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August 1, 2007

CNBC’s Fast Money Turns to Wisconsin MBA Students

Wisconsin MBA students in the Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP) are becoming somewhat of a fixture on CNBC’s Fast Money.  In recent months, the students have appeared on the nationally televised business news program, which showcases advice from Wall Street traders.

The program’s “Grade the Trade” segment tests the trading prowess of some of the most promising business students in the nation. On Friday, July 20, the segment showcased MBAs from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Purdue, University of Richmond and Boston College. Representing Wisconsin was second-year ASAP student Chris Reger. As part of ASAP, Reger helps manage a $42 million student-managed portfolio. 
 
In the “Grade the Trade segment” of Fast Money, students are asked to give rapid-fire reaction to proposed trading situations. Reger’s portion of the program was taped in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is an investment management intern with American Century Investments, working on three mutual fund teams.    

Reger was given the following scenario: A steam pipe in New York breaks and in the days that follow, cities from New York to Atlanta say they will double the amount of money they plan to spend to improve aging public works systems.  What are you buying, what are you selling as this scenario unfolds?

Reger’s reply included buying engineering firms such as Fluor Corp. (FLR) and Shaw Group (SGR). He also recommended buying Caterpillar (CAT), as well as steel companies such as Nucor (NUE) and McDermott International (MDR). Reger received an “A” for his answer from program host Pete Najarian.

Reger says he believes the positive feedback he received is  “a clear reflection on the rigorous curriculum, collaborative environment and superior experience of the Applied Securities Analysis Program.  I feel confident that any one of our students could 'ace' the trade!"   

It was the third month in a row that a Wisconsin MBA appeared on Fast Money.
In June, the show’s “Face 2 Face” segment featured another second-year Wisconsin MBA student, Erica Healey. Healey had the chance to ask a question about buying real estate investment trusts (REITs). Healey is currently interning at Callahan Capital Partners in Chicago.

In May, Adam Sweet, a new graduate of the Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP), competed against MBAs from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, Columbia Business School and the University of North Carolina on Fast Money’s Grade the Trade segment.

G. Kevin Spellman, director of the Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis at the UW-Madison School of Business, says the CNBC coverage is just one example of the program receiving national media attention. In January, for example, the program had a major profile in Smart Money magazine. Spellman attributes the attention to the high caliber of students in the program, the two-year structure of the program culminating in  management of real-money portfolios in the second year, the people involved in the program, and the ASAP’s strong relationships with money management firms. “The hands-on experience the students receive in investment management  is challenging and real,” Spellman says, “and that fact is increasingly being recognized.”

Wisconsin MBA Is Newest Forté Foundation Member

The Wisconsin MBA recently became a member of the Forté Foundation http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer, a powerful coalition of major corporations, top business schools  and influential non-profit organizations working to substantially increase the number of women business leaders.

Through education programs, information forums, and financial support of MBA students, Forté motivates young women to prepare for careers in business, increases their access to education and business networks and raises their awareness of the social impact they can make through careers in business.

Jed Frees Steps Down as Associate Dean for Research, Ph.D. Programs

Professor Jed Frees will step down August 31 as associate dean for research and Ph.D. programs, a post he has held since December 2004.

In announcing the change, Dean Michael Knetter said, “Jed has made significant progress in developing resources and support for research and our Ph.D. programs. We were fortunate to have someone with Jed's scholarly reputation, dedication to students and to the school in this role.”

Nominations to fill the post are being accepted. The part-time administrative position is responsible for developing strategy and implementing policies and resources to support research and PhD programs.  

FACULTY-STAFF NEWS

New to the School

Kristin Branch has joined the School of Business as director of the A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research. Branch comes to the business school from Spectrum Brands where she was a senior brand manager for Remington products for the past three years.  She has extensive experience in marketing, marketing research and business management. Most recently, her research project have involved concept testing and synthesis of consumption data and consumer insights. Prior to Spectrum, she worked at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare North America for two years, managing brands such as Aquafresh, Abreva, Debrox and Chap-et. She also has held marketing positions at W.W. Grainger, Inc., GMR Marketing and Wheel & Sprocket. Branch earned her MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the School of Business in 2002.

Sarah Barber has accepted the position of student services coordinator in the Business Career Center. Barber joins the School of Business from the Office of Career Services at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was the assistant director for the past two years. She has extensive experience in advising and counseling business students. Barber earned her M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Michigan.

Vicky Myint has joined the Enterprise MBA programs - the Evening and Executive MBA - as assistant director. Myint was previously the business development manager for the Center for Advanced Studies in Business (CASB), which operates the Fluno Center and offers custom programming for Executive Education. She also has previously held positions as a senior business analyst with Spectrum Brands and as a senior business research analyst with NameProtect. She earned her Executive MBA from the School of Business and has a B.S. in business administration from George Mason University.

Melani Quarles has joined the Undergraduate Program Office as student status examiner 2.  She comes to the School of Business from the Sheldon Lubar School of Business at UW-Milwaukee, where she provided administrative support for the Office of the Dean, and several other units.

