Dean's Report (2014)

GEORGIA TECH Scheller College of Business

Dean’s Report

Scheller College Welcomes Ambitious New Dean

Contents 2 Spotlight

Rankings, Honors Day

8 TI:GER Program 12 Faculty

Research Profiles

28 Educational Opportunities Analytics Degree, Executive Education

30 Sustainability Event 32 Profiles

Alumni, Students

37 Community

Honors, New Faculty, Donors

Hope Wilson, director of communications Brad Dixon, managing editor/chief writer Lee Thompson, art direction and design Special photography: Gary Meek and Tony Benner Contributors: Gary Goettling and Lynn Selhat © 2014 – Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business – An equal education and employment institution

CONTENTS

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Scheller College Performs Well in MBA, Undergrad Rankings Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business continues to excel in rankings of the nation’s best business schools.

“I’m very pleased to see the rankings increasingly reflect the tremendous talent and expertise present in our College,” says Dean Maryam Alavi.

MBA RANKINGS In 2014, U.S. News & World Report ranked Scheller College 27th (10th among public universities).

Scheller also climbed four spots with its Evening MBA (20th overall, 11th among public universities), making it the top-ranked public school in Georgia in the part-time category.

In specialty categories, U.S. News ranked Scheller 12th for Information Systems, and 16th for Production/Operations.

Forbes ranked Scheller College 35th in the nation (based solely on return on investment).

Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Scheller College 28th in the nation (9th among public universities). The publication also ranked Scheller 17th for return on investment within a year after graduation, highlighting the fact that Tech students completed their degrees with the lowest median debt in the nation.

UNDERGRAD RANKINGS Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business jumped four spots (to 37th) in Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s national rankings of the top undergraduate programs in business.

Scheller is 12th among public universities (and top among public schools in the State of Georgia) and earned A+ grades for both Job Placement and Teaching Quality.

Listed 29th in U.S. News & World Report, Scheller College’s undergraduate program ranked 5th for Quantitative Analysis, 10th for Management Information Systems, 11th for Production/Operations, and 11th for Supply Chain/Logistics in the magazine’s annual assessment.

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SPOTLIGHT

HONORS Scheller College Honors Excellent Faculty, Students, and Staff

At the Sixth Annual Honors Day in April 2014, Scheller recognized faculty, students and staff who exemplify excellence. The support of dedicated alumni enabled endowment of many of these awards, which motivate the entire Scheller community to strive for greater heights of achievement.

FACULTY AWARD WINNERS: Sudheer Chava, professor of finance, won the Linda and Lloyd L. Byars Award for Faculty Excellence.

Cheryl Gaimon, a Regents’ professor of operations management and holder of the Esther and Edward Brown Chair, won the Brady Family Award for Faculty Research Excellence.

Ravi Subramanian, associate professor of operations management and holder of the Steven. A. Denning Professorship, won the Brady Family Award for Faculty Teaching Excellence.

D.J. Wu, the Thomas R. Williams Wells-Fargo professor of IT management, won the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

STUDENT AWARD WINNERS: Ashley Campbell, a secondyear MBA student, won the Dean’s Prize for MBA Excellence.

Evening MBA student Vinayak Gaikwad (center) accepts his award from Professor Steve Salbu and Advisory Board Chairman Stephen Deedy.

Vinayak Gaikwad, an Evening MBA student, won the Dean’s Prize for MBA Student Excellence.

Graham Goldberg, a senior business major, won the John R. Battle Award for Student Excellence.

Mark Ladisch, a first-year MBA student, won the Dean’s Prize for MBA Student Excellence.

Alexei Nikonovich-Kahn, a junior business major, won the Dow Chemical – P.C. McCutcheon Prize for Outstanding Student Achievement.

Stephen Roegge, a senior business major, won the Jennifer R. and Charles B. Rewis Award for Student Excellence in Accounting.

Jennifer Lynn Schwert, an Evening MBA student, won the Dean’s Prize for MBA Student Excellence.

Daniel Sheehan, a PhD candidate in marketing, won the Ashford Watson Stalnaker Memorial Prize for Student Excellence.

STAFF AWARD WINNERS: Patricia Smith, event coordinator for Communications and Marketing, won the Verlander Family Award for Staff Excellence.

Andrea Soyland, program manager (custom programs) for the Huang Executive Education Center, won the Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Award for Staff Excellence.

Most awards included $5,000.

They were presented during a formal luncheon at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. A surprise award at the end was presented by Ernest Scheller Jr., IM 1952, to former Dean Steve Salbu in recognition of his eight years of service leading the Scheller College.

The event also recognized past winners of Scheller College’s Alumni Awards as well as the holders and benefactors of scholarships, fellowships, and endowed chairs and professorships.

SPOTLIGHT

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Scheller College Welcomes Ambitious New Dean

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LEADERSHIP

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hen Maryam Alavi was approached by the search committee charged with finding a new dean for Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, she was intrigued by the opportunity.

Her further investigation revealed what she had suspected—Scheller College has tremendous potential to “define the business school of the 21st century,” given that technology now permeates every field of business.

“Our current era of technology growth and technology-driven innovation, coupled with the dynamic Atlanta business environment, uniquely positions the Scheller College to excel rapidly and contribute significantly to business and society,” says Alavi, who joined Scheller as dean on July 1, 2014.

An expert in information technology innovations and strategic applications, Alavi came to Tech from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, where she served as interim dean and vice dean, holding the John and Lucy Cook Chair in Information Strategy.

“Our current era of technology growth and technologydriven innovation, coupled with the dynamic Atlanta business environment, uniquely positions the Scheller College to excel rapidly and contribute significantly to business and society.” — Maryam Alavi

Dean Maryam Alavi (right) is building upon the achievements of her predecessor, Steve Salbu.

IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENTS Author of more than 70 published papers, Alavi is a thought leader on technology-mediated learning and knowledge management and an experienced educator who has an extensive background in developing leadership curriculum for business students.

She is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. She has consulted with numerous organizations including AT&T, KPMG, IBM, Marriott Corporation, Sodexo, and the World Bank. Her international work experience includes teaching graduate and executive development programs in Europe, North Africa, and Asia.

Recipient of the distinguished Marvin Bower Faculty Fellowship at Harvard Business School and the Association of Information Systems Fellows Award, Alavi also served two terms as a board member of the Georgia Technology Authority appointed by the Governor of the State of Georgia.

In announcing Alavi’s appointment, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Rafael L. Bras cited the breadth of her academic and administrative experience, and its alignment with the leadership needs of the Scheller College.

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“Scheller is in a perfect position to benefit from Dr. Alavi’s scholarship, experience, and deep knowledge of business education and research.”

