Constant Hall News

August 2005


Message From the Dean

Dr. Nancy Bagranoff

Greetings! Here we are again in the middle of summer. Although there aren't quite the numbers of students on campus that we have at other times of the year, we are still busy as ever. As one of our chairs put it – what you do during the summer determines how the rest of the year will go. This is quite true. During the summer, college administrators assess the prior year and plan for the coming one.

This summer we invited two guests to campus to help us with that activity. Homer Erekson, Dean of the Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri – Kansas City , and Bob Keith, Chair of the Department of Accounting at University of South Florida , were invited as outside consultants to assess our readiness for our next accreditation visit. Their task was to help us do a comprehensive review of our planning, assessment processes, programs, and resources. They provided us with reports that set the agenda for us for the next two years.

As part of our assessment and planning, we collect a lot of data during the summer relative to our strategic plan. My State of the College Address on August 23 will use that data to show how we are addressing each of our goals. One such goal is to increase our research productivity and quality. This summer we put together a report for the first time that lists each faculty member's accomplishments during the past year with respect to journal publications, books authored, presentations, and so on. The report for 2004-2005 was more than 20 pages! In addition, two recent journal acceptances from faculty in the college demonstrate the high quality of our research. Ling Li had a journal article accepted at the Journal of Operations Management and a paper on market liberalization and firm performance co-authored by Dr. Shaomin Li has been accepted by the Journal of International Business Studies .

Another area for which we collected data this summer concerns the international aspect of our curriculum. After looking at some of the experiences of the faculty that they share in the classroom relative to various country customs and cultures, I can only conclude that we must have the most traveled faculty anywhere. For example, this summer Anusorn Singhapakdi visited Thailand , Shaomin Li went to Korea , Paul Champagne toured Ireland , Ali Ardalan was in Greece , Anil Nair went to India , John Ford has been in England , Chris Colburn is currently at a conference at Oxford University , and I went to Italy !

As always, I hope you will enjoy the Constant Hall News !

  Connie Merriman, Assistant to the Dean, has taken over as publisher.  If you have anything to contribute for a future issue, please contact her (683-6548) or send your news to constantnews@odu.edu. 

 

Faculty News

Shaomin Li is Guest Professor at Yonsei University

Dr. Shaomin Li is spending the majority of his summer teaching at Yonsei University in Seoul , Korea . His courses include management and “doing business in Asia .” More than 500 international students participate in the three-month program, which will conclude in late August.

Singhapakdi Among 15 Most Cited Authors in Top Management Journal

According to a recent editorial piece in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (JAMS), an article by marketing professor Anusorn Singhapakdi (with S.J. Vitell and G.R. Franke) is among the most influential articles published by JAMS from 1998 to 2004.

The article, “Antecedents, Consequences, and Mediating Effects of Perceived Moral Intensity and Personal Moral Philosophies,” published in the Winter 1999 issue, was among the 15 most cited articles in the seven-year period, as indicated by the Social Sciences Citation Index.

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Staff News

Jennifer Usis is New Assistant Director for Undergraduate Advising

Jennifer Usis has joined the CBPA staff as Academic Advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Advising.

A graduate of Old Dominion University , Jennifer received a bachelor's degree in International Business, with a dual focus in Europe and Latin America and minors in Geography and Psychology. She is currently working towards a Master's degree in Higher Education and expects to graduate in 2006.

In addition to being a student at ODU, Jennifer has worked at the University in several capacities, including a Resident Assistant (RA) and Assistant Area Coordinator for Gresham and Whitehurst Hall and Powhatan Apartments. She also worked for the Office of Admissions as a tour guide and Special Tours Coordinator, was a Peer Mentor and Peer Advisor for the College of Arts and Letters, and taught two undergraduate courses.

Jennifer's first months with us have been extremely busy, as she has been assisting incoming students attending summer Previews.

Welcome, Jennifer!

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Upcoming Events

Landmark Executive-in-Residence 2005-2006 Speaker Series

The 2005-2006 Landmark Executive-in-Residence Speaker Series will offer four outstanding speakers:

  • Bethany McLean (September 12, 2005), senior writer for Fortune magazine and co-author of the book The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron.
  • Jack L. Ezzell Jr. (November 1, 2005), President and Chief Executive Officer of Zel Technologies, LLC (ZelTech), headquartered in Hampton , Va.
  • Richard Cole (February 7, 2006), CEO and chairman of Geeks on Call America Inc., a mobile on-site computer solutions and repair company with 300 franchises throughout the United States.
  • Luke Hillier (March 14, 2006), founder and CEO of Mythics Inc., the largest Oracle software reseller in the United States, headquartered in Virginia Beach.

The luncheon presentations are open to University students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public as space permits. All presentations are held at 12:30 p.m. in Room 1002, Constant Hall.

