News Roundup – Smeal Rises in Rankings, Graziadio’s Noteworthy Alumni, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including some Online MBA rankings updates, and more.
Penn State Online MBA Rises Three Spots to No. 6 in U.S. News‘ Best Online Programs Rankings – Penn State Smeal News
Penn State Smeal’s Online MBA has risen three spots to land at sixth on U.S. News and World Report’s list of Best Online Programs.
This is the fourth year in a row that the degree has landed on U.S. News‘ top ten. With the use of statistical and peer-reputation surveys, the publication ranks schools in five different categories. For Online MBAs, the categories include engagement; student performance; faculty credentials and training; and student services and technologies.
Smeal’s Online MBA for Veterans also ranked fourth among degrees of its kind. “Our many partnerships and resources at Penn State allow us to offer a menu of more than 20 concentration choices that serve an extremely diverse span of interests. This accolade is a testament to our dedication in delivering an excellent program to a student body of exceptionally talented individuals,” says Stacey Dorang Peeler, Penn State Online MBA managing director.
You can read more about the rankings here.
RidersShare Launched Peer-To-Peer Motorcycle Rentals in Los Angeles – UCLA Anderson News
A UCLA Anderson School of Management MBA recently made news with a new vehicle sharing program unlike any other: a ride share for motorcycles.
Gillermo Cornejo, Founder and CEO of RiderShare, started the business with assistance from Anderson’s Venture Accelerator. Cornejo and his teammates were given the opportunity to interview thirty executives from the sharing economy in order to formulate their business plan. The team also received an award from the Pritzker Group Venture Fellows laid the financial groundwork for RiderShare.
Cornejo recalls growing up with a love for motorcycles but was prohibited by the cost of owning and maintaining one. Thus spawned his idea for RiderShare.
The service works by offering free listings to motorcycle owners who wish to rent out their bikes. Through a vetting process, renters and riders qualify to participate. They also must be 21-years or older. Cornejo and his team currently run services in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Denver. For more on RiderShare, read here.
Faculty Feature: Yun-Oh Whang – Katz Graduate School of Business News
Professor Yun-Oh Wang of University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business had another title before he began to teaching: serial entrepreneur.
After starting three companies, Whang decided to turn his passion into a full-time teaching position. He is the faculty director of Katz’ MS in Marketing program, in addition to serving as Assistant Clinical Professor of Business Administration at the school.
“Since my practitioner days, I have always been fascinated by marketing because it deals with consumers so directly,” says Whang. “Humans are simply impossible to understand, so it makes it extremely rewarding when marketing clicks with consumers.”
This clever take on marketing as a means to understanding the human condition is part of what makes Whang such a popular professor at Katz.
“I teach Marketing Research and Consumer Behavior,” Whang says, “in addition to a variety of other courses in global, sports, and digital marketing. My classes focus on application. I am a firm believer of ‘learning by doing.’” Whang also hosts companies for student talks, encourages students to participate in contests such as the Adobe Analytics Case Competition, and perhaps most importantly, makes sure they know how to relax. He hosts an end of year dance and karaoke party at the end of each year.
For more on Whang and Katz’ MS in Marketing, read here.
Foster Now Accepts the Executive Assessment for Admissions Into Part-Time MBA Programs – University of Washington Foster School of Business Blog
The University of Washington Foster School of Business has announced that it will accept the Executive Assessment (EA) test as part of the application for all work-compatible MBA degrees.
A new exam administered by GMAC, the EA is designed for working professionals. It measures applicants’ workplace skills with a 90 minute test covering verbal, quantitative, and integrated reasoning skills.
Morgan Sage, Associate Director of the Tech Management MBA program, says, “We are thrilled to provide applicants the additional option of taking the Executive Assessment. With greater emphasis on professional experience, we believe that the EA is positioned to better assess the academic capacity of working professionals.”
Read here for more on the Executive Assessment and applicable program information.
Graziadio Announces the 2020 Notable Alumni – Pepperdine Graziadio News
Each year, Pepperdine Graziadio chooses 44 of the most notable alumni among their worldwide ranks of over 40,000 across the world.
The alumni on this list embody the characteristics that the voting board determines to embody the notion of positive impact upon their industries and communities.
