Wharton 125 Events

Dean Harker on Joseph Wharton's Vision for Business Schools
In a recent column, Dean Patrick Harker argues for the continuing relevance of Joseph Wharton's original vision of business school education as "not just about making money." Written on the occasion of the School's 125th anniversary as the world's first collegiate business school, the essay appears in the March newsletter of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the international accrediting body for business schools. To read the full text, visit the AACSB website

Faculty Continue Alumni Tours across North America
Faculty continue to meet with alumni on their tours across North America to celebrate the School's 125th anniversary. In April, Professor Peter Linneman spoke in Charlotte and Professor Michael Useem spoke in Chicago. This month, Professor George Day heads to Minneapolis, Professor Olivia Mitchell will speak in Washington, D.C., Professor Kenneth Shropshire will visit alumni in New York City, and Undergraduate Division Vice Dean Barbara Kahn will speak at Wharton West in San Francisco. See photographs of events online

Leadership Conference Marks 10th Anniversary: June 13
The Leadership Conference on June 13 will bring to campus speakers such as David Pottruck, CEO of Red Eagle Ventures; Helen Greiner, co-founder and board chair of iRobot; Peter M. Dawkins, vice chairman of Citigroup Private Bank; and Jim Collins, author of the bestseller Good to Great. The conference -- a 10-year tradition and a Wharton 125 event -- is devoted to exchanging ideas about how managers can lead with resilience and come back from challenge and adversity. read more about the Leadership Conference

First Global Alumni Forum in Istanbul to be Held June 8-9
The first Global Alumni Forum in the Republic of Turkey will be held on June 8-9 in Istanbul. The forum -- part of the School’s 125th anniversary celebration -- will feature speakers such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister of the Republic of Turkey; Fuad Sinora, prime minister of the Republic of Lebanon; and Wharton alumnus Todd S. Thomson, chairman and CEO of Global Wealth Management, Citigroup, Inc. Wharton faculty attending the event include Dean Patrick Harker, George Day, Bülent Gültekin, Stephen Kobrin, Daniel Raff, and Bilge Yilmaz. read more about the Global Alumni Forum in Istanbul

For more 125th events and information, visit the Wharton 125 website.

School News

Executive Education Launches New Program in China
Wharton continues to deepen its relationships in China with a new Executive Education program for China Minsheng Banking Corporation. The program will be taught in Shanghai by Wharton faculty. The program also includes a strategic agreement to work together to promote the Chinese edition of Knowledge@Wharton, Minsheng human resource development, and Wharton faculty research and consulting. read news release

BPC Winners Announced
Student team, MuscleMorph, whose technologically advanced motor is lighter, higher performing and more cost efficient than any currently offered, won the $20,000 grand prize of the Wharton Business Plan Competition. The prize was awarded at the Wharton School’s annual Venture Finals April 25 where student finalists received a total of $70,000 in combined cash prizes, access to capital and in-kind legal/accounting services. read news release

WEP Online Alumni Chat Returns
Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs will present an alumni online chat June 9 at 11:30 a.m. featuring Gregg Spiridellis, WG'99, co-founder of online animation studio JibJab. Hundreds of students and alumni registered for WEP's inaugural chat with Shopzilla co-founder Farhad Mohit. A transcript and registration for the June 9 session are available on the WEP Web site. read more

Heard on Campus
Executive speakers who came to Wharton in April to discuss business and leadership included:

April 1   — Derek Ferguson, W'85, CFO of Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group
April 3   — Mitchell Modell, CEO of Modell's Sporting Goods
April 3   — Eirah Gorre-Dale, special representative of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) to the United Nations
April 3   — Dr. R. K. Raghavan, former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, India, and current advisor to TATA Consultancy Services
April 4   — Mike Hagan, chairman/CEO of NutriSystem
April 4   — George Jankovic, president/COO of NutriSystem
April 5   — Frank D'Amelio, CFO of Lucent
April 13 — Walter Robb, president and COO of Whole Foods
April 13 — Dr. Jeff McCausland, colonel, US Army (ret.), fmr. dean, U.S. Army War College, and CBS News military consultant

Recognition

Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs Holds First Annual Recognition Breakfast
Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs recently held its first-ever Recognition Breakfast for Wharton undergraduate, MBA and PhD students who have shown a commitment to entrepreneurship at Wharton. In addition, Prof. Raffi Amit recognized WEP Senior Fellow Steve Sammut, WG'84, for his many years of service to the school as a lecturer and student advisor. read more

