I'm glad we could make a difference in the Harrisonburg community, and the project really made the team work together and grow closer as a group,” said von Hausen. Students repainted all the rooms and replaced worn and stained ceiling tiles and numerous fixtures for one of the homeless shelter’s fourteen efficiency apartments. They also spread 35 bags of mulch on the shelter’s playground and applied gallons of stain to its wooden equipment.
The club plans to continue working at Mercy House on additional projects, with the next work day scheduled for March 18. “We encourage volunteers to join us!” said von Hausen.
Mercy House is a nonprofit organization with multiple programs combating poverty and homelessness in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham area. According to its website, the shelter serves families by working with them to identify needs and set goals in areas of education, job skills, life resources, personal hygiene, emotional health, physical and dental health, social relationships, childcare needs, spiritual needs, time management, legal issues and diversity abilities—all geared towards helping them become self-sufficient.
Mercy House board member Ken Logsdon, Jr. oversaw Sunday’s project while he and his family also joined the work. “JMU continues to be a great advocate for Mercy House and helping homeless families in Harrisonburg. The SIFE volunteers came with eager attitudes ready to pitch in where needed. We are so grateful for their partnership and willingness to return and help with other apartments,” Logsdon said.
“I was excited about the way in which JMU SIFE students, families in the community, Lowe's, and Mercy House can work together to reach out to families in need,” said Ritchie.
SIFE members who participated in the work day included Allison von Hausen, Matt Schumaker, Nyssa Wratschko, Emily Goodin, Connor Sung, Brad Cheung, Nathan Duke, Stuart Eisenrauch, Zach Mouton and Katie Pillis, as well as Dr. Bill Ritchie and his family.
A link to a WHSV TV 3 story about JMU SIFE:
http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/JMU_Students_Help_Homeless_147536145.html
February 24, 2012
John Rothenberger Serves on Entrepreneur Panel
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JMU Alumnus and Entrepreneur-in-Residence John Rothenberger participated in Entrepreneur Day at the Capitol on Feb. 22, 2012. He served on the “Entrepreneurial Town Hall” panel, along with several other distinguished entrepreneurs. During the event, which drew 100 entrepreneurs from around the state, Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a proclamation designating 2012 as the “Year of the Entrepreneur” in Virginia.
According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the governor "wants to hold these entrepreneurs up as role models, especially to folks like recent college graduates who may be looking to start a business." The paper also noted that the governor's office plans to hold a business-plan competition, more roundtable events, a college "elevator pitch" competition and monthly office hours during which McDonnell will meet with entrepreneurs.
February 24, 2012
Don Rainey Named Outstanding Director by Washington Business Journal
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Congratulation to Don Rainey for being recognized with an “Outstanding Director Award” by the Washington Business Journal. Don was recognized at an awards ceremony on Feb. 23 at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C. , for his work with LivingSocial Inc., whose mission is “to add surprise to every calendar.” The awards honor board members who have helped make the companies they’ve served run better.
Don serves on the JMU Board of Visitors, and is a former member of the COB Executive Advisory Council. He is a general partner with Grotech Ventures, which helps entrepreneurs build technology companies that last. In addition to his work with LivingSocial, he also currently serves on the boards of Grotech portfolio companies Clarabridge, GramercyOne, HelloWallet, Personal, SnappCloud, and Zenoss.
Congratulations again to Don Rainey for this well deserved recognition.
February 23, 2012
COB's Dr. Eric Boyd, 2011-2012 Madison Scholar, Recently Presented "CMO Migration & Its Impact on Firm Performance: Gone, but Not Forgotten"
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Michael Mendenhall left his position as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Walt Disney in 2007 to serve as CMO at Hewlett-Packard. That same year, Catherine Burr-Hall left her CMO position within Midas to serve as CMO at Select Comfort. The examples of CMO migration provided by Mr. Mendenhall and Ms. Burr-Hall are not isolated cases. Rather, CMO migration is the most prevalent type of executive migration given that CMOs have the lowest tenure rate of any top manager. Does CMO migration matter with respect to firm performance? Prior research has addressed this question primarily from the perspective of CMOs’ new employers. This research approaches CMO migration from a novel perspective by focusing on the topic from the perspective of CMOs’ prior employers (e.g., Walt Disney for Mr. Mendenhall and Midas for Ms. Burr-Hall). There are competing views on how CMO migration impacts prior employers.
