More Questions (and Answers) About the Addition to Grainger Hall

See renderings of how Grainger Hall will look after the addition

How much (and how long) is construction likely to affect the inside of the present Grainger Hall?

The tentative schedule calls for temporary stairs to be built on the east side of the building over the summer. No further internal remodeling is scheduled until January 2007. The goal is to have the addition constructed, the temporary stairs removed and the addition connected to the original section of Grainger Hall by May 2007. All people and programs should be in place when classes begin in fall 2007. This is a tentative schedule, since bidding and construction are not totally predictable, but we are optimistic that this will be the general timeline.

What will be happening outside Grainger Hall?

The current courtyard will be the staging area for construction of the addition and temporary loading dock, so the courtyard will be closed this summer and the courtyard wall and loading dock will need to be removed. The building at 905 University Ave. will be removed, probably starting in July, and construction of the five-story addition to Grainger Hall can then begin. The Park Street exit from the Grainger Hall parking ramp will permanently close once construction begins. (This general area will become Grainger Hall’s new loading dock.)

What can we expect in terms of noise and general disruption during construction?

It is a big challenge to remodel an existing building in a way that disrupts on-going activities as little as possible. The Zimmerman Design Group has made an effort to minimize the disruption to Grainger occupants by a proposed construction schedule that has work being done outside the existing Grainger Hall until January 2007.

Throughout construction, the School of Business will work with contractors to minimize the effects on those who work and study in Grainger Hall. Anyone with questions, concerns or suggestions about the project is encouraged to contact Melissa Amos-Landgraf, assistant dean for administration.

Remind me again, what can we look forward to when the addition opens?

• Centralized student services for undergraduates
• Expanded Business Career Center
• New Copy Center
• A new 250-seat dining facility on the first floor, overlooking the courtyard
• Centralized student services for the full-time MBA program
• Dedicated space for each of the MBA career specializations
• Enhanced space for the Executive MBA and Evening MBA programs
• Centralized stairs for easy access between all five floors
• Storage for School of Business departments, units and centers in a new basement
• A wider sidewalk at the corner of Park and University

How Will the Grainger Hall Addition Be Environmentally Appropriate?

The addition is being designed to meet or exceed today’s standards for sustainability. Special features include: no net gain in storm-water runoff, high-efficiency building systems, use of recycled materials and incorporating daylight into more than 90 percent of the new space.

Have a question on the Grainger Hall Addition you’d like addressed in the School of Business Gazette? Send it to Lari Fanlund.

Accounting Undergraduates Take Second Place
In National Case Study Competition

A team of undergraduate accounting students from the UW-Madison School of Business took second place in the Deloitte National Student Case Study Competition, held in Scottsdale, Ariz. in April. Each student earned a $500 scholarship. It was the first year the School of Business has entered the competition, which is at the invitation of the major accounting firm.

The students are all juniors in the School of Business: Megan Larkin, Scott Merten, Laura Schmitz and Erin Sondergard. Coaching the team was Associate Professor of Accounting Brian Mayhew. Two representatives from Deloitte served as a sounding board for the Wisconsin team. They were John R. Peirson, a 1988 alumnus of the School of Business, and a Deloitte partner in Minneapolis; and Patrick J. Di Stefano, a Deloitte senior manager in Milwaukee.

In the annual seminar, which is funded by contributions from retired partners of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, student teams from six universities competed to solve real-world case studies involving complex accounting issues. The competition was won by Florida A&M. Other finalists were Indiana University, Miami University, Michigan State University and the University of Southern California.

To advance to the national program, a winning team from six campus case study seminars was selected from a group of approximately 30 students at each local competition. The competition is sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, which supports an array of national programs, which benefit undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.

National Risk Management and Insurance Organization Recognizes UW-Madison

The national Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) meeting held in Philadelphia in April was a banner event for students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison risk management program. During the meeting, Spencer Foundation 2005-06 scholarships were announced, and for the second year in a row, two UW-Madison graduate students were named as recipients of the prestigious $10,000 scholarships. Only five students nationally received such recognition last year. The scholarship, which will go to Nikhil Tungare and Ming Ye, also provides the benefit of a mentor, someone prominent in a risk management field related to the student’s interests.

