W. HOWARD LESTER

WILLIAMS-SONOMA CHAIRMAN W. HOWARD LESTER
TO VISIT CAMPUS, ADDRESS STUDENTS AND PUBLIC ON OCTOBER 24

Howard Lester, chairman of the Board of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will visit the School of Business on October 24. At a morning breakfast he will address a gathering of Richmond business executives, School of Business alumni, and managers of Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn stores in the area.  At 10 a.m. in the Commonwealth Ballroom B, University Student Commons, he will present a free public address “The Story of Williams-Sonoma,” and at 11:15 a.m. he will meet with graduate business students and faculty in the School of Business.

Mr. Lester purchased Williams-Sonoma, Inc. in November, 1978. He has held the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer and now Chairman of the Board. He has extensive experience in computer operations and spent 15 years in the computer industry before entering retailing. Currently he serves on the Advisory Boards of the Retail Management Institute of Santa Clara University and the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1991, Mr. Lester endowed The Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation within the Haas School.

SNEAK PREVIEW ON MARKETING VCU

For the next few weeks Tammy Berwanger of the VCU Marketing Department and camera men from WWBT Commercial Production Dept. will be video taping student activities around the campus. Later all of these vignettes of university life will be edited for four new 20-minute VCU promotional films that will focus on its growth, the diversity of its class offerings, and expanded student activities. The films will be used to market the university. Highlighting the fact that “it is not the same old university it used to be.”
The Honors Class is also previewed in the AACSB eNewsline available here.

“The Business of NASCAR” was one of the School of Business classes filmed. Tammy Berwanger interviewed professors of Management, Dr. Jon Ackley and Dr. Michael Pitts on the unique curriculum they created for their Management 399 honors class. (Both camera specialists Victor Nash and Jason Parks also attended VCU communications classes.)	Diamond White and Danielle Brown were interviewed about their experiences in Marketing 371 where students have an opportunity to create hands-on integrated marketing communications plans for real business or service organizations in the Richmond area.

LEE CAMPE RETURNS TO LEAD SIX SIGMA SESSIONS

The Center for Corporate Education is now registering for Six Sigma Certification classes to be held from late October through December, 2005. Lee Campe, ’93, a Six Sigma Black Belt, will return to lead the training modules. Lee is an experienced Six Sigma instructor, and has an extensive background in transactional environments including sales, human resources, marketing, finance and information management. Campe has worked with such companies as Home Depot and was the Vice President and Master Black Belt for JP Morgan Chase in New York.

Classes are scheduled for:
Module II (Black Belt) October 31- November 4
Module III (Black Belt Only) November 22- December 2
For information or registration contact Jan Allen (804) 828-3165

As a continuing effort to provide VCU students and alumni opportunities to succeed in their professional lives, the MBA Networking Group is coordinating with the University Career Center to provide a series of informational events. Representatives from select Richmond metro area companies will come to VCU campus to provide information about their companies as well as to find local business talent to meet their recruiting needs. These events will provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about Richmond businesses in a business casual setting and explore mutual interests. RSVPs encouraged: gsib@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4622.

The first three sessions were with Genworth Financial, Liberty Property Trust, and Philip Morris. Upcoming session is Wednesday, November 16 with Astra Zeneca. Each presentation is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in room 1132 in the School of Business Building.

TECH TUESDAY will present "Outsourcing as a Business Model"

October 25, 2005 Tech Tuesday 7:30 a.m. Room 1132
Pete Fuson, Perot Systems/Owens & Minor
will present "Outsourcing as a Business Model"
and how it can add value to your organization
For information call Maureen Carley at (804)828-7074
or email at mecarley@vcu.edu

The Center for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) now has their Fall 2004 Webcast available to interested persons.

http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/carma/Webcasts.asp

This assembly brought together three methodologists from management disciplines who gave one-hour lectures on data analysis issues related to testing for statistical interactions. These lectures were webcast to doctoral students and faculty from universities throughout the United States. Recorded versions are published as part of the CARMA Research Methods Review (a multimedia newsletter) on the CARMA website.

