Southern California Wild Fires Cause UCLA Anderson Campus Closure
As wildfires rage in Southern California, UCLA Anderson School of Management has been forced to cancel classes for the past two days. The Skirball Fire, named for the Skirball Cultural Center near where the fire is believed to have originated, broke out early Wednesday morning. It also caused the closure of the famed Getty Center and Museum. The fire is just one of four blazes currently burning in areas around Los Angeles as powerful Santa Ana winds combine dangerously with extremely dry conditions.
All classes since yesterday, December 6, were cancelled across the entire UCLA campus, including at the business school. While the campus itself was reported to be safe, difficult traffic conditions related to the fire prevented many students, faculty, and staff from reaching the school, leading to the decision to cancel classes. The fire caused a complete closure of the 405 Freeway, a main artery in the congested Los Angeles region.
The official UCLA twitter account announced today’s cancellations late last night:
UCLA cancels all Thursday classes given the uncertainties caused by the fire near campus. https://t.co/fT8T32lGsk
— UCLA Newsroom (@UCLAnewsroom) December 7, 2017
For periods Wednesday, UCLA was forced to operate on internal power only, required that power be cut to non-essential buildings. The UCLA Department of Recreation also cancelled all outdoor recreation for the remainder of the day and recommended that members of the community avoid outdoor activity and strenuous indoor activity due to air quality concerns.
USC Marshall School of Business, located 13 miles east of UCLA closer to downtown Los Angeles, was unaffected by the blaze, though it retweeted a message of support from the larger University of Southern California for any students affected by the wildfires and encouraging affected students and their families to take advantage of student counseling services.
Stay tuned to MetroMBA and Clear Admit for more updates on the wildfire as it is revealed.
This article has been edited, updated, and republished on our sister site, Clear Admit.
UC Irvine FEMBA Students Visit Spain as Part of International Residency
A group of 30 Fully-Employed MBA (FEMBA) students from the Paul Merage School of Business recently traveled to Spain for their International Residential. The group, led by Professors Connie Pechmann and William Hernandez, toured the Spanish cities of Madrid, Santander, and Bilbao, visited with a number of different companies, and experienced an authentic cultural experience. Some of the trip’s highlights included visits to the corporate headquarters of Banco Santander and SENER.
Located in Santander, Banco Santander originated in the Spanish city but has since expanded to operate in Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia.
“I was extremely impressed with the [Banco Santander] speaker’s knowledge and business prowess,” said Christopher Adams, ’18. “After this experience, most of the students are craving a west coast expansion by the bank and some way to work for this organization. What an unbelievable and exclusive experience.”
In Bilbao, the group visited Grupo SENER, which is a global engineering and construction company. “Their innovative value proposition of differentiation at higher value was clear,” said Bita Hosseini, ’18. “But, what was shocking to me was their ability to facilitate cross-functional collaboration with both public and private experts as they transformed more into a manufacturing strategy rather than a services strategy, similar to GE. Learning about various solar panel plants and the mix of science and business was eye opening.”
The MBAs also spent time studying at the University of Cantabria where they learned how business was conducted in Spain. The students participated in lectures that covered topics such as economics, law, sustainability strategies, and corporate governance.
All FEMBA students have the opportunity to participate in an International Residential. This one-week residential is a rare, firsthand opportunity to learn about the socio-economic, cultural, and political issues faced by businesses outside the United States. Other recent trips have been to major cities in China, and have focused on how the country became a dominant political and economic force throughout Asia. You can learn more about the FEMBA program here.
Los Angeles MBA Programs that Specialize in Supply Chain Management
As businesses grow and develop, it’s up to supply chain managers, or SCMs, to effectively ensure that all goods and services are delivered in a quick, optimized manner.
SCMs are the logistical overlords of any major operation—they oversee how all the parts of their product, including raw materials, information, and finance, move from supplier, to manufacturer, to wholesaler, to retailer, and finally to the consumer.
As more and more MBA students and graduates find employment as SCMs, more business school have added courses and concentrations in supply chain management, including some top business schools in the Los Angeles metro.
If you’re a prospective MBA in the City of Angeles, take this deeper dive into these LA metro MBA programs.
The Best Los Angeles Supply Chain Management MBA Programs
Anderson School of Management – UCLA
While the UCLA Anderson School of Management doesn’t offer a concentration or major in supply chain management, related coursework is recommended for MBAs on the consulting specialization, including 240F – Supply Chain Management. The course is taught by Chris Tang, UCLA Distinguished Professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration. Tang is a foremost scholar on supply chain management, having published more than 100 articles and five books.
The course explains how supply chains work and how to deal with many of their strategic and tactical challenges. Topics covered in the class include:
- Issues and opportunities brought by the Internet and the rise of e-business
- Instabilities caused by inadequate information-sharing
- Outsourcing
- Strategic alliances
Graziadio School of Business and Management – Pepperdine University
The Graziadio School of Business and Management offers not only one, but two specialized MBA programs that offer supply chain coursework: the Digital Innovation & Information Systems MBA and the Full-Time Applied Analytics MBA.
The Digital Innovation & Information Systems MBA is available to 15 and 20-Month MBA students and focuses on bridging the gap between business and technology. All electives in this program are offered in a blended learning format with one elective course scheduled per 7-week period and requires two Saturdays of on-campus class sessions at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus, with the remaining coursework offered online. Related coursework includes DESC 634 – Supply Chain Management.
