School News

Knowledge@Wharton Announces Launch of Chinese Version
Knowledge@Wharton, the online research and business analysis journal of the Wharton School, has launched a Chinese version of its website, called China Knowledge@Wharton. The new site, published in Chinese from Shanghai, will enable Knowledge@Wharton to reach management leaders in Chinese-reading populations worldwide. It will provide articles and research papers from existing Knowledge@Wharton content, as well as articles created exclusively for the new version. Prior to the launch, Knowledge@Wharton had 450,000 readers in 189 countries. read news release about China Knowledge@Wharton
NFL Players to Attend Wharton Executive Education Program
The National Football League and NFL Players Association have signed agreements with the Wharton School and Harvard Business School to provide business education to NFL players. This program is part of an ongoing NFL-NFLPA initiative to help players prepare for their post-playing careers. The Wharton Sports Business Initiative and Wharton Executive Education will develop a combination classroom and field-based workshop, focused on personal investments and entrepreneurial opportunities for players transitioning from their football careers. read news release
MBA Alumnus Caleel Named Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid
Following an extensive search, alumnus Thomas Caleel, WG'03, was appointed director of Wharton MBA Admissions and Financial Aid. Caleel has a wide range of experience as an entrepreneur, venture financier, and chief executive, especially in international markets. His background includes managing international development for a retail start-up; building private equity transactions across the former Soviet Republics; and raising public and private funds across the energy, recycling, and life sciences sectors. read news release
New Books from Wharton School Publishing
With two new titles, Wharton School Publishing continues to extend its brand and get great reviews. Capitalism at the Crossroads: The Unlimited Business Opportunities in Solving the World's Most Difficult Problems, by Stuart Hart, shows companies how to identify sustainable products that can drive growth and help solve social problems. SCORE!: A Better Way to Do Busine$$: Moving from Conflict to Collaboration, by Thomas Stallkamp, reveals how the author helped transform Chrysler into the most profitable company in its industry. visit the Wharton School Publishing website
Students4Students Visits South Africa
Students4Students — founded in 2004 by MBA students Sarah Ryerson, Rush McCloy, and Travis Nieman — includes students and alumni from Wharton, Harvard Business School, and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business who invest in sustainable education initiatives to improve lives and communities around the developing world. A team of 26 students from the organization traveled to South Africa at the end of March to visit the work of the Ubuntu Education Fund — their first implementing partner. Students visited schools, participated in community projects in the townships surrounding Port Elizabeth, and ended their visit by running in the Cape Town Two Oceans Ultra Marathon to raise awareness of their work. They now plan a May 12 fundraiser in New York City. read more about Students4Students
Global Consulting Practicum Sends Students to Rainforest
In January, six students traveled to the rainforests of Peru's Palcazu Valley as part of the Global Consulting Practicum. Consulting for the Lima-based Partnerships and Technology for Sustainability (PaTS), the students worked with indigenous families to build a sustainable lifestyle in the forest. The students will present their project to PaTS in May. read feature
Alumni Return to Campus for Undergrad Colloquia
On March 18, Wharton undergrads had an opportunity to learn about nontraditional business areas and network with alumni and faculty. These unique sessions, called the Wharton Colloquia, are led by Wharton alumni and are open only to Wharton students. Topics at this year's event included breaking into real estate, the importance of taxes, and becoming a CEO before you are 40.
New Leadership Initiative Offered
Wharton has announced a new initiative in leadership development, in which MBA students identify the leadership skills they want to develop and Wharton offers individualized coaching and mentoring to meet those needs. This joint effort of the Leadership Program, the Vice Dean's Office, and the Wharton Communication Program started this year as a 50-student pilot. Five main elements of the program are: leadership assessment, leadership coaching from professional coaches, communication workshops on how leaders inspire through communication, alumni mentoring, and experiential opportunities.
Wharton Business Plan Competition Announces Venture Finals
Judges
The Wharton Business Plan Competition has announced the judges to whom student finalist teams will make presentations at the Venture Finals on April 26. For the first time, the event will feature an Entrepreneurial Showcase with displays that highlight the activities of past Wharton BPC grand prize winners. It will also include past and present participants in other Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs activities, such as the Wharton Venture Initiation Program. The Venture Finals judges are: Josh Kopelman, W'93, managing director of First Round Capital; Clark Callander, WG'86, managing director of Perseus Group, LLC; Connie Duckworth, WG'79, president and chairman of Arzu, Inc.; Jan L. Garfinkle, WG'84, managing partner and founder of Arboretum Ventures; David A. Piacquad, WG'84, vice president of business ventures and development at Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation; and Daniel L. Skaff, WG'87, managing partner of Sienna Ventures. visit website
Heard on Campus
A number of executives came to Wharton in March to discuss business and leadership, including:
March 1 -  Jeff Himmel, W'75, Chairman/CEO, Himmel Group
March 14 - Dennis Bakke, Founder and Former CEO, AES Corporation
March 15 - Rick Helfenbein, W'70, President, USA, Luen Thai International Group (Hong Kong)
March 15 - Honorable Eyitayo Lambo, Minister of Health, Nigeria
March 17 - Ken Chenault, CEO, American Express
March 22 - Omar Amanat, Founder, CyberTrader & Tradescape
March 24 - Patricia Sellers, Editor at Large, Fortune Magazine
March 29 - Iqbal Quadir, WG'88, Founder, GrameenPhone

