Wharton 125 Events

Economic Summit Faculty Podcasts Available
Specially produced Knowledge@Wharton podcasts are now available, featuring faculty who will be part of the Wharton Economic Summit, held April 12-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The podcasts include: Professor Kenneth Shropshire on "The Legacy of Sugar Ray Robinson: Boxer, Celebrity and Businessman;" Professor Jeremy Siegel on "Stocks Will Continue Their Upward Trend;" and Professor Peter Fader on "Sirius and XM: Can Two Archrivals Sing the Same Tune?" At the Summit, industry leaders, innovators, and financial market gurus will discuss key economic issues and challenges to watch in 2007. There is a special discounted registration fee of $95.00 for Wharton faculty and staff. view the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit full schedule

New M&E Initiative to Host Panel at Economic Summit
Wharton's new Media and Entertainment Initiative (WMEI), created to bring cutting-edge business research to media and entertainment businesses, will feature a panel discussion at the upcoming Economic Summit. Prof. Peter Fader, the founder and faculty director of the WMEI, will lead three panels: a two-part session called "Wall Street Meets Hollywood: Investing in Media and Entertainment Ventures" and a session on "Building Communities Around Content," co-chaired with assistant professor Kevin Werbach. Other panel topics at the summit will include executive compensation, global outsourcing, international human rights, hedge funds, and leadership in sports and media ventures. read feature

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

School News

Lakshmi N. Mittal, President and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, and Dean Harker to Keynote MBA Commencements
Lakshmi N. Mittal, president and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, will be the featured speaker at the East Coast MBA commencement on May 13 in Philadelphia. On May 6, Wharton will hold its fifth West Coast MBA commencement ceremony at Wharton West in San Francisco. This year's West Coast commencement speaker will be Dean Patrick Harker. This will be Dean Harker's final commencement at Wharton West, a program which he created with alumni as the first extension of Wharton's degree-granting programs beyond the School's Philadelphia home campus. read news release

Penn Law and Wharton to Host Professional Women from the Middle East
Wharton, Penn Law School, and the National Council for International Visitors are working with America-Mideast Educational and Training Services to implement the Legal and Business Fellowship Program (LBFP), which is funded by the U.S Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative. The LBFP will bring 41 young female leaders in business and law to Penn's campus, from March 18 through April 13, for a four-week executive education program at either Wharton or Penn Law, depending on each woman's professional experience. read news release

Ideas in Action Initiative Focuses on Teenage Obesity
Professor Americus Reed II has teamed up with Dr. Calvin B. Johnson, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, and Samuel Botts, WG'02, owner of VIGORworks Fitness Center in Philadelphia, to develop a youth obesity prevention program called "The Youth Challenge." Undergraduates in Prof. Reed's "Consumer Behavior" course in Wharton's Marketing department are researching teenage obesity and learning psychology and research methods related to this social policy issue. Students are designing anti-obesity marketing campaigns, executing their campaigns at Botts' fitness facility, and will report on the results to Secretary Johnson during classroom presentations on April 16. The project is part of the University of Pennsylvania's "Ideas in Action" Initiative. Ideas in Action website ; Ideas in Action course info.

Update on INSEAD Alliance MBA Exchange and New Faculty Book
Since the launch of Wharton's Alliance with INSEAD in 2001, nearly 700 MBA students have participated in the Alliance's MBA Exchange, and last year, for the first time, equal numbers of Wharton students went to INSEAD's Fontainebleau and Singapore campuses. The Alliance has stimulated a number of joint efforts between the faculties of the two schools, the latest being a book on "Doing Business in China," edited by Wharton's Marshall Meyer and INSEAD's Gordon Redding, that will be published in both English and Chinese early in 2008. read more

Undergraduates Span the World to Study Abroad
Wharton undergraduates will once again span the globe to study abroad this coming fall semester. With 110 students applying, Europe remains the most popular continent (59%), with Asia (17%) and Australia (17%) tied for second. Central and South America (5%) are becoming more popular, especially the exchange program in Argentina. Africa represents 2% of the applicant pool. read more about the Wharton Undergrad Study Abroad Program

