► Faculty and Staff Invited to Hear Dell’s Ro Parra Speak Thursday at Smith; Award Ceremony and Remarks Begin at 10:30 a.m.
► Business Ethics Lecture Series
► Smith School Seeks Nominations for 2006 Leadership and Excellence Awards
► 22nd Annual MBA Case Competition Winners
► Van Munching Hall Southwest District Improvements – Phase I, Update
► Smith School in the News 

Faculty and Staff Invited to Hear Dell’s Ro Parra Speak Thursday at Smith; Award Ceremony and Remarks Begin at 10:30 a.m.

Smith faculty and staff have a great opportunity to hear about the future of supply chain management Thursday, October 27, from Dell Inc. executive Ro Parra, ’82. Parra, Dell’s senior vice president of Americas operations, will be at the Smith School to accept the 2005 “Person of the Year” award on behalf of Dell. The award will be presented to the company by the Smith School’s Logistics, Transportation and Supply Chain Management Society (LTSCM Society) and the Supply Chain Club (SCC). The groups traditionally present the annual award to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the logistics, transportation and supply chain management industry. The 2005 award goes to Dell in recognition of its corporate-wide contribution – and the efforts of not a single person, but many – to the field of global supply chain and logistics management.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend the award ceremony, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the Executive Dining Room. Following Parra’s remarks, there will be a question and answer session from 11:00 until 11:30 a.m.

“Dell continues to represent the state-of-the-art for supply chain and logistics management resulting in optimal competitive advantage and high financial performance for the company,” said William DeWitt, Tyser Teaching Fellow of logistics, transportation and supply chain management. “On behalf of our very active student societies, I am pleased to announce Dell as the winner of the person of the year award, and without a doubt, as the world’s leading example of operational efficiency and speed in a direct-to-customer business model.”

The LTSCM Society provides networking and career development opportunities for Smith School undergraduate students, while the SCC provides networking and placement opportunities for the school’s MBA students. Each year, the groups present the Person of the Year Award to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the logistics, transportation and supply chain management industry. The award is presented as part of LTSCM Industry Day, which also includes a career fair, which will be held on Friday, October 28. As many as 80 recruiters from more than 30 companies are expected to participate in this year’s event.

Previous Person of the Year honorees include Jeffrey Crowe, chairman of Landstar System Inc.; Linda Morgan, former chair of the Surface Transportation Board and the Interstate Commerce Commission; Michael J. Ward, chairman, president, and CEO of CSX Corp.; Don Schneider, president of Schneider National Inc.; Herb Johnson, past president of the Council of Logistics Management; and Edward Emmett, president of the National Industrial Transportation League.

►Read More about Industry Day

Lecturers for Smith School Business Ethics Series Share Story of White-Collar Crime and ‘Living on the Ethical Edge’

Alfred and Joan Porro spoke at the Smith School on October 6, 2005 about the personal and professional upheaval caused in their lives after they were sentenced to more than 45 months in prison for white-collar crimes.

The Smith School kicked off its Business Ethics Lecture Series on October 6, with a riveting talk on white-collar crime and “living on the ethical edge” delivered by guest lecturers Alfred and Joan Porro. The Porros spoke of the personal and professional upheaval caused in their lives after they were sentenced to more than 45 months in prison for white-collar crimes. They held an audience of university undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff spellbound as they openly shared their experiences and lessons learned.

The talk was the first part of a three-part series hosted by the Smith School and put together by Stephen Loeb, Ernst & Young Alumni Professor of Accounting and Business Ethics. Loeb leads a program that annually brings Smith School MBA students to federal prisons to hear white-collar criminals talk about their experiences.

“An experiential approach is the most powerful form of business education,” said Loeb. “Sometimes aids like this keep honest people honest.”

Mr. Porro spoke first – describing how career ambition and a drive for success led to ethical choices he later came to regret. His was a cautionary allegory about the dangers associated with becoming a successful businessperson. “You will taste success and that is when you should be very, very cautious,” said Mr. Porro.