Last year’s UW-Madison recipients, Audrey Bauman and Jim Roquemore, were able to attend the Philadelphia meeting due to the generosity of alumnus Dave Borghesi and his wife Nancy. In creating the Roger Taylor Fund, the Borghesis are honoring Nancy’s father and Dave’s mentor in the insurance industry, Roger Taylor. The Department supported the attendance of still another graduating MBA, Jianwe Xie. Also in attendance were undergraduates Megan Peters and Benny VandenAvond. As president of the student risk management and insurance club at UW-Madison, Peters was sponsored by the Wisconsin Chapter of RIMS. VandenAvond was selected to participate as a winner of the Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program, a national competition sponsored by RIMS.

Department Chair, Mark Browne said RIMS “has long been a good friend to our program, and we are grateful for their generosity as well as that of Dave and Nancy Borghesi. We recognize that their generosity is a reflection of the high quality of student drawn to UW-Madison.”

Students Win Burrill Competition with Plan for Drug Delivery Device

First prize of $10,000 in UW-Madison’s G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition was awarded April 15 to a company called Ratio, created by a team of business and science students. Anthony Escarcega, an MBA student in entrepreneurship, and John Puccinelli, a graduate student in biomedical engineering, wrote the winning plan for an already-patented device that can deliver large-molecule drugs to patients.

In total, UW-Madison students walked away with $22,000 in prize money at the business plan competition. Fourteen teams of 42 students competed in the eighth year of the competition. Teams from disciplines across campus presented their business plans to a panel of expert judges at the business school’s Grainger Hall. Business concepts ranged from on-line grocery services to creating and selling the services of creative students for brainstorming sessions.

Second place in the competition went to FireSite, whose business plan centered on a device for helping firefighters to escape from burning buildings. FireSite’s team consisted of Brian Burke, a sophomore in finance; Chandler Nault, a senior in mechanical engineering; Mitch Nick, a sophomore in industrial engineering; and Nick O’Brien, who is majoring in chemical engineering and theater. This team recently took first prize of $10,000 in the College of Engineering Schoof’s Prize competition.

Third place went to Clean Well for an idea involving airborne pathogens. The team consisted of James Lynnett, a master’s student in business, and Dan Gerdman, who is studying for his MBA in entrepreneurship.

Fourth prize went to a company called Microfend that offers anti-bacterial custom treatment for fabrics for special markets including hotels and hospitals. The team for this business was Alfredo Armengol and Paul Pucci, who are studying entrepreneurship, and Jay Deivasigamani, a graduate student in textile engineering.

“The idea of the competition is always to encourage the students to take their ideas and make them concrete enough to be marketable,” said Professor Anne Miner, who has directed the competition since its inception. Miner said this year’s competitors represented a wide range of students with an even wider range of ideas. “There are more business ideas on this campus than anyone could imagine. We certainly have some incredibly creative minds at work.”

The G. Steven Burrill competition is supported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Initiative for Studies in Technology Entrepreneurship (INSITE), the School of Business, the College of Engineering and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. In the School of Business, the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship and the Erdman Center for Operations and Technology Management collaborate to produce the competition. Major funding is provided by G. Steven Burrill, a 1966 graduate of the School of Business. Burrill made a surprise visit to the pre-event dinner Thursday night to offer students feedback on their business ideas.

G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition

FOOD NEWS FOR GRAINGER HALL
Catering, Dining Room and Deli Facilities, Procedures to Change

Big changes are in the works involving all kinds of food service in Grainger Hall. They include:

Facilities

• The Blue Chip Deli will close May 11 and not reopen due to construction of the Grainger Hall addition.
• The third floor Dining Room will close May 13. It will reopen this fall as a deli with grab-and-go options and salad bar.
• A coffee cart with muffins and other items will operate in the Grainger Hall atrium on days that classes are in session. (A start date has not yet been determined).
• A new, full-service dining room on the first floor of Grainger Hall will open in fall 2007 with seating for 250.
• School of Business faculty and staff are welcome to use the Fluno Center executive dining room for themselves or for entertaining visitors. Please note that you must make reservations. The dining room accepts cash and credit cards and will issue duplicate receipts if you need them for reimbursement purposes. The daily menu is posted at http://uwexeced.com/fluno/todaymeals.asp. Meal prices for faculty, staff and their guests are: $10.50 for full breakfast, including beverage; and $11 for full lunch, including beverage and dessert. Taxes are included in the price. For further information and to make reservations, please call the dining room at 441-7101.

Catering

• A new vendor will be catering events in Grainger Hall, which means a new menu will be in place as of May 16.
• The new vendor’s contract requires that menus be selected three weeks in advance of events.
• The contract also calls for final head counts no later than one week in advance of events
• There may be a service charge for small, catered events (fewer than 20-30 people).