- Provost Rafael Bras

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“Scheller is in a perfect position to benefit from Dr. Alavi’s scholarship, experience, and deep knowledge of business education and research,” he says. “She has a clear understanding of the competitive advantage of the Scheller College under the umbrella of the Georgia Tech brand, culture, and vision – and of how to realize the benefits of that advantage.”

PASSING THE BATON As dean, Alavi succeeds Steve Salbu, who held the position from 2006 to 2014, during which time numerous advancements were made, including substantial faculty growth; the endowment of numerous faculty chairs, professorships, scholarships, and fellowships; and the naming gift branding Scheller College of Business.

“I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to Steve Salbu for having led the College so well,” Alavi says. “He generated momentum for Scheller to climb to the next level in a progressively competitive environment.”

Salbu elected to return to his research and lead the College’s Cecil B. Day Program in Business Ethics, founded in 2012.

WITH DEAN ALAVI Where do you see Scheller College going?

I feel privileged to serve this prestigious business college, and I see great things ahead for us. I am extremely optimistic about the tremendous progress we can achieve through our collective efforts. My goal is for Scheller to reach even greater heights of excellence and prominence, strengthening our position as a top business school at the leading edge of innovation.

My first months have, of course, involved gaining a deeper understanding of the College’s various constituencies through meetings with faculty, staff, students, Advisory Board members, alumni, donors, Georgia Tech leadership, and corporate executives in Atlanta and beyond.

I have initiated a strategic planning process to shape our future and reach our full potential. This process is inclusive and evidence-based. Once this plan is finalized in spring 2015, we will begin communicating our strategy, both internally and externally, and starting its implementation.

After we’ve honed our plan of action, we will need to remain innovative and agile to ensure that Scheller College continues to thrive and ascend.

What broad trends are you seeing in business and how is Scheller addressing them?

Important megatrends that we are addressing at Scheller include globalization, entrepreneurship/innovation, sustainability, big data/analytics, and digitization.

Digital strategies for reaching consumers are becoming more important. But while 74 percent of business executives say their company has a digital strategy, only 15 percent believe that their company has the skills and capabilities to execute that strategy, according to a recent Forrester Research report.

That’s why Scheller College’s mission of developing innovative and analytical leaders is so important to every corner of the global marketplace. Around the world, closing the gap between available skills and employers’ needs will be critical to long-term growth.

Georgia Tech offers students ample opportunities to participate in a thriving ecosystem. Here they can develop the entrepreneurial and analytical mindset that will serve them in a wide variety of careers.

Through Scheller’s new Business Analytics Center and Center for Business Strategies for Sustainability, we are well-positioned to meet the growing need for leaders who know how to use big data for business decision making and who understand how to implement sustainable business practices in our resource-limited world.

How is Scheller evolving to meet the need of employers?

Recruiters frequently report that Scheller graduates have the ability to lead effectively without attitude, and they’re willing to dig in and get their hands dirty in the search for creative solutions.

Through our programs, we cultivate innovators and game changers who aren’t afraid to challenge conventional wisdom in a world that increasingly requires innovative solutions. Our students learn how to spot emerging trends in today’s global markets and leverage technology for competitive advantage.

While it’s essential to have great ideas, implementing them requires today’s leaders to have the collaborative skills necessary to catalyze people and resources. That’s why, at Scheller, we also emphasize soft skills like communications, along with team projects and hands-on experiential learning.

Most of our core MBA classes involve team projects, and we provide students with opportunities to gain real-world experience through courses such as the IT Practicum, Marketing Practicum, International Practicum, and Strategic Management & Integrative Management Experience. In these classes, students work on real projects for a wide range of companies.

Our Steven A. Denning Technology & Management Program cross-trains undergraduate students from the Colleges of Business, Engineering, and Computing to develop leaders possessing both technological and managerial know-how. They also become well prepared for the global economy through international learning experiences.

Key skill sets coupled with practical, real-world experiences help develop our students into principled leaders adept at addressing the business and societal opportunities and challenges of today and tomorrow.

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TI:GER

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Commercializing Technology to Tech Transfer Program Leads to Career Success for Participants When Nate Frank, MBA 2014, learned about technology that could help breast cancer survivors suffering from lymphedema, he felt drawn to help commercialize it because his mother-in-law endures that chronic health condition.

Frank discovered this business opportunity after winning admittance into Georgia Tech’s TI:GER (Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results) Program. Founded in 2002, this pioneering program – the first of its kind – teams Georgia Tech MBA students and Emory law students who work together on commercializing PhD students’ scientific research.

Frank’s team, LymphaTech, is developing technology that helps detect early warning signs of lymphedema, a deterioration of function in the lymphatic system, before it leads to irreversible swelling of areas including the arms, hands, legs, and feet. Currently it is difficult for physicians to diagnose lymphedema before swelling occurs as a result of fluid buildup caused by lymph vessels and nodes that were damaged or removed in the process of treating breast cancer.

Solving Significant Problem About 30 to 50 percent of breast cancer survivors develop the condition. “The risk is highest in the first five years following cancer treatment,” Frank explains. “But lymphedema can happen at any time in life. My mother-in-law’s is not as severe as it could be, but it’s enough to cause her pain and discomfort.”

If women begin developing lymphedema, they can wear compression sleeves that can halt the condition. But once the swelling becomes irreversible, they must continue to wear the sleeves, which may not seem attractive or feel comfortable, indefinitely for maintenance, Frank explains.

LymphaTech’s device works by optically measuring lymphatic pressure, like a blood pressure cuff for your lymphatic system. “It’s a significant advancement over the current diagnostic gold standard, an ordinary tape measure, which is ineffective at catching the swelling until it becomes permanent,” Frank says.

LymphaTech is targeting both the at-home and clinical device markets (which could potentially generate $800 million annually) for its diagnostic technology. Its device is easy enough to use that patients will be able to monitor their own lymphatic health at home without having to visit a physician.

LymphaTech team member Mike Weiler, a biomedical engineering PhD student, developed the business idea from his work with J. Brandon Dixon, assistant professor of bioengineering at Georgia Tech.

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Team

Help Breast Cancer Survivors

TI:GER PROGRAM

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®

Real-world Impact Weiler, who holds a BS in biomedical engineering and MS in mechanical engineering from Tech, says that when he began his graduate studies, he chose the LymphaTech technology specifically so that he could work on a project that could make a real-world impact.

Weiler plans to dedicate himself full-time to LymphaTech after graduation in spring 2015. Both MBAs on the team have started other jobs, but they continue to be involved in getting the startup going.

While some TI:GER research is too early stage for participants to commercialize right after graduation, many alumni say they’ve gained an entrepreneurial mindset that benefits them in a wide range of careers.

