Business & Main, Premiere Issue

Fall 2009

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Volume I, Issue 1

Michael Sesnowitz and the

ARCHITECTURE OF EDUCATION 12 An inside look at how Snead Hall transformed the School of Business

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Faculty publications Highlighting faculty authors

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Corporate education Developing business-ready leaders

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VCU Business Society Bringing alumni back together

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Departments From the dean

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Newsmakers

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Making a difference

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From the boardroom

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VCU Business Society

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By the numbers

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Class notes

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Upcoming events

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ON THE COVER: Former Virginia Commonwealth University

School of Business Dean Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., stands in a third-floor conversation area overlooking Snead Hall’s atrium.

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Features 12

Michael Sesnowitz and the architecture of education The former dean reflects on how Snead Hall fulfills his vision for building a culture that nourishes productivity and community.

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Why the building works Snead Hall features six main elements that spark conversations,

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foster teamwork, promote fitness and make learning easier.

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How the building works Shared areas in Snead Hall promote the exchange of innovative ideas among business and engineering students and faculty.

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Real-world problem solving Arts, business and engineering students collaborate on the creative,

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technical and commercial elements of successful product development.

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Matchmaker Career Services supports students with in-house resources while connecting employers with talented, business-ready employees.

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Executive education Local companies turn to the Center for Corporate Education for leadership programs and executive training opportunities.

Fall 2009 3

Vol. 1, Issue 1, Fall 2009

From the dean I am very pleased to introduce Business & Main, the official magazine of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business. This publication will provide a vital linkage to our thousands of constituents across the U.S. and around the world.

There are so many exciting things taking place involving our faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters that it is difficult to capture all of them in a single publication. We have tried to provide you with an appropriate blend of topical breadth and depth.

The main article in this inaugural issue offers you a glimpse inside of our world-class facility, Snead Hall. It has become a learning hub in which all of our students — undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and executive — have enhanced their skills and broadened their business knowledge. Moreover, Snead Hall has injected a new atmosphere of collaboration and community that has been most welcome.

As a faculty member, former department chair and now as interim dean of the VCU School of Business, I sincerely appreciate all of you who had a part in the planning, fundraising, construction and dedication of Snead Hall. Just a few years ago, those of us who have the privilege of working at VCU could only dream of a day when we could teach and learn in a building that was designed specifically for 21st-century business education. Now it is a reality, and we have all of you to thank.

I also want to make special mention of our outgoing dean, Michael Sesnowitz, who gave us the gift of his leadership over the past nine years. Among other achievements, Michael’s tenure was marked by a successful capital campaign, leading to the construction of Snead Hall; the establishment of the School of Business Foundation; and a favorable accreditation review from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. These would be huge accomplishments at any business school, and he richly deserves all of the accolades he has received.

Finally, even though this issue of Business & Main features our building, we also need to remember that continuous improvement of the research, teaching and service generated within the building is the best way to capitalize on the goodwill generated by its opening. As is the case in any outstanding organization, we in the VCU School of Business need to keep asking ourselves, “How can we do better?” I pledge to you that while I occupy the dean’s office, I will not only be asking the question, but also will be actively engaged in implementing the answers I get in response.

Best wishes,

David J. Urban, Ph.D., PCM Interim Dean and Professor of Marketing

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Interim Dean and Professor of Marketing David J.Urban, Ph.D., PCM Associate Dean, External Affairs and Executive Director, School of Business Foundation Kenneth C. Blaisdell, Ph.D. Editor L. Katherine Oliver Writer Susan T. Burtch Contributors VCU Office of Communications and Public Relations Design VCU Creative Services Photography Steve Maylone VCU Creative Services Business & Main is published twice each year by the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business. The views and opinions expressed in Business & Main do not necessarily represent the opinions of its editors or the policies of the university or school.

Send address changes or comments to: Business & Main Editor Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business P.O. Box 844000 Richmond, Virginia 23284-4000 E-mail: BizandMain@vcu.edu www.business.vcu.edu ©2009, VCU School of Business an equal opportunity/affirmative action university 090406-02

NEWSmakers

Photo courtesy of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Foundation grant supports new loss-prevention course curricula

VCU’s winning team poses with judges from the competition. Back row, from left: judge Kiran Krishnamurthy, judge John Walter, student Ian Bennett, professor Carol Lehr, student Justin Epstein and judge Raymond Owens. Front row, from left: students Naren Nimmagadda, Elizabeth Marshall and Timothy Fox.

VCU Wins district title in College Fed Challenge Virginia Commonwealth University won the district title in the Fifth Federal Reserve Bank’s 2008 College Fed Challenge Competition, beating out the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Delaware before advancing to the national competition at the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. Students Ian Bennett, Timothy Fox, Naren Nimmagadda, Justin Epstein and Elizabeth Marshall were coached by associate professor Carol Lehr.

The College Fed Challenge is an annual academic competition sponsored by the Federal Reserve. Its goal is to encourage better understanding of the nation’s central bank and the forces influencing economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad. Lehr plans to coach another VCU team this fall.

Management department hosts best-attended SHRM conference

The Department of Management and the Richmond Human Resource Management Association hosted the 2009 Southeast Regional Society for Human Resource Management Student Conference and HR Games April 17-18 in Snead Hall. Marianne Miller,

Ph.D., faculty director of HR management academic programs at VCU, was the conference organizer. This was the largest Southeast Regional conference ever, with 185 registered conference participants, 28 teams (from seven states) competing in the HR Games and 90 volunteer workers.

VCU was one of two universities to receive a $50,000 grant to develop loss-prevention course curricula for students studying risk management and insurance.

The grant was awarded by the Spencer Educational Foundation Inc. in partnership with FM Global.

“As the world evolves, the need for sound loss-prevention methods becomes increasingly important,” says Shivan S. Subramaniam, chairman and CEO of FM Global.

VCU will use the grant money to create a graduate-level course that focuses on planning, developing and implementing risk analysis and loss-prevention programs.

VCU Business offers Virginia’s only B.S. degree in real estate

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia recently approved the Bachelor of Science in Real Estate degree at VCU — a degree that’s not offered at any other college or university in Virginia. The Real Estate Program at VCU was established in the early 1970s and currently includes more than 125 students studying at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Until now, the undergraduate degree has been considered a concentration within the Bachelor of Science in Business.

The establishment of the B.S. in Real Estate is expected to bring greater focus and attention to an already well-respected program.

Interested in real estate? Don’t miss the 19th Annual VCU Real Estate Trends Conference on Oct. 13. Details and tickets available by calling (804) 828-1721 or online at www.realestate.vcu.edu.

Fall 2009 5

NEWSmakers

Gabriel Walker serves as president of the Monroe Park Campus SGA.

SGA elects marketing student president Gabriel Walker, a senior in marketing, has been elected president of the VCU Monroe Park Campus Student Government Association. He feels this is an especially crucial year, since VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., will be looking to the SGA to reflect the attitudes and character of the student body.

“We’re going through some shaky times as an organization,” Walker says, “but my goal is to generate interest and let students know what’s going on, even if they don’t want to participate directly. As a marketing major, I have a lot of good ideas on how to do that.”

Business students elected to serve alongside Walker as SGA senators include Adele McClure, Cassandra Harris and Sierra Quahar.

VCU welcomes new president, Michael Rao, Ph.D., to campus

Michael Rao, Ph.D., became the fifth president of VCU and president of the VCU Health System on July 1.

Dr. Rao’s appointment to lead the largest university in Virginia was approved unanimously by the VCU Board of Visitors and was recommended by a university-wide presidential search committee that conducted a national search for university president.

Dr. Rao comes to VCU with the experience of three successful presidencies at universities of increasing size and complexity.

Most recently, he served as president and professor at Central Michigan University, a public doctoral research institution with 28,000 students and an operating budget of more than $400 million.

Dr. Rao was one of the three longest-serving presidents among Michigan’s 15 public universities.

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During his nine-year tenure at CMU, the university significantly increased faculty positions and research productivity, developed academic programs and improved performance. Under Dr. Rao’s leadership, CMU gained approval

to establish a medical school and M.D. degree program, partnering with large health care systems.

Dr. Rao and his wife, Monica, a professional watercolorist and graphic designer, have two sons, Miguel and Aiden.

