The summer humidity hangs over Washington – along with another hot and sticky issue: What to do about the federal budget and the looming legally limited ceiling on how much money our nation can borrow. With a fast-approaching Aug. 2 deadline, lawmakers have spent months squabbling about the problem, which could have big impacts on the global economy. “The answer is clear – we have to raise the ceiling. And we need to get serious about reducing the long-term deficit,” says Curt Grimm, dean’s professor of supply chain and strategy. “There are plenty of ways to do this.”

The U.S. debt is ticking away past $14 trillion and threatens to hit the current federally imposed limit on how much we borrow to keep our economy afloat. What are the impacts if this limit is not raised in time as lawmakers squabble of the details of how to manage the country’s debt crisis?

In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Cristian Dezsö talks about the wage gap between men and women and how the children of CEO come into play. The gap between wages earned by men and women is still a pervasive worldwide phenomenon. But new research finds that when an organization’s male CEO has a daughter, the relative pay for women at those firms goes up, narrowing the gap.

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business held first Marketing Academic Research Colloquium (MARC) on May 6, 2011. Speakers and attendees included faculty and graduate students from the Smith School, the Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh as well as DC area schools.

MEDIA ALERT: May 3, 2011 Business Lessons Could Hold Clues to How Bin Laden’s Death Will Impact Al Qaeda, Economy UMD’s Smith School of Business Experts Offer Insights With the 10-year U.S. manhunt for Osama Bin Laden ending in the terrorist leader’s death, the world is watching for the impacts. Lessons from business could hold clues to how the loss of the leader might impact the Al Qaeda organization and the global economic climate. Organizational Effects Professor Paul Tesluk weighs in on how Bin Laden’s death may affect the Al Qaeda organization.

In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Cristian Dezsö talks about the wage gap between men and women and how the children of CEO come into play. The gap between wages earned by men and women is still a pervasive worldwide phenomenon. But new research finds that when an organization’s male CEO has a daughter, the relative pay for women at those firms goes up, narrowing the gap.

The Smith School's Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC) was chosen to receive the University of Maryland's Center for Teaching Excellence 2010-11 Departmental Award for Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching. The award recognizes notable improvements and accomplishments in undergraduate education at the department or program level.

When the largest earthquake to ever strike Japan rocked the country on March 11, it triggered a devastating tsunami leaving a wake of destruction and disaster at a nuclear power plant. It also shut down production for many major global manufacturers in Japan— in particular, those related to the auto and hi-tech industries.

Conglomerate holding company Berkshire Hathaway is one of the world’s most respected companies, run by legendary investor Warren Buffett. Holders of the New York Stock Exchange’s priciest stock will make the pilgrimage to Omaha, Nebraska next week for the company’s annual shareholder meeting – and a group of lucky undergraduates will go along for the ride to learn about the company, its impact on the economy, and hear words of wisdom from the “Oracle of Omaha” himself.

There is a lot Ed Glabus can’t tell you about his work. As executive vice president and chief administrative officer at ManTech International, a company that provides innovative technologies to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community for mission-critical national security programs, Glabus is part of a unique and very, very close-mouthed industry.