UCLA Announces John Wooden Global Fellows for 2018, and More – Los Angeles News
Happy Friday!
Before we close out November, let’s look into some of the biggest news from the Los Angeles business school community from the week that was.
UCLA Anderson Announces 2018 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows – UCLA Anderson News
The UCLA Anderson School of Management just announced the 2018 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows, a program which, according to Anderson’s website, honors students who exemplify “leadership ideals and a commitment to improving the lives of others.”
The fellowship was named after Naismith Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden. Wooden, perhaps the most successful NCAA basketball coach of all-time, won 10 national championships with the UCLA men’s team from 1964 to 1975, coaching up NBA legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and Bill Walton.
The four fellows, Jessica Barnette, Leah Maddock Loh, Gerry Sims, and Ryan Tan, are all currently pursuing MBA degrees at UCLA Anderson.
Barnette, who also received her master’s of public health at UCLA, is currently Director of Operations at WellStart Health, an organization that offers innovative methods to reduce chronic disease. Leah Maddock Loh also attended UCLA for her master of public health degree, and her current work focuses upon reproductive education with Kaiser Permanente.
Gerry Sims, a U.S. Marine veteran, received an undergraduate degree in management from Purdue University before deciding to join the military. He was deployed in Afghanistan twice, serving as an intelligence officer. Sims recently worked with Google’s small business division where he focused on increasing diversity. He works to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides assistance to families of veterans and the vets themselves as they re-enter civilian life.
Ryan Tan has also integrated his military service into his MBA and his career. A member of the armed services in Singapore, Tan is pursuing his EMBA at UCLA in conjunction with coursework at the National University of Singapore. He brings the values he learned from his extensive military service to his role as head of mergers and acquisitions at StarHub Ltd., one of Singapore’s largest telecommunications companies.
You can learn more about the John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows here, which will also featured a moderated discussion with celebrated Anderson alum and YouTube figurehead Susan Wojcicki.
LMU LA Hosts talk on Investment in Research Science – Loyola Marymount University LA News
Entrepreneur Jim Demetriades (LMU LA ’85), the founder of Kairos Ventures, returned to Loyola Marymount Los Angeles, discussing the importance of private funding for scientific research. Sponsored by the Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship, Demetriades’ talk was entitled “How Science Will Change the World in the Next Five Years.”
In the aftermath of several recent events, such as natural disasters and the cuts in research funding by the U.S., Demetriades believes that privatization of such funding is the wave of the future. With a background that combines computer science, mathematics, and economics, Demetriades formed his own software company which led to the formation of Kairos.
His goal is to “turn scientific breakthroughs into successful businesses.” Among his recent projects is raising $50 million for research at Caltech. He foresees innovative developments in various industries, such as wireless devices that can charge from up to 20 feet away, and artificial insect pheromones meant to increase crop efficiency.
You can learn more about the school’s investment in research here.
Banking on Success: A Look at Careers in the Banking Industry with CommerceWest CEO Ivo Tjan ’99 – Mihaylo College of Business
Ivo Tjan, (Mihaylo ’99) recently shared his insight with current Mihaylo College of Business MBAs into why the banking industry is an increasingly worthwhile as a career venture.
Tjan, who became a CEO at the incredibly young age of 27, had just received his undergrad degree when he earned the job. With a niche at CommerceWest that provides commercial services for companies with revenues between $5 million and $100 million, Tjan is a leader in providing services to small to medium sized companies.
“There are not many people going into banking because it is unsexy.” Tjan says. “But the unsexy part is the entry into the opportunities you will have. There is a huge vacuum for young people to take new roles and responsibilities that will create good value for them … [with a banking career] you get to meet many entrepreneurs and business owners who are starting off, on their way to becoming multi-million dollar successes.”
The talk focused also upon the importance of mentorship at Cal State Fullerton. “When I wanted to apply the real-world fundamentals to [my mentor’s] teachings, they were always open to discussing and talking about it, which helped me accelerate my understanding,” he says.
You can read more about Tjan’s recent discussion at his alma mater here.