Meanwhile, the list of TI:GER projects evolving into successful companies keeps growing.

Viable Business Concept LymphaTech demonstrated the viability of its market concept through its winning streak at national and international business plan competitions in spring 2014.

Next steps for LymphaTech, which is attracting interested investors, include grant applications and

Nate Frank, MBA 2014

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clinical trials on the way to winning approval from the FDA and health care insurers within a few years.

Career Benefits Salim Vagh says that the TI:GER program was a tremendous differentiator in attracting him to Georgia Tech’s MBA Program. Now a vice president for Duff & Phelps’ pricing line, he explains that the program’s emphasis on business valuation has proved of benefit in his role working with pharmaceutical companies to determine the value of drugs at different stages of development.

His MBA peer and LymphaTech teammate Nate Frank also found that the TI:GER connection stood out on his resume. Now a senior consultant with North Highland, he says that his new employer likes an entrepreneurial mindset in its consultants.

Frank, who earned his BS in industrial engineering from Tech in 2008, says he was drawn back to the Institute by its entrepreneurial environment. “One of the things I liked most about TI:GER was the exposure to Atlanta venture capitalists and intellectual property lawyers,” he says.

Success Stories Evening MBA student Jake Edens, who completed the TI:GER program in spring 2014, credits his entrepreneurial education with helping him launch his own company, REscour.

Now housed in the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Tech’s business incubator, REscour provides automated research and market intelligence to commercial real estate investors. In addition to CEO Edens, who’s due to graduate in spring 2015, REscour has eight other full-time employees, including six Tech alumni.

“I’ve used a lot of what we learned in class, including customer discovery and putting together a

“One of the things I liked most about TI:GER was the exposure to Atlanta venture capitalists and intellectual property lawyers.”

— Nate Frank, MBA 2014

business plan,” Edens says. “TI:GER also introduced me to a wonderful network of leaders in the Atlanta tech community who have helped me build my business.”

During his time in the TI:GER program, Edens was a member of the CheckDroid team, whose technology helps Android developers test and identify issues with their apps across multiple devices. The team won first place in Georgia Tech’s 2014 Startup Competition. While CheckDroid continues to pursue commercial success, Edens elected to focus on REscour, founded in early 2013.

Kristina Crockett, MBA 2008, says that her TI:GER experience has been crucial to her success in her role as director of network services for McKesson’s RelayHealth, which connects physicians, patients, pharmacies, and others in the health care community through information technology.

“One of the biggest benefits of TI:GER was the interdisciplinary nature of the teams,” Crockett says. “I now work in the product management group and constantly interact with the marketing, sales, legal and technical teams on the development of new products and initiatives.”

Award-winning Approach When Strategic Management Professor Marie Thursby created TI:GER in 2002, she teamed with Emory Law School with the understanding that the hurdles to commercializing research often involve legal issues.

Participants work together over three semesters, taking classes on legal strategies to protect intellectual property, as well as market and financial analysis.

“Admittance into the program is highly competitive, and we’re working to build support so that more students can take advantage of this exceptional educational opportunity,” says TI:GER Director Margi Berbari.

“One of the biggest benefits of TI:GER was the interdisciplinary nature of the teams. I now work in the product management group and constantly interact with the marketing, sales, legal and technical teams on the development of new products and initiatives.”

— Kristina Crockett, MBA 2008, Director of Network Services, McKesson’s RelayHealth

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ACCOUNTING

Faculty Profile: Professor Mulford Refines Art of Synergy through Teaching, Financial Analysis Lab If you want to know how Accounting Professor Charles Mulford has time to accomplish all that he does in a day, he’ll sum it up for you in one word: synergy. Unlike multitasking or burning the midnight oil, synergy is a cooperation of actions that combined are greater than the sum of their separate actions.

Synergy has been the hallmark of his 30-plus-year career at Georgia Tech, which he delineates into three main periods, each lasting about 10 years.

Mulford’s first period, like that of many young professors, focused on academic research—both his and that of his doctoral students. “At the time, I was doing archival research that ended up in academic journals such as the Journal of Accounting Research and The Accounting Review,” he says.

During his second period, the pendulum swung toward the professional side of accounting, an outgrowth of his ability to communicate with practitioners like accountants and financial, credit, and equity analysts. In this period he found himself writing books and articles for practitioner journals such as the Commercial Lending Review and consulting to commercial banks—activities that led him to his third, and current period, running the Financial Analysis and Reporting Lab.

Accounting Scandals Mulford, who holds the Invesco Chair, founded the Lab in 2002, when scrutiny of accounting practices was heightening after scandals at Enron and Worldcom.

Those frauds came to light as Mulford was publishing his third book, the highly relevant The Financial Numbers Game: Detecting Creative Accounting Practices.

“It got a bit of attention,” Mulford jokes, going on to say that the book was translated into four languages.

“The book came out at the perfect moment,”.“I like to tell my students it outsold Harry Potter . . . for a day.”

Soon after, Mulford became the “go-to” guy for financial reporters and practitioners alike, all

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struggling to make sense of accounting and financial statements. “I was on the phone all the time,” he says, “and this activity has continued to this day.” Reporters at outlets that regularly seek his help include The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and CFO. To formalize what he was doing on an ad hoc basis, Mulford created the Lab as a vehicle for him to research, write, and publish reports on pertinent accounting issues.

Twelve years later, deep into the third main period of his career, Mulford’s Lab produces eight reports per year for its more than 1,000 active subscribers representing a range of roles, from money and hedge fund managers to investment bankers, commercial lenders, financial analysts, and reporters.

“Whenever I sit down to select a topic for a report,” says Mulford, “I think about the target reader—someone who is charged with making informed credit or investment decisions.” In particular, he likes to write about topics in which his readers are not well versed.

Helping him with the research and writing are four MBA students, who work as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) in the Lab. The work they do gives them an opportunity to delve into a subject and then translate it for a non-academic audience.

A recent example is the topic of Unrecognized Tax Benefits (UTB), something Mulford came across in a newspaper article. He asked one of the GRAs, who happened to be a CPA, if he had ever heard of UTBs. “He hadn’t heard of it and I knew little about it, so I told him, ‘You and I are going to learn about this together,’” he says.

By the end of the 15-week semester the student and Mulford had become experts on UTBs, a topic about which many companies had been grappling.

“The students learn a lot; I learn a lot; we publish the report on our website; and sometimes we turn that report into a paper that is then published in an academic journal,” he explains.

Returning to the idea of synergy, Mulford points out that the Lab is a place where he can teach (the GRAs), provide information to practitioners, and gather new material for his classes. “There has to be synergy in what you do,” he says, “otherwise, there simply isn’t time in the day to do everything.”