Economics Club of Hampton Roads Speaker Schedule for 2005/2006

The Economics Club of Hampton Roads has announced the speaker schedule for 2005/2006. All programs are held at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside at 235 East Main Street , Norfolk . All programs are from 12 noon – 1:30 p.m. unless noted.

  • September 28, 2005: Larry Hereth , Rear Admiral , U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District. His 32-year Coast Guard career has included international assignments, as well as several throughout the United States with multiple tours at east coast, gulf coast, and west coast ports. Rear Admiral Hereth's assignments included serving as Director of Port Security, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C., where he led the development and implementation of a new maritime security regime for vessels, facilities and ports throughout the U.S. Additionally, he was Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Office, San Francisco Bay, where he was responsible for 1900 miles of coastline and inland waterways in the northern sector of California. (Co-sponsored by the Hampton Roads Council Navy League.)
  • October 12, 2005: Glen Ayres , President the Family Firm Institute; a founder the Family Business Alliance; a practicing attorney for over thirty years; a consultant to families, executive teams and businesses on family business succession, change management, and governance for more than 20 years; and adjunct faculty member and founding member the Center for Family Enterprise, University of St. Thomas. Recent presentations include the Family Business Center , Wake Forest University ; Family Wealth Management Institute NYU.
  • November 16, 2005: Laurence Kotlikoff, Economics Professor, Boston University ; Research Associate at National Bureau of Economic Research. His most recent book: The Coming Generational Storm: What you need to know about America 's Economic Future . Professor Kotlikoff has written extensively on issues of generational accounting, deficits, tax structure, social security, Medicare, health reform, pensions, saving, insurance, and personal finance. He has been a Senior Economist – President's Council of Economic Advisers; consultant to the IMF, the World Bank, the Harvard Institute for International Development, the OECD, the U.S. Department of Education, and several international governments and corporations.
  • December 8, 2005: David Goode , Chairman, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Norfolk Southern. Mr. Goode joined Norfolk Southern Corporation in 1982 as assistant vice president for taxation after 17 years with the Norfolk and Western Railway. He was named president in 1991 and assumed the additional titles of chairman, chief executive officer and director in 1992. A graduate of Duke University , Mr. Goode received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1965.
  • January 18, 2006 (Program begins at 10:45 a.m.) Annual Economic Outlook Conference. Mark Zandi , Chief Economist and co-founder of Economy.com. He is responsible for the firm's forecasts, model development, and consulting practice. Dr. Zandi holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania . Old Dominion University Forecast Team , Professors Vinod Agarwal , Mohammad Najand and Gil Yochum , will present their regional forecast.
  • February 8, 2006: Gary Pfeiffer , Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of DuPont since 1997. He joined the company at its headquarters in Wilmington , DE in 1974. Mr. Pfeiffer has served as treasurer of DuPont do Brazil, S.A.; regional director, Asia Pacific finance; planning director, DuPont Center for Continuous Business Improvement; director of finance, DuPont Chemicals and chemicals and specialties manufacturing; and vice president and general manager, DuPont Nylon – North America. A member of the board of directors of Talbots Inc. and Quest Diagnostics Inc., Mr. Pfeiffer is a graduate of the College of William and Mary.
  • March 22, 2006: Jeffrey Bader , Director of the China Initiative and Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institute. Prior to joining Brookings, Mr. Bader had a 27-year career in the Department of State, National Security Council, and office of the United States Trade Representative. He has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Director of Asian Affairs at the NSC; and Assistant US Trade Representative for PRC, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mongolia. (Co-sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads.)
  • April 26, 2006: William Starbuck , ITT Professor of Creative Management, Stern School of Business, New York University . Topic: “How a butterfly upset an industry . . . and changed American society.” Subtitle: “The origins and development of America 's most successful corporate law firm.”

DOA 5K Race

The Department of Accounting (DOA) 7th annual 5K will run on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 2 p.m.

Last year the race was a great success, with 400 runners, volunteers and support groups participating. The annual race provides financial support to CBPA student accounting organizations and faculty professional development activities.

If you are interested in sponsoring or running in the DOA 5K, contact Randy Spurrier at 683-6312 or e-mail rspurrie@odu.edu for details.

August, September Events

In addition to the programs detailed above, the following events are scheduled for August and September:

  • President's State of the University Address, Tuesday, August 23, reception at 10 a.m., address at 10:30 a.m., MGB auditorium.
  • Dean Bagranoff's State of the College Address and Reception, Tuesday, August 23, 4-5:30 p.m. in Constant 1002.
  • University 75 th Anniversary Celebration kick-off, Thursday, September 15, 12:30 p.m. on Kaufman Mall.
  • CBPA college-wide picnic, Sunday, September 18, 4-6 p.m. at ODU's Elizabeth River Beach . (All faculty, staff, and adjuncts are invited, along with their families. (Watch for your official picnic flyer with RSVP form.)
  • President and Provost open meeting with CBPA faculty and staff, Monday, September 19 in BAL 104.

