Three February events brought Philip Morris to VCU and the School of Business. On February 8, the company presented a $25,000 gift to the University Career Center at a reception in the University Student Commons. Sue Story. Director of the Career Center, said funds will go toward developing student leadership training, initiating a speaker’s bureau, introducing a peer educator’s program and expanding outreach to international students. Philip Morris has provided co-op and internship experience to more than 140 VCU students, many of them from School of Business.

On February 9 recruiting teams from Philip Morris’ operational, finance and accounting departments visited with students throughout the afternoon. On February 13 the Career Fair drew many School of Business students seeking fulltime and internship opportunities.

Debbie Weber (left), vice president and general manager of Philip Morris USA, presents a check for $25,000 to Sue Story, director of the University Career Center.	Kim Yenkevich (right) with recruiting team for Philip Morris’ finance department, describes some of the opportunities available to Ariel Taylor ‘06, a senior finance major.

Honorable William T. Bolling, Lt. Governor

CONFERENCE ON INSURANCE FRAUD

The School of Business Risk & Insurance Studies Department is hosting a Conference on Insurance Fraud, the first Virginia program on this major industry problem, Tuesday, March 14. starting with breakfast at 8 a.m. in the University Student Commons.

The theme “Fraud: Fighting for Dark Side of Insurance” will be introduced by Tom Snead retired president/CEO of the Southeast Region for WellPoint, Inc., Anthem.
General discussion by an Insurance Panel and Dr. Etti Baranoff on “Hurricane Damage Claims: Wind vs. Water" The key luncheon speaker is the Honorable William T. Bolling, Lt. Governor
The conference has been filed for agent continuing education.

For further information or fee, call Debbi Little @ (804) 828-1486 or www.bus.vcu.edu/Insurance/index.html

DR LYNNE MARKUS

DR LYNNE MARKUS NAMED THALHIMER SCHOLAR

On Tuesday, March 28 Dr. M. Lynne Markus, John W. Poduska, Sr. Chair of Information Management, Bentley College, will visit the campus as the 2006 Charles G. Thalhimer Family Scholar-in-Residence. She will speak to the student body at 9:30 a.m. in Richmond Salons III & IV VCU University Student Commons. Her presentation, “The Story of Information Management”, will discuss enterprise and inter-enterprise systems, organizational change and knowledge management. She will meet with other School of Business classes throughout the day.

The Charles G. Thalhimer Family Scholar-in-Residence Program was established in 1984 to provide the School of Business students, faculty and business executives benefit from the lively interaction during the visit. Issues and ideas are exchanged that generate immeasurable growth for all.

STEPHANIE RYAN RECEIVES PMI SCHOLARSHIP

Stephanie Ryan ’06, was honored as the 2006 recipient of the Elizabeth Murray Central Virginia Chapter Project Management Scholarship, of the Project Management Institute (PMI). Stephanie is majoring in Human Resources Management and will graduate in May 2006. Currently she is an intern with Sonoco in Richmond. This is her second internship in three years. She previously interned with Richmond Behavioral Health Authority. Stephanie has been active with several VCU student organizations including the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) of which she is past president, and Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. She also is a member of Beta Gama Sigma, Phi Kappi Phi, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Last spring she was a member of the winning VCU team in the SHRM-sponsored Virginia State Collegiate HR Games and will be competing again this year. In 2005 she received the Distinguished Service Award for the Department of Management.

The PMI scholarship is named for Elizabeth Murray, a founding member and a past president of the Central Virginia chapter. The chapter is growing at the rate of about one member every day and recently surpassed 1200 members. It has endowed a scholarship at VCU that is administered through the Management Department’s Scholarship Committee of Dr. Glenn Gilbreath, Chair, and Dr. Randy Sleeth, associate professor of Management. The scholarship goes to one outstanding student each Spring from Dr. Sleeth’s MGMT 350 introduction to project management.

Jim Hayden, Project Management Professional and President, presents to School of Business senior student, Stephanie Ryan, a plaque recognizing her as the 2006 recipient of the Elizabeth Murray Central Virginia Chapter Project Management Scholarship. Stephanie is majoring in Human Resources Management and will graduate in May 2006.

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS HOSTED HR GAMES

On February 25 the 2006 Virginia HR Games competition took place in the School of Business. Two teams from VCU and James Madison University, and one team from George Mason University participated in the Games. The HR Games are a Jeopardy-style competition intended to encourage students to prepare for professional certification in Human Resource Management. Questions presented during the competition reflect the subject areas covered on the certification exam.

VCU's two teams placed first and third. First-place team members are Stephanie Ryan, Jorli Swingen, and Deborah Yeng. Third-place team members are Sarah Sekhon, John Elms, and Rachel Woolridge. The coach is Dr. Marianne Miller, associate professor of Management. The VCU team will now proceed to the Southeast regional competition taking place April 7-8 in Knoxville, KY.

DR. DHILLON PUBLISHES SIXTH BOOK

Wiley & Sons has announced the publication of Dr. Gurprett Dhillon’s book on “Principles of Information Systems Security: Texts and Cases.” This is Dr. Dhillon’s sixth book.