“Whenever I sit down to select a topic for a report, I think about the target reader — someone who is charged with making informed credit or investment decisions.”

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FINANCE

Faculty Profile: Professor Chava Leads Quantitative and Computational Finance Degree Program

“Our Quantitative and Computational Finance students learn the necessary quantitative and computational skills, but more importantly, they also develop sound judgment.�

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As the finance field increasingly requires professionals with high levels of quantitative and computational skills, demand for Georgia Tech’s Master of Science in Quantitative Finance (QCF) continues to grow at a fast rate.

Scheller Finance Professor Sudheer Chava says his research focus on quantitative finance and background teaching QCF students made him a natural to take over as director of the interdisciplinary master’s program in 2013.

Sometimes known as “financial engineering” or “financial mathematics,” QCF employs advanced mathematical models used by the financial sector to structure transactions, manage risk, and construct investment strategies.

Ranked in the top 10 in North America, Tech’s QCF program is a joint effort of Scheller College of Business, the School of Mathematics, and School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “We offer a truly interdisciplinary program, with students learning from world-class faculty in three great schools,” says Chava.

“The quality of students we attract is very high,” he adds, noting that the fall 2014 class of 48 students was selected from 723 applicants.

High Demand Tech’s QCF graduates are increasingly sought after by investment banks, hedge funds, commercial banks, consulting firms, and investment management firms, Chava says.

“Our QCF students learn the necessary quantitative and computational skills, but more importantly, they also develop sound judgment,” he explains. “It’s one thing to create a complicated financial model that looks good on paper, but the key part is knowing why or why not a model works.”

Budding Interest Sudheer Chava can trace his own interest in finance to a very young age. “In high school, I happened to read a novel whose main character invested in the stock market,” he explains. Fascinated by the concept, he began following stocks and eventually investing himself, becoming something of an amateur day trader.

Although he majored in computer science in college, his curiosity about finance led him to earn an MBA degree from the Indian Institute of Management.

He then worked for a year as a fixed income analyst at SBICAP, a leading bank in India, before completing his PhD in finance at Cornell University.

Prior to joining Scheller College in 2010, Chava was on the faculty of Texas A&M University, where he won the Ricky W. Griffin Award for Research Excellence, among other honors. Through the years, he has published in the top journals in his field.

Force for Good A common question in Chava’s recent research is whether finance can be a force for good in the world.

Specifically, his work looks at whether capital markets can cause companies to change behavior, particularly behavior related to sustainability.

The answer, in brief, is yes. In fact, he found that banks charge a higher interest rate to more polluting companies, most likely because of the risks involved in harming the environment as well as the general public relations costs of lending to a polluter.

Similarly, investors are increasingly leery of polluters and consequently, polluting firms have a higher cost of equity capital, he says. When investing, for example, TIAA-CREF considers the environmental, social, and governance aspects of companies.

Banking Studies Other research by Chava examines how failing banks impact borrowers. “When banks fail, many firms that borrow might fail as well because they can’t get funds. Even if you’re a small company running well, your credit could be cut off, or you may have to pay more for loans. For example, if Citibank suffers a loss in Russia, it may hurt a firm in Wisconsin. That’s the interconnectedness of the global system.”

He adds: “The lesson of the 2008 crisis was how the banking system can transmit shocks from one country to another even if they don’t have a real trade relationship. Banking shocks come along every few years, and it’s important to learn from them.”

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

Faculty Profile: Professor Forman Shining Light on How Organizations Adapt to New Technology In 2007, a tongue-in-cheek video from Norway titled “Medieval Help Desk” went viral on YouTube. It featured an encounter with the “help desk” during the changeover from scrolls to books, with a frazzled employee—seated at a desk lit only by candles— unable to grasp the idea of turning pages.

The video is a humorous reminder that whenever new technology is introduced, it causes disruption.

This timeless activity of adapting to new technology is of particular interest to IT Management Professor Chris Forman, who studies how technology affects organizations and the challenges of transitioning to new technologies.

Interestingly, he has found that new technologies do not always deliver the expected benefits. Often, this is not because the technology itself is flawed, but because of the complexities involved in the transition.

“Adopting IT in a company is hard,” says Forman, and affects everything “from business processes to relationships between companies.”

Affordable Care Act A simple example of the complexities of introducing new technology can be found in the transition to electronic medical records (EMRs). This technology is a major feature of the Affordable Care Act, and is being implemented in doctors’ offices and hospitals around the country.

Whether EMRs are a good idea or a bad idea is not the question to ask, say Forman. Rather, it’s better to ask how EMRs fare in specific contexts, and, further, why they are successful in some contexts and not others. Forman has found that operating costs fell for some hospitals after adoption of EMRs, while for others costs did not change or even briefly increased—a difference he attributes in large part to location.

“When adopting EMRs, a hospital may have to change how patient care is delivered or how doctors interact with the system,” he explains.

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“You need to have people—or human capital—to configure the software to meet the needs of the users and help facilitate the conversion process.”

Organizations in larger cities with large pools of human capital are more likely to find the right people to ease the transition.

This finding challenges the conventional wisdom that the Internet breaks down barriers of geography by facilitating remote interaction. “My work has shown that for businesses, while it is true that the Internet has broken some barriers of geography, it often helps to be in a place that has historically been a center of economic activity and innovation in order to get the benefits of the new technology,” he says.

Indeed, many people predicted that IT and the Internet would redistribute economic activity, and disproportionately help people in isolated regions.

And while there is some truth to that, he says, the reality is more nuanced. “My work has shown that the geographic areas that benefitted most from business investments in the Internet, in terms of wage gains, were those places where population and incomes were already high, and where there were strong investments in education and IT,” he explains.

Classroom Impact While Forman studies how technology developments affect organizations, he has seen first hand how it has changed teaching. “In the past there was a lot more lecturing,” he says of his early years in teaching. “Now there is much greater emphasis on ‘active learning.’”

In particular, active learning is supported by computer simulations that let students work through a scenario in real time. “Students are exposed to digital technology from a young age,” says Forman, and as a result they have learned to solve problems from the perspective of games. “Using simulations produces a more engaged lesson.”

Forman, who holds the Brady Family Professorship, has published more than 30 articles and book chapters. He is currently senior editor of Information Systems Research.

“Adopting IT in a company is hard and affects everything from business processes to relationships between companies.�

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LAW AND ETHICS

Faculty Profile: Tax Law Expert Davis-Nozemack Shifts Focus from Clients to Students Some university professors follow a direct route to their positions: undergraduate degree, doctoral degree, assistant professor, and so on. Other professors come to teaching in a more circuitous route—via other careers—and often use these varied experiences to inform their teaching. Karie Davis-Nozemack is one such professor.