Faculty, staff and students meet VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., around campus. During Aug. 15 move-in day (below, left) Dr. Rao greets students as they settle into Cary and Belvidere Residential College. A campus forum (below, right), held in the spring semester, gives Dr. Rao the opportunity to meet Irene Lubker, research librarian at the Tompkins-McCaw Library, and her colleagues (from left) Shannon Jones, head of Outreach Services, and Barbara Wright, reference services librarian.

NEWSmakers

“ Finally, I simply want Photo courtesy Candid Color Photography

to say that I love this university. I love the energy, diversity, the fact that we are an urban university inteEric Whittleton addresses more than 500 new graduates at the School of Business Diploma Ceremony at the Siegel Center on May 16. Whittleton is president of Rigaud LLC and a trustee of the School of Business Foundation.

grated into the fabric of Richmond — from Oregon Hill, to the

Fan, across Belvidere to Broad and cross town to our medical campus. I am very proud to be an alumnus of this great institution. I am very proud to have you as my new brothers and sisters — graduates of VCU. I ask each one of you to go out in the world, provide goodness and build a life of fulfillment. Use this knowledge gained and degree earned to do great things. Be proud of your university and let the life you lead build upon its legacy.”

– Eric Whittleton (B.S. ’84; Cert. ’86/INFO)

Faculty promotions and tenure José Dulá: promoted to professor and named interim department chair, Department of Management Ron Humphrey: promoted to professor, Department of Management Jeffrey Krug: granted tenure, Department of Management Michael Little: named interim chair, Department of Marketing Shannon Mitchell: promoted to associate dean, Undergraduate Studies Leslie Stratton: promoted to professor, Department of Economics Peg Williams: promoted to professor, Department of Management

Student questions engage (top, from left) Steven Markel, John Nelson and Jeffrey Lacker.

Business leaders discuss U.S. economy with students, faculty

According to Jeffrey Lacker, Ph.D., president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the U.S. economy showed positive signs in early 2009, prompting optimism that the country’s recession has an end in sight. Lacker spoke at the VCU School of Business on April 17, during a panel discussion organized through the Charles G. Thalhimer Family Executive-inResidence Program.

He was joined on the panel

by Steven A. Markel, vice chairman of Markel Corp., and John R. “Jack” Nelson, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief technology officer of Altria Group Inc. Edward Millner, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Economics, moderated. The discussion attracted more than 200 students, faculty and local business leaders.

For more information, visit http://go.vcu.edu/economypanel.

Fall 2009 7

NEWSmakers

Steven B. Brincefield, 2008-09 VCU Business Society president, presents a very surprised Michael Sesnowitz with a certificate of membership in the VCU Business Society and an award for honorary Alumnus of the Year.

Above: New inductee C.C. Neilson (B.S. ‘09/ MGMT) poses beside the key with his mother.

Left: Jason Mauney (B.S. ‘09/ACCT) (left), a new Beta Gamma Sigma member and the business graduate with the highest GPA, helps dedicate an official key. With Mauney are (left to right) George Kasper, Ph.D., professor of information systems; Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., then dean of the School of Business; Charles Byles, D.B.A., associate professor of management; and Steven A. Markel, winner of Beta Gamma Sigma’s Chapter Honoree Award.

Beta Gamma Sigma inducts record number

This year the Beta Gamma Sigma Society inducted a record number of students. At a ceremony held in the courtyard of Snead Hall in April, the business honors society welcomed 113 new members. During the ceremony, Beta Gamma Sigma also dedicated an official VCU key — a symbol of academic excellence and school pride — which was installed where students and faculty would pass it daily. The chapter has inducted a total of 1,359 members since its inception in 1979.

OnTopic

Tap into the expertise of VCU faculty with OnTopic, a series of videos offered by the VCU News Center.

Available now at www.news.vcu.edu /OnTopic.

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VCU Business Society names Sesnowitz honorary alumnus

Alumni of the School of Business surprised retiring Dean Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., by making him an honorary member of the VCU Business Society, the business alumni organization, and naming him Alumnus of the Year.

The award was presented in April by VCU Business Society board President Steven B. Brincefield (M.S. ’74/B) as part of the annual Business Honors Ceremony recognizing outstanding students, faculty and alumni.

After nine years as dean, Sesnowitz is returning to the classroom in the fall of 2010.

NEWSmakers

Faculty experts VCU business faculty members provide analysis and commentary for national media.

– Contributed by Tom Gresham, VCU Office of Communications and Public Relations

“

There’s no question that there are times when you have conflict especially if you take a seasonal job,” said Robert Trumble, professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University and director of the Virginia Labor Studies Center. “Most people recognize that their secondary job is secondary. But you do have to recognize that you have moments of clear conflict. Maybe both [employers] are asking for overtime and you can’t do it.

”

The Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2009, “More Than A Day Job: From Pedicabs to Peddling Cosmetics, Economy Pushes Some to Seek Extra Work”

Christian Bale has been both derided and defended for his outburst in blogs and on Web sites, but his behavior begs the question of whether such outbursts are ever appropriate at work or can possibly help a career.

“It’s a mixed deal,” says Ronald Humphrey, associate professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University. “We have to look at the organizational culture in deciding whether it helps you or not.”

MSNBC.com, Feb. 9, 2009,

“Cursing at Work: Career Killer or Career Builder?”

A federal entity that also provides coverage may show that private insurers aren’t as necessary, said Etti Baranoff, an insurance and finance professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, who wasn’t surprised that private insurers spent more on lobbying so far this year.

“They now have to really guard what they have, and there is a feeling that they could lose ground,” she said.

Associated Press,

May 28, 2009, “Health Insurance Industry Boosts First-Quarter Lobbying Spending As Reform Debate Intensified”

Airlines, until recently, played the yield management game — that is, charging based on what the market would bear. But now they have introduced what economics professor George Hoffer of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond calls “marginal cost of service pricing.”

“Unless you try to identify marginal costs, you wind up with this ‘cross-subsidization’ where people who don’t impose a lot of cost on the airline have to subsidize those who do,” said Hoffer, who specializes in transportation issues. “Baggage is the best example.” If you have no baggage, you’re essentially paying for another passenger’s luggage.”

Los Angeles Times, April 24, 2009, “Airline Fees Are Getting Out of Control”

“In the last 15 to 20 years we’ve become a much more throw-away, as opposed to repair-oriented, society,” says David Urban, professor of marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University. “I’ve got a feeling that the severity of this economic downturn may have some long-lasting implications and get people to re-examine their behavior.”

BusinessWeek, May 8, 2009,

“Riding Out the Recession With Repairs”

Some industry observers believe that car dealers will adjust better and more quickly than automakers to the harsh new sales environment.

“I’m actually more bullish about dealers than the factories,” said George Hoffer, a professor of business at Virginia Commonwealth University who follows the auto industry. “They have learned to downsize. They can adapt.”

Dallas Morning News,

June 6, 2009, “Cut by Chrysler, 8 Dallas-area Dealers Wind Down Sales”

Fall 2009 9

NEWSmakers

Faculty publications

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he VCU School of Business faculty publishes widely. Below are a few highlights, listed by area. VCU faculty members’ names appear in bold.

Accounting

Kim, Y., Lacina, M., & Park, M. S. (2008). Positive and negative information transfers from management forecasts. Journal of Accounting Research, 46(4), 885–908.

Decision sciences

Bougnol, M. L., & Dulá, J. H. (2009). Anchor points in DEA. European Journal of Operational Research, 192(2), 668–676.

Economics

Ivanov, A., Levin, D., & Peck, J. (in press).

Hindsight, foresight, and insight: An experimental study of a small-market investment game with private and common values. American Economic Review.

Finance

Narayanan, R. P., Rangan, K. P., & Rangan, N. K. (2004). The role of syndicate structure in bank underwriting. Journal of Financial Economics, 72(3), 555–580.

Information systems

Lee, A. S., & Hubona, G. (2009). A scientific basis for rigor in information systems research.

MIS Quarterly, 33(2), 237–262.

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Insurance

Baranoff, E. G., & Sager, T. W. (2009). Mortgage backed securities and capital requirements of life insurers: Was the industry prepared for the credit crunch of 2007-2008? The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance – Issues and Practice, 34, 100–118.

(Editor’s note: This paper was presented at the 2008 meeting of the International Insurance Society Inc. and earned one of three $10,000 awards given to outstanding papers.)