Prof. Anderson Appointed to Gaming Advisory Task Force
Professor Bernard E. Anderson was appointed co-chairman of the Gaming Advisory Task Force, a group that will advise Philadelphia Mayor John Street on the best locations in the city for two slot machine parlors, as well as assess gaming's potential impact. He will head the committee that studies the potential economic impact.
Prizes Awarded to Undergrads with Secondary Concentration in Entrepreneurship
Each year, Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs awards the Loveman Award to the Wharton undergraduates graduating with a Secondary Concentration in Entrepreneurship who have the highest GPAs. This year's Loveman Award winners are Luke Iseman and Nita Prasad. read more

Catastrophe Modeling: A New Approach to Managing Risk
Before Hurricane Hugo swept through Georgia and North and South Carolina in 1989, the insurance industry in the U.S. had never suffered a loss of more than $1 billion from a single disaster. read more

Blogs, Everyone? Weblogs Are Here to Stay, but Where Are They Headed?
Recently, blogs have been credited with everything from CBS News anchorman Dan Rather's departure, to unauthorized previews of the latest Apple Computer products, to new transparency in presidential campaigns. read more

How Investor Relations (IR) Firms Can Boost the Market Prospects of Small Companies
When executives of Astronics Corp., a Buffalo, N.Y., company that provides specialized lighting for civilian and military airplanes, were preparing to spin off a printing and packaging division in early 2003, they almost overlooked a key player -- the company's biggest institutional investor, mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments. read more

Global Agenda
2005 — Dean Patrick Harker authored an article on business ethics titled "Cheating: the new epidemic" in Global Agenda, published in conjunction with the Davos Economic Forum.

The New York Times
February 3, 2005 — Susan Wachter, Richard B. Worley Professor of Financial Management; Professor of Real Estate, Finance and City and Regional Planning, and Joseph Gyourko, Martin Bucksbaum Professor of Real Estate and Finance, were quoted in an article about current trends in the condominium market.

National Public Radio
February 6, 2005 — Brigitte Madrian, Boettner Associate Professor in Financial Gerontology; Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy, was interviewed about retirement investment choices.

Nightly Business Report
February 10, 2005 — Peter Fader, Frances and Pei-Yuan Chia Professor; Professor of Marketing, was interviewed about challenges facing the music industry.

Newsweek
February 14, 2005 — Howard Pack, Professor of Business and Public Policy, Economics, and Management, was quoted in an article about how Iran's Parliament reform will affect oil prices.

The Wall Street Journal
February 24, 2005 — Kevin Werbach, assistant professor of legal studies, was quoted in an article about mergers in the telecommunications industry.

Peter Haabestad, WG'02, director of investment banking at Boenning & Scattergood, Inc., received a "40 Under 40" award. (Philadelphia Business Journal, 3/3/05); Kevin Walker, WG'02, president & COO of American Electric Power in Ohio, was featured as one of the top African-Americans in corporate America. (Black Enterprise Magazine, 2/1/04); Quan Li, WG'89, was featured in an article about her work in reintroducing zoo-bred South China tigers into their native habitat. (South China Morning Post, 2/3/05); James J. Pohlman, WG'74, has been appointed vice president of corporate strategic initiatives at Wyeth Laboratories. (Associated Press, 2/4/05); Noreena Hertz, WG'91, authored The Debt Threat: How Debt Is Destroying the Developing World, on the legacy of international borrowing. (Financial Review, 2/11/05); Barry Beracha, WG'65, was written up for his work on revamping St. Louis' Lambert Field Airport. (St Louis Post-Dispatch, 2/11/05).

Musser-Schoemaker Leadership Lecture: Gary Rodkin, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo Beverages and Food
(April 5)

Wharton Impact Conference: Budget Accounting for Fiscal Sanity
(April 6)

Wharton Leadership Lecture: Lew Platt, Retired Chairman, President & CEO, Hewlett-Packard
(April 7)

Musser-Schoemaker Leadership Lecture: Ian and Shep Murray, Co-founders, Vineyard Vines
(April 13)

Wharton Impact Conference: International Financial Integration
(April 22)

Wharton Impact Conference: The Evolution of Risk & Reward Sharing in Retirement
(April 25-26)

Wharton Impact Conference: Turning Pro Young? The Business of Early Entry Into Professional Sports
(April 28-29 - by invitation)