JMU Works

MouseUp Media LLC

MouseUp Media LLC could also be called DukeUp Media for the JMU talent that abounds within. Half of the employees are JMU graduates. Erik Muendel ('96), owner and executive producer of MouseUp, started the company in 1996 with two fellow students during their final semester at JMU. He bought out his partners in 1999.

Four of his eight employees are JMU alumni. He met multimedia producer Todd Mercer ('98), new media developer Don Steele ('01) and new media cowboy Jonathan Wzsalek ('01) through clients. Jeff Butler ('91) is a former staff member at the JMU Center for Multimedia. He serves as the senior multimedia developer.

MouseUp is a multimedia firm in Alexandria specializing in CD-ROM, video games, highly interactive Web sites and Cybersports. Muendel says that it would almost be unavoidable to hire JMU grads because there are a number of alumni in new media and video in the Northern Virginia area. Nevertheless, he has enjoyed much success working with Madison graduates.

"There is a certain character that comes along with a JMU graduate," he says. "They are communicative and interactive with people, and that works for me."

Multimedia is a relatively new field. JMU's Center for Multimedia opened in 1995, and Muendel is not aware of other schools with such a center. Other employees at MouseUp hail from George Mason University, Virginia Tech, Baylor University (Texas) and John Brown College (Arkansas).

The MouseUp group has found that in addition to working well together, they enjoy playing together. "On those rare moments when we find we aren't entirely slammed with work, we find time for 'fun Fridays,'" Steel says. "We most recently went out to lunch, followed by an evening of bowling and pool into the late hours."

Sande Snead Fulk ('82) with
reporting by Karen Boxley ('01)

Capital One

It's no surprise that the biggest employer in Richmond happens to be the workplace of several James Madison University graduates. But what is impressive is that a company that employs more than 20,000 people worldwide would have such a close knit JMU community. Of the 11,000 Capital One employees in Virginia, about 200 are JMU grads, according to Jeff Smith ('90), senior human resources consultant and JMU Alumni Association Board president. Capital One even has its own alumni chapter, and Smith is president.

"I send out e-mail newsletters about every two weeks," Smith says. "Our group is strictly word of mouth. There's no way on the front end to really know how many Capital One employees went to JMU. But for every e-mail I send, I get about four new names of people who went to JMU."

The chapter has also held four social events, with the largest drawing about 65 alumni. One event took place in the summer of 2000 when Robert Reid, marketing professor and College of Business dean, and others from the university came to a Capital One chapter reception to give alumni an overview of the College of Integrated Science and Technology. JMU President Linwood H. Rose also spoke to a group of about 40 chapter members in February 2001.

In addition to networking, many JMU alumni have the opportunity to work together in their job capacities. Smith met Danielle Moore ('98 ) while she was in college and the two have recruited for Capital One. "We have recruited heavily at JMU in the past," Smith says. "It's one of what we call our core schools."

Capital One considers JMU to be a core school for recruiting because the company has found JMU grads to be a good match for its corporate culture and values.

"We've found that JMU graduates have strong liberal arts backgrounds and that they are well grounded. They have volunteer activities, community service and other extracurricular activities under their belt," Smith says. "They have developed leadership skills."

Sande Snead Fulk ('82)