Marketing

Jae, H., DelVecchio, D., & Cowles, D. (2008).

An investigation of picture-text incongruency in print advertisements among low- and high-literacy consumers. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 42(3), 439–451.

Organizational behavior

Williams, M. L., McDaniel, M. A., & Nguyen, N. T. (2006). A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of pay level satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(2), 392–413.

Real estate

Smith, B. C. (in press). If you promise to build it, will they come? The interaction between local economic development policy and the real estate market: Evidence from tax increment finance districts. Real Estate Economics.

Strategic management

Wright, P., Kroll, M., Krug, J. A., & Pettus, M. (2007). Influences of top management team incentives on firm risk taking. Strategic Management Journal, 28(1), 81–89.

MAKING A

difference

Beta Alpha Psi students give 1,300 service hours

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ost honorary associations are just that; few have contributed as much to the wellbeing of the Richmond community as Beta Alpha Psi. Members are accounting majors who have achieved a 3.0 GPA and volunteer 27 hours per semester. Their activities vary from tutoring business students and assisting with tax preparation for international students, to helping with various community outreach activities.

Roxanne Spindle, Ph.D., associate professor of accounting, has been faculty adviser to the honorary organization since 1999.

She says she’s especially proud the national office has recognized Virginia Commonwealth University for “superior” chapter status for 31 years in a row. Out of some 300 chapters nationwide, last year only 75 achieved superior status. The VCU chapter averages 40-45 candidates and members per year.

“Beta Alpha Psi is like a Harvard secret handshake. It gives our students an advantage. It’s like a signal to the market you are already embedded,” Spindle says.

Virginia Kipp says Beta Alpha Psi has strengthened both her chances of landing an accounting job and her connections in the community. Kipp studied civil “ Beta Alpha Psi is engineering in a community college, served 11 years in the Navy and like a Harvard secret now balances a family and full-time handshake. It gives job while she returns to school. our students an Although her employer, Bank of America, pays employees advantage. It’s like to volunteer two hours a week, a signal to the Kipp says she especially enjoys being able to volunteer her skills market you are doing financially related work. already embedded.”

“Tax preparation for low-income – Roxanne Spindle, Ph.D. people has been very rewarding for me. Hilltop Promises on Broad Street helps homeless people, and I help them. It all pays off in the long run,” Kipp says.

Spindle says students For more information about Beta Alpha who help with tax returns Psi, contact Roxanne Spindle, Ph.D., are especially dedicated, at (804) 828-7113 or rspindle@vcu.edu. because the IRS requires them to undergo formal training and pass a test each year. “It can take 10 hours of preparation before you even begin to volunteer,” Spindle says, “but we generally get pretty good feedback.”

Fall 2009 11

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S l e a h Mic

By Susan T. Burtch The spring semester is winding down and final exams loom ahead.

As Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., enters Snead Hall, he sees students grouped around tables in the cafe, having coffee together. As he climbs the stairs to his fourth-floor office, he chats with staff along the way. He smiles as he passes two faculty members, standing in the hall, deep in conversation.

“This is just what I envisioned,” he says with satisfaction. “I don’t know the first thing about architecture. But I do know I wanted to build community, and this building does it.”

It’s been nine years since Sesnowitz became dean of the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University and three semesters since Snead Hall became operational. The school has grown to 4,000 students and 150 faculty and staff. “It’s just a good time for me to step down,” Sesnowitz explains. “I’ve been here longer than anticipated, but I wanted to see the building project through. It will be good for the school to have new ideas, new energy. As for me, this is my 40th year as an academic, and I want to end my career as I began it, back in the classroom.”

Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., stands in the hub of Snead Hall as real-time stock quotes scroll across the fully functioning Capital Markets Center behind him.

Fall 2009 13

Photo by Steve Maylone

Business and engineering students share space in the Monroe Park Campus Addition.

Future plans Sesnowitz starts back teaching economics at VCU in the fall of 2010. As for this fall, he already has big plans. “In all my 40 years, I only had one one-semester sabbatical,” he remembers. “I don’t want to retire right now. I’m not one to lie on a beach or play golf. I’ll always find something meaningful to do, even if it’s not for pay.”

So this semester he has volunteered to teach economics at nearby Thomas Jefferson High School.

But Sesnowitz doesn’t just want his students to learn, he wants them to compete. His plan is to coach a “dream team” good enough to enter the Economic Challenge competition, sponsored each year by the Virginia Council on Economic Education.

“I don’t care if they win or not,” he says. “I just want them to be represented.” Actually, the dream team already has a head start: at his retirement party in

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June, Sesnowitz received an endowment specifically earmarked for the TJ team’s development.

Spring semester is set aside for “retooling” before he returns to teach at VCU. “I need to catch up on my economics reading,” he says, “and I think I’ll go somewhere far away to do that, maybe to some Asian country.”

Legacy of a visionary Meanwhile, there has been much discussion of the dean’s legacy. Sesnowitz says he’s uncomfortable with that word and feels it’s best to let other people evaluate his tenure. “After all,” he points out, “what’s happened here is not about me. It’s the school, the faculty and the staff, the foundation board, our campaign chairs ...

I’m only one person.”

the ARCHITECTURE of EDUCATION

Nevertheless, Sesnowitz has been called a visionary. He left the University of Vermont in Burlington and came to VCU for a specific Christen Snead Trivette (left), E.G. Miller, Ph.D., reason: “I wanted Vickie Snead, Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., and Thomas G. Snead Jr. celebrate the dedication to be in an urban area, of Snead Hall. because if you’re a business school, that’s where the business is.” And he came with a specific vision, which he describes as his primary purpose. He wanted to create an environment where faculty and students could be successful, a culture that nourished productivity. Hence, Snead Hall, the building designed to build community — exactly as Sesnowitz envisioned.

Urban as interim VCU has tapped longtime professor David Urban, Ph.D., to serve as interim dean this fall, while the School of Business continues its national search for a new dean. Urban has won eight national or international awards for teaching excellence in his career. He is also the only faculty member in the history of the school to receive the state’s highest faculty honor, the Outstanding Faculty Award, from the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia. He has been a member of the VCU faculty for 20 years, most recently serving as chair of the Department of Marketing. Often quoted by the media as a business marketing expert, Urban’s recent advice to retailers would seem appropriate for the School of Business as well. Considering the current economic situation, he says, “relationship building and branding are more important than ever.”

The job of dean Ask Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., about his job description, and he gives a business response: “I’m CEO of the unit.” Yet personalities and perspectives vary, and change is the only constant. So given that a dean has certain basic responsibilities, here is how Sesnowitz ordered his priorities during the nine years he headed the School of Business.

Personnel: “I see hiring faculty — and making sure they are mentored appropriately — as my most important function.” During his tenure, Sesnowitz interviewed every faculty candidate himself.

“An interview is a two-way thing,” he says, “so I also sell the school to prospective hires.”

Curriculum: As a professor himself, Sesnowitz strongly believes “curriculum belongs to the faculty.” However, he suggests ideas and approves all changes.

Budget: “Some things don’t change: You are always in charge of managing the school’s budget.

And fundraising never goes away.” Sesnowitz says funding is especially crucial in “creating an environment for people to be successful, because money helps increase programmatic strength by creating endowed chairs and research centers.”

Students: “I help recruit them — and these days, that may include their parents. Part of my job is to be a cheerleader for the school.”

Sesnowitz is particularly pleased that minority enrollment is now 40 percent in the School of Business.

Fall 2009 15

Why the building works “We hired an architectural firm to program the building,” explains Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D. “I didn’t even know what that meant — ‘program the building.’

I’d never heard the expression before. But we told them what we wanted the building to accomplish, and that was the starting point.”

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A

the ARCHITECTURE of EDUCATION

A

On the ground floor of the soaring, four-story-high atrium is a cafe. Spread about the student commons area are small tables and comfortable chairs, all bathed in light. Students, faculty and staff from both the business and engineering schools use this area daily.

B

B

C

/ Common space encourages conversation.

/ Wide, open stairways promote fitness.

The elevators — which are designed around energysaving principles — travel slower than people can walk. This encourages the use of stairs, where people naturally pass and greet each other.

C

/ Large offices make faculty want to work in them.

Faculty offices in the old School of Business building were so small they didn’t even hold two students.

Many professors took work home with them. Yet the more time faculty members spend on campus working in their offices, the more they network with each other and the more available they are to students.

