With the rollout of the Obama Administration’s major U.S. healthcare reforms looming, the industry is scrambling to bring its business systems, IT and operational practices up to par with other industries and in line with huge innovations and advances in the medical field.

Financial considerations and poor planning drive some surgery patients home too early, concludes a pair of logistical studies conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. The studies show a correlation between readmission rates and how full the hospital was at the time of discharge, suggesting that patients went home before they were healthy enough. The researchers recommend better planning and other logistical solutions to avoid these problems.

It would be a huge understatement to say that people came to Pat Cleveland’s going away ceremony to acknowledge her accomplishments as associate dean of undergraduate studies at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Facebook's recently disclosed price range for its initial public offering anticipated in mid-May indicates the company’s value as just under $100 billion. This development indicates the Internet giant now is well positioned to grow, said Gerard Hoberg, associate professor of finance for the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Students, faculty members, corporate partners, and alumni celebrated a year of accomplishments at the Accounting Teaching Scholars dinner and reception on Thursday, April 26. The Accounting Teaching Scholars, an Undergraduate Fellows program, are undergraduate accounting students who serve as discussion leaders and teaching assistants for the Smith School’s two introductory accounting courses while reviewing material in preparation for the CPA exam.

For several students from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, Georgetown University and George Washington University, the Doing Business with Latin America Conference was more than just a conference. It was an event that had been a year in the making, a collaboration between the Latin America Business Associations of all three schools, and an event they hope will continue for years to come.

Debra L. Shapiro, the Clarice Smith Professor of Management and Organization at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, has been elected to serve a five-year term on the executive committee of the Academy of Management (AOM), effective August 2012. Shapiro will serve from August 2015-2016 as academy president and the year afterward as immediate past president.

Rosie Ferrarro, assistant professor of marketing, received her PhD from Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Her research interests focus on consumer behavior, specifically the effects of nonconscious social influence on choice and preference and the effects of external threats on consumption behavior.

Managing the Message Firms can influence media coverage after wrongdoing by carefully choosing the type of information released to the press. Item-Based Loyalty Programs Customers are more responsive to reward point programs than to price discounts of the same monetary value. New Book: “Surviving Disruptive Technologies” Companies succeed or fail based on how they handle emerging technologies. Research Briefs Smith Expert Commentary Featured Researchers

Thursday, April 26, 2012, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 29, 2012, 7:30 a.m. Cyber crime is on the rise, and the need to safeguard against cyber security attacks is real – and growing. No industry is exempt and the demand for experts who can battle using bits and bytes has never been greater. Maryland has become a hub of cybersecurity activity and the university is leading the way.