Among this year’s notable alumni are Marissa Andrada, Chief People Officer at Chipotle, who earned the Fully Employed MBA in 1992; Candi Castleberry-Singleton, VP of diversity partnership and strategy engagement at Twitter, (EMBA ’06); Robert Kyncl, (Fully Employed MBA, ’97) Chief Business Officer for YouTube; and Fiona Ma (Executive MBA, 00), who is the state of California’s 34th Treasurer.
Read here for the full list of 2020’s notable alumni.
News Roundup – Pepperdine Professor Talks Nostalgia TV Trends on NPR, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including a Pepperdine professor discussing the allure of nostalgia TV, and more.
NPR Podcast Invites Cristel Antonia Russell to Discuss Nostalgia TV – Pepperdine Graziadio Newsroom
Dr. Cristel Antonia Russell, Professor of Marketing at Pepperdine Graziadio School of Management recently spoke on the power of nostalgia TV on the NPR podcast On Point.
Along with Eric Deggans, NPR’s television critic, Dr. Russell discussed the phenomenon of the wide popularity of all things 1990s in current culture. A major topic of Russell’s research is the reasons behind why people tend to consume and re-consume certain pieces of pop culture. Take Friends, for instance, the rights of which was recently purchased by TimeWarner Media for $125 million. There has been a massive resurgence in the last five years or so of Ross, Rachel and the gang’s popularity.
Russell says, “Twenty-five years is a huge chunk of time to anyone. Nostalgia is a double-edged sword where a part of you wants to go back to these earlier times but a part of you is glad you are no longer an 18-year-old watching Friends. It allows people to reflect and realize how they have grown.”
For more on Dr. Russell, read here, and to download the On Point podcast about the nostalgia TV revival, visit NPR or listen below.
Dean Amy Hillman Drives an Unprecedented Year of Giving – ASU Carey News
Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business, led by Dean Amy Hillman, reached an unprecedented fundraising goal this year.
A $25 million donation from the W. P. Carey Foundation kicked off the $50 million campaign, and overall the school raised $43.7 million in fiscal year 2018-19. Alumni and current students helped to round out the gifts, with 615 individual donations from them and other private supporters. In all, alumni gave an impressive $11.7 million.
Hillman says of the campaign, “Of course what we do at W. P. Carey is business, but I always practice that ‘business is personal … What donors share with us, no matter the gift is about the people who are impacted through a scholarship, research, or career opportunity.”
The gifts came at a welcome time, as the state of Arizona has reduced funding for higher education in recent years. The money from the campaign will help to improve student resources, enhance research, and fund scholarships. For more on Dean Hillman and the fundraising campaign, read here.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Writer’s Dilemma Illustrates How Hollywood Pay Gap is Alive and Well – Kellogg in the News
Nancy Qian, Professor of Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management recently weighed in for an article in the Chicago Tribune on the massive pay gap in Hollywood for non-white writers and actors.
The most recent event that prompted this discussion was the departure of Adele Lim, one of the screenwriters for ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ from the film’s sequel. Her white male counterpart was offered considerably more for his contribution to the sequel’s script—nearly a million dollars, compared to Lim’s offer of $110,000.
While a comment in The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Lim’s offer was based solely upon her experience and past accomplishments, her supporters believe otherwise. Professor Qian says:
“The Warner Bros. response that they have a formula for determining pay seems like an excuse, since they can always build in more components to the formula to give it more flexibility, such as take into account expertise on the subject, the number of other people with similar expertise, the success of the last project, and the evaluation from co-workers.”
“Every situation is different,” she adds. “But it wouldn’t be crazy to see this as Lim getting hit by two forces—on average, for the same level education and work experience, 1) women get paid less than men and 2) Asians in the U.S. get paid less than Caucasians. The question of why is subject to debate.”
Read here for the full Chicago Tribune article.
NYU Stern Receives $5 Million Gift from Alumna Entrepreneur Elizabeth Elting (MBA ’92) to Support the Advancement of Women in Business – NYU Stern News & Events
NYU Stern alum Elizabeth Elting, founder of translation firm Transperfect, recently donated $5 million to the school with the goal of nurturing Stern’s female entrepreneurs.
The gift, which is the largest ever from a woman entrepreneur in the school’s history, will fund Elizabeth Elting Women’s Leadership Fellowships for a total of forty female MBA students. Students who demonstrate both academic merit and the desire to build their own businesses will benefit from the fellowship.