D D

The School of Business has six departments spread out over two floors. Not more than three professors from the same discipline have offices in a row, which helps ensure they meet people outside their own department.

E

/ High-tech classrooms make learning easier.

The Capital Markets Center looks like a Wall Street trading room, complete with data feeds and a 20-foot screen that can handle up to seven images at a time.

Classrooms feature tiered, curved seating to facilitate discussion and a “sympodium” for the professor, complete with wall screen and a computer, monitor and stylus at the lectern.

E

F

F

/ Location of faculty offices encourages interaction.

/ Breakout rooms foster teamwork among students.

There are 14 rooms to accommodate business group meetings of up to 12 students. They include laptop connections and wall screens. The rooms can be reserved by upper-division and graduate students either online or through the “room wizard” touch screens located outside the door.

Learn more about Snead Hall at www.business.vcu.edu/SneadHall.

To schedule a visit, call Nancy McGrath at (804) 828-1487.

Fall 2009 17

the ARCHITECTURE of EDUCATION

How the building works Local business community Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., is lavish in his praise for the Richmond business community. “It’s definitely a win-win situation,” he says.

Local businesses: • Send their executives as guest speakers in classes • Are represented on the school’s advisory and foundation boards • Provide real-life projects for students • Pledge financial support for capital campaigns • Hire School of Business graduates Once C.T. Hill, CEO of SunTrust’s mid-Atlantic region, came to speak to a select group of seniors.

He told a work-life balance story Sesnowitz thought made a big impression on the students. It was during the period when First Union and SunTrust were trying to buy Wachovia, and Hill was involved in due-diligence proceedings.

Due to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, however, he could not tell anyone where he was going or why — and that included his wife, who was planning his birthday party. “It was very humanizing,” recalls Sesnowitz. “The students could see he was a real person, and that made them think, ‘Hey, I could do this too.’”

There is an obvious advantage to increased interaction among School of Business faculty, students and staff, but what is the point of co-mingling business and engineering students? Why a joint server room and hardware lab, shared by the two schools?

The answer lies in the dilemma of the president of Kenwood USA (audio company). On a visit to the VCU business school, he told students about a failed product. This weather band radio, made of titanium, was the best in its class, developed by an engineer in Japan. However, when Kenwood discovered it cost $400 to produce, the company realized it could not afford to make and sell the product because it would not yield a profit.

Here Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., warms to his story.

“So why do you think that happened? An engineer, working in isolation. Of course he made the best possible product he could — that’s his job. But what if a business person were there to ask questions beforehand? The product would never have been developed.”

And so, concludes Sesnowitz, rubbing his hands with pleasure, everyone benefits when experts from two different disciplines work together. “That’s why we put business and engineering people together as students,” he says. “It’s so they’ll go out into the world and industry will get used to the dual advantage they bring.”

Real-world problem solving The School of Business has spawned an unusual but successful program, dubbed the da Vinci Center for Innovation in Product Design and Development.

A cooperative endeavor of the schools of Business, Engineering and the Arts, the center assigns a team of students to solve a product challenge. The team is typically composed of two students from each of the three schools.

“The wild card here is the art students,” Sesnowitz says, shaking his head, “but they really make a difference. Everyone views the world in different ways.

18

Da Vinci has been a real lesson in appreciating what others bring to the table.” Sesnowitz explains that not only viewpoints differ, but there are also variations in temperaments. Artists are used to being critiqued; everyone has an opinion of their work. Engineering students are devastated by criticism — something is either right or it’s wrong; there are no shades of gray.

Business students react to criticism by questioning the source: “Who says?” The lesson here, Sesnowitz thinks, is “we tend to self-select into different areas based on our personalities.”

Most da Vinci projects are governed by non-disclosure rules, since corporate sponsors suggest ideas for products they are actually considering. However, Sesnowitz happily describes one da Vinci project suggested by a graduate school student from Bangladesh, enrolled in the School of Engineering.

Her goal was to create a surgical operating table to be produced and sold in third-world countries for no more than $500. Since operating tables cost between $20,000 and $80,000 in the U.S., this was indeed a challenge.

Are you analytical or artistic?

Especially after discussing the da Vinci team concept, Sesnowitz couldn’t resist playing his favorite right-brain/left-brain game. He doesn’t know its origin or why it works, but in his experience, the exercise accurately forecasts personality every time.

Three graduate students, one from each of the three schools, worked in cooperation with a consultant from the VCU Department of Surgery. “They were so clever and inventive,” Sesnowitz recounts. “They looked, studied, did research, and realized that although OR tables use hydraulics, the basic, simple model they were after did not need such a sophisticated, expensive motion mechanism.” So, by using a $10 jack purchased from an auto parts store, the team lowered production costs enough to meet the challenge.

Susan T. Burtch is a freelance copywriter based in Richmond, Va.

Editor’s note: Upon the occasion of the dean’s retirement, friends and colleagues established the Michael Sesnowitz Endowment for High School Economics. The endowment will support Sesnowitz’s work with students at Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Va. So far, more than $60,000 has been contributed.

To make a donation or learn more, please contact the School of Business Foundation at (804) 828-1487.

Try it yourself.

Clasp your hands in front of you, fingers tightly interlaced, thumbs crossing over each other on top.

Now, which pinky finger is on the bottom? If the little finger on your left hand is on the bottom, you have an analytical brain. If the little finger on your right hand is on the bottom, you are of an artistic mindset. Most people feel uncomfortable when they consciously change positions. Sesnowitz, of course, tests analytical. “But I’ve always wanted to be an opera star,” he sighs.

Fall 2009 19

Ma+ch

“

maker

Career Services connects students with local companies

Long before the School of Business had its own Career Services center in Snead Hall, Director Mike Eisenman had a clear vision for the creation of that center. Inspired by his own experience in the business world, he worked in conjunction with local executives from the School of Business Foundation. Together, they came up with a 53-step action plan for Career Services to help students build careers and employers hire career-minded employees.

“We are here to treat companies as customers,” Eisenman says. “I’m here to sell a product, which is students. And they’re good students.” VCU is in the top 5 percent of business schools worldwide as an AACS B International-accredited institution.

hold down a job while they are in school. “So that means our students enter the workplace willing to work, willing to pay their dues. They understand what a job requires.”

Companies clearly appreciate that attitude, as evidenced by the wall of support in Snead Hall, which reads like a Who’s Who of the Richmond business community. “Our new building has definitely put a ‘wow’ factor in it,” Eisenman says. “You bring a company into Snead, and their opinion of the school goes up. And when their opinion of the school goes up, their opinion of the students goes up as well.”

Business benefits

The VCU advantage

In addition to a good education, Eisenman thinks the VCU student has a distinct advantage over, for example, a Darden or MIT business student. Some 40 percent of VCU students represent the first generation of their families to attend college; up to 70 percent of them also 20

Based on early focus group research sessions, Eisenman learned that companies recruiting students from business schools wanted two things: deeper relationships at fewer schools and assistance managing the recruitment process. So he helped companies develop customized plans for building brand awareness and recruiting

students. These included Employer Showcase booths in the atrium of Snead Hall, student coffees, mock interviews, information sessions and cooperation with student organizations on community projects.

Student benefits

One priority was to move up the recruitment cycle.

“Basically, companies that hire business school graduates hire in the fall,” Eisenman explains. “By Christmas, most of the good jobs are already gone.” So he staged career fairs earlier in the year — in September and January. “Now I’ve got to get more students to buy into that cycle by getting them to think ahead,” he says.

Another priority of Career Services is internships.

Statistics show 73 percent of internships eventually turn into a job offer, so students are encouraged to seek out these opportunities as a way of learning more about how a particular company operates and, thus, landing a job.

VCU University Career Center counselors help as well. Darlene Ward Thompson, Sue Story and Erin Lowery see business students in Snead Hall and the University Student Commons, guiding them as they write resumes, prepare for interviews and negotiate salaries.

+

Career fairs, held in the atrium of Snead Hall, make it easy for businesses to connect with talented students.

Meanwhile, Eisenman is still focused on his initial 53-step plan — though he’s well on the way toward making Career Services a win-win situation for local businesses and VCU business students alike.

Contact Career Services at (804) 827-1801.