According to Director of Conference Services Jacque Girard, the new system will greatly reduce the expense to the School of Business.

Some spaces that have been available for events, such as the deli and dining room, will no longer be available. Due to this reduction in available space and the vendor’s required lead times, Girard emphasized that planning ahead in organizing events is essential. “Because food will no longer be prepared onsite, more advance planning is a necessity,” Girard said. “Our Conference Services staff will do everything in our power to meet customers’ needs,” Girard said, “but we hope that our clients recognize that we are operating under a new system and the more they can plan ahead, the better their results will be.”

Details, new menus and ordering forms will be available soon on the Conference Services website. Additional information about the changes in food service will be in faculty and staff mailboxes by mid-May.

Undergraduate Office Staff Members Receive Campus Awards

Three staff members of the Undergraduate Programs Office were honored by UW-Madison’s Student Personnel Association (SPA). On April 20, Ruth Dahl, Mo O’Connor and Annette McDaniel received SPA Awards at the organization’s annual banquet.

Ruth Dahl was presented with the SPA Frontline Award that recognizes individuals who positively influence students’ perceptions of the university and have demonstrated a commitment to students on a day-in and day-out basis. Her ability to embrace change, and her problem-solving skills and work ethic were cited.

Annette McDaniel and Mo O’Connor both were presented with Campus Impact Awards which recognize those who have been in their current position for less than five years. Award winners have demonstrated a record of excellence in student personnel work or have developed new, creative and effective programs for dealing with student needs.
McDaniel’s commitments to the Leadership Institute, service to the Madison Academic and Career Advising Association, the National Academic Advisors Association and her role as co-chair of the campus-wide SOAR Advising Committee were cited as examples of her contributions. O’Connor, although a recent addition to the UPO staff, was honored for her work in partnership with the Multicultural Student Center, spearheading the Multicultural Career Fair and the Pathways to Excellence Radio Show, among others.

“I believe the School of Business is very fortunate to have employees like Ruth, Annette and Mo on staff,” said Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs Jo Meier. “These outstanding women have a positive impact on undergraduate students and others they interact with in the campus community on a daily basis.”

In the News

• Lori Holder-Webb, assistant professor in accounting and information systems, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal on accounting practices by General Motors.
• Biz Ed magazine, a publication that looks at business education, featured Wisconsin’s new MBA program in an article on “The Extreme MBA Makeover.” Dean Michael Knetter was quoted, and the experience of Marketing Research student Elizabeth Knox in Wisconsin’s new MBA career-specialization model was examined. The focus of the article: “the conventional MBA curriculum may need to be reconsidered and revamped to supply 21st-century business with graduates trained to solve 21st-century problems.”
• The Capital Region Business Journal did a story on the revised Evening MBA curriculum, focusing on its new international component. Director of Operations Linda Uitvlugt and Dean Michael Knetter were quoted. The Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also covered the addition of an international trip to the curriculum of the Evening MBA program. Uitvlugt was interviewed about the new curriculum on Wisconsin Public Radio.
• Dean Michael Knetter was the focus of an article in the Wisconsin State Journal, which described his plans to improve the MBA program. He also was quoted in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on changes that the program is undergoing.
• The G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition was covered by the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times.
• An essay by Ted Beck, associate dean for executive education and corporate relations, was published in the Capital Region Business Journal on what Madison has to offer business and education. Beck was also a participant in a roundtable discussion in Human Capital Magazine about changes in Executive Education.
• Corporate Report Wisconsin featured an article on management training programs at UW-Madison.
• Management Professor Mason Carpenter was quoted in the Wisconsin State Journal on diversification prospects for Rayovac.
• The Capital Region Business Journal did a cover story on ethics in the workplace that focused on Lecturer Tom Eggert, who teaches “Ethics, Values and Sustainability” to MBA students and quoted Dean Michael Knetter on how schools can teach better ethical performance.

Guidant MBA Spring Ball Held at Orpheum

The 2005 Guidant MBA Spring Ball, "Reach for the Stars," organized by the Graduate Business Association, was held at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday, April 9. The following awards were announced at the ball:

Most Admired Faculty (selected by first-year students)
Prof. Ken Kavajecz

Most Admired Faculty (selected by second-year students)
Prof. Chip Hunter

Outstanding Staff Member
Mark Matosian

Bucky Award (first-year student)
Bethany Foresman

Bucky Award (second-year student)
Becky Foster

Kristy Hofkens and Nolan Spencer, social co-chairs of the GBA, organized the Spring Ball.