Having practiced law for seven years, teaching was a fortuitous accident that she didn’t see coming.

“I was sitting on the board of a non-profit organization, and another board member—the associate dean of a local law school—asked me if I had ever considered teaching,” she says.

Not long afterward, she was working as an adjunct professor while also continuing with her law practice.

“I didn’t realize how much I loved it until my husband pointed out that on the days I taught, I came home in the best mood,” says Davis-Nozemack, who now teaches courses involving the application of law and ethics to business at Scheller.

Navigating Gray Areas Her years in the work world taught her a key lesson about teaching: No one can know everything so the best a professor can do is teach her students to think.

Or, in Davis-Nozemack’s words, “to be wise.” This skill is particularly helpful when it comes to DavisNozemack’s specialty: tax law.

“Tax is a form of business strategy, and the strategy a company takes has important ethical implications,” she says, pointing to one of her areas of specialization.

To see how tax strategy and ethics intersect, she says, one need only look at the fallout faced by Apple last year when it became public knowledge that by shifting its intellectual property to Ireland it reduced its tax burden dramatically.

“Tim Cook was hauled in front of a congressional committee and grilled over a perfectly legal tax strategy,” she notes. But just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s without consequence.

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Indeed, Davis-Nozemack predicts that tax strategy will soon become part of the “sustainability” discussion.

“We talk about making products more green and being good corporate citizens, but this doesn’t apply just to supply chains or operations,” she says.

“Companies are now being asked, ‘What kind of corporate citizen are you?’ and increasingly their tax strategy is included in that equation.” According to Davis-Nozemack, further government tax regulation is not necessarily the answer because for each new law written, an army of lawyers works to find loopholes.

Instead, she says, looking at taxes as an ethical issue may just be the most efficient way to approach the gray areas that will always exist in the law.

Importance of Writing One way she prepares her students to think through complex issues is through writing. “Employers tell us they want students to be able to communicate well,” she says.

“Students need to learn how to review large amounts of information, spot issues, ascertain the important facts, and synthesize their findings into bite-sized pieces,” she explains. The best way to learn these skills, she says, is by writing.

“When you have lots of students in a class, the tendency is to rely on multiple-choice exams. But they don’t test students on the full range of abilities we want to teach them,” Davis-Nozemack says.

She feels so strongly about the value of writing she developed an Open Source software called Essay Wizard that gives students scenarios, and then, using Davis-Nozemack’s grading rubric, prompts students with a series of questions to ask themselves as they write their essays. “The students get feedback as they are writing,” she says, “and it has greatly improved the quality of the essays I get from them.”

Davis-Nozemack says she’s energized by the atmosphere of creative invention woven throughout the Tech campus. “Our students feel that they can, and want to, change the world,” and “I feel blessed to have been called here to be able to guide and direct them.”

“Companies are now being asked, ‘What kind of corporate citizen are you?’ and increasingly their tax strategy is included in that equation.”

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MARKETING

Faculty Profile: Rodriguez-Vila Studies Sustainability as Marketing Opportunity After working as global vice president of integrated marketing communications for Coca-Cola, Omar Rodriguez-Vila spent several years living in China, leading the development of the marketing strategy for the company’s sponsorship of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

During his time in China, he learned that Coke had made significant investments to help underprivileged children in rural schools there. “As part of a meeting, I visited a small school and was surprised by the positive impact that company funding was having on the lives of those kids,” he recalls. “I’d worked for the company for many years and never knew.”

Because those community investments fell within the purview of “corporate social responsibility” and were not part of the business plan, they were happening on the periphery of the company, explains Rodriguez-Vila, now an assistant professor of marketing at Scheller College.

“They were not thought of as opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the brand and the community—to help bridge social and commercial benefits.”

After returning to Coke’s headquarters in Atlanta, Rodriguez-Vila joined a task force charged with integrating sustainability efforts at the company, and his interest in the intersection between marketing and sustainability began to take a more formal shape.

Deeper Dive Rodriguez-Vila wanted to dig even deeper into researching environmentally friendly and socially responsible business practices. “When I was working in China, I had little time to study why some things were the way they were. I had to move onto the next campaign and chase the next sales target,” explains the Puerto Rico native.

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That realization influenced his decision to transition into an academic career. Already holding an MBA from Northwestern University, RodriguezVila enrolled in the PhD program in marketing at Emory University in 2008, having 16 years of professional experience under his belt.

Rodriguez-Vila joined the Scheller faculty in 2012, attracted by the growing emphasis on sustainability and the Marketing faculty group’s interest in research that makes real-world impact on how businesses operate.

Working closely with Scheller’s Center for Business Strategies for Sustainability (CBSS), he is focused on understanding the impact of sustainability on the marketing capabilities of firms and consumer response to brands.

“Ultimately, my hope is to contribute to the collective work of the CBSS in shifting the view of sustainability from a moral imperative to a business imperative,” he says.

Marketing Perspective Many companies excel at sustainability, RodriguezVila says, but often at the CEO level or through a sustainability office. “Not many companies are engaged with sustainability at the chief marketing officer level,” he notes.

Companies often think of sustainability in terms of operating costs, environmental impact, or operating risks. Less attention has been given to understanding how sustainability actions may impact customers and drive growth, he explains.

Rodriguez-Vila is researching situations under which sustainability claims can help or hurt a brand.

Knowing when to communicate a sustainability benefit to your customer can make a difference in companies’ ability to influence consumer choice.

He uses Nike as an example of a company that has innovatively implemented sustainability initiatives.

“But in the moment of a transaction, you rarely see a mention of their sustainability advances. That’s because they understand that for their product category, the driving attribute is performance and style, not sustainability.”

Understanding when to use sustainability in customer engagement activities is a key part of turning it into an advantage, he notes.

“Ultimately, my hope is to contribute to the collective work of the Center for Business Strategies for Sustainability in shifting the view of sustainability from a moral imperative to a business imperative.�

FACULTY

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OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Faculty Profile: Atalay Atasu Balancing Economic and Environmental Concerns

“Eventually, some sort of environmental regulation is going to pass. Companies that are more proactive can do much better by setting up systems before regulation occurs.”

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Operations Management Professor Atalay Atasu’s interest in how companies manage balancing environmental and manufacturing concerns began during his PhD studies at INSEAD. At the time (2003), the European Union had just mandated producer responsibility for end-of-life products in the electronics industry. European electronics firms therefore became his test lab, as they scrambled to balance the new costs involved in end-of-life responsibility with the low margins typical in the industry.

