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Dr. Pamela Drake Will Be Interviewed Live on WSVA
WSVA's Mike Schickman will speak live with Dr. Pamela Drake, head of JMU's College of Business Finance and Business Law department, Feb. 5 from 6:30-7 p.m. Dr. Drake will discuss the national economy and what causes recession on the radio show "Speaking of Money." Listen live at WSVA-550AM.
PHR Certification Puts JMU Grads Ahead of Competition: JMU Hosts Games in ‘08
As a candidate for her current job with Kerr Drug in Raleigh, N.C., Tiffanie Saunders Ashmore impressed her interviewers with the revelation that she already had earned her certification as a Professional in Human Resources. While Ashmore brought many competitive qualities to the table, the PHR certification definitely made the 2007 JMU graduate a stand-out among other applicants.
"They commented that [this certification] is something HR professionals usually do not attain until later in their career," recalls Ashmore, who was hired as a human resources assistant. "I believe it had a significant impact on proving my competence in the HR field, despite having just recently graduated."
Last spring, Ashmore was one of four JMU students who took and passed the PHR exam, giving the university's human resources management program a 100 percent pass rate. The national average pass rate is 63 percent. The PHR certification, supported by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), is becoming increasingly important in a field that is striving to gain recognition as having an essential, strategic role in any organization. The two-and-a-half hour exam is offered twice a year, covering categories such as management practices; selection and recruitment; training and development; compensation and benefits; employee-labor relations; and health, safety and security.
"It shows businesses and organizations that are recruiting our students that they've mastered the skills of their program-that they are, in fact, experts in the field," says management professor Joseph Goodman. "It also recognizes the human resources management field as a profession."
While studying for the exam can be rigorous, JMU students are offered a fun and effective opportunity for preparation: competing in the Virginia HRGames, sponsored by the Society of Human Resources Management. The Jeopardy-style competition includes questions similar to those that are asked on the exam. Last March, JMU teammates Ashmore, Jocelyn Tuttle and Ashley Hevener won the Virginia State HRGames Competition and advanced to the regional competition, where they placed 12th. JMU will host this year's Virginia HRGames in March.
The faculty in JMU's human resources management program encourage all of their students to take the PHR certification exam. In fact, they are so convinced of the value of attaining this certification that the department offers qualified students partial grants to off-set the costs of the exam.
"The human resources area is one of the fastest-growing, litigious components in the organization," Goodman says. "Having the certification solidifies that these students know what they're doing, and they're not going to put the firm in jeopardy. They'll help the firm make better decisions when it comes to their employees."
Ashmore is grateful to her JMU professors for helping her prepare for the PHR exam, as well as for her career in human resources. She's convinced it made a difference in her job hunt.
"Taking the PHR exam," she says, "proves to colleagues that, while I do not have vast amounts of working experience in my profession, I do have the knowledge it takes to pass the same certification [exam] as those holding positions in HR for years."
JMU will host the HRGames March 29, 2008.
JMU Rated a Good Value
As James Madison University students embark on their Spring semester, they can rest easy knowing they're getting a pretty good deal on their educations.
J-M-U is ranked 22nd on the 2008 listing of the 1-hundred best values in four-year colleges. The ranking is part of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine's annual study, which looks at more than 500 four-year public colleges.
Kiplinger's says the 100 schools that made the list "combine outstanding economic value with top-notch education" and were ranked according to academic quality, cost, and financial aid. (courtesy of WSVA 550-AM)
Dec. 19, 2007
Accounting Major Shares Business Skills with Residents in West African Villages
Michael Kapocsi ('07) spent three months as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa. He was part of a team specializing in small business development. More
Davis Moves into Panama Real Estate
According to Kent Davis (’02), Panama is HOT. He’s not referring to the temperature. Davis accepted a position as global broker relations manager for CPanama Real Estate Corporation in Panama City, Panama. Real estate in Panama is a hot commodity right now, Davis says, as Panama has been experiencing unprecedented growth in the last few years.
Before moving to Panama he worked as a profit center manager in Atlanta and Virginia for Hajoca Corp, a company he said he loved and hated to leave.
While at JMU, Davis double-majored in marketing and Spanish. He played JMU water polo all four years and was a member of Golden Key, MMA and the Catholic Campus ministry.
“I may be the only car with a James Madison University decal here in Panama. Go Dukes!” Davis says.
Nov. 20, 2007
CoB Students Place 3rd in Goodman Accounting Challenge
A team of four senior accounting majors put their professional skills to the test in the Goodman Accounting Challenge and emerged as the 3rd place winners.
The competition, sponsored by Norfolk-based Goodman and Co., began in late October with a preliminary round in which 24 other schools from Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., participated. After completing a six-hour test, the firm’s partners selected the top four teams, which included the JMU team. They advanced to the final round on Nov. 3, which took place at the Goodman and Co. office. There, students completed another six-hour test in which they solved five cases that were based on real-life accounting situations. Because some of the cases covered areas that aren’t taught in the classroom, the students were allowed to use textbooks or online resources to help solve the problems.
“They really couldn’t prepare [in advance] for the test,” says accounting professor Molly Brown, who was the team’s faculty adviser. “It really tested their ability to think on their feet.”
The JMU student team included Nicole Harris, Lacey Viar, Scott Gunter and Adam Cerulli. Each team member won a $500 cash prize, as well as a $1,000 gift for the JMU School of Accounting Foundation. The competition gave the students an opportunity to network with the professionals who work for Goodman and Co., as well as fellow accounting majors from other universities.
“I think they got a taste of what it’s like to do accounting in real life,” says Brown. “It’s much more of a real life experience than you can see in the classroom.”
Argy Participates in KPMG's Global New Hire Training
A new audit associate with KPMG LLP, Kim Argy had the rare opportunity to receive her company training in Madrid, Spain, in October. The 2006 JMU graduate was one of the company’s 100 U.S. employees, selected out of 700 applicants, to participate in its first Global New Hire Training program.
“International experience is good for getting other people’s opinions and learning different perspectives,” Argy says. “That’s good for audits because it gives you a different way of looking at a situation. And I just think traveling helps you grow as a person.”
Argy and her U.S. colleagues were joined in the two-week program by 200 other new employees from Germany and the United Kingdom. During the first week, all of the participants were integrated and divided into groups to complete team projects. The American employees worked alone during the second week, receiving their training in U.S. audit procedures. Between scheduled activities, Argy took advantage of her free time to explore the city and meet new international friends.
KPMG started the Global New Hire Training program to expose new audit associates to the global business environment while giving them a consistent training experience, says Manny Fernandez, KPMG’s national managing partner for campus recruiting.
“We believe giving our younger employees the opportunity to experience the KPMG global culture earlier in their career will help to accelerate their development,” he says, “and inspire them to seek further international experiences as they build their career path.”
CoB Alumnus and EAC Member Supports Sustainability and Agritourism
Dennis Tracz (‘78), entrepreneur and a member of CoB’s Executive Advisory Council, has recently taken his talent of turning “chaos” into “opportunity” and turned it toward the business of sustainability.
Tracz is the CEO and founder of Barista On Demand, LLC, a gourmet coffee company that has made the conscious decision to purchase organic coffee beans, pay the growers directly, and roast locally. The practice supports farmers and the farming industry and benefits the local community where the company is headquartered in Central Virginia.
Barista On Demand, LLC, participates in the Rainforest Alliance Certified Seed to Cup program, which provides direct payments to coffee growers. The company also uses a biodegradable ecotainer®.
And now Tracz has partnered with the Inaugural Virginia Agritourism Conference that will be held in Charlottesville, Va., in November 2007. Barista On Demand will provide complimentary fresh-ground organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and gourmet beverages to conference attendees and speakers.
“Partnering with Barista on Demand makes perfect sense for us,” says Barbara S. Lundgren, proprietor of Barb Wired, LLC, and creator and organizer of the premier event. “This is a conscious choice to partner with a local company whose products are outstanding, sustainability practices are very compelling, and whose goals fit with our own, both in terms of customer satisfaction while reducing waste and supporting our important Virginia Agritourism effort.”
The two-day event will gather farmers, tourism professionals and economic leaders to promote agritourism as a viable option to sustain and enhance the family farm. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Virginia Tech Memorial Fund.
“We strongly believe that agritourism is an important part of our area’s future, and we are happy to contribute to the effort by participating in Monday night’s ‘Taste of Virginia’ event and serving our delicious coffee in partnership with the Doubletree to conference attendees,” says Tracz. “We are also proud to be supporting the contribution to the Virginia Tech Memorial Fund.”
Bartee Establishes Endowment to Reward Top-Notch Teaching
When Kenneth Bartee, ’83, reflects on his experiences as a student at JMU, he remembers with fondness the innovative and sometimes “quirky” teaching methods of management professor, Dr. Kent Zimmerman, now retired. Bartee recalls Zimmerman’s organizational behavior course, where students engaged in learning techniques such as role-playing or drawing pictures in groups—“exercises that you don’t know quite why you’re doing them at the time,” he jokes. Strange, perhaps, but the concepts stuck. Bartee says he still applies many of Zimmerman theories in his career as president and CEO of McDonald Bradley Inc.
“Dr. Zimmerman was phenomenal in the classroom—he opened up my mind,” Bartee says. “He was very extroverted and demonstrative, which made him fun in the classroom. He was really committed to teaching.”
That’s the kind of legacy Bartee hopes to keep alive in JMU’s College of Business. With their recent gift of $250,000 to establish the Kenneth R. Bartee Endowed Professorship in the CoB, Bartee and his wife, Sue, hope to reward faculty who go the “extra mile” for their students. The endowment may be awarded to deserving faculty in any CoB department.
An enthusiastic Duke supporter, Bartee wants to see future students have the same positive experience he had at JMU . During his term as chair of the college’s Executive Advisory Committee, Bartee has learned the value of rallying alumni support for the university. While public colleges and universities once were primarily funded by state and federal governments, that financial support is waning, Bartee says. Now it’s up to alumni to help the university maintain its excellent programs.
“I think the folks who come out of JMU have this well-rounded education, great leadership capabilities and great teamwork capabilities,” he says. “If we don’t support this, I’m afraid we’re going to see this great program that JMU has built, this great culture—we’re going to see it disappear.”
As a student at JMU, Bartee observed a strong sense of community, driven by the fact that many students lived on campus at that time. But there were other reasons he felt so connected—namely the emphasis that was placed on teamwork, reinforced through group projects and experiential learning. He also appreciated that professors did most of the teaching at JMU, rather than graduate teaching assistants.
“In the end, you get this very well-rounded student with pretty strong interpersonal skills, leadership skills, that allowed me to move up in my industry a lot faster than I think I would have at some other places.”
Since graduating from JMU, Bartee has enjoyed a successful career in the field of information technology, including executive positions at Computer Sciences Corporation, Innovative Systems Solutions, PSC and General Electric. In 1994, he joined McDonald Bradley, a provider of information technology solutions, primarily to agencies of the federal government. During his tenure with McDonald Bradley, he has increased the company’s revenues ten-fold, earning it recognition as one of the fastest growing firms in the Washington, D.C., area, and one of the leading providers of technology services to the federal government.
Bartee recently was a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and a finalist for Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Government Contractor Small Business Executive of the Year. In October 2005, JMU honored him with the Inez Room Alumni Service Award.
While serving on the EAC requires a significant time commitment for the already-busy corporate executive, Bartee enjoys the opportunity to offer his insights for curriculum development, fund raising and other administrative functions of the council. He, like other EAC members, also mentors students and enjoys helping them in their career development. He hopes to see the College of Business maintain its high rank among business schools nationally and create a few leading edge programs that will draw national attention.
“It starts with feeling so strong about the education I received at JMU,” Bartee says. “When you step back in [after graduating], and you believe that you’re helping others to get that same experience, it feels really good.”
Peter Santana Named Financial Analyst at DuPont Community Credit Union
JMU alumnus Peter Santana ('06) graduated with a B.B.A. in finance. Read the article online.
Kistler Graduates Realtor Training Academy
Elizabeth Funkhouser Kistler ('89) graduated from the Virginia Leadership Academy, class of 2007. She received her undergraduate degree from JMU in Computer Information Systems. She works for Coldwell Banker Commercial Funkhouser Realtors of Harrisonburg. Read the article online.
Economics Education Council Recognizes Valley Teachers
An awards ceremony recognized local teachers for their excellence in economics instruction.
The Virginia Council on Economic Education sponsored the state awards, and the Harrisonburg Rotary Club and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with JMU's Center for Economic Education, sponsored the local awards. Read the article online.
Oct. 2, 2007
New Chairman to Lead Management Institute at James Madison University
Dr. Robert D. Reid, dean of the College of Business at JMU and executive director of the Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM), announced the appointment of Cheryl A. Brown, MS, CM, as chairman of the ICPM Board of Regents. Brown will serve a 2-year term, providing leadership to the ICPM Board of Regents, the governing body for ICPM.
Brown is the director of training and development for Florida’s Blood Centers in Orlando, Fl., and also serves on the faculty of the University of Phoenix-Central Florida Campuses. She has more than 20 years of experience building, managing and motivating top performing organizations and teams by developing human capital in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Brown obtained the Certified Manager (CM) certification in 2000 — a professional credential that attests to the competency of managers and is recognized worldwide. An active participant on the ICPM Board of Regents since 2003, Brown is also a member of The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
The Institute of Certified Professional Managers is the world’s largest certifying organization for management professionals. It confers the Certified Manager, or CM, certification to individuals who meet education and experience requirements and pass three assessment examinations which document problem solving and critical thinking skills in a wide variety of areas. The Institute has a 32-year history of certifying managers and operates as a business center of the College of Business at JMU.
Four CoB grads join Beers & Cutler
Four 2007 College of Business graduates have joined one of the leading accounting and consulting firms focused on the Washington, D.C. region. Beers & Cutler hired Derek Boyd (B.S. accounting & finance), Greg Prince (B.S. accounting and media arts and design), Amy Knueven (B.S. accounting) and Melissa Evans (B.S. accounting).
On Friday, Sept. 27 Beers & Cutler announced its largest new-hire class, with 41 recent college graduates joining the firm. New hires are working in Beers & Cutler’s Commercial Business, Consulting, Professional Services and Real Estate practice groups. More than half were former interns or had externships with the firm prior to accepting full time positions.
"The region's outstanding universities consistently produce graduates that are talented, highly motivated and prepared for the demands of the professional services workplace. Our recent new hires have clearly demonstrated these attributes along with impressive leadership capabilities, and we are confident they will be valuable contributors to the continued growth of our clients and the firm," said Ed Offterdinger, managing partner, Beers & Cutler.
Beers & Cutler is a leading accounting and consulting firm focused on the Washington, D.C. region with over 300 employees. Beers & Cutler provides tax, assurance and consulting services to many of the area's top companies and institutions. As experts in the industries that drive the region's economy, Beers & Cutler blends technical expertise with in-depth industry experience in real estate, commercial business, professional services and government contracting.