Presenters are Dr. Lawrence James, left to right, of Georgia Tech University, former chairperson of the Research Methods Division and the author of "Personality in Work Organizations." Dr. Herman Aguinis, from the University of Colorado-Denver, who is past chairperson of the Academy of Management’s Research Methods Division, incoming editor of Organizational Research Methods, and recent author of "Regression Analysis for Categorical Moderators". Also Dr. Jeff Edwards from the University of North Carolina, and like the others, a former chairperson of the Research Methods Division, and a former editor of Organizational "Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes."

CARMA is a VCU School of Business Center founded in 1997 by Dr. Larry Williams, center front, who has assisted in sponsoring over 60 CARMA events and workshops. The Center is co-sponsored by the College of Humanities and Sciences and the Department of Health Administration within the School of Allied Health Professions.

DOMINION RECRUITING DAY FOR INTERNS PROVES POPULAR

On Thursday, September 8 representatives from Dominion were here recruiting for internships available at Dominion or one of its subsidiaries. Dominion’s intern positions are paid and usually occur during the summer but may also be available during the spring or fall semesters. For further information, contact Maureen Carley at 828-7074.

James Steadman, a senior IS major, and Carla Comely, a senior management major, took the opportunity to learn more about Dominion and its subsidiaries.	Drexel Harris, Senior Human Relations Generalist with Dominion, describes the range of technologies that an intern may learn during an internship at Dominion.

DR. ROXANNE SPINDLE RECEIVES BETA ALPHA PSI AWARD

Dr. Roxanne M. Spindle was one of four persons to be awarded the Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award for 2004-2005.

Beta Alpha Psi, through its cooperation with the Andersen LLP Foundation, is privileged to recognize outstanding Faculty Advisors who have demonstrated those rare qualities that place them at the top of all the dedicated Faculty Advisors. The Board of Directors selects outstanding faculty advisors based on the following criteria: (1) demonstrated concern for scholastic and professional development of students, (2) served their chapters as Faculty Advisors for at least three years, (3) led their chapters to excellence including participation in national and regional programs, (4) contributed significantly to the well-being of their campus, community and the accounting profession, and (5) demonstrated scholarly capabilities and desire to pursue continued development of intellectual and professional knowledge and skills.

Dr. Roxanne Spindle, professor of Accounting and advisor for VCU’s Beta Alpha Psi chapter is congratulated upon her award. The Chapter also presented her with flowers for her dedication as an advisor. Helping Dr. Spindle celebrate are back row, left to right, Brett Raynor and Andrew Nichols . Front left, Sarah Barker.Nidhi Mehta, Dr. Spindle and Stephanie Johnson, right.	John C. Jacoby, '76, Managing Partner, Deloitte & Touche, was the speaker for the meeting. He was greeted by Amanda Mills, left , and Sara Weber, right.

TOWN HALL MEETING LEARNS ABOUT HURRICANE KATRINA’S IMPACT

An overflow crowd joined Dr. Etti Baranoff, associate professor of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management at the Town Hall Meeting September 7. For further details about the meeting, click on coverage by the Commonwealth Times http://www.bus.vcu.edu/news/katrina.html

DR. RAZZOLINI RECEIVES $91,992 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT

Dr. Laura Razzolini, professor of Economics, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for $91,992 to pursue research on the “Collaborative Research: Traffic Congestion: Actions and Reactions,” in collaboration with Konstantinos P. Triantis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Sudipta Sarangi, Louisiana State University & Agricultural and Mechanical College. The award is effective September 1, 2005 through August, 2008.

Dr. Razzolini has received two previous awards from the National Science Foundation: in 1997-1998 for $18,000; and in 1999-2001 for $71.368. She also has received funding from the Office of Naval Research: 1998 for $29,642; in1999 for $258,642 and in 2001 for $49,093.

The VCU Ram logo is introduced to Japan, via a September speaking tour made by Dr. Randolph Barker, professor of Management, VCU School of Business, and President of the Association for Business Communication (ABC). As the association’s president, Dr. Barker gave the keynote address at their 70th anniversary held at Chuo University in Tokyo, Japan. As souvenirs he gave all of his student assistants Ram caps from the School of Business’ Fast Track Executive MBA program.

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