Dr. Boyd’s research suggests that former employers, as well as current employers, benefit from the CMO’s transition to the current employer due to ongoing collaborative activities and relationships.
February 23, 2012
Meet Chad Gensel, the COB Liason for Career & Academic Planning
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Need help with a job or internship search? Want to boost your resume? Interested in perfecting your elevator speech?
Chad Gensel can help. Chad is a new advisor in Career & Academic Planning and is the liaison to the College of Business. Chad is brand new to JMU, having only been here since Jan. 17.
Chad graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Shippensburg University in Southern Pennsylvania and received his master’s in counseling at Edinboro University in Northwestern Pennsylvania. He had three-and-a-half years of career counseling experience at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina.
As the COB liaison, Chad assists students with resume building, interviewing, career fairs, job searches and networking. Students can stop by Chad’s office for help with deciding between two majors in COB, or even about changing majors.
“I like taking a student’s resume and helping them create a masterpiece,” Chad says. “When students are happy with their resumes, they feel better in interviews.”
Also in his role as the COB liaison, Chad helps raise awareness about events, such as resume workshops or mock interviews, which are beneficial for students to attend. Chad works with Christine Harriger, the Assistant Director of the COB Academic Services Center, to advertise these events in many ways, such as through the ASC blog.
“I like meeting the students where they are and helping them move to where they need to be,” he says.
Chad enjoys working with students and helping their career development needs.
“Nowadays, good job search techniques are beneficial to everyone,” he says. “Students need to have a great resume and cover letter, be involved, have internships and great interview skills. It all has to line up. Students have to be on the top of their game.”
Though Chad’s office is in Wilson 301, he also has office hours in Showker 219 every Thursday from 2:00-5:00 p.m. He is available to help COB students with all of their career and academic needs. Students can schedule an appointment with Chad through Recruit-A-Duke.
February 22, 2012
Congratulations to JMU MBA Graduate Henry Bromley III and MBA Director Dr. Mike Busing for Feature Article in U.S. News and World Report
Congratulations to Dr. Mike Busing and MBA graduate Henry Bromley on getting the JMU MBA InfoSec program featured in the article “Information Security MBA’s Teach Business Side of Cybersecurity” in USNews.com.
Click here for more information.
February 16, 2012
AACSB Appoints Dr. Robert D. Reid as New Chief Accreditation Officer
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Robert D. Reid, former dean at James Madison University’s College of Business and the school’s founding Executive Director of the Interpersonal Effectiveness Institute, will succeed Jerry Trapnell as AACSB International’s chief accreditation officer on October 1, 2012. Trapnell, who has served as executive vice president and chief accreditation officer at AACSB since 2004, will remain with AACSB on a part-time basis to lead its accounting accreditation efforts.
“In the past ten years, business education has evolved considerably and AACSB has led the way with its transformation to a global leader in advancing quality and innovation in business schools worldwide,” stated John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer at AACSB. “Robert Reid’s collaborative spirit and more than 30 years of academic and administrative experience in business education will provide AACSB with the leadership to continue our focus on the ever-expanding needs of business schools, business, and society.”
Reid held the position of dean of the College of Business at James Madison University for 15 years. An active member of AACSB for many years, Reid served as chair of the Maintenance of Accreditation Committee, a member of the Accreditation Coordinating Committee and as a member of AACSB’s board of directors. He has also been part of numerous accreditation peer review teams and has served as an accreditation mentor to several AACSB member schools. In addition, Reid is the current president of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society of business school students at AACSB-accredited institutions.