Amden Founder Joins WEP Alumni Chat
Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs is hosting an online chat on April 6 at 11:30 a.m. with Dr. Ron Murayama, WG'03. A dentist by training, Murayama is known for developing the first OTC cosmetic bleaching system for teeth, which is now part of the Smithsonian collection. His current product line includes the Cybersonic sonic oral-care system. A past recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, he was also among the graduates of the inaugural class of Wharton West. signup for the WEP Alumni Chat

Start-Up Night Provides an Alternative to Traditional Campus Recruiting
Firms including PA Early Stage, BEV Capital Partners, and Comcast Interactive Capital Group presented internship opportunities at their early-stage portfolio companies to entrepreneurial-minded Wharton students -- both undergrads and MBAs -- at the second annual Start-Up Night on March 28. The event is among the offerings of Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs that give students an alternative to traditional campus recruiting. At Start-Up Night, student "ambassadors" provided insight into their experiences at early-stage firms last summer, while a panel of VC partners gave detailed descriptions of open positions. Start-Up Night complements WEP's Entrepreneurial Intern Fellowship, in which selected students who have secured internships at early-stage companies receive cash awards. read more about Start-Up Night

Undergraduate Cohorts Care Projects Help Community
Wharton Undergraduate Cohorts partnered with Rebuilding Together of Philadelphia to improve a West Philadelphia neighborhood on March 24. The group donated their time to paint houses and clean up outside areas as part of an ongoing Rebuilding Together of Philadelphia project to help a local community. On March 30, the nine Wharton Undergraduate Cohorts participated on teams in the Relay for Life event on Franklin Field to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Venture Finals to be Held for Wharton Business Plan Competition
The Great Eight finalists selected by the Wharton Business Plan Competition will vie for up to $70,000 in prizes at the annual Venture Finals on April 24. The activities begin at 1:00 p.m., when student teams will present their business plans to such judges as Jim Lussier, W'78, general partner, Norwest Venture Partners; David A. Piacquad, WG'84, senior vice president, business development, Schering-Plough Corporation; and Richard Thompson, WG'96, chairman & chief product officer, Adify. A reception and awards ceremony, attended by business and entrepreneurial leaders as well as past Wharton BPC winners, will round out the festivities. read more about the Wharton Business Plan Competition

Executive Education Program for FirstCaribbean International Bank Launched
Wharton launched a new executive education program for senior leaders of FirstCaribbean International Bank, the largest regionally listed bank in the English-speaking Caribbean. The first cohort of 20 executives from FirstCaribbean's senior leadership and executive leadership teams came to Wharton's campus for The FirstCaribbean Leadership Program in November and January. They will return for sessions in May and August as part of the 18-month program. read more

Recognition

Jean-Pierre Rosso Appointed Chair of the Lauder Institute Board of Governors
The Lauder Institute has named Jean-Pierre Rosso, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, USA, as chairman of the Lauder Institute's Board of Governors. Rosso joined the Lauder Institute's Board of Governors in 2001. read news release

Wharton Undergraduate to Present at World Business Dialogue
Wharton undergraduate Geoffrey See has been published in the Harvard Business Manager for his work on a healthcare project, EduHealth, and will be one of three student presenters at the 11th World Business Dialogue. His contribution was named the best essay for the topic "Changing Society - Civilizing the City." read more about World Business Dialogue (pdf)

Wharton West MBA Team to Go to L'Oreal eStrat Challenge Finals
A team of Wharton West MBA students has made it to the top eight MBA teams out of the thousands that entered the L'Oreal eStrat Challenge, a global online business game competition. The students -- Loren Simon, Xiaoying (Alice) Zhang, and Bolaji Olutade -- will proceed to the international finals in Paris. read more

AMP Microsite Wins Gold ADDY Award
The Wharton Executive Education Advanced Management Program's "AMP Nine Stories" microsite won a gold ADDY award for "Best Microsite" from the Philadelphia Ad Club. The ADDY Awards competition is the industry's largest and most representative competition for creative excellence. Sponsored by the American Advertising Federation, the awards are designed to honor advertising excellence and cultivate the highest standards in the industry. The local winners are advanced to 14 competitions regionally. Winners of the District competition advance to the National competition. visit website

Undergraduate Named Winner of Goldman Sachs Competition
Undergraduate Ravi Naresh was selected as one of the winners of the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program competition. He will attend a ceremony in April, where the Goldman Sachs Foundation will announce which students will advance to their summer institute. The competition identifies and rewards the academic excellence and leadership potential of the most accomplished second-year students from all disciplines for the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program. read more