“Starting my own business is the best and most rewarding decision I ever made for my life,” Elting says. “It gave me the resources I needed to provide for my family and influence the world for the better. That’s why I’m so excited to provide this gift to NYU Stern. This money will not only make Stern accessible to a greater number of ambitious young women eager to create their own futures, but will also help the best and brightest launch new enterprises and carry out visions that could transform the world.”
You can read more on Elting and the fellowship here.
Avolio Ranked #2 Most Influential Researcher in Leadership, #3 in Organizational Behavior – Foster School of Business News & Events
Bruce Avolio, Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, was recently named one of the globe’s foremost thinkers on leadership and organizational development by The Leadership Quarterly.
The publication named Avolio the number one scholar in the world at forming networks in the field of leadership research, and second best in productivity and influence of his leadership studies.
Another industry publication, the Academy of Management Learning and Education, lists Avolio the third most influential author since its inception. Avolio’s wide list of accomplishments include the 2013 Eminent Leadership Scholar Award from the Network of Leadership Scholars in the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Society, the American Psychological Association, and fellowships in the Academy of Management, and the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology.
Read more on Avolio and his research here.
Finding the Best Pacific Northwest Part-Time MBAs
The Pacific Northwest, one of the country’s top hubs for innovation and creativity, offers numerous job opportunities in finance and tech. It also boasts an impressive array of MBA programs.
For those living in the region who want to pursue a b-school degree without interrupting work or other commitments, a part-time MBA is a clear choice. Take a look below at some of our favorites.
The Best Pacific Northwest Part-Time MBAs
The Foster School of Business at the University of Washington Evening MBA is a three-year MBA offered at was is largely regarded as the best business school in the U.S. Northwest. Bloomberg considers it not just one of the 20 best business schools in the country, but one of the 20 best in the world. And its Evening MBA program is ranked even higher by U.S. News & World Report, placing it 12th overall.
The current total cost of the program, including tuition and fees, is $85,321. In comparison, the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business part-time MBA, ranked as the 2nd best in the U.S., costs more than $140,000 for the entire program. Foster’s most recent Evening MBA class features 122 students (39 percent female, 61 percent male). They enrolled with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.39, a GMAT average of 631, and more than six years of prior work experience.
At Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, the Professional MBA features 54 credits comprised of 24 required core courses and 30 electives. With two thirds of courses designated as electives, students are able to hone in on their areas of specialty, taking their skills immediately to work. About 83 percent of the Albers student body is made of part-time students, and on average, students have nine years of work experience. Tuition is one of the most affordable in the region at just $46,710, not inclusive of fees and expenses.
Seattle Pacific University School of Business, Government and Economics’45 credit part-time program offers students weekend and evening classes, and takes two or three years to complete. Foundation courses comprise 27 credits, 18 are in Advanced Strategy and Management, and there are six credits each for ethics and leadership and behavioral skills. Electives are categorized into Management, Finance, Human Resources, Social & Sustainable Enterprise, Data Management, and IT. Seattle Pacific prides itself upon its ethics curriculum; it is the home of the University’s Center for Integrity in Business. Tuition is just $64,080.
Portland State University College of Business Administration’s MBA’s part-time option, one of the best outside of the state of Washington, can be completed in 21 months—making it one of the more efficient options in the region. Classes take place in the evening, and part time students take core courses only. The three focus areas of the curriculum are Foundations of Competitiveness, The Value Chain of Business, and Applied Skills & Leadership. Part-time MBA students at Portland State have an average of 7-10 years of experience. Tuition is also highly-affordable—just $48,980 for out of state students and $37,642 for those in state.
At the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business, working students can choose the Flex MBA with a two, three or four year option. This degree is designed for students with significant work experience and a background in quantitative skills. Core courses do not count toward the Flex MBA, and the 45 credits are comprised of 15 different three or four credit courses in specialization areas and electives. Tuition is among the best in the region, at just $28,377 for Oregon residents and $39,273 for out-of-state students.
Alumni Spotlight: Bill Ayer, Former CEO Alaska Airlines
While studying for his MBA at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, Bill Ayer received some advice that would propel him throughout his life, and his career. Continue reading…