“I am honored to have been selected for this important role at AACSB,” stated Reid. “I look forward to working collaboratively with business school leaders across the globe to build on the exceptional foundation that has been established, and continue to advance the quality of management education and AACSB-accredited business schools worldwide.”
As dean of the College of Business at James Madison University, Reid led a team of more than 150 faculty and staff recognized for excellence in curriculum innovation, particularly in the areas of program integration and experiential learning. Prior to becoming dean, he served as the Department Head of Marketing and Hospitality Management. While in this role, he was selected for the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Professorship. Before joining the faculty at James Madison University, he was an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech.
Reid has authored or co-authored five editions of Hospitality Marketing Management published by John Wiley & Sons, and was a contributing author to three other books, The Practice of Hospitality Management, Introduction to Hotel and Restaurant Management and Inside the Minds: Business School Leadership Strategies. In addition, Reid has written or co-authored more than 40 journal and professional articles, and was a recipient of an "Article of the Year" award presented by The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly.
February 9, 2012
JMU Alum Kevin Dubs Creates "LoyalCurve"
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Ever wish you could be rewarded for being a loyal customer at a spa or restaurant? Kevin Dubs, May ’09 JMU graduate, has developed an online service to address that very need. “LoyalCurve” is a web-based customer loyalty platform for businesses.
Kevin majored in management, with a concentration in Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. He applied for MGT 472 Venture Creation and was accepted. The project-based course encourages four-member, cross-disciplinary venture teams, anchored by JMU alums who are seasoned entrepreneurs, to test the market through research, interviews, and preliminary sales.
Kevin felt like the Venture Creation class was dramatically different from the other classes that were out there.
“Carol Hamilton helped direct our thoughts,” he says. “She put a lot of work into it. It is by far the most valuable class I took at JMU.” Carol serves as the Interim Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship.”
After graduation, he worked for a few years at the General Services Administration.
“When I worked for the government in a management consulting job, what I learned in Venture Creation class really helped me,” Kevin says. “I knew how to pitch an idea.”
While working for the federal government, he also had a chance to work with a startup to create a career services social network for government employees.
Prior to taking the Venture Creation class, he wasn’t into entrepreneurship and startups, but after taking the class, entrepreneurship became a career option for Kevin. The Venture Creation class includes students from such disciplines as science and technology, communications, music and management.
“It was a good team; it’s crucial to have a team with diverse skill sets,” he says.
The Venture Creation class culminates in a class competition for cash awards to the most viable ventures. His team took top honors with their plan to create a real-time bus tracking technology platform. Some alums wanted to invest in their venture, but the team wasn’t quite ready to launch the business.
After several years with the government, Kevin decided to take what he learned from the Venture Creation class and really apply it. In November 2011 he left the GSA and put all his energies into LoyalCurve, which is currently in the pilot phase, testing with three customer businesses. He believes that the company could scale nationally over time.
Kevin has stayed in touch with John Rothenberger over the years. John, founder and CEO of SE Solutions, advised the class. He has been the JMU Entrepreneur-in-Residence since 2007. SE Solutions is the sponsor of the class competition, which awards over $1,500 each semester. John has agreed to mentor Kevin and serve on the LoyalCurve Board of Directors.
“I want to help out more with the Venture Creation class,” he says. “It’s what started it all, what planted the seed. I can’t speak enough for Carol Hamilton. She poured her heart into this class.”
He has some words of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Entrepreneurs need to be action oriented; there are so many things to do out there. The most important thing is that you have to execute and get it done.
- Entrepreneurs need to be future oriented, thinking long term. It’s easy to get caught up in today’s tasks, and focus on a three-month timeline, semester to semester. You don’t see the complete fruit of your work until years later. It’s been four years since I was in the class; I am just now seeing the major rewards.
February 3, 2012
Spotlight on KD9LA a.k.a. Dr. David Fordham
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Dr. David Fordham, professor of accounting technology and information security, has been with the College of Business for 20 years. Outside of the classroom, David spends his free time as an extra-class ham radio operator. He’s pursued this passion for almost 40 years, both for personal enjoyment and to help the public during emergencies.
