UC Irvine Jumps in FT Ranking, USC Alum Takes on MetroLink, and More – Los Angeles News
Let’s dig into some of the biggest business school news emerging out of Los Angeles this weekend.
Merage Climbs in Financial Times Rankings – Newswise
UC Irvine’s Merage School of Business has climbed in the Financial Times rankings, to 24th among nationwide schools and to 8th among public school of business in the U.S.
Dean Eric Spangenberg says of the rise, “We have always been committed to serving our students, and that effort is being recognized… Students know that when they choose the Merage School they’re changing their trajectory, gaining the skills and experience they need, whether they’re competing for influential, high-paying leadership jobs or launching their own businesses.”
Merage’s faculty diversity is also helping the school earn some well-deserved praise. More than half of the business school’s faculty are women, making it the first in the world for this distinction. Additionally, the school has the 7th highest salary increase for alumni compared to pre-MBA earnings.
As for research capabilities, Merage placed 37th in the world and 29th in the United States.
See the Newswire press release for more on the UC Irvine ranking. You can also read more about the recently released ranking FT here.
USC Marshall Alum to Revolutionize Metrolink – USC Marshall News
A USC Marshall School of Business alum is tackling an enormous task—shifting car-centric Los Angelenos to using public transportation.
Stephanie Wiggins, (EMBA ’07) has been named CEO of Metrolink, LA’s commuter rail system. She recently says of her appointment, “I’ve been in transportation for 24 years, and I’ve always been engaged on some level with Metrolink issues. But to now be in the C-suite … it’s a humbling experience [and] an incredible privilege.”
Metrolink may be an integral part of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Wiggins is not only the first African American to be named to this position in the agency, but also the first woman. She will be facing with the additional challenge of revamping an outdated and underutilized system, which will be more important than ever during the 2028 Olympic Games.
Having held high level positions at several of the agencies that comprise Metrolink, Wiggins is perfectly suited to lead the way as the system evolves. Born in Oakland, CA, Wiggins attended Whittier College for business administration. After taking a temp job with the transportation commission in Inland Empire, CA, her career began to flourish during the pursuit of her MBA.
One of Wiggins’ primary projects has been implementing the FasTrak program on two of the major freeways in LA – the 10 and the 110. She noted, “I had to leverage everything I learned at USC … Not only to turn that project around but to get it deployed and operational and marketed. Everything I learned at USC Marshall helped me in getting the FasTrak™ lanes up and running.”
For more on Stephanie Wiggins and her role with Metrolink, read here.
California Economy Finishes 2018 on a Strong Note – Graziadio News
David M. Smith, Ph.D., a leading economist at Pepperdine Graziadio, was quoted recently in the LA Times on the recently released employment statistics for California.
While the rate of unemployment is declining, it does not necessarily mean the job market is truly stable. While “jobs are available for those who are in need of employment … Increasingly employers, especially small and medium-sized businesses, are struggling to find workers. Employers are grumbling about not having enough help and new hires simply not showing up,” Smith says.
He was, however, generally optimistic about the future of the California market. With a 3.2 percent rise countrywide in wages, the landscape for the state of California looks a bit brighter as well. Though the data is not yet available, Smith says, “we can say confidently it will closely mirror the national numbers.”
Click here to read more from the LA Times article.
Merage Jumps in Rankings, UCLA Grows Greener, and More
Let’s take a peak at some of the biggest Los Angeles business school stories that have emerged this week.
UC Irvine’s Merage School Jumps Forward in The Economist‘s Rankings – UCI Merage School of Business News
University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business jumped forward in The Economist’s 2018 ‘Which MBA?’ rankings, with a move from 39th to 37th in the U.S., and 56th to 52nd in the global standings.
Assistant Dean Jon Kaplan of Merage’s MBA and specialty master’s programs says, “[What is unique about the program] is our focus on preparing students to be leaders in a digitally driven world. When you combine that with our continuous efforts to attract the best and brightest students and to provide them a one-of-a-kind experience, you start to see the rankings improve.”
Earlier this year, Merage’s Executive MBA program was ranked 20th in the U.S. and 30th globally. Dean Eric Spangenberg reiterates the program’s focus on digital transformation.
“Our team has done a great job of pivoting our curriculum to focus on how digital technologies are disrupting all aspects of the business world—not just in Silicon Valley, but across industries,” he says. “Students recognize that, and they choose to come here. This climb in the rankings is evidence not only of our teaching excellence and outstanding career services, but of the caliber of students we’re attracting.”
You can read more about Merage’s place in the rankings here.
How Green is Your Campus? – UCLA Anderson Blog
UCLA Anderson School of Management alum Nurit Katz (’08), the university’s Chief Sustainability Officer, recently gave a report on five major movements that the school has made to become a leader in green campus design.
For one, the business school’s Marian Anderson Courtyard is shaded from the California sun by ZON Powersol umbrellas that not only provide shade, but also utilize solar power for USB mobile devices.
In addition to the use of solar power, the school uses a 42-megawatt cogeneration plant that provides heat, cool air, and electricity for major facilities on campus such as the Regan Medical Center. The plant is partially powered by biomethane gas from a nearby landfill. The use of the gas drastically reduces the campus’ carbon footprint.
