Behrend Beacon
October 9, 2009
www.thebehrendbeacon.com
School of Business:
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, Oct. 20
7:30 p.m.
Speaker: John Moore
Event: Former Starbucks Marketer
Offers Expresso Shot of Branding
Wisdom
Location: REDC 180
Saturday, Oct. 21
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Speaker: Russel Sobel, Ph.D
Event: “Economic Freedom, Entre
preneurship, and Prosperity”
Location: REDC 180
Thursday, Nov. 5
12:15p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Jessica Fiorelli
Event: PwC - Public Accounting
Location: REDC 101
Tuesday, Nov. 10
12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Kathryn Nusbaum, CFA, CPA
Event: “True Wealth and Measuring
Your Personal Balance Sheet”
Location: REDC 180
World & National
Business News
ISM service index: economy
growing once again
TEMPE, AZ. - The U.S. economy
showed signs of life when the Institute
for Supply Management’s service
index topped the growth-threshold,
reaching 50.9 in August.
A reading of 50 or above indicates
growth, and Monday's report was the
first to reach that level in 11 months.
The index for new orders rose to 54.2,
from 49.9, while business activity
ticked up to 55.1, from 51.3. The em
ployment index rose, but only to 44.3,
from 43.5.
Dell to lay off 905 workers,
close Winston-Salem plant
NEW YORK, NY. -- Computer
maker Dell announced on Wednesday
that it will close a plant in Winston-
Salem, N.C., and will cut 905 jobs as a
result.
Dell said that 600 plant workers will
be laid off in November, and the re
maining 305 employees will be cut by
January 2010, when the plant is sched
uled to close. The cuts represent about
1% of the company's 78,900 employ
ees.
"This is a difficult decision, espe
cially for our North Carolina col
leagues, but a necessary one for Dell
customers and our company, 1 ’ said
Frank Miller, vice president of Dell, in
a statement.
Beacon Business Staff
Business Co-Editors:
Harmilee Cousin III; Garrett Carson
BUSINESS AND ENGINEERING
College
Interdisciplinary
Business with
Engineering
degree gives
Behrend unique
program offer
The first students to major in Penn
State Behrends Interdisciplinary
Business with Engineering (1BE) de
gree are entering their junior years at
the college. As the students make
their way through their major
courses, officials in both the School
of Engineering and the Sam and
Irene Black School of Business see
the degree as the reification of the
true concept behind the REDC.
As the degree takes shape, though,
the individuals behind its creation say
that many misconceptions still exist
about its true characteristics. Dr.
Diane Parente, the Director of the
program, says the reality behind the
degree is that above all, it is a busi
ness degree.
“This person is not a design engi
neer,” she says. “They are not an en
gineer. This is a person with the
requisite business courses, but also a
broader understanding of product de
velopment.”
The program is already beating its
projected numbers. While there are
BUSINESS CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Throughout the next couple of issues, the Beacon will explore the student clubs and organizations within the Sam
and Irene Black School of Business. Many of these clubs offer programming such as guest students, events at the
REDC, and student networking opportunities, as well as offer a fantastic addition to any business resume.
MIS Club up and active, plans trip to Philadelphia
- Forbes
The Management Information Sys
tems Club (MIS Club) has the pur
pose of encouraging interest in the
field of information processing by
promoting Behrend’s computer re
lated programs, encouraging stu
dents to become more active in
computer related programs, creating
opportunities for students to broaden
their knowledge in the field of com
puters, providing social activities, and
inviting guest speakers to give pre
sentations.
Next issue: The
I > I Beacon explores the
PSB Marketing Club.
Business intemahipa available:
Brite Star Manufacturing Co. First Energy Corp. Northwestern Mutual
Account Management Intern IT BI Repotting Financial Network
Development Intern Financial Representative
More information on internships and full time positions can be found online at:
http://www.pserie.psu.edu/student/cdc/oncampusrecniiting.ittin
-CNN Money
pushes forward with
CONNOR SATTELY
edilor-in-chiet
JOSH BRUNNER
MIS Club President
only seven students who have de
clared the major so far, there are
about twenty students who are head
ing into the major already. The major
started on July 11, 2008.
The program has core classes in
business and engineering, in addition
to general education credits. It also
has a focus module, which includes
five parts: classes in technical sales,
classes in accounting and finance,
quality control, operations and supply
chains, and product design.
A “Capstone” project tops off the
program, which Parente says is some
what of a combination between a sen
ior design and the MGMT 471 W
class, Strategic Management and
Business Policy. This project will have
seniors work with real companies to
develop real ideas, from both a prod
uct development and market perspec
tive. It is administered through a
two-semester course.
The advantages of this degree are
obvious to many businesses, who
have responded favorably to hiring
these graduates so far.
