One School. Endless Possibilities.

Kelleys earn their I-Core Survivor T-shirts

2011-12-09T13:51:00.001-08:00

Kelley students show off their hard-won T-shirts at the I-Core Hand-In.

Hundreds of tired but happy Kelley School of Business students filed into the undergrad building this week to turn in their final case studies for I-Core.

The case is the culmination of an intense semester of work formally called Integrative Core, a coordinated curriculum across finance, marketing, operations, strategy and professionalism that students usually take in the fall of their junior year.

Finals for I-Core classes are taken before Thanksgiving break, then students are divided into about 140 teams of six people and work for 10 days to complete their case, a detailed analysis of a product from all core business perspectives. Teams spend many hours a day working together on the project, the end result of which is a 100-150 page report. All-nighters are common.

Completing I-Core is a rite of passage at the Kelley School and a requirement before students can begin work on classes in their major.

It's celebrated by faculty and staff as well as the students at the I-Core Hand-In, where students are served a meal -- maybe the first meal in days that wasn't Red Bull and vending machine fare -- and presented a coveted I-Core Survivor T-shirt.

It's also a time for the students to de-stress and relax with their professors and other I-Core warriors.
Sometimes the students do silly things. Like seeing if all six team members can fit into an XXXL T-shirt. Or donning their shirts and making a pyramid for their team photo.

Some teams dress in costumes to turn in their reports. Some of the costumes are representative of what the students feel like after fighting this fight, like the guy who dressed like Rocky.

This week, they're all winners.

For more photos of the I-Core Hand-In, as well as photos of the I-Core Honors presentations, check out the Kelley School of Business Facebook page. Thanks to Kelsey Keag, undergrad manager of program communications, for contributing to this post.

Kelley senior earns 1st place in Regional Sales Competition

2011-11-22T15:09:00.001-08:00

Nick Pacak

Kelley School senior Nick Pacak earned a first-place ranking in the recent Regional Sales Competition at the H.H. Gregg Center for Professional Selling at Ball State University.

About 40 students from IU, Ball State, University of Louisville, Purdue University, University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University and Central Michigan University competed for cash prizes and awards at the eighth annual competition at the Muncie, Ind., campus.

The event began with team members competing among themselves to see who would represent their school in the final round. Their mock sales pitches were judged by about 40 professionals from the sales industry who gave immediate feedback to the students.

Pacak, who is a marketing major and a member of Kelley's Global Sales Leadership Society, said the competition helped him hone his selling skills and taught him some new techniques.

"It was a very beneficial experience," he said. "As a team, there is no doubt we were much better than anyother school and recognition should go to the whole team as well as our coach, Professor Dick Canada."

Pacak is from Mason, Ohio. He will begin a career in sales at 3M upon graduation.

Hopkins named to FASB advisory board

2011-11-17T08:36:00.001-08:00

Patrick Hopkins

Congratulations to accounting professor Patrick Hopkins, who has been named to the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council.

FASAC is a group of about 35 CEOs, CFOs, senior partners, academics and analysts who meet quarterly with the Financial Accounting Standards Board to advise board members on financial reporting issues.

Hopkins, who is the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Faculty Fellow, was honored by the American Accounting Association earlier this year with the Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award for research that ultimately made it harder for companies to hide controversial accounting practices.

Magnifico! Kelley team wins BYU Spanish Case Competition

2011-11-15T18:06:00.001-08:00

Nicole Budzynski, Jeff Carlson and Claire
Ranzetta won First Place in the BYU
Language Case Competition.

Case competitions can be tough, but can you imagine giving your presentation in a foreign language?

A team of Kelley students did just that at the BYU Language Case Competition in Provo, Utah, this past weekend, winning First Place in the non-native Spanish division.

The winning team members are Jeff Carlson, Nicole Budzynski and Claire Ranzetta. They all are members of the Consulting Workshop.

Carlson is a junior from Aurora, Ill., majoring in economic consulting and finance with a minor in Spanish, which he has been studying for eight years. He said the comprehensive nature of the competition appealed to him.

Students developed their presentations in Spanish, wrote executive summaries in Spanish, presented in Spanish and answered questions on their feet in Spanish.

"It was a good way to see how far my classroom knowledge has come, and a good opportunity for hands-on learning about the challenges faced when working across language barriers," Carlson said.

Budzynski, a senior from Zionsville, Ind., majoring in finance and economics with a minor in Spanish, said the competition made her appreciate how much her knowledge of Spanish -- which she has been studying for nine years -- could help her in her career. She talked with several of the judges who had years of experience in front of Spanish-speaking audiences at home and abroad.

"They inspired me with how many doors can open to someone who understands another language and another culture -- and it encouraged me to continue working toward that goal as I start my career."

Ranzetta has been studying Spanish for seven years. The senior from St. Louis is majoring in finance and accounting, and said her favorite part of the case competition was interacting with the judges and meeting students from across the U.S. She also enjoyed the keynote address from Utah State Sen. Luz Robles.

The students' participation was sponsored by Kelley's Center for International Business Education & Research, or CIBER. Their faculty adviser and case comp coach is professor Joel Rubin, and their language coach is professor Babur De Los Santos.

Team wins chance to present ideas to Macy's in NYC

2011-11-15T06:13:00.001-08:00

Team members with faculty coach Tatiana Kolovou.

Congrats to the Kelley School team who won our Macy's Case Competition on Monday.
Team members are Yasiqin Dong, MelissaHulverson, Ethan Jackson, Matt Johnson, Haowen Li and Ben Pineless. They each won $450 and an overnight trip to New York City to present their ideas to executives at Macy's headquarters.

Their challenge was to develop an integrated creative marketing campaign to make Macy's the shopping destination for the Millennial market. They had to consider all channels -- in-store, online/social/mobile, PR/events/stunts, TV/print and local.

Professor and team coach Tatiana Kolovou of our Communication, Professional and Computer Skills department said the students weren't at all nervous because they practiced their hearts out.

This is the second year for the Case Competition with Macy's, which has long been a supporter of the Kelley School.

Kelley's new MBA in Business Analytics meets growing market need

2011-09-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Let me say up front that I'm not a numbers person. I'm a word gal. But I sat in on an info session about our new MBA in Business Analytics, and I was ready to sign up at the end of the hour.

The Kelley School of Business has taught data analysis classes for decades, but we're not talking about bean counting here. There has been a shift lately in how data is collected, managed and used. It's no longer about what people did, it's about what people are going to do. It's how numbers are used to shape business plans, converting data to business value using predictive modeling and forecasting.

Why the change? First of all, there's a lot more data. A simple transaction at the store or on the Internet can provide all kinds of information. Second, hardware and software are much better/faster/cheaper, and will continue to be. And managers are becoming more sophisticated in how they use data to make informed decisions about anything from company efficiencies to consumer behavior. Knowing what the numbers mean and where they're headed gives companies a competitive edge.

A lot of business schools are including business analytics classes in their curricula (read a recent Wall Street Journal article about it), but Kelley is the only Top 20 program to offer an MBA in Business Analytics. It grew out of a graduate certificate program Kelley created specifically for Deloitte, which approached the school in need of training for its managers. The degree combines a technical foundation, predictive modeling and analysis, and forecasting from a consulting perspective. It's a bridge between data collection and C-suite decision-making. A marriage of hard skills and soft skills.

When the Kelley School deans and faculty saw the increase in demand for consulting and that there was a real need for professionals to be able to understand analytics and how it can add value to the company, they moved quickly to create an MBA major/minor to meet market needs. It was pretty easy, actually. Kelley already has all of the major component classes and about 60 members of the faculty who can help deliver a business analytics education.

Kelley School professor Wayne Winston

One of the required classes is on modeling and is taught by spreadsheet guru Wayne Winston, a popular Kelley professor, consultant to the Dallas Mavs (owner Mark Cuban is an '81 Kelley alum), and author of "Mathletics: How Gamblers, Managers, and Sports Enthusiasts Use Mathematics in Baseball, Basketball and Football." The class has been so popular as an elective that almost every MBA student takes it.

Kelley had to create only one class to fulfill the curriculum, an overview of business analytics, and I have to say, the way we're going to teach that -- with several key professors from different disciplines instead of just one -- is pretty cool. Students will be able to see applications in finance, marketing, supply chain and health care, for example.

And interest among employers? It's out there. And it's big.

Already major companies are saying they'd hire several Kelley MBAs with a business analytics degree -- some say as many as 10 to 15 graduates a year over the next few years as they put more of an emphasis on forecasting. These are highly sought-after employees who often draw six-figure salaries.

It's pretty exciting to know that some of our MBA students who will graduate in May will have our new business analytics degree to hang on their office wall.

Moving in and moving ahead at Kelley LLC

2011-08-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

Overseas study is one of many opportunities

that lie ahead for Kelley freshmen.

Today was move-in day at the Kelley Living Learning Center at McNutt Quad, just up the street from the Kelley School of Business.

There are freshmen from New Jersey, Connecticut, Minnesota, Texas, California, Ohio, Chicago, China and, yes, from Indiana. Some came by car, some came by plane. But they all came because they want to immerse themselves in All Things Kelley.

As some unpacked, built lofts in their rooms and got plugged in to the wireless system, others checked out the courtyard, where they could get a picnic lunch and learn about student clubs and opportunities from Kelley students and staff.

Kelley LLC students become fast friends

and motivate each other.

Opportunities. They will be the first of many for the Kelley LLC freshmen, who will develop partnerships with mentors and faculty, network with alumni and recruiters, and learn their strengths as they begin to bring their goals into focus and map a way to reach them.

Some day they'll be marketers, entrepreneurs, business analysts and financiers. But right now, they're just starting out.

So whether it was last year or 30 years ago, what was the best advice anyone gave you when you were a freshmen?

See more photos from Kelley LLC move-in day at facebook.com/KelleySchool.

IU Foundation adds two Kelley alums to board

2011-07-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

Rick Johnson

Congratulations to Kelley School of Business alums Rick Johnson, BS'81,and Quinn Buckner, BS'76, who have been elected to the IU Foundation Board of Directors.

Johnson is the owner, president and CEO of Johnson Ventures, which he started with his father, Dick Johnson. The family has long been supporters of IU, and made a generous gift to the Kelley School to create our Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in 1998.

Quinn Buckner

Buckner is vice president of communications for Pacers Sports & Entertainment. While at IU, he was the captain of the 1976 NCAA Championship basketball team, and also led the USA's basketball team to a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics before becoming an NBA player for 10 years and then coaching the Dallas Mavericks, now owned by another Kelley alum, Mark Cuban.

Good to see Kelley alums continue to be leaders and give back to the university in many ways.

Young women see bright future

2011-07-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ask one of these high school girls what the future of women in business looks like, and you'll get a very positive answer.

These bright and outgoing students recently participated in the first session of Kelley School's Young Women's Institute, sponsored by John Deere.

YWI is a pre-college program that immerses rising high school seniors in the world of business for a week. Selected students get a crash course in Kelley's curriculum, but also work on identifying their personality strengths and polishing presentation skills.

"I've met a lot of strong women this week," said Dhara Baijal of Nashville, Tenn.

She acknowledges women still have challenges in the business world, but their opportunities are increasing.

Sarah Winkeljohn agrees with the positive outlook.

"You see more women who have higher-powered jobs now," said the Fort Wayne, Ind., resident, who wants to go into marketing.

Nikki Hersham of Cresskill, N.J., said the idea of having a business career is more popular now among the girls at her high school, where there is an increasing number of business-minded courses from which to choose.

Arie Teeter of Berne, Ind., has noticed that, too, and pointed out that all of the business teachers at her high school are female.

If this group of students is any indication, there will be many other bright women entering the business world in a few years.

After giving the girls high fives as they walked into the auditorium to give their case presentations, YWI Staff Director Megan Ray said she is impressed with how polished they are.

"They've just had our baby I-Core this week, so it's pretty awesome."

Betsy Doran or Minnetonka, Minn., said her favorite thing about the week was being able to explore options. She learned about venue management -- something she hadn't heard of before her trip to YWI but is now considering as a career.

Winklejohn said it was interesting to see all of the opportunities Indiana University offers.

"There's a diverse chance to do anything you want," she said. "It's a large school, but it still feels homey and small."

Check out the official YWI Facebook page.

Career office recognized for assisting LGBTQ students

2011-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

OUT for Work has just awarded our Undergraduate Career Services Office a Gold Ranking for its efforts in providing resources for LGBTQ students facing employment challenges.

The certification means the undergrad career office will have access to OUT for Work's resource library and networking opportunities with partner companies, among other benefits.

UCSO is the first career center at IU to receive the certification. If you are interested in resources or collaboration with the Undergraduate Career Services Office, contact ucso@indiana.edu.

Kelley alum named Executive of the Year

2011-06-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Scott Dorsey

It's always cool to find out Kelley alums are doing well in the world.

Scott Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of ExactTarget, was just named Executive of the Year by the American Business Awards over some pretty tough competition that included Google Chairman Eric Schmidt.

Dorsey graduated from Kelley in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in marketing.

His company designs "interactive marketing solutions" (email marketing plus a whole lot more) and has shown up on many impressive business lists recently -- WSJ's Next Big Thing, Inc.'s 5000, and Best Places to Work in Indiana.

High school students hone business skills at Junior Executive Institute

2011-06-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

Junior executive Emmanuel Hermosillo makes some adjustments on the tech board while his

teammates have a little fun during practice for their final presentation. From left, Kierra Harvey,

Florence Akinribade, Alexis White and Wesley Lumpkin.

They wore black suits, silk ties and a cool confidence. They worked in teams. They created business plans and Prezi presentations. And then they pitched their new companies to representatives from prestigious national corporations.

These high school juniors and seniors, polished beyond their years, were taking part in Kelley's Junior Executive Institute, a one-week business school experience for underrepresented students with good grades and go-for-it attitudes.

Shayna Allen, Iseah Lloyd, Shaan Erickson, Bianca Davis and

Erica Westley practice their presentation in the hallway at

the Kelley School.

"I've pretty much been interested in business since I started my high school career," said Bianca Davis a rising senior from Indianapolis. She already has an impressive resume and networking experience for a high school student, loading her schedule with business classes and participating in business-minded clubs and organizations since she was a freshman.

During the week, the 31 students from across the country had classes with some of the Kelley School's top professors and learned about the importance of professionalism and teamwork.

In between, they bowled at the student union, toured the IU campus and the football stadium, ate pizza and socialized, getting a taste of what life is like at a major university.

Bryce Gray touts the merits of having spa services

available at a fitness center as part of his team's

presentation. Eric Yang and Jonae Mims wait for their

moments in the spotlight.

Many students said the first-night bowling party -- which featured an ice cream sundae bar -- was their favorite social event.

"We got to know each other," said Wesley Lumpkin, a rising junior from Dayton, Ohio. "It was cool because everybody became real close."

Kierra Harvey, a rising junior from Nashville, Tenn., found out about Kelley's Junior Executive Institute from her high school counselor. Her main focus is marketing, but she found a new interest in business law.

Indianapolis senior Florence Akinribade, who was born in Nigeria, thought the etiquette class was a good addition because a big part of business revolves around social interaction and professionalism.

Family members and judges were impressed with the young executives' presentation skills.

The week culminated with the presentations. Family members and judges listened to pitches about products ranging in size from the smallest of microchips to help locate lost valuables, to a luxury hotel called The Almanac in which each floor of rooms represents a month of the calendar.

Each student team came up with its own idea, researched the feasibility of it, devised a marketing plan based on the audience, and laid out costs and a timeline showing how long it might take to realize a return on investment.

The presentations were followed by an awards luncheon featuring keynote speaker Tony Robinson, partner/principal with Ernst & Young.

A second group of young executives will polish their skills at Kelley this week.

The program, which has been going for about 10 years, is coordinated by Jen Olson through the Kelley Office of Diversity Initiatives. It is sponsored by Ernst & Young, Ford and John Deere.

Tony Robinson of
Ernst & Young
scores his judge's
sheet.