Accomplishments

Real Estate Professor Steve Malpezzi had a trip to Beijing recently sponsored by The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Malpezzi gave an invited presentation on "The Economics of Affordable Housing," to the Development Research Center of China's State Council. In July, Malpezzi spent a week at the Rockefeller Foundation's conference center at Bellagio, Italy, where he participated in Rockefeller's "Global Urban Summit:  Innovations for an Urban World."  Among other activities, he presented his paper "Urban Development at Six Scales."

Michael Mihelbergel, executive director of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, has been appointed to Urban Land Institute's Commercial & Retail Development Leadership Council.  He attended the 2007 ULI North American Councils Summer Leadership Summit in Vail, Colo. in July.

Beijing Delegation Visits Real Estate Program

In June, a delegation from Beijing’s Ministry of Land and Resources along with Professor Lou Jianbo of the Center for Real Estate Law at Beijing University, visited the School of Business to learn more about the Real Estate program's activities and to discuss areas of potential cooperation. Professors Morris Davis and Steve Malpezzi discussed real estate and land pricing topics with the group. 

The connection with the Ministry began last fall, when Senior Lecturer Emeritus Rod Matthews made a presentation and discussed a recent article by Steve Malpezzi on price issues of real estate.  During the 2007 spring semester, Professor Matthews conducted weekly internet video sessions with Beijing University. Matthews will travel to Beijing in October to meet again with the Ministry.

In the News

News of the people and programs of the School of Business.

National

A front-page article in the New York Times on the trend toward public universities charging more for high-demand or high-cost programs  included the new differential tuition for the undergraduate business program at UW-Madison. Undergraduate business student Jesse Siegelman  and was quoted on student support for providing greater resources for the school through the higher tuition. Provost Patrick Farrell was quoted on the need for differential tuition.

Associate Professor Francois Ortalo-Magné, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, was quoted in a Bloomberg.com article on where Australian investors are buying land.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aT6y8B2yTyGM&refer
=australia

Regional

The Milwaukee Business Journal quoted Associate Professor Francois Ortalo-Magné, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, about a study he co-authored on the “for sale by owner” real estate market in Madison.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2007/07/09/focus2.html

G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition 2006 winner, Aristotle Ventures Inc., was covered in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=629394

Real Estate and Urban Land Economics alumna  Kristine O’Meara was featured in the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Women of Influence section. Former real estate professor, the late James Graaskamp, was also mentioned in the article.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured an article about Professor Mark Ready being  named the academic director of the Applied Security Analysis Program. 
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=631356

The Bolz Center for Arts Administration was featured in the Milwaukee Business Journal article, “Eye for art, mind for business.” The article quoted Center Director Andrew Taylor.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2007/07/16/focus2.html

School of Business Dean Mike Knetter was featured in the July issue of Northwoods Commerce. Knetter, a Rhinelander native, discussed Wisconsin’s economy and that of the Northwoods.

Andrew Taylor, director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, was quoted in a Missoula, Mont.  newspaper, the Missoulian,  on how the arts industry can attract young adults, a demographic missing from arts organizations.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/07/19/entertainer/ent01.txt

Local

The Wisconsin State Journal mentioned the Grainger Hall addition in an article  on projects being built by Miron Construction Co.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/index.php?ntid=199087&ntpid=1

The Here on Earth program on Wisconsin Public Radio featured a program on international business. Several students and faculty were interviewed, including Wisconsin MBA students on their experiences on a study trip to Beijing, International Business Lecturer Sachin Tuli, MBA alumna Lisa Bu and Associate Dean for Enterprise MBA Programs and Marketing Services Deborah Mitchell.
http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/archive_070627k.cfm

Associate Professor Jim Seward, Finance, Investment and Banking, was quoted in the Wisconsin State Journal article  on recent changes and cuts made at Spectrum Brands.
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2007/06/30/0706300024.php

Undergraduate student and recent G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition entrant, Ashutosh Gupta was featured as an emerging leader in the July issue of In Business Magazine. http://inbusinessmagazine.com/article.jsp?sectionid=25268

School of Business Dean Mike Knetter was quoted in the Capital Times article “Madison’s a ‘fast city’ in magazine rankings.” The Fast Company magazine examined cities that offer the best in economic innovation and opportunity and named Madison a Startup Hub.
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2007/07/02/0707020296.php

Madison Magazine profiled MBA Brand and Product Management student Marjani Coffey in the article “Going for gold.” The article discussed the up and coming market for "gold-collar” jobs which requires hands-on, high tech and well-rounded workers.
http://www.madisonmagazine.com/article.php?section_id=918&xstate=view_story&story_ id=233600

Neil Lerner, director of the Small Business Development Center, was quoted in the Wisconsin State Journal on the emerging market for errand services in the area.
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2007/07/15/0707160140.php

Professor David Brown, Finance, Investment and Banking, was quoted in the Wisconsin State Journal on the recent rise in the Dow Industrial Index.
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2007/07/20/0707200027.php

The Associated Press covered the news that a former Munchkin from “The Wizard of Oz,” School of Business alumnus Meinhardt Raabe, is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year along with 123 other Munchkins. The story appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capital Times.
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2007/07/20/0707200003.php
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2007/07/20/0707200252.php

Evening MBA Graduates Its Seventh Class

The Wisconsin Evening MBA program graduated its seventh class last month. The graduation ceremony and brunch were held at the Fluno Center.

