Deadline Nears for Bernanke Class Applications

Students interested in learning about the Fed directly from Ben Bernanke have less than a week left to register for "BADM 4900, Reflections on the Federal Reserve and it's Place in the Economy Today." The application deadline is Friday February 17th at 6 p.m.

The business school class will focus on the history of the Federal Reserve as well as its role in the 2008 financial crisis. The University announced on January 26th that Chairman Bernanke would be a guest lecturer for the 1.5 credit course, but details of the registration process did not emerge until late last week. Interested students must submit a resume as well as write a one page statement addressing their motivations for taking the class and outlining what questions about the Federal Reserve are most important in today's economy.

Completed applications must be submitted to Larry Fillian, the Director of Undergraduate Advising for the business school, whose office is located in Duques Suite 456. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the class by March 9th. Although there are only 30 spots in the class, the entire GW community has the opportunity to virtually sit in on Chairman Bernanke's lectures. The class will be live streamed over the internet.

The half-semester class will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will run from March 20th to April 26th. Business ethics professor, Timothy Fort, will teach the course and Chairman Bernanke will lecture during the March 20, 22, 27 and 29th meetings of the class.

GW School of Business Partners with DC Public Schools

The George Washington University's School of Business has partnered with local District public schools as part of a new mentor program between business students, local business professionals and students from Anacostia High School. 

Labeled the 2+2 Mentor Program, it will bring together high school students in the 10th through 12th grade and mentors to develop ideas and minds to help make an impact on their communities.

Liesl Riddle, the associate dean for MBA programs, said the plan was to focus on an area in the city challenged by unemployment.

"Dean Guthrie, Mayor Vincent Gray and the D.C. Economic Partnership have been working closely to identify ways to stimulate job growth in the District, with a particular emphasis on Ward 8," Riddle said.  "We are piloting our 2+2 mentor program concept with Anacostia this year. We are hoping to extend this model to other high schools in the District in the future."

The program will allow GW business students to apply their knowledge as co-mentors while also receiving guidance from a local business leader.

"Our innovative MBA students and alumni inspired us to initiate this program," Ridde said.  "Our MBA program focus on the positive ways business can impact society attracts a special kind of student, one who likes to give back to the community, utilizing business knowledge and skills to make a difference."

Riddle also mentioned that the business students benefit from the emotional and intellectual satisfaction of seeing how their business knowledge and skills translate into making a difference in a young person's life.

"All mentors who were selected are passionate people seeking to commit themselves to a valuable volunteer program," Riddle said.

Riddle also said that after the pilot, the business school hopes to extend the model to other District high schools in the future. The plan is to pilot the program for at least three years to give it a chance to grow.

On Campus Recruiting in Full Swing at GWSB

GW Alumni Association

As spring break approaches, many GW students are inundated with papers, projects and cramming for midterms. Though this time is stressful for the entire student body, many School of Business students have the added pressure of trying to secure a coveted summer internship or full time job. Luckily, they are not alone on the job hunt. As the only undergraduate school at GW with its own career center, the School of Business takes special focus in getting students jobs through on campus recruiting.

This process, which brings employers directly to campus in order to interview students, helps open the door for job-seeking students in a persistently tough economic climate. The on campus-recruiting program has brought consistent numbers of employers to campus over the past four semesters aside from a decrease in Spring 2009, at the height of the economic downturn.

"Study Zones" for Finals

In an effort to generate more awareness about what spaces are open during exam periods and extended hours in desired study destinations, GW has once again implemented the "Study Zone" initiative for this semester's finals.

Look for signs designating "Study Zones" across campus, including Duques Hall (now open till 2 a.m.), the Marvin Center, the Fishbowl, Eckles Library (now open 24 hours) and Gelman Library.

Also, Sodexo is holding extended dining hours for study zone. A majority of J Street Food Vendors, as well as G-Dub Java in Duques Hall, will be open until 2 a.m. from December 6th to the 10th, and the 14th to the 16th. Meanwhile, Pelham Commons will be open until 1 a.m.

For more information, go to: living.gwu.edu/studyzone

Links For Life Luncheon Series

This past Tuesday afternoon, undergraduate students from the Business School put on their best suits to attend a luncheon with alumni. Hosted by the GWSB Alumni office, the Links for Life Luncheon series is an event that takes place once a semester for students to get a taste of the work world, utilizing the skills they have learned in the classroom such as the 30-second "elevator speech," business function etiquette, and networking.

"The luncheon is a great event for our students and alumni to connect over informal conversation," said Leah Kuppersmith, Associate Director of School Alumni Programs for the Business School. "It gives students an opportunity to get insight into a career they might be interested in pursuing and it is an opportunity for alumni to hear about what's happening in the school today."

Many of the students that attended the event had been to a luncheon last year or had heard great things from their classmates. "It is a great opportunity for networking," said Christine Healy, sophomore in the business school. "These sort of events open up my eyes to different concentrations within the business school"

Students must pre-register for the event and indicate their field of interest, students are then seated at a table that is hosted by an alumnus in that field of business. Many students keep in contact with the alumni long after the luncheon is over, keeping in touch through e-mail and other alumni events.

"I really enjoy being a mentor for business students because I know it can be scary being an undergraduate student and not knowing what to expect when you graduate," said Lauren Rurak (BBA '07), account manager at the Borenstein group, a marketing firm that is located in Reston, Va. "I didn't take full advantage of the resources offered when I was here, but the business school had prepared me through out my four years when it came to thinking about the future, resume writing and my job search. I really want to give back to the school that has helped me to get to where I am today."

For more information on working with GW Alumni, go to alumni.gwu.edu or join the LinkedIn alumni group.

First Annual Business Conference a Success

This past Saturday, the business school was bustling with leaders from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Delloite for GW Women in Business' first Spring Conference. Over 100 students, faculty, alumni, and friends from the GW community attended the event.

The daylong conference opened with a presentation by Dr. Eliane Karp-Toledo, former first lady of Peru and anthropologist. The program included panel discussions led by twenty executives from both corporate and government sectors. The topics discussed were entrepreneurship, international business, business government relations and corporate social responsibility, which provided a comprehensive and insightful exchange of workplace dynamics.

The day concluded on a high note with an energetic presentation by Chad Holliday, former chairman and CEO of DuPont, who encouraged students to continue to broaden their knowledge of the business world by attending conferences, being a leader by bringing out the best in people and maintaining ethics when doing business in other countries.

The day was sponsored by corporations such as Coca-Cola, TD Securities, Deloitte and Bloomberg. All of the conference attendees received Juan Valdez coffee, gift certificates for FoBoGro, Vineyard Vines and Aveda Spa, clothes from BCBG and food from SweetGreen.

The idea for the event stemmed from Harvard’s annual business conference, with top professionals and university faculty meeting with students and providing learning and networking opportunities for students from all majors.

“Today's GW Women in Business conference successfully bridged the gap between classroom lessons and real world experiences,” said Kathleen Duffy, associate director of undergraduate career management. GWWIB is working hard to make this an annual event across campus and to make it bigger and better every year.

Besty Smith, executive coordinator of GWSB undergraduate programs and previous member of GWWIB, was incredibly proud of the young women that organized the day’s event. “GWWIB has been a pioneer amongst GWSB student groups since its inception, and the School of Business eagerly awaits whatever they plan to tackle next year!” said Smith.

For more information on GW Women in Business, go to http://www.gwwib.org/