UW-Madison School of Business - UPDATE Alumni Magazine - Summer 2002

There have been many gratifying discoveries since I officially joined the School of Business in July. Among them is the knowledge that our students are winning national and international acclaim for their ability to work in teams.

Of course, we deans always enjoy the opportunity to brag about the accomplishments of our students. I am particularly pleased that our school is becoming known for successful teamwork. Effective teamwork is highly valued in the business world our students will enter. In many cases, the distinction between a great organization and a merely good one is the ability to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts.

Teamwork can also distinguish a great business school from a good one. In the years ahead, I hope to make it a hallmark of business education at UW-Madison. And I hope the school's administration will be a leading example of the benefits of good teamwork.

There are many different "teams" that will need to work together to keep the School of Business on an upward trajectory. Every program at the school benefits from the coordinated input-i.e., teamwork-of faculty members, administrative staff, alumni and students.

While writing about the virtues of teamwork is easy, putting it into practice in an academic or business environment is a major challenge. Fortunately, we have leaders in our three major program areas who are up to the challenges. This summer, Professor Joan Schmit succeeded Professor Jack Nevin as associate dean for graduate programs. The immediate focus of Joan's team will be evaluating the school's entire master's program: admissions, curriculum, student life and placement. It's an ambitious assignment and one I know will benefit from Joan's superb talents and the dedication and vision of those who serve on the committees.

Professor Jim Johannes continues as associate dean of undergraduate programs. A longtime faculty member, Jim has been leading our undergraduate program since 1999, and under his leadership it has made tremendous strides in terms of service to students and quality of curriculum. The undergraduate program was ranked 12th in the nation in the most recent ranking by U.S. News and World Report.

Ted Beck continues as associate dean for executive education. Recently, our Executive Education programs were ranked among the world's best by the Financial Times, reflecting the talent and hard work of Ted and Executive Education's faculty and staff.

One final team within the School of Business that I'd like to introduce is the Dean's Office staff of Melissa Amos-Landgraf, Paula Hubred and Dianne Rothwell. Paula and Dianne have a combined 21 years of service in the Dean's Office. Melissa just joined us in June as assistant to the dean, coming from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Melissa, Paula and Dianne will work together with me, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs R.D. Nair and Associate Dean for Research Peter Barcher to ensure that the Dean's Office interacts productively with all of our other teams.

Our alumni have important roles to play in making these teams successful. Alumni already are engaged with the school in many ways: classes, placement and fundraising, among them. While every school engages alumni to some degree, few can claim such a significant asset as the loyalty we receive from our 30,000 graduates around the world. By working closely with the Dean's Advisory Board and, in particular, Chair Michael Lehman, I am convinced that we can become a world leader in connecting with our alumni and benefiting from all they have to offer.

The generosity of School of Business alumni and friends is just one manifestation of the team mentality that pervades our campus, the Madison community and the state. The ability to achieve better social outcomes than would be possible by pursuing narrow self-interest has distinguished this state and its people for a long time. It is one reason why I am delighted to be joining the School of Business team.

Message From the Dean