B-School hits the ice

Business school is an odd mix of academics, recruiting, networking, and some might say a regression to our college days. One of the coolest things about the people at Ross includes the variety of things they're into, or at least willing to try. I had never played hockey before coming here and joined the women's team last year. We have a blast! With a wide range of abilities, there's plenty of opportunity to learn something new and develop fast friendships that outlast the b-school experience. There is also no better way to relieve stress from finals and the job hunt. Last weekend, our teams went to Tuck for their annual b-school tourney. For the first time, the women's team won a game! It was an incredible confidence boost to many of us that simply thought we'd be satisfied with holding our own. Beating Yale in a 3-2 victory was something that will carry us through to the next tourney at Harvard in late March.

Why should you care about AIDS?

Why should a company care about AIDS? Will it affect their shareholder value? The answer is yes, depending on who their employees and customers are. The truth is that AIDS is not yet under control in developing parts of the world. These are the same places many multinational coporations set up production facilities as well as seek new customers. Under Gautam Kaul's advisement at the Ross School of Business, I've been working on a case study for classroom use that highlights the challenges and options faced by such multinationals. It's a multi-pronged issue with an wide variety of options. Evaluating the short and long term effects on a multitude of stakeholders is essential. The picture shares the UN Building in NYC lit up with an AIDS ribbon in 2001.

Why Ross?

Searching out the business school that best fits with your personal goals and interest areas is not an easy task. Should you strictly go by the rankings you'll miss valuable insight that can make or break an experience. I spent countless hours investigating many schools from many angles. For me it boiled down to the shared ambitions, personalities, intellectual power, and pure stamina of the people I would call on for the rest of my career. I found like minds and simlar values at Ross. For me, success is far more than improving shareholder value. In fact, that is the least noble of all goals. Instead I sought a group of people driven to shift the tide. I do believe in the noble cause of business and that society and industry may be changed by the actions or inactions of business. It is balancing a multiple bottom line that includes value to society, the environment, shareholders, and industry. Governments and NGOs may also shift the tide--I'm most comfortable in business, it just seems to have broader focus and faster momentum. The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan has provided me with a rich experience to both challenge and support such grand notions. I'm wealthier already. Why should Ross be the best school for anyone else? Well, it's not. For some, such goals come further down the list. For others, a piece of that puzzle needs a different balance. The opportunities to create real and lasting change for real organizations is rare. The numerous opportunities to lead and be led in a multitude of topic areas is rare. The genuine challenge of exceptional classroom diversity of thought is rare. The culmination of a humble, yet intellectual and highly ambitious network of colleagues I will call on for the rest of my career is literally unmatched. Go blue.

IBM Exec Challenges B-School Students

IBM's SVP of Marketing and Strategy, Bruce Harreld, opened the Ross FuturTech conference Thursday evening through an overview of the challenges faced by IBM in maintaining its industry leadership position across several breakthrough technologies. What is the next big thing? The audience quickly agreed that Biotech is the next paradigm shifting age. We're almost there and our challenge is broader and deeper than the information age or the industrial age or any age before it. On a personal level, Bruce challenged the students to infuse their futures with a healthy shot of innovation. To create a culture that is constantly thristy for change.

Ross uses real student case work to develop class simulations

In Spring 2005 I was excited to be on Professor Michael Gordon's IMAP team to explore market-based mechanisms to build sustainable business models of reaching the very poor in Tanzania with a vital resource. That resource was a newly developed mosquito bed net to prevent the spread of Malaria called the Olyset. Prof Gordon was enthusiastic about turning our project into a valuable learning tool for the classroom and developed an online simulation exercise for our class in sustainable enterprise for Fall 2005.