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September 1, 2007

Wisconsin MBA Moves Up 15 Spots in Forbes Ranking

The Wisconsin MBA moved up 15 spots in a national ranking of MBA programs by Forbes magazine. The Wisconsin MBA was ranked 27th, compared to 42nd in 2005, the last time the biennial ranking was conducted.

Forbes based the ranking on the results of a survey of MBA graduates from the graduating class of 2002, comparing their current salaries with their pre-MBA salaries and factoring in the cost of their program, including the salary foregone while in school.

The Wisconsin MBA also has made strides in other recent rankings. U.S. News & World Report most recently ranked the Wisconsin MBA 29th in the nation, up two spots from the previous year. In the most recent Wall Street Journal ranking of MBA programs, the Wisconsin MBA moved up nine spots to 25th in the regional category.

Undergraduate Business Program Ranked 12th in Nation by U.S. News

The latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of undergraduate business programs places the University of Wisconsin-Madison 12th overall among business schools in the U.S., up one spot from 13th place last year and 7th among public doctoral-granting institutions.

In addition, two programs within the School of Business retained their rankings in the magazine’s top-five list. The Real Estate program was ranked second and the Insurance/Risk Management program was rated third in the nation.

In the same issue, the Marketing program ranked ninth, the Finance program ranked 13th, the Accounting program ranked 17th, the Management program ranked 20th and International Business ranked 24th.

UW-Madison as a whole was ranked 38th in the U.S. and eighth among public universities. The rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty who responded to an invitation to nominate peer institutions.

Wisconsin's undergraduate program has been ranked among top programs in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report ever since the magazine began ranking undergraduate business programs in 1996.

Ready Named to Diermeier Chair of Finance

Professor Mark Ready, Finance and Investment, has been named the Jeffrey J. Diermeier Chair of Finance.

Ready is the faculty director of the Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP) of the Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis. He served on the NASDAQ’s Economic Advisory Board from 1998-2000, and he was chief economist and director of the Office of Economic Analysis at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from April 2000 through January 2001.

Ready has done extensive research in the area of investments and has published many scholarly articles in top finance journals. He served as associate editor for the Review of Financial Studies and is associate editor for Financial Management. Ready’s research focuses on the functioning of financial markets. Before beginning his academic career, he spent seven years in finance positions at Ford Motor Company.

The chair was endowed by Jeff Diermeier, BBA '74, MBA '75, president and CEO of the CFA Institute, who is a former chief investment officer for UBS Global Asset Management.

Time Magazine Columnist to Be Business Writer in Residence

Justin Fox, Time magazine's business and economics columnist, has agreed to spend a week this fall as the Business Writer in Residence.

Fox will speak to classes of business students and journalism students in October. The exact week has not yet been set.

Before joining the magazine in January 2007, Fox spent more than a decade writing and editing for Fortune. He was Fortune’s chief economics writer and also covered topics ranging from international business to technology to investing to high-end Japanese cuisine. In 2000 and 2001, he was the magazine's Europe editor, based in London. He started his blog, the Curious Capitalist, on CNNMoney.com (Fortune’s Internet home) in 2006. His book, tentatively titled “The Myth of the Rational Investor” is scheduled to published by HarperBusiness in April 2008.

The Business Writer in Residence program is a joint effort by the School of Business, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and University Communications to bring in nationally known business writers to interact with business and journalism students. The Business Writer in Residence program is funded by a grant from the UW Foundation.

Anyone interested in scheduling a meeting or an event with Fox during his visit, should contact Tina Frailey or Lari Fanlund in the business school’s Marketing Services office.

Information Systems Becomes OTM Track

The Wisconsin MBA career specialization in Information Systems has become a track within the Operations and Technology Management (OTM) career specialization and has been renamed Information and Technology Management. The OTM career specialization at the graduate level will also offer two tracks in Operations Management, focusing on manufacturing and service organizations, respectively.