Kelley DECA excels in competition

2011-05-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ross Hagen and Dibbasatya Ghosh were part of the Kelley DECA team competing in the national case competition.

The DECA club sponsored by the Kelley School of Business placed in the Top 10 in the case competition at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando recently.

The conference, hosted by Collegiate DECA, is the highlight of the year for Kelley’s DECA club, which is open to all students on the IU campus. More than 2,000 students from about 300 universities compete at the annual conference.

Attendees this year were KSB DECA President Artan Ferati of Anchorage; Melissa Kogler of Chesterton, Ind.; Dibbasatya Ghosh of Kolkata, India; and Ross Hagen of Ligonier, Ind.

Kogler, who will be a senior in the fall, placed in the Top 10 in the Travel & Tourism category. She is majoring in tourism management.

The other team participants will be juniors in the fall. Ferati and Hagen are majoring in accounting and finance. Ghosh is majoring in business economics and public policy.

A Kelley DECA team member has placed in the Top 10 in at least one category in the competition every year since the club was organized.

Travel support was provided by the Kelley School of Business Student Government. Adam Herman, visiting lecturer in business communication, is the faculty sponsor.

Kelley goes 'King' Khan crazy in Delhi

2011-04-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

By Tom Paprocki, second-year MBA student

In what was undoubtedly one of the more bizarre moments of my two years here at Kelley, I recently had my head put in a guillotine while participating in a game show in Delhi, India -- all of which was broadcast on national television.

Let that sink in for a second.

Every year a school in India called IIPM hosts an international marketing case competition. Or so they say. In actuality, it is a “quiz show,” though you won’t know that until after you’ve been accepted to participate. This year, 50 graduate business schools took part, 45 from within India and five outside of the country: Duke, Columbia, London School of Business, University of Chicago and Indiana University. All expenses are paid by the host school in India, including the flight, hotel, food and all transportation while in the country.

A fellow classmate and I were selected by the host school to represent Kelley in the competition, and in spite of the fact that we did not receive our airline tickets or visas until four hours before our flight was to depart, we soon found ourselves amid the hustle and bustle of India’s energetic capital. Our hosts treated us to a visit to the Taj Majal, a tour of Delhi, and then brought us to their school to participate in the marketing competition.

In the end, only six schools out of the original 50 made it to the finals. We were fortunate enough to advance, along with Chicago Booth and four Indian schools. The finals were held in a professionally constructed outdoor studio on the school grounds. In addition to random performances of Bollywood-style dancing and the liberal use of fog machines, the event was highlighted by the appearance of the game show host Shah Rukh Khan. For those of you who are not familiar, Khan is the biggest movie star in India. My Indian-born friends in Bloomington describe him as “the sum of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in their respective primes … times two.”

Over the course of the two-hour broadcast, my teammate and I competed in a very strange but very fun “quiz show” that included a dance-off with “King” Khan and what I still believe to be a near-death experience with the aforementioned guillotine while "Carmina Burana" blasted in the studio.

Although we didn’t win the grand prize of 250,000 rupees, it was an unforgettable experience and just another example of the sort of global opportunities available at Kelley.

Rock star of accounting coaches Kelley students on the future

2011-04-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Kelley students in professor Terry Campbell’s International Financial Reporting Standards class got to learn from the nation’s top accounting executive recently.

Barry Melancon, president and CEO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, took questions for more than an hour and a half from the students, who were participating in a one-week intensive “boot camp” to learn more about impending changes in financial reporting.

Melancon said this is a great time for Kelley accounting graduates, who are prepared for the transition from a rules-based system to a principles-based system.

“I always say to young people entering the profession, the time you want to enter the profession is at the most significant point of change,” he said, explaining that the last two generations of accountants in the U.S. have been trained in rules-based financial reporting and will have to relearn their profession in some ways. “Your gap is closed.”

Campbell said Melancon reinforced some key principles in response to questions where
integrity, independence, objectivity and professional skepticism are the appropriate and needed behaviors.

Melancon also encouraged students to develop knowledge and skills in other disciplines, including world politics, the sciences, world history and communications.

“When you leave this campus, you need to have the confidence that you can handle yourself in any situation.”

He said Kelley boot camp students are uniquely positioned to do just that.

“A person who has been through this program – this single program – you ought to have so much confidence in what you can do,” he said. “You have been exposed just this week to more than 99.999 percent of the people in this world who are going to be somewhere related to professional accountancy.”

Jaclyn Geary, who is working toward her MBA in accounting in Kelley’s 3/2 program, said Melancon’s advice about confidence came at the right time.

“That’s something I feel like I’m lacking a little bit,” said the fifth-year student who has completed half of the four-part CPA exam. “I’m on the verge, so that was important.”

Melancon travels about two-thirds of the year and visits only a handful of universities during that time.

“Most, if not all, of our graduate accounting students will become CPAs,” Campbell said. “Having access to the president of the AICPA for questions and answers prior to becoming a CPA provided a window on the breadth and depth of the accounting profession.”

Student Derek Johnson agreed.

“He brings a lot of experience and insight that we students don’t have,” said the fifth-year MBA in accounting student. “I really enjoyed that and getting his opinion as well as his political experience in how things get done. He just understands the process.”

Guest blog entry provided by Jeni Donlon.

Kelley School of Business Hosts 2nd Annual Women MBAs Case Invitational

2011-02-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

For the second year running, the Kelley School MBA Program organized and hosted a one-of-a-kind case competition. On Saturday, January 21, the sea of tailored business suits that filled a cohort room in the Kelley School’s Godfrey Center were all worn by women.

First-year, female MBA students representing eight MBA programs from across the U.S. gathered in Bloomington for the annual event. In addition to a team from the Kelley School, four-woman teams from UCLA, University of Minnesota, Boston College, University of North Carolina, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin and Washington University, participated. The focus of the case was business strategy for Indiana-based firm Global Gifts, a nonprofit Fair Trade store that supports global artisan cooperatives.

“Our goal is to focus well-deserved attention on diversity in business and to further our commitment to grow global leadership opportunities for women,” said Pamela Roberts, director of the Kelley School’s full-time MBA Program. “It is the only competition designed solely for female MBAs and it is an event the Kelley School was absolutely thrilled to host this year.”

The Kelley School touts one of the highest percentages of female MBA students in the country, including 34% of the class of 2011.

“These are talented ladies,” said Sam Carpenter, executive director of Global Gifts, and competition judge. “I was thoroughly impressed with the strategies each team presented, their professional candor, and their methodical attention to detail given serious competitive constraints. We look forward to implementing a number of the proposals offered.”

Each team was given from 8 am until midnight, Friday, January 20, to prepare the case. All eight teams presented in the first round Saturday, and four teams presented in the final round. The teams were judged by IU faculty, representatives from each of four sponsor companies (Abbott Fund, Target, Emerson, and Air Products), as well as from Cummins and Proctor & Gamble. The top three teams each took home a cash award and trophy.

First place: University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management; Dina Goodman, Elizabeth Woodwick, Rachel Endress, Amy Moore

Second place: Boston College, Carroll School of Management; Michelle Pinette, Monica Orellana, Rachel Cafarella, Teeda Keo

Third place: Indiana University, Kelley School of Business; Pryanka Singh, Amanda Engelland-Gay, Jessica Lapsia, Christiana Cioffi

Best Q&A: Rachel Cafarella, Boston College, Carroll School of Management

Best Presenter: Christiana Cioffi, Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

White House Internship Program Announces Spring 2011 Participants

2011-01-31T08:13:00.000-08:00

The White House Internship Program recently announced the participants for the spring 2011 session. The program’s mission is to make the White House accessible to future leaders all around the nation and cultivate and prepare those devoted to public service for future leadership opportunities.

A White House Internship provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. Interns work in one of several White House departments, including the Office of Cabinet Affairs, the Office of the Chief of Staff, the Office of Scheduling and Advance, the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Office of Health Reform, the Office of Legislative Affairs, the Office of Management and Administration, the Office of White House Counsel, the Office of Energy and Climate Change, the National Economic Council, the Office of Presidential Correspondence, the Presidential Personnel Office, the Communications Department, the Domestic Policy Council, the Office of the First Lady, and the Office of the Vice President.

Spring 2011 White House Interns includes several from Indiana:

Kaufman, Evan; Hometown: Bryn Mawr, PA; Indiana University-Kelley School of Business, IN;

Anderson, Drew; Hometown: Tipton, IN; Indiana University, IN

Ellis, Jennifer; Hometown: Vancouver, WA; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, IN

Orizondo, Melissa; Hometown: Lafayette, IN; Indiana University, IN

Kaufman, a junior Finance and Business Economics and Public Policy double major, is interning with the National Economic Council.

Silicon Valley Welcomes Kelley High Tech Club

2010-12-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

For two gadget-filled days, Kelley students descended on Silicon Valley to meet business leaders in the tech industry. The trek was put on by the Kelley High Tech Club, an organization that helps MBA students learn about business roles and make contacts, in this dynamic industry. 20 Kelley 1st-years and 2nd-years made the trip out to the San Francisco Bay Area.

After enjoying delicious ethnic food in downtown Mountain View, the group kicked off the company visits with a stop at Intuit. There they met with the creator of Intuit Brainstorm, an idea-sharing social network that has rapidly accelerated innovation within the company and is now making waves in firms across the US. After that, they headed up the road to tour Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto. Built out of an old warehouse, the HQ was a scene of complete openness mixed with a heaping spoonful of creativity. After learning all about the culture and the structure that makes the company tick, the group stopped for photo ops by The Facebook Wall, waved goodbye to Mark Zuckerberg, and prepared for the next day.

Day Two began bright and early at Brocade's brand-new facility in San Jose. There students heard from experts in product management, marketing, finance, and human resources to learn about many of the roles that MBAs play in the leading provider of business networking solutions. The trek's host at Brocade, a Kelley alum, even arranged to have IU's fight song play as the group arrived. Following that session, the students headed back to Palo Alto to have lunch with Cooliris, an exciting startup that developed the must-have browser add-on of the same name and that just launched a new photo-sharing application called Liveshare. The company's CEO, as well as members of the marketing and engineering departments, talked with the group about working in a fast-paced startup and gave them hands-on demos of their latest creations. After that, the trek continued in downtown San Francisco at CBS Interactive, developer of online content and hosting for the media giant's family of websites, which includes favorites such as cnet.com, tv.com, and NCAA.com. The company's lead recruiter gave the group a tour and a presentation on the ins-and-outs of the corporate structure. To cap off the trek, students headed out for happy hour in San Francisco, where they met with a representative of Genentech to get a perspective on the bio-side of technology.

After all was said and done, the trek participants were ready to relax after an intense but incredibly valuable two days in the center of the technology world.

Guest blog post entry by Jason Fletchall, 2012 Kelley MBA candidate.

Kelley undergraduate heads to 2010 Business Today International Conference

2010-11-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

Kelley School of Business honors student and junior majoring in Finance and Business Economics & Public Policy, Evan Kaufman, was one of 160 students selected to attend the prestigious 2010 Business Today International Conference, Nov. 21-23 in New York City.

Evan was selected from more than 1,000 applicants and was invited to attend an all expenses paid trip to participate in the conference representing the finest business leaders of tomorrow.

This 36th Annual International Conference brings together 70 executives with up-and-coming student business leaders from around the world for three days of keynote speeches, heated panels, executive seminars, and case studies to balance high-profile events with personal interaction and teamwork.

Evan will hear from keynote speakers such as Steve Forbes, President and CEO of Forbes; Bill McDermott, Co-CEO of SAP; and Gaston Caperton, Former Governor of West Virginia and President/CEO of College Board over the course of the conference entitled, "The New Rules of the Game."

The speakers will address topics such as the evolving political environment, the competitive international landscape, and new definitions of success.

Evan is a member of the Kelley School Investment Banking Workshop and is president of the IU Rugby Club team.

Ernst & Young names Justin Greis (BS’03, MBA’04), winner of Chairman’s Values Award

2010-11-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Justin Greis (BS’03, MBA’04), a Senior Manager in the Information Technology Advisory Practice of Ernst & Young, was recently named one of Ernst & Young's three Chairman's Values Award winners in the Americas at a reception hosted by Chairman and CEO James S. Turley.

Justin was recognized for his inspirational personality, his strong passion, and his willingness to devote his time and talent to helping students achieve their best. He serves as professor of information systems at the Kelley School of Business, where he teaches IT Governance, Risk and Controls in the Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs.

He and his wife Katharine founded the “Ernst & Young, James E. Buckman Memorial Fellowship” in memory of Katharine’s father. The fellowship is focused on providing post-graduate technology educational opportunities to students in the Kelley School of Business MSIS program at Indiana University.

Justin specializes in Strategic Technology Advisory, with a focus on IT governance, helping clients manage risk and realize higher value from their IT investments. Justin has over 10 years of executive and entrepreneurial leadership experience in information technology that includes IT strategy, information security advisory, IT risk advisory, program management, IT governance, and strategy design. As a recruiter at Kelley, he has led more than forty MSIS students to E&Y.

Net Impact shows corporate social responsibility is now mainstream

2010-11-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room." Gary Hirshberg, CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm shared this Gandhi quote with the attendees of the 18th Annual Net Impact conference in Ann Arbor this weekend. It perfectly captures my sentiments when the Kelley Net Impact Graduate chapter was recognized as the chapter with the highest increase in conference attendance nationally! In addition, The undergraduate IU chapter was also recognized as a runner up for the undergraduate chapter of the year. Despite smaller in size when compared to other MBA chapters, the efforts, passion and commitment of the Kelley Net Impact members have certainly shown great results!

The conference consisted of over 350 speakers, several keynote sessions, multiple tracks and a career expo. I was personally impressed to see the diversity of firms in attendance including BCG, Microsoft, Walmart and Teach For America; these distinct organizations were all recruiting to attract socially aware and focused business leaders. The conference was not only inspiring but also empowering and I walked away with some incredible contacts whom I hope will become mentors in the future. Net Impact and its mission has transitioned from questioning whether businesses should care to how to enable businesses to care about social causes. Similarly, growing from an idea that attracted a few students, it has grown to be a powerful movement that attracted 2500 students and professionals to the conference. Rather than something on the fringe, corporate social responsibility is now a mainstream concern. The conference provided me with several opportunities to meet fellow Net Impacters, practitioners, recruiters, new hires and CEOs! I was blown away by this amazing network of passionate individuals all working to create a better sustainable world.

It was an amazing experience and I look forward to the next conference, October 28-29, 2011 in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to all the Kelley Net Impacters who attended and made the 2010 conference such a success!

Guest blog entry by Neha Kale, 2011 Kelley MBA Candidate, President MBA Net Impact Chapter

Scrubbing Bubbles in the slums of Nairobi

2010-11-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

I’ve just completed my first breakout session at the 2010 Net Impact Conference and it was fantastic. It definitely gave me a better understanding of the role that MNCs play in developing the Base of the Pyramid (BOP). It was an awesome, interactive discussion, entitled, “Engaging the BOP: A Closer Look at Business in Africa”. Essentially the S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. company, maker of consumer cleaning products under such brands as Scrubbing Bubbles, Mr. Muscle, Windex and Pledge, is engaging in development efforts in the Kibera slum in Nairobi , Kenya with mixed success. Apartments in the slum have communal bathrooms on each floor that are otherwise pretty squalid. The company is working to train teams of cleaners who would market their cleaning services to the residents of the apartments and would use S.C. Johnson cleaning products. The idea is to help these cleaning teams grow their business to the level that S.C. Johnson can meet its fixed cost investment in training and marketing the groups and begin to turn a profit. They challenged us in the session to identify ways that the company can make this venture more advantageous for the people of Kibera AND make it profitable for the company in the reasonable short-term.
Jimmy Bettcher, Rob Herrick and I paired up with two students from the University of Oregon and one student from Yale to brainstorm key issues. We considered innovative ways for the cleaning services to advertise; whether the pricing structure for the services (and for the S.C. Johnson products) needed to be adjusted; whether the residents of the Kibera apartments needed more education on the health benefits of clean/hygienic toilets; whether the ability-to-pay and willingness-to-pay of the residents is adequately understood; and whether there is an adequate linkage between the services provided by the cleaning teams and the S.C. Johnson brands that are being used by the teams. Once we all reconvened to share our questions and ideas, the S.C. Johnson representative really took all of our comments to heart and complimented the new ideas that we all came up with.
In addition to this case example, S.C. Johnson also has an effort in Ghana to improve pest control and reduce the spread of malaria. The company offers several consumer product solutions for pest control, like Raid and Off. We didn’t have enough time to brainstorm ideas on this business issue, but the key issues they are dealing with in this effort are: not trumping or harming the progress that NGOs and agencies like USAID have already made in the area of mosquito netting; the location and distance between villages in Ghana complicates distribution and limits the impact of “Word of Mouth” advertising; and making sure solutions offered are truly affordable and that the products get used in the appropriate way (since they are chemicals with active ingredients that have specific methods of use).
It was so interesting to hear about the efforts of an MNC in the area of building the BOP and hearing about the challenges they face. While the company is ultimately involved because they believe there is untapped market potential in Africa, I appreciated the company’s sensitivity to really trying to find a win-win solution in these societies to enable them to develop and grow through entrepreneurship. This session was a great way to kick-off my experience at the Net Impact Conference. I am so excited to see what else I’ll learn!