Success stories Scott Anderson

Gina Greco

JoBarie Townsend

Three internships

Laid off and re-hired

Greco had been working part time for

Townsend says he went from

Anderson was two-thirds of the way

more than six years at a small family

“a student with no resume and zero

through VCU’s Fast Track Executive

business while attending VCU. But by

interview experience” to a student

M.B.A. program when he got laid

the end of her junior year, she was

in the enviable position of choosing

off from his job at Anthem last

ready to move on. Relying on the

from three summer intern offers.

November. “Thank goodness that

skills she’d learned as a business

“I just stuck with it,” he explains.

gave me access to Career Services,”

administration major, her positive

“I went to those etiquette dinners,

he says. Even though Anthem paid

attitude and Career Services, she left

and I got practice every time I went

for outplacement services, Anderson

that job in the middle of the reces-

to an interview. I just kept getting

says VCU’s industry and networking

sion. Greco credits Darlene Ward

better every time. I’m living proof

contacts were even more helpful in

Thompson of the University Career

you can do it. Most people wait till

the long run. “There’s a tremendous

Center with encouraging her to find

just before graduation — too late.”

amount of pressure when you have

a different part-time job, in a field

Townsend, who graduates in May

to go look for a job,” he confesses,

more suited to her abilities. “Darlene

2010, accepted an internship with

“especially after a 20-year career. It’s

is a great resource,” Greco says.

Supervalu this past summer. “It’s

an up-and-down emotional thing. But

“She just wants us all to succeed.” In

really opened up my eyes,” he says

career center grounds you; it’s like a

fact, Greco feels she has succeeded.

of the experience. “A full-time job

‘safe zone’ where you know someone

She got her degree from VCU in May,

is so different from being in college.”

is on your side through the whole

Part time to full time

and after working part time for six

process.” Today Anderson is back

months as a technical recruiter for

on the job — in a new position made

the IT firm Rockbridge Solutions,

possible by the M.B.A. he earned in

she advances to full time this fall.

May. He was re-hired by Anthem as a program manager in service operations.

Fall 2009 21

Executive education

Corporations look to the School of Business for leadership, team training

S

ince the Center for Corporate Education opened in Snead Hall, it has trained more than 2,600 managers and executives from more than 17 different companies.

“It’s where the dollar hits the road,” explains director Rich Chvala, referring to the center’s practical focus on developing “business-ready leaders.”

Although the Center for Corporate Education was established “ We looked at different options, but VCU in 1996, it has grown dramatically since relocating to Snead Hall. was the most turnkey match for our needs.

Companies such as Tredegar, Capital One and Altria regularly send They created just the learning environtheir executives and managers to Virginia Commonwealth University ment we wanted. It’s physically removed for leadership programs and executive coaching. from our day-to-day existence. Snead Center facilities are designed to simulate a corporate conference Hall has a business-like setting, so it’s a center, complete with audio, visual and interactive-networking good hybrid between education and work.” capabilities. In fact, Chvala says with a grin, “I’ve had CEOs – Steve Holliday, director of global quality say Snead is nicer than their Fortune 500 headquarters.” and business excellence, Tredegar Film “Companies may slash their training budgets in a recession,” Products he observes, “but they rarely want to hinder development of their fast-track people.” Asked for proof of the center’s success, Chvala “Draper Aden is proud to have provided the civil engineering services for Snead says, “I’m a businessman. The best proof we’ve got is that companies Hall. For that reason, it was especially continue to renew their contracts. rewarding for our firm to make use of the Many of them are already committed building’s features and technology. As through 2010.” part of our leadership training, we performed computer simulations, presenting management issues that we solved as a group. The main things we took away from the training were new approaches to problem solving — and there was a lot of team-building going on, too.”

– Jeff Lighthiser, executive vice president, Draper Aden Associates “Like all companies, we’re going through a significant change right now. Rich [Chvala] is quite a change catalyst.

We knew his product, and it sparked our interest to work with him during our ongoing change efforts. When we got a tour of Snead Hall, we were impressed by the technology and functionality of the space — right down to the parking.

And that’s a huge bonus right there. Our recent departmentwide meeting facilitated at Snead Hall was a real success.”

– Robert Klein, director, operations purchasing, Altria Client Services

22

For more information about the Center for Corporate Education, call (804) 828-3165 or visit www.bus.vcu.edu/cce.

Chvala assesses the VCU edge

Accountability

“The key driver for our development program is strategic thinking.” Participants learn to take the initiative; their enhanced performance saves companies time and money on the job.

Value

“In the general market, VCU offers corporate training at about a third of the going rate, due in part to faculty who donate their services.” Competitors — mostly other university education centers — charge more than VCU for comparable programs.

Location

“You just can’t beat our fantastic new facility.” Snead Hall offers comfort, efficiency and sophisticated technology, located just blocks away from hotels such as The Jefferson, Marriott and Doubletree.

FROM THE

Foundation makes a profound impact

boardroom

Gifts to the VCU School of Business Foundation help the school’s more than 4,000 students become business-ready.

By Kenneth C. Blaisdell, Ph.D.

Rationale

In March 2004, Steven A. Markel, vice chairman of Markel Corp., began conversations with then-President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., then-Dean Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., Vice President for Advancement Peter Wyeth and adjunct professor Wallace Stettinius. The group decided that the school needed a foundation to manage private assets and provide meaningful leadership from the corporate community. A year later the School of Business Foundation was born.

Leadership

The inaugural meeting was held June 14, 2005, and included founding trustees Markel, JosĂŠe G. Covington, Brenton S. Halsey, Allen B. King, Robert E. Rigsby, S. Buford Scott, Thomas G. Snead Jr. and F. Dixon Whitworth. Recruiting has continued, and the foundation now numbers 27 founding trustees, five term trustees and two emeritus trustees. (See Page 30 for the full list of trustees.)

Assets

Some $12 million in restricted endowments once held and invested by the VCU Foundation was transferred to the School of Business Foundation in 2005. Following a successful fundraising campaign, gross assets of the

foundation now total approximately $80 million in restricted and unrestricted endowment, cash, building and land assets.

Snead Hall and the land it sits on, built with proceeds from the unrestricted gifts to the Campaign for the School of Business, is owned by the foundation and leased to the university.

Progress

The foundation has given the school a powerful presence in the corporate and philanthropic communities. Its committees have helped establish key programs including the School of Business Career Services and a recently established actuarial program.

The foundation exists to further the goals of the School of Business and, in four short years, it has made a profound impact. The coming years will see equally important progress along many academic and external relations fronts, and the foundation will help drive the agendas and continue to provide advice, counsel, advocacy and support.

Kenneth C. Blaisdell, Ph.D., is executive director of the School of Business Foundation and associate dean of external affairs.

Fall 2009 23

VCU

business society

Network links business alumni The School of Business alumni organization has rebranded itself as the VCU Business Society.

Business & Main recently spoke with development director Doug Knapp about what alumni can expect from the newly revitalized organization.

School of Business alumni cheer on the Rams at the 2008 VCU Business Society Tip-Off.

So, what is the VCU Business Society?

It’s the new name for our alumni group — some 23,000 strong. If you hold a degree or postgraduate certificate from the School of Business (including Richmond Professional Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University’s predecessor), you are automatically a member. We are not the VCU Alumni Association, we’re an affiliate of theirs — in the same way education and engineering have their own separate alumni groups.

What does the VCU Business Society want to accomplish?

Our mission is to ‘unify and bond alumni by creating environments that promote active participation.’ That leads to our vision: ‘enhanced networking opportunities that will foster lifelong relationships.’ We’ve grown our board of directors from 13 to 33 active members, including representatives from Genworth, Capital One

and Northrop Grumman. Together, these directors have identified five strategic initiatives for the society, ranging from ‘increase collaboration among alumni’ to ‘partner with the business community.’

How can alumni keep up with what’s happening with the VCU Business Society?

We’re channeling all our current information into social networking sites. School of Business alumni can find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com) and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), simply by keying in ‘VCU Business Society.’ There’s going to be lots going on during the coming year.

To learn more about the VCU Business Society, contact Doug Knapp, director of development and alumni affairs, at (804) 827-1805 or dgknapp@vcu.edu.