Bisk Live CPA Review

CBPA, Department of Accounting and BISK Education are offering a Bisk Live CPA Review course through December 2005. The course, designed to help CPA candidates pass the new CPA exam, will be offered on Mondays at the Norfolk Campus (Constant Hall) and on Wednesdays at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center.

Developed by Nathan M. Bisk, JD, CPA, the Review program includes a complete system of state-of-the-art study materials, including multi-media formats, interactive CD-Rom software for Windows, videotapes, text books, an Internet component, and a Live CPA Review.

For detailed information, please contact Tim McKee, Department of Accounting, at (757) 683-3577.

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Student News

MBA Program New Student Orientation

The MBA program will host a new student orientation on Friday, August 26 at 7 p.m. The program is open to current students, alumni, faculty members, and others interested in the MBA program. The University Bookstore will remain open until 7 p.m. on that evening.

USPA New and Current Students Orientation

The USPA program will host an orientation on Thursday, August 25 from 6-8 p.m. in Constant 1043. The program is open to new and current USPA students and alumni.

MBA Summer Elective Leads to Jobs for Three Students

Joel Stern, managing partner of the international consulting group Stern Stewart, returned to CBPA this summer to teach the “Theory and Policy of Modern Finance,” an elective in the MBA program. Stern Stewart is the firm responsible for EVA (economic value added) and MVA (market value added), frequently reported in Fortune and Business Week .

The course was a tremendous success not only with the students, but also for Stern Stewart, as the firm invited three students to interview at their New York City headquarters. All three students have accepted positions with the firm. In a recent e-mail, Stern noted, “ My people were very impressed with all three. ”

MPA Student Participates in Joint Forces Staff College Training Exercise

Anne Dice, a student in the Masters in Public Administration program, participated in the Joint Forces Staff College 's Joint and Combined Warfighting School 's “Complex Contingency Operations” training operation in May 2005.

The scenario, “Purple Lightening,” takes place in the African nation of Nigeria , taking the shape of a hostage, terrorist, and humanitarian situation which overwhelms the national infrastructure and threatens an enormous loss of life. Anne played the role of a NGO and press corps member that was part of a coalition task force of Nigerian, American, British, French, Italian, Dutch, Greek representatives formed to assist the Nigerian Government in restoring the basic infrastructure.

She was commended for her superior performance by Captain Brooks Boatwright, Dean of the Joint and Combined Warfighting School , who noted, “Ms. Dice exposed our students to many of the critical aspects mid-grade officers must appreciate in dealing with other interagency players during modern complex contingency operations.”

ODU Marketing Network Community Outreach Programs

The ODU Marketing Network finished up the spring semester with two community outreach events, conducted in partnership with Chick-fil-A.

At Military Circle Mall, the group hosted “ODU Basketball Fever,” featuring a game of one-on-one between ODU's Big Blue and the Chick-fil-A cow. Members of the ODU men's basketball team were on hand to sign autographs. At the conclusion of the event, the basketball hoop and several basketballs were given away in free raffles.

The second outreach program, “Spot the Cow,” involved a randomly selected Norfolk elementary school. The Chick-fil-A cow and two members of the Marketing Network visited approximately 12 pre-kindergarten through first grade classrooms at Willard Elementary School , presenting the students with bookmarks and coupons for free ice cream. Teachers and staff members received sandwich coupons in appreciation for their hard work in educating our young people.

The members of the Marketing Network, advised by Ateba Crocker, are planning additional outreach programs for the fall semester.

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Alumni, Advisors, and Friends

MBA Alumni Association Meets Monthly

The MBA Alumni Association meets for breakfast on the third Friday of each month. Each meeting is held at a different Hampton Roads location. This is a great opportunity to network with other alumni and learn more about new offerings for ODU's MBA alumni.

Location details and other information are available on line at www.odu-mba.org/alumniinfo/alumni.shtml .

Remembering David Goodman

David Goodman, retired member of the CBPA Executive Advisory Council, passed away August 8, 2005 after a courageous battle with cancer.

A native of New Jersey , Mr. Goodman received a bachelor's degree in engineering and mathematics and an MBA from Rutgers University . He worked on several strategic government projects, including the Aegis radar system and taught management courses at the Wharton School of Business and Notre Dame University.

Mr. Goodman relocated to Norfolk in 1989 to lead the consulting group within Goodman & Co. LLP. He was involved in several national organizations, including Rotary, Multiple Sclerosis Society, and several professional societies.

He is survived by his wife Irene, three children, six grandchildren, his mother, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and special friends.

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