Guest blog entry by Debbie Papiernik, 2011 Kelley MBA Candidate, Indiana University

2020 Vision for a Sustainable Decade

2010-10-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today, Thursday, 10/28, is the big day—the day when the largest-ever contingent of Kelley MBA students treks to the national Net Impact conference (2010.netimpact.org). Net Impact is a national organization with local chapters, including Kelley, whose mission is to “inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.” In short, Net Impact is for students and professionals who want to do well in business (or non-profits, government) but also do some good. MBA students form the core of the membership ranks, and speaking as a member of the Kelley MBA Net Impact leadership team, we’ve worked hard to raise the profile of Kelley as a place where MBAs looking for more than just a paycheck are adequately supported.

This is a special year for Kelley Net Impact because the national conference is a) within driving distance, in Ann Arbor (about 6 hours away), and b) not happening during 1st year Case Comp week. I wrangled a couple of school vans and got a group hotel rate to make it easier for students to attend—and we don’t even have to miss any classes. The combined result: 19 MBA students (and 3 Kelley undergrads) are going to the conference.

So many educational panels and seminars are being offered this year that it’s really hard to decide which ones to attend. (To make it a little easier, each is separated into one of eight themed tracks.) And while this is typically more of a networking and education event than a recruiting event, I was surprised to learn that companies at the conference are looking to fill over 150 jobs, ranging from big employers like Deloitte and DuPont to non-profits like KIPP Foundation and the National Park Service. Note to self: pack business cards and resumes.

We’ll be sending out tweets from the conference and updating this blog with perspectives from other Kelley MBA attendees during and after the event, so stay tuned.

Guest blog entry by: Karim U. Khan, 2011 Kelley MBA Candidate

Net Impact, Environmental Defense Fund, and The Kelley School

2010-10-27T09:46:00.001-07:00

The Kelley School of Business has a long history with the international nonprofit, Net Impact. Kelley MBA, Nirupam Khanna, interned this summer at Alcatel-Lucent with the Environmental Defense Fund/Net Impact as a Climate Corps Fellow. As two dozen KSB students depart for the annual Net Impact conference on Oct. 28, here is a guest blog from Nirupam, the Kelley School's first Climate Corps fellow.

Climate Corps fellow at Alcatel-Lucent saw the light…and recommended solar films | September 22, 2010 | Posted by Climate Corps Fellow in EDF Climate Corps, By: Nirupam Khanna

The fact that you are reading this blog online is a testament to how my host company, Alcatel-Lucent, has impacted the way you and I behave on a daily basis. Little did I know, on the last day of my EDF Climate Corps training that I was on my way to becoming a champion of energy efficiency at a place so steeped in history.

With numerous inventions and Nobel Laureates, the Alcatel-Lucent (Bell Labs) headquarters in New Jersey houses a jaw-dropping, two million square-foot space lined with labs. To date, I had only seen such a place in sci-fi movies. The vast areas of office spaces with little nuggets of history everywhere represented a great challenge for me.

With large projects such as a cogeneration plant and solar plants already in the pipeline, the opportunity for uncovering low-hanging fruit was quickly ticked off my list, as most of them had already been implemented by the facilities team. Nonetheless, this 60-year-old building presented some unique opportunities.

After snooping around the building and seeking opinions from everyone I spoke to, I stumbled upon over-lit areas and no sensory monitors to shut lights off when they weren’t being used. Talking to vendors and contractors, researching best practices and tapping into EDF’s rich information-support system, I was able to find logical solutions for these issues.

After losing my way one too many times in this huge maze of a building, I resorted to asking directions from co-workers to get back to my cubicle. Though at first I was embarrassed, I realized many of the people giving me directions were just as unsure as I was about whether or not they were guiding me the right way. This lack of directional clarity came with a silver lining though, because it often forced me to discover new areas in the facility and, consequently, new energy efficiency opportunities.

For instance, wandering through corridors where the sun’s hot rays would stream in and battle against the air conditioner’s attempt to cool the facility triggered an idea for solar films in parts of the building. These solar films could lead to substantial savings for the HVAC system in the building, resulting in savings of thousands of dollars per year. In addition to clear financial benefits, solar films have a couple other fantastic advantages:

1.Solar films can reject up to 60% of the solar heat coming in through the windows during summer, in some cases helping to retain heat within the building during winters.
2.Solar films can also keep the harmful UV rays out, protecting employees and preventing sun damage within the building.
Putting these proposals on paper with financial models and clear numbers proved that reduction in operating costs and carbon footprint will help the organization expedite these solar film projects, giving it a needed competitive edge.

For a building as diverse as this, its energy density varies greatly. All office spaces and labs have specific air condition requirements and power consumption levels. In collaborating with various stake holders and experts, my biggest challenge has been to get everyone on the same page while simultaneously figuring out the best strategies to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

As an EDF Climate Corps fellow at Alcatel-Lucent, everyday leads to a new discovery – taking me to new parts of the facility and unraveling new opportunities. Furthermore, the direct descendant of the apple tree from which Newton got his inspiration stands right outside this building, inspiring me to find realistic solutions for the people here at Alcatel-Lucent.

Habitat for Humanity/Whirlpool Corporation first-ever campus build

2010-09-28T12:22:00.001-07:00

Outside of Indiana Football’s Memorial Stadium, near the intersection of Indiana 45/46 and Dunn Street, Habitat for Humanity has been building a house since Thursday, September 23. Habitat is partnering with Whirlpool Corporation on the build. It is amazing how much progress has already been made. The build should be completed on October 2. Today, Kelley School of Business’s Dean Smith was on site helping out. Many IU students are volunteering to help build the house, including many students from Kelley and the Undergrad Civic Leadership Development group and the MBA Kelley Cares group. Indiana Bloomington’s Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson was also helping out today.
The house is being built for Trish Vosekas, who has been living in Bloomington since 1985. Trish is very excited about her new house and is very thankful to everyone helping out. The student volunteers wrote messages to Trish on the walls of the building. When asked about the messages Trish stated, “They all were heart filled and extremely touching. By signing the house I feel the messages that the students wrote to me. Now my walls can talk.” Trish is on site everyday – building and making sure that the area near the build site doesn’t create pollution, by taking it upon herself to clean up all the stray trash, nails, packaging, etc. She wants even her temporary yard to be neat!
By Oct. 2, Indiana University will have the first completed Habitat for Humanity/Whirlpool Corporation build on a college campus. This really says a lot about how Indiana University gives back to its community. It is setting a standard for other universities around the country. Trish is so thankful to the college students that are taking time out to help build her house. Other schools should definitely join IU by bringing a Habitat for Humanity build to their campus!

Guest Post submitted 9/27/10 by IU junior, Matt Kamenitz.

Social Impact through women entrepreneurs

2010-09-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

After spending nine days in Fiji, I am convinced this experience has changed my life forever.

I can highlight so many things about this trip, but the best was being part of this amazing project whose main objective is to make a positive impact in the life of women entrepreneurs and their families. That’s definitively one of the things I always wanted to get from my MBA, and it happened!

We met our goal; we interviewed 101 women who never stopped surprising us with their stories. They were so open to share their ideas, their culture and even welcome us at their homes. I am so impressed with the enormous potential that this country has, not only because it is so rich in terms of material resources but also because its people are great – including all the organizations that are willing to help and improve the life of these communities.

Throughout these days, we gained a better understanding of the importance of the role of culture in Fijian microfinance and the huge need for projects like SPBD’s to make a real impact in the life of these communities.

I can’t wait for SPBD to start operations and know how the life of these women and their families is being changed.

Guest blog entry provided by Rocio Ortiz, 2011 Kelley MBA Candidate, Indiana University

Fijian Salt Entrepreneurs

2010-09-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been invaluable to our project. Yesterday we were able to meet with a group of women in Ba who make a variety of traditional crafts, primarily for Fijian events such as weddings and funerals. The women make the majority of their crafts by hand, and it was amazing to see the time and effort that went into their work.

We were then able to meet with “friend” an organization in Fiji which works with women on income generation initiatives. Generally, the women friend works with are more interested in making a business out of their work, and it would appear these women would make excellent use of a microfinance opportunity.

Finally, we met with a village that makes traditional Fijian salt. This was our most productive visit to date. The women of this village are extremely entrepreneurial and are anticipating turning their salt into a real commercial product. The village will be a place where tourists can come and watch the traditional salt being made…for a price of course. Upon leaving, tourists will be allowed to buy the salt, known for its restorative properties…again, for a price.

These big plans all come at a cost though, and this is where microfinance could really help. Additionally, these women could benefit from advisory services which an MFI could provide.

Today we’re in Suva, and have several meetings on the agenda. We’ll be sure to keep the blog up to date as we conclude our time here in Fiji. As much as we’re all missing Kelley, it will be hard to leave the people and island of Fiji.

Guest blog post provided by Matt Hutchens, Kelley MBA 2011.

I Have No Dignity, But I Have My Costume…

2010-09-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

After a successful Friday working with Microfinance West and vendors in Lautoka and Veisese, we decided to spend another day learning from entrepreneurs at the Lautoka market.

This time Dr. Sharma, our new friend and dean of the UniFiji business school, escorted us there and helped us track down a man called the Market Master. Before today, we weren’t really aware that the market had a master, but apparently all the Fijian town markets have them; Lautoka’s Market Master is Ponsamy Mudaliar. He was kind enough to spend about an hour talking to us, explaining his role and his perspective on how the market operates. As the master, his primary responsibility is to collect daily market fees, but he also sees himself as the person who the vendors can come to for help with whatever needs they may have. (Luckily for the market vendors, he’s a benevolent master.) As yet, he hasn’t been involved with any of the microfinance companies in operation, but given his prominent position in the market he is definitely a useful connection for anyone wanting to work with small business owners who sell at the Lautoka market.

Mr. Mudaliar introduced us to an amazing woman named Makareta Rika, who has worked in the market for 41 years, and who currently serves as President of the Lautoka Market Vendors Association (an organization comprised of about 1,200 small business owners). She is a gracious and kind woman, and she knows just about everything about anything that goes on or has gone on in the market. She introduced us to several handicraft vendors who we then interviewed for our microfinance study.

After we put in a few hours speaking to women in the Lautoka market (we’ve spoken to about 40 women so far), our driver Ravin took us to a beach he knew about on the west side of the island. It was down a long dirt road and there weren’t many people there, but we did run across a group of boys who were busy burying one of their friends in the sand. They claimed they had killed him, but his breathing betrayed their story. Since they weren’t killers, we talked to them for a while, and Melanie in passing asked if they could climb the trees by the beach. Not only could they climb the trees, as it turned out, but they could also throw down coconuts, produce machetes seemingly out of thin air, and cut the coconuts open for us to drink. When we finished drinking coconut milk, they cut the coconuts open, fashioned spoons out of the coconut shells, and gave them to us to eat. I felt pretty silly and useless as a sheltered American at that moment, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the coconut.

Walking back along the beach, we met a group of young men who called us over to where they were sitting. We told them what we were doing in Fiji, and, taking us to be business experts, they asked us a lot of questions about how credit cards work. The idea that a person could take out a loan with a card and instantly use it to pay for something like a vacation was fascinating to them. We tried to warn them about the dangers of consumer debt, so hopefully they won’t fall into the trap that most of America fell into.

As we were leaving, one of them got the idea to trade T-shirts with me. I have no idea where he got the shirt he offered me (he wasn’t wearing it himself, and it was purple with pink lettering), but I went ahead with the trade. The exchange might have been Fijian “kari kari” in action, but I’m not really sure. In any case, now he’s got a Kelley School of Business t-shirt and I’ve got a T-shirt that is about two sizes too small and says, “I have no costume, but I have my dignity.” In a nice pretty script. Wearing the shirt back to the hotel, I doubted if either of those assertions was true. In fact, the opposite was probably more a lot more accurate.

I plan to present the T-shirt to Dr. Powell as evidence of our Fijian cultural immersion, so feel free to stop by his office and check it out. We’ll write more soon!

Guest blog post provided by Jacob Hiatt, Kelley MBA 2011.

The village of Viesese

2010-08-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today was another great day! Ever since we arrived to Fiji I have been thinking that this project was one of the things that I wanted to experience during my MBA, and I still can’t believe my dream came true.

Our day started very early. It was 7:15 am when Ravin, our driver, picked us up at the hotel. After our meeting with Dorinda Work at Microfinance West Offices, we were ready to start our research. In order to cover more ground we decided to split into two teams. Jacob and his wife visited one of the Fijians markets in order to gain more knowledge about how women in these kind of businesses benefited from micro-loans; and Matt and I visited a Fijians Village, called Viesese.

Before getting there we were advised about how respectful we must be about their traditions, but really these women were very helpful and warm with us. They were anxious to share their stories with us and after an hour of conversation learning about their reasons for being involved in these kinds of loans we were offered a cup of coffee and a piece of homemade bread. They really wanted us to spend more time with them. I felt it was through coffee, bread and a nice conversation how they opened up to share a piece of their lives with us.

Guest blog provided by Rocio Ortiz, Kelley MBA 2011.

First day in Fiji

2010-08-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

With only 10 days to investigate what type of micro-finance product would best serve women entrepreneurs in Fiji, and how to market said product, our team had little time to waste on our first day. Arriving at 4:50am we hit the ground running.

First we acclimated ourselves to the lay of the land. Our taxi driver took us to a local beach were we observed some local fishermen. We then took a drive along the west side of the island to get a better idea of the physical geography of Fiji. Lastly we took lunch at “Chicken Bites” a restaurant that in the USA would likely serve hot wings and chicken tenders, but in Fiji serves delicious Indian curries.

Alas the day was not all site seeing and merry making. At 2pm we headed to, what I can safely say is, the World’s Newest MBA Program at the University of Fiji (UniFiji). The program which launched on Monday August 16, 2010, has 40 students – mostly executives from Air Pacific, Fiji water and several Duty Free shops on the island. At UniFiji, which itself was started in 2004, we met with Professor and Dean of the MBA program KL Sharma, who talked to us about the business and economic climate in Fiji. He was happier to meet with us than the attached picture might let on.

We took several more meetings at the University and had the opportunity to meet our first female entrepreneur which was extremely informative! We ended the day with lecture on Global Supply Chain Challenges and how they impact Fiji.

Today we’re off to meet with a current micro-finance organization on the island which will introduce us to women business owners they currently serve. It should be another packed day and we’ll be sure to update the blog with more information as soon as we can.

Guest blog post from Matt Hutchens, Kelley MBA 2011.

Fiji project gets under way

2010-08-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we left Indy at 5 p.m., we have been traveling for 17 hours and the good news is that in three more hours we’ll be landing on Nadi, Fiji. I’m so excited about this opportunity that I can’t hardly wait to be in this incredible place and start learning from this culture.