Mrs. Porro also described prison life in a woman’s prison – overcrowded conditions, work which involved loading trucks, washing bathrooms, and cleaning floors. Throughout her ordeal, her faith gave her strength. She too emphasized the emotional pain of being in prison and being unable to be near loved ones. Mrs. Porro pointed out that though she is out of prison now, the sentencing continues to affect her professional life and she has found it extremely difficult to practice an alternate career.

On October 26, Bruce Dubinsky, a partner with the certified public accounting firm Klausner Dubinsky + Associates, will share his experiences investigating a number of high-profile, white-collar criminal cases including his involvement as an expert witness in cases made by the United States Department of Justice. Faculty and staff are invited.

►Full Story

Smith School Seeks Nominations for 2006 Leadership and Excellence Awards

Do you know a business leader who has made a significant and positive impact on the mid-Atlantic region? We invite you to submit nominations for these awards, which recognize organizations and individuals whose contributions have truly made a difference.

As a world leader in management education and research, the Smith School recognizes that leaders in every industry play a vital role in making our economy and society productive. To honor these leaders, the Smith School has established "The Smith Leadership and Excellence Awards" program. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that reflect the school's values, applying them everyday in successful and innovative ways.

As valuable stakeholders in the success of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, we ask that you share in the awards nomination process. The awards will be presented in four categories: Business Excellence, Leaders for the Digital Economy, Leadership Excellence, and Public Excellence. Nominations are sought from members of the mid-Atlantic business and academic communities and may be submitted online at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/awards. The deadline for nominations is November 21.

Montezuma's Marauders Team Takes the Win in 22nd Annual MBA Case Competition

The Montezuma's Marauders team takes first place in the 22nd Annual MBA Case Competition. (l to r) Subho Goswami, Amy Williams, Carolina Puerto, Bankole Osimokun, and Aviral Singh receive a check for $1500 from Dean Howard Frank.

Montezuma's Marauders, represented by five Smith MBA students, won the top prize in the 2005 Smith MBA Case Competition last week. The team, also voted the audience favorite, received $1,500 and included Subho Goswami, Carolina Puerto, Bankole Osimokun, Aviral Singh, and Amy Williams.

The 22nd annual event brought students, alumni, faculty, administrators, and friends together for an evening of intense competition followed by an evening of networking and celebration. The event was held on October 19.

►Full Story

"Southwest District Improvements"

►Photo Archives

Smith School in the News

►Dow Jones Marketwatch – October 24, 2005 – Peter Morici, business professor, writes an opinion article about Ben Bernanke’s appointment to succeed Alan Greenspan chairman of the Federal Reserve. Morici is also quoted in a number of articles announcing Bernanke’s appointment including Dow Jones Marketwatch (9/24), Associated Press (9/25) and Newsday (9/25). ►Read More

►Wall Street Journal – October 20, 2005 – A story about parents juggling their kids’ extracurricular activities from the workplace includes research credited to the Smith School. The findings are from the Smith School’s 2002 National Technology Readiness Survey. ►Read More

►The Economic Times – October 17, 2005 – Smith School director of MBA admissions, Sabrina White, answers questions and offers insight into the admissions process in a regular column. ►Read More

►United Press International – October 13, 2005 – An aspiring entrepreneur describes his experiences – including presenting his business idea in front of the faculty, staff and fellow entrepreneurs for a monthly pitch contest at the Smith School’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. ►Read More

►Washington Post – October 13, 2005 – News brief outlines the Smith School’s plans for expansion and to add 38,000 square feet of new space to the school’s home in Van Munching Hall by October 2007. ►Read More

►The Economic Times – September 30, 2005 – Profile of a Smith School graduate highlights the reasons for his choice of the Smith School. Smith’s unique programs and educational opportunities for students – including the New Markets Growth Fund – are described in detail, as is the student’s journey to a position with McKinsey & Company. ►Read More

More News:

Calendar Highlights for Faculty/Staff:

Ethics In Business Lecture Series
Join Smith students for this evening lecture series on ethics and business. The series meets in the Frank Auditorium in Van Munching Hall from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on the specified dates.