Andy Jakubczak, formerly the director of the Information Systems program, is now the director of the Erdman Center, with his main emphasis on external relations, student recruiting and placement. A position as assistant director of the Erdman Center is vacant. With these changes, Professor Urban Wemmerlöv has assumed the title of executive director of the Erdman Center. To learn more, see www.bus.wisc.edu/erdman.

FACULTY-STAFF NEWS

Arrivals

Shana M. Clor-Proell has joined the Department of Accounting and Information Systems as an assistant professor. She comes to the School of Business from Cornell University, where she recently earned her Ph.D. in Management. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she worked in public accounting in the areas of both audit and tax. She is a CPA in the state of Wisconsin. Clor-Proell also holds an M.S. in Management and B.S. in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University.

Clor-Proell’s primary teaching interests are in financial accounting. Her research in judgment and decision-making uses experimental methods to investigate the use of financial accounting information by investors. Her dissertation focuses on examining how users’ investment decisions are influenced by firms’ discretionary accounting choices and users’ expectations of the firm. She is the co-author of a recently published article in the Journal of Accounting Research on “Accounting Standards, Implementation Guidance, and Example-Based Reasoning.”

Qing Liu has joined the Marketing Department as an assistant professor. She comes to the School of Business from The Ohio State University, where she was a postdoctoral fellow. Previously, she was with JPMorgan Chase in New York City as vice president of risk and knowledge management.

Liu has been an ad-hoc referee for several academic journals, including the Journal of Business and Economics Statistics, Marketing Science and Communications in Statistics: Theory and Methods. She is the coauthor of a forthcoming article in Marketing Science, “Investigating Endogeneity Bias in Marketing. “ She is the co-author of a chapter of a book, “Handbook on Research on Pricing,” to be published next March.

Liu has a Ph.D. in Statistics, with a minor in marketing from The Ohio State University, where she also earned an M.S. in Statistics. Her B.S. in Science and English is from the University of Science and Technology of China.

Sarah Barber has joined the Business Career Center (BCC) as a student services coordinator, and is part of the BCC’s student advising team. Barber will be advising Certificate in Business, Information Systems, Management and Human Resources, Real Estate and Risk Management and Insurance students and is responsible for a weekly newsletter for students and BCC Orientation.

Sarah Johnson has joined Undergraduate Academic Services as an associate advisor. She just graduated from UW-La Crosse with an M.S. in Education, focusing on college student development and administration. She previously was an advisor in UW- La Crosse’s Office of Multicultural Student Services.

John Brancamp has joined the School of Business as a lecturer in Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance.

Sheila Kelly has joined the School of Business as a lecturer in Business Communication. She has taught English at UW-Madison, and UW-Platteville. Her Ph.D. from Loyola University-Chicago is in American Literature.

David Shulman is a visiting professor in real estate. He comes to the School of Business from Baruch College, City University of New York, where he has been an executive on campus. He is the managing member of David Shulman LLC, a private investment fund that does economic and financial consulting. He has a Ph.D. in management from the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles.

Chad Proell is a visiting professor in Management and Human Resources. He most recently was an adjunct of Management and Organizations at Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University. His Ph.D. in Management and Organizations is from Cornell. His research interests include power, status and influence; teams and leadership; and negotiations.

W. David Kelton is a visiting professor in Operations and Information Management. He comes to the School of Business from the University of Cincinnati, where he is a professor in the Department of Quantitative Analysis and Operations Management. His Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering is from UW-Madison. Kelton is widely published in scholarly journals, has been a presenter at many academic conferences and has co-authored several books. He has been the interim editor in Chief of INFORMS Journal on Computing. He also has done extensive consulting work, mainly in the area of simulation methods and applications.

Jody N. Andruss has joined the UW Foundation as a development director working on behalf of the School of Business. Previously she was advertising manager for niche publications for Capital Newspapers. She has a B.S. from the University of Iowa. Andruss will work with Development Director Jim Kubek to increase financial support for the School of Business.