The 31 members of the Evening MBA class of 2007 represented 25 employers from the Madison and Milwaukee metro areas, Janesville/Beloit and northern Wisconsin. Their degrees were conferred by Associate Dean for Enterprise MBA Programs and Marketing Services Deborah Mitchell  and by Enterprise MBA Programs Director Linda Uitvlugt. Stephen Arnold was chosen by the Class of 2007 to be the student speaker.

The Evening MBA and Executive MBA programs make up the Enterprise MBA platform offered by the School of Business to meet the needs of working professionals.

Orientation Programs for Full-Time Wisconsin MBA
Set for August

The full-time Wisconsin MBA program will provide a two-day orientation program for incoming international MBA students on August 16-17.

The Wisconsin MBA Experience for the Class of 2009 full-time MBA students begins on August 20 and lasts seven days.  There will be interactive sessions on Managerial Communications, Case Analysis and Teambuilding.  In addition to the academic component of the orientation, there will be sessions on Project Management and Time Management, the MBA Honor Code and Behavioral Integrity Code and a Diversity Theater presentation on "Appreciation of Differences.”

Students have access to a new web-based resource, "MBA Concierge."   This feature allows students to access local  information on everything from restaurants and stores  to public utilities, helping to provide a smooth transition prior to their move to Madison.

Questions related to the full-time MBA orientation programs should be directed to Mark Matosian, director of student services, at mmatosian@bus.wisc.edu
or 265-5078.

Marketing Services to Hold Open House on Aug. 16

Marketing Services, formerly the Office of Marketing and Communications, will host an Open House on Thursday, August 16 from 1 to 5 p.m. in Room 5151 of Grainger Hall. All School of Business faculty and staff are invited to attend.

Marketing Services staff will be on hand to informally answer questions about  the resources available to School of Business units and provide information on new ways to access those resources. Deborah Mitchell, who was named associate dean of Enterprise MBA Programs and Marketing Services in June, will be available to answer questions on the goals of Marketing Services and to discuss ongoing work in developing a brand strategy for the School of Business. 

Refreshments will be served at the Open House. No RSVP is needed.

Upcoming Deadlines for CIBER Grant Opportunities

Application deadlines are approaching for the Center for International Business and Education Research (CIBER’s) two university grant programs.  The deadline for the next round of Applied Funds support is September 4. The deadline for the next Global Research/Curriculum Development awards is October 1.
 
CIBER’s Applied Funds program provides grants of up to $2,000 to support travel, conference registration, and participation in faculty development programs.  CIBER’s Global Research/Curriculum Development grants usually range from $2,000-$7,500 and support international research or curriculum development activities such as developing an international study tour or enhancing a business language course. 

Requests for funding under either program must relate to one or more of CIBER’s programmatic goals, including internationalizing curriculum content; creating faculty development and enrichment programs; collaborating with foreign language departments to develop business language courses; funding research projects, events and publications on issues of strategic national interest; and creating and sponsoring business outreach and training programs to enhance the ability of U.S. business to compete internationally.

For more information. please visit the CIBER website or contact Suzanne Dove, CIBER outreach director, at sdove@bus.wisc.edu or 265-4938.

CIBER Co-sponsors Program on Canadian-U.S.
Border Security

CIBER is a co-sponsor of the upcoming conference, “Homeland Security and Canada-U.S. Border Trade: Implications for Public Policy and Business Strategy,” which will take place in Windsor, Ontario, October 25-26. Designed for business executives, government officials and academics, the conference will assess American and Canadian security perspectives as it relates to Canada-U.S. border trade, review existing efforts to “keep the border closed to terrorists and open for trade,” and identify economically and politically feasible public policy and private sector strategies to achieve a viable and sustainable balance between homeland security and economic security for both nations.
 
This conference is by invitation only. CIBER will cover the conference registration fee, airfare to Detroit, ground transportation to the hotel and lodging expenses for up to two faculty or doctoral students. If you are interested in attending, please send a brief e-mail by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 14 describing your interest in the program and how it relates to your teaching and research interests to uwmadisonciber@bus.wisc.edu. Participants will need to pay for any meals not included in the conference. CIBER requires that sponsored participants provide a follow-up summary of their experience at the conference, including an evaluation of its value to the participant’s teaching and/or research interests.
 
To view the conference agenda and for additional information, please visit http://cibs.tamu.edu/border/index.html.

About the Gazette

The School of Business Gazette is published the first of the month by Marketing Services for faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. Submissions for the September 1 issue should be sent by August 27 to Editor Lari Fanlund, lfanlund@bus.wisc.edu.