Our mission, as Greg Casagrande said last Friday in our phone call, is to talk to at least 100 women entrepreneur in different villages and learn about how a micro-loan can improve their business as well as their quality of life. We’ll be visiting Nadi, Lautoka and Suva trying to reach as many women as possible and make a positive impact in their communities. The most interesting part is that while doing this we’ll be also exposed to their culture and traditions which will make our experience even richer by opening our minds towards different realities and perspectives of life.

Being a member of the Kelley family has been one of the best experiences of my life, and opportunities like this have been a very important part of it. I remember that while we were talking with Greg Casagrande the only thing I could think about is how unique this opportunity is and what an amazing adventure it will be. I am sure this is going to be a life changing experience.

Our first stop after landing in Nandi will be Fiji University….stay tuned for more.

Guest post provided by Rocio Ortiz, Kelley MBA 2011

Aid to Artisans MBA intern travels to Ethiopia

2010-08-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings, I am back from Ethiopia and happy to report that my trip was exciting and successful. After landing in the capital, Addis Ababa, my colleagues and I took a 12 hour trip south in a 4x4 Land Cruiser to the Konso Community. The journey consisted of mainly dirt roads, beautiful scenery, and an abundance of livestock. I quickly found out that Ethiopian law states that donkeys, cattle, and goats have the right away. As I am sure you can imagine, this greatly increased travel time! Along this trek, I was also surprised to learn that ping-pong was a popular means to pass time. In just about every community we passed through, small or large, a couple tables with people actively playing could be spotted.
From Konso, we then spent the next nine days visiting mainly rural communities on our way back to the capital. Each of these towns had an artisan group (10-70 members) that specialized in weaving and/ or basketry, along with shop and lodge owners, that I met with in order to understand tourism in the area, outlets for distribution, and the group’s handcraft capabilities and business knowledge. My means for obtaining this information was acquired through questioning that was unique in each community. Part of my challenge was to come up with creative questions to withdraw pertinent information. To make this even more challenging, I had to work through a translator, as the common language in Ethiopia is Amharic. This form of research definitely tested my patience and persistence.
Of the eight communities we visited, Tulo Gudo, an island in Lake Ziway, was my favorite place based on story value and attraction. To arrive, a tourist needs to take a metal motor boat that resembles more of a tank than a floating device on a 1.5 hour trip. Lake Ziway like all the other lakes found in Ethiopia’s Central and Southern Rift Valley is blessed with an abundant amount of wildlife. As we pushed off the bank, I immediately saw three hippos and shortly thereafter my first African Eagle. Tulo Gudo, along with being a stunning place to visit, also has religious significance. During the Islamic Crusades in Ethiopia the original Ark of Covenant was hidden on this island for 40 years. Many of the artifacts brought with the covenant are still housed in the island’s church and can be viewed by tourists.
When we arrived back to Addis, we then spent the next three days organizing a craft event to display the products of the artisan groups we visited. Hotel, lodge, and shop owners, as well as ex-pats, from all over Ethiopia were invited to provide suggestions, purchase items, and place orders. The event was also attended by a representative from each artisan enterprise, the US Ambassador to Ethiopia, and local media. I am proud to say that the event was a huge success with about 50 people attending and showcased the valuable support that Aid to Artisans is providing in the country. During the bazaar, many of the products were bought and orders were placed, and most significantly, constructive feedback for the artisans was provided.
Now that I am back home, I am tasked with taking the data that I obtained to formulate a market study on tourism and handcraft, and a business plan for each artisan group. My work will be used by ATA to increase the profitability of each enterprise. Further, now that I have been exposed to the African continent, I am even more excited about my next visit to Ghana as part of GLOBASE Ghana.

Follow-up guest blog entry provided by Blake Grosch, Kelley MBA, summer intern with Aid to Artisans.

Laying the foundation for market research in Fiji

2010-08-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Fiji … or “Bula” as the locals say.

As MBA Program Chair, I’m here for a quick trip laying the foundation for a team of three MBA students who will arrive in two weeks to a complete a market research project for the South Pacific Business Development Foundation (SPBDF), a nonprofit micro-lender to women, who has operated for 10 years in Samoa and now wants to begin operations in Fiji.

Greg Casagrande, the SPBDF’s founder (whose efforts in poverty amelioration are so successful that he was highlighted on the "Making a Difference" series on NBC News), called me, asked the Kelley School MBA Program for assistance, and we have obliged.

During their 10-day visit, the student team will survey women micro-entrepreneurs about their credit and savings needs, speak with banks and government agencies about current micro-credit offerings in Fiji, and recommend how the SPBDF can position its brand and products to insure a sustainable nonprofit business model.

This fuels a larger strategic effort by the Kelley MBA Program to expand experiences for students in emerging markets. For example, the program’s Global Business and Social Enterprise (GLOBASE) spring break course that has been in Peru for two years will expand to Ghana and India in Spring 2011.

These experiences are designed not only to expose students to global markets, but to accelerate development of micro-social and leadership skills that will make students effective executives in companies and organizations.

The uncertainties and unfamiliarity of completing a Kelley School project in a developing country prepares students well for unexpected challenges in corporate America.

Guest blog entry provided by Phil Powell, Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy and Faculty Chair, MBA Program at the Kelley School of Business, from a planning trip in Suva, Fiji.

Aid to Artisans MBA summer internship

2010-07-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

My name is Blake Grosch and I’m a second year MBA student at the Kelley School of Business. This summer I’m working for a non-profit called Aid to Artisans located in Hartford, CT. ATA provides business training, product development, and market access to handcraft groups located in developing countries. My project is to support the development of 8 artisan enterprises in Ethiopia.

In a few days, I will take my first trip to Ethiopia and even Africa. I feel very fortunate and lucky to have this opportunity. This will be a great chance to utilize the business knowledge I developed at Kelley this past year in an international setting, as well as the skills I learned as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I’m not entirely sure what to expect, but from what I’ve heard, the country is beautiful and the people are open and friendly.

I will land in the capital Addis Ababa and from there travel south to the Konso Community. My primary objective while in-country is to conduct market research on handcraft applied to the tourism sector. I will be visiting various communities in both the southern and central parts of Ethiopia to interview members of the 8 handcraft groups, shop owners, tourist guides, and hotel owners. It is my goal that the information I obtain helps expand the distribution and sales of these groups.

Apart from my work in Ethiopia, I’m extremely excited to experience the culture and customs of the communities I plan to visit. I have a feeling that this trip will be both eye-opening and extremely educational, and a trek that I will soon not forget! This journey will definitely put me in a better position for my full-time job search in marketing and will aid my student leadership role for GLOBASE Ghana at Kelley next fall.

Upon my return in three weeks, I look forward to posting an entry detailing my trip.

Guest blog entry provided by Blake Grosch, Kelley School of Business second year MBA student, Globase Ghana leadership team member.

Kelley Globase goes to Ghana

2010-07-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

As I reflect on my March and June visits to Ghana, I consider myself extremely lucky. It's been a privilege to travel and learn alongside Kelley School of Business faculty scholars, staff and students, to push my personal limits, and challenge what I know, or thought I knew, about the global economy.

The March trip to Accra with the Kelley School of Business Undergraduate Emerging Economies class proved to be an excellent introduction to the business and cultural nuances of a developing country and its economy. Meetings with The Ghana Cocoa Board, Cummins-Ghana, SEND-Ghana (an NGO that focuses on poverty-related research), and others, provided first-hand exposure to food, culture, climate, and diverse viewpoints regarding the advantages and complexities of living and conducting business in West Africa.

The June planning trip was a full-immersion experience. Although I find the diversity of thought and energy of a big group stimulating, there is real benefit to traveling with a small troop. Numbering just three, the agility of the Globase Ghana Leadership Team allowed us to be flexible with our schedule and take full advantage of the introductions and gracious hospitality provided while in-country. In essence, our ability to build meaningful relationships with potential partners was greatly enhanced. And isn't that really the foundation of global business?

Guest blog entry provided by Kate O'Malley, Kelley School of Business Office of Marketing & Communications, Globase Ghana leadership team member. Follow the Globase Ghana team at http://iuglobaseghana.blogspot.com/.

Kelley School finalist for GMAC's TeamMBA Institutional Award

2010-07-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

The Kelley School of Business MBA Program was one of three finalist business schools for the GMAC's TeamMBA Institutional Award (2009-2010). This is the first time the Kelley School of Business MBA Program reached the finals for this award.

Team MBA is part of GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) and is the global initiative for community service by students in graduate management programs. Since GMAC launched Team MBA in 2005, hundreds of students, staff, and faculty from scores of schools have donated thousands of volunteer hours and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities and community organizations: more than $500,000 raised for charity and more than 25,000 volunteer hours as of 2009.

The annual TeamMBA Award program recognizes schools that exemplify a commitment to social responsibility through the actions of their students and the school's demonstrated support of these efforts. The awards are presented in June during a ceremony at the GMAC® Annual Industry Conference. Entries are reviewed by a committee composed of business school professionals.

The overall institution award recognizes a school for its commitment to promoting and supporting social engagement by its students through school-led programs, services, institutional culture, and more.

Winners of International Case Comp on Strategic Value of IT Management Announced

2010-05-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

CA Technologies, the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, the School of Business Administration at Oakland University, and Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona announced May 19, 2010 the winners of the second International Case Competition on the Strategic Value of IT Management. The winners were chosen and announced at CA Technologies’ user conference, CA World 2010, in Las Vegas.

The International Case Competition on the Strategic Value of IT Management brought together students from business and information technology disciplines to demonstrate and evaluate the strategic value of IT management for an organization. Twelve teams participated from different regions around the world. The teams included three graduate students with at least one student pursuing a degree in information technology (IT) or information systems (IS).

The winners of the competition were:

• First Place: Stephan Brostrøm, Theis Malmborg and Christian Øhrgaard from Copenhagen Business School were awarded first place and $10,000.
• Second Place: Ankit Jagwani, Bethany Lipton and Bedanta Talukdar from Texas A&M University were awarded second place and $5,000.
• Third Place: Priyanka Chandrasekaran, Jelanna Olivera-Morgan and Dan Resnick from Indiana University's MSIS Program and Ian Cruickshank, Kenneth Lee and Jason Robertson from University of British Columbia were tied for third place and both teams were awarded $2,500.

Prior to arriving at CA World, the students were presented with a business challenge similar to what today’s CIOs face. In this particular case, the “CIO” of a global financial services organization was concerned about the value proposition of moving an in-house application to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model in a cloud environment. The students were asked to analyze the proposal, the security and data issues inherent with such a move, and provide a recommendation for action. The featured case study and judging support was provided by Citigroup, Inc.

“We were incredibly pleased with the quality of work and dedication demonstrated by the winning students,” said Connie Smallwood, senior director of Innovation and University Programs at CA Technologies. “It is critical to the technology industry that we engage students early on and give them the experience of confronting real-world problems that are similar to ones they may face after graduation.”

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s business leaders,” said Antonio Di Caro, senior vice president, AXA Technology Services North America. “The competition presented significant lessons that will be beneficial to the professional growth of the students and their ability to link IT and its strategic value to business.” Mr. Di Caro, along with other industry professionals and academic leaders, participated on the judging panel for the competition.

For additional information on the International Case Competition on the Strategic Value of IT Management, please visit http://www.sba.oakland.edu/cacase.

Visit with the Sage of Omaha

2010-05-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from Travis Selmier, visiting clinical professor of finance and Investment Management Academy co-director.

Members of the Investment Management Academy and their fellow MBAs visited the Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffet, in early April. Mr Buffet was in rare form, offering wisdom on topics ranging from Coca-cola ("bathe in it, as long as you use it") to See Candy ("Mirror, mirror on the wall, how much should I raise the price this fall") to progressive taxes (he said he pays a riduculously small amount of income in taxes) to aging (wisdom is worth the price of aging). We all benefited from WB's quote of IBM founder Tom Watson Senior: "I'm no genius, but I'm smart in spots, and I saty in those spots".

MacGruber

2010-04-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 17th at 7:30pm, in the Indiana Memorial Union's Whittenberger Auditorium, a screening of the Universal Pictures movie MacGruber was held. An hour before the movie even started, a huge line of people were anxiously waiting out front, hoping to get seats to this event. These fans were not the only people attending; two of the movies stars, Will Forte and Ryan Phillippe were on hand, joined by director and writer Jorma Taccone and writer John Solomon.

You may be wondering, how was this SNL skit, turned motion picture, held in IU before its May 21st release? It was all made possible by Kelley student Jerrod Jeffries. Jerrod is the campus rep for Universal Pictures. When speaking to Jerrod he told me,"I enjoy giving students the opportunities for entertainment." With his help Indiana University was chosen as one of the five schools that would screen MacGruber and the four stars would go to. The other schools are North Carolina, Arizona, Colorado and UCLA. Universal Pictures is doing these screenings to get the buzz started for their movie.

The screening was a huge success. The movie was hilarious and the crowd was laughing the whole time. It was the first time I heard cheers for a movie that wasn't a sequel. Obviously they found the perfect target audience for their movie in college students. When speaking about SNL Ryan Phillippe stated "it is closest to a live show for an actor. It was a little terrifying but exhilarating." Somehow the movie was shot in 28 days, which is very short for a movie to be filmed. Based on the reaction of the IU audience, I believe this movie is going to be a huge success and I recommend it to everyone.

Attending the Kelley business school helped Jerrod get his position as the campus representative for Universal Pictures. Jerrod did an incredible job putting this event together. Not only did over 400 students get to see a movie three and a half weeks before it came out, but they also got to meet some of the stars that helped make the movie so great. Remember attending Kelley isn't just about going to classes. Take advantage of all opportunities you can including, internships, clubs, and committees or even become a campus rep. Maybe you can be the next Jerrod Jeffries and you too can help bring Hollywood to Bloomington.

MSIS students take first place in SUIT Showdown case competition

2010-04-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from Christina Cooper, associate director of student relations for Kelley's Information Systems Graduate Programs.

First place accolades were earned by a team of MS in Information Systems (MSIS) students from the IU Kelley School of Business while competing in the first annual Strategic Use of Information Technology (SUIT) Showdown case competition. The case competition was designed for graduate students majoring in management information systems from across the US. The competition was held on April 9 and hosted by the Center for the Management of Information Systems and the Department of Information and Operations Management in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. Scott Brier, Sanjay Joshi, and Cerena Olsen, all current MSIS students at Kelley, beat out 9 other teams that hailed from Texas A&M University, University of Illinois-Chicago, University of Arizona, University of Oklahoma, University of Texas at Dallas, and University of Washington.

Sanjay Joshi recounts his experience, “We were exhilarated to win first place in the competition! In their feedback, the judges applauded not just the content of our presentation, but also our presentation style as a team. I attribute a lot of this to the MSIS program, which focuses highly on inculcating skills that help us bridge the technology-business divide.” Cerena Olson echoes Sanjay enthusiasm for the experience and describes the attributes that helped the team win: “The judges emphasized the impact of the cohesiveness and compatibility of our team as we worked together to convey our presentation. My team and I were very honored to have won the case competition, as we were competing against world-class universities and very talented teams.”

The SUIT Case Competition focused on recommending a strategic revamp of a web media company using IT. The case allowed the students to utilize the skills they have learned in the MSIS program. As Joshi recalls, “Our team, did not turn it into a purely technical case. We focused on analyzing the ‘business pain points’ described in the case, did a root cause analysis of both strategic and IT misalignments, and finally exhibited how technology could fix those pain points both in the long and the short term. I think this proved to be our differentiator against other teams, most of which focused on technology implementations alone.” This case competition was the first of its kind to bring together graduate student studying management information systems from around the country.

* * *
The Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business is an innovative, professional graduate degree program that prepares students for rewarding and engaging careers as business technologists. Business technologists emphasize the management of--not just creation of--technology. The market-driven curriculum integrates a core of information science knowledge, business foundations, and specific technical skills and knowledge that lead to a career in both traditional and emerging fields. Career paths include general information technology (IT) consulting, IT governance and controls, and corporate IT leadership development programs.