BBA Salaries Increase 11 Percent

The Business Career Center (BCC) reports that the average BBA starting salary is up 11 percent over last year, to $45,742. Signing bonuses currently average $3,978, an increase of 21 percent. In addition, the percentage of students receiving signing bonuses has increased from 35 percent to 43 percent.

Through April 5, 355 employers conducted more than 4,350 on-campus interviews through the BCC for full-time and intern positions. Since the launch of the school-wide Job Board last fall, more than 1,270 current openings have been posted by employers for current students and alumni.

BBA and Master of Accountancy salary data is updated monthly.

Second Annual School of Business Golf Outing Set for September

The Graduate Business Association (GBA) will host the Second Annual Charity Golf Outing to benefit Junior Achievement on September 23, 2005 at University Ridge Golf Course.

The event aims to unite the entire UW-Madison School of Business graduate community for a common cause, with foursomes comprised of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the School of Business. Each hole will represent a career specialization or special interest within the School of Business. Teams will be formed around centers of specialization in the MBA program, in addition to teams from the School of Business community. All proceeds will be donated to Junior Achievement, an organization that educates and inspires young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives.

The golf scramble will be followed by a cookout where prizes will be awarded. Dean Michael Knetter will update the group about current and future initiatives of the School of Business. Those who choose not to golf can visit the driving range, where an instructor will be available, and join the group for the cookout.

For more information on participating in the event, visit the event website at www.uwgba.com or contact co-chairs Lauren Kren or Sarah Johnson.

Faculty-Staff News

The appointment of Toni Whited as Kuechenmeister-Bascom Professor of Business was approved, effective July 1. Whited joined the School of Business in 2003 as an associate professor. Previously, she was a visiting associate professor in the finance department of the University of Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. degrees, both in economics, from Princeton University. She earned a B.A. summa cum laude in economics and French from the University of Oregon. Before Michigan, Professor Whited was a visiting associate professor at Northwestern University and an associate professor at the University of Iowa. Prior to earning her Ph.D., she was an economist for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Professor Larry Rittenberg, Accounting and Information Systems, will be the recipient of The Institute of Internal Auditors’ 2005 Bradford Cadmus Memorial Award, the highest award given by the Institute. The award is being given in recognition of Rittenberg’s contributions to the internal auditing profession. The award will be presented at the 64th International Conference in Chicago in July.

Steve Schroeder, assistant director for undergraduate career services, has been named acting director of the Business Career Center as of July 1. He has a bachelor's degree from UW-Madison in History and Political Science and master's degree in Educational Administration. He is currently taking classes in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (formerly Educational Administration) with an eventual goal of obtaining a Ph.D. Prior to joining the Business Career Center, he worked at the Wisconsin Union, Testing & Evaluation Services and UW System Administration.

Lucas J. Wall is joining the School of Business as assistant director of MBA Career Services. He had been the assistant director for career events at the University of Florida Career Resource Center in Gainesville, Fla. He has an MA. in higher education and student affairs from The Ohio State University and a B.A. in sociology from the University of Iowa.

Blair Sanford, director of MBA Career Services, will present at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) national meeting and exposition this month. The annual meeting is being held in Milwaukee May 17-20. She and a former colleague at DePaul University, Aisha Ghori, will co-present on “International Students: Managing Career Expectations.”

Another Strong Case Competition Showing by MBA Students

A team of Wisconsin MBA students program captured third place in the 2005 Ford Motor Company Big 10 Case Competition in Columbus, Ohio. This is the fourth consecutive year that the University of Wisconsin-Madison has placed in the top three finishers in the competition. Wisconsin has again won the right to represent the Big Ten in the Pac/10 Big Ten Case Competition in Tempe, Ariz., in January 2006.

Team members are Richard Collumb, German Cruz, Nathan Meredith and Sara VanderLind. Meredith also won the best Q&A speaker in both the morning and afternoon rounds. Penn State University finished in first place and Ohio State University placed second in the competition. Rob Kozinets, Eliot Mason, Mark Matosian and Sandy Stark helped prepare the team.

CIBER Hosts First MBA International Business Case Competition

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) hosted the inaugural CIBER MBA International Business Case Competition from April 7-10 at the Fluno Center. MBA student teams from Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Thailand and five domestic institutions had 24 hours to analyze the same challenging case concerning the international business strategy of Danfoss, one of Denmark’s largest firms. Students presented strategic solutions and recommendations to a panel of judges from the business community. The Copenhagen Business School won first place, The Ohio State University took second and third place went to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Funds Ethics Program

PricewaterhouseCoopers has sponsored funding for an ethics and professionalism program in the Department of Accounting of Information Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With this support, the department is implementing a three-year curriculum sequence to enhance sensitivity to ethical and professional issues and provide students with opportunities to develop a sound ethical and professional orientation to challenges they can expect to encounter in their careers.