Beers & Cutler ranks as a "Top 50 Firm" nationally according to Accounting Today and is an independent member of Baker Tilly International, a premier international network of accounting and business advisory firms.
Lafayette Federal Credit Union names Farmakides president/CEO
B. John Farmakides ('88) is the new president and chief executive officer of Lafayette Federal Credit Union, which serves the Washington, D.C. metro area. Farmakides received a B.B.A. and M.B.A. from JMU. Read more.
Harrisonburg Couple Foster International Relations on their Home-front:
Brubakers Establish Endowment for Foreign Students and Faculty
When international students come to study in the United States, sometimes what they need most is an advocate—someone to help them adapt to a new culture. For nearly three decades, Nancy Brubaker (’56) and her husband, Dan, have provided that kind of support for foreign students studying at JMU and at area high schools, offering them assistance with everything from securing a lease on an apartment and buying a car to providing a place for the students to hang out and hospitality for their visiting parents.
The couple wants to make sure that JMU’s support for international students will remain strong in years to come. Recently, they gave $250,000 to establish the Nancy Revercomb Brubaker ’56 Endowment for Foreign Exchange Students and Faculty in the College of Business, a gift presented in honor of Nancy’s 50th reunion. The gift is the first of its kind at the university set up to aid both foreign students and faculty coming to study or work in the U.S.
The Brubakers, who own and operate the Virginia Silo Company along with several other business ventures, first began hosting foreign students in the 1970s, when a teenager from England came to live with them and attend high school locally for a year. After hosting a few high school students, the couple began volunteering for JMU’s Office of International Programs, hosting foreign students enrolled at the university. Though these students haven’t lived with the Brubakers during the academic year—they’ve always lived on campus or in local apartments—the couple has developed a strong bond with all of their “international children,” Nancy says. Over the years, they have sponsored students from all parts of the globe, including Switzerland, Turkey, India, Pakistan and Costa Rica. They also have traveled to their students’ native countries, often as guests of honor at their weddings and other milestone occasions.
“We have gained a better understanding of the cultures of the individual countries that these students are from,” she says. “You learn so much about their history.”
Though Nancy was a home economics major at Madison College, a program of study no longer offered at the university, the Brubakers have several strong ties to the College of Business. Among these connections: Their son, Tom, is a former adjunct instructor of marketing. Additionally, Dan was a close friend of the late Zane Showker, a generous benefactor of JMU for whom the building that houses the College of Business is named. Several of the international students the couple has sponsored in the past also were business students.
The Brubakers are active leaders in the Harrisonburg community. A member of Rockingham Memorial Hospital’s Auxiliary, Nancy has been a volunteer at the hospital for 25 years, currently serving at the information desk in the Critical Care Unit. Nancy and Dan both are members Bridgewater Retirement Village’s Foundation Board and Covenant Presbyterian Church. Dan, a well-known business leader who has gotten involved in land development in recent years, is a past recipient of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Entrepreneur of the Year award.
For the Brubakers, giving is simply part of their lifestyle. “We’ve tried to share what we have,” Nancy says. “We think that’s important.”
With the establishment of the endowment, Nancy hopes that the children or other family members of students she and Dan have sponsored might be able to benefit from the funds in the future. They hope the endowment will “serve for better relations among countries,” by promoting understanding across cultures.
Sept. 24, 2007BusinessWeek features Eliason as a favorite professor
What could be more rewarding to a teacher than having students add his or her name to a survey asking, “Who is your favorite professor and why?”
Perhaps there is no greater reward, but having the results of the survey show up in BusinessWeek magazine may sweeten the honor.
Students at JMU’s College of Business named professor Bob Eliason as their favorite professor in BusinessWeek magazine’s second annual survey of undergraduate business colleges. Two students quoted in the feature article named Eliason’s real-world knowledge and accessibility as reasons for their selection.
One factor may be Eliason’s management philosophy. “I define success not in monetary terms but in life satisfaction,” Eliason told BusinessWeek. That message, says students, comes across clearly. Everyone has had a poor manager at some point, he says. Eliason uses the negative management experiences experienced in the business world as anecdotal tools for teaching students a better way to manage people by building positive relationships.
Business is about more than the bottom line. Eliason echoes a philosophy often heard ringing through the halls of Showker Hall, home to JMU’s College of Business. The recent establishment of the Gilliam Center for Ethical Business Leadership testifies to the college’s philosophy of better business practices.
Student’s appreciate Eliason’s presentation of that philosophy. He talks about reaching for dreams and expecting the best from oneself—a message that is far from the strict business profit many students expect from business school.
And he doesn’t just speak about the power of positive management. He models it, say students. Like many professors at JMU’s College of Business, he can often be found chatting in a narrow hallway with students, asking how their semester is going and offering sound business advice on any issue, class-related or not.
Sept. 19, 2007
IntelAccount Names Mares ('85) to Advisory Board More
IntelAccount, Inc., a provider of Web-based accounts payable processing and document management services announced the addition of Peter Mares ('85) to its corporate advisory board. He holds an MBA in Finance from George Washington University and a BA in Accounting from JMU
Sept. 11, 2007
They've got the Goods: HTM Grad Makes Dollars and Sense of Pastries More
Natalia Kost-Lupichuk opened Natalia's Elegant Creations in late July in Falls Church, Va. She plans to cater to those with a taste for fine pastries.
Sept. 5, 2007
CoB Presents Publication Awards Fall 2007
The College of Business recently presented its annual awards for outstanding publications to faculty members Val Larsen, Raktim Pal, Irvine Clarke III, Theresa Flaherty and Mike Yankey. Each will receive a salary supplement, as well as an engraved award and public recognition on a plaque displayed in Showker Hall, for their contributions to research within their respective fields. The following awards were presented.
Val Larsen, an associate professor of marketing, received the Best Academic Publication award for “Points of View and Pieces of Time: A Taxonomy of Image Attributes,” which he co-authored with colleagues from other institutions. The article, which appeared in the June 2004 issue of Journal of Consumer Research, defines the attributes of stimuli in advertising, such as camera angles, pace, point of view and sequence. Having a better analysis of the visual elements of marketing communications, Larsen says, will make it possible to understand how an advertisement might affect people and predict the likely outcomes. “The more we can say about the likely effects of those stimuli on people, the more cost effective we can be in deploying our promotional budgets.”
A professor in the CIS and MS department, Raktim Pal received the Best Practitioner Award for his publication, “Auto-ID: Managing Anything, Anywhere, Anytime in the Supply Chain.” Co-authored with a colleague from another university, the article was published in Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery in 2005. The article offers suggestions for how a company’s supply chain operation may be handled more efficiently using the Auto-ID (or radio frequency identification) technology, which grew out of the bar codes and bar code readers that emerged in retail decades ago. Used to its fullest capabilities, Pal says, the technology has potential to save labor costs, reduce inventory, track lost items and increase sales. While there currently are several road blocks to the technology, such as privacy concerns and cost of the RFID tags, Pal and his co-author assert that “Auto-ID is a promising technology with the potential to revolutionize all facets of the supply chain; a well-organized, focused effort can help it quickly fulfill that promise.”
The award for Best Educational Publication was presented to Irvine Clarke III, Theresa Flaherty and Mike Yankey for their article, “Teaching the Visual Learner: The Use of Visual Summaries in Marketing Education.” It was published last year in the Journal of Marketing Education. After reading a study finding that about 40 percent of marketing students are visual learners who better retain material presented through visual cues such as pictures, diagrams, flow charts and demonstrations, the trio decided to examine the effects of visual summaries on students. For one marketing class, they developed “pictures” of each lecture that closely resembled a map, with the use of connecting lines and symbols, and for another identical course, they taught using the traditional lecture format. The results showed dramatic increases in student performance when the visual elements were incorporated in the classroom lessons, and the students reported greater satisfaction. “If we can present our material in ways that match with students’ learning styles, they perform better,” Clarke says. “If we better understand their learning styles, then we have a better chance of reaching them.”
Distinguished Professors & Staff Recognized
Faculty and staff in the College of Business come up with innovative programs that help our students succeed and support our community. In 2007 the College of Businesses congratulates the following persons who have contributed to our success.
2007 Kenneth R. Bartee Endowed Award for Teaching Innovation
Dr. William Wood, Economics
Carol Hamilton, Management
2007 Accenture Endowed Award for Professional Service
Dr. Paul Bierly, Management
2007 College of Business Community Service Award
Dr. Harry Reif, CIS & MS
Dr. Daphyne Thomas, Finance & Business Law
Dr. Tom Dillon, CIS & MS
2007 College of Business Staff Service Award
Christine Shiflet, CoB
JMU Hires Drake to Head Department of Finance and Business Law
Drake Feels the Pull of JMU’s Charm
Pamela Drake has had visions of Madison for quite some time. “I always said, ‘If I get the opportunity, I would really love to go to James Madison University’,” says Drake.
This fall her wish came true. In fact, you might say she found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This semester Pamela Drake, CFA, Ph.D., greeted returning students and faculty at JMU as the head of the Finance and Business Law department and the J. Gray Ferguson Professor of Finance. She received her Ph.D. in finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.S. in Accountancy from Miami University.
But Drake isn’t alone in realized ambition. Robert Reid, dean of the College of Business at JMU, said the university is fortunate to attract such an accomplished faculty member.
“Dr. Drake has an impressive vita. She brings to JMU a long history of academic research and publication as well as practical experience in finance and in leading an academic department. In many ways, she is a good fit for the College of Business,” says Reid.
Drake’s research interests are interdisciplinary and focus primarily on valuation and financial analysis. Her expertise in this area, says Reid, will help move the Financial and Business Law program into a better position for preparing students interested in investment management and financial analysis. As a department head, Drake says her research experience will allow her to mentor other faculty members working on research projects.
She has been published in more than 30 articles appearing in academic and practitioner journals, authored or co-authored 10 books, contributed to 10 others, and is currently waiting for the release of The Complete CFO Handbook: From Accounting to Accountability, with Frank J. Fabozzi and Ralph S. Polimeni, published by John Wiley & Sons.
Drake says tradition attracted her to the university. After spending two-and-a-half years as the associate dean of Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business and 24 years as a professor at Florida State University, Drake was ready to re-connect with the traditional college student. In her previous position, she taught primarily through video-conference courses and online courses, while managing the distance learning program for undergraduate students on several campuses. The appeal of campus life at JMU is strong. Students often cite the university’s culture as a factor in choosing JMU. Drake felt that same pull.
Her kinship with JMU extends beyond campus culture. She share’s the university and college’s mission of interdisciplinary research and education, collaboration and the goal of bridging curriculum with practice.
In spring Drake will return to the traditional classroom. She will be teaching a new course on financial analysis designed to help students interested in working toward their CFA charter.
Profile
Pamela Peterson Drake, CFA, Ph.D.
Birthplace
Chicago
Education
1992 Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts
1981 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina
1975 Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
Current Editorships
Associate editor, FMA Online
Associate editor, Quarterly Journal of Business and Economics
Technical Interests
Instructional technology and distance learning
Family
Married with two young adult children
At Home
Baking
Gardening
Amateur macro photography
Country & Western dancing
Web site
http://peregrin.jmu.edu/~drakepp/
August 30, 2007
Taking Business to Belgium--JMU Students Gain a Competitive Edge Studying in a European Market
Already venturing out of her comfort zone by studying in Belgium for a semester, Courtney Gearhart decided to take one more risk: skydiving. Last fall, while enrolled in JMU’s Semester in Antwerp program, the senior marketing major took advantage of a free weekend to travel with three classmates to Interlaken, Switzerland. There, the group tandem-jumped with experienced skydivers, leaping out of an airplane flying about 18,000 feet above the Swiss Alps.
“It was amazing, that’s for sure,” Gearhart says, admitting that she’d love to skydive again someday. “I’m glad I got to do that over a place like the Alps.”
Just as skydiving gave her a brief glimpse of the world from a different angle, Gearhart says her semester abroad opened her eyes to new perspectives, giving her an appreciation for different cultures and new ways of conducting business.
On Sept. 4, a new group of business majors will take the plunge into an unfamiliar culture, adding a global view to their academic experience. Since the program started in the fall of 2002, more than 500 JMU students have enrolled in the Semester in Antwerp program. During the fall and spring semesters, which are open only to business majors, the students take the staple COB 300 course, taught in the context of the European marketplace (and without the usual business plan component). They also take COB 301, a course exploring the European business environment and the European Union. Classes are taught in English by faculty members from the University of Antwerp, which is primarily a business school specializing in European Integration and the effects of economic and monetary union.
“The philosophy of the program is experiential learning,” says program director Newell Wright, professor of marketing. “We learn in the classroom, and then we experience the various things we’ve studied.”
In their marketing coursework, for example, the students’ discussion about distribution has been followed by a field trip to the Port of Antwerp, the second largest port in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. And visits to a chocolate factory have provided the perfect backdrop to classroom discussions on production and operations management. On one occasion, Wright recalls, the students visited a sewing machine plant in Ypres, Belgium, where the workers did everything from smelting the iron ore and putting it in molds to finishing the products and boxing them for shipment.
Field trips have included excursions to the Diamond District in Antwerp; the BMW plant in Munich, Germany; and the wine region of Alsace, France. Students also are able to travel on their own most weekends.
“In a young person’s life, when they’re opening the door to new discoveries, we give them the solid grounding they need in COB 300 for their downstream courses,” says program director Newell Wright. “But we do it in a context that’s mind-expanding because they realize, many for the first time, that there’s life outside of the United States.”
For Chris Reilly, a senior majoring in computer information systems, his first experience abroad taught him much more than just business concepts. Reilly says he gained a new understanding of European politics and an appreciation for the people and their culture.
“When I came back home, I felt more like a world citizen,” he says. “You understand the differences between yourself as an American and people in other parts of the world. You gain a greater realization of what’s going on in the world as far as politics, economics and global events.”
Students who are interested in participating in the Antwerp program are advised to start planning early. Admission into the popular program is competitive and requires a better-than-average GPA, completion of an application process that includes writing an essay and obtaining a professor’s recommendation. Last year, Wright says, the program’s administrators turned away more students than they were able to accept—about 30 spots each semester.
One reason for the program’s popularity may be that it offers required courses, which means a trip abroad for a semester should not delay a student’s graduation. At the end of their semester of study, the business students earn a concentration in European business. During the summer, the Antwerp program is open to qualified, non-business majors who may earn a minor in European marketing.
Beyond the obvious benefit of grounding participants in the business topics they need for their “downstream courses,” Wright says, students participating in the program learn basic life skills, such as adapting to a new environment and becoming more independent. Their experiences should give them a competitive edge when applying for jobs, he adds.
“Almost every employer out there—they may not have a branch office in Europe, but chances are they’re going to get supplies from all over the world, they’ll have clients from all over the world, and they may have operations in different parts of the world,” Wright says. “We’re in a global economy today, and any experience outside the U.S. in a different business environment is valued by the community of people who hire our students.”