Kelley MSIS students take second place in Vancouver case competition

2010-04-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from Christina Cooper, associate director of student relations for the Kelley School of Business' Information Systems Graduate Programs. You can read more about the programs at http://kelley.iu.edu/isgp/.

Three Kelley students took second place at the CaseIT Case Competition, sponsored by the Management Information Systems Association at Simon Fraser University. The competition was held March 31 – April 3, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. Joe Castor, Ben Cowles and Michael Sobota competed against 16 other teams which came from four continents: North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Ramesh Venkataraman, Chair, and Christina Cooper, Associate Director of Student Relations for the MSIS program, were the team’s coaches.

The students had 24 hours to deliberate on the case before presenting it to a panel of 12 esteemed judges. The case focused on IBM Canada’s desire to implement a global strategy to reduce costs and improve customer service. The judges were impressed with the Kelley team’s deliverable and overall presentation. The team remained poised under pressure during the crucial lightening round which only the four finalists participated in.

Ben Cowles speaks to the value of the experience: "As an accounting and finance major, competing in a MIS case competition provided me with many opportunities to learn more about how technology and business are related. Specifically, we had the opportunity to discuss cloud computing and its future in the business world with various Canadian executives from IBM and SAP. Learning about these topics has sparked my interest in the role technology plays in business.” Joe Castor and Michael Sobota, both incoming MSIS students at the Kelley School of Business, agreed that it was the ability to work well as a team that contributed to the success.

* * *

The Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business is an innovative, professional graduate degree program that prepares students for rewarding and engaging careers as business technologists. Business technologists emphasize the management of--not just creation o--technology. The market-driven curriculum integrates a core of information science knowledge, business foundations, and specific technical skills and knowledge that lead to a career in both traditional and emerging fields. Career paths include general information technology (IT) consulting, IT governance and controls, and corporate IT leadership development programs.

Read about the MSIS experience as described by student bloggers at http://msiskelley.blogspot.com/.

Kelley MBAs help out Habitat for Humanity

2010-04-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from Kelley MBA student Blake Grosch.

On Saturday, April 17th, Kelley Cares hosted the first-ever Team MBA Day in the Bloomington community.

A group of roughly 20 full-time MBA students assisted with service projects at the Restore Center run by Habitat for Humanity, at the Boys & Girls Club on Lemon Lake, and at Moores Creek. At these locations, students helped move furniture, picked up sticks and trash, and demonstrated a willingness to lend-a-hand. In total, the Kelley student body donated 75 service hours.

Team MBA Day is part of a month long service competition called Team MBA that Kelley is participating in with other national MBA programs.

2010 Entrepreneurial Connection

2010-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

On Friday, April 16, the Kelley School of Business hosted the third annual IU Entrepreneurial Connection event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Mark Albion, founder of the social entrepreneurship organization Net Impact. This year's Entrepreneurial Connection coincided with World Entrepreneurship Day.

Entrepreneurial Connection is organized by current MBA students in the Entrepreneurship Program to bring together current and past Kelley students to form a supportive network of entrepreneurs and innovators. Each event features a keynote speaker, a panel discussion, and formal and informal networking opportunities.

The William L. Haeberle Entrepreneurial Legacy Award is also presented as part of this event. This year's award was presented to the Cook family. You can read the details of this award in this news release.

Keynote speaker Dr. Mark Albion a successful entrepreneur and author, spoke about choosing a career based on something you enjoy and really want to do. He said working just to make money isn't the move because if you enjoy what you are doing you having much better chance at being successful. He quoted Warren Buffet on how wrong people are when they first work to make money and then work on something they are passionate about. Why not work n what you are passionate about from the beginning? Mark also asked audience members. "What is it that makes you come alive?" He said it is important to set that spark off in one another.

Mark also remarked that success is different for every person. He showed the audience an inspiring animated movie called The Good Life. It's available for free on YouTube, and only a few minute long. I highly recommend it to everyone- it's very eye opening despite being so brief.

After Mark spoke Kelley entrepreneurship professor Donal Kurtako (known as Dr. K) introduced the panel and started a discussion about social entrepreneurship. In addition to Mark Albion, the mother members of the panel were Jeff McMullen, and Siri Terjesen both professors of management and entrepreneurship at the Kelley School of Business; and Susan Maupin, Director of Marketing for Stonyfield Farm and an MBA graduate from Kelley. During the panel discussion Mark noted that one lives life forward but understands it backward.

I found, to be the most meaningful, when he recommended that students develop as many experiences as they can. Students should get different types of internships and broaden their horizons. This is because doing as many different things as you can, will help you find your true passion and discover what makes you come alive.

Kelley senior and Universal Pictures Rep invites IU campus to a free movie preview

2010-04-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Kelley Senior Jerrod Jeffries is the IU campus representative for Universal Pictures. A management and entrepreneurship major, Jeffries hopes to work in the entertainment industry or for an overseas medical firm post-graduation and believes that his role with Universal has helped him develop some of the skills necessary to launch his career.

Jeffries has helped to organize and promote a number of movie previews on campus. The next preview will be of the movie Macgruber, based on the Saturday Night Live skit. The event will be Tuesday, April 27 at 7:30 pm in the Indiana Memorial Union's Whittenberger Auditorium. Afterward, the film's stars will be available for a Q&A session. Tickets can be obtained from the IMU bowling alley.

Questions about the preview can be directed to Jerrod Jeffries at jerjeffr@indiana.edu.

Are "going green" and "sustainability" the same things?

2010-04-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from Kelley senior lecturer Benjamin Schultz, a member of Kelley's business communications faculty.

Is Going Green the same as making a business sustainable? BUS-Z355 Topics in Management: Sustainable Businesses will examine the issues related to sustainability, focusing on the factors that businesses need to consider to brand themselves as sustainable. Students will spend the first half of the semester learning about these topics, and the second half of the semester working in teams with area businesses to create a sustainability report and plan tailored to their assigned business. Clients will receive both an oral presentation and a written plan.

As an architect and builder, and as a restaurant owner, I have been interested in sustainability issues for many years. And since coming to the Kelley School I have been involved with several sustainability advocate groups, both in the Kelley School and at the campus level. I was appointed by IU Vice President Terry Clapacs to the Sustainability Task Force in the spring of 2007, charged with drafting a report for Administrators and Trustees on where we were and where we should be going on incorporating sustainability initiatives and policies into campus practices and teachings. As a result, IU last year created an Office of Sustainability and hired its first Director of Sustainability, Bill Brown.

I developed Z355 Sustainable Businesses to meet a need to introduce students to business interests with sustainability, and to offer them an opportunity to work with area business as consultants, helping them create sustainability plans tailored to their specific fields and operations. The course will be offered during Fall semester 2010, in part as one of Kelley’s contributions to IU’s Themester initiative. Each fall semester, departments campus-wide offer classes and seminars, bring in guest speakers, and coordinate a variety of activities related to a specific theme. The Fall 2009 theme was Evolution, Diversity and Change. For Fall 2010 the theme will be sustain.ability: Thriving on a Small Planet.

Interested students are encouraged to contact me with questions about the course (schultzb@indiana.edu).

Kelley MBA Class on Social Entrepreneurship Impresses Students

2010-04-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from Karim Khan, Kelley MBA Class of 2011.

This has been a fun semester for me at Kelley—incredibly busy, but fun—thanks in large part to the variety of courses I’ve been able to take. In the first half of the Spring 2010 semester, I balanced out my numbers-oriented cost accounting and marketing fundamentals classes with an introductory entrepreneurship course and a new offering called X572 – Social Entrepreneurship, taught by Professor Jeff McMullen. Instead of memorizing formulas and frameworks, we read the essential literature on social entrepreneurship, social business, and doing good for people by harnessing market forces. It’s a lot of reading; probably more reading than in any other course I’ll take at business school, and a lot more writing as well (I’m talking papers due every class and essay tests—yes, essays in b-school).

What I like about Jeff’s approach is that he asked us to read everything and trust nothing. It’s common for him to assign one piece of material that is a much-cited work in the field, followed by another that is a scathing critique of the first. It’s up to us to decide where we stand. Jeff will gladly share his opinion, but he’s most interested in students defending their own. We read through Yunus, Prahalad, DeSoto, and Bornstein—Google these names and “social entrepreneurship” and you’ll find out who I’m talking about, if you don’t know already—as well as a number of other authors and many articles.

In addition to having to write about our reading for each class, we learned from each other by creating presentations for class. Each student teamed up with one or two others (our class was about 20 people) to deliver a presentation on a topic covered by the reading assignment, and half of each class was devoted to these. The class, by design, was about equally split between Kelley MBA and SPEA graduate students, so the variety of perspectives kept our discussions engaging and more enlightening than they’d be in a room full of only MBAs. (SPEA, IU’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, is one of the most prestigious graduate schools of its kind in the world.)

After X572, I have a much better idea of what my options are post-MBA for starting an organization (for-profit or otherwise) with a social goal. The field is young, evolving, controversial, and resists definition. Our generation has the unique opportunity to be pioneers among MBA graduates. I do believe that historians will look backward and mark this time as the point when increasing numbers of emerging business leaders began to ask, “Is this all?” Unlike our parents’ or grandparents’ generations, a large portion of us in school now want our profit-maximizing organizations to take a more holistic view of their reason for being. Social entrepreneurs will be driving some of the change in what we expect from capitalism and the free market system; financial profit is only one among several returns that citizens and employees want from corporations.

Currently I’m taking X573 – Sustainability, Jeff’s follow-on class to X572. Likewise, it’s challenging and thought-provoking.

Mark Albion, social entrepreneur and author, speaking at Kelley Friday, April 16

2010-04-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

This Friday, Mark Albion, founder of the social entrepreneurship group Net Impact, will speak at the Kelley School of Business at the annual Entreprenuerial Connection. The event is free and open to IU students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

To register, click here.

Read the news release here.

The Business of Life Sciences Club

2010-04-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Most people don't usually associate life sciences with business. In school, business majors usually have different plans for the future. Accounting majors want to land a job with the Big Four; finance majors want to either work for a brokerage firm, a hedge fund, or a bank; marketing majors want to either work in the media industry or for a big name product manufacturer; and the list goes on. An entrepreneur just out of college isn't looking to open up a new hospital.

The truth is, 3 out of the top 10 industries with the largest employment are in healthcare. There are great jobs out there in the health care industry for all business majors. Last summer, I worked in the Marketing and PR Department at CentraState Hospital in New Jersey. Before working there I had never even considered working at a hospital since I was a marketing major. But it was actually really interesting being behind the scenes in the hospital and seeing how it operates. I gained a ton of experience and also learned a lot.

The Business of Life Sciences Club brings together Indiana University Bloomington students, faculty, life science companies, and corporate partners to promote knowledge about healthcare careers. I definitely suggest everyone check this club out. If you know what you want to do after school or not you should still go to a meeting and see if The Business of Life Sciences Club sparks your interest.

Just because Life Sciences and Business aren't usually said in the same sentence doesn't mean they aren't a good fit. This is a tough job market, but hospitals and healthcare institutions are still hiring. Learn more about working in the healthcare sector by attending the next BLSC meeting which is Wednesday April 14th at 7pm in BU102.

For more information, visit the group's website. You can also email questions to blsc@indiana.edu.

How much will Tiger's misdeeds cost him? Kelley MBAs figure it out

2010-03-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Philip Borders, an accounting student in Kelley's 3/2 MBA program. The 3/2 program allows Kelley accounting or finance students to apply for admission as juniors and spend the next two years in graduate school. After just five years, they have earned both their BS and MBA.

In the world of marketing, perception is everything. One person that might know this better than anyone is Tiger Woods. Following news releases of Tiger’s actions off the golf course, corporate sponsors such as Accenture immediately dropped his endorsement deal. Other sponsors, such as Proctor & Gamble have eliminated Tiger from advertisements.

So how will this impact Woods’ future earnings potential? In my M510 marketing class with Professor John Talbott, my team was asked to create a valuation of Tiger in light of recent endorsement losses. We predicted that Tiger will return to play professional golf, and the public will forgive him, but not entirely. All in all, we’ve determined that Tiger will miss out on half of his future earnings potential, or $530 million dollars.

In order to determine this loss in earnings, we predict that Tiger will return to the PGA tour and play successfully, but not to the extent of his past performance. Also, we think he will pick up sponsors within the next three years. These sponsorships will be small compared to the deals that made him a billionaire.

A couple weeks after my team completed this assignment, Tiger made a public apology. This event was not considered when making our valuation, but we still think corporations will be very reluctant to initiate new contracts with woods for the time being.

As with any valuation model, assumptions have to be made; however, one thing is certain: Today’s top corporations will not risk losing their brand reputation by continuing to endorse icons that catch a bad reputation.

Need career guidance? Free webinar for alums

2010-03-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

Kelley grads are eligible to receive a number of free career-related services from the Office of Alumni Relations, including webinars like the one being offered on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

Joe Baker, an experienced leadership consultant and executive coach with PeopleResults, will present "From Expert to Leader," which will help managers transition from being an expert to being a leader. Many leaders achieve initial success by becoming technically or functionally competent and getting results. But to get to the next level in effectiveness, most leaders need to learn a new set of skills and approaches that help them achieve results through others.

Baker has a BS degree in Finance from the Kelley School (1987), a Master’s degree and professional clinical license in Counseling, and extensive professional coach training from the Coaches Training Institute and other corporate coach training institutes. He is a Registered Corporate Coach (RCC) with the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation.

Register online at http://www.kelley.iu.edu/alumni/event_V.cfm?key=TE100323&returnpage=none. There's no charge to participate, though you must be a graduate of a Kelley program (membership in the alumni association is not required, however).

The Nike Experience

2010-03-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Kelley sophomore honors student Savinay Pillay.

In the basketball world, it is safe to say that if LeBron James can recognize your face, you are doing something right. As the director of Nike’s Elite Youth Program, Mike Hackman has the opportunity to work with NBA stars, including James, and develops initiatives geared toward discovering Nike’s next big star.

On Tuesday, February 9, 2010, students in professors Darryl Neher and Jeanette Heidewald’s honors business communication classes were presented with a unique opportunity to interact with Mr. Hackman through a live Nike case presentation. The case experience examined a real-world problem that Nike faces in trying to determine the most effective means of targeting young, elite players who one day may sport the Nike brand for their college or professional teams.

The basketball recruiting landscape has continued to reinvent itself with the surge in popularity of social networking, technology, and digital media. Nike has come to an impasse on effective ways to target the next-generation athlete through these technological media, representing a significant problem for the company, as Nike places a high degree of importance on connecting with athletes at a young age. Developing relationships with high-profile athletes takes time and targeting these athletes early can help ease this process.

Each student team was required to draft an executive summary of its proposal and present the idea to a panel of judges consisting of Professor Neher or Professor Heidewald and upperclassmen. Through the case competition students were exposed to the thought processes needed to develop effective solutions in case competitions and learned how to draft concise summaries of complex ideas. Upon completion of the case, students had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hackman who debriefed the case, explaining the reasoning often implemented by Nike in addressing business questions.

One of the most valuable lessons Mr. Hackman imparted was the thinking that all solutions must have a need. Often Nike executives hear ideas with great potential to impact the company positively; however, if there is no true need for the strategy, it will ultimately fail. My classmates and I found Mr. Hackman’s presentation to be extremely informative, as all of us learned techniques that can be implemented in future business environments.

As a student of the Kelley School of Business, there are quite a few opportunities to interact with industry leaders, but having the chance to learn from a representative of one of the world’s largest and most successful companies was undoubtedly a valuable experience. Not only did students develop an understanding of the thought process necessary to solve business problems, but we were also able to develop communication skills that will prove valuable in our future careers. It is one thing to read about Nike in class and the Wall Street Journal, but to gain experience with a Nike executive was an incredible opportunity that I am so very grateful to have experienced.