VCU Business Society officers 2009-10 The VCU Business Society serves more than 23,000 alumni of the school. The society’s board of directors operates under the leadership of the following officers: President Joseph E. Becht Jr. (M.B.A. ’80) Director Deloitte and Touche LLP

24

First vice president Mary Ann Steiner (B.S. ’98/MGMT/INFO) Senior manager, information systems audit Capital One Financial Services Second vice president Jon B. Hill (B.S. ’85/ACCT/INFO; M.B.A. ’99) President Omega Business Solutions

Secretary Rhonda L. Bishop (A.S. ’88; B.I.S. ’02; M.B.A. ’06) University compliance officer Virginia Commonwealth University Treasurer Craig A. Robinson (B.S. ’02/MGMT) Vice president Bank of New York Mellon

Snead Hall financing

BY THE

numbers

Gifts came from individuals, companies, foundations and local governments in support of the Campaign for the School of Business. Unrestricted quasi endowment funds and interest earnings supported the state bond issue that, together with state funds, enabled the construction of Snead Hall.

Donors of $1 million or more Commonwealth of Virginia Dominion Sam Kornblau Kathie and Steve Markel Mary Morton Parsons Foundation Philip Morris USA Tom (B.S. ’76/ACCT) and Vickie (B.S. ’76/MKTG) Snead

Snead Hall Opened:

January 2008 Concept to completion:

Five years Size:

140,000 square feet Cost:

Approx. $45 million Architects, contractor and construction manager: RMJM/Hillier Architecture, Princeton, NJ Smith + McClane Architects, Richmond, VA Gilbane Building Co., Providence, RI Trammell Crow Co., Dallas, TX Moseley Architects, Richmond, VA Snead Hall is named in honor of alumni Vickie M. Snead and Thomas G. Snead Jr.

State funds: $15.3 million

$15.3

Number of gifts and pledges: 1,459 Amount raised: $29.3 million

$1 = Annual lease paid by the university to the VCU School of Business Foundation for Snead Hall “Tenant shall pay Landlord the annual sum of One Dollar ($1.00) as rent (the “Rent”) for the Initial Term which shall be paid in annual installments due and payable in arrears at the end of each year.

The payment of all Rent shall be made payable to the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business Foundation…”

– excerpt from the Deed of Lease executed Nov. 17, 2008

Rooms named in memory of …

Dr. Wally Johnston, D.B.A., by his many friends and former students Joe “Pop” Becht by the Becht family Gordon Lee Crenshaw by his friends, family and colleagues Richard L. “Dick” Meador by George M. Gibrall (B.S. ’64/B) and Brenda Gibrall Margaret S. Hoffer by Michael and Lenora Hoffer Solodar and George E. and Betty E. Hoffer William Stuart Trevvett by Gail T. Merridew (B.S. ’89/ECON; M.P.A. ’04) Sol and Mildred Sesnowitz by their children

$29.3 Rooms named in honor of …

Kathleen B. Barrett (B.S. ’71/B; M.S. ’73/B) by Elizabeth White Baker (Ph.D. ’06/B) and Catherine McConnell (B.S. ’91/B) J. Curtis Hall by S. Buford and Susan Bailey Scott, family, friends and former students James E. Keaton (B.S. ’93/FIRE), summa cum laude, by Deborah L. Cowles Ann and Sterling Edmunds by Paul C. Edmunds II (M.B.A. ’87) and Sterling Edmunds Jr. (M.B.A. ’83) Eliza Dickinson Urban and Alexander Williams Urban by David J. Urban, Ph.D., and Gina W. Urban H. David Willis by his many friends and former students

Thank you to all of the donors and friends who made Snead Hall possible!

For more on how your gifts have transformed the School of Business, see the article on Page 12.

Fall 2009 25

CLASS

notes

Please send information about your professional and personal accomplishments to BizandMain@vcu.edu. Or, mail your news to Katherine Oliver, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Business, P.O. Box 844000, Richmond, VA 23284-4000.

Updates 1960s John Jay Schwartz (B.S. ’69/ACCT),

managing director of commercial real estate consulting and brokerage firm Have Site Will Travel, was elected chairman of the Henrico County Board of Real Estate Review and Equalization for 2009.

eventually find work, and we have many testimonials that have been shared with us and others.”

additional background in search-andrescue operations resulted in his appointment as Joint Search and Rescue Center deputy director during Hurricane Katrina. Immediately following Katrina, he was responsible for directing the efforts of more than 400 helicopters conducting rescue and firefighting missions. After retirement from the Navy Reserve, he will continue his present civil career as command and control analyst for the U.S. Marine Corps in Quantico, Va.

Steve Edson (B.S. ’81/MGMT) will be

retiring from the U.S. Navy Reserve in November 2009. His career highlights include intelligence and reconnaissance missions during the invasion of Grenada and the first Gulf War, and peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. His

Frank Gilg (B.S. ’85/MKTG) recently attended the annual meeting for the International Society of Heart & Lung Transplantation in Paris, representing the United Network for Organ Sharing.

He participated in discussions with

1970s Stephen Y. Dickinson (B.S. ’79/ACCT)

has been elected vice president and chief accounting officer of Media General.

He has been controller since 1993 and chief accounting officer since 2005. He joined the company in 1983 as corporate tax director and became assistant controller in 1989. Before joining Media General, he was a principal at Ernst & Young.

Faculty retirements Faculty and staff gathered in the atrium of Snead Hall on April 29 to recognize the contributions of four retiring faculty members. Together, they served the school and its students for nearly 120 years.

Baxter F. Phillips Jr. (B.S. ’75/MGMT; M.B.A. ’76) was recently elected

to the Board of Trustees of the VCU School of Business Foundation. Phillips is president of Massey Energy Corp.

Nick Poulios (M.A. ’79/ECON), vice president for patient access for Elan Pharmaceuticals, is the creator of the Ultimate Patient Access function.

1980s Collins Denny (B.S. ’87/INFO) writes:

“Responding to major layoffs in November 2008, I launched the Virginia Career Network (www.virginiacareer network.com) as a support organization.

VCU immediately offered space for us to meet to coach others in networking for their next job. While only two people showed up initially, we now have 1,500 registered members with well over 500 combined participants at multiple locations around Virginia with almost daily opportunities to obtain employment support. Our group is growing rapidly because members are empowered to take a stand and make a difference.

VCN has become a growing experience for both me and the many people who have participated with us. Best of all, members who work our program do 26

Dennis R. McDermott, Ph.D., (right) retiring from the Department of Marketing, with David Urban, Ph.D., interim dean

Richard J. Coppins, Ph.D., (left) retiring from the Department of Information Systems, with Rich Redmond, D.B.A., department chair

R. Michael McDonald, Ed.D., (left) retiring from the Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate, with Etti Baranoff, Ph.D., associate professor

George C. Canavos, Ph.D., (right) retiring from the Department of Management, with Shannon Mitchell, Ph.D., associate dean of undergraduate studies

CLASS

representatives from the countries of Israel, Cypress and Greece who are interested in establishing a multi-country transplant system. A follow-up meeting has been set for next year in Israel.

Innovative M.B.A. advises: ‘Save Those Beverage Napkins’ Chris Ayers (M.B.A. ’99) has some words

of wisdom for students and budding entrepreneurs: Save those proverbial

Mabel Washington (B.S. ’81/MGMT) and Keith Jenkins (B.S. ’80/MGMT)

met at VCU in 1977 and were married 30 years later. The couple reconnected after Jenkins saw Washington’s name in an issue of the VCU Alumni Association magazine, Shafer Court Connections.

Marty Wilson (B.S. ’87/INFO) has been promoted to vice president of Information Technology at Capital One Financial Corp.

She will be responsible for the delivery of user-end services, access management and identity management services. She joined the company in 1996.

notes

beverage napkins that you use to map out your vision for the next great idea. That’s just what Ayers did — and the idea that he envisioned while taking the red-eye coast to coast has grown into a software product called Cameo that was recently a finalist in the SoftwareCEO/CompTIA Software Innovation Awards. Cameo is a Web-based tool that delivers scenario-based learning reinforcement via e-mail.

“I’ve been involved in the training industry for over 20 years, and a common theme I have observed is that for many organizations, there is a big disconnect after the training event ends,” says Ayers, president

1990s Kanishka Kapil (B.S. ’91/MGMT) has

been in commercial and residential sales/marketing with VELUX America Inc. for the past four years. Kapil was recently VELUX’s Presidential Award Winner and was also named the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee.

2000s Jeff Babb (Ph.D. ’09/INFO) served eight

years as an instructor for the VCU Department of Information Systems while earning his Ph.D. He has accepted an assistant professor position with West Texas A&M University in Amarillo, Texas.

