Home > Gazette > March 2008

March 1, 2008

In the News

People and programs of the Wisconsin School of Business have been in the national news recently.

National News

Fox Business News

Dean Michael Knetter is becoming a familiar face on the Fox Business News cable TV channel. Knetter appeared on the channel twice during February. He first was interviewed on the economic impact of extending the Bush tax cuts. Later, he appeared on the network to debate the quality of government economic reports with John Williams, the publisher of Shadowstats.com.

Williams argued that government price indices are intentionally underestimating the true rate of inflation in order to hold Social Security payments down. Knetter argued that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has done an excellent job of trying to measure the true increase in the cost of living in a dynamic world. The BLS tries to account for three major complications to the measurement of cost of living: consumers change what they buy, the quality of goods is changing over time and new products or services are introduced that must be delivering better value than the old ones or they would not be purchased. Knetter is a former member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.

BusinessWeek.com

• Dean Michael Knetter was among a handful of business school deans quoted in the BusinessWeek.com article “The post-bubble curriculum.” The article focused on how business school curriculum can address real-world issues such as the subprime meltdown.
• The undergraduate program was mentioned in the BusinessWeek.com article “A transcript for soft skills.” The University of Wisconsin-Madison is considering offering a dual transcript featuring student’s extracurricular activities, jobs and internships.
• The Wisconsin MBA program was among MBA programs covered in a BusinessWeek.com article that ran on Valentine’s Day, “Looking for love at B-school.” The article profiled the challenges of dating while attending a rigorous business school. The story began by relating how MBA Student Services Director Mark Matosian was asked to officiate at a wedding of two Wisconsin MBA graduates who fell in love while in the program.

Christian Science Monitor

Associate Professor Morris Davis was quoted in a Christian Science Monitor article “How falling home prices imperil the U.S. economy.” Davis comments on possible unintended consequences of government intervention in the housing market.

Portfolio.com

Portfolio.com featured an article on the Wisconsin Naming Gift. The article also quotes alumnus Ted Kellner.

Wall Street Journal Online

The Wall Street Journal Online quoted Wisconsin MBA student Benjamin R. Burney in an article on steps companies are making to improve their recruiting Web sites. The article quoted students from a handful of MBA programs across the nation.

New York Times

Associate Professor Morris Davis was quoted in the New York Times article, “From the housing market to the maternity ward.” The article examined the relationship between fertility and the real estate market.

Barron’s Online

Barron’s Online featured an article on Applied Security Analysis Program alumnus Tom Ognar. The article, “Like father, like son,” discussed the influence of Ognar’s father Ronald.

The Leslie Roberts Show (Canada)

Associate Dean for Research and Ph.D. Programs Aric Rindfleisch was interviewed on the Leslie Roberts Show, one of the largest radio shows in Canada. Rindfleisch, who is an associate professor of Marketing, spoke on the topic of “Is materialism damaging our children?” He discussed teaching appreciation to children in order to diminish the impact of materialism.

Slate

Alumnus John Morgridge was recognized by Slate for his $175 million gift to establish a scholarship fund. The article listed the top-60 largest American charitable contributions of 2007.

Regional News

Dean Michael Knetter spoke at the annual Economic Trends forum in Milwaukee. Knetter predicted the economic outlook for Wisconsin was not as bad as the rest of the country for the upcoming year. The event was covered in Wisbusiness.com and the Small Business Times (here and here).

Professor Mark Browne, Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance, was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The article, “Insurance, wishes and facts,” discussed Gov. Doyle’s plan for small business health insurance.

Finance Professor Mark Fedenia was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article “Fund seeks consistency by playing stocks up and down.” Fedenia, former director of the Applied Security Analysis Program, co-manages the Nakoma Absolute Return Fund.

Alumnus Steve Burrill visited the UW-Madison campus as part of several events designed to bridge university technology and business. Burrill also participated in an Entrepreneurial Boot camp this past summer. The event was covered in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Wisconsin Technology Network and the Capital Times.

Local News

OnWisconsin profiled the Entrepreneurial Boot camp in its winter edition. The article quotes Professor Anne Miner and Dan Olszewski, director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship.

The offerings of the Small Business Development Center were featured in an Isthmus article, "Business School in a night." The article examined an SBDC program called “The First Step," which the article described as a “beginning class for fledgling entrepreneurs.” SBDC Director Neil Lerner was quoted in the article.

Alumnus John Morgridge’s Fund for Wisconsin Scholars was covered in both the Daily Cardinal and the Badger Herald.

The Daily Cardinal featured a piece on the Wisconsin Naming Gift. The article, “What’s in a name?” reviewed the $85 million gift and its impact on the school.

Real Estate Professor Tim Riddiough was quoted in the Isthmus article “Mayor Dave’s housing plan fizzles.” Riddiough commented on the problems associated with inclusionary zoning.

The Capital Region Business Journal featured an article on how business schools are meeting the practical demands of future careers. Dean Michael Knetter is quoted in the article.

Associate Professor Morris Davis, Real Estate, was quoted in a Capital Times article, “Analyst sees ‘a few bad years’ for housing returns.” Davis also was quoted in a Capital Times article “Expert: Home crisis initiatives won’t help.”

Linda Davis, counselor in the Small Business Development Center, was quoted in the Wisconsin State Journal. The article “Boom in businesses going to the dogs,” discussed the increase in the number of businesses catering to dog owners. Davis predicts the market is not yet saturated.

The Badger Herald quoted members of the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi in the article “Madisonians ‘freezin’ for a reason, baby!” A group of students from the school of business participated in the annual Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics of Wisconsin.