UCLA Anderson Chief Sustainability Officer Nurit Katz recently explained the major ways the LA school is moving forward with green energy innovation / Phot via blogs.anderson.ucla.edu
Green roof installation is another way the school is implementing sustainable technology, as shown in the Safdie Rabines Architects’ designed Court of Sciences Student Center food hall. Drought tolerant plants combine attractively with the surrounding landscape to provide natural cooling and water collection methods, while also providing attractive outdoor gathering space.
The Semel Healthy Campus initiative is another example of the school’s commitment to sustainability. With a garden at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, this initiative focuses upon healthy solutions for the campus and its neighbors by growing plants for food and medicinal purposes.
Finally, UCLA is working to reduce carbon emissions in the infamously congested city of Los Angeles through the use of the Bruin Bike Share system. This allows students to rent bikes for commuting around campus, making the standard non-automobile transit more visible. The project also allows inexperienced bikers to pair with those who are more seasoned to learn the rules of the road.
Graziadio Women in Leadership Series to Feature Intuit Exec – Pepperdine Graziadio Events
Mary Ann Somers, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Intuit, Inc., will be a featured speaker at Pepperdine Graziadio‘s Center for Women in Leadership (CWL) discussion series on November 8, 2018.
With a background at companies such as Coca-Cola, Hershey, Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive, Somers has a wealth of experience in reviving struggling brands. She will speak about the increasingly relevant trends in FinTech, and the ways in which it has transformed production and profitability.
Since 2015, the Center for Women in Leadership has strengthened and empowered women in the Graziadio community, and connected them with leaders such as Somers as they move forward in their careers.
Somers’ discussion will take place at the West Los Angeles Campus from 4-6 p.m. on November 8. You can register here for the event.
Mihaylo Turns 10, USC Marshall Interviews, and More – Los Angeles News
It’s been a busy week, but we’ve caught up with a few of the Los Angeles business school stories you need to know.
USC Marshall Professor on the Economics of Migrant Populations – USC Marshall News & Events
USC Marshall Professor of Finance and Business Economics Sandra Rozo recently gathered a group of scholars for a session on an issue with global resonance—the refugee crisis.
Rozo organized the ‘Conference on the Impacts of Refugees in Hosting Economies’ in order to address the effects of forced migration upon the social, economic and political climates in various countries.
The transformation of certain Turkish communities that experienced an influx of Syrian refugees was just one of the positive impacts that Rozo and her colleagues presented. In a collaboration with fellow economics professors, Rozo explored how the resettlement of over 3 million Syrian refugees resulted in measurable change in the nation’s economy.
The oil and gas industries, for example, experienced growth as a result of increased usage. A notable increase in new business formation also arose from the migration, as Syrians new to the country saw opportunity in partnering with Turkish entrepreneurs. The researchers discovered that there was a marked positive effect on the construction, hotel and restaurant industries after the migration.
Rozo points that the positive outcomes of migration must be explored along with the sometimes enormous negatives. “The media tend to focus on the negative but the effects of displaced populations cannot be generalized in one way or another. We’re asking what the impacts are so we can ameliorate the negative and amplify the positive.”
Keynote speaker George Borjas of Harvard’s Kennedy School opened the conference, and Paolo Verme of the World Bank delivered the closing address.
You can read more on the research here.
Mihaylo College’s Landmark Home Turns Ten – Mihaylo News
As the largest accredited business school on the West Coast of the U.S., Mihaylo Business School at Cal State Fullerton needed a building that would make a statement. The university celebrates 10 years since the completion of this landmark structure for the Mihaylo College with alumni, donors, and staff on September 28, 2018.
Steven G. Mihaylo Hall, built in ’08 / Photo via business.fullerton.edu
In 2008, the school hired internationally celebrated firm HOK to design the state-of-the-art Steven G. Mihaylo Hall. The 195,000 square-feet, $89 million building contains 10,000 students and hundreds of faculty.
The shift in the U.S. economy has been vast since the late ’00s, and the growth of Mihaylo’s programs has followed a similar trajectory.
With sustainable design elements throughout the building that minimize environmental impact, Mihaylo Hall set a high standard for future building projects across campus. The Women’s Leadership Program, Mihaylo Career Services, and a state-of-the-art trading lab are just a few of the developments that grew forth after the building’s completion. Read more about the building and its decade of success here.
USC Marshall Welcomes 9 New Faculty – MetroMBA
MetroMBA recently spoke with several of the newest members of the USC Marshall faculty, joining the business school for 2018-19.
David Bacci, a new lecturer in the Department of Business Communication, says:
“Simply stated, my teaching philosophy is to train to students to be the types of great employees I would hire. I spent 10+ years in various industries and in management. In my experience, employers will teach their employees the technical skills required to do their jobs. But employers will not teach employees how to communicate; how to show up each day; how to engage with their boss and coworkers; and how to use their soft skills to add organizational value—employers simply expect people to have these skills already developed. Given this gap, I see my role as a professor to teach students how to use their communication skills to distinguish themselves as ‘great’ amongst a sea of ‘good.’”
You can read more from our recent interviews here.
Merage School Announces New FEMBA Flex Degree for Part-Time Students
The Paul Merage School of Business of the University of California, Irvine (Merage School) has announced a new option for those who continue to work while acquiring their MBA.
FEMBA Flex, a part-time program, will combine online and on-campus learning, and it will be offered in addition to the current FEMBA which takes place solely on the Merage School campus.
