NEWS BRIEFS, August 9, 2004

WELCOME BACK! When classes start on August 26, the halls of the School of Business will be filled with the shouts and laughter of around 3,300 students, and the musical rings of hundreds of cell phones.  For stats on this year's entering class go to www.vcu.edu/uns/Releases/2004/aug/082504.html

SHIN RESEARCH AWARD PRESENTED IN LONDON. Dr. Etti Baranoff, Associate Professor of Finance and Insurance, was presented the Shin Research Award on July 14 by the International Insurance Society. The winning paper, co-authored with Dr. Thomas W. Sager, Professor of Statistics, at The University of Texas at Austin, is entitled: "Who's Running Life Insurers' Asset Allocation Decisions? Regulation, Financial Rating, Owners/Manager Conflicts or Other Determinants?"

Dr. Etti Baranoff, Associate Professor, FIRE Department, left, and Dr. Thomas Sager, Professor of Statistics, The University of Texas at Austin, background left, were presented with the Shin Research Award at the annual conference of the International Insurance Society in London on July 14. Dr. Chang-Jae Shin of Kyobo Life Insurance Co, Seoul, Korea, middle, presented the Award in honor of his recently deceased father, Yong-Ho Shin. Dr. Dan Anderson, Leslie P. Schultz Professor of Risk Management and Insurance at the University of Wisconsin, right, chaired the research round table program.

CARMA OFFERS NEW METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES. This year's Summer Institute of the Center for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) brought five Distinguished Visiting Methodologists to VCU. They were Dr. Edward Norton, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Dr. Robert Ployhart, George Mason University; Dr. Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Henry Glick, University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Howard Weiss, Purdue University. The latter two were selected, based on their association with health services research, to have their presentations hosted by the Department of Health Administration on the MCV campus. Dr. Larry Williams, Professor of Management and Research Professor of Psychology in the Department of Management, annually directs the CARMA program, bringing together researchers from many disciplines who study and work in organizational behavior. CARMA's objective is updating researchers in the latest techniques and tools. For further information visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/carma/

FIRST FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY GRAD. Congratulations to Mariam Naqvi, the first graduate to receive the School of Business' Financial Technology degree, Mariam also will receive a dual degree in applied mathematics. While at VCU she has been a tutor for Management 171 and 212. A 2002 high school graduate, Mariam enrolled in the School of Business, taking her first economics class with Dean Michael Sesnowitz who suggested she investigate the Financial Technology degree, the requirements for which were still being written. She began taking the required classes, so that by the time the new degree was approved, she was on her way to being the first graduate. The degree combines mathematics, information systems and finance.

"I think this has been an awesome experience," says Mariam. "I appreciate the way the School prepared me in quantitative finance with analytical and progress skills that will allow me to go for a PhD in finance." She graduated with a 3.8 cumulative GPA. Soon Mariam will return to her home in Pakistan where she will be married to Ali Hussain who has just completed his master's degree at University of Massachusetts in Boston. Both Mariam and Ali are planning to return to the U.S. for graduate study.

ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR. Dr. David J. Urban, Professor of Marketing, won the 2003-04 Rotarian of the Year Award from the Rotary Club of Innsbrook. Dr. Urban received the award at the club's 15th annual Officer Installation Banquet based upon his commitment to Rotary, and in particular, his leadership in the Open World Project — an education program that focuses on economic development and entrepreneurship. Dr. Urban’s involvement in the Open World project included last November’s eight-day visit by a group of five Russian business leaders and their translator. Urban and a team of Rotarians hosted the group and led the guests in daily activities including a welcome luncheon at the new Short Pump Town Center and a tour of the facility; a meeting with retail experts and a tour of Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Radio Shack and CarMax. The visit also included a meeting at VCU with President Eugene P. Trani.

SUMMER RESEARCH STIPENDS AWARDED. Nine faculty members received Summer Research Grants from the Business School. They are:

Etti Baranoff - Determinants and Performance of Life Insurers' Asset Allocation Dynamics

Kenneth N. Daniels - The Bond Market's Reaction to Geographic and Operational Diversification Activities of Bank Holding Companies Evidence from Subordinated Debt Yield Spreads

Douglas D. Davis - Charity Auctions and Lotteries - An Experimental Investigation

Carol S. Lehr - Technological Change and Macroeconomic Implications of Labor Market Dynamics

Shannon K. Mitchell - An Economic Theory of Stigma Applied to AIDS in Suharian Africa

Subhash C. Narula - Alternatives to Least Squares Regression

Ojelanki K. Ngwenyama - Non-traditional Approaches to IS Research and Deconstructing ERP Software Architecture

Kweku-Muta Osei-Bryson - Development of Data Mining Techniques & Non-Traditional Approaches for Studying Information Systems

Margaret L. Williams - Modeling Direct and Indirect Measures of Organizational Justice as Reflective and Formative Indicators Evidence of Mediation

APPOINTMENTS

Jana McQuaid appointed as Interim Director of Graduate Students in Business. A 2002 VCU MBA graduate, Jana served as Regional Corporate Liaison for Strayer University where she was responsible for recruiting students, establishing relationships between Strayer and corporations and developing articulation agreements with other educational institutions. While working on her MBA, Ms. McQuaid worked as a graduate assistant in the Business School's Office of Undergraduate Studies.

Dr. Michael Little has been appointed to fill the new position of Curriculum and Academic Advisor for the VCU MBA Program. Dr. Little, Associate Professor of Marketing, served as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Business and also as Faculty Advisor to the Fast Track MBA program.

Jan Allen has been appointed Interim Director of the Center for Corporate Education. Her experience includes establishing the McGuire Woods Institute, serving as Regional Director of the American Management Association, and Program Manager of the Management Institute at the University of Richmond. Jan will oversee the Center's certificate programs and will develop custom programs for corporate, governmental and institutional clients.

THESE PROGRAMS COMING SOON

August 26 & 31 - CERTIFICATE IN FINANCIAL PLANNING
The General Principles module will start on August 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the School of Business.  The General Principles module will start on August 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building in McLean, VA. For further information call (804) 828-3165 or review information on the website www.bus.vcu.edu under Corporate Education Center.

September 7 - SHRM LEARNING SYSTEM OFFERS PHR AND SPHR Orientation from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 1129, School of Business. For information or to register, go to www.bus.vcu.edu and then click on Corporate Education Center display.

September 7 - VCU INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
A unique opportunity to receive a practical view of what it takes to be successful in international business in the 21st century. The 12-week program covers such items as exporting and importing, global marketing of services. international marine and air transportation, international banking and insurance issues, corporate and country culture and international legal issues and investments. For detailed information and registration form go to www.bus.vcu.edu/international

October 5 - REAL ESTATE TRENDS
Continental Breakfast, Registration and Networking begins at 7:30 a.m. for an hour. From 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. will be a powerful program on local and national trends. Keynote Speaker is Susan Hudson-Wilson, Founder and CEO of Property & Portfolio Research, Inc., Boston. For further information call (804) 828-1721 or visit www.realestate.vcu.edu

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