Innovation Event in Chicago: Tweet to Win Tickets!

2010-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

This Thusrday, March 4, 2010 in Chicago, Kelley's Alumni Association is presenting a panel discussion on strategic innovation. Register online to attend at http://www.kelley.iu.edu/alumni/event_V.cfm?key=CH100304&returnpage=none.

Or, win a free ticket by tweeting the following from your Twitter account:

#ChicagoInnovation event Thurs. Register at http://bit.ly/9v7UqG RT to win a ticket

All retweets before 5pm EST on Tuesday, March 2 will be entered into a drawing for one of two free tickets to the event. Be sure to use the hashtag #ChicagoInnovation so that we can locate your retweet!

Professor Dan Dalton to speak on corporate board effectiveness

2010-02-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Kelley Management Professor Dan Dalton will participate in a virtual panel discussion entitled, "Board Effectiveness: Is Better Governance or Stronger Leadership Needed?" hosted by Shift Worldwide on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 at 3pm EST.

Dalton is the founding Director of the Institute for Corporate Governance, Dean Emeritus, and the Harold A. Poling Chair of Strategic Management in IU Kelley School of Business. With more than 300 published articles in corporate governance, business strategy, law, and ethics, he is recognized by Business Week as a “Governance Guru.”

Dalton will be joined by three other panelists for a 90-minute discussion followed by an open Q&A. For more information or to register, visit http://www.shiftworldwide.com/vpanels/boardeffectiveness.htm.

Former President and COO of One Laptop per Child Chuck Kane to Speak at Kelley on March 5

2010-02-23T06:23:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Bryan Stuart, an IU senior from Indianapolis majoring in business economics/public policy and mathematics.

Chuck Kane, executive board advisor and former president and COO of One Laptop per Child (OLPC), will speak at Kelley on March 5, 2010 at 2:00 pm in BU 109. To date, OLPC has delivered over one million laptops to children in some of the world’s poorest communities. Kane is visiting universities around the nation, including MIT, Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon University to speak with students about his experience leading OLPC and how young adults can help OLPC achieve its mission of creating educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children.

A year ago, I started a program called One Laptop per Child Corps, along with a friend from IU and a colleague at OLPC. Through this program, 122 university students from around the world spent 10 weeks in 18 African nations last summer distributing 3,000 laptops to children who previously had little access to educational materials and technology.

This year, OLPC will offer internships in Peru, Rwanda, Nicaragua, and Paraguay that last 3, 6, 9, or 12 months. OLPC will also offer a yearlong program, called OLPCorps, in Afghanistan, Cameroun, Haiti, Mali, and the Palestinian Occupied Territories. While these two programs have unique missions, they both rely upon the passion and skills of young adults from around the world.

Come check out Chuck Kane’s speech on March 5th to learn more about how you can get involved. Students, faculty, administrators, and the public are all welcome.

Eight AM in February

2010-02-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

February at Kelley feels like the longest month of the year despite being the shortest. The excitement of the new semester is behind us and spring break still a long time away. This makes eight o'clock classes in the spring especially challenging for students and faculty.

I always feel a special bond with students in my eight AM sections. We arrive before the hustle and bustle of Kelley is in full swing. No pizza in the hall, the coffee kiosk is closed, there are places to park right outside the door, and a chance to chat with friends in Building Services who seem to spend the night at the school. The oxygen level in classrooms during eight AM sections is always low, leading to continued yawning. Students at Kelley in general have very fine dental work, I have seen it.

Sometimes we use the dim settings on the light levels in the class room to allow a bit more time to adjust to the new day. I am an expert in caffeine sources for students and conduct research into emerging beverage trends as I wait for students to settle. Sometimes we debate the merits of Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts coffee with neither side conceding a point to the other.

I'm always impressed when my Kelley's actually pay attention during an eight AM section and I like to think I make a special effort to add color to the marketing material I present. I am thankful for bodies in the seats and consider attentive, bright, interested eyes to be a real luxury at eight AM sections.

These sections speak to the quality and desire of our students. They indicate that at an early age our students understand what it takes to be successful in today's business world. These are students who will beat their boss to work, make the coffee, and finish half their to do list before most of the office shows up.

Last Wednesday 4 to 5 inches of snow closed local schools and made the commute to Kelley a bit more challenging. I admit to wishing I would receive that Twitter notification I signed up for indicating that classes would be delayed for two hours. No luck! I arrived at Kelley and at my classroom found a line of 5 or 6 students who had arrived 15 minutes early for class. By 8AM most seats were full. I shook my head with respect as I dimmed the lights, took a deep breath of oxygen-deprived air, and tried to make a good impression on the future CEO's who lifted their bright eyes towards me.

If they can do it, I can do it! See you Monday at 8.

Lecturer Tatiana Kolovou recognized for contributions to women in sports

2010-02-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

Kelley business communications lecturer Tatiana Kolovou will be recognzied on Saturday, February 27, 2010 for her support of women and girls in sports. The award will presented on National Girls and Women in Sports day, at an awards banket at the IU Foundation. Kolovou will also be recognized on Sunday, February 28 during the IU women's basketball game.

Here are some details about Kolovou and her contribution to women in sports. For more details, the news release is available online.

"Tatiana Kolovou, who received a Bachelor of Science from the School of HPER in 1989 and lectures at the Kelley School of Business, is the recipient of the 2010 Office for Women's Affairs Award for Excellence in Support of Women in Sports Award. Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Kolovou got involved in competitive swimming in her early teenage years after having back fusion surgery. Swimming raised her curiosity for the field of sports science and after reading legendary IU swim coach and School of HPER professor Doc Counsilman's book of The Science of Swimming, she knew that the United States was the place that would foster her interest in science. She eventually earned her degree in exercise science and was able to learn from Counsilman first hand through various coaching ventures.

"Locally, she has been teaching group fitness classes for the past 20 years for community members, IU faculty, staff and students. She inspires young IU students to find their best self through her role as a lecturer in business communication at the Kelley School of Business. Kolovou has been hired by large fitness manufacturing companies (Star Track, Nautilus and Schwinn) to design educational programs and deliver trainings all over the world -- she has spread the word of health and fitness to more than 15 countries. Through the years, her personal training efforts have expanded from swimming to triathlons. Last summer Kolovou qualified to compete in the World Triathlon Championships for Team USA. She will be traveling to Budapest, Hungary, in September for the competition."

Reflections on Kelley's Check Your Label event

2010-02-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

(Pictured, from left to right, Check Your Label organizers, Emily Rizzo, Undergraduate Program Director Kathleen Robbins, Molly Barwick, myself, and Kyleigh Turk)

This is a guest post from Sara Woolbright, vice president of the Trockman Microfinance Initiative and a co-planner of the Check Your Label event.

In one of my past courses, my instructor began the semester by sharing this quote from Walter Chrysler: “The real secret of success is enthusiasm.” Never before have I seen this idea so embodied as during the Check Your Label symposium. Throughout the afternoon, it was unmistakable how each speaker had used her own passion to fuel her drive and determination that ultimately led to success. The success was most evidently manifested through the realization of each speaker’s personal goals and business growth. But the speakers had something else to show for their success. The speakers shared their stories of using their abilities to create business models that not only benefitted them, but also empowered others. They relayed their struggles honestly, not hiding their past mistakes or the less glamorous aspects of their work, but also freely shared stories of the results that have made their businesses and careers so rewarding and fulfilling.

I believe that for many students, this was an opportunity to see how simple ideas driven by enthusiasm and passion lead to small improvements capable of growing into larger results. For myself, the Check Your Label symposium was one of the most rewarding things I have been a part of since my time at Indiana University. Being able to work with faculty and students who are passionate about exposure to alternative career options is something that is very important for me. I am excited to be a student in a time where business can be as socially revolutionary as it is now. As a student, I want to thank the faculty for aiding myself and my peers in finding our passions and illuminating ways to incorporate them into all aspects of our lives and careers. Having faculty members who are dedicated to helping students in this aspect is one of the reasons I am happy I attend the Kelley School of Business.

Dallas Mavericks-Mathletics event photos

2010-02-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, January 30, 2010, Kelley alums attended "A Night at the Mavericks," an annual event held in Dallas. Guests watch Mavericks basketball and visit with old and new Kelley friends.

Below are some pictures of this year's event, which also featured Kelley Professor Wayne Winston speaking about his new sports statistics book, Mathletics. Winston developed some of the concepts in Mathletics during nine years of doing stats analysis for his former student Mark Cuban, owner of the Mavs.

Women: Put your mark on the next generation of business innovation

2010-02-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Catherine Nichols, a junior at IU, and marketing intern for the Career Lab.

Consider this eye-opening fact: the language of business now drives success in every industry including the arts, public service, media and entertainment, publishing and even not-for-profit enterprises. Come explore how business knowledge can enhance your academic background, professional ambitions, and social or service interests, and help you segue into an exciting and opportunity-rich career.

On Thursday, February 25 in room 0034 of the Godfrey Center, the Forté Foundation is hosting a Career Lab for female undergraduate students. These events feature industry panels, networking sessions, and interactive workshops at which accomplished women from top companies and the Kelley School of Business MBA Program discuss the new world of business and help women envision their role in it. Regardless of major, all undergraduate women with an interest in business will benefit from their insights.

This year’s main speaker is Lindsey Pollak, a bestselling
author, speaker and consultant specializing in Generation Y career and workplace issues. She is the author of "Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World" and writes a top-rated blog, the Lindsey Pollak Career Blog. She is also the Career Contributor to ABC News on Campus, where she provides tips and advice to college students and recent graduates. Her advice and opinions have appeared in such media outlets as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, CNN.com, National Public Radio and ABC News America This Morning. Pollak is a graduate of Yale University and received a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to Melbourne, Australia, where she completed a master’s degree in women’s studies. She is based in New York City.

The Forté Foundation is a consortium of major corporations, top business schools, and influential non-profit organizations that has become a powerful change agent directing talented women towards leadership roles in business. Through a combination of programming, scholarships, and network development, Forté Foundation reaches a broad spectrum of women from college through business school.The Career Lab is an opportunity female undergraduate students should not miss! Interested in attending? Get more information and complete the required online registration by going to www.fortefoundation.org/careerlab.

Got an IDEA? Friday is the deadline to get it funded

2010-02-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

Cutting the ribbon on new Bloomberg terminals

2010-02-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

On Friday, January 29, 2010, Indiana University cut the ribbon for 14 new Bloomberg terminals, bringing the school's total to 16. Nine of the terminals will be in use at the Kelley School of Business, in locations including the trading room and the MBA lounge. Terminals will also be available for faculty to check out for use in classes. The remaining terminals will be installed in Indiana University's foundation, treasurer's office, and in the joint business-public policy library.

Kelley has had Bloomberg terminals for a number of years, thanks to alum Robert Poll (MBA ’72), who is now president of the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association Board of Directors. In 2000, Poll introduced the school to Bloomberg terminals and funded the initial purchase of the machines because he views basic competency in Bloomberg usage as essential for students trying to get into the finance industry.

Expanding the total number of terminals on campus to 16 gives IU more terminals than any other university in the world. Travis Selmier and Chip Snively, directors of Kelley's Investment Management Academy, helped arrange for the expansion.

"The breadth and depth of information available on Bloomberg is astounding," said Selmier. "A team of some 30 people implemented this campus-wide rollout, one more example of Kelley’s, and IU’s, teamwork and global technology leadership position."

Ongoing training on the terminals will be offered by Bloomberg. Students will be able to earn certification from Bloomberg according to their level of proficiency in operating the system.

Kelley Dean Dan Smith cut the ribbon at an informal celebration. Bloomberg representative Colin Connaughton demonstrated some of the terminal's capabilities. In addition to providing detailed data on the stock market and up-to-the minute news, Bloomberg also provides real-time locations of cargo ships, with data on the products they carry, the crew, and various conditions; tracks the status of FDA-approved drug patents; and offers detailed restaurant reviews.

Follow Kelley's GLOBASE team to Peru!

2010-02-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row, a group of Kelley MBA students will travel to Lima, Peru as part of Kelley's Global Business and Social Enterprise program, or "GLOBASE."

The program includes a seven-week elective class, led by students with guidance from international business Professor Roberto Garcia. GLOBASE participants will spend two weeks in Lima over spring break, consulting with local businesses to help them prepare to launch their products into the US market.

You can follow the students' experience as they blog about their classes and their work in Lima at http://iuglobaseperu.blogspot.com/. You can also learn about last year's inaugural GLOBASE trip and future plans to expand GLOBASE to other countries here.

The stats don't lie [SPOILER ALERT]

2010-02-01T10:40:00.001-08:00

Kelley Professor and Mathletics author Wayne Winston may be a Colts fan, but he's also an expert in statistics and spreadsheet modeling. And his analysis of the Superbowl game favors the Saints over the Colts.

From his blog, http://waynewinston.com/, here are Wayne's projections:

So we start with a base prediction of 31-28 Saints based on overall team
abilities. How do other factors influence our view about whether the teams
will play better or worse than their “full season estimates?” Here is my gut
feel.

Freeney’s injury will really hurt. I know of no mathematical way
to quantify the effect of his injury, but my gut says this injury makes the
Saints offense 3 points better.

The Saints feast on turnovers. A turnover costs a team around 4 points. Counting the playoffs, the Saints have around a 1 turnover edge per game. I believe (and I guess the betting public does also) that Manning's great ability will neutralize the Saints usual turnover edge. Maybe this costs the Saints 4 points. (say 2 on offense and defense).

With these adjustments I predict Saints 32 Colts 30.

Wednesday lunch event: The Economics of Indigenous Rights in Peru

2010-02-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday, February 3, Kelley's Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) is hosting the first in a series of lunch events focusing on foreign cultures.

The Economics of Indigenous Rights in Peru
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Room 0034 of the Godfrey Graduate & Executive Education Center
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch provided free of charge to IU students, faculty, and staff
Space is limited. Please RSVP to reserve a seat.

Kelley hosts first-ever women's case competition

2010-02-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

From Thursday, January 21 through Saturday, January 23, 2010, six teams of women from top MBA programs across the country came to Kelley for the first ever women's case competition. The focus of the live case was business strategy for the Bloomington-based firm Textillery Weavers.

"This is an exciting one-of-a-kind competition," said Pamela Roberts, director of the Kelley School's full-time MBA program. "Women MBAs are typically an under-represented population, comprising around 30 percent of students in MBA programs nationwide. It's our commitment to provide women MBAs programming and events focused on their strengths and opportunities. This competition offers a powerful opportunity to compete with top female MBAs while networking with peers and corporations from around the country."

2010 serves as the inaugural year for the Kelley School of Business MBA Women's Case Invitational, which is the only case competition of its kind that exists today. The Kelley School's latest class of 227 full-time MBAs is 34 percent female, one of the highest percentages at any school in the country. The Case Invitational is just one example of the Kelley School's commitment to recruiting and maintaining a diverse and accomplished pool of business leaders, who are engaged locally and think globally, said Roberts.

Second-year consumer marketing student Molly Lyons, who helped organize the event, blogged about her experience: "The competition was open to first-year women from top MBA schools from across the country and was very close to my heart as I have spent a good deal of the past year organizing the weekend."

The top three teams each took home a cash prize and a trophy. Here are the results:
1st place: UCLA – Maggie Watson, Sa Suwanarat,
Zaina Ashar, Camille Zahniser

2nd place: UNC – Brita Turner, Kate Breen,
Elizabeth Kelly, Amanda Rabideau

3rd place: IU – Nicci Pannier, Rachel Vaughn,
Nicole Garland, Lindsey Hall

Best Q&A: Amanda Rabideau (UNC)
Best Presenter: Camille Zahniser (UCLA)
Honorable Mentions for Presentation/Q&A: Maggie Watson(UCLA), Nicci Pannier (IU), Kate Breen (UNC)

Kelley's team, left to right, Lindsey Hall, Nicole Garland, Nicci Pannier, Rachel Vaughn

Update: Twitter contest winner

2010-01-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

Remember Kelley's first-ever Twitter contest from a few weeks ago? Well, we have a winner! Congratulation to Kelley junior Johnson Kinley, who won an autographed copy of Mathletics. His Twitter ID is @kinleyinc.