Knowledge@Wharton

Perk Place: The Benefits Offered by Google and Others May Be Grand, but They're All Business
Free gourmet food, 24-hour gym, yoga classes, in-house doctor, on-site haircuts, dry cleaner, nutritionist, swimming pool ....These are just some of the perks Google -- and many other organizations -- offer employees. read more

Building a Modern Economy: How the 'Dubai CEO's' Big Bet Is Paying Off, for Now
The announcement that Halliburton, the Houston, Tex.-based oil services company, was moving its headquarters to Dubai may have surprised many Americans. read more

Verizon's High-Speed Network: If They Build It, Will You Come?
Verizon is betting billions of dollars on a new fiber-optic network that could transform it from a telephone company to a cutting-edge technology player. read more

Wharton School Publishing

Coming Soon: New Book from Wharton School Publishing
Selling Blue Elephants: How to Make Great Products That People Want BEFORE They Even Know They Want Them written by by Howard Moskowitz and Alex Gofman.

In Selling Blue Elephants, RDE's creators reveal how to systematically design, test, and modify alternative ideas, packages, products, and services, to discover offerings that customers will be passionate about...even if they can't articulate the need, much less the solution. Discover the seven easy steps that take you from cluelessness to clarity in just days... sometimes even hours. Watch RDE succeeding in companies ranging from Hewlett-Packard to Campbell's, MasterCard to Maxwell House... and learn how to get the same outstanding results yourself, one step at a time.

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

CNBC
February 5, 2007 — Michael Useem, The William and Jacalyn Egan Professor; Professor of Management, was interviewed on "Street Signs" for a story on CEO performance.

NBC News: Today
February 8, 2007 — Stephen Hoch, Patty and Jay H. Baker Professor; Professor of Marketing, was interviewed for a story about Costco.

NPR: News and Notes
February 8, 2007 — Bernard Anderson, Whitney Young Term Professor; Practice Professor of Management, was interviewed regarding the recent dip in the unemployment rate for African-Americans.

The New York Times
February 10, 2007 — Joel Waldfogel, Joel S. Ehrenkranz Family Professor; Professor of Business and Public Policy, was quoted in a story on gift-giving. His paper, "The Deadweight Loss of Christmas," was also cited.

The Wall Street Jounral
February 13, 2007 — Research about failed mergers by Pavel Savor, Assistant Professor of Finance, was highlighted in an article about the "least-worst" options from which CEOs must sometimes choose.

NPR
February 28, 2007 — Barbara Kahn, Dorothy Silberberg Professor; Professor of Marketing, was interviewed on "Morning Edition" for a story about Toyota and the site selected for its new assembly plant.

Alumni in the News

Connie Duckworth, WG'79, was featured in an article about her involvement with Arzu Inc., a nonprofit company she founded after returning from Afghanistan in 2003 as a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. (Houston Chronicle, 2/3/07); Andy Turner, PHD'81, was featured in an article about his appointment as dean of the Pacific Lutheran University Business School. (The News Tribune, 2/4/07); Steve Woda, WG'01, was featured in an article about his company BuySafe Inc., an online shopping security firm. (The Washington Times, 2/5/07); Tarun Tahiliani, W'84, who designs clothing under his Tarun Tahiliani label, was featured in an article about his work in the Indian fashion industry. (Business Standard, 2/13/07); Thomas Curran, WM'68, president and chief investment officer of Curran Investments, was featured in an article about his induction into Research Magazine's 2006 Advisor Hall of Fame. (Times Union, 2/14/07); James Tisch, WG'76, was featured in an article about his role as CEO of the Loews Corporation. (Forbes Magazine, 2/26/07); and Karen Finerman, W'87, president of Metropolitan Capital Advisors, was interviewed about hedge fund strategies. (CNBC, Fast Money, 2/27/07).

Note to readers: The Wharton Update Newsletter will not be published in May, June, or July. It will resume its regular schedule at the end of the summer.

If you have news or events you'd like considered for inclusion in the e-newsletter, please e-mail editor@wharton.upenn.edu.

2007 Wharton Economic Summit
April 12-13, 2007