August 2007
Virginia is the Best State for Business
Virginia once again made the top of the list, reported Forbes in their annual rankings of the best states for doing business.
Of six categories ranked, Virginia finished in the top 10 in four, and made the top 20 in the other two. This places the state in the top position overall. Virginia’s top attributes, reports Forbes, include an incentive environment that is the fourth best in the U.S. and an unemployment rate that’s third lowest.*
Virginia ranks number 1 in regulatory environment, which Forbes reports they use to measure regulatory and tort climate, incentives, transportation and bond ratings. Forbes ranks Virginia 5th in labor measures, which are based on educational attainment, net migration and projected population growth. In the quality of life category, Virginia ranks sixth, which Forbes attributes to schools, health, crime, cost of living and poverty rates. The state’s prospects for growth are good, according the rankings. Projected jobs, income, gross state product, new businesses and venture capital investments place the state 8th.
The economic climate, while not in the top 10, still looks positive. Jobs, incomes, gross state product growth and low unemployment help Virginia rank 11th in this category.
Where does the state need to beef up its business savvy? The higher cost of doing business in Virginia places the state in the number 17 spot for the cost category. Energy and taxes are also measures used to rank this category.
See Forbes' listing of the Best States for Business.
*Forbes reports this information comes from Pollina Corporate Real Estate, a commercial real estate consulting firm. Other resources include Moody’s Economy.com; Pacific Research Institute; Tax Foundation; CFED and Sperling’s Best Places.
August 2007
Business School Applications Rising. More Employers Hiring MBA Students.
Applications for graduate business programs around the world are rising fast, with higher rates among women and minorities, a new survey shows. Read more at inc.com
August 2007
GfK's Man in Washington Returns to Harris
Harris Interactive has rehired Justin Greeves to lead its Public Affairs Research Practice, co-located in Reston, Virginia and New York City. Read more at mrweb.com
July 2007
CyberCity Summer Camp Introduces Kids to Computer Security and JMU
When Maddie Jackson of Chesterfield made plans to attend CyberCity Summer Camp at JMU this past June, she was expecting to engage in hands-on, interactive learning experiences with computer security applications. What surprised her was how much she learned about JMU and the college admissions process. A rising sophomore at Meadowbrook High School, Jackson now understands how she might tailor her academic program so that she will be a competitive candidate when applying to colleges and how she might overcome the financial challenges of paying for college.
Best of all, Jackson decided that someday she wants to become a Duke.
Jackson was one of 17 high school students and six teachers who visited the JMU campus for CyberCity, a program designed to introduce young students to potential careers in the field of computer information systems. While learning theoretical lessons about how to maintain the security of computer information systems, the students also participated in projects such as creating Web sites and installing secure wireless networks. In a lesson about biometric security, students had a chance to install, setup and operate fingerprint readers that were used in place of passwords to log on to their computers.
“These kids don’t know where their skills can go yet,” says CyberCity director Dr. Tom Dillon, professor of computer information systems and management science. “Some of the things they’ll get out of this program are where computer technology is going and the opportunities they will have in the future.”
The program included sessions on preparing for college and how to be a successful business major. A session on business etiquette covered everything from practicing proper handshakes to how to hold your fork at dinner.
By inviting students from high schools with significant populations from under represented communities—particularly those who may someday become the first in their families to attend college—Dillon hoped to attract a diverse group of ninth and tenth graders who might someday consider applying to JMU. Ultimately, says executive advisory council member Terry Bandy, efforts like this should shape a more diverse JMU student body.
“The CyberCity initiative is an excellent opportunity to begin to expose college opportunities to 9th and 10th grade students from some of Virginia’s communities that may not have considered college or JMU,” Bandy says. “We think by doing this, hopefully it will attract some of those students to JMU in the future and hopefully in a decade make JMU look more like the [diverse] business world where we work.”
July 2007
CoB establishes Gilliam Center for Ethical Business Leadership
An endowment established by Richard and Leslie Flanary (’82) Gilliam of Charlottesville, Va., will fund the new Gilliam Center for Ethical Business Leadership at James Madison University’s College of Business. The major gift will allow the college to open the center this fall.
“My JMU degree has served me well in life, and Richard and I are happy to support JMU as a vital educational resource for today’s young people. We are proud to partner with James Madison University’s College of Business to empower tomorrow’s business leaders to make the best possible decisions,” Leslie Gilliam said.
Dr. Bob Kolodinsky, assistant professor of management at JMU, will direct the center and coordinate collaborative activities with other professors. Kolodinsky received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Florida State University.
“One of the primary goals of the center is to raise student awareness of the implications of their own and others’ behaviors and decisions, and the degree to which such actions have the potential to harm or benefit others,” Kolodinsky said.
Robert Reid, dean of JMU’s College of Business, said some of the donated funds are in place to open the center in the 2007-08 academic year. While the center eventually will be a multi-faceted resource to provide research, service and curriculum development, initial efforts will focus on pairing qualified students with seasoned mentors and hosting nationally known speakers to talk about ethical leadership on campus. Reid said the center also would allow professors within the College of Business who have expertise in the areas of ethics and leadership to collaborate on curriculum development and research.
Such curriculum will build a framework for future decision-making as students enter the business world. “People don’t get up and say ‘I’m going to be unethical today.’ They rationalize their decisions until they cross that line into unethical activity. A primary goal will be to ground students in good ethical, rational decision-making processes that they can rely on for the rest of their lives, so when the pressures come, they don’t cut corners,” Reid said.
Kolodinsky, who is passionate about teaching ethical leadership to future business leaders, said the college plans to “ratchet up,” referring to the ethics discourse in College of Business classes. Curriculum materials developed through the center will assist professors throughout the business college as they introduce ethical leadership topics with the goal of reaching all students with the message that effective business leaders are sensitive to others when making decisions in the workplace.
“The demands in today’s competitive business environment focus primarily on meeting financial performance metrics. Because of this, workers typically are under constant pressure to do whatever it takes to meet those goals. Unfortunately, workers--particularly top managers whose rewards are linked directly to financial performance goals--often take actions that have an adverse impact on others,” Kolodinsky said.
In the future the center will serve as a resource clearinghouse by providing an extensive library and an information-rich Web site that will include center publications, case studies, overviews of prominent work and thought in the areas of morality, ethics and leadership. Plans for the Web site include posting links to related news articles and other helpful Web sites.
June 2007
Big Four Accounting Firm Establishes Professorship
KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, has joined with James Madison University’s College of Business to create a KPMG Professor Endowment. Paul Copley, professor and director of the School of Accounting, is the first recipient of the $250,000 endowment.
The connection between KPMG and JMU
JMU’s College of Business was selected because of the school’s reputation for producing high-quality accounting graduates, according to Jerry Pierce, a tax partner at KPMG in McLean, Va., and a 1981 JMU alumnus who helped create the endowment with his fellow KPMG partners, employees and the KPMG Foundation. “We love to be involved with such a great university,” Pierce said. “JMU produces talented, well-rounded, hard-charging students, and the profession needs more of these. KPMG works closely with JMU and provides numerous opportunities for students to build their accounting and information technology careers at KPMG.”
Currently, KPMG employs more than 120 JMU alumni, including eight partners.
About Copley
Copley started his accounting career at what is now KPMG. He has written two textbooks on governmental and not-for-profit accounting and serves on both the U.S. Comptroller General’s Advisory Council on Government Auditing Standards and the Virginia Society of CPA’s Educational Foundation. He completed undergraduate studies at the College of William & Mary and earned both his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Alabama.
“The director has great vision for the students,” Pierce said. “Dr. Copley is leading JMU into further national prominence, and I know he will recruit top-notch professors to take the school to even higher places. This is why we selected him for this prestigious award. We are honored to have someone like Dr. Copley as our initial recipient.”
For more information, contact:
Jamie Marsh in JMU’s Office of Public Affairs at 540-568-4908 or by e-mail at marshjs@jmu.edu.
Jim McGann at KPMG at 202-533-5783 or jmcgann@kpmg.com.
CoB Alumnus Hinshaw Named Boeing CIO and VP
In the early 1990s, laptop computers were an emerging technology, and John Hinshaw was the first JMU student known to have toted his to classes for note taking. He was featured in The Breeze for his intriguing habit and profiled as something of a trendsetter. It seems the 1992 graduate of the Computer Information Systems program in JMU’s College of Business always had a tendency to do things ahead of schedule, and recently, at just 36 years old, he has been named to one of the top posts at Boeing, the world’s leading aerospace company.
As Boeing’s chief information officer and vice president of the company’s Information Technology organization, Hinshaw oversees the company’s IT division of employees worldwide. Based at the company’s Chicago headquarters, he is responsible for all IT strategy, systems, infrastructure, architecture and processes companywide.
“I am excited to be joining The Boeing Company at such a historic time with the launch of the new 787 airplane,” says Hinshaw. “The Boeing Company is focused on improving the future, and it is great to be part of such an incredible team.”
Prior to joining Boeing in June, Hinshaw was CIO for Verizon Wireless since 2005. He joined Verizon (formally Bell Atlantic) in 1993, holding various positions, including vice president of information technology and CIO for Verizon Wireless South Area; vice president of information technology at Verizon Wireless HQ; and director of information systems for Bell Atlantic Mobile.
Hinshaw credits his internships and independent study experiences at JMU with launching him on the right path for his distinguished career. A regular work-study position shelving books in the Carrier Library led to one of his first IT work experiences: Once his library supervisor realized Hinshaw had computer skills, he was assigned to rewrite some of its computer systems. Hinshaw also held several summer internships at the U.S. Department of Defense, and through JMU’s International Internship Program, he worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce at the American Embassy in London. What started as a summer internship led to a full-time job as the embassy’s computer information systems manager, a position he held for about eight months before returning to campus to complete his degree requirements. During his senior year, Hinshaw continued working as an independent consultant for the embassy—using his trusty laptop to maintain the connection.
“I think JMU is a place that fosters the ability for college students to grow and be very mature when they get out of college,” Hinshaw says. “The university gives students a broad education—not just learning skills, but the ability to learn how to learn. That stays with you for the rest of your life.”
Emails stick around: Harry Reif of the CoB compares online mail to old-fashioned post
By Christian Toto
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 7, 2007
Write an e-mail. Send an e-mail. Delete an e-mail.
Sounds simple, even easier than writing a letter in longhand and finding a stamp. What many computer users don't realize, however, is that even though an e-mail may have been discarded, it remains in one form or another. Sometimes it can linger for years.
Harry Reif, associate professor of computer information systems at James Madison University, compares e-mailing to writing an old-fashioned note. "It's as much as if you had written [something] on a piece of paper. It could go in a trash bin, or it could be a stick-up note that sits on a desk overnight. It stays around. It's pervasive," Mr. Reif says. If someone wants to send a message to only one other person, it's best just to say it and leave it at that, Mr. Reif says.
"E-mail by design is really patterned after the U.S. mail system. Once something's written down and e-mailed, there's little if anything you can do to control what happens to it. It's like putting a letter in the mailbox. It's out of your control to retrieve it, and you can't stop me from getting it." That's where the similarities end. "If I send you an e-mail, it stays on that server," he says. "You can look at that e-mail from your home, at work, at the beach when you're on vacation. What you're looking at is a copy of that e-mail stored on that server."
E-mail works by a system of delivery protocols, a set of rules of sending electronic messages that all e-mail servers follow, he says. Shep Bostin, a franchise owner with metro D.C. 1-800-905-GEEK, says sent e-mails go to a mail server that checks out the address and sends it along its way. "They may even do a cross-checking to make sure the inbound address is valid. Some junk e-mail might not get through,"says Mr. Bostin, whose company has franchises throughout the District and beyond.
The process is much faster than the most dedicated postal worker. "In most cases, e-mail messages are sent and received in a matter of minutes, even around the world," Mr. Bostin says.
Sometimes a bit of traffic snarls the pace. If a particular server is inundated with messages, the speed with which e-mails are processed can be curtailed temporarily, he says.
For e-mail users, the biggest concern about the technology focuses on just how permanent an e-mail is. "E-mails don't disappear just because you hit the delete key," Mr. Bostin says.
At large companies, "hitting the delete key doesn't get you very far at all. It gets the message off the screen, but e-mail is archived for days, weeks, even months."
Mr. Bostin recalls working on behalf of a mortgage company that wanted to track an e-mail from a terminated employee. Thanks to the computer system at the company, Mr. Bostin checked the company's Internet server and easily found the e-mail in question. While firms often keep backups of all e-mails in their systems, it's unlikely they would devote the manpower needed to find an old e-mail unless the e-mail was part of a criminal or federal case. For home Internet users who rely on Yahoo or other Web-based e-mail services, it's a bit different, Mr. Bostin says. To prevent lost e-mails, Mr. Bostin sets up a simple backup system for his clients. The system could exist on the person's hardware, or it can be done remotely.
"E-mail is like any other form of data. Backup is key," he says. "E-mail correspondence and the interaction we have both personally and professionally are vital data." William Dougherty, assistant director of systems support for systems engineering and administration at Virginia Tech, says retrieval protocols dictate just what path e-mails will take. POP, or "post office protocol," is like snail mail, or regular, envelope-based mail. "You have a box, you take mail out of the box," says Mr. Dougherty about how the POP process works for e-mail. With this system, the only copy of an e-mail that exists is in that system. Much more common is IMAP, a server-based system that stands for Internet message access protocol. "It takes a copy of an e-mail and leaves a copy on the server," Mr. Dougherty says. "A lot more of free services like Gmail and Yahoo work ... on an IMAP system by default." At Virginia Tech, university computers offer a number of safeguards to make sure e-mails aren't accidentally deleted.
"Even if I delete a message, it goes into a separate folder. Until I empty that folder, I can still get that message," Mr. Dougherty says. At the university, that folder holds items for 14 days, but it can be changed as needed to keep items longer. Given the nature of e-mail, it's hardly wise to send sensitive information around cyberspace because it could linger there indefinitely. Mr. Reif says computer users can send important material online via encryption. While a computer hacker conceivably could get access to an e-mail still on a server, the hacker likely wouldn't be able to decode the encryption and read the valuable information, Mr. Reif says. Computer users have some options concerning saving their precious e-mails.
Joe Laszlo, senior analyst with Jupiter Research in New York, says the Internet offers plenty of ways to prevent information from being deleted. "The footprints you leave online are very hard to erase permanently," Mr. Laszlo says. "Sometimes that can be good, like if your hard drive crashes. Your [Internet service provider] may be able to retrieve it." Some ISPs as a matter of policy save every e-mail sent, but most generally save them for up to six months, Mr. Laszlo says. From there, it's up to the consumer to do the rest. Though many computer users would be crushed if their digital photos were lost, losing e-mails "is a close second," Mr. Laszlo says. People should contact their ISPs to find out exactly how long e-mails are stored. From there, they can buy software or use Microsoft Vista's operating system, which offers ways to back up e-mails beyond traditional methods.