USC Marshall Supply Chain, Student Engagement, and More – Los Angeles News
We’ve rounded up the news you need to know from this week out of the Los Angeles metro.
Nick Vyas Builds a State-of-the-Art Global Supply Chain Management Program – News at USC Marshall
“Forty years ago, there were 26 mega-cities worldwide. Now there are 70. The globalization cat is out of the bag. But how do we deliver to everyone?”
This question of delivery maximization here is asked by Nick Vyas, an Assistant Professor at the USC Marshall School of Business, and Director of the school’s Center for Global Supply Chain Management. From his past roles with now-defunct retail giants like Toys ‘R’ Us and the soon-to-be (you know it’s coming) defunct Sears, Vyas has seen a hefty degree of turmoil in the industry. At the same time, however, he has seen modernized giants like Amazon and Alibaba rise to the top, matching the increased demands of consumers.
In a 2017 CIO Review article, Vyas explains, “Big data has certainly changed the supply chain industry. Armed with such information, retailers are able to achieve better revenue positioning because product offers can be instantaneously changed to respond to customer demand shifts.”
USC Marshall caught on to the trends early, organizing the Online Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management program in 2013. Fast-forward five years, and Vyas is already seeing commendable improvement. ““We are seeing success,” Vyas says in a recent interview. “One hundred percent of the MS students are in internships. We prep them.”
You can read more about Vyas and the USC Marshall Online Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management program here.
How Can Campuses Foster Student Success? Management Professor Examines Engagement – Mihaylo Business School News
A CSU Fullerton Mihaylo College of Business professor of management recently offered some advice on student engagement as a cornerstone of business education at any level.
Professor Gerard Beenen has sought to guide Mihaylo students, who will find themselves among 40,000 other CSU Fullerton students, in how to connect within increasingly competitive and challenging conditions.
“Large universities like Cal State Fullerton,” Bennen says, “… are facing challenging goals to help students graduate faster … in an era of tighter and tighter state budgets. When students feel connected … they help us achieve these goals. [These] students … are more likely to persist until they graduate. And once they graduate, they’re more likely to give their time and resources to the campus.”
Student clubs, of which Cal State Fullerton has 325, serve as a valuable beginning to form connections. But Beenen points out that a wider focus toward common goals is most beneficial. “When we say, ‘Titans reach higher,’ we appeal to a shared aspiration—a superordinate identity—that all of our student clubs can identify with, along with study groups, friendship networks and other informal campus connections.”
Professor Beenen is a frequent contributor to The Orange County Register. He has also spoke about his views on student engagement in The Leadership Voice, Mihaylo College’s Center for Leadership’s video series.
Bigger Reach, Higher Prices – American Economic Association
Matt Schmitt, UCLA Anderson School of Management Economist and Professor of Strategy recently remarked upon the state of competition within U.S. hospital systems in the U.S. for the American Economic Association.
In 2017, Schmitt observes, the highest number of hospital system mergers in recent history occurred, resulting in higher healthcare prices. This counters the stance of many proponents of consolidation who argue that it reduces competition, thus reducing cost.
Two factors may contribute to higher prices: change in management practices after mergers; and speculation on the part of the acquiring hospital. The latter factor is a motivator of merger for many hospital entities.
Schmitt analyzed 100 mergers between 2000 and 2010, and discovered that costs rose an average of 6 to 7 percent. The price increase impacted insurers, and the cost to patients is difficult to assess.
“In health care … there are several different layers of decision makers, all with potentially competing objectives. [This] research seeks to better understand the economics of these situations and whether policy may have a role to play in improving outcomes,” Schmitt notes.
You can read more about Schmitt’s research discoveries here.
FEMBAs at Mihaylo College of Business on the Value of Mentorship
Mihaylo College of Business at California State, Fullerton offers a unique opportunity to newly-admitted FEMBAs – the chance to collaborate with peers through its Working Professionals Mentor Program (WPMP).
The one-on-one relationship that develops shapes each students’ experience and provides a high level of interaction and experiential learning that extends far beyond the classroom.
