SAVE THE DATE!
 SCHOOL OF BUSINESS  NIGHT AT SIEGEL CENTER

Did you know that the VCU School of Business has more than 21,000 alumni, including more than 16,000 living in Virginia?  On January 20, 2007, you will have the chance to reunite with old friends and make new contacts at the School of Business Night at the Siegel Center.  Join fellow alumni, faculty, trustees and friends of the School of Business for a reception in the Auxiliary Gym.  Then head next door to cheer on the Rams as they take on the Old Dominion University Monarchs in men’s basketball under the leadership of first-year head coach Anthony Grant. 

Details forthcoming, for now mark your calendar!

CAMPAIGN UPDATE – THANKS A MILLION!

In May 2006, the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation challenged alumni and friends to give $1 million to the Campaign for the School of Business.  Thank you to everyone who generously contributed and helped us meet the challenge!  More than 500 alumni made first-time gifts.  The foundation is matching your support with a $1 million donation to the School. 

Other Campaign gifts topping the million dollar mark include: $15.3 million from the Commonwealth of Virginia, $10 million from Steve and Kathie Markel, $2.5 million to support Real Estate research from Sam Kornblau, $1 million from Philip Morris and $1 million from Tom and Vickie Snead.

Overall campaign donations have topped $45 million, and we are hoping to reach $50 million in support of our students and the future of VCU and Richmond.  To make your gift, contact the Office of Development & Alumni Affairs at (804) 828-1485 or email Doug Knapp at dgknapp@vcu.edu or Katherine Oliver lkoliver@vcu.edu.  Naming opportunities are still available for the new building.

Reprinted from Moving Forward, School of Business Dean's Update (forthcoming)

CAREER FAIR PHOTO GALLERY

The annual University Career Center’s Career Fair continues to grow. This year several first time vendors had the opportunity to become acquainted with the university’s excellent turnout of students. 

VCU alumni representing CarMax were excited to be a part of the Career Fair. Sallie Pennington ’05, right, Jig Patel ’95, center, and Brad Arans, left, a current accounting major and CarMax employee, were overwhelmed by the response of students from throughout the University.	Eric Barkley, center, discusses job opportunities with Darryl Buck, right, a business student, and Amber Culpepper, a career advisor at the Clayton booth. Clayton also was a new exhibitor at the Career Fair.
MeadWestvaco’s college relations managers, Tiffany Talbolt, left, and Caroline Zito, right, discuss packaging and office products with Michael Long, a School of Business student that stopped by their booth.	Microsoft’s poster sums up the entire Career Fair. This was a first time visit to the Fair by Microsoft.

Peg Bullinger, middle, with two of her supporters, Linda Pontius, left and Dr. John Everett, right, who nominated her for the Dorris Douglas Budd Award.  Linda was the winner of the award in 1999.

PEG BULLINGER NOMINATED FOR BUDD AWARD

Peg Bullinger was nominated by the School of Business in this year’s Dorris Douglas Budd Award contest.  Mrs. Bullinger has been with the School of Business for 25 years, 11 years heading up Faculty Support and Administrative Services.  The winner was Debbi Stewart, program assistant in the School of Medicine’s Office of Faculty and Instructional Development. She had been nominated two previous years.

Established in 1981, the award is named for a VCU secretary to the vice president of administration from 1951 to 1981. Budd’s commitment to the university and her initiative and enhancement of VCU's mission inspired the award, which honors a support staff member who demonstrates exemplary performance and enhances the image and mission of the university and health system.

MBA INTRODUCES NEW PROMOTIONAL BROCHURES

The Graduate Studies Department has published a new pair of information brochures. (Graduate Studies in Business and Master of Business Administration) that will help advance recruitment activities. They are part of a new business strategy that began in 2006 with the placement of three billboards around Richmond and the establishment of BuzNet@VCU, an activities program for current master's students and alumni.

“We are pleased with the reactions that our new programs and materials have generated so far,” said Dr. Allen S. Lee, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

Doug Rogers, Chris Brown, Tim Capel, Debbi Little (advisor), Chris Delo, Craig Tatro

GAMMA IOTA SIGMA CHAPTER RECEIVED FIRST AWARDS

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Gamma Iota Sigma, Alpha Mu Chapter, is the proud recipient of two national awards, the first in the chapter’s history. The Chapter received a Public Relations Award and a Membership Development Award. 

Douglas Rogers, Chapter President, receives highest individual honor

They were presented at the 35th Annual International Management Conference October 12-14, which is held in association with the International Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science Collegiate Fraternity’s conference hosted by the Alpha Epilson Chapter at Indiana State University, in Indianapolis.