“Small businesses get value; they
don’t need to hire two different peo
ple for business and product develop-
Last year, the club brought in a pro
fessional speaker during each semes
ter to talk to students about their
career with topics including what are
the emerging fields in MIS and advice
on how to get where you want during
your career.
Every semester an “Ask a Senior
Night” is held, questions asked range
from where to get internships to what
professors to take; many of the past
members have found their intern
ships through connections in the MIS
Club. At least once a year an alumni
event is held as a networking oppor
tunity, last year two representatives
from GE shared their experiences.
Last year was also the first year of
the MIS Club sponsored Tech Start
up discussion panel featuring leaders
of emerging technology companies
Parente
ment,” says
“Large companies get salespeople
with the understanding of a technical
background. For students, you also
receive the respect of your co-work
ers since you understand the back
ground - and that's enormously
valuable.”
The physical closeness of the
School of Engineering and the Sam
and Irene Black School of Business,
too, makes Behrend a unique place to
study this area.
“Some schools have a 10 minute
walk between the two schools,” says
Parente. “But because there's no
physical contact in one facility, it
might as well be 100 miles. In the
REDC, engineers and businesspeople
have the opportunity to bump into
each other in the hallway. They can
talk together, they can eat together.”
It's made a difference for Parente,
too, who specially requested her of
fice. It's located down the hall from
the Business offices. It borders the
first office within the School of Engi
neering.
“I'm right next to all of them,” she
says. “I even contribute to their coffee
fund.”
from the surrounding areas; there are
plans for expansion of the event this
year.
During this coming spring semes
ter a trip is being planned to Philadel
phia for the Wharton School of
Technology Conference,
Jheck out the web site from last years
conference:
http://2009.wharton biztech.com/.
The general meeting time for the
09-10 school year is every other
Thursday from 12:15 - 1:00pm in a
conference room in Reed, the next
meeting will be October 22, in Reed
112.
Look for updates at
http://www.clubs.psu.edu/bd/mis/ or
contact Josh Brunner, club President,
at jjbso7B(« psu.edu for more infor
mation.
Business
FROM THE DESK 0F...
A Message
from the
Director
iBE
Contributed
Photo
Students
wishing to
major in iBE
must take
credits from
several
different
sources.
DR. JOHN MAGENAU
Director, Sam j nd Irene Black School of Business
As we begin our fourth year in the Re
search and Economic Development Cen
ter (REDC) building, the 160,000 square
foot technologically advanced home we
share with the School of Engineering, it
is appropriate to reflect on some of the
accomplishments and opportunities that
have resulted since we moved here in the
fall of 2006. The REDC was designed to
facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration
between the School of Engineering and
the Sam and Irene Black School of Busi
ness. I am pleased to say that the building
is fulfilling its promise.
There now are two business minors for
engineering students, but of greater sig
nificance to business students is the new
Interdisciplinary Business with Engineer
ing Studies (IBE) major. It is the only
major of its kind at Penn State and one of
a few offered by colleges and universities
nationwide. After a little more than a
year, the major has already enrolled ap
proximately twenty majors. We expect
that graduates of the IBE major will be
recruited for positions in project manage
ment, procurement, and technical sales
and earn very competitive starting
salaries.
The co-location of our business and en
gineering schools has also contributed to
the success of our students in the Erie
County Collegiate Business Plan Compe
tition. For the last two years Behrend stu
dents have swept the competition by
taking first, second and third place for a
total of $15,000 in prize money. Last year,
the first prize went to business; a market
ing major in Mr. Causgrove’s entrepre
neurship course; but, second and third
place were awarded to teams of business
and engineering students from Dr. Fil
beck’s Finance 405 course and Dr. Roth’s
Mechanical Engineering 468 course.
Only one year after the REDC was
completed, we added the Samuel P (Pat)
Black 111 Conference Center. The con
struction of this 201-seat lecture hall was
funded largely by the Black Family En
dowments whi&i support thC Black
School of Business. The Black Confer
ence hall has given us the opportunity to
host several presentations by distin
guished executives and Penn State
Alumni such as Dan Mead, president of
Verizon Services Corporation, Jim Broad
hurst, Chairman of Eat’n Park Hospitality
Group, Vince Intrieri, Senior Managing
Director, for Icahan Associates, and
Stephan J. Gurgovits Jr., president and
CEO of F.N.B. Capital Corp. Speakers
such as these serve to enrich the learning
experiences of our students.
The REDC and the Black Conference
Hall have provided a catalyst for many
new teaching and opportunities. Just a
few of many that have occurred in a little
more than three years are described
above. I am confident that many more
opportunities will present themselves in
the next few years.