Archives
November 2006
Director's Message: Club leaders show dedication
We've enjoyed a gorgeous fall season in Ithaca, and our regional clubs have been busy. As mentioned previously, this year we are focusing on our regional clubs and our overall support within the regions domestically and internationally. This month I have some exciting club news to share. [more]
Save the date for Reunion 2007
June 7-10, 2007
Calling all Johnson School alumni from the classes of 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002! This year's program will include a mix of social events, educational programs, tours, and plenty of fun for all-including kids! Highlights include a welcome reception at the home of Associate Dean Joe Thomas, presentations by alumni and faculty, golf tournament, annual barbecue, and the acclaimed Faculty Follies. Mark you calendars now so you don't miss this exciting opportunity to catch up with classmates and friends! More details to come. For questions, please contact alumni@johnson.cornell.edu.
Wilkinson accepts annual Wilbur Parker award
Current and prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends packed the foyer of the Carrier Ballroom at the Statler Hotel on Friday, October 20, for the presentation of the Wilbur Parker Alumni Award, one of the high points of the sixth annual symposium of the Black Graduate Business Association (BGBA).
Dean Robert Swieringa, the Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean, took the podium to introduce this year's recipient, Laura Wilkinson MBA '85, JD '86, a partner in the Washington, DC-based law office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, and a top lawyer in antitrust and trade regulation practice. Her career spans a stint as staff attorney in the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition, and later as deputy assistant director of that bureau.
"Her successful academic and professional careers and her longstanding commitment to community service embody the qualities that the BGBA members seek to recognize with this prestigious award," Swieringa said.
The award is named in honor of the Johnson School's first African-American graduate, Wilbur Parker, MBA '50, who spoke briefly at the reception. The award was established as a legacy to the Johnson School and as a catalyst for African-American alumni, students, and the greater school community to come together, connect with one another, and celebrate personal and professional achievements.
Encourage young women to join Camp $tart-Up
We are pleased to announce that the sixth annual Camp $tart-Up will be held this summer, June 23-June 30, 2007, at the Johnson School. Camp $tart-Up is an interactive business and leadership training experience for young women aged 13 to 19. It is a very important initiative at the Johnson School, championed by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and designed to help combat the relatively low enrollment of women in graduate business programs. The most effective way to increase the pool of qualified women for business education, and ultimately in business itself, is to reach women at a younger age and to teach them fundamental business and leadership concepts.
Last summer, Camp $tart-Up gave 30 young women an opportunity to develop skills in several key business areas, including entrepreneurship, finance and marketing. The goal of the camp is to encourage more young women to consider business careers and entrepreneurial ventures. If you or someone you know has a vested interest in achieving this goal, you may want to sponsor a camper, donate to the camp or invite a young woman to complete an application to attend the camp. For more information please visit our Web site. You may also contact the Camp $tart-Up planning committee via e-mail at campstartup@cornell.edu or telephone at 607 255-1437.
Alumni discuss Business of Fashion
More than 80 Johnson School and Cornell alumni, students, and friends, packed the wood-paneled library at Polo Ralph Lauren corporate headquarters in New York City on October 18 for the Business of Fashion. The "Business Of…" series was created by the Johnson School to examine leading business issues. The school was joined for the first time by two other Cornell units-the College of Human Ecology and the Cornell Entrepreneurial Network (CEN).
Tatiana Rosak '93, MBA '98, vice president of merchandising for Lauren by Ralph Lauren hosted the event. Suzanne Loker, the J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise at the College of Human Ecology's Department of Textiles and Apparel moderated a lively panel discussion on how innovation drives the fashion business.
Kim Roy, president of Lauren by Ralph Lauren, the company's line for women, described the tension between generating greater sales and staying true to designer Ralph Lauren's vision for his clothing. "We can't blindly add sales without paying attention to how we add those sales," she said. "We have to make sure all we do maps to Ralph's vision." Roy joined the company in 2003, when Polo Ralph Lauren brought the previously licensed Lauren brand back to the corporation. Three years later, the line sold $650 million at retail, Roy said.
Malia Mills '89, president of Malia Mills Swimwear, shared the importance of innovation to her small, specialty fashion design and retail business. "It's not just the product we need to innovate, and not just the message about our products," she said. "It's the process of how we do what we do."
Wayne Meichner '79, president of Polo Ralph Lauren Retail Stores, the company's full-price retail operation, pointed out a unique characteristic of his company and business: "This is a creatively driven company that happens to be public," he said. "We marry art with commerce."
Professor Azis receives distinguished scholar award
The Johnson School's Iwan Azis, adjunct professor of economics, received the Distinguished Scholar Award in recognition of his contributions in regional science, financial economics, and economic modeling at the 13th International Conference on Advances in Management (ICAM) on July 21, 2006, in Lisbon, Portugal. At the conference, Azis delivered the keynote lecture, titled "Managing Global Imbalances," in which he explained the origin and the nature of the unprecedented global imbalances, and elaborated the role of the U.S, Euro area, and Asia in the attempt to reduce the imbalances and to mitigate their devastating impact. The award ceremony took place at the Instituto Superior de Ciencias do Trabalho e da Empresa (ISCTE) Business School, Lisbon, Portugal.
Professor Azis has addressed topics of macro-micro linkages, economic forecasting, and financial economics, and has published books and articles on these subjects. He has conducted research and consulting work for the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations, the UN University, USAID, the ADB Institute-Tokyo, the Research Triangle Institute, as well as some government agencies.
Share your experience at an admissions event
The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid needs your help at summer and fall recruiting events. We need alumni who are willing to share their MBA and current career experiences with event participants. For a listing of the events and to volunteer to assist, please see www.johnson.cornell.edu/alumni/events/summerfall2006signup.xls.
Check back often—more events may be periodically added throughout the season.
Featured alumni
Robert Falter, MBA/Sloan '76, PhD, was recently presented the 2006 Rookie of the Year award by the Worcester Regional Association of Realtors® (WRAR). [more]
James H. Barton, MBA '90, was recently named vice president, New Business Technologies at Bausch and Lomb. [more]
Helen Shan, MBA '93, is the vice president and treasurer of Pitney Bowes Inc. [more]
When Retailing Is in the DNA
New York Times - October 22
James Goldman, MBA '85, is the author for the week's Sunday New York Times installment of "The Boss" column. As President of Godiva Chocolatier Worldwide, he shares the academic, personal and professional experiences that led him to where he is today. He specifically mentions how the marketing club influenced his career choices.
Top 25 Executive MBA Programs for Hispanics
Hispanic Trends - October 13, 2006
The Johnson School's Executive MBA program is one of 25 mentioned in this article on EMBA programs for Hispanics. Hispanic Trends selected the top schools for Hispanics based on job placement, GMAC results, Hispanic and minority student enrollment, proportion of students who hold the position of chairman, CEO or president, and the average base salaries and work experience of students.
Why We Need to be Careful in the Search for Autism's Cause
Time Magazine - October 20, 2006
A critique of the analysis by Management Professor Michael Waldman and Policy Analysis and Management faculty member Sean Nicholson which calls for more research on a possible link between TV watching and instances of autism.
More news hits that feature our faculty, alumni, and students.
Events
View the online alumni events calendar to check out the latest offerings in your area. It's a great way to keep in touch!