During the conference, Douglas Rogers, president of the Alpha Mu Chapter and a senior at VCU, was elected as international student representative for Gamma Iota Sigma’s Grand Chapter.  Doug was also honored by receiving the prominent Alan C. Williams Leadership Award.  The Alan C. Williams Leadership Award has been “established to recognize the one individual member of Gamma Iota Sigma that sets the best example for all other members and is our best ‘ambassador’ to the insurance, risk management, and actuarial science industries at the international level as well as the local and regional levels.”  It is the highest honor a member can receive from the Grand Chapter.

On October 31 Douglas reviewed his career to date at the School of Business Business Council meeting. After serving in the Army, he chose to come to VCU because he "felt the school and Richmond were progressive and up and coming.”  He had lived in small towns and wanted to experience what opportunities a larger city would offer.  “By week two I had been introduced to the insurance fraternity and was completely enamored with the School and its insurance program.”  Douglas completed an internship with Geico and is now interning with Colony Group Insurance. He has received scholarships from eight organizations that will enable him to continue his education here. 

VCU MARKETING CLASS COLLABORATES WITH U.S. NAVY TO CREATE
 A NEW AND UNIQUE PEER-TO-PEER RECRUITING PROGRAM
           
Imagine stepping into your first day of a marketing class to discover that you will be creating a real-life marketing campaign for the United States Navy. A team of 11 students in the Independent Study Marketing Project have been working on a marketing plan that will utilize peer-to-peer techniques to introduce naval opportunities to students at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. The interactive event will be held November 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Already they have conducted several weeks of research that has provided them with insight about their target market which are younger students who are unfamiliar with the Navy’s job opportunities or its website, Navy.com. The students are now working to design an effective interactive program that will generate awareness about the Navy, and the many educational and career opportunities it offers. 

Three benefits have been identified as strong incentives. They are to finish their education with the Navy, to travel and to gain experience.

 “The VCU students are conducting an Integrated Marketing Communications campaign to promote the image of the Navy to J. Sargeant Reynolds students.  Integrated marketing is the future direction of all marketing communications because it is interactive, personalized, and builds relationships.  This project is wonderful training for VCU marketing students, ” says Dr. Frank Franzak, Chair of the Department of Marketing, VCU School of Business.

This unique partnership is part of a larger industry-education program sponsored by the U.S. Navy and its education agency EdVenture Partners of Berkeley, CA.  The project will culminate with a formal agency-style presentation to the Navy and  EdVenture Partners later in November.

Dr. David Harrison, Pennsylvania State University, middle, kicks off CARMA’s fall season of consortium web cast programs which are received by 50 universities. Dr. Glenn Gilbreath, Management Department Chair, right, and Dr. Larry Williams, CARMA Director, review the new season of ten lectures with the guest speaker.

CARMA CONTINUES FALL WEBCAST EVENTS

CARMA began its fall schedule of Consortium Webcast programs on September 29 with Dr. David A. Harrison, University Distinguished Professor of Management and Organization, Pennsylvania State University presenting “Regression Models for Limited Dependent Variables.”  The 2006-2007 schedule includes 10 one-hour lectures delivered by leading methodological scholars from organizational studies. The live webcasts are available for group viewing and about 50 universities have subscribed to receive the web casts.

On November 17 three lectures will be given: “Issues with Internet Data Collection” with Dr. Jeff Stanton, Syracuse University; “Non-responses to Organizational Surveys," Dr. Steven Rogelberg, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and “Methodological Issues in Cross-Cultural Research” with Dr. Michelle Gelfand, University of Maryland.  For further information or to review the spring schedule visit:  http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/carma/

DELTA SIGMA PI'S 2007 GOAL IS TO DOUBLE THEIR NUMBERS

During the 2005-2006 school year the Eta Omega chapter of Delta Sigma Pi has worked to increase its membership and build the chapter back up to its earlier membership and activities.  This effort earned them an award for “Most Improved Collegiate Chapter” from the national organization. The award exhibits the greatest degree of support as compared to the prior academic year.

Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity that contributes to the development of students in all disciplines of business. Members participate in a variety of professional and service activities. Leaders from the business community are invited to speak at chapter meetings. Several plant tours and site visits are arranged each semester. Membership is by invitation to all business students who have demonstrated an interest in active participation in chapter activities.

Students interested in membership should contact TaliaPorter@vcu.edu or Mrs. Linda Pontius, (804) 828-3710.  

Chapter president Talia Porter, Dr. John Woodson, chapter advisor, center, are surrounded by  the entire membership. They have pledged to double their membership next year. Delta Sigma Pi fraternity is open to any business major.

UPCOMING EVENTS