Since then, similar mandates have appeared in the U.S.—currently at the state level—and are expanding beyond electronics to other industries such as pharmaceuticals, paint, and carpet companies.

According to Atasu, who joined the faculty of Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business in 2007, much of this policy movement is backed by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), encouraged by what has been accomplished in Europe.

“Their [NGO] perspective is that any product that can be recycled should be,” says Atasu. His research looks at whether such approaches are always reasonable. “People in NGOs are not necessarily (and rightfully) business minded,” he says, “and they do not have to be focused on the economic and operational efficiencies of systems.”

Devil in the Details More often than not, Atasu’s research has shown that, despite the good intentions behind environmental regulations, they often backfire in practice, leading to unintended consequences.

One example is from a county in Minnesota that mandated manufacturer electronics recycling. “The new legislation required every company to recycle as many products as they put on the market the previous year,” he explains. The companies were given flexibility on what products they recycled, so if they sold 100,000 products last year, they had to recycle 100,000 products this year.

“What happened is that the companies started to cherry pick, and they chose to recycle the more profitable and easier products—like PCs—than more expensive and more difficult products to recycle—like TVs,” he says.

In the end, mainly TVs ended up in the municipal recycling system, which was exactly the opposite of what the municipality wanted in the first place.

“These bad examples help us to understand these complexities in a better way,” says Atasu, whose research looks at the fundamental issues involved in legislation in order to better inform policymakers.

Be Proactive As for producers facing the possibility of regulations, Atasu has a key piece of advice: Don’t fight it.

“Eventually, some sort of environmental regulation is going to pass,” he says. “Companies that are more proactive can do much better by setting up systems before regulation occurs.”

One industry in the U.S. that should take note is pharmaceuticals. Already on the West Coast, in an effort to reduce drug abuse, there is legislation requiring pharmaceutical companies to collect and incinerate unused drugs. “These companies are fighting it,” says Atasu, “but they really should be setting up their own systems, which will be more efficient than what legislators will propose.”

He cites the auto industry’s experience some 20 years ago, when regulators became concerned about mercury-based car parts. “Instead of fighting it, the industry was proactive and came up with their own voluntary system, which was more efficient and cost-effective than the proposed legislation.”

The bottom line, says Atasu, is that if markets find a solution, it’s often better than governmentdriven solutions. Remember, he says, once legislation passes, it’s set in stone. It may take only a few hands to craft legislation, but hundreds to try to revise it.

“Given this reality,” he says, “it’s best to be proactive.”

Dealing with Complexity With a background in industrial engineering, Atalay Atasu has long had an interest in operations and logistics, applying his combined engineering and research skills to the problems managers face when dealing with complex systems.

Atalay’s research has appeared in leading journals, and he has won important honors, including the Paul Kleindorfer Award in Sustainability (2013).

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ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Faculty Profile: Jennifer Carson Marr Studies Career Setbacks and Comebacks Jennifer Carson Marr admits that she had a naive view of what it takes to make it to the top in the corporate world when she first began her career.

At the time she was working for executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, interviewing potential candidates for executive positions. “I became interested in what made them successful,” she says.

“In my mind, I would have thought they would have followed a clear trajectory from Job A to Job B to Job C. But in talking to those leaders, I realized that they didn’t always follow direct paths to get where they were,” explains Marr, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Scheller.

“I’d previously thought that if you ever got demoted or fired, that was it,” she says. “But many of those executives had experienced failures they considered key to becoming successful. Some took circuitous routes, switching industries or making lateral moves because they wanted to work in particular divisions or learn certain skills. I learned there’s not always a clear path to the top.”

Research Inspiration That early work experience sparked her interest in doing related research, inspiring her to pursue her PhD at London Business School. Her dissertation focused on the phenomenon of status loss in the business world and how high achievers cope with it.

In 2014, Marr published the paper “Falling from Great (and Not So Great) Heights: Initial Status Position Influences Performance after Status Loss” in the leading Academy of Management Journal.

Marr says “the traditional perspective is that high-status individuals will be in a better position to deal with status loss and perform well afterwards than low-status individuals.”

But her paper called this traditional view into question. Yes, high-status individuals may have “more resources than low-status individuals on which to

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draw,” but they also “experience more self-threat and subsequent difficulty performing well after losing status,” concludes her study.

Dependence on Status Although “making their prestigious position a central part of their self bolsters high-status individuals’ self-worth... it also means that they come to depend more than low-status individuals on their status to maintain their positive self-view,” Marr explains.

“Consequently, losing status is likely to be more self-threatening for high- than low-status individuals, and they will experience a more significant decline in the quality of their performance in the immediate aftermath of status loss.”

Marr and her co-author derived their findings from two behavior experiments and a study involving Major League Baseball players. In the baseball study, the researchers examined whether higher-status players were more negatively affected by final-offer salary-arbitration losses then those of lesser status.

Performance on the field did tend to fall off for the higher-status players, the study found.

“Our research investigates the consequences of status loss, but over time individuals find ways to affirm themselves and come back through perseverance and persistence,” she says. “Steve Jobs and Martha Stewart are prime examples of that.”

Academic Success Perseverance and persistence are also qualities that are helpful for success in academic research, says Marr, a native of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. “It is a career where you have to learn from failures, as many papers submitted for publication are often rejected or require extensive revisions.”

When Marr first arrived in Atlanta to interview for a Scheller College position, she was staying at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center just before a football game. “It was very exciting with all of these people around wearing Georgia Tech paraphernalia,” she remembers.

As a new mother, she’s found supportive role models among female faculty members. “It’s important to have people you look up to,” she says.

“Losing status is likely to be more self-threatening for high- than low-status individuals, and they will experience a more significant decline in the quality of their performance in the immediate aftermath of status loss.�

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STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Faculty Profile: Henry Sauermann Studies What Makes Scientists Tick

As the son of physicians, Henry Sauermann expected that he, too, would have a career in medicine. But after working in a hospital during his civil service in his home country of Germany, he realized medicine wasn’t for him. “There were some aspects that I liked, but others that I didn’t,” says the associate professor of strategic management.

Instead, he found himself interested in business, although he didn’t veer far from his original interest in the sciences. In fact, throughout his undergraduate studies in economics, he worked in science and technology startups, always finding himself in the company of scientists and engineers.

What struck him about his colleagues was the excitement they had about their jobs. “From what I observed, there were clearly incentives beyond money and career advancement.”

Since joining Scheller in 2008, he has focused almost exclusively on studying what motivates scientists and how the institutional context in which they are embedded shapes their performance and career trajectories. Understanding the motives of scientists—both professionals and non-professional “citizen” scientists—can have important implications for innovation.