Knowledge@Wharton

The Coffee Wars Heat Up: New Strategies to Jolt the Caffeine-Conscious Consumer
Warren Buffett once called the cigarette the perfect product: "It costs a penny to make. Sell it for a dollar. It's addictive." Much the same could be said about coffee today. read more

The Ins and Outs of Buyouts: Should Companies Offer Them? Should Employees Accept Them?
When General Motors last month offered buyouts and early retirement packages to 113,000 hourly workers, the move focused new attention on a key aspect of the continually evolving relationship between employers and employees. read more

How the Offer of 'Free Shipping' Affects On-line Shopping
The phrase "free shipping" is like a siren song to many who shop on the Internet. read more

Wharton School Publishing

New Book Released: Lars Kolind on The Second Cycle.
The Second Cycle: Winning the War Against Bureaucracy by Lars Kolind helps readers uncover the earliest signs of trouble--and reignite a powerful new growth cycle. Drawing upon his own experience as the CEO who turned around Oticon, the world's top manufacturer of hearing aids, Kolind introduces a comprehensive toolbox for revitalizing mature organizations.

Also of note, WSP's critically acclaimed The Enthusiastic Employee by Michael Irwin Meltzer, Louis A. Mischkind, and David Sirota, was chosen by Library Journal as one of its Best Business Books for 2005.

Wharton faculty and staff can take advantage of expanded benefits, including discounts and free domestic shipping. Those who register to become a member can get free access to audio summaries, author interviews and other valuable member only content. Visit www.whartonsp.com/facstaff to register and access benefits. All WSP books also are available at the Penn Bookstore.

For more, visit the Wharton School Publishing website.

Wharton in the News

Associated Press
March 12, 2006 — Dean Patrick T. Harker was featured in an article about business education and the School's 125th anniversary. (Similar articles appeared in more than 60 other outlets, including: The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe) read AP article

Newsweek
March 20, 2006 — Jehoshua Eliashberg, Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing; Professor of Operations and Information Management, was featured in an article about the decision-making process when consumers purchase DVDs.

NBC Nightly News
March 20, 2006 — Olivia Mitchell, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor; Professor of Insurance and Risk Management and Business and Public Policy, was interviewed about pension strategies.

Financial Times
March 21, 2006 — Justin Wolfers, assistant professor of business and public policy, was quoted in an article about probability and predictions in the gambling industry.

New York Times
March 21, 2006 — Michael Useem, The William and Jacalyn Egan Professor; Professor of Management, was quoted in an article about management and bankruptcy issues involving the automobile industry.

Radio Free Europe
March 30, 2006 — Thomas Dunfee, Joseph Kolodny Professor of Social Responsibility in Business; Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, was interviewed about ethics in international business transactions.

Alumni in the News

Robert A. Katz, W'88, CEO of Vail Resorts, was featured in an article about the ski resort business in Vail. (Denver Post, 3/1/06); Rolando Atienza, WG'68, was featured in an article about his career as head of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. (Manila Bulletin, 3/1/06); Joel Greenblatt, W'79, WG'80, author of The Little Book That Beats the Market, was featured in an article about hedge funds and the general investment industry. (Registered Rep., 3/1/06); Vikram Chatwal, W'74, was featured in an article about his acting career and his family's hotel business. (International Herald Tribune, 3/2/06); Leslie Morgan Steiner, WG'92, author of Mommy Wars, was featured in an article about choices women make when faced with career challenges and motherhood. (NBC News: Today, 3/13/06); and Kenneth Fink, W'04, was interviewed about his entertainment company, Wondergy, which will be on tour in India presenting science shows for children. (Fox29 News, 3/29/06).

Faculty Tour: Minneapolis
May 1, 2006
George Day, Competitive Marketing Strategies.

Faculty Tour: Washington, D.C.
May 2, 2006
Olivia Mitchell, The Future of Retirement.

Faculty Tour: New York
May 3, 2006
Kenneth Shropshire, Business Negotiation Lessons from the Sports World.

Faculty Tour: San Francisco/Wharton West
May 8, 2006
Barbara Kahn, New Ideas in Branding Strategies.

Alumni Reunion Weekend
May 11-14, 2006

Featured Event
10th Annual Wharton Leadership Conference
(June 13, 2006)