The Full-Time Applied Analytics MBA is an immersive program that prepares students through a core curriculum is built around Decision Sciences and Information Systems and Technology Management, with Global Business and elective course requirements to round out your education, such as DESC 627 – Supply Chain Management Analytics. The class places a strong emphasis on the development and use of analytics-based models to illustrate the underlying concepts involved in both intra-and inter-firm logistics operations.
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Loyola Marymount University – College of Business Administration
The Loyola Marymount University College of Business Administration offers a Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Online Training Program. While not an MBA program or part of a graduate degree program, this online certificate program teaches fundamental aspects of the supply chain environment, including enterprise resource planning systems, requirement systems, interrelationships between purchasing, vendor selection, sources of supply, and more. This program is a good choice for those looking for project management experience.
Marshall School of Business – USC
Similarly to Marymount, the USC Marshall School of Business offers a graduate certificate program in Optimization and Supply Chain Management. Offered in partnership with the Viterbi School of Engineering, the program focuses on areas such as product introduction, strategic procurement, outsourcing, logistics and distribution, information technology and its role in managing global supply chains, and supply chain optimization. Units earned in the process of completing the certificate can usually be applied to an MBA degree and successful completion of the graduate certificate is documented on the graduate’s USC transcript and acknowledged with a certificate (diploma) issued by the University of Southern California.
Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management – Claremont Graduate University
The Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management offers supply chain management as an area of concentration for their MBA program. Students on this track explore concepts of supply chain management while learning to leverage technologies like big data, analytics, optimization, and geospatial systems.
Drucker is also home to the Center for Supply Chain & Logistics. After launching in 2015, the Center has partnered with business, government, trade, and policy leaders to enhance the performance of supply chains globally and the economic performance of the region. Partnership with companies like Toyota have created wonderful opportunities for students, such as the Toyota Women of Achievement Scholars program, which aims to create the future of supply chain by empowering women to take the lead in this vital field. The fellowship provides female scholars with a top notch education and formal mentor programs with other women leaders and career guidance to make the most of their degrees.
Paul Merage School of Business Remembers Pamela Adams, MBA ’98
The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine said goodbye to a beloved family member when Pamela Adams, MBA ’98, lost her battle with cancer earlier this fall. As an investment manager and certified financial planner, Adams built a successful career. However, it was her numerous contributions to her alma mater that makes her passing especially hard on UCI.
After graduating with an MBA from the Merage School in the late ’90s, Adams helped found the Dean’s Leadership Circle (DLC) in 2005 with then dean Andy Policano. The DCL is a business network for alumni and executives to help build stronger ties in the business community. Adams served on the DLC Advisory Board as a “Visionary” member until recently.
“Certainly, she will be missed,” dean Eric Spangenberg said. “Most definitely, she will be remembered. Always, Pam Adams will be cherished in the hearts of the Merage School family.”
Adams helped launch the school’s Center for Investment and Wealth Management (CIWM), chaired the CIWM Community Programs and served on its Advisory Board. Beginning in 2008, Adams served as a member of the Merage School Dean’s Advisory Board, and, just this past year, endowed scholarships for young students to attend the LifeVest financial literacy program hosted by the CIWM. In 2005 Adams was recognized as a UCI Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award as one of the Merage School’s most outstanding alumni.
“Pam was a natural leader in every aspect of her life,” said Policano, who is currently the faculty director of the CIWM. “She was an iconic role model for our students and we are indeed fortunate to have been the beneficiaries of her guidance, generosity and friendship. Because of Pam, we have improved the community around us and enabled others who are less fortunate to have the opportunity to succeed.”
Paul Merage alum, member Pamela Adams.
Adams also dedicated much of her time to mentoring young people and supporting women in need. She was a founding member of the Girls Inc. Guild of Orange County, a nonprofit serving girls in need, and an active member of the National Association of Women Business Owners of Orange County who named her “Member of the Year” in 2007.
“We owe a great debt of gratitude to Pam,” added Sandra Findly, Executive Director of Development in the Office of External Relations at the Merage School. “She has set the bar high and we are forever thankful for her dedication and commitment to making a difference in the lives our students and alumni, the people in our community, and in the lives of every single one of us who had the good fortune to know her.”
Merage School of Business MBA Earns Praise From The Economist
The UC Irvine’s Merage School of Business received some good news after the school was ranked in latest business school rankings of The Economist. The school placed 39th in the nation, 16th among public schools, and 56th in the world. The Los Angeles metro business school also scored well in categories including 29th in Open New Career Opportunities; 17th in alumnus rating of career services; and 13th in salary increase.
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UCLA Anderson Breaks Ground on New $40 Million Marion Anderson Hall
On October 19th, UCLA Anderson School of Management broke ground on a new state-of-the-art building on campus: Marion Anderson Hall. The hall was made possible thanks to an unprecedented $100 million gift from benefactress Marion Anderson in May 2015—$40 million of which was earmarked for the building. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Dean Judy Olian, Senior Associate Dean Al Osborne Jr., UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, and Marion Anderson Hall donors: Sam Tang (MBA ’87), Donald and Sherie Morrison, Bob Wilson (BS ’53), Luis (MBA ’02) and Lindsey Serrano, and Heather Hasso. Continue reading…