For example, Sauermann’s newest projects examine crowd science and innovation contests. Both involve large numbers of people and end up with the same result—the solution to a problem—but they get there quite differently. In crowd science, the process is public and no one owns the solution; in innovation contests, a winner is paid for a solution that the contest organizer owns.

“These are both novel ways of innovating,” he says, “but the incentives for participants are quite different, providing interesting settings in which to compare and contrast creative processes as well as outcomes.”

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Understanding the Next Generation Beyond offering insights into innovation, understanding what motivates scientists also has implications for educational policy. In particular, the National Science Foundation, concerned about whether the U.S. is producing the ideal number of scientists, has funded a major longitudinal survey of PhD students and postdocs in the U.S. started by Sauermann in 2010.

“In recent years, policymakers have begun asking whether we are producing too many science PhDs or not enough,” he says. This question grew out of the observation that many PhDs did not end up in tenure-track academic positions. “When PhDs ended up in other careers, like industry or consulting, there was the implicit assumption that they couldn’t get jobs in academia, thus signaling a possible glut of PhDs,” he explains.

Through the survey, Sauermann found that some students started their PhD training only to realize they didn’t like research, while others ended up pursuing jobs in firms because they were disillusioned with the academic environment or because they liked working on more applied problems in industry.

“Different people care about different things,” he says of their findings, which directly challenge the assumption that everyone pursing a PhD would want to end up in academia.

Founders and Joiners Sauermann is further analyzing the survey data to understand the career choices of PhDs who pursue a career in industry. Specifically, he’s interested in why some end up in large, traditional corporations while others are attracted to entrepreneurial startups.

“We found that more people are interested in joining an existing startup—we call them ‘joiners’— than are willing to start their own companies,” he says.

These joiners tend to be disinterested in management and are somewhat more risk averse, but they love the freedom and excitement of research and development in a startup setting.”

This result, says Sauermann, may also provide insight to managers into ways to motivate employees.

Indeed, managers in large firms—looking for new ways to provide intellectual challenge to their scientists—are increasingly offering some “free time,” where employees can work on whatever projects interest them.

“Many of the ideas that flow out of ‘free time’ turn out to be very good.”

“In recent years, policymakers have begun asking whether we are producing too many science PhDs or not enough.�

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Georgia Tech Offers New One-Year Master’s in Analytics

In fall 2014, Georgia Tech admitted its first class of students into the new one-year Master of Science in Analytics program.

Designed to meet the growing demand for techsavvy professionals who can transform data into relevant insights for making better business decisions, the MS in Analytics leverages the combined strengths of Georgia Tech in statistics, operations research, computing, and business.

The program is a joint effort of Scheller College of Business, the College of Engineering’s Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, and the College of Computing’s School of Computational Science and Engineering.

“Analytics spans the fields of statistics, operations research, computing, and business,” says Joel Sokol, director of the MS in Analytics program. “Our degree is one of the few truly interdisciplinary analytics degrees that includes all of those areas.”

DIVERSE STUDENTS The first class of 40 students had a median quantitative GRE/GMAT score in the 93rd percentile, and a median of two years of work experience. Fifteen students already have a master’s in another field, and five have a PhD or MD. “They come from very diverse academic backgrounds,” says Sri Narasimhan, senior associate dean of Scheller. “Give us anyone with the right ability, and we’ll teach them the skills they need to be an outstanding analytics professional.”

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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Students choose to focus on one of three tracks: Analytical Tools, which provides students with a greater understanding of the quantitative methodology of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics.

• Business Analytics, which provides students with an extensive knowledge of the practice of using analytics in business and industry.

• Computational Data Analytics, which provides students with a deeper understanding of the practice of dealing with “big data.”

•

“Give us anyone with the right ability, and we’ll teach them the skills they need to be an outstanding analytics professional.”

- Senior Associate Dean Sri Narasimhan BUSINESS ANALYTICS CENTER Scheller’s role in the degree program is spearheaded by its new Business Analytics Center (BAC). Founded in fall 2014, the BAC brings together organizations, analytics thought leaders, talented students, and interdisciplinary faculty to educate and exchange best practices for applying analytics to solve business problems.

Corporate members of BAC’s Executive Council include AT&T Mobility, The Coca-Cola Company, Deloitte Analytics, Equifax, and North Highland.

IT Management Professor D.J. Wu

Scheller College Tailors Custom Program for China Mobile’s Top Executives Twenty-eight top executives from China Mobile, the leading mobile services provider in mainland China, traveled to Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business for the custom program “IT Transformation and Innovation in the Digital Age.” Developed by Scheller College’s Huang Executive Education Center, this custom program ran August 11-15, 2014, and was led by IT Management Professors Jeffrey Hu and D.J. Wu. Ranked 6th in the world for the Information Technology specialty by Bloomberg Businessweek, Scheller College is a great fit for companies needing to develop IT-related custom programs, Hu says.

The program for China Mobile included modules on big data analytics, mobile customer behavior, innovation and design thinking, and business model transformation, among others.

In 2013, China Mobile had operating revenue of more than $100 billion U.S. dollars and a customer base of more than 800 million. It was again selected as one of the “FT Global 500” by the Financial Times and the “World’s 2,000 Biggest Public Companies” by Forbes.

“It is a great honor for Scheller College of Business to collaborate with a world-famous technology company like China Mobile….,” said Scheller Dean Maryam Alavi at the certificate ceremony. “Because both of our organizations are globally recognized for cuttingedge technologies, I am convinced that the Georgia Tech-China Mobile relationship is a marriage made in heaven.”

Hu, director of Scheller’s China Program, said that “high-impact programs like the China Mobile one will deepen Scheller College’s partnership with top business schools in China, enhance our College’s reputation in China, and help us gain access to top students and business executives there.”

Scheller Custom Executive Education Clients Have Included: • The Coca-Cola Company • The Clorox Company • General Electric • Lockheed Martin • McKesson • NCR • NFL

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

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Scheller Event Highlights Need for Partnerships to Create Sustainable Future During a panel discussion on sustainability at Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, Novelis President and CEO Phil Martens recalled an alarming conversation he had with a climatologist a decade ago. They had discussed the repercussions if society didn’t reduce carbon emissions, ranging from the melting of polar ice caps and jet-stream shifts to the contamination of the air, soil, and water.

“The last time I checked, the newest planet they found that might have life on it was a couple of million light years away, so I don’t think we’re going to get there very quickly.

This is the only home we’ve got, and we’ve got to be doggish about protecting it.”