Ham radio operators (also known as amateur radio operators) serve as a backup communication service for disaster and emergency communication. When a disaster occurs, communication channels, such as cell phone towers, are typically damaged or overwhelmed with volume. Ham radios come in handy during events such as floods, hurricanes, ice storms, mass casualty events (such as pileups on the interstate), search and rescue missions, or in any area when cell phone coverage is spotty or non-existent.
“The attraction for me is that hams can communicate anywhere in the world with a self-contained station that does not rely on any infrastructure,” David says. “Today’s communications are heavily dependent on shared infrastructure (such as telephone systems, the Internet, cell phones, police and fire communications, satellite communications, etc.), and if an emergency or a terrorist attack takes out even a small piece of that infrastructure, then communication fails. Ham radio is totally self-contained. I have my own generators and battery backups, and with nothing more than my radio and a piece of wire in a tree, I can talk around the world.”
Public Service
During the flood of ’95, David was a ham radio operator assigned to the 911 call center.
“There were numerous residents of Eastern Rockingham County sitting on their rooftops because of the flooding,” he says. “The Oceana Naval Air Station sent several helicopters to help rescue these people. But the military helicopters could not communicate on police and fire radios, so they landed the helicopters in a field in Elkton, and we put a ham radio operator on each helicopter.
“The police and fire personnel on the ground used their radios to talk to the 911 center. I was sitting beside the dispatcher and relayed their instructions to the ham in the helicopter.”
Hams in Space
According to David, every manned space mission since the ’90s has had a licensed ham on board; NASA installed ham radios on all space shuttles and the international space station. The reason? The very first ham in space, Owen Garriott, took his ham radio on the shuttle for recreation. While he was talking to a ham in Australia, a software glitch crashed NASA’s digital-based communication system. When Garriott realized what happened, he instructed the ham in Australia to contact NASA. The NASA communication system came back up in minutes, but the event impressed NASA so much that they installed ham radios on every space shuttle and on the International Space Station. From then on, astronauts could contact any of the million hams worldwide in case of an emergency.
“There are currently more than 50 orbiting satellites that carry ham radio signals, but we can still bounce radio signals off of the ionosphere and talk around the world if those satellites disappeared,” David says.
In fact, a professor at Eastern Mennonite University has contacted more than 345 countries in the world without using satellites. David himself has contacted more than 100, including Belize, Malta, Ireland, Moldova, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and even the research station at the South Pole.
“When I was a faculty member in residence during the semester in Antwerp, I used ham radio to keep in touch with my friends in the Valley,” he says.
Valley Hams
In order to become a licensed ham radio operator, one must take a Federal Communications Commission test, which David says is well within the capabilities of people who have completed a high-school level physics class. Numerous high school students take the test and pass it; the youngest ham in the Valley who has passed the test was 12 years old. Tests are given locally on the second Saturday of every even month.
According to David, there are about 800 licensed hams in the Valley. Two of his four children are hams, and another is currently studying to become one. David’s wife is a ham as well.
In order to communicate with each other, hams use voice, digital transmissions, television, or Morse code, which turns letters of the alphabet into a unique sequence of dots and dashes. Hams each have a call sign for identification purposes — David’s sign is KD9LA. He is also the trustee of the JMU Wireless Experimenter's FCC license, carrying the FCC call sign WN4JMU.
David believes the most emphasis should be placed on the fact that ham radios are completely self-contained — no emergency can cut off ham radio operations.
“It’s nice to know that you can serve your fellow man during an emergency when all other forms of technology fail,” he says. “You can still communicate around the world and even in outer space.”
Enjoying a Hobby
When hams aren’t helping during emergencies, storms or search and rescue missions, they like to have fun with their hobby. For instance, hams have contests to see who can talk to the most people from different countries during a certain period of time, such as a weekend.