We'll post future Twitter contests here on the blog and announce them on Twitter via @lura_forcum and @KelleySchool.

Kelley students win National Collegiate Investment Competition

2010-01-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Representing the Kelley School of Business and the Undergraduate Investment Club, Chi Hoong Ng and Cham Lun Cheung won the National Collegiate Investment Competition. This is the second semester in a row that a Kelley team has won the national competition.

The contest is organized by Texas Christian University's Financial Management Association twice a year. Each semester, about 10 schools compete to see who can produce the best performance managing a virtual stock portfolio over the course of a semester using Investopedia.com.

"The objective of the competition is to find out which team is able to gain the most risk-adjusted return within a three-month period. Each team starts with $100,000. Our team managed to get first prize, which consists a $400 check to the club and a plaque," said team member Chi Hoong Ng.

Help Kelley MBAs raise money to support Partners in Health's efforts in Haiti

2010-01-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

A number of Kelley MBA organizations have joined forces to raise money for Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization providing health services to the poor since 1987.

If you would like to donate, you can do so through the image on the left, or you can click here to give through the Kelley MBA donation page. So far, $644 has been raised. The goal is $5,000.

Funds from the Carnival event, as well as money collected at the Monday coffee breaks, will be put toward this goal.

If you have questions, please contact Jonathon Kruesi, Corporate Social Responsibility chair for the MBAA, at jkruesi@indiana.edu.

Kelley MBA organizations announce fundraising event for Haiti

2010-01-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from first-year MBA student Chantal St. Louis.

On Thursday, January 21, 2010, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) hosted “Decoding Disaster: Understanding the Haiti Earthquake of 2010”, a campus-community forum. The evening began with an academic discussion on the historical, political, cultural, environmental, and economic realities in Haiti, both pre- and post-earthquake. Later a number of people in the university’s Haitian-American community spoke of their personal experiences in the United States and the earthquake in Haiti.

The evening concluded with a call to action in which various student and community groups announced their fundraising efforts to support Haiti. Bradley Levinson, Director of CLACS, announced that Indiana University has secured a freight liner that will ship supplies to Haiti.

Chantal St. Louis, a Haitian-American first-year student from the Kelley School of Business announced a fundraising event to be held on February 19, 2010. The event is a Carnival celebration organized by several Kelley organizations: Black MBA, Latin MBA, Jewish MBA, Net Impact, and the International Business Society.

In addition to showcasing various cultures that embrace Carnival, the event will be used as an opportunity to create cultural awareness of Haiti and raise funds for Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization that provides health services to the poor in Haiti as well as a number of other countries.

Also representing the Kelley School of Business at this event were Sarrona Clardy, president, Black MBA; Vadim Hunte, president, Christian MBA Association; and Jason Allababidi, Diversity Council member.

*Photo caption: Haitian-American graduate student David Tezil speaks at a public forum in Alumni Hall. The forum was titled 'Decoding Disaster: Understanding the Haiti Earthquake of 2010.' Credit: Alex Benson for the Indiana Daily Student. Read the Indiana Daily Student's coverage of the forum here.

Kelley alums' coffee drink gaining attention

2010-01-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

Kelley alums Ben Heins and Eric Lukas founded a beverage company called Bean and Body in 2006. They make healthy coffee beverages that combine coffee, tea, and ingredients with antioxidant properties.

Bean & Body was recently featured on NBC 5 Chicago's "Taking Charge" segment. You can view it on You Tube. You can also become a fan of the company, and their campaign to get their product into Whole Foods stores, on Facebook.

Planning the February 5, 2010 Check Your Label event

2010-01-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Sara Woolbright, vice president of the Trockman Microfinance Initiative and a co-planner of the Check Your Label event.

When I was five years old, my family took our first trip to Disney World. After what seemed like months of waiting for our trip, we finally arrived and I was instantly in love with Disney. But among all of the rides we rode, all the shows we watched, and all the characters with whom we took pictures, “It’s a Small World” quickly became my favorite attraction, and remains so to this day.

I am sure my love for the ride developed for the catchy tune and the large collection of dolls in what was virtually the most detailed and accessorized dollhouse I would ever see. However, as I grew, I began to adore the ride for the different cultures, adventures, and stories the dolls expressed. As I became a more inquisitive child, the ride instilled in me a curiousness for foreign lands and the people within them. My latest trip to Disney occurred the summer after I graduated high school and the first ride I rode upon arriving was “It’s a Small World.” This time, I looked around at the ride seeing it as a child’s introduction to fostering a spirit of a global community in which everyone is directly connected.

Although “It’s a Small World” holds a special place in my heart, as an (almost) adult, I recognize the naïve simplicity of the message. Nevertheless, the oversimplified idea of “It’s a Small World” fosters an optimistic outlook of the world with three easy and applicable lessons: recognize how truly small and connected the world is, become more globally minded and aware of global issues, and foster an attitude of a global community.

These three concepts align with the work of the speakers for the February 5, 2010 Check Your Label symposium. All of our speakers have in some way worked to spread a message that simply comes back to one of these three concepts, either TOMS Shoes' donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold, or understanding the working conditions of people who make items we buy without more than a few seconds’ thought. (Visit the Check Your Label website to read about all of the incredible things the speakers have accomplished.)

As an undergraduate student studying business, it is easy to be judged as someone who is driven only by profit. As a student who one day hopes to work in the consulting field, I understand and respect the necessity of making a profit. But what is noteworthy about the speakers for the symposium is that they are finding a way to be profitable while making a positive impact in the world. They are not only worried about making a profit, but the people they will affect and have the opportunity to impact while doing so. It is the perfect blending of education and passion, something students are longing to find as we embark into the “real world” and begin our careers.

I have personally felt the excitement of discovering a way to use a business education to make social change possible, along with my fellow students Kyleigh Turk and Emily Rizzo, both of whom are helping plan the Check Your Label symposium. Through my capacity as vice-president of the Trockman Microfinance Initiative, I have worked with fellow students to increase the awareness and education of microfinance on Indiana University’s campus. Through working with faculty and other students on the symposium and other projects, I have come to believe that for many students, making a social change through their career is becoming more of a concern and focus for their undergraduate career. There are many lessons to be garnered from this fusion of a business and social-mindedness which students, especially studying business, are now eager to hear.

There are only 16 more days until the Check Your Label symposium! To learn more about the event, visit the website or the Facebook page.

Duhachek receives Nestle-Hustad Professorship

2010-01-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Associate Professor of Marketing Adam Duhachek has been appointed to the Nestle-Hustad Professorship in Marketing. Support for this professorship is provided by Nestle USA. In titling the professorship, Brad Alford, CEO of Nestle USA (and a Kelley alumnus), wanted to recognize Professor Tom Hustad’s many years of contribution to the Marketing Department and the area of product management and innovation.

Professor Duhachek joined the Kelley school in 2004 following the completion of his Ph.D. at Northwestern University. Adam’s primary research interests emphasize two themes. One research stream focuses on understanding the nature of consumer coping processes, including specifying the role of consumption emotions and identifying a diverse set of consumer coping strategies and studying their effects on consumer behavior. The other addresses various issues of consumer health and welfare, including improving the effectiveness of health messaging.

Adam's research has been published in a number of leading scholarly journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Service Research and Journal of Contemporary Ethnography.

McCrory appointed to ArcelorMittal Faculty Fellowship

2010-01-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Business Law Professor Martin McCrory has been appointed to the ArcelorMittal Faculty Fellowship. ArcelorMittal, the largest steel manufacturer in the United States, has provided this fellowship to support the research and teaching efforts of a professor who plays a major role in the intellectual and professional development of Kelley's undergraduate students.

Professor McCrory has long been an important member of our academic community. He joined Kelley's Business Law and Ethics Department in 1995 and has taught a wide range of courses related to the legal environment of business, covering areas such as torts, product liability, warranty, agency, and environmental law. He received the Junior Faculty Award of Excellence from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (a national organization of business law faculty).

Professor McCrory is also an accomplished scholar. During his time at the Kelley school, he has received more than 20 teaching-related awards. His research has appeared in such prestigious law journals as the Stanford Environmental Law Journal, the University of Colorado Law Review, the American Business Law Journal, and many others. His article in the University of Colorado Law Review (co-authored with Professor Eric Richards, also on our faculty) won the Outstanding Environmental and Business Paper award from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business.

New statue commemorates Kelley tradition

2010-01-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

On December 14, 2009, Kelley held a ceremony to dedicate a new sculpture in the forum of our graduate education building. The statue is a pair of hands applauding. If you haven’t spent time on our campus, this may seem like an odd piece of artwork. But this statue commemorates an important Kelley tradition and an important aspect of the school’s culture.

Walt Blacconiere, a beloved professor of accounting at Kelley passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2007. A gifted teacher with a deep appreciation for student-faculty interaction, Walt was known for ending his classes with a round of applause. The clapping expressed his appreciation for the learning that had taken place that day and for the students’ efforts to grow intellectually. Students would inevitably applaud as well, in recognition of Walt’s obvious devotion to their learning and to truly excellent teaching.

After Walt’s death, MBA students and faculty adopted the clapping tradition at the end of each class. It was a way not only to remember Walt, but also to recognize the effort that both faculty and students put into teaching and learning. The clapping continues, even though the current MBA students only know of Walt by reputation.

This statue is not only our way of remembering Walt Blacconiere, it is also a physical reminder of one of Kelley’s most central qualities. Kelley is a collegial place. Faculty and staff, students and visitors alike will tell you that Kelley is a place where collegiality and intellectual rigor both flourish.

We believe that learning is an exchange and a struggle. Students learn from the professors, but professors also learn. In every classroom, every day, growth and progress is made by all involved. Everyone gains from these exchanges, whether a tenured professor or a first-year MBA student. And that deserves a round of applause.

Conscious Consumerism Event, Feb. 5, 2010

2010-01-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

Kelley is hosting "Check Your Label," an event devoted to social entrepreneurship and conscious consumerism, on Friday, Feb. 5, 2010 at the Indiana University Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Four speakers will talk about sustainable business practices. Speakers include

Blake Mycoskie, founder and chief shoe giver of TOMS Shoes, Inc. TOMS promises to give a pair of new shoes to children in need around the world with every pair sold. In just three years, TOMS has given away more than 140,000 pairs of shoes.
Kelsey Timmerman, author of the book Wear Am I Wearing?, an account of the global connection between producers and consumers.
Amy Chin, director of the International Development Cooperative, which connects impoverished villages to opportunities that drive sustainable community self development. Currently, IDC acquires collegiate licenses and provides women’s weaving groups in Bolivia the opportunity to produce officially licensed collegiate products.
Anne and Kelly Campbell, founders and partners of The Village Experience, an Indianapolis-based store that sells sustainable goods and travel experiences.

More information is online at the "Check Your Label" website.

Mathletics and the Dallas Mavericks -- Twitter contest!

2010-01-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, January 30, 2010, we're hosting the annual Kelley alumni Mavericks event. Alum Mark Cuban will join us for a reception followed by the Mavericks-Trailblazers game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

This year, Kelley Professor Wayne Winston will give a talk at the reception about his new book Mathletics, how the Mavericks are doing, and his Superbowl projections.

Register online here. You don't have to be a Kelley alum to attend. The cost for the reception and a game ticket is $60 per person. If you already have a game ticket, you can attend the reception for $25.

To spread the word, we're having Kelley's first Twitter contest! Tweet the bolded phrase below and you'll be entered into a drawing for your choice of a ticket to the event or an autographed copy of Mathletics:

RT to win tickets! Mavericks & Mathletics in Dallas with @KelleySchool! More info at http://bit.ly/6OMmFJ

Here's the fine print: Contest starts Friday, January 8, 2010 and ends Friday, January 22, 2010. You only have to retweet once to win -- multiple retweets will not increase your chances and may be a violation of Twitter's terms of use. Not tweeting yet? Sign up for an account at http://www.twitter.com/.

Undergraduate student organizations compete in the Diversity Challenge

2010-01-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Abdul Raof Abdul Latif, co-chair of the Kelley Student Diversity Council.

On December 2, 2009 the Kelley Student Diversity Council held the preliminary round of the 2009-2010 Diversity Challenge. Seven Kelley organizations took part in this semester-long event to come up with ways to identify diversity issues at the Kelley School of Business and find short- and long-term solutions to these problems. The organizations presented their solutions to a panel of judges representing the Challenge’s corporate sponsors Ernst & Young and Target, as well as Professor Elham Mafi-Kreft representing the Kelley faculty.

The participating teams were the Women’s Financial Association, the Kelley chapter of Delta Epsilon Chi, the Undergraduate Marketing Club, Kelley Student Government, the Real Estate Club, Women in Business and the Undergraduate Investment Club.

The challenge began with a planning phase in fall 2009. Student groups presented their ideas to judges on December 2, 2009. Judges selected four finalists who will implement their plans in spring 2010. The selected teams were Kelley Student Government, the Real Estate Club, Women in Business and the Undergraduate Investment Club. The teams will be judged again in April to assess the effectiveness of the programs they implemented.

The teams used resources available in the university, particularly the business school to come up with ways to increase diversity at the Kelley School. The ideas that were presented covered a wide variety of possible solutions, ranging from individual mentorship to social events and case competitions.

Telthorst named director of Kelley's Center for the Business of Life Sciences

2009-12-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

George Telthorst has been appointed Director of the Center for the Business of Life Sciences (CBLS) effective January 1, 2010. Telthorst joined the Kelley School in 2006 as Interim Director of Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership, and he has also served as Director of Business Development for Kelley Executive Partners with an emphasis in developing relationships with life sciences related companies.

Previously, Telthorst was general manager and vice president of operations at Boston Scientific. He was also director of operations for Johnson & Johnson Medical (Wound Care).

Telthorst brings a wealth of experience in the life sciences industry. He holds a bachelors of science in general engineering from the United States Military Academy and an MBA from the University of Chicago with a major in Production Management. He has been teaching in the Operations and Decision Technologies Department and will continue to do so along with his duties as CBLS Director.

Telthorst replaces Business Economics and Public Policy Professor Larry Davidson, who is retiring from the Kelley School.

Undergrads take 2nd place in Spanish-language case competition

2009-12-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Kelley undergraduates Alan Hearth, Nic Perfetti and Ethan Bradley for taking second place in a business language case competition at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah on December 4, 2009. Joel Rubin was the team's faculty advisor.

Currently in its third year, the business language case competition is for non-native Spanish and Portuguese speakers and is the nation's only such contest. Participants are tested on their language and cultural skills.

"By learning how to do business in their target language, students will open doors for networking and build relationships that are unique to bilingual businesspeople," says Sherstin Creamer, competition director.

In the Spanish portion of the Nov. 13 competition, Utah State University won first place, followed by Indiana University and the University of Washington. In the Portuguese portion, teams from Brigham Young University took first and second place, with Brigham Young University-Idaho placing third.

For this year's case, teams presented an international business strategy for Walmart. The teams, which consisted of three students each, were required to present entirely in Spanish or Portuguese and were judged on language ability, depth of analysis and effective delivery.

Competition winners received a trophy and cash prize from BYU's Kay and Yvonne Whitmore Global Management Center, but participants especially appreciated the opportunity to apply their language skills to a business setting.

"With many companies becoming more and more global, I'm sure my language skills will give me a competitive advantage for job opportunities," says Nicolas Perfetti, a junior majoring in public policy analysis and economics who was part of Indiana University's winning team.
Perfetti's teammate Alan Hearth, a senior majoring in finance and international business, agrees.

"I think language skills are great for expanding human communication," says Hearth. "Nothing builds trust and brings down barriers like showing that you've taken the time to learn another person's language."