October 26: Bruce Dubinsky
Principal forensic accountant with Klausner, Dubinsky & Associates

November 9: Gordon Harvey
Mr. Harvey will discuss some of his personal and professional experiences which began while he was the Assistant Inspector General, U.S. Department of Energy.

10/27 Ro Parra, Dell Senior VP, Accepts Industry Day Award, 10 a.m. Exec Dining

10/28  Logistics, Transportation and Supply Chain Management Industry Day

11/9  D.C. Alumni Networking Event
“Radio to the Power of X: How Consumers Can Tune In and Turn On”
Hugh Panero, President & CEO, XM Satellite Radio
Open Admission - RSVP Online Now!

11/18  CIO Forum
http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/cioforum

11/24-25  Thanksgiving Holiday
12/21  UM Commencement
12/22  Smith Commencement

■  Fall School Assembly Schedule

Friday, November 11, 1:30 p.m.
Tyser Auditorium - 1212 VMH

Friday, December 9, 1:30 p.m.
Frank Auditorium - 1524 VMH
Followed by School Holiday Party in the Atrium

►Smith Calendar of Events

New E-mail Authentication Settings

In an effort to further secure the e-mail system for the Smith School, for those using MS Outlook or clients OTHER than Lotus Notes, on Monday November 7, Smith IT will only allow authenticated users the ability to send e-mail through clients such as Microsoft Outlook.

Before this date, you will have to check the setting in your mail client "My [outgoing] server requires authentication." Instructions have been provided with screen shots for Outlook, Outlook Express, and Thunderbird. If you have questions, please contact the Smith IT Helpdesk at helpme@rhsmith.umd.edu or by calling ext. 52269.

AV and IT Teaching Support

If you are teaching in the "Old Wing" and you need either AV or IT support you can use a house phone that is located close to your class. Rooms 1202, 1206 and 1212 the phone is at corner of the hallway near 1212 and the loading dock. If your class is in 1303, 1307, 1311 or 1314 the phone is located in the hallway opposite 1311 and 1314 on the corner wall. If your class is in 1411, 1412, 1415 or 1418 please go to just inside the "New Wing" on the left wall. To call AV Master Control dial ext. 55213 or the Smith IT Help Desk dial  ext. 52269.

AV Customer Services

1) Smith IT's audio visual department can provide technical assistance when groups of students are scheduled to give classroom presentations either individually or as a group. Faculty can make better use of their valuable time by leaving the details of saving multiple PowerPoint presentation files to the local classroom PC, interfacing a laptop, or demonstrating to students how to use the installed audio visual classroom systems to the Smith audio visual team.

2) The Smith audio visual support team checks all Van Munching Hall classrooms for normal AV system operation and network connectivity between every class that is not a continuation.

3.) Room-to-Room linking allows one-way communication between one classroom and another and is often used when a meeting has reached its capacity for seating but there are still more people in attendance. Room-to-room linking allows for an overflow room to be used where the additional guests can view and hear the presenter in the other room.

4) Audio visual support is available for guest speakers of Smith School student organizations such as BITS, SUSA or AMA.

5) If you experience problems with audio visuals or personal computers please e-mail helpme@rhsmith.umd.edu. You can even attach a file to the e-mail so that a PC tech can look at the file you are working with.

6) Audio teleconferencing and video teleconferencing is available in all new wing rooms as a shared resource. One week notification is required and a nominal hourly charge may apply.

7) Smith IT can videotape your event. We also provide videotape duplication and dubbing services. We can also encode video clips that can then be streamed from a Web site.

8) Portable sound systems are available for events occurring in the atriums of Van Munching Hall or in the courtyards outside the building.

9) Whenever a laptop needs to be interfaced to the installed audio visual system in any given room you should contact Smith IT and request that an AV Tech meet you at the specified time with a VGA cable. Never attempt laptop interfacing alone.

10) Whenever you experience a PC or AV problem in a new wing room press the red "call for assistance" button on the Crestron touch panel. Someone will help you immediately.