These contests include the International Ham Radio Field Day, which occurs the fourth weekend in June. During this weekend, hams all over the world disconnect from the electrical grid and infrastructure. For 24 hours, they compete to see who can contact the most stations in the world. The Valley ham clubs have placed first in the state for 13 of the last 20 years. They have placed in the top 20 in the world in their class every year but one since 1994.
David is president of the Massanutten Amateur Radio Association, Inc., the local ham radio club of Harrisonburg/Rockingham County, which has about 120 members. He is also the editor and publisher of “The Monitor," a monthly newsletter that goes to more than 200 members of the three ham radio clubs in Page, Rockingham, and Augusta counties. David is also a trained SkyWarn member serving as an auxiliary NOAA weather spotter, and member of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
To find out more about ham radios, read David’s article in the Journal of the American Radio Relay League, which won the national "best article" award with the ARRL in July 2005 about local experiments extending Wi-Fi transmissions to over 30 miles.
February 3, 2012
EAC Member Wayne Jackson Recognized at Entrepreneur Navigation Awards
John Backus, Wayne Jackson and CIT GAP Funds were honored for their contributions to the Greater Washington region's entrepreneur community. Read more here.
February 1, 2012
JMU Alum Cory Suter Launches "Direct Congress"
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Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Cory Suter, ’06 COB graduate, is busy working on his latest entrepreneurial initiative: Direct Congress. Cory’s concept is simple – develop a grassroots movement in which the people of this country can create and vote on laws themselves, eliminating the need for elected congressional leaders who only partially represent the voters. Visit http://directcongress.org for details.
Cory’s entrepreneurial bent began many years ago. He paid his way through JMU as a brick mason and retrofitted an old bus as his first apartment. He was enrolled in the first ever MGT 472 Venture Creation class in 2005. After working in Teach for America and as a retail manager for a Mennonite store, he began his own company, BioNeighbors, in Philadelphia.
He notes, “Venture Creation was the most practical class for me as an entrepreneur. I have a lot of enthusiasm for the JMU program. I see a history of success in placing students in good jobs.”
Cory went on to say, “The Venture class gave me lots of tools that have ended up working successfully for me. I enjoyed the open format of the class; it allowed me and other students to explore ideas that we were interested in. Carol Hamilton introduced me to many resources, including business leaders in the local community, the Small Business Development Center, and other successful entrepreneurs.
He adds, “The overall COB experience was educationally very practical. We learned how to analyze other companies, what they did well and what they didn’t do well. I never forget to think about why firm performance differs.”
BioNeighbors Launched
After his graduation from JMU in 2006, Cory launched BioNeighbors Sustainable Homes, as a part-time enterprise. He knew that cool roofing reflects the sun’s heat, and results in a longer life for a roof. He continued to learn everything he could about green roofing, and became certified with LiveRoof, a manufacturer of modular green roofing systems. Cory went on to earn a more rigorous accreditation as a Green Roof Professional (GRP) from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the largest industry trade group in the green roofing field.
He says, “I’ve always been passionate about issues of sustainability. I felt as a small business owner I was doing something real and valuable.”
He went on to work with a neighborhood development organization in West Philadelphia. The Partnership Community Development Corporation works with low-income residents. Cory trained some of the residents to improve their neighborhoods with innovative low cost green roofs. His goal was to train them well enough to pass a professional accreditation exam. After only one student out of nine passed the first year, Cory wrote a thorough PowerPoint-based curriculum and helped five out of eight students earn accreditation the following year.
Cory sold BioNeighbors last summer so he could pursue another passion – education. He is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Economics at Temple University in Philadelphia. He says that good teachers create real value and build a foundation for entrepreneurship. Cory closed by saying, “I want to be a teacher. Sharing knowledge and skills is one of the most noble causes to which people can commit their lives.
Direct Congress
As a full-time student, Cory is enjoying a little more free time. Over Christmas break, he began working seriously on the idea for Direct Congress. With today’s online communication tools available to virtually everyone, there is no reason to go through elected officials to create new laws. His idea is to allow the people to do it directly.