Wright receives Madison Award
Marketing professor Newell Wright has received the 2007 Madison Award for University Star.
An enthusiastic advocate of international education who is fluent in French, Wright created the JMU Semester in Antwerp Program in 2002, expanding it three years later to include a minor in European Marketing. He has taken more than 500 JMU students on study abroad trips in Europe.
"He has gone above and beyond the call of duty with spending time with his responsibilities at JMU," says accounting professor David Fordham, who serves as assistant director of the Antwerp program. Fordham adds that Wright, along with carrying a full teaching load, handled all the logistics of setting up the Antwerp Program, including developing curriculum, setting up tours, arranging for student housing and furnishing the residence, and accompanying groups of about 30 students to Belgium three times a year.
A nationally known scholar in the marketing field, Wright has published more than 75 articles in marketing publications during the last 15 years. He has received multiple recognitions as a teacher, including the 2005 Provost Award for Excellence in International Education and the JMU Emeriti Faculty Legacy Grant last year. He is also active in community leadership, serving as a lay leader for his congregation and assisting with Boy Scouts.
Wright, along with this year's other Madison Award winners, becomes one of JMU's nominees for the Governor's Awards.
Alumna makes romantic getaway her business
Three's a crowd at Stone Hill Inn, a luxury bed and breakfast in the charming village of Stowe, Vt., owned by College of Business graduate Amy Hodgen Jordan ('91) and her husband, Hap. The couple built their business around romance, designing an inn for couples looking for the perfect romantic getaway, offering all the modern perks of a five-star hotel in an intimate setting.
"This isn't your grandma's version of a bed and breakfast-this is what I like to refer to as the evolved version of a B&B," Jordan says. "It's not the lacy, doily, dusty Victorian kind of B&B that a lot of people picture. It's sort of marrying the modern concept of lodging and amenities to the small size luxury and personal service of a B&B."
Though she never took a single hospitality course at JMU, Jordan started her career in the hospitality industry immediately after graduation, when she took a job at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott. Four years later, Jordan took on a business venture with her sister, who was a culinary school graduate. Together, they opened and operated Chick's Beach Café, a restaurant named for its location in a non-touristy section of Virginia Beach. It wasn't long before Jordan fell in love with Hap, who happened to be the sous chef, and her sister met her future husband, one of the restaurant's customers.
"It was a worthwhile venture all around," Jordan jokes.
Soon the two couples grew weary of the late nights required in the restaurant business, so they sold the café. Hap and Amy decided to combine their skills to open their dream inn. Jordan notes that a business plan course she took at JMU proved invaluable during this time, as they searched for property throughout Virginia and the United States.
The couple finally decided to relocate to Stowe, one of the most famous ski areas in the United States, which attracts visitors from all over the country and around the world. Unable to find a suitable existing property for their inn, the couple hired an architect to render their vision, which turned into a 14,000-square-foot inn with a separate wing for their residence.
The Stone Hill Inn, which opened in December 1998, provides a quiet setting focused on giving couples the ultimate romantic escape. With just nine guest suites that each accommodate only two people, there are never more than 18 guests at any given time. While each room features amenities that enhance the ambiance-a two-person Jacuzzi and a two-sided fireplace that has one opening in front of the Jacuzzi, for example-the rooms also feature modern touches, such as flat screen TVs, DVD players and hookups for wireless Internet and iPods. And guests wanting an ultra-special romantic touch may choose extras such as chocolate-dipped strawberries, tandem massages, or horse-drawn carriage rides.
Stone Hill Inn has received numerous recognitions, including recommendations by high-profile publications such as The New York Times, USA Today and The Boston Globe. An online Web site, Forbes.com, named it one of the top 12 B&B's in North America. A member of Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America, Amy Jordan recently received the organization's "Hallmark of Hospitality Innkeeper of the Year" Award.
For Jordan, marketing is a key focus, and she's constantly developing new ideas for amenities and package deals, trying to keep up with current trends to meet customer expectations. One of their vacation packages, Babymoons, is a special getaway for parents-to-be that includes a massage for the expectant mom. A year ago, the Jordans began offering "Fun for Foodies Vacations," allowing guests to choose from several food-themed vacations. One of their most popular is "Chocolatier for a Day," in which guests spend a day at a local candy shop hand-dipping (and sampling) chocolate candies.
"It's a lot of fun because there's always different people coming and going, and some people are here for once in a lifetime celebrations [like marriage proposals and private elopements], and these are fun to be a part of," Jordan says. "It's rewarding to see guests leave at the end of the weekend with smiles on their faces and their shoulders relaxed. You know you've done your job if they seem more relaxed when they leave than when they came in."
College of Business valedictorian
As a freshman at JMU, Katie Leber didn't think she would survive a general education course in microeconomics. But the combination of her strong work ethic and hitting the books-meaning she spent less time socializing-helped Leber ace the course. That led to a clean sweep of A's in every course over the next four years, except for one A-minus.
This Saturday, May 5, Leber will graduate from JMU as the valedictorian of the Class of 2007. The achievement came as a complete surprise to Leber, who has earned a 3.99 cumulative GPA."When I found out I was valedictorian, it felt like all that hard work came to something," says Leber, who credits her parents, John and Laura Leber, with modeling a strong work ethic for her. "It's just a great feeling to say I'm at the top of my class ... I don't think I'm smarter than anybody else. I just work hard, and I think I get that from my parents."
During the Commencement exercises on May 5, Leber will be honored as a member of the platform party for the main university ceremony. She also will be a leader in the Commencement procession, carrying the university's Centennial Flag, which commemorates JMU's 100th anniversary this year. Additionally, she will be a banner carrier for the College of Business ceremony.
Leber was recognized this spring as the Outstanding Graduate by both the accounting and HTM departments. A member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honors fraternity, Leber also belongs to two other honors fraternities-Eta Delta Sigma and Sigma Alpha Lambda. For the past two years, she has been secretary for the university's chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association. Her academic achievements also have earned her a spot on JMU's President's List every semester during her four years at the university.
In September, Leber will relocate to McLean, Va., where she will work in the auditing department for Deloitte, an international accounting and financial services firm. While moving to a new town may bring new challenges, Leber feels well prepared by her education at JMU to tackle the real world beyond college.
"I'm a completely different person now than I was when I started here," says Leber, who admits that when she started JMU, she was shy and not very outgoing. "[Now] I can go into a situation and not know anyone and feel comfortable. JMU makes you the type of person who feels comfortable in any setting."
Computerworld names Mike Thomas a Premier 100 IT Leader for 2007
Mike Thomas ('76,'77) is proof that JMU CoB graduates make waves in the corporate world. Mike, who is vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Integrated Systems & Solutions, was named one of Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2007 in the Dec. 11, 2006 issue.
Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders Awards Program honors outstanding executives who show “exemplary technology leadership in resolving pressing business problems.” Creativity, vision, fresh approaches to business and effective management of IT investments are all requirements for recipients. According to Bob Reid, dean of JMU’s CoB, Mike’s quiver of qualities includes those and more.
Stan Sloane agrees. As Lockheed Martin’s executive VP, Sloane has witnessed Mike’s talents first hand.
"We congratulate Mike for being recognized as a Premier 100 IT Leader," says Sloane. "Mike's business and technology acumen has led to real advancement in geospatial intelligence. He has made significant contributions to the nation and to the intelligence community.” Mike’s business savvy is well known in the JMU community as well. He is a member of CoB’s prestigious Executive Advisory Council, JMU’s oldest advisory board. He also is a team leader for CoB’s Centennial Campaign Committee, which leads the college’s effort to help JMU raise $50 million for the Madison Century capital campaign.
For a full bio on Mike, go to the COB Executive Advisory Committee site.
Northrop Grumman appoints Richard J. Boak IT Sector vice president
Richard J. Boak (’85) is the new vice president and controller for Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Information Technology (IT) sector. He will oversee the sector's financial operations, including general accounting, accounts payable and payroll. Boak will be responsible for external financial planning and reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and maintaining effective internal control practices for the sector. Boak, received a bachelor degree in accounting from James Madison University,
“Rich's solid financial background and exceptional working knowledge of our business make him an ideal fit for this position,'' said Bernard P. McVey Jr., vice president of business management, and chief financial officer of Northrop Grumman's IT sector. “His leadership will further strengthen our management team and will serve the IT sector well.''
Boak was most recently the director of business management and chief financial officer for Northrop Grumman IT's Civilian Agencies group. Prior to that, he served as the director of business management and chief financial officer for Northrop Grumman IT's Intelligence group.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company with 122,000 employees. The company provides innovative systems, products and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide. The IT sector has offices in McLean, Va.
COB Alum, John Rothenberger, first Entrepreneur in Residence
John Rothenberger (Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, ’88) has taken up residence in Showker Hall. The COB alumnae is the first Entrepreneur in Residence, a position named as part of a collaborative program between the Center for Entrepreneurship and COB’s Management Department.
The program will provide a unique opportunity to students, faculty, and staff to interact with a successful entrepreneur who can provide insight, expertise, and advice regarding venture creation. Mr. Rothenberger will be available over the next three semesters to speak to classes and meet with student teams working on projects or individual students and faculty who may have questions about entrepreneurial activities.
With more than 16 years of executive leadership experience, Mr. Rothenberger is an expert in venture creation. He has the ability to envision viable business ventures and the knowledge and skills to plan and implement strategies that lead to financial stability. He has founded two successful companies that have received business awards and been leaders in their respective industries.
He is CEO and founder of Strategic Enterprise Solutions, Inc., a post 9-11 business dedicated to delivering IT and business services and solutions to improve our nation’s homeland security. Before SE Solutions was created, Mr. Rothenberger started Aspire Technology Group (formerly Clover Technologies), an IT company.
Coupled with his expertise, Mr. Rothenberger’s enthusiasm for training students to achieve business success provides COB an extraordinary opportunity to borrow the knowledge and skills he brings to the industry.
Mr. Rothenberger is holding campus office hours in Zane Showker Hall, Room 545, adjacent to the CoB Center for Entrepreneurship. His regular office hours are Tuesdays from 3-5 pm and Wednesdays from 9 am-12 pm. To schedule an appointment, call his office (540.568.3022) or the Management Department (540.568.3038).
EAC members encourage students to go west
When JMU alumni Paul Holland and Sean Tobin joined the College of Business Executive Advisory Council, the two Californians swapped stories about corporate life on the West Coast. They hoped to encourage more of JMU's CoB graduates to venture out of the usual comfort zones and explore career options thousands of miles away from Virginia.
During the week following JMU's graduation, Holland and Tobin hosted six students and faculty adviser Prof. Joyce Guthrie in Palo Alto and San Francisco to give them an inside look at a variety of businesses in the area, including Google, Apple and salesforce.com. The students met with top executives from these companies, as well as a few small startup businesses and financial firms-including Foundation Capital, where Holland is a general partner, and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., where Tobin is director of Cross Rates Sales. One of the 2007 graduates who went on the trip even landed a job at one of Holland's startup companies.
While learning about the kinds of decisions corporate executives face on a daily basis was valuable, Guthrie believes the students gained most from hearing the personal stories of the professionals. They were honest in talking about the career paths they followed to achieve their current positions, she says, and not all enjoyed immediate success.
"It was good [for the students] to hear from individuals who were in successful positions talk about how they got to where they were, that there is no fixed path," Guthrie says. "You can get to where you are with a lot of twists and turns. I thought that was good for the students, and it broadened their horizons."
Several of the investors the group met also shared advice on creating a solid business plan. That information proved helpful to rising juniors on the trip, like Scott Davidson, who is preparing to take COB 300, in which writing a business plan is a central requirement. An entrepreneur, Davidson also will apply the advice to improving his cookie delivery business, Craving Cookies.
For Justin Luse, a rising senior, networking with the corporate executives gave him ideas of directions to consider as he prepares for graduation next spring. Everyone they met, he says, encouraged the students to take career risks while they are young. They recommended not limiting job search options to only large corporations, but also to consider the potential in smaller startup businesses.
"One of the [lessons] I took out of this," says Luse, "is that it's not necessarily that you have to find the [job] offer with the most security-it's about finding what you like to do and working at it."
In addition to Holland and Tobin, who hosted the group for the week, CoB thanks several other alumni who met with the students: Paul Albright, Jon Lamb and Linda Crawford.
JMU College of Business named a 'premier school'
JMU’s College of Business is earning accolades in the professional business world. Big Four accounting firm KPMG LLP has named JMU a “premier school” for the 2006-2007 academic year. Only 38 other schools in the nation have received this designation.
By naming JMU a premier school, KPMG, one of the nation’s four largest international public accounting firms, has indicated a commitment to dedicating additional resources and recruiting efforts to the campus. According to Phillip Bennett, JMU’s campus lead partner from KPMG, premier schools are given priority to pilot programs and initiatives such as Adopt a Professor, Fast Forward and the Future Diversity Leaders Program. Additionally, the schools are matched up with executives and lead partners from each of KPMG’s practices, and leaders from the firm often visit campus and serve as guest lecturers in the classroom.
JMU’s selection as a premier school is based on the quality of the university, its faculty and the talent JMU graduates have demonstrated as KPMG professionals over the years. Paul Copley, professor and director of the accounting program, says that JMU graduates stand out because of their strong work ethic, their commitment to teamwork and their success in passing the certified professional accounting tests. JMU ranks in the top 25 of schools whose graduates have passed the CPA test.
“Selection for this honor is based entirely on the success of our previous graduates,” Copley says. “They’ve had success in numbers, and when they evaluated them relative to other schools, the JMU graduates outperformed many of their peers. It’s not an accident being named a premier school.”
AT&T names Gavin McCarty sales operation director in Virginia
AT&T Inc. announced that Cingular, now AT&T, has appointed Gavin McCarty as director of sales operations for its retail distribution channels in Virginia and West Virginia. McCarty will oversee all sales support functions for 39 company-owned stores, 49 agent locations and 136 national retail locations, including Best Buy, RadioShack and Wal-Mart.
"McCarty has extensive expertise in selling wireless services and supporting retail channels," said Erika Thompson, vice president and general manager of AT&T's wireless unit in the Virginias. "Because he's had direct selling experience, he understands what our store representatives need in order to deliver outstanding customer service."
With more than 10 years in wireless, McCarty most recently led the sales teams for six company-owned stores in Norfolk, Va.
"Our customers deserve to have the very best wireless experience, great customer service and exciting and innovative service offerings," said McCarty. "As part of the new AT&T, we are delivering easy access to news, sports, weather reports and GPS-location capabilities."
As part of its continuing commitment to deliver a top-quality wireless experience, AT&T plans to invest $97 million this year in its network in Virginia and West Virginia. In 2006, the company invested $78 million in the Virginias, adding more than 130 new cell sites to enhance quality and coverage.