Jenny Vigoren has joined the Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis as a university services associate 1. Previously, she was an office assistant with the Department of Finance, Investment and Banking of the School of Business. She just graduated from UW-Madison in the Professional French Master’s Program and has a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Steve Smith has accepted the position of university services associate 2 with the Executive MBA. He most recently was an academic department associate with the UW-Madison International Studies Major and Global Cultures Certificate. He has a B.A. and M.A. from UW-Madison.

Matthew Nelson has joined the MBA Program office as a student services coordinator. He comes to the School of Business from the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science/Human Ecology Career Services, where he was a career advisor. He has an M.S. in Education from Indiana University and a B.S. from UW-Stevens Point.

Departures

Adam Havell has ended his project appointment with the Hawk Center.

Kathy Esposito, associate outreach specialist with the Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, has ended her employment with the School of Business.

Transitions

Melissa Amos-Landgraf is the business school’s new associate dean for administration and will be responsible for the overall management of School of Business financial resources and operations, human resources, conference services and building management.

Lynette Stolarzyk is the new director of Professional Programs in Accounting. In that role, she will coordinate efforts to develop the new Graduate-Only Master of Accounting degree (GMAcc) degree, a two-year, (54 credit) program designed to accommodate students with bachelor degrees in any field. The program allows students to capitalize on their undergraduate degree in liberal arts, science, the languages, history, engineering, and business, among others. She also will serve the students in the Integrated Master of Accountancy degree or IMAcc (formerly known as the Five-Year Professional Program) and the undergraduate degree in Accounting.

Celeste Taber has accepted the position of university services associate 2,
project appointment, with the Family Business Center.

Caryl Knutsen of the Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management has the new title of student services coordinator.

Accomplishments

John Surdyk, director of INSITE, discussed incubation of new companies at the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development. The panel “From Pastures to Patents: Growing New Jobs in Old Fields,” was designed to educate junior lawmakers from Midwestern states and Canadian provinces in incubator design, operation and public financing. The conference was held at the Fluno Center in July.

Management Professors Jon Eckhardt and Mason Carpenter recently received funding from the Kauffman foundation to conduct a survey of software developers of the Palm Computing Platform. The funding provided is part of a larger research program examining entrepreneurship in software markets. Also involved in the project is graduate student Mike Ciuchta.

Walk-In Photo Session for School of Business Faculty and Staff Set for Sept. 10

School of Business faculty and staff wishing to have headshots taken, should attend a walk-in photo session from noon until 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 10 in the Capitol Conference Room, 5120 Grainger Hall. No reservations are needed.

Anyone with questions about the photo session should contact Lori Strelow in Marketing Services, lstrelow@bus.wisc.edu, 265-3109.

Reorganization of Undergraduate Program Office

As a result of reorganization of core functions of the undergraduate program, the name of the Undergraduate Programs Office has been changed to Undergraduate Academic Services (UAS). Undergraduate Academic Services is located in Suite 2020 Grainger Hall, space formerly used by the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship.

The core functions of Undergraduate Academic Services are:

• Academic advising and related programming (prospects, applicants, and admitted business students) for approximately 4,500 UW-Madison students
• Admission information, process, systems and related statistics
• Administration of undergraduate academic affairs
• Graduation information, process, systems and related statistics
• International Study Programs – study abroad programming
• Business Learning Center – academic support programming

Some school-wide functions and other undergraduate activities have migrated to other offices:

• Timetable management (and related room issues) is being handled by the Dean’s Office – Marjorie Pfeifer, mapfeife@wisc.edu, is managing this process until an assistant director for academic support services is hired. The search is in process.
• Room reservations for meetings and events, and class sessions that are supplemental to the timetable schedule, are being handled by Conference Services.
• Student organizations and leadership education are being handled by the Accenture Leadership Center as part of the Business Career Center.