Cory thinks there is great frustration in America today with the current political system. Trust in elected officials has dropped to below 10 %. He says, “We’ve seen situations where over 70% of Americans like an idea; then it is defeated in Congress.”
“My idea is to combine American principles of good governance with the Facebook model of bringing people together to share ideas.” He adds. “I had this idea originally when I was a JMU student. I just didn’t have enough time to do the research; I had to make a living.” He worked on developing the new Direct Congress website, creating a delicate balance between both transparency and privacy.
“There is lots of energy on Facebook,” he adds. “But in politics, people have become more apathetic; they think the political process is rigged and they don’t have a voice. Direct Congress is being developed with an innovative star rating system, and staged bill development so that the best ideas rise to the top, and less useful proposals for laws are gleaned.”
Mentorship Important
Cory takes time out of his busy schedule to help mentor current students in the Venture Creation class. When asked why he does this, he says, “I found that in my own training period, it was essential to have mentors, to talk to people who had been in this territory before. I made some mistakes in my first business that I could have avoided with the advice of a good mentor.” He also noted that students often have good ideas that he loves to hear.
Tips for Entrepreneurial Success
1) Access to Capital: Don’t allow your success as an entrepreneur to depend on the whim of some banker or investor. Cut your personal and business expenses to the bare necessities. An office is an expense, not an investment (Read Rich Dad, Poor Dad if you don't understand what I mean). Debt-financing is overrated, and can lead to the early demise of otherwise good ideas. Don't pay for advertising - do newsworthy things and network like crazy, instead. Consider partnerships on projects, bartering (I installed a green roof in exchange for a professional website) or borrowing funds from family ( I issued my own shares of stock - and doubled my family's money in five years) or doing things yourself ( I made my own business cards, invoices, marketing materials, contracts, design specifications, etc.)
2) Unfinished Business Plan: In real life, there's no possible way to know the future. The original plan for BioNeighbors that I wrote in Carol Hamilton's class was for a biofuel station. Later, I started to create an online community of home-owners and small remodeling company franchises, before working to develop a model sustainable and ethical construction company. Do not be afraid to test ideas in start-up mode. Find out what people actually are demanding. I wanted to provide affordable energy-efficient home improvements, but lots of other energy auditors were getting into that market, while almost no one with a college education was providing solutions for residential flat roofs in the region where I lived. I, thus, found a practical need that was in demand and created a company to meet that opportunity.
3) Managing Growth: When I started BioNeighbors, I thought I had found my life calling. I loved being a young creative business leader who was appreciated for doing real and quality work for people. I thought I could create a model worth franchising. As years went by and the enterprise became successful, I stopped enjoying the day-to-day management of the firm. Instead of hiring a manager and being an absentee owner, or selling the company to a big investor, I sold the company for much less than it was worth to a small team of worker-owners who agreed to more than recoup my initial loss by giving me a set percentage of all of BioNeighbors' revenue for the next eight years. This preserved local ownership, without depriving me of financial security as I started a Ph.D. program and moved on to start a new enterprise.
Parenthood Looms
Cory is about to embark on an even greater adventure. He and his wife are expecting their first child late this spring. His philosophy is to help make the world a brighter place in which to live — for today, and for all the children and great grandchildren yet to be born.
January 30, 2012
COB's Marcia Mumbert Selected to Receive 2012 Diversity Enhancement Award
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Congratulations to Marcia Mumbert for being selected to receive recognition as the staff winner of the 2012 Diversity Enhancement Award.
Dr. Daphyne Thomas nominated Marcia, who joined the College of Business in November 2010, for her role as a chair of the COB diversity committee and as co-director of CyberCity.
“A recent hire in the College of Business, Marcia Mumbert truly exemplifies the positive caring image that JMU wants to project to our external communities,” Daphyne said in her nomination letter. “It is difficult to find an individual more dedicated than Marcia Mumbert. She is a solid addition to the College of Business and the CyberCity team.
Dr. Michael Mitri also endorsed Marcia’s nomination for the award.