McCarty ('96) is a graduate of James Madison University and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
The Madison guys
As students at JMU in the 1980s, Kevin O’Brien (’87) and his best friend Sam Parker (’87) were unhappy with the selection of T-shirts in the JMU bookstore.
“Everything in the JMU bookstore [at that time] had either ‘JMU’ or ‘James Madison University’ on it,” O’Brien explains. “But if you ask anybody on the East coast, ‘Where do you go to school?’ They’d say, ‘Madison.’ So we decided to start making stuff that has ‘Madison’ on it.”
The pair decided to fill the “neglected marketing segment” by coming up with some fresh T-shirt designs. After pulling together a few hundred dollars of their own cash, they produced a small quantity of shirts labeled “Madison,” or simply, “M.” The idea caught on with fellow co-eds, and for months O’Brien and Parker sold the T-shirts door-to-door in the residence halls, at the Student Union or at football games. Fellow students and other customers began calling them “The Madison Guys.”
The venture earned the pals thousands of dollars, enough to pay for two plane tickets to Australia (with pit stops in the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Hawaii and California), a couple of surf boards and several months of “goofing off” overseas after graduation.
The same entrepreneurial spirit that made the Madison Guys wildly successful during college has carried over into O’Brien’s career. The management information systems graduate has spent most of his career designing and implementing online information and transaction-based systems and developing the companies that run them.
“That’s the great thing about JMU – the spirit of entrepreneurship,” he says. “That’s largely what I’ve done since I graduated. Most of the businesses that I’ve worked for have some entrepreneurial angle to them.”
O’Brien is president and CEO of San Francisco-based Revere Data, LLC, a financial information services company that sells data and software index services to global investment banks, hedge funds and stock exchanges. The company offers software packages that provide detailed marketing information about publicly traded companies, such as its products and services, suppliers, customers, strategic partners and competitors.
“We think that investors can make better investment decisions if they have a better understanding of what a publicly traded company actually does,” O’Brien says. “We basically go inside of a company and we analyze their different product and service lines.”
After graduating from JMU, O’Brien worked in Washington, D.C., for Harris Systems, an aerospace and semi-conductor software company. But O’Brien’s international excursion to Australia—his first trip overseas—had sparked his interest in living and working abroad. So in 1990, he moved to Germany, joining TechDyn Systems European Operations. Two years later, he moved to Sophia Antipolis, France, to pursue a master’s degree from The Theseus Institute. After earning his MBA degree, he joined Reuters Group PLC in London. After living in England for six years with his wife, Stephanie D. Harden (a Sweet Briar College graduate), the family moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where he became the founder and CEO of Gradience Inc., a project he started with Reuters Greenhouse Fund in London. Revere acquired Gradience in 2002.
Though the stakes in business are much higher today than they were when O’Brien and Parker were out peddling their Madison T-shirts, O’Brien credits his professors and the administration at JMU for giving them sound advice on running a company. At JMU, he says, he learned to “think and act” like an entrepreneur.
“Those experiences at JMU help you get closer to understanding the nuances of business, especially younger businesses,” O’Brien says, “and I think the roots of that were born out of my experience at JMU.”
Kids to sell wares on ‘Global Market’ at JMU May 31
DATE: Thursday, May 31
TIME: 10:30 a.m. to noon
LOCATION: JMU Convocation Center
Area elementary- and middle-school students studying economics will buy, sell and trade in a simulated global market at the 10th annual Global Entrepreneurship Marketplace Fair at James Madison University.
More than 300 students from schools in Harrisonburg and Rockingham and Greene counties will participate in the 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 create their own countries – complete with a name, flag, government, trading institutions and currency – and their own products they'll sell at the fair.
"The program teaches them about economics and entrepreneurship," said center Director William C. Wood, a professor of economics at JMU. "They learn the concepts of supply and demand. The program also empowers them with the knowledge that they can be entrepreneurs."
The program began in 1996 in direct response to Virginia's Standards of Learning. Today, it is becoming nationally recognized as a model for bringing students from different simulated societies together, Wood said.
Following the fair, awards will be given for innovative products, excellence in marketing, money design and essays.
Shenandoah Valley Economic Education Inc. coordinates local support for the center's economic education programs.
For more information, visit http://cob.jmu.edu/econed/gemfair/ or contact Jamie Marsh in JMU’s Office of Public Affairs at 540-568-4908 or by e-mail marshjs@jmu.edu.
2007 freshman achievement scholarship applications
Merit scholarships are available for freshman entering in Fall 2007 who have declared a College of Business major.The amount of these scholarships will be $2,000, divided evenly between the Fall and Spring semesters.
To be considered for one of these awards, please submit the materials noted below prior to July 26, 2007:
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Letter of application (maximum of two pages) which includes:
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Why you selected the College of Business at James Madison University
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An example of your active leadership in a group or organization
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How you balance academic and personal objective.
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Current resume or summary of your work experience
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Personal data, including full name, address, email address, phone, JMU ID number, high school attended, and date of birth
Please send your completed application via either surface mail or email prior to the deadline.
If you have questions, call 540.568.3254.
Freshman Scholarship Selection Committee
James Madison University
College of Business
Office of the Dean
MSC 0207
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Email address: cob@jmu.edu
Reid named to accreditation committee
Robert D. Reid, dean of the College of Business at James Madison University, was named to the Maintenance of Accreditation Committee of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. Founded in 1916, AACSB accredits 528 business schools in 30 nations. Reid is the only Virginia representative on the committee.
So what does the Maintenance of Accreditation Committee do? Basically, they make sure that accreditation standards are applied consistently and equitably by reviewers. In other words, they review the reviews.
The review is a key component of the ongoing process to improve accreditation and is required by AACSB standards, according to John Polis of AACSB.
"We are fortunate to have Dean Reid as a member of our Maintenance of Accreditation Committee and look forward to his contributions in the coming year," said Jerry Trapnell, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "His expertise is most valuable to our association as we embark on another full year of accreditation activities."
Dr. Reid will serve on the committee for three years.
JMU College of Business professor recognized as prolific
For accounting professor David Fordham, scholarly research and publication has been just another part of his job, keeping him up to date on the latest advances and trends in his field. But recently, the PBGH faculty fellow was recognized in a prominent scholarly journal as a prolific publisher of technology-related articles in top-ranked accounting academic literature.
Fordham was recognized for his publishing productivity in the Winter 2006 issue of the prestigious Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting. The journal is the flagship publication of the American Accounting Association's Section on Artificial Intelligence and Accounting Technology.
As accounting technology becomes more prevalent in our society-consider the everyday presence of bar code scanners and card readers at grocery stores and gas stations-the article urges the academic community to engage in more scholarly research in that field. In reviewing the existing body of literature on accounting technology, the authors found the field to be under represented in top journals.
"This article is kind of a complaint, if you will, that says the big research schools aren't paying much attention to the technology," says Fordham, whose main research interests are wireless networking and wireless information security. JMU is one of the more progressive universities in that regard because we do emphasize the technology aspect of it."
A tally of the number of articles and authors on these topics showed Fordham ranking 12th nationally in the number of articles published, with the university as a whole ranking 10th. In the fall, when Louisiana State University professor David Hayes joins the JMU faculty and adds his research to the College of Business's body of literature, the university will move up to 3rd place in the publication of accounting systems articles. Hayes ranked 7th on this article's list of prolific publishers.
JMU has always been a leader in accounting technology. The university's academic concentration in accounting information systems, established in 1987, was only the fifth such program in the nation. Today, there are more than one hundred programs that offer concentrations or tracks in the field.
Though academic research may be considered secondary to JMU's primary mission of teaching students, Fordham says it's important for all professors to stay up-to-date with the research and trends in their fields. Then, they can pass that knowledge along to the students.
"I think it's important for professors to engage in publication to stay current with the developments in their field," says Fordham, who often involves his students in his research. "If all you do is teach, you very quickly become outdated. By engaging in research and publishing, you're actually staying on the cutting edge and you can keep your students on the cutting edge.
Young Alumni Birth Madison Business Scholarship
The youngest alumni group endowment was established Jan. 20 when six College of Business alumni gathered in Zane Showker Hall to sign a scholarship agreement for $25,000. Over the next five years, these former classmates, who have continued their friendships long distance, will ask family and friends to help support the endowment.
The endowment was established to create the Madison Business Scholarship, which will allow more students to be recipients of the excellent business education these donors received as students at JMU’s College of Business.
Donors Jason Minton (’03), Jamie McDonald (’02), Jim Bonnell (’02), Jon McWhinney (’02), Michael Lentine (’03), Michael Marcantonio (’03), and Dave Krause (’03) live in four states on the East Coast, but the Pi Kappa Phi brothers have kept in touch and came together to establish the gift. Krause makes up the seventh member of the group, but was unable to attend the formal signing of the endowment.
“When you benchmark JMU’s College of Business against other great business schools, the quality of education and the quality of the graduate is the same. We believe that CoB needs the same resources as those schools,” said Minton when asked what motivated him and his collegues to establish the endowment. Minton spear-headed the project.
“We have been fortunate to experience early success in our careers, and it is rewarding to have the opportunity to give back, stated Bonnell.
McWhinney agreed. “We want to help others have the same great experience that we did.”
The founders of the Madison Business Scholarship want to invite other friends and classmates to contribute. It takes $250,000 to endow a scholarship to support a full-time instate student. This group intends to exceed that amount with the support of friends, family, and business associates over time. They already have many ideas to help them accomplish that goal.
These alumni have more than a good education to tie them to JMU. Family ties are strong and also provide a motivator for giving back to the college. Mike Marcantonio is part of an emerging JMU tradition—his parents, Jane Buckley Marcantonio and Palmer Marcantonio, his aunt, and sister, Laura, a senior, are all part of the JMU family.
Jim Bonnell met his wife Alison Newell (’03) at Madison, Mike Lentine met his fiance Mary Price (’03) at the university and has his uncle, Jeff Lentine (’90), to thank for sparking his interest in JMU. Jamie McDonald met his wife Jennifer Gunther (’02) at JMU and his younger brother, Mike, is a junior in the College of Business.
In addition to celebrating the signing of the gift agreement, the group celebrated another recent accomplishment—Jamie McDonald passed the CFA Level I exam.
Business Scholarship Endowment donors:
Jim Bonnell, Managing Officer - Home Builders Association of VA
Dave Krause, Senior Project Manager - Mortgage Bankers Association
Mike Lentine, Sales Associate - Electronic Data Systems
Mike Marcantonio, Portfolio Analyst - American Capital
Jamie McDonald, Associate Quantitative Analyst - T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
Jon McWhinney, Program Analyst - Cardinal Health
Jason Minton, Consultant - BearingPoint, Inc
CoB student team wins HR competition
College of Business students put their human resources knowledge to the test against peers from several other Virginia universities to win the Virginia State Human Resources Games on March 24. Professors Eric Stark and Joe Goodman accompanied two student teams from the Management department to the event, which was sponsored by the Society for Human Resources Management.
Tiffanie Saunders, Jocelyn Tuttle and Ashley Hevener emerged as champions of the Jeopardy-style games. The questions in the competition are similar to those asked on the PHR (professional in human relations) certification exam, Stark says. The games not only help prepare students for the PHR exam, but also give them an opportunity to network with HR professionals. Four JMU students will sit for the PHR exam this spring.
“It’s a way to motivate the students to dig a little deeper into HR studies than what they might be exposed to in the classroom setting,” Stark says. “And it’s a reinforcement of what they have learned in the classroom setting.”Members of JMU’s other HR team were Maria Heiser, Sara Quesinberry and Dwain Young. The winning team will compete in the Southeastern Regional Games on April 13.
HPTI programming competition a success
Students majoring in computer information systems recently spent a Saturday morning putting their Java and Visual Basic programming skills to the test. On March 17, the 30 students, working in pairs, competed in the 4th annual programming competition sponsored by High Performance Technologies, Inc. (HPTi), a JMU recruiter and a leading information technology company that provides services to the federal government.
During the competition, administered by HPTi, each team attempts to solve nine hypothetical problems written by the company’s staff within the three-hour time limit. The team that successfully solves the most problems in the shortest time frame are declared winners.
“It’s a great learning experience for the students because they’re challenging themselves to actually put the skills that they’re learning in programming class to use in a practical setting,” says associate CIS professor Mike Mitri.
This year’s winners of the Java competition were: Ryan Misiag and Joe Lee, first place; David Parker and Ricky Carroll, second place; and Viva Tran and Mike Chiang, third place. The Visual Basic winning team was Cameron Keith and Malinda Langhans. All winners received cash prizes.
Two JMU alumni who now work for HPTi, Josh Broome and John Wilimen, were among the judges for the competition.
JMU ranked 25th in nation on CPA exam
(James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA) - Graduates from the School of Accounting in the College of Business helped rank James Madison University 25th in the nation for performance on the Uniform Certified Public Accountants Examination. JMU graduates placed the school among the top 25 schools with the highest passing rates out of 2,000 colleges and universities represented.
The announcement follows on the heels of the College's recent ranking in BusinessWeek magazine of the top undergraduate business schools.
"In the College of Business we are committed to creating tomorrow's generation of highly qualified professional accountants who are also great business people. We see this ranking and our BusinessWeek 35th Best Undergraduate School of Business national ranking as signs that we are getting there," said Brad Roof, associate Dean for the College of Business and Chairman of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
The success of the College's graduates placed JMU among North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Texas A&M, Texas-Austin, Brigham Young, Notre Dame, Auburn, UCLA and others in the top 25 spots.
James Madison University was one of only two Virginia universities included in the top 25. The University of Virginia (UVA) tied with the University of Kentucky for the 22nd spot. UVA passed 11 students out of 23 with a 47.8 percent pass rate. JMU passed 46.3 percent of 41 students taking the exam.
"This objective measure of our accounting graduates' success speaks so clearly that JMU is a national leader in preparing young men and women for the CPA profession," said Roof.
The top 25 list, published in the 2006 edition of Candidate Performance on the Uniform CPA Examination, ranks passing percentages of graduates without advanced degrees who are taking the test for the first time.
For more information on BusinessWeek's Undergraduate Business School rankings visit http://bwnt.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/06rankings.
Business Week ranks JMU College of Business 35th in the nation
Business Week in its May 8th issue is publishing the results of its five-month effort to rank the best undergraduate business programs in the nation. The JMU College of Business will appear as No. 35. Business Week surveyed recruiters hiring graduates and current students for all universities and colleges considered in the ranking process. They also considered the quality of faculty and teaching as well as the support facilities and services devoted to support student learning. JMU ranked highest on student satisfaction, teaching quality and support facilities and services. Business Week also singled out JMU for its COB 300 course on integrated business skills in which student groups prepare business plans.