IN THE NEWS

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

National

Bloomberg.com featured an article on a study co-authored by Associate Professor Francois Ortalo-Magné. The study examined the for sale by owner real estate market in Madison, Wis.

Professor Jim Seward, Finance, was quoted in the Orlando Sentinel on a potential deal between MGIC Investment Corp. and Radian Group Inc.

Professor Thomas O’Guinn, Marketing, was quoted in the USA Today article, “Virgin America takes off.” The article focused on how the Virgin America brand could create success for the new airline.

The supply chain management expertise of the School of Business was the subject of a feature article in Military Advanced Education magazine. Verda Blythe, director of the Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management, was quoted on the center’s MBA career specialization in supply chain management and its relevance for military personnel wishing to advance their careers. Assistant Professor James Rappold, who coordinates Executive Education offerings in supply chain, was quoted on supply chain management challenges that organizations face. The author of the article was Communications Director Lari Fanlund.

The recent trend toward universities charging more for high-demand majors, including the differential tuition for undergraduate business majors at UW-Madison, has been covered in several publications. Undergraduate business student Jesse Sieglman and Provost Patrick Farrell were both quoted on their support for the differential tuition. Stories have appeared in the Seattle Times, the Austin-American Statesman, the Houston Chronicle and the Minneapolis Star Tribune and previously appeared in the New York Times.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003810981_tuition290.html
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/07/29/0729tuition.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5050469.html
http://www.startribune.com/561/story/1369108.html

Regional

The Applied Security Analysis Program was featured in the Milwaukee Business Journal. The article, “Teaching money magic,” focused on the program’s new academic director, Professor Mark J. Ready and the real-world experience the program provides.

Associate Professor Francois Ortalo-Magné, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, was quoted in the August issue of Milwaukee Magazine on the company Home Vestors, whose slogan is “We Buy Ugly Houses.”

Recent G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition participants were featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Matthew Christensen and Ben Durkee who presented their product, Colonglow, at the competition this spring have been competing in other business plan competitions in the region this summer.

Recent U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 rankings were reported in the Milwaukee Business Journal. The School of Business held steady coming in 12th overall.

Professor Mark Ready was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article “Fed moves the market.” The article discussed the ups and downs of the stock market and its impact on credit rates.

Dean Mike Knetter was quoted in the article “Investing in UW brain power for start-ups” in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The article discussed the Badger Alumni Capital Network, which helps growing companies by providing funding and guidance.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered the Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Bootcamp sponsored by the School of Business. Alumni John Morgridge and G. Steven Burrill led the 50 participants through the camp. The camp featured case studies, financial statements and real-world advice from top leaders in the business world.

Dan Olszewski, director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurial Management, was quoted in the article “Wall Street warm to cold feet at MGIC,” in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The article focused on MGIC Investment Corp.’s decision to revaluate its planned deal with Radian Group Inc.

Undergraduate business student and UW football player Chris Pressley was featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article “Trip to China helps shape present, future for UW’s Pressley.” The article discussed Pressley’s trip to China with fellow undergraduate business students.

Local

The Capital Region Business Journal quoted Neil Lerner, director of the Small Business Development Center, in the article “Running errands for others.” The article focused on the emerging errand services industry in Madison.

InBusiness Magazine featured Ashutosh Gupta and Nathan Lustig, undergraduate business students, in the article “Forty under forty.” The annual list honors emerging leaders in the Madison community who have a strong civic commitment and have made a significant impact on their organization.

Corporate Report Wisconsin quoted Tom Henderson, director of Leadership and Applied Business (LAB) at the Fluno Center for Executive Education. The article, “Is there a ROI on continuing education?,” discussed how to calculate the return on the cost of education.

The Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Bootcamp sponsored by the School of Business was discussed in an editorial in the Capital Times. The article discussed the impact on the university’s ability to contribute to Wisconsin’s economic development if proposed budget cuts on the UW System are enacted.

The Capital Times reported on Chris Pressley’s recent trip to China. The undergraduate business student and UW football player spent three weeks touring China with a group from the School of Business.

