Learn all about paying your startup team members with equity. Attorney Don Baker of Safford & Baker, PLLC will provide a noon time webinar all about stock grants and options for startup companies. Don is one of Michigan’s most experienced attorneys in startup companies and a down to earth presenter as well. Bring your lunch and join local host John Diebel in room 101 in the School of Business and Economics building for this informative session sponsored by the MIT Enterprise Forum. The session runs from noon – 1pm on Tuesday April 24.
New members have been elected to the Executive Board of Undergraduate Student Government (USG) for one-year appointments. The School of Business and Economics is proud to announce that one of our own, Economics major Eli Karttuenen, has been elected to serve as president.
2012 USG members and Titles:
* Eli A. Karttunen, president, a senior in economics
* Donnie L. Palmer, vice president, a junior in chemical engineering
* Jennifer M. Zarzecki, secretary, a senior in mechanical engineering
* Abhishek Gupta, treasurer, a senior in civil engineering
As a member of the USG for the past 2 years, Eli has seen many ways in which USG could improve student life on campus by making student’s opinions heard, which is a big reason why he chose to run for president. USG is supposed to be the collective voice of students on campus. Eli hopes improve the current relationship between students, USG, and the administration during his time as president.
When we asked Eli about his goals as president, he responded “My first priority is to improve the relationship between USG and the students. An organization only has as much influence as its constituents afford, and this is one area USG has been lacking. I know how this organization works and what students need.”
We wish Eli and the rest of the Undergraduate Student Government the best of luck in attaining and surpassing their goals during their appointments!
The 18th Annual Student Leadership Awards ceremony was held Friday, April 13, in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Thirteen awards were presented with nearly 175 students, faculty, staff and campus leaders attending the event.
Associate Professor of Management Information Systems Mari Buche received the Student Organization Advisor of the Year.
Jess Banda, Director of Public Relations for the Rotaract on campus said, “More than an adviser, Mari is a motivator, constantly encouraging the organization to pursue national and international projects, to collaborate with the local community, and to stretch ourselves and reap the benefits of accomplishment.
Never more than a quick call or e-mail away, Mari makes herself consistently available to support Rotaract activities. Mari is a truly excellent advisor. She’s given much of herself, and she deserves to be recognized for her commitment to students.”
Congratulations Dr. Buche!
The accolades continue to accumulate for the Tech MBA Online program. It is now rated in the top twenty-five nationally, according to the Business MBA website (www.businessmba.org). The School of Business and Economics’ program was ranked number thirteen and in some impressive company. Florida, Florida State, Auburn, UMass, Colorado State, Georgia, and Arizona State are all on the list.
Of the Tech MBA Online, the website stated, “The nationally ranked School of Business and Economics at Michigan Technological University is known for its commitment to the business of technology as well as the technology of business education.” They gave the Tech program high marks for being American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) accredited, the fact that it can be completed in two years, and its focus on the integration of technology and business.
“This recognition comes at a critical time as the cost of education continues to increase,” said Associate Dean Tom Merz. “Our goal is to provide a high-quality education while not sacrificing learning and professional development in an online learning environment.”
The website also stated that “. . . we’re confident that the combination of high quality and low cost offered by the programs on our list gives students looking to get the biggest bang for their MBA buck a great place to start their search.”
Previously, the Tech MBA Online was recognized by US News and World Report among the honor roll programs in their first-ever online rankings. Michigan Tech was ranked 24th in Admission Selectivity and 38th in Teaching Practices and Student Engagement, among the 161 online graduate business programs honored.
See the complete list of recognized programs.
Written by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor in University Marketing and Communications.
On April 9th, two, four-person Michigan Tech teams traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan for A Project Management Collegiate Competition presented by The Project Management Institute, Western Michigan Chapter. Out of eight teams, Michigan Tech placed second, ousted only by Grand Valley State University for the top position. Other competitors from Aquinas College, Kalamazoo College, Davenport University, and University of Phoenix were also in attendance. The day was devoted to presentations, networking, and sharing knowledge about the future of project management.
“Our teams have been preparing over the past two semesters to present project management plans at the competition,” said Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management Dana Johnson. “Being able to use the skills and tools that students learned in class will help them prepare for their future careers.”
The student teams, along with their school, business, and PMP mentors, had to create a project management plan for a business seeking B Corporation certification. B Corps permits and protects businesses in making social and environmental decisions. Instead of being accountable only to shareholders, B Corps businesses must also consider their impact on employees, their community, and the environment.
Michigan Tech’s Team A was composed of Davi Revord, Emily Jensen, Drew Randall, and Sarah Zimmerman. The A Team was mentored by Ashley Livingston, PMP and Andrew Gill, PMP. Team B was made up of Jane Koivisto, George Olszewski, Ashleigh Juday, and Samuel Eberhard and mentored by Jeff Hazy, MBA, PMP and Derek Mazurek, MBA, PMP.
“This was a wonderful experience for all of us, and we were very fortunate to place in the competition, meet our mentors, and socialize with the WMPMI board,” said Samuel Eberhard of Team B. “All of us are extremely happy we had the opportunity to compete in this competition , and we hope future Michigan Tech students take part in it.”
The event is the first collaboration between Western Michigan Project Management Institute (WMPMI), Universities, and West Michigan Business Leaders.
This trip was supported by the Michigan Tech Parents Fund and the Western Michigan Chapter of the Project Management Institute.