“Marcia is an outstanding office manager, and has been indispensable to my work as department head,” he said. “My job is much easier because of the efficient manner in which she conducts her responsibilities. She is also a very warm and pleasant person, and fun to work with.”
According to the JMU Diversity website, these annual awards are given to individuals and groups/departments that have an impact on diversity in the JMU community. The awards are based on the following factors: accomplishments, leadership and service in support of diversity enhancement; steps toward creating an inclusive and supportive environment; achievement in recruiting and/or retaining diverse groups of faculty and staff; and achievement in recruiting, retaining, and/or graduating diverse groups of students.
“I was surprised to be nominated and delighted to have been chosen because I think CyberCity is such a great program,” Marcia said.
A reception will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 3:00 p.m. in Taylor Hall 405 to recognize the Diversity Enhancement Award winners. Other winners of the award include faculty member Dr. Besi Muhonja, student Kathryn Jenkins, and the Student Affairs and University Planning Diversity Council.
January 26, 2012
New Academic Services Center Blog Created "All for the Good of the Student"
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Have you ever wished there were a one-stop shop for all of the information you need as a student in the College of Business? Well, now there is.
In December, Christine Harriger, the Assistant Director of the Academic Services Center (located in Showker Hall, Room 205), began the ASC blog in order to “share information among different departments and colleges and be a portal for the type of information students may not otherwise hear.”
As the new Assistant Director in ASC, Christine wants to open the lines of communication between students and advisors.
Christine, who used to be the business liaison in Career and Academic Planning, has been in the field for more than 20 years and wanted to help raise awareness of what the ASC does.
Christine has updated the blog with more than 20 posts so far. She wants the blog to inform students about topics such as academic policies, important deadlines, campus updates, frequently asked questions, tips on how to select a major, and career goals.
“I want the information to be what that the students really need to know—anything pertinent to academic success,” she says, “all for the good of the student.”
In order to raise awareness, Christine and the ASC advisors recently passed out cups of hot chocolate on cold days with slips of paper advertising the blog.
“I saw an opportunity to make the ASC a more welcoming, more efficient place,” Christine says. “My dream would be for students to keep an eye on the blog on a regular basis.”
According to Christine, the goal of the ASC is to help students deal with stress—and anything else that impedes their academic progress—and connect them with the necessary resources.
“A good advisor looks at what will help make that student successful,” she says. “Our advisors do a great job. They all really care about their students and stay on top of constantly changing information.”
Stay informed and become a regular visitor of the ASC blog.
January 23, 2012
Recent iMBA Graduate Katharine Corgan Opens Corgans' Publick House
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Fish and chips, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, and Guinness stew are among offerings that diners can now relish in Harrisonburg. The new Irish-themed Corgans’ Publick House opened Tuesday, January 17.
Located in the 865 East Building on Port Republic Road, this new eatery will try to fill a menu void in Harrisonburg. According to a recent article in The Breeze, Corgans’ offers more then 50 menu items, 12 beers on tap, great happy hour specials, and it will even host music events.
“My family has strong Irish roots,” says owner and entrepreneur Katharine Corgan. “I’ve always loved Irish pubs, and I felt this type of restaurant would be appreciated in Harrisonburg.”
Corgan is a July 2011 graduate of the Innovation MBA program in the College of Business at JMU.
“I was an English major undergraduate,” she says. “I heard about JMU’s hybrid program, which was both convenient and interesting, and covered business fundamentals that I missed. I really wanted to learn more about core business concepts.”
Corgan and her fiancé Vito Pellerito have owned and managed Vito’s Italian Kitchen on Port Republic Road for many years. They wanted to branch out and create a second restaurant. After going through the MBA program, Corgan says she gained the confidence and business acumen to start this venture.
“I found it extremely helpful in many ways,” she says. “I learned how to approach a bank with a well thought out, organized business plan. I think the most important thing I took away from the program is knowing how to actually manage people and hold them accountable, while at the same time keeping them motivated to succeed.”
Corgan encourages interested people to investigate the iMBA program.
