January Zine
Welcome to the Smeal Zine!
Here's the latest issue of SMEAL Zine, a monthly electronic magazine designed to keep alumni and friends in touch with the latest news and information from Penn State's Smeal College of Business and its nationally ranked programs and world-renowned research centers.
Patrick Cataldo,
Associate Dean for Executive Education:
Patrick Cataldo is associate dean for executive education at Smeal. He was recently included in the book 90 World-Class Activities by 90 World-Class Trainers, edited by Elaine Biech. An icebreaker activity that Cataldo uses in Penn State Executive Programs courses was published in the "Icebreakers and Energizers" chapter. At Smeal, Cataldo is responsible for the design, development, and delivery of executive education programs supporting the needs of clients around the world through Penn State Executive Programs, the executive education division of Smeal. He is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on corporate training and development.
More
>>
January 2007
The Economist: Smeal No. 1 In Executive Education
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research division of The Economist magazine publisher, has named Smeal's Penn State Executive Programs as the top provider in the world of customized executive education programs. The EIU report also recognized Penn State Executive Programs with an award of excellence for its open-enrollment programs, making Smeal the only U.S. provider to be rated excellent in both categories. Smeal received a score of 4.6 out of 5 on the EIU's customized executive education ranking, the highest score of any school on the customized or open-enrollment list. For more details, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/dec06/econrank.html.
Study: Mortgage Points Typically Don't Pay Off
Home buyers tend to purchase too many points when selecting a mortgage and end up paying more than they would have with no points and a higher interest rate, according to a new research report co-authored by a Smeal professor. Abdullah Yavas, Elliott Professor of Business Administration at Smeal, and Yan Chang of Freddie Mac found that home buyers who purchased points, on average, tended to pay off their mortgages about 37.5 months too early. In other words, the average mortgagor with points ended up defaulting, moving, or refinancing more than three years before he reached his break-even point from the purchase of the points. For more on the Yavas research, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/dec06/yavas.html.
Marketing Students Test B-To-B Training Software
Students in Marketing Instructor Carolyn Todd's Business Marketing course had a semester-long assignment from the Business Marketing Institute (BMI) to beta test a new online B-to-B marketing training program. Todd volunteered her class to test the product when she heard a presentation about the new tool at the Marketing Educators' Conference sponsored by Smeal's Institute for the Study of Business Markets. She says the result was a win-win for all parties: The students discovered several software glitches that are now being corrected and the experiment gave the students valuable, career-relevant skills and the opportunity to earn a Marketing Skills Certificate from BMI. For more information, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/dec06/todd.html.
Smeal Executive MBA Students Raise THON Funds
A silent auction and other fund-raisers organized by students in the Smeal Executive MBA Program raised more than $5,500 for the fight against pediatric cancer. The money raised will be turned over to the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, an annual event that raises money for The Four Diamonds Fund, a charity fighting childhood cancer at the Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pa. For more information, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/dec06/embagive.html.
Op-Ed: A Bipartisan Approach To Globalization
Terrence Guay, clinical assistant professor of international business at Smeal, recently wrote in The Baltimore Sun: "Now that the Democrats control the House and the Senate, it's time for our national leaders to take a bipartisan approach to globalization. ...We have the opportunity for a deal: Democratic support for trade agreements in return for the president's support for a higher minimum wage, retraining for vulnerable workers, and a national health plan. Is this cost-free? Of course not. But neither is the option of a Congress—and American public—that takes the anti-globalization path." To read Guay's entire op-ed, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/dec06/guay.html.
Smeal Annual Report Available Online
The 2006 Smeal Annual Report is now available on the Web. The publication features a year's worth of events and news from the college, as well as perspectives of faculty and alumni on corporate innovation, negotiation, real estate, and supply chains. A complete list of Smeal administration, donors, and alumni organizations is also included. To access the entire Smeal Annual Report, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/about/annual/2006/index.html.
Real Estate Developer Delivers Guest Lecture, Meets With Students
In early December, Smeal welcomed Joseph Riggs, group president of K. Hovnanian Homes, as this year's speaker at the annual Advance Realty Group Real Estate Lecture. Riggs discussed the diverse career opportunities offered by the real estate industry and its importance in our nation's future. In addition to the lecture, Riggs also met separately with Smeal's Real Estate club. The Advance Realty lectureship was established in 2004 by Peter '73 and Sharon Cocoziello as a platform at Smeal for leading real estate professionals to discuss the issues facing the field. For more details, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/archive/nov06/cocolctr.html.
Media Round-Up
Members of the Smeal College faculty are contacted regularly by the world's news media. In December, faculty members were featured in media outlets such as The Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Seattle Times. For a complete list, please visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/innews/index.html.
Programs and Events
Penn State
Executive Programs is currently accepting reservations for its upcoming
programs. Please visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/date.html for more
information or click the links below for some of the specific programs being
offered.
February 12-16
Essentials Of Supply Chain Management
http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/mesc1.html
February
18-23
Executive Coaching Certification (Week One)
http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/ecc.html
March
11-14
Coaching Skills For Managers And Executives
http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/csme.html