The differential tuition for undergraduate business students was mentioned in the Capital Times article, “Tuition fee plan delayed.” A similar plan for undergraduate engineering majors was recently delayed.

Associate Dean of Enterprise MBA Programs and Marketing Services Deborah Mitchell was featured on the On Air with InBusiness Magazine radio program on August 28. Mitchell commented on trends in consumer behavior.

Mitchell also was featured in the Capital Times article, “Lapping up luxury.” The article focused on the luxury market for dog supplies, daycares and spas.

Assistant Directors Named to Grasskamp Center for Real Estate

The James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate has two new assistant directors.

David Shulman, formerly managing director and head REIT analyst for Lehman Brothers, is the assistant director of the Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT), formerly called the Applied Real Estate Securities Analysis Program (ARESAP). Shulman is also visiting professor in the Department of Real Estate and will teach the AREIT course. The program now known as AREIT is the first its kind in the country. It provides a team of MBA students the opportunity to manage a $1 million portfolio invested in REITs. Students develop fundamental research and portfolio management skills by blending a thorough theoretical foundation with the first-hand experience and challenges of managing real money and working successfully as a team

Sharon McCabe senior lecturer in the Department of Real Estate, is also now an assistant director for the Graaskamp Center. She will focus on MBA career services.

Faculty Can Update Activities Online

University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty members are now able to use MyUW to easily update their activities by using a link to Digital Measures, a web-based system for managing and reporting on teaching, research and service activities. This latest upgrade to MyUW is due to a partnership between the UW-Madison School of Business and the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). To update activities, go to MyUW and access the " ? " tab.

“Ideafests” on Entrepreneurial Competitions Slated

UW-Madison offers three major competitions every year for students with an interest in entrepreneurship. Faculty and staff are asked to encourage undergraduate students who want to learn more about creating new products and services to explore these competitions..

Registration for the Schoofs Competition and associated Tong Prototype is October 5.

All undergraduate and graduate students may compete in the G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition to be held next April. Student business plans are due March 28.

Students can get more information on all of these events at campus "Ideafests" where they can meet other students in casual reception with pizza and short presentations this September.

Ideafest will be held:

September 12 at 5 p.m.
Engineering Hall

September 19 at 5 p.m
Grainger Hall, room 5120A/B

September 26, at 5 p.m.
Red Gym, Mezz. A/B

GBA 2007 Golf Outing

The GBA 2007 Golf Outing for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison
will be held Friday, September 28, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at University Ridge Golf Course.

The Graduate Business Association’s annual charity golf outing, benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison. Reservations must be received by September 20. For more information, contact Jen Schultz, 695-2280, jeschul1@wisc.edu or visit the GBA website.

Marketing Services Web Site Created

Marketing Services for the School of Business (formerly the Office of Marketing and Communication) has created a website with information on the services the unit offers and tips on different aspects of marketing, including brand development, print and electronic communications and public relations. More information and links to additional resources are being developed for the site.

CIBER News

“The Rise of the Yuan -- Experts Speak on the Chinese Currency: Trajectory, Policies, and Strategies for U.S. Business” will be held September 24 from: 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the
Fluno Center. The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) will sponsor up to five UW-Madison faculty, academic staff, Ph.D. or MBA students to attend this event. Please contact Suzanne Dove, sdove@bus.wisc.edu 265-4938 for more information.

Also: A reminder to faculty and Ph.D. students that the fall deadline for CIBER Global Research and Curriculum Development Grants is Monday, October 1. Requests for this program are accepted and reviewed twice a year. The maximum award is $7,500. For details on this grant opportunity, including award criteria and the application process, please see the CIBER Web site or contact CIBER Outreach Director Suzanne Dove sdove@bus.wisc.edu.

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 October 1 issue should be sent by September 26 to Editor Lari Fanlund, lfanlund@bus.wisc.edu.