Three Virginia institutions made the Top 50 ranking. The McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia nearly topped the list at No. 2. University of Richmond filled the mid-spot in the rankings at No. 25. And, JMU captured that No. 35 slot. JMU ranked near two other mid-Atlantic schools, Penn State (No. 32) and Maryland (No. 36). The remainder of the Top 50 following JMU included: Iowa, Georgia, Syracuse, and Ohio State.
For more information, see all the rankings at the Business Week web site, http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/index.html?campaign_id=navdropdown
Economics students take third place in the Federal Reserve Fifth District Fed Challenge Competition
A group of JMU Economics' students - Melissa Alfano, Brian Armstrong, John Giudice, Brian Rabchuk and Erin Rawley - placed second in the preliminary competition and won third place overall in the Fifth Federal Reserve Bank's annual College Fed Challenge Competition. They finished behind Mount Saint Mary University and Virginia Commonwealth University but beat teams from University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, University of Richmond, and other schools in the fifth district.
From left to right are Brian Rabchuk, John Giudice, Erin Rawley, Brian Armstrong and Melissa Alfano.
The Fed Challenge is an academic competition designed to expand the community's understanding of the Federal Reserve System's unique role in the economy and the importance of Federal Open Market Committee decisions. Students make a presentation on the current state of the economy, suggest prospects for short-term economic conditions, and recommend whether the Federal Reserve should increase, decrease, or take no action with regard to interest rates. After the presentation, a panel of judges asks questions related to the student's understanding of economics, monetary policy, and the role of the Fed.
College of Business student group wins national telecom prize
A student group from Dr. David Fordham’s Advanced Information Technology for Accountants class pulled in 3rd place in the American Radio Relay League’s National Wireless Communication Competition. They finished behind UCLA and Arizona State winning 1st and 2nd place respectively. The JMU team crushed many other schools including University of Nebraska, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, Case Western Reserve, Cal State Northridge, and Northern Illinois University by scoring at least ten times more points in the competition than these and other universities’ teams.
The competition centered on the competing groups’ abilities to build the most effective wireless communication network nodes. The JMU group created highly effective and efficient wireless telecommunication links with orbiting satellites, remote links, repeaters, microwave relays and other complex telecommunication structures using radio waves exclusively. Standard Internet telecommunications were excluded from the competition. The JMU group’s strategy used experimental wireless networks as well as sophisticated communication and radio-based data transfer systems to gain a competitive edge. These efforts produced very high-speed telecommunication connections over which high speed data transfers raced with unusual reliability.
Dr. Fordham also won the League’s 2005 National Manuscript Competition early in the year with a paper on long-distance telecommunication experimentation.
COB faculty members head to India for spring break
Two College of Business faculty members will travel to Mumbai, India, over spring break to exchange ideas with faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Paul Bierly, director of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and management professor Bob Kolodinsky, will travel from March 4-10 with a small delegation that includes three other JMU faculty members.The trip will be led by the university’s International Beliefs and Values Institute.
Bierly and Kolodinsky hope to pursue cross-cultural research projects with their Indian colleagues in areas such as workplace values; business ethics; leadership; social responsibility; and social entrepreneurship, a process that uses business and entrepreneurial skills to address social problems. TISS is a leader in social entrepreneurship, Bierly explains, and he hopes to incorporate more components of that concept into the programs of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
In addition to potential research collaborations, Bierly and Kolodinsky will explore the possibility of setting up student and faculty exchange programs with TISS. They also will visit the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta.
JMU economics professor attends economic and environmental conference in India
Dr. Barkley Rosser attended an international conference on the environment, the economy and development at the Gokhale Institute April 4-6 2005. While it may seem odd that economists and environmentalists would share the same agenda, economists from around the world came together to discuss such issues as the Kyoto Protocol, pollution, and developing countries. Rosser says that the environment and the economy are inextricably linked, and advocates the role of economists in the development and implementation of policy. Ajit Sinhale, director of the Gokhale Institute said in the Times of India, “The idea is to create a consensus among economists on issues related to the subject. Scientists world-wide have already formed a consensus on this.”
The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an international treaty on global warming. Countries that ratify the Kyoto Protocol agree to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses. 141 countries have ratified the agreement. However, the United States has signed the agreement but has no intentions to ratify it. The U.S. is unhappy with the details of the treaty, namely that China and India both of which are heavy pollution countries were exempt from the restrictions of the Protocol. President Bush commented that while he was not opposed to the general idea of the treaty, he was against the details of the Kyoto Protocol. Rosser says that America is viewed quite unfavorably by the rest of the world due to its unwillingness to sign the treaty.
Another point of contention with the U.S. and the Kyoto Protocol is the United State’s fear that China and India are threatening to U.S. jobs through outsourcing. Rosser says that this fear is unfounded, and Americans need to give the situation some time to sort itself out. He points out the example of NAFTA, and how many Americans feared losing a multitude of jobs to Mexico. Though there were some jobs lost, Rosser says, it was not a complete disaster like many American s predicted. Rosser also adds that situations like this tend to balance themselves out through trade and open economies.
Rosser was asked to attend the conference by Sinhale who has been a friend of Rosser’s for many years. It was one of the first major international conferences held in India. The conference boasted attendees from France, Canada, and other parts of India. Rosser was the only representative from the United States to attend. Rosser also attended a press conference where he was quoted by the April 5, 2005 edition of the Times of India in two separate articles. Rosser says he was surprised to see himself quoted because there were a great number of people at the press conference.
Rosser has also been asked to be a member of a committee that is in formation. This committee will re-examine the Kyoto Protocol. Though the committee does not have an official name, Rosser calls it the Informal Working Group on Post Kyoto Protocol. As for India, the host country of the conference, Rosser called it a “country of contrasts.” Though India faces immense amounts of poverty, the country, with the help of its forward-thinking prime minister, is growing. He added that soon we would see India, “stepping onto the world stage as a great power.”
Madison Investment Fund wins first place
James Madison University’s Madison Investment Fund (MIF) took first place in the undergraduate division for the top performing value equity portfolio at the 2005 Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) symposium held March 30-April 1 at the University of Dayton (Ohio). James Madison was one of five undergraduate programs from six countries to take top honors in the world’s largest student portfolio competition. This is not only a national first place in value investing it is an international MIF competed in the value-style portfolio category, which is where most of the 132 represented schools competed and was judged the best performer based on the MIF’s portfolio risk adjusted return for the preceding year. Winning this category is particularly significant since the charter of most student managed funds restricts investment choices to the extent that they fall necessarily into value funds. In 2002 the MIF took fifth place in this category, the last year RISE announced ordered finishes other than the category winners. The winners of this year’s competition are:
Undergraduate Division Winners:
• James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.: value-style equity portfolio.
• University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.: blend-style equity portfolio
• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark.: hybrid portfolio.
• Stetson University, Deland, Fla.: fixed income portfolio.
• Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Ariz.: growth-style equity portfolio.
Graduate Division Winners:
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.: growth-style equity portfolio.
• Rice University, Houston: blend-style equity portfolio.
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.: value-style equity portfolio.
The symposium was not only a competition of student managed portfolios but included 17 premier keynote speakers from the investment community such as H. Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart, Sam Zell, the largest landlord in the history of the U.S., Abbey Joseph Cohen, Chair of Investment Policy, Goldman-Sachs & Co. and the most followed analyst on Wall Street and Dr. Ben Bernanke, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System. Numerous other Wall Street luminaries participated in the 2005 RISE symposium making it a valuable experience for all who attended.
The New York Stock Exchange, “The Wall Street Journal,” CNBC and Deutsche Asset Management, along with the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration, sponsored the 2005 RISE Symposium.
MIF was created in 1999 with an endowment of $100,000 with the intention of providing students with a true market environment that would provide the incentive for the students to put forth their best efforts in portfolio management. Over the years MIF has consistently outperformed the market by a significant margin. This out-performance has continued even as the members and managers have graduated and turned their duties over to the students who follow. Because of the performance and responsibility demonstrated by MIF, the Board of Directors of the JMU Foundation has approved the expansion of investment tools and vehicles to include the stocks of the Russell 3000, ADR’s and specialized option positions.
Dr. Andy Kohen, Economics Professor, is recipient of Honors Faculty Service Award
From its start, the Honors program has been committed to identifying, stimulating and cultivating outstanding students. The program is demanding in its quest for excellence among both its students and faculty members. In 2002, the Honors Faculty Service Award was introduced in order to recognize and commend faculty members who contribute so much of their time and service to the Honors Program. This year, Dr. Andy Kohen of the Economics Department received the award at the fall 2004 Honors Program Awards Banquet. Dr. Kohen is a commendable example of outstanding service to the Honors Program and the JMU community as a whole.
Dr. Kohen has been involved with the Honors Program here at JMU for nearly 20 years. In that time, he has served in many capacitates. In the 1980s, Dr. Kohen served on a university committee that shaped and designed the existing honors program and created the Honors Scholars Program. He has served on the Honors Program Advisory Committee which approves new courses to meet honors standards, reviews proposed honors seminar courses, reviews/rates applications for admission to the honors program and reviews the honors curriculum. Dr. Kohen currently chairs a committee in charge of recommending a new general education program for honors scholars. Joyce Wszalek, retired Assistant Director of the Honors Program says, “One can be certain that under his leadership any curriculum that emerges after careful and critical deliberation will be integrated and interdisciplinary. Dr. Kohen’s stock in trade is ideas, and his ideas are exciting.”
As the Honors Faculty Liaison Advisor for Economics, Dr. Kohen serves as an intermediary between the Economics Department and the Honors Program fostering a mutually effective relationship that helps recruit students for the program and faculty to teach honors courses. As part of his role as a liaison, Dr. Kohen teaches honors economics courses and advanced honors options courses.
Dr. Kohen was one the first professors at JMU to be a freshman advisor who worked solely with honors students. He felt it was important to focus on the unique needs and talents of this group of students. Wszalek remarks, “Dr. Kohen inspires them [students] to achieve the best of which they are capable as scholars and as critical and contributing members of the human community.” So special is the relationship that Dr. Kohen fosters between himself and his freshman advisees that many students turn to him for guidance beyond their first year, and he maintains contact with many honors alumni. In his service to honors students, Dr. Kohen also supervises students on their senior honors projects and serves on the reading committee of many student projects.
When asked why the Honors Program was important to him, Dr. Kohen described his undergraduate experiences at Monteith College. He wants students to have an “energizing experience” as he did, and wants students to have to opportunity to experience a small college within a big university setting. He feels that the talents of the Honors Program students are unique and extraordinary and wants to push those talents to new heights, though he admits that it is “hard to stay one step ahead of extremely bright and talented students.”
Dr. Kohen feels that the Honors Program is an excellent way for JMU to live up to its promise of offering the best possible education for students of all types. In order to continue growing into a university of caliber, JMU must consistently work towards attracting students of the highest intellectual caliber possible. But, Dr. Kohen admits that it is not enough simply to attract these students, the university must then work to retain these students by continuing to challenge their minds and their ideas. The Honors Program is one way the university does this. Kohen says, “The Honors Program serves the general population of the university by showcasing the best and brightest that JMU has to offer.” Dr. Kohen’s service to the Honors Program has been integral to helping the program achieve and maintain the highest degree of excellence possible.
Wszalek sums up Dr. Kohen’s achievements by saying, “Dr. Kohen has for nearly three decades offered the Honors Program and JMU exceptional teaching, willing and inspired service, and integrity that is unimpeachable. It is appropriate that he, who has given so much, should receive this award.” Whatever capacity Dr. Kohen serves the Honors Program in, it is with ardent fervor, dedication, and commitment. Indeed this award is not only appropriate, but well deserved.
JMU accounting educator makes business magazine's 2005 'super' list
Dr. Brad Roof has been chosen by Virginia Business, the monthly magazine about business around the commonwealth, as one of Virginia's Super CPAs. Each year the magazine receives nominations for this recognition from the accounting profession and business community and then makes its own final selection. The final evaluation is based on the individual's professional accomplishments and service contributions to Virginia and its citizens.
Dr. Roof is the College of Business Associate Dean for External Relations as well as Professor of Accounting. He is also Chair Elect of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for WVPT, "Virginia's Public Television". His teaching has focused on finance, financial accounting, international financial reporting, and auditing. During his JMU career he developed and served as Director of the international business major and was Director of the School of Accounting, the Center for Research in Accounting Education, and the National Center for Professional Development. He also founded and directed the Center for Research in Higher Education. He has a broad research history and has won professional literary awards.
Dr. Roof can be reached at roofbm@jmu.edu
JMU AITP web site places 1st in national competition
Laurie Steormann and Courtney Evans, web masters of the AITP web site, took top honors at the 10th Annual AITP National Collegiate Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on April 9. Both students are senior Computer Information Systems majors in the College of Business at JMU. Laurie has accepted a position with SRA International and Courtney is still interviewing with many top companies.
The web site competition, which included finalists Illinois State, Kent State, and the University of Iowa, was highly competitive. But Courtney and Laurie concentration on good design, meeting the customer's needs, and delivering the project on time. They also gave an excellent presentation and prepared outstanding documentation and user instructions. Courtney and Laurie were awarded $500 along with a trophy and framed certificate.
Greg Kruck and Jonathan Albert, two other members of the JMU AITP National Collegiate Conference team, placed fourth in the Java Programming Competition. This was a second kudo for the two-person team of Kruck and Albert that finished first in the Second Annual HPTI Programming Competition held at JMU March 19. AITP member Nick Garza participated in the Network Competition and Greg Kruck rejoined with member Joe Davison for the Database Competition.
The JMU AITP National Collegaite Conference Team received financial support from the College of Business, the CIS & MS Program, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Massanutten Resorts, and Rockingham Group.
The National Collegiate Conference also included keynote speakers from Microsoft, Robert Half Technology, State Farm, and Wal-Mart. In addition, all of these companies had a recruiting team onsite to interview and present job offers to the winners.
Local center expanding to better serve small businesses
WEYERS CAVE - Expanded services to the small to medium business owners is the intent of the creation of the new Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center (SVSBDC) with two local offices to help business owners: the existing office at James Madison University (JMU) and now, a new location at Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC). The SVSBDC has expanded to increase accessibility and availability to its service region. Henry Reeves is the Director of the SBDC at JMU while Sandra Showalter is the Director of the new center at BRCC.
The Shenandoah Valley SBDC serves the counties of Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, and Shenandoah, and the cities therein. The SVSBDC offers free counseling services, assists with feasibility studies and business planning, sponsors seminars and training events, and provides information and other services to the small and medium-sized business community. It receives program and financial support from the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Blue Ridge Community College, and James Madison University.
"The JMU Center is pleased to have a SBDC at BRCC. This new location will provide clients in the southern part of our service area with a more convenient location, as well as additional resources in the form of counseling and classes at the College," says Henry Reeves.
"I am very excited about the creation of a SBDC at Blue Ridge Community College. There is so much opportunity and need for SBDC services; I look forward to working with small business owners as they develop and/or grow their business," notes Showalter.