Tina Babb (B.S. ’02/ACCT; M.S. ’08), who served as the business manager of the VCU Department of Information Systems since 1995, will also be headed to Amarillo. Tina completed her B.S. in accounting with the VCU School of Business in 2002 and received her M.S. in Criminal Justice in 2008.

Sean Greer (B.S. ’02/INFO) in the last year has gotten certifications in A+, Network+ CET, CSS and PCS-C. He graduated summa cum laude from ECPI Technical College and is currently working at VCU for the Office of Financial Aid. Ed J. Hellermann (M.S. ’08/INFO) is a senior consultant for Core Consulting supporting VDOT IT Division’s Project Management Office. Hellermann is also an adjunct professor for ECPI-College of Technology. In 2008-09, he served in the volunteer position of vice president of marketing for PMI Central Virginia Chapter.

and CEO of Yukon Group Inc. Organizations use Cameo to reinforce key learning points from their training events and to gather data.

Ayers has a history of innovating, starting with the development of early social simulations for the Department of Defense in 1988. He has also developed a variety of blended e-learning solutions for such companies as Capital One, EDS, BP and Sun Microsystems. Prior to joining Yukon, Ayers served as the director for training and organizational development with Hamilton Beach Brands.

To help develop his latest vision, Ayers added two VCU student interns to his team. “Their work/research was a big part of bringing Cameo to market,” he says.

After completing the VCU Executive M.B.A. program in 1999, Ayers taught in the program for a few years in the areas of quality and project management. Soon, he hopes to return to teach a session on another favorite subject — innovation. When speaking to students, Ayers says, “I always tell them, ‘Don’t throw away those napkins or notebooks that contain your ideas — however lofty they might seem. You just might have something big there.’”

Lori A. Jennings (M.B.A. ’06) writes: “Since receiving my M.B.A. in 2006, I implemented the business plan I wrote for the program and started a new CRT company, CRT ProSearch, focused solely on permanent IT talent acquisition.

My parent company, CRT Inc., provides IT project work and IT staffing on an hourly basis.”

Cary L. Loeser (M.B.A. ’09) was hired

as business development manager

for the VCU Center for Corporate Education after graduating summa cum laude from the M.B.A. program.

Thomas Mirc (B.S. ’02/MGMT) spent

nearly four years serving as vice president, business analysis, at Smith Breeden Associates in Durham, N.C. In early 2009, he accepted a new role as a senior business analyst at Red Hat in Raleigh, N.C., supporting the company’s global service operations.

Fall 2009 27

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notes

Abbreviation Key Business degrees are noted with year and department; other VCU degrees are designated by year.

In memoriam Alumni 1940s Jeanne E. Guza (’48/B), of Richmond, Va., March 24, 2009, at age 81.

DEGREES Cert. Certificate B.S. Bachelor of Science M.A. Master of Arts M.Acc. Master of Accountancy M.B.A. Master of Business Administration M.S. Master of Science M.Tax. Master of Taxation Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy

DEPARTMENTS ACCT Accounting B Unknown/General Business ECON Economics FIRE Finance, Insurance and Real Estate INFO Information Systems MGMT Management MKTG Marketing

Nancy B. Leaghty (B.S. ’49/B),

of Midlothian, Va., March 8, 2009.

1950s Heath C. Clarke Jr. (Cert. ’56/B), of

Richmond, Va., June 3, 2009, at age 78.

William P. Dulaney (B.S. ’56/B), of Glen

Allen, Va., April 21, 2009.

Louis V. Gordon Jr. (B.S. ’52/B), of Powhatan, Va., Feb. 23, 2009, at age 82.

Aubrey L. Lucas (B.S. ’51/B; M.S. ’66/B),

of Colonial Heights, Va., Jan. 11, 2009, at age 82.

Howard B. Padgett (B.S. ’50/B), of

Rockville, Va., March 3, 2009, at age 83.

1960s Lawrence L. Blake (B.S. ’67/B), of Prince

George A. Freese Jr. (B.S. ’73/ACCT), of Hopewell, Va., May 11, 2009, at age 74.

John H. Hardage (M.S. ’72/B), of Raleigh,

N.C., May 18, 2009, at age 69.

Earl W. Moore (B.S. ’75/ACCT), of

Richmond, Va., April 7, 2009, at age 68.

Edna K. Spain (B.S. ’77/MGMT),

of Merrells Inlet, S.C., May 21, 2009, at age 62.

1980s Richard S. Braxton (B.S. ’81/MGMT), of Richmond, Va., May 28, 2009, at age 59.

Scott J. Grow (B.S. ’86/MKTG), of Richmond, Va., Dec. 24, 2008, at age 46.

George, Va., March 28, 2009, at age 65.

Donald T. Harris (B.S. ’62/B), of Charlotte,

Rosemary H. Kelso (B.S. ’80/MGMT; M.S.W. ’90), of Richmond, Va.,

N.C., Feb. 7, 2008.

May 11, 2009, at age 54.

Barry L. Jones (B.S. ’69/B), of Bradenton, Fla., March 3, 2009, at age 63.

Marshall Knox (B.S. ’81/MGMT), of

Barbara H. McDaniel (B.S. ’68/ACCT), of Punta Gorda, Fla., Jan. 9, 2009, at age 65.

Linwood E. Wingfield Jr. (B.S. ’89/ MGMT), of Richmond, Va., March 14,

Richard G. Orander (B.S. ’68/B), of

Raleigh, N.C., March 24, 2009, at age 74.

Alan R. Tye (B.S. ’64/B), of Henrico, Va.,

Jan. 29, 2009, at age 75.

1970s Raymond Elwood Beverley (B.S. ’71/ MGMT), of Richmond, Va., March 21,

2009, at age 60.

2009, at age 43.

1990s David Blood (B.S. ’98/FIRE), of

Lansdowne, Pa., June 4, 2009, at age 39.

Troy E. Clark (B.S. ’93/MKTG), of Tampa,

Fla., Jan. 17, 2009, at age 37.

George M. Hall (B.S. ’90/INFO),

Early L. Bowden Jr. (B.S. ’77/ACCT),

of St. Augustine, Fla., March 15, 2009, at age 52.

of Manakin-Sabot, Va., Feb. 28, 2009, at age 63.

Jarrel E. Hanson (B.S. ’93/MGMT),

Erman F. Clower (M.B.A. ’76), of

Sandston, Va., May 8, 2009, at age 64.

John H.N. Cockburn (B.S. ’71/ECON),

of Columbia, S.C., March 21, 2009, at age 60.

28

Richmond, Va., Oct. 4, 2008, at age 52.

of Virginia Beach, Va., May 28, 2009, at age 45.

2000s Jacelle L. Winston (Cert. ’07/MGMT),

of Richmond, Va., March 23, 2009, at age 27.

Faculty Thomas C. Campbell Jr., Ph.D., a retired professor, died July 8, 2009. Campbell was born March 19, 1920, in King William County, Va. After receiving his Ph.D., he taught economics at West Virginia University and served as dean of the Business and Economics School from 1961-1968 when The Ford Foundation asked him to go to Kenya for two years as an economic adviser to help the government write its first five-year economic plan. In 1980 he took early retirement and moved to Richmond and taught part time at VCU. Upon retiring from VCU, he did volunteer work for many years at the Virginia Historical Society. He was a member of Seventh Street Christian Church, The Society of the Cincinnati and Sons of the Revolution.

John Sutherland, Ph.D., a professor of information systems who taught at VCU for 28 years, died Dec. 26, 2008.

Sutherland’s longtime colleague, Rich Redmond, D.B.A., associate professor and chair of the VCU Department of Information Systems, calls Sutherland “a renaissance man, a deep thinker, who knew so much about subjects well outside of our discipline.” Sutherland served as the department’s lead Ph.D. adviser for several years in the 1980s and 1990s. “He genuinely had a passion for the success of other people,” Redmond says. “He was interested in making sure that both students and faculty reached their full potential.”

Sutherland earned his Ph.D. from UCLA and taught at several universities before arriving at VCU in 1980. He served as dean of the Stillman Graduate School of Business at Seton Hall University and as chairman of the Department of Administrative Science at Southern Illinois University. He wrote six books dealing with management, information and decision sciences and published dozens of papers in top international academic journals. He also served as technical consultant to multiple governments, including several branches of the U.S. government, and many commercial firms.