“It was great to be back in school and meet people from many different industries and environments,” she says. “The MBA program provided me with the skills and confidence that I needed to become a better manager of my time, my efforts, and my staff.”
January 20, 2012
JMU Alumnus and EAC Member Eric Major Featured in Orthopedics This Week
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Congratulations to Eric Major, the President and CEO of K2M, Inc., for being featured in the article “Kostuik Plus Two Majors — K2M” in the online newsletter Orthopedics This Week.
Eric and his brother Lane Major partnered with Dr. John Kostuik, a spine surgeon, to form the company K2M. According to the website, K2M is a “fast growing global medical device company focused on developing innovative surgical solutions for the most complex spinal pathologies.”
From 2004 to 2010, K2M created many major innovations for spine surgeons to more effectively treat complex spinal disorders. By 2010, Orthopedics This Week estimated that K2M’s sales had grown to well over $100 million and had become the “most successful private spine company in the industry.
Since partnering with Welsh-Carson, the largest private equity firm in medicine, K2M has added more than 100 employees, in addition to opening up the international market.
Eric was previously the President and CEO of American OsteoMedix, Inc., a minimally invasive spinal device company. He is a ’91 graduate of the College of Business at JMU and is a member of the Executive Advisory Council for the COB.
January 19, 2012
Spotlight on iMBA Student Baris Bilek
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iMBA Student Baris Bilek has taken the first big step in opening up new opportunities for himself. Baris, a concierge for The Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner Hotel, recently enrolled in the JMU Innovation MBA program.
“I think the program is amazing,” he says. “I tried to get into it for years. In fact, I took the GMAT three times.”
His persistence paid off, and he joined the program in the fall of 2011. Baris lives in Northern Virginia, and he appreciates the flexibility and ease of this hybrid program.
“Since I live two hours away, the hybrid program really works for me,” he says. “I am able to do most of my coursework online, and still have face-to-face contact on a regular basis.”
Baris says the professors are always helpful, and they always respond to email and phone calls. He also appreciates the opportunity he’s had to get to know the people in his group.
“Baris is a great student,” says iMBA Director Dr. Mike Busing. “He was determined to get into the AACSB accredited program, and he did everything necessary to be accepted. We are pleased to have him in the class of 2013.”
Baris notes, “I looked at both George Mason University and James Madison University. I decided on JMU because the MBA program includes an international trip, and that really appealed to me.”
Baris’ group will be traveling to China in May 2013, immediately after graduation. In all, he is satisfied with his decision to attend JMU.
“I made the right decision to come to JMU,” he says. “I couldn’t be happier. I admit there is lots of stress, but it’s good stress.”
Baris knows that his iMBA degree will help him step up his career — he has been a concierge with The Ritz Carlton for almost five years. He earned his bachelor of science degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus.
We look forward to adding Baris to our distinguished list of alumni and wish him the best that the future has to offer.
College of Business Maintains Prestigious Accreditation
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The James Madison University College of Business and the School of Accounting have maintained their business accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting.
Interim Dean Dr. Bud Clarke says, “AACSB accreditation is a notable achievement for the College of Business and School of Accounting. This reaffirmation acknowledges the exceptional quality of the faculty, staff, and students that shape the distinctive learning environment of the College of Business.”
Only 643 schools of business, or less than 5% worldwide, have earned this distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education. To maintain accreditation a business program must undergo a rigorous internal review every five years, during which the program must demonstrate its continued commitment to the 21 quality standards relating to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, as well as a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.
“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB Accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty, and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”
James Madison University College of Business has been recognized over the years for many notable achievements. In 2010, the master of science in accountancy program was ranked number one in the nation for pass rate for the CPA exam. In 2011, Bloomberg BusinessWeek ranked the college as the 11th “Best Undergraduate Business School” among public institutions.
James Madison University’s College of Business will be recognized in May at the 2012 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.
To learn more about James Madison University’s School of Business, please visit jmu.edu/cob. Or to learn more about AACSB Accreditation, visit www.aacsb.edu/accreditation.
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