Training sponsored by the SVSBDC include: a monthly, one-night introduction to "How to Start a Business"; an Entrepreneurial Series of five Friday morning sessions, August 30 - September 27, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, covering the following topics: Writing a Successful Business Plan, Tax Issues for the Small Business, Legal Issues for the Small Business, Record-keeping and Accounting for the Small Business, and Financing the Small Business.
In the fall, the SVSBDC will also sponsor a 12-week program entitled: Next Level Entrepreneurial Training, that will provide comprehensive instruction for all aspects of owning and operating a small to medium size business. In addition to knowledge and information, students will finish the class with a completed Business Plan.
Virginia's Small Business Development Center Network is an innovative federal, state, and local partnership consisting of 29 centers working to strengthen Virginia's economy.
For more information, contact the BRCC SBDC from Harrisonburg 453-2316, from Staunton 213-7037, from Waynesboro 941-3757, and from other areas in Virginia 888-750-2722. To contact the JMU SBDC please call (540) 568-3227.
JMU's FMA chapter wins international award
The JMU student chapter of the Financial Management Association International (FMA) has won the Association's Bronze Membership Development Award. This award recognizes the chapters among the top 7% of all international chapter for recruiting new members. In presenting the Award the Association declared, ....." the students and faculty of James Madison University are outstanding."
RMH promotes Foster
Rockingham Memorial Hospital has named Sue Foster assistant director of physician practice development.
Foster has been practice manager for RMH Pulmonary Associates since 2000. She is a graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke and has done graduate work in business administration at James Madison University's College of Business.
Beta Gamma Sigma induction
Forty students were recently inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma at James Madison University. 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, according to Dr. Michael Busing, faculty adviser.
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 7 percent of the junior class, upper 10 percent of the senior class, or upper 20 percent of the graduating master's class, according to Busing.
Beta Gamma Sigma was founded as a national organization in 1913. Today the Society has more than 325 chapters at some of the best business schools across the country. While almost 300,000 students receive baccalaureate or master's degrees in business each year, only about 16,000 students are elected to membership in Beta Gamma Sigma.
The following students were inducted into the honor society:
Juniors
Michael Robert Buchholz, Erin Danielle Johnson, Jeffrey Clinton Chandler, Matthew Peter Kattler, Asif Hussien Charania, Ann Elizabeth Lowry, Seth Myron Formal, Megan Rose Masterson, James Corbin Fuller, Tristan Jamaul Patrick Murray, Matthew Thomas Getts, Daniel Corey O'Hanley, Lisa Vanda Giarrana, Daniel Scott Robertson, Tyler Everett Hall, Lesley Anne Schmidt, Caitlin Marie Henning, Joel Nathan Vander Eems, Todd Evan Douglas Hutto, Lacey Elizabeth Viar
Seniors
Gregory Munro Baker, Heather Dawn Lutz-Long, Charles Andrew Bolt, Jonathan Bradley Meadows, Julianne Elizabeth Coleman, Alexandra Juliette Meyer, Justin Blaine Cummings, Michael Thomas Michigami, Nicole Paige Harris, Rachel Marie Persica, Michael Edward Haskins, Noah Lee Singer, LaTasha Danielle Johnson, Matthew Carson Steinhoff, Stefanie Jung, Martha Kelly Vicedomini, George Steve Kranis, John Robert Winschel, Eric Stewart Laidlow
Graduate Student
Robert Douglas Collins
Nancy Nichols gives 2005 Madison Scholar lecture
On Thursday afternoon, November 10th, faculty and students filled a lecture room in Zane Showker Hall to hear Dr. Nancy Nichols, Associate Professor of Accounting, deliver the 2005 College of Business Madison Scholar's Lecture. Every year a select faculty committee in each college at James Madison chooses their own ollege's Madison Scholar. Dr. Nichols was chosen for her outstanding research record in the field of taxation accounting, for her exemplary record of service to the University and her profession, and for her distinguished teaching.
Dr. Nichols' topic was, "Criminal Tax Evasion: Who Goes to Jail?" For nearly an hour Dr. Nichols revealed a wide variety of tax evasion schemes used in nearly 600 cases of tax fraud that she is examining. Undeclared income, overstated expenses, and even a woman being declared as a spousal dependent on two different tax returns were among the myriad of cases that she discussed. The presentation generated many questions from the audience, with fortunately no "guilty looks" on the faces of audience members.
Dean Robert Reid presents the 2005 Madison Scholar pendant to Dr. Nancy Nichols.
Dr. Nancy Nichols and Dr. Paul Bierly, the 2004 Madison Scholar, exchange remarks before Dr. Bierly's introduction of Dr. Nichols at the 2005 Madison Scholar's Lecture.
ecommunication structures using radio waves exclusively. Standard Internet telecommunications were excluded from the competition. The JMU group’s strategy used experimental wireless networks as well as sophisticated communication and radio-based data transfer systems to gain a competitive edge. These efforts produced very high-speed telecommunication connections over which high speed data transfers raced with unusual reliability.Dr. Fordham also won the League’s 2005 National Manuscript Competition early in the year with a paper on long-distance telecommunication experimentation.
COB faculty members head to India for spring break
Two College of Business faculty members will travel to Mumbai, India, over spring break to exchange ideas with faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Paul Bierly, director of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and management professor Bob Kolodinsky, will travel from March 4-10 with a small delegation that includes three other JMU faculty members.The trip will be led by the university’s International Beliefs and Values Institute.
Bierly and Kolodinsky hope to pursue cross-cultural research projects with their Indian colleagues in areas such as workplace values; business ethics; leadership; social responsibility; and social entrepreneurship, a process that uses business and entrepreneurial skills to address social problems. TISS is a leader in social entrepreneurship, Bierly explains, and he hopes to incorporate more components of that concept into the programs of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
In addition to potential research collaborations, Bierly and Kolodinsky will explore the possibility of setting up student and faculty exchange programs with TISS. They also will visit the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta.
test. On March 17, the 30 students, working in pairs, competed in the 4th annual programming competition sponsored by High Performance Technologies, Inc. (HPTi), a JMU recruiter and a leading information technology company that provides services to the federal government.
During the competition, administered by HPTi, each team attempts to solve nine hypothetical problems written by the company’s staff within the three-hour time limit. The team that successfully solves the most problems in the shortest time frame are declared winners.
“It’s a great learning experience for the students because they’re challenging themselves to actually put the skills that they’re learning in programming class to use in a practical setting,” says associate CIS professor Mike Mitri.
This year’s winners of the Java competition were: Ryan Misiag and Joe Lee, first place; David Parker and Ricky Carroll, second place; and Viva Tran and Mike Chiang, third place. The Visual Basic winning team was Cameron Keith and Malinda Langhans. All winners received cash prizes.
Two JMU alumni who now work for HPTi, Josh Broome and John Wilimen, were among the judges for the competition.
JMU ranked 25th in nation on CPA exam
(James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA) - Graduates from the School of Accounting in the College of Business helped rank James Madison University 25th in the nation for performance on the Uniform Certified Public Accountants Examination. JMU graduates placed the school among the top 25 schools with the highest passing rates out of 2,000 colleges and universities represented.
The announcement follows on the heels of the College's recent ranking in BusinessWeek magazine of the top undergraduate business schools.
"In the College of Business we are committed to creating tomorrow's generation of highly qualified professional accountants who are also great business people. We see this ranking and our BusinessWeek 35th Best Undergraduate School of Business national ranking as signs that we are getting there," said Brad Roof, associate Dean for the College of Business and Chairman of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
The success of the College's graduates placed JMU among North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Texas A&M, Texas-Austin, Brigham Young, Notre Dame, Auburn, UCLA and others in the top 25 spots.
James Madison University was one of only two Virginia universities included in the top 25. The University of Virginia (UVA) tied with the University of Kentucky for the 22nd spot. UVA passed 11 students out of 23 with a 47.8 percent pass rate. JMU passed 46.3 percent of 41 students taking the exam.
"This objective measure of our accounting graduates' success speaks so clearly that JMU is a national leader in preparing young men and women for the CPA profession," said Roof.
The top 25 list, published in the 2006 edition of Candidate Performance on the Uniform CPA Examination, ranks passing percentages of graduates without advanced degrees who are taking the test for the first time.
For more information on BusinessWeek's Undergraduate Business School rankings visit http://bwnt.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/06rankings.
Business Week ranks JMU College of Business 35th in the nation
Business Week in its May 8th issue is publishing the results of its five-month effort to rank the best undergraduate business programs in the nation. The JMU College of Business will appear as No. 35. Business Week surveyed recruiters hiring graduates and current students for all universities and colleges considered in the ranking process. They also considered the quality of faculty and teaching as well as the support facilities and services devoted to support student learning. JMU ranked highest on student satisfaction, teaching quality and support facilities and services. Business Week also singled out JMU for its COB 300 course on integrated business skills in which student groups prepare business plans.
Three Virginia institutions made the Top 50 ranking. The McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia nearly topped the list at No. 2. University of Richmond filled the mid-spot in the rankings at No. 25. And, JMU captured that No. 35 slot. JMU ranked near two other mid-Atlantic schools, Penn State (No. 32) and Maryland (No. 36). The remainder of the Top 50 following JMU included: Iowa, Georgia, Syracuse, and Ohio State.
For more information, see all the rankings at the Business Week web site, http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/index.html?campaign_id=navdropdown
Economics students take third place in the Federal Reserve Fifth District Fed Challenge Competition
A group of JMU Economics' students - Melissa Alfano, Brian Armstrong, John Giudice, Brian Rabchuk and Erin Rawley - placed second in the preliminary competition and won third place overall in the Fifth Federal Reserve Bank's annual College Fed Challenge Competition. They finished behind Mount Saint Mary University and Virginia Commonwealth University but beat teams from University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, University of Richmond, and other schools in the fifth district.
From left to right are Brian Rabchuk, John Giudice, Erin Rawley, Brian Armstrong and Melissa Alfano.
The Fed Challenge is an academic competition designed to expand the community's understanding of the Federal Reserve System's unique role in the economy and the importance of Federal Open Market Committee decisions. Students make a presentation on the current state of the economy, suggest prospects for short-term economic conditions, and recommend whether the Federal Reserve should increase, decrease, or take no action with regard to interest rates. After the presentation, a panel of judges asks questions related to the student's understanding of economics, monetary policy, and the role of the Fed.
College of Business student group wins national telecom prize
A student group from Dr. David Fordham’s Advanced Information Technology for Accountants class pulled in 3rd place in the American Radio Relay League’s National Wireless Communication Competition. They finished behind UCLA and Arizona State winning 1st and 2nd place respectively. The JMU team crushed many other schools including University of Nebraska, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, Case Western Reserve, Cal State Northridge, and Northern Illinois University by scoring at least ten times more points in the competition than these and other universities’ teams.
The competition centered on the competing groups’ abilities to build the most effective wireless communication network nodes. The JMU group created highly effective and efficient wireless telecommunication links with orbiting satellites, remote links, repeaters, microwave relays and other complex telecommunication structures using radio waves exclusively. Standard Internet telecommunications were excluded from the competition. The JMU group’s strategy used experimental wireless networks as well as sophisticated communication and radio-based data transfer systems to gain a competitive edge. These efforts produced very high-speed telecommunication connections over which high speed data transfers raced with unusual reliability.
Dr. Fordham also won the League’s 2005 National Manuscript Competition early in the year with a paper on long-distance telecommunication experimentation.
COB faculty members head to India for spring break
Two College of Business faculty members will travel to Mumbai, India, over spring break to exchange ideas with faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Paul Bierly, director of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and management professor Bob Kolodinsky, will travel from March 4-10 with a small delegation that includes three other JMU faculty members.The trip will be led by the university’s International Beliefs and Values Institute.
Bierly and Kolodinsky hope to pursue cross-cultural research projects with their Indian colleagues in areas such as workplace values; business ethics; leadership; social responsibility; and social entrepreneurship, a process that uses business and entrepreneurial skills to address social problems. TISS is a leader in social entrepreneurship, Bierly explains, and he hopes to incorporate more components of that concept into the programs of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
In addition to potential research collaborations, Bierly and Kolodinsky will explore the possibility of setting up student and faculty exchange programs with TISS. They also will visit the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta.
JMU economics professor attends economic and environmental conference in India
Dr. Barkley Rosser attended an international conference on the environment, the economy and development at the Gokhale Institute April 4-6 2005. While it may seem odd that economists and environmentalists would share the same agenda, economists from around the world came together to discuss such issues as the Kyoto Protocol, pollution, and developing countries. Rosser says that the environment and the economy are inextricably linked, and advocates the role of economists in the development and implementation of policy. Ajit Sinhale, director of the Gokhale Institute said in the Times of India, “The idea is to create a consensus among economists on issues related to the subject. Scientists world-wide have already formed a consensus on this.”
The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an international treaty on global warming. Countries that ratify the Kyoto Protocol agree to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses. 141 countries have ratified the agreement. However, the United States has signed the agreement but has no intentions to ratify it. The U.S. is unhappy with the details of the treaty, namely that China and India both of which are heavy pollution countries were exempt from the restrictions of the Protocol. President Bush commented that while he was not opposed to the general idea of the treaty, he was against the details of the Kyoto Protocol. Rosser says that America is viewed quite unfavorably by the rest of the world due to its unwillingness to sign the treaty.
Another point of contention with the U.S. and the Kyoto Protocol is the United State’s fear that China and India are threatening to U.S. jobs through outsourcing. Rosser says that this fear is unfounded, and Americans need to give the situation some time to sort itself out. He points out the example of NAFTA, and how many Americans feared losing a multitude of jobs to Mexico. Though there were some jobs lost, Rosser says, it was not a complete disaster like many American s predicted. Rosser also adds that situations like this tend to balance themselves out through trade and open economies.
Rosser was asked to attend the conference by Sinhale who has been a friend of Rosser’s for many years. It was one of the first major international conferences held in India. The conference boasted attendees from France, Canada, and other parts of India. Rosser was the only representative from the United States to attend. Rosser also attended a press conference where he was quoted by the April 5, 2005 edition of the Times of India in two separate articles. Rosser says he was surprised to see himself quoted because there were a great number of people at the press conference.
Rosser has also been asked to be a member of a committee that is in formation. This committee will re-examine the Kyoto Protocol. Though the committee does not have an official name, Rosser calls it the Informal Working Group on Post Kyoto Protocol. As for India, the host country of the conference, Rosser called it a “country of contrasts.” Though India faces immense amounts of poverty, the country, with the help of its forward-thinking prime minister, is growing. He added that soon we would see India, “stepping onto the world stage as a great power.”