The funding will help the department sustain and enhance a program to revise and reinvigorate the ethics curriculum. A recent publication by PwC, Educating for the Public Trust: The PricewaterhouseCoopers Position on Accounting Education, cited three areas that accounting education should address:

• helping students understand what it means to be a member of the profession,
• emphasizing higher-level interpersonal and communication skills and integrating them throughout the curriculum, and
• fostering student’s ability to solve problems in complex business environments where the best answer is difficult to quantify.

UPCOMING GRADUATION EVENTS

Master's Graduation Celebration
Thursday, May 5
6-8 p.m.
5120 Grainger Hall

The Master's Graduation Celebration recognizes May and August master's graduates of the full-time MBA program. Dean Michael Knetter will recognize the Outstanding Student Award recipients and case competition participants. All full-time master's students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the reception. No RSVP is required.

Master’s Graduation Brunch
Sunday, May 15
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Fluno Center

All faculty and staff are invited to attend the graduation brunch that will take place prior to the commencement ceremonies for graduate business students scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 15 at the Kohl Center. A buffet with an assortment of brunch selections, including smoked salmon, baked ham, chicken carbonara, salads, various bakery items, green tea sorbet and hot and cold beverages will be available.

To attend, faculty and staff need to RSVP to Mark Matosian in the MBA Program Office by noon on Wednesday, May 4. His phone is 265-5078.

Undergraduate Graduation Celebration
Sunday, May 15
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Grainger Hall

Family and friends of graduating seniors are invited to tour Grainger Hall prior to the commencement ceremony, celebrate with the graduates and enjoy cake and punch. Faculty and staff are welcome to join the festivities; no RSVP is needed. If you have questions, please contact Wisconsin Business Alumni at alumni@bus.wisc.edu.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

ASAP Students Take Road Trip to Chicago

Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP) alumnus Daniel Nicholas arranged the annual ASAP "road trip" to Chicago in April. ASAP students spoke to executives from Neuberger Berman, UBS Institutional Equity Sales, UBS Global Asset Management, Harris Associates, Wanger Asset Management, RREEF and Holland Capital Management. ASAP alumni who spoke to the students included: Tom Cole, Jerry Ehlinger, Todd Griesbach, Daniel Nicholas, Bill Nygren, Tom Sontag, Brad Tank and Nick Zimmerman.

Family Business Center Hosts International Visitors

The Family Business Center hosted international visitors April 25-27, Kristian Skjolaas, director of the Norwegian Business and Industry Organization, and V. Subbiah, an uncle of a fourth generation business owner who hosted the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship study tour in India earlier this year. They gave a guest lecture on global perspectives on family business ownership to a class taught by Family Business Center Director Ann Kinkade on “Issues in Family Business Ownership. ” AIESEC students, members of the Entrepreneurship Student Association and the study group that traveled to India were invited to attend.

41st Wisconsin International Trade Conference Slated

The 41st Wisconsin International Trade Conference will be held May 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. Conference sponsors include the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), the UW-Madison Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE) and CIBER. The conference and luncheon will feature Governor Jim Doyle's presentation of Wisconsin Export Awards followed by a choice of three afternoon sessions: Making Connections in China, European Union Expansion and Container Shipping of Imports/Exports. A cocktail and networking reception will conclude the event.

Family Business Center to Hold Summer Event

The Family Business Center of the School of Business will have Dick Leinenkugel, vice president of sales and marketing of The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., as its keynote speaker at its second annual Summer Tailgate party. He will share the company’s legacy through five generations of a family business that began in 1867. The program will be held at Tripp Commons at the Memorial Union from 5-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 20. The program is open to FBC members, sponsors and potential members.

Miller Brewing Executive Speaks to Evening MBA Students

Jackie Heard, director of strategic change management at Miller Brewing Company, spoke at the spring Evening MBA John J. Oros Speaker Series event on April 7, hosted by Dean Michael Knetter. Heard was appointed to her position in 2002. Previously, she held previous positions at America Retold in Tannersville, N.Y.; South African Breweries in Johannesburg, South Africa and the Edgars Retail Group, also in Johannesburg.