Marketing Prof Neil Morgan named to PETsMART Chair

2009-12-17T08:46:00.000-08:00

Professor Neil Morgan has been appointed as the first holder of the PETsMART Chair in Marketing. Morgan joined the Kelley School of Business in 2005 and from 2007 – 2009, held the Nestlé-Hustad Professorship. Prior to Kelley, he was a professor at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Professor Morgan has also served on the faculty in marketing and strategy at both the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge and the Cardiff Business School at the University of Wales. He has held visiting positions at the Machine Building Institute in Lugansk and the University of Michigan.

Professor Morgan has published many articles in the leading journals in marketing including Journal of Marketing and Marketing Science. He has also published numerous articles in the top journals of other disciplines (e.g., Strategic Management Journal, Decision Sciences and Journal of Product Innovation Management). Morgan has received numerous awards for his research including four best paper awards from various Academy of Marketing conferences.

Beyond his strong scholarship, Professor Morgan is an outstanding teacher. In 2008 he won the Lilly MBA Teaching Award. He also won Kelley MBA teaching awards in 2006 and 2007. He was an MBA Teaching “All Star” at UNC in 2003, 2004, and 2005, and he was listed as a “top professor” in Business Week’s Best MBA Program Guide. Morgan is also engaged in a wide range of our executive education initiatives.

Daily Beast names IU Bloomington #3 in the decade's hottest colleges

2009-12-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

It's not news to us, but the Daily Beast just named Bloomington the third-hottest college of the decade. Why? Picturesque, with students from all over the country, IUB is "the 'it' school of the aughts."

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-12-13/the-decades-hottest-schools/?cid=hp:mainpromo5#gallery=1093;page=3

Nobel Prize Chronicles

2009-12-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

This week, Indidana University Professor Elinor Ostrom is in Stockholm accepting her Nobel Prize in Economics. A group from IU traveled with Professor Ostrom and is live-blogging the festivities at https://www.iu.edu/~iunews/blogs/nobel/.

There are photos, frequent updates, and plenty of background information about IU's Nobel laureate.

Maxwell Appointed to Pinnell Professorship

2009-12-04T06:45:00.001-08:00

Professor John Maxwell has been appointed to the W. George Pinnell Professorship. Professor Maxwell joined the Kelley School of Business in 1993 after receiving his Ph.D. in Economics from Queen’s University in Canada. From 2006 to 2008, he served as chairperson for the Department of Business Economics and Public Policy, and during the 2008-2009 academic year he was a faculty member at the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Professor Maxwell has been affiliated with many different universities and centers globally, including Peking (Beijing) University and the University of Bonn. A leading scholar in the area of environmentalism and public policy, Professor Maxwell has published in some of the field’s top journals such as the Journal of Economics and Management Strategy. In addition, he has presented his research at prestigious conferences and universities worldwide.

Professor Maxwell's teaching spans all levels from undergraduate to Ph.D. and covers a broad range of topics such as game theory, business strategy, regulation & antitrust, industrial organization, public policy, and microeconomic theory. In 2003 he received an award for “excellent instructor” from the General Motors Tech-Ed Program. In 2001 he received an MBA Teaching Award and the Ph.D. Innovative Teaching Award. Professor Maxwell has received numerous fellowships including the Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce, the China Center for Insurance and Social Security Research, and the Center for European Integration Studies.

Langvardt named to Eveleigh Professorship in Business Ethics

2009-12-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

Professor Arlen Langvardt has been appointed to the Eveleigh Professorship in Business Ethics. In his new role, Professor Langvardt will work with interested faculty throughout the Kelley School to add ethics content to their undergraduate courses. His efforts will include consulting with faculty concerning ethics-oriented materials tailored to their courses, as well as making himself available for guest teaching appearances in others’ classes.

Professor Langvardt joined the Kelley School of Business in 1985. Prior to that he was an attorney with various law firms in Nebraska. He received his JD from the University of Nebraska in 1981. From 1997 until 2009, Professor Langvardt served as the chairperson of the Department of Business Law & Ethics at the Kelley School.

He has won numerous teaching awards: MBA teaching awards in 1992, 1996, and 1997 (with the 1996 award the prestigious Lilly MBA Teaching Excellence Award), TERA Awards in 1997 and 1999, and Alpha Kappa Psi Alumni Awards for Teaching Excellence in 1991 and 1993.

Professor Langvardt has published extensively in many different highly regarded law review journals, and he has won numerous best paper awards including the 2008 award for the Best Published Paper in Life Sciences from the Center for Business of Life Sciences (with co-authors Professors John Hill & Anne Massey). He received the Hoeber Award for Excellence in Research in 1997 and 2000.

A special thanks goes to Professor Jane Mallor, who served as Kelley's first Eveleigh Professor in Business Ethics. She provided outstanding leadership in this position beginning with her appointment in 2004. She stepped down from this position recently to serve as chair of the Business Law & Ethics Department.

Two weeks in the life of Kelley's Living Learning Center

2009-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Derek Green is a freshman at Indiana University, and a member of the executive board of the Kelley Living Learning Center (LLC). Here he describes life at the LLC over a couple of weeks. Stay tuned for future guest blogs from LLC residents.

The Kelley LLC has proven itself to be one of the best choices I have made so far in college. Besides the amazing faculty and support offered through the business school, the KLLC has been such a source of teamwork and mutual aid -- a place where we are all in the same boat, taking the same classes, and can truly appreciate what our peers are going through. We have been taking advantage of field trips, the most recent being a trip to a theme park. The KLLC allows a balance between academics and socializing, perfect for any freshman looking to get acquainted with college. – November 10th

The Kelley LLC is busy as always. With our bi-weekly speaker series, networking opportunities, faculty lunches, and individualized course loads, we remain extremely active. It is always helpful living in a dorm where you sleep right next door to 2 other business students, allowing help to be literally “just around the corner.” KLLC is a nurturing and inclusive environment and has helped my friends and me become immersed in the business community. - November 16th

As of right now, many of us are studying for hours on end in preparation for this week’s tests. The study lounge on the basement floor as well as the silent study rooms on every floor are full of students in search of a place where they can focus. It’s always nice to take a break and grab a drink from the Starbucks in the central McNutt Café, and it makes a great stop on the way to class. -November 23rd

We’re back from Thanksgiving break, transitioning back into dorm life. The mood in the KLLC is great, everybody has been catching up with friends and classmates. The weather is cooling down now, fall is definitely starting to turn into winter. The next few weeks will bring tests and finals, so we are working hard to finish the semester off with strong grades. Despite the workload, we manage to spend time with friends, remain active in clubs, and stay healthy by working out at the workout facilities in different locations on campus. – November 30th

Off to the Net Impact Conference

2009-11-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

A guest post from Aimee Light and Alexis Suskin-Sperry of Net-Impact, Kelley's sustainable business group for undergraduate students.

At Kelley, there is constant movement, from running to your next class to attending your next meeting, it is easy to lose sight of why we are here. Whether you are aiming to be the next powerful consultant or landing a job in a Fortune 500, we all chose a path at Kelley. At a recent Net Impact Meeting, I was reminded of why I am here. Anne Auer, marketing and communications director at Kelley, spoke to the club about her history founding an Environmental Business graduate chapter as well as her first experience at an environmentally focused conference in Berkeley. Her enthusiasm, stories, and support for our club made me so excited to represent Kelley this weekend at Cornell University at the Net Impact conference.

The Net Impact Conference will be a convergence of diverse groups of people sharing ideas promoting the power of businesses and corporations in order to make a serious impact on making the world a better place. I cannot wait to meet all of the other undergraduates passionate about these issues and learn from the MBAs and professionals through their expertise and experiences about all the different skills the business school is teaching us can be applied to making serious change happen!

It sounds so cheesy but when we get into that room with 2,400 people all gathering around the concept of 'doing good' through business, I know I will have shivers (I get them just thinking about it now!).

Now it’s our turn to soak in as much information from business leaders like CEO of GE, Jeffry Immelt, or CEO of Honest Tea, Seth Goldman, and apply it to not only our future but also Kelley’s future.

Special thanks to Anne’s wonderful support and come back and read about our experience at conference!

Student microfinance organization blogs road trip

2009-11-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

Kelley's Trockman Microfinance Initiative is a student organization that strives to educate students about microfinance, the provision of financial services to poor or low-income individuals. The group connects students and the community at large to the world of microfinance.

The initiative's work ranges from researching microfinance practices in certain geographic regions, to hosting guest speakers experienced in the field of microfinance, to helping impoverished entrepreneurs abroad find distribution channels for their products in the United States.

Recently, Trockman's president, Kristy Anderson guest blogged about their visit to Opportunity International headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois.

After a five-hour carpool from Bloomington, Ind., and a night at the
Holiday Inn, the 12 members of our group entered through the glass doors at
Opportunity International’s Oak Brook office at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6,
2009. As members of Indiana University’s Trockman Microfinance Initiative,
we were visiting Opportunity as part of a Chicago trip geared to providing
knowledge of microfinance straight from practitioners. As we were taken into a
conference room by our host, Andrew Koehler, OptInNow.org partner relations
manager, we would soon discover how invaluable this visit would be!

Craigslist Founder Visits the Kelley School

2009-11-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

This morning, Craig Newmark, founder of the popular online marketplace Craigslist.org, visited the Kelley School of Business at IU and spoke to students. After some brief remarks about the origins of Craigslist, Craig spent nearly an hour answering questions from students.

Craigslist San Franciso was first launched in late 1995, but after a number of years leading the company, Craig decided that he preferred to be in close contact with his customers rather than oversee day-to-day operations. Craig's current contribution at Craigslist is customer service, which allows him to stay attuned to both positive and negative feedback from the Craigslist community.

With more than 50 million users each month, Craigslist is managed with very simple principles in mind. If a proposal won't yield better service to the community, it isn't adopted, whether the issue is increased monetization or an IPO. The improvements that are underway are things like making Craigslist available in more countries and more languages, and with less spam.

"This isn't altruism," Craig was quick to point out. It's what works for the community and what feels right to Craigslist.

When asked about future goals for the organization, Craig said that this aim was to keep doing more of the same on a larger scale, without messing things up. The audience was amused, but Craig was serious, explaining that in large organizations, people begin to tell top leadership what they want to hear. This means that the people at the top have difficulty getting good information, leading some organizations astray. Craig pointed to social media technologies as one way of keeping upper-level leaders in touch with the perspectives of customers and employees.

If you want to hear more from Craig Newmark, you can follow him at @craignewmark on Twitter, or friend him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/craignewmark.

Empowering Girls Today to be the Leaders of Tomorrow

2009-11-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

A guest post from Kelley undergrads Aimee Light, Ashley Oswald, Katie Braatz, Ashley Estoque

During the Spring of 2009, Women in Business participated in the Ernst & Young Case Competition, which was devoted to increasing diversity at the Kelley School of Business. Our long-term goal was to inspire younger students to pursue a career in business. We presented to Ernst & Young our idea of establishing a high school program dedicated to sharing our business knowledge and experiences with young female students. To accomplish our goal, we designed an entrepreneurship program for high school members to get hands-on business experience.

Women in Business won the Ernst & Young case competition, which provided us with support and funding to develop the high school business program. We connected with a Teach For America recruiter, and she recommended contacting Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter Academy. Lighthouse Charter Academy's students are the first in their families to attend college, and the school has 100% college placement. This school was a great fit for our initiative because the students were eager to learn, and we were excited and energized to be at the school.

Our goal at Lighthouse is to teach the students different functions in business and the process it takes to become an entrepreneur. Beyond business, we want to have an impact on the future of our students by acting as their mentors and role models, emphasizing the importance of a college education, and teaching them the mindset and self-discipline it takes to be successful as a student and employee.

Check back for more updates from the Women in Business and Lighthouse Charter Academy.

Kelley recognized by Black EOE journal

2009-11-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University was recognized by the Black EOE Journal as one of the top 25 busines schools for African Americans.

Travel abroad with Kelley

2009-11-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here are the first-place winners in the Kelley Study Abroad Program's recent photography contest. To learn more about the program, and to see more pictures, friend KS Abroad on Facebook!

Best landscape, Torey Guingrich (Sitges, Barcelona)

<--Best group photo, Sean Berger (Hong Kong market)

<--
Best architecture photo by Daniel Fox (Petronas Towers, Malaysia)

<--Best overall, Chris Franklin (Australia)

<--

Best food photo, Bestsey Schieferstein (Barcelona)

Mathletics at the National Press Club

2009-11-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Wayne Winston, Kelley professor of Operations and Decisions Technologies, has recently written a book on sports and math. While Professor Winston's books on Excel modeling are well known, Mathletics is a book about his real passion, sports and math. The book shows how statistics can help us determine how a player changes the odds that his team will win games--in baseball, basketball, and football. Professor Winston discusses some of the ideas from his book and recent sports events at his blog, http://waynewsinton.com.

On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, Professor Winston joined Timothy Franklin of the National Sports Journalism Center, and Russ Thaler of Comcast SportsNet at the Press Club in Washington, DC to talk about statistics in sports reporting. Mark Schoeff, chair of the Newsmakers Committee at the Press Club moderated. Professor Winston also gave his projections for the Redskins and Ravens' upcoming seasons.

In an article at Comcast Sportnet, where he is chief digital correspondent, Thaler summarized some of the main points of discussion:

In a distilled version of his new book, Mathletics, Professor Winston spoke about the inefficiency of the statistics we tend to use in newspapers and during sportscasts like rushing yards, yards per rush, passing yards, yards per attempt, and quarterback rating, and led a discussion about a new way of quantifying a player or team’s performance.

The main component of his work is to assign a point value to every play, positive, negative, or neutral. That way, we could clearly see where teams are successful
and where they miss the mark in very specific terms. Instead of a quarterback rating, we could see which QB’s are contributing more to their team’s overall success, which ones are trending upward or downward, and which ones are more likely to make mistakes in certain situations. That goes for every player at any position on the field.

You can read more at http://www.csnwashington.com/pages/russ_blog and see videos of the talk.

Roadtrip Nation visits Kelley

2009-11-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

On Monday, October 19, 2009, the Roadtrip Nation RV stopped by the Kelley School as part of a trip to visit 38 college campuses across the United States.

Roadtrip Nation got its start in the summer of 2001, when recent college grads Mike Marriner, Brian McAllister, and Nathan Gebhard decided to take a roadtrip to discover their place in the world. The idea behind the roadtrip was simple: If you don’t know what to do with your life, go out and talk to people who are doing what they love, then ask them how they got there. The trio hit the road in a mechanically unsound green RV, and three months and 17,000 miles later had interviewed 85 eclectic individuals including the Chairman of Starbucks, the scientist who decoded the human genome, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a lobsterman from Maine, the director of Saturday Night Live, and a stylist for Madonna.

Since then, Roadtrip Nation has evolved into a movement to help individuals define their own lives: a public television series, three books, a Fall and Spring campus tour, an online community, and a student network on over 350 campuses. Roadtrip Nation’s “Behind the Wheel” and “Independent Roadtrip Grants” programs enable students to hit the road to interview their own list of leaders across the country. Read more online at roadtripnation.com.

Accounting professor receives award for research

2009-11-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

On August 4, 2009, the American Accounting Association (AAA) awarded the Wildman Medal to Kelley Accounting Professor Leslie Hodder, along with her colleagues Mary Barth and Stephen Stubben, for their paper "Fair Value Accounting for Liabilities and Own Credit Risk." The paper was published in the May 2008 issue of The Accounting Review. This AAA award, which is sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, was presented to the paper’s authors in the form of a medal and a monetary prize on at the 2009 AAA Annual Meeting held in New York City, New York.

Leslie Hodder is an Associate Professor and Ernst and Young Faculty Fellow at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She began her accounting career in public accounting and has held a series of management positions in consulting and industry, including the position of Chief Financial Officer of a mid-size commercial bank in Southern California.

The Wildman Medal Award was founded in 1978 to commemorate John Wildman and to encourage research relevant to the professional practice of accounting to which much of Mr. Wildman’s life was devoted. More information about this award is available online at http://aaahq.org/awards/award1.htm.