Madison Investment Fund wins first place
James Madison University’s Madison Investment Fund (MIF) took first place in the undergraduate division for the top performing value equity portfolio at the 2005 Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) symposium held March 30-April 1 at the University of Dayton (Ohio). James Madison was one of five undergraduate programs from six countries to take top honors in the world’s largest student portfolio competition. This is not only a national first place in value investing it is an international MIF competed in the value-style portfolio category, which is where most of the 132 represented schools competed and was judged the best performer based on the MIF’s portfolio risk adjusted return for the preceding year. Winning this category is particularly significant since the charter of most student managed funds restricts investment choices to the extent that they fall necessarily into value funds. In 2002 the MIF took fifth place in this category, the last year RISE announced ordered finishes other than the category winners. The winners of this year’s competition are:
Undergraduate Division Winners:
• James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.: value-style equity portfolio.
• University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.: blend-style equity portfolio
• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark.: hybrid portfolio.
• Stetson University, Deland, Fla.: fixed income portfolio.
• Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Ariz.: growth-style equity portfolio.
Graduate Division Winners:
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.: growth-style equity portfolio.
• Rice University, Houston: blend-style equity portfolio.
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.: value-style equity portfolio.
The symposium was not only a competition of student managed portfolios but included 17 premier keynote speakers from the investment community such as H. Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart, Sam Zell, the largest landlord in the history of the U.S., Abbey Joseph Cohen, Chair of Investment Policy, Goldman-Sachs & Co. and the most followed analyst on Wall Street and Dr. Ben Bernanke, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System. Numerous other Wall Street luminaries participated in the 2005 RISE symposium making it a valuable experience for all who attended.
The New York Stock Exchange, “The Wall Street Journal,” CNBC and Deutsche Asset Management, along with the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration, sponsored the 2005 RISE Symposium.
MIF was created in 1999 with an endowment of $100,000 with the intention of providing students with a true market environment that would provide the incentive for the students to put forth their best efforts in portfolio management. Over the years MIF has consistently outperformed the market by a significant margin. This out-performance has continued even as the members and managers have graduated and turned their duties over to the students who follow. Because of the performance and responsibility demonstrated by MIF, the Board of Directors of the JMU Foundation has approved the expansion of investment tools and vehicles to include the stocks of the Russell 3000, ADR’s and specialized option positions.
Dr. Andy Kohen, Economics Professor, is recipient of Honors Faculty Service Award
From its start, the Honors program has been committed to identifying, stimulating and cultivating outstanding students. The program is demanding in its quest for excellence among both its students and faculty members. In 2002, the Honors Faculty Service Award was introduced in order to recognize and commend faculty members who contribute so much of their time and service to the Honors Program. This year, Dr. Andy Kohen of the Economics Department received the award at the fall 2004 Honors Program Awards Banquet. Dr. Kohen is a commendable example of outstanding service to the Honors Program and the JMU community as a whole.
Dr. Kohen has been involved with the Honors Program here at JMU for nearly 20 years. In that time, he has served in many capacitates. In the 1980s, Dr. Kohen served on a university committee that shaped and designed the existing honors program and created the Honors Scholars Program. He has served on the Honors Program Advisory Committee which approves new courses to meet honors standards, reviews proposed honors seminar courses, reviews/rates applications for admission to the honors program and reviews the honors curriculum. Dr. Kohen currently chairs a committee in charge of recommending a new general education program for honors scholars. Joyce Wszalek, retired Assistant Director of the Honors Program says, “One can be certain that under his leadership any curriculum that emerges after careful and critical deliberation will be integrated and interdisciplinary. Dr. Kohen’s stock in trade is ideas, and his ideas are exciting.”
As the Honors Faculty Liaison Advisor for Economics, Dr. Kohen serves as an intermediary between the Economics Department and the Honors Program fostering a mutually effective relationship that helps recruit students for the program and faculty to teach honors courses. As part of his role as a liaison, Dr. Kohen teaches honors economics courses and advanced honors options courses.
Dr. Kohen was one the first professors at JMU to be a freshman advisor who worked solely with honors students. He felt it was important to focus on the unique needs and talents of this group of students. Wszalek remarks, “Dr. Kohen inspires them [students] to achieve the best of which they are capable as scholars and as critical and contributing members of the human community.” So special is the relationship that Dr. Kohen fosters between himself and his freshman advisees that many students turn to him for guidance beyond their first year, and he maintains contact with many honors alumni. In his service to honors students, Dr. Kohen also supervises students on their senior honors projects and serves on the reading committee of many student projects.
When asked why the Honors Program was important to him, Dr. Kohen described his undergraduate experiences at Monteith College. He wants students to have an “energizing experience” as he did, and wants students to have to opportunity to experience a small college within a big university setting. He feels that the talents of the Honors Program students are unique and extraordinary and wants to push those talents to new heights, though he admits that it is “hard to stay one step ahead of extremely bright and talented students.”
Dr. Kohen feels that the Honors Program is an excellent way for JMU to live up to its promise of offering the best possible education for students of all types. In order to continue growing into a university of caliber, JMU must consistently work towards attracting students of the highest intellectual caliber possible. But, Dr. Kohen admits that it is not enough simply to attract these students, the university must then work to retain these students by continuing to challenge their minds and their ideas. The Honors Program is one way the university does this. Kohen says, “The Honors Program serves the general population of the university by showcasing the best and brightest that JMU has to offer.” Dr. Kohen’s service to the Honors Program has been integral to helping the program achieve and maintain the highest degree of excellence possible.
Wszalek sums up Dr. Kohen’s achievements by saying, “Dr. Kohen has for nearly three decades offered the Honors Program and JMU exceptional teaching, willing and inspired service, and integrity that is unimpeachable. It is appropriate that he, who has given so much, should receive this award.” Whatever capacity Dr. Kohen serves the Honors Program in, it is with ardent fervor, dedication, and commitment. Indeed this award is not only appropriate, but well deserved.
JMU accounting educator makes business magazine's 2005 'super' list
Dr. Brad Roof has been chosen by Virginia Business, the monthly magazine about business around the commonwealth, as one of Virginia's Super CPAs. Each year the magazine receives nominations for this recognition from the accounting profession and business community and then makes its own final selection. The final evaluation is based on the individual's professional accomplishments and service contributions to Virginia and its citizens.
Dr. Roof is the College of Business Associate Dean for External Relations as well as Professor of Accounting. He is also Chair Elect of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for WVPT, "Virginia's Public Television". His teaching has focused on finance, financial accounting, international financial reporting, and auditing. During his JMU career he developed and served as Director of the international business major and was Director of the School of Accounting, the Center for Research in Accounting Education, and the National Center for Professional Development. He also founded and directed the Center for Research in Higher Education. He has a broad research history and has won professional literary awards.
Dr. Roof can be reached at roofbm@jmu.edu
JMU AITP web site places 1st in national competition
Laurie Steormann and Courtney Evans, web masters of the AITP web site, took top honors at the 10th Annual AITP National Collegiate Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on April 9. Both students are senior Computer Information Systems majors in the College of Business at JMU. Laurie has accepted a position with SRA International and Courtney is still interviewing with many top companies.
The web site competition, which included finalists Illinois State, Kent State, and the University of Iowa, was highly competitive. But Courtney and Laurie concentration on good design, meeting the customer's needs, and delivering the project on time. They also gave an excellent presentation and prepared outstanding documentation and user instructions. Courtney and Laurie were awarded $500 along with a trophy and framed certificate.
Greg Kruck and Jonathan Albert, two other members of the JMU AITP National Collegiate Conference team, placed fourth in the Java Programming Competition. This was a second kudo for the two-person team of Kruck and Albert that finished first in the Second Annual HPTI Programming Competition held at JMU March 19. AITP member Nick Garza participated in the Network Competition and Greg Kruck rejoined with member Joe Davison for the Database Competition.
The JMU AITP National Collegaite Conference Team received financial support from the College of Business, the CIS & MS Program, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Massanutten Resorts, and Rockingham Group.
The National Collegiate Conference also included keynote speakers from Microsoft, Robert Half Technology, State Farm, and Wal-Mart. In addition, all of these companies had a recruiting team onsite to interview and present job offers to the winners.
Local center expanding to better serve small businesses
WEYERS CAVE - Expanded services to the small to medium business owners is the intent of the creation of the new Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center (SVSBDC) with two local offices to help business owners: the existing office at James Madison University (JMU) and now, a new location at Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC). The SVSBDC has expanded to increase accessibility and availability to its service region. Henry Reeves is the Director of the SBDC at JMU while Sandra Showalter is the Director of the new center at BRCC.
The Shenandoah Valley SBDC serves the counties of Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, and Shenandoah, and the cities therein. The SVSBDC offers free counseling services, assists with feasibility studies and business planning, sponsors seminars and training events, and provides information and other services to the small and medium-sized business community. It receives program and financial support from the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Blue Ridge Community College, and James Madison University.
"The JMU Center is pleased to have a SBDC at BRCC. This new location will provide clients in the southern part of our service area with a more convenient location, as well as additional resources in the form of counseling and classes at the College," says Henry Reeves.
"I am very excited about the creation of a SBDC at Blue Ridge Community College. There is so much opportunity and need for SBDC services; I look forward to working with small business owners as they develop and/or grow their business," notes Showalter.
Training sponsored by the SVSBDC include: a monthly, one-night introduction to "How to Start a Business"; an Entrepreneurial Series of five Friday morning sessions, August 30 - September 27, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, covering the following topics: Writing a Successful Business Plan, Tax Issues for the Small Business, Legal Issues for the Small Business, Record-keeping and Accounting for the Small Business, and Financing the Small Business.
In the fall, the SVSBDC will also sponsor a 12-week program entitled: Next Level Entrepreneurial Training, that will provide comprehensive instruction for all aspects of owning and operating a small to medium size business. In addition to knowledge and information, students will finish the class with a completed Business Plan.
Virginia's Small Business Development Center Network is an innovative federal, state, and local partnership consisting of 29 centers working to strengthen Virginia's economy.
For more information, contact the BRCC SBDC from Harrisonburg 453-2316, from Staunton 213-7037, from Waynesboro 941-3757, and from other areas in Virginia 888-750-2722. To contact the JMU SBDC please call (540) 568-3227.
JMU's FMA chapter wins international award
The JMU student chapter of the Financial Management Association International (FMA) has won the Association's Bronze Membership Development Award. This award recognizes the chapters among the top 7% of all international chapter for recruiting new members. In presenting the Award the Association declared, ....." the students and faculty of James Madison University are outstanding."
RMH promotes Foster
Rockingham Memorial Hospital has named Sue Foster assistant director of physician practice development.
Foster has been practice manager for RMH Pulmonary Associates since 2000. She is a graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke and has done graduate work in business administration at James Madison University's College of Business.
Beta Gamma Sigma induction
Forty students were recently inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma at James Madison University. 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, according to Dr. Michael Busing, faculty adviser.
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 7 percent of the junior class, upper 10 percent of the senior class, or upper 20 percent of the graduating master's class, according to Busing.
Beta Gamma Sigma was founded as a national organization in 1913. Today the Society has more than 325 chapters at some of the best business schools across the country. While almost 300,000 students receive baccalaureate or master's degrees in business each year, only about 16,000 students are elected to membership in Beta Gamma Sigma.
The following students were inducted into the honor society:
Juniors
Michael Robert Buchholz, Erin Danielle Johnson, Jeffrey Clinton Chandler, Matthew Peter Kattler, Asif Hussien Charania, Ann Elizabeth Lowry, Seth Myron Formal, Megan Rose Masterson, James Corbin Fuller, Tristan Jamaul Patrick Murray, Matthew Thomas Getts, Daniel Corey O'Hanley, Lisa Vanda Giarrana, Daniel Scott Robertson, Tyler Everett Hall, Lesley Anne Schmidt, Caitlin Marie Henning, Joel Nathan Vander Eems, Todd Evan Douglas Hutto, Lacey Elizabeth Viar
Seniors
Gregory Munro Baker, Heather Dawn Lutz-Long, Charles Andrew Bolt, Jonathan Bradley Meadows, Julianne Elizabeth Coleman, Alexandra Juliette Meyer, Justin Blaine Cummings, Michael Thomas Michigami, Nicole Paige Harris, Rachel Marie Persica, Michael Edward Haskins, Noah Lee Singer, LaTasha Danielle Johnson, Matthew Carson Steinhoff, Stefanie Jung, Martha Kelly Vicedomini, George Steve Kranis, John Robert Winschel, Eric Stewart Laidlow
Graduate Student
Robert Douglas Collins
Nancy Nichols gives 2005 Madison Scholar lecture
On Thursday afternoon, November 10th, faculty and students filled a lecture room in Zane Showker Hall to hear Dr. Nancy Nichols, Associate Professor of Accounting, deliver the 2005 College of Business Madison Scholar's Lecture. Every year a select faculty committee in each college at James Madison chooses their own ollege's Madison Scholar. Dr. Nichols was chosen for her outstanding research record in the field of taxation accounting, for her exemplary record of service to the University and her profession, and for her distinguished teaching.
Dr. Nichols' topic was, "Criminal Tax Evasion: Who Goes to Jail?" For nearly an hour Dr. Nichols revealed a wide variety of tax evasion schemes used in nearly 600 cases of tax fraud that she is examining. Undeclared income, overstated expenses, and even a woman being declared as a spousal dependent on two different tax returns were among the myriad of cases that she discussed. The presentation generated many questions from the audience, with fortunately no "guilty looks" on the faces of audience members.
Dean Robert Reid presents the 2005 Madison Scholar pendant to Dr. Nancy Nichols.
Dr. Nancy Nichols and Dr. Paul Bierly, the 2004 Madison Scholar, exchange remarks before Dr. Bierly's introduction of Dr. Nichols at the 2005 Madison Scholar's Lecture.
ecommunication structures using radio waves exclusively. Standard Internet telecommunications were excluded from the competition. The JMU group’s strategy used experimental wireless networks as well as sophisticated communication and radio-based data transfer systems to gain a competitive edge. These efforts produced very high-speed telecommunication connections over which high speed data transfers raced with unusual reliability.Dr. Fordham also won the League’s 2005 National Manuscript Competition early in the year with a paper on long-distance telecommunication experimentation.
COB faculty members head to India for spring break
Two College of Business faculty members will travel to Mumbai, India, over spring break to exchange ideas with faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Paul Bierly, director of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and management professor Bob Kolodinsky, will travel from March 4-10 with a small delegation that includes three other JMU faculty members.The trip will be led by the university’s International Beliefs and Values Institute.
Bierly and Kolodinsky hope to pursue cross-cultural research projects with their Indian colleagues in areas such as workplace values; business ethics; leadership; social responsibility; and social entrepreneurship, a process that uses business and entrepreneurial skills to address social problems. TISS is a leader in social entrepreneurship, Bierly explains, and he hopes to incorporate more components of that concept into the programs of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
In addition to potential research collaborations, Bierly and Kolodinsky will explore the possibility of setting up student and faculty exchange programs with TISS. They also will visit the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta.
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Last Modified: 11/20/2009
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