"The real threat to information system security comes from people, not computers. That's why students need to understand both the technical implementation of security controls, as well as the softer human behavioral and managerial factors that contribute to the theft and sabotage proprietary data."

Addressing both the technical and human side of IS security, Dhillon's book equips managers (and those training to be managers) with an understanding of a broad range issues related to information system security management, and specific tools and techniques to support this managerial orientation. Coverage goes well beyond the technical aspects of information system security to address formal controls (the rules and procedures that need to be established for bringing about success of technical controls), as well as informal controls that deal with the normative structures that exist within organizations. (ISBN: 0-471-45056-1 ©2007 464 pages).

MBA NETWORKING GROUP TAKES NEW NAME – “buz-Net”

The MBA Networking Group has now been expanded to include all graduate business students, and the new organization is called ‘buzNet’ (Business Networking).

A student organization, named the MBA Networking Group, was formed in spring 2005 to provide a forum for informal, yet professional networking among all MBA students. Some of their activities have included: In summer 2005, this group arranged a speaker event on ‘Key Characteristics of the Global Business Leader’. In fall 2005, it arranged an employer information series with collaboration of Graduate Studies in Business and career center. The representatives from metro Richmond area employers such as Genworth, Philip Morris, AstraZeneca and Liberty Trust, came to the VCU campus and provided details of the recruitment practices in their companies. In January 2006, it arranged an informal social and networking event for the new students (cohort students joining the graduate school of business) at Baja Beans.

The new executive working committee is very excited to expand the networking opportunities to all graduate business students to positively influence student life. If you have passion for leading and managing such activities or events, or need more information, please send an email to the president of buzNet, Hiren Kotak at kotakhh@vcu.edu.

NEW SEASON! NEW NIGHT! NEW CANDIDATES!
DR. DAVID URBAN CONTINUES APPRENTICE CRITIQUES

Why not? Again Dr. David Urban, professor of Management, will be reviewing NBC’s “Apprentice” on Richmond.com

VIEW VCU FOOTAGE – IF YOU MISSED IT

In case you missed viewing the 30-minute VCU promotion film on NBC Channel 12 during January and February, you can watch it now in its entirety on the VCU website.
http://www.vcu.edu/itsvcu/ In mid-March a second video will be introduced featuring interviews with Chesapeake CEO Andy Kohut and with Dr. Van Wood, Philip Morris Chair in International Business. .

Also continuing to tell the VCU School of Business story is the November 2003 booklet "Technology in Greater Richmond.” It is available for viewing on the Greater Richmond Partnership website www.grpva.com page 19.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FORUM

If success can be measured in attendance, the 12th Annual International Business Forum may have been the best. Approximately 500 students and visiting organizations packed the Commons Ballrooms. The topic was certainly the most timely, with most of the audience being able to relate to the theme of “The Changing Face of Risk: Impact on the Global Business Environment.”

Erik R. Peterson, senior vice president, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, was the keynote speaker. He was followed by panelists, William H. Parrish, VCU professor, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs; Dr. Phillip Anderson, vice president Lucent Technologies-Bell Labs and Dr. Lisa G. Kaplowitz, Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Virginia Department of Health. Peterson’s presentation will be added to our home page in the near future.

To Read Peterson's presentation click on http://www.bus.vcu.edu/international/Forum/changingfaceofrisk.rtf

Byrd Hennessee 05, left, a global product engineer with Owens Corning and Dr. Van Wood, professor of International Marketing and Philip Morris Chair in International Business, enthusiastically greet guests to the 12th Annual International Forum's reception, concluding another successful year's event.	Such as event as the Forum could not succeed without many helping hands. International business students Katarina Hluchan, left, Francesc Lleal, middle and Milena Ivanova, right, were among the dozen students helping produce the Forum.

ALUMNI BOARD SPONSORS NETWORKING RECEPTION

On April 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. the School of Business Alumni Board will sponsor its semi-annual event for alumni and recruiters to mix and mingle with talented VCU juniors, seniors and grad students from all the business disciplines. The event will take place in the VCU Student Commons. Reservations required. Contact the School of Business Development & Alumni Affairs at (804) 828-1485 or bus-alum@vcu.edu

LIFESMARTS COMPETITION SPONSORED

The VCU School of Business Center for Economic Education hosted the 2006 11th Annual Virginia LifeSmarts Competition, Friday, March 3 in the Student Commons. Eleven teams were represented. The winner for a third year was the Titians of Henrico County 4-H Club. The club has previously won in 1998 and 2005.

LifeSmarts Competition The final round LifeSmarts question master was Sabrina Squire, news anchor, WWBT-TV 12 NBC, left, introduced by Mark Hubbard, right, of Virginia Credit Union, who was the final round master of ceremonies. UPCOMING EVENTS

CARMA Webcasts Draw Interest The Center for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) had as its webcast guest professors, from left, Dr. Eugene Stone-Romero, University of Central Florida; Dr. Jeff Edwards, University of North Carolina, and Dr. J. Myles Shaver, University of Minnesota with VCU’s Dr. Larry Williams as host. The webcast was aired on February 17 from noon to 4:30 p.m. from the School of Business building.