This Issue

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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.
 

Join Smeal For April 29 Alumni Event In New York City

Smeal alumni in the New York area are invited to join the grand finale of the college’s 50th anniversary celebration at 5:30 p.m. on April 29 at the headquarters of Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation in Manhattan. The evening, hosted by CSFB’s Lawrence Raiman (’82 Accounting), will feature a moderated discussion on leadership with Randy Battat, president and CEO of wireless Internet company Airvana; Stephen W. Delaney, CEO of electronics manufacturer Celestica; and John Thompson, vice chairman of executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles. Patricia Sellers, editor at large at Fortune magazine, will moderate.

M&T Bank Sponsors MBA Executive Panel

A Smeal tradition for more than 25 years, the MBA Executive Panel will be sponsored this year by M&T Bank, which has committed $10,000 to help support the program. Scheduled for May 7-8, the event pits teams of first-year MBAs – competing to offer the best analysis of real-world business cases and the best strategic recommendations – against each other. A panel of executive judges picks the winners. Read more about the event and M&T’s sponsorship at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/mar04/panel.html.

Smeal Undergraduates Assume CEO Roles In Smeal Survivor

Thrust into the role of CEO of a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar enterprise, undergraduate participants taking part in Smeal Survivor will offer CEO responses to a world confronting crises on multiple dimensions. Participants will respond to challenging questions from a panel of corporate judges in front of an audience of hundreds during the April 14 event. Read more about the competition at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/mar04/survivor.html.

Smeal Professor’s Study Identifies Common Business Ethics Myths

The process of managing ethical behavior in a corporate setting has been undermined by various oversimplified responses to the issue, which have fueled common myths about ethics that do not hold up under greater scrutiny according to a new article co-authored by Linda Klebe Treviño, professor of organizational behavior and the Franklin H. Cook Fellow in Business Ethics. Read more about the forthcoming Academy of Management Executive article at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/mar04/trevino.html.

Smeal MBA Student Wins Elevator Pitch Competition

Second-year MBA student Bradley C. Barnhorst recently won the two-minute “elevator pitch” event at the McGinnis Venture Competition, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. Barnhorst’s pitch of a business plan created by fellow MBA students Brian Anderson, Michael Mikalsky, and Ankit Patel, was for new railway car technology that increases cargo fuel efficiency. Read more about the entrepreneurship competition victory at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/mar04/elevator.html.

Supply Chain & Information Systems Professor Named Faculty Scholar

Smeal’s Dennis Lin, professor of supply chain and information systems, was honored on March 22 with Penn State’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Medal, one of four Faculty Scholar Medals awarded by the University. Established in 1980, the Faculty Scholar Medal recognizes scholarly or creative excellence of Penn State faculty. Read more about Lin and his award at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/mar04/medal.html.

Smeal Mourns Passing Of Earl Strong; Launched Penn State Executive Programs

Earl P. Strong, professor emeritus of management, who retired in 1970 after a 16-year career in the college, died on March 22 at the age of 93. Strong, who remained an active part of the Smeal community long after his retirement, helped launch Penn State Executive Programs in 1956. Read more about Strong and his many contributions to management education at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/mar04/strong.html.

Smeal Building Campaign Update

Smeal has raised in excess of $20.4 million of the $29 million needed to reach the private fundraising goal and complete its new building. The University has committed $39 million. You can track the construction progress via our live web cams at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/building/webcams/index.html. For more on how you can contribute to Smeal’s home of the future, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/building/fund.html.

Tune In: Next Episode Of ‘About Business’ Airs April 6

The next episode of “About Business,” a monthly call-in show hosted by Smeal dean Judy Olian, will address shifts in the demographics of America and how business will be affected. Issues such as birth rates, immigration, accessibility to higher education, and aging, along with their impact on business strategies, will be addressed. “About Business” is simulcast at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6, on WPSU-FM, WPSX-TV and online at http://wpsu.psu.edu/abusiness/. Read more about the show at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/releases/mar04/topic.html.

eBRC Poll

Smeal's eBusiness Research Center is seeking input about the current business environment facing your company. Please take a few minutes to respond to the online questionnaire by visiting http://www.smeal.psu.edu/ebrc/index.html and clicking on e-Business Poll.

Media Round-Up

Members of the Smeal College faculty are contacted regularly by the world’s news media. In March, faculty members were featured in media outlets such as The Associated Press, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the Baltimore Sun. Please visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/innews/index.html to see a summary of these stories.

Dean Judy Olian’s twice-monthly newspaper column, which appears in the Centre Daily Times and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and is syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service and Knight-Ridder, can be accessed at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/dean/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 link below for some of the specific programs being offered in 2004.

April 21	Value Sourcing Business Processes: Is Offshoring Best?
April 26-30	Managing Effective Supply Chains: Tools for Supply Chain Success http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/mesc2.html
May 10-14	Managing Effective Supply Chains: Essentials of Supply Chain Management http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/mesc1.html
June 13-25 (Two-week continuous)	Executive Management Program http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/emp.html
August 23-27	Managing Effective Supply Chains: Essentials of Supply Chain Management http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/mesc1.html
September 12-17	Leading with Impact: Linking People, Strategy, and Results http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/lwi.html

Class Notes

For information on your classmates and other Smeal alumni, visit Class Notes at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/alumni/classnotes.html. You can receive regular updates on events by completing the "Alumni Information Form" found online at http://java.smeal.psu.edu/jsp/alumni/info.jsp.

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Change your address, phone and other information at http://www.alumni.psu.edu/membership/address/default.htm.

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