CLASS

Share your news Tell us about yourself, and we’ll update your official alumni record and share the news with your friends and classmates. Send information about your professional and personal accomplishments to BizandMain@vcu.edu. Or mail your news to Katherine Oliver, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Business, P.O. Box 844000, Richmond, VA 23284-4000.

notes

Marriage Spouse’s name If VCU alumnus/alumna, class year Wedding date Spouse’s employer

Family About you Boy

Girl

Name Name Maiden name (if applicable) Date of birth/arrival Class year Spouse/partner’s name Street address If VCU alumnus/alumna, class year City

State

ZIP

To report a death, please also provide a news clipping of the death notice.

Home phone Cell phone

Name of deceased Home e-mail address Class year

Employment

Date of death

Job title

Relationship to deceased

Start date

I am submitting information on the following:

Retirement date (if applicable) Company Street address City Work phone Work e-mail address

State

ZIP

o Promotion o New job o Address change o Wedding o Family addition o Death notice o Other (Please attach separate sheet to report awards, etc.)

o Do not publish this information. I am submitting for record purposes only.

Fall 2009 29

School of Business Foundation Trustees Chair Steven A. Markel Vice chairman Markel Corp.

Treasurer Robert E. Rigsby (M.S. ’75/B; Cert. ’77/ACCT; M.B.A. ’81) President and COO (retired) Dominion Virginia Power

Secretary Kenneth C. Blaisdell, Ph.D. Executive director School of Business Foundation Ex-officio

TRUSTEES James A. Buzzard President MeadWestvaco Corp.

L. Dans Callans Jr. (B.S. ’66/ACCT) President Sunset Ford Phyllis L. Cothran (B.S. ’71/ACCT) President and COO (retired) Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield Josée G. Covington President and CEO Covington International Travel T. Kent Cox (B.S. ’78/MGMT) Senior vice president – Wealth Management Institutional consulting director Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Mark M. Gambill Managing director and CEO Cary Street Partners William M. Ginther (B.S. ’69/MGMT; M.S. ’74/B) Corporate executive vice president (retired) SunTrust Brenton S. Halsey Chairman and CEO (retired) James River Corp.

A. William Hamill President H3 Companies LLC

James E. Rogers President SCI Investors Inc. S. Buford Scott Chairman Scott & Stringfellow Ranjit Sen President and CEO CXI Robert C. Sledd Chairman, Performance Food Group Co. (retired) Managing partner, Pinnacle Ventures LLC Thomas G. Snead Jr. (B.S. ’76/ACCT) President and CEO (retired) Southeast Region, Wellpoint Inc. Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield

Robert E. Henley Jr. (B.S. ’71/ACCT) Managing partner (retired) Ernst & Young

Eric P. Whittleton (B.S. ’84; Cert. ’86/INFO) President Rigaud LLC

Allen B. King (B.S. ’77/ACCT) Chairman emeritus Universal Corp.

F. Dixon Whitworth Jr. (M.S. ’69/B) Regional president (retired) BB&T

John P. McCann Chairman emeritus, United Dominion Realty Trust Principal, McCann Realty Partners LLC James V. Meath, Esq. Partner and vice chairman Williams Mullen G. Gilmer Minor III Chairman Owens & Minor Inc.

Richard Cullen Partner/chairman McGuireWoods

Thurston R. Moore, Esq. Chairman, Executive Committee Hunton & Williams LLP

Nancy C. Everett (B.S. ’78/ACCT) CEO Promark Global Advisors

John R. Nelson, Ph.D. Executive vice president Chief technology officer Altria Inc.

Charles H. Foster Jr. Chairman emeritus (retired) LandAmerica Financial Group

30

George C. Freeman III Chairman, president and CEO Universal Corp.

Charles F. Phillips III Managing partner, Richmond office Ernst & Young

Baxter F. Phillips Jr. (B.S. ’75/B; M.B.A. ’76) Director and president Massey Energy Corp.

EX-OFFICIO Joseph E. Becht Jr. (M.B.A. ’80) Director Deloitte and Touche LLP President, VCU Business Society Michael Rao, Ph.D. President Virginia Commonwealth University David J. Urban, Ph.D. Interim dean VCU School of Business

EMERITUS Michael Dinkins Executive vice president and CFO USI Insurance Services Bryan E. Kornblau CEO Eagle Construction of Virginia LLC

CALendar

Stay connected

September 2009 Sept. 24

Receive event invitations and news sent directly to your inbox.

Send your name and e-mail address to bus-rsvp@vcu.edu.

School of Business Career Fair (804) 827-1801

Join the VCU Business Society on Facebook and LinkedIn.

October 2009 Oct. 1-2 Charles G. Thalhimer Family Scholar-in- Residence Featuring Susan Wachter, Ph.D., the Richard B. Worley Professor of Financial Management and professor of real estate, finance and city and regional planning, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania (804) 828-1485

Oct. 10 VCU Business Society Family Event Men’s Soccer match: VCU vs. William & Mary Sports Backers Stadium (804) 828-1485 www.business.vcu.edu/alumni

Oct. 13

Nov. 17 Investors’ Circle Forum Featuring David Downs, Ph.D., the Alfred L. Blake Chair and professor of real estate, and the director of The Kornblau Institute, VCU School of Business (804) 827-1805

Nov. 19 Endowed Scholarship and Professorship Dinner The Commonwealth Club (804) 827-1805

19th Annual Real Estate Trends Conference Greater Richmond Convention Center (804) 828-1721 www.realestate.vcu.edu

December 2009

Oct. 16

January 2010

VCU Business Society TGIF Networking Social Bank Restaurant (804) 828-1485 www.business.vcu.edu/alumni

TBD

Oct. 28-30 Business Talks Business Speakers’ Series “The Automotive Industry” with George E. Hoffer, Ph.D., VCU professor of economics Oct. 28: Downtown (Snead Hall) Oct. 29: West End (Innsbrook) Oct 30: Southside (Arboretum) (804) 828-1485 www.business.vcu.edu/alumni

November 2009 Nov. 11-13 Business Talks Business Speakers’ Series “New Media Marketing” with Cynthia A. Schmidt and Tammy L. Berwanger, VCU University Marketing Nov. 11: Downtown (Snead Hall) Nov. 12: West End (Innsbrook) Nov. 13: Southside (Arboretum) (804) 828-1485 www.business.vcu.edu/alumni

Dec. 12 VCU Commencement

VCU Business Society Basketball Tip-Off Reception and Game VCU Stuart C. Siegel Center Details to be announced once VCU basketball schedule is released.

(804) 828-1485 www.business.vcu.edu/alumni

Jan. 27-29 Business Talks Business Speakers’ Series “Sustainability and the Economics of Going Green” with Karl Bren of GreenVisions Consulting Jan. 27: Downtown (Snead Hall) Jan. 28: West End (Innsbrook) Jan. 29: Southside (Arboretum) (804) 828-1485 www.business.vcu.edu/alumni

February 2010 TBD 16th Annual International Business Forum www.ciba.vcu.edu

To get ahead, go back Thinking about returning to school?

Contact the programs below for information session and application details, or visit us online at www.business.vcu.edu.

Fast Track Executive M.B.A. (804) 828-3939 Fast Track Executive M.S. in Information Systems (804) 828-7074 Traditional M.B.A. (evening or full time), master’s and Ph.D. programs (804) 828-4622 or (877) 828-4540 International Business Certificate Program (804) 828-1746

Center for Corporate Education Certified Financial Planning (CFP) Program Retirement Planning Sept. 17-Nov.19 General Principles Sept. 21-Oct. 19 Lean Process Management Program Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Sept. 28-Oct. 2 Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Sept. 28-Oct. 2, Oct. 26-30 Project Management Sept. 21-25, Oct.12-16 Additional programs may be added.

For updates, call (804) 828-3165 or check www.bus.vcu.edu/cce.

Read about the center’s custom programs on Page 22.

Feb. 6 VCU Homecoming Fall 2009 31

VCU

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business Snead Hall 301 West Main Street P.O. Box 844000 Richmond, Virginia 23284-4000

Located on Main Street in Richmond, Va.,

the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business delivers business-ready leaders for the real world. Look inside the premiere issue of Business & Main to learn more about the collaborative, experiential learning environment found inside the school’s headquarters, Snead Hall.

32

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