- Heather McTeer Toney, EPA Since then, Martens has led Novelis, a leading manufacturer of rolled aluminum products, to achieve aggressive recycling goals. He was among a number of thought leaders on the environment who converged at Scheller on May 1, 2014, to discuss “The Sustainability Advantage: The Art and Science of Creating Sustainable Value.”

Organized by Scheller’s Center for Business Strategies for Sustainability (CBSS), the event’s panel discussion also included: John Brock, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises; Mike Duke, retired president and CEO of Walmart; Tom Murray, vice president (corporate partnerships), Environmental Defense Fund; Beril Toktay, a Scheller professor of operations management and faculty director of CBSS; and Heather McTeer Toney, regional administrator, EPA Region 4.

Grassroots Demand Novelis’ Phil Martens believes that society will increasingly demand sustainable solutions at the grassroots level. “It’s not going to be the corporations. It’s not going to be the government. It’s going to the people demanding, out of fear, that we better do something.”

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On a recent visit to Beijing, China, he learned that some of the top-selling products are air filtration units needed for the population to cope with high levels of air pollution. Martens also cited recent findings that the pollution from Beijing is reaching San Francisco.“We have to treat this as a global issue,” he said.

Martens’ commended Walmart’s Mike Duke for taking a leading role on sustainability over the last decade, as the company has pushed its suppliers for more environmentally friendly products, such as concentrated laundry detergent. During the panel discussion, Duke was asked how he and his predecessor, Lee Scott, went about convincing board members, shareholders, and employees of the value of sustainability.

“That was the easiest job of convincing anyone I’ve ever had on any topic,” Duke said. He noted that Walmart’s leadership realized that the “consumer of the future would really be focused on sustainability as part of their purchasing decisions concerning the products they buy and the companies they do business with.”

Duke added, “Our own people really wanted us to be engaged in sustainability.”

Coca-Cola’s John Brock said that “sustainability is now the number-two driver of employee engagement,” behind only the vision and leadership of the company.

The Right Thing Brock recalled a time nine years ago when one board member expressed doubt about Coke’s plans to become more sustainable. “I said ‘I’ve got to tell you that I think (my gut feeling is) that most things you do in the area of water stewardship, energy conversation, climate change reduction, and recycling improvements are going to pay for themselves.’”

The Environmental Defense Fund’s Tom Murray said he’s pleased to see the growth of corporate sustainability, pointing to Walmart’s effort to remove 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas from the supply chain. “They made the commitment first, then figured out how to do it.”

The EPA’s Heather McTeer Toney said she is excited about increasing collaboration around sustainability.

“We must have partnerships among our industries, among our communities, and governments. We all have to come together in order to understand how to best make sustainability work. In essence, sustainability is really about longevity.”

She added: “The last time I checked, the newest planet they found that might have life on it was a couple of million light years away, so I don’t think we’re going to get there very quickly. This is the only home we’ve got, and we’ve got to be doggish about protecting it.”

Environmental Literacy Scheller College’s Beril Toktay, holder of the Brady Family Chair, cited examples of Georgia Tech’s research

into the business benefits of sustainability. She said that it’s important that all educational institutions emphasize developing their students’ “environmental literacy” and understanding that what they do in their jobs and as personal citizens are not separate when it comes to the environment.

Panel discussion moderator Howard Connell, managing director of CBSS, said the event was organized to provide a forum for “how we can collectively use the power of business, technology, and innovation to create a sustainable future. Our vision is of one that has both a thriving economy and thriving ecosystem supported.”

Panel participants included the EPA’s Heather McTeer Toney; Novelis’ Phil Martens; and Walmart’s Mike Duke (left to right), among others.

“It’s not going to be the corporations. It’s not going to be the government. It’s going to the people demanding, out of fear, that we better do something.” - Phil Martens, Novelis

SUSTAINABILITY

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STUDENT PROFILE:

Technology & Management Program Preparing Elana Burton for Success

“When I first visited for my scholarship interview, I could see how dedicated the administrators here are to students. They invest so much time.”

Elana Burton of Peachtree City, Georgia, says she was originally “dead set” on attending college out of state.

“But the more I learned about Scheller College of Business, the more I fell in love with it,” says the senior business administration major, who was also accepted at universities including Harvard and Notre Dame.

Winning both a President’s Scholarship from Georgia Tech and a Dean’s Scholarship from Scheller College definitely influenced her decision, she says.

“When I first visited for my scholarship interview, I could see how dedicated the administrators here are to students. They invest so much time.”

She’s been impressed with the professors as well. “They have so much passion for what they do, and it really comes across in class. They care about their students.”

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TECHNOLOGY & MANAGEMENT Burton is now preparing herself to be a technologically savvy business leader through Tech’s Denning Technology & Management (T&M) Program. She is earning a minor in Engineering & Management through the two-year program, which includes participants from the Colleges of Business, Engineering, Sciences and Computing.

“It’s going to be a huge advantage for me in the workplace,” Burton says. “It will make me a better liaison with technical groups at companies.”

Burton decided to choose a concentration in operations management after completing an internship at Target in summer 2013. She worked with executives there to create operations plans that would meet Target’s freight-to-store supply-chain goals, and she led a 20-person team at a 24/7 distribution center in Savannah, Georgia.

During summer 2014, she interned in operations management for Boeing in Seattle, Washington, where she worked with several other students in the Denning T&M Program. Boeing is a T&M Corporate Affiliate, providing real-world capstone projects for participating students.

INTERNATIONAL INTERESTS Burton would eventually like to gain experience working overseas, perhaps in Latin America or China.

She is learning Chinese and is already fluent in Spanish, having worked as an interpreter for Good Samaritan Health Center, helping Hispanic patients communicate with their doctors.

Burton, who studied abroad in Madrid in summer 2012, prefers that her Puerto Rican roommate only speak Spanish to her while at home. “I’m such an international geek,” she says.

She is currently the president of Scheller College’s Student Development Board, which provides student perspectives and interaction for alumni and donors. “We give them real-time connection to Tech, explaining why we love the school and why they should consider giving back,” she says.

PhD PROFILE:

Lori Shefchik Studies Auditor Behavior

“Sarbanes-Oxley was designed to improve audit quality, but there are still a lot of effects that have gone unexplored. I think it’s important to better understand the benefits, but also to consider whether there are any unintended consequences.”

When Lori Shefchik, PhD 2014, was in first grade, she thought she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up—that is, until she found out you had to go to college.

That’s when she switched her dream job to accountant. She knew her Mom had worked in that role for the family’s construction company without a college degree.

“My fiancé teases me,” says Shefchik, who started as an assistant professor of accounting at Indiana University in summer 2014.

“He thinks it’s funny that after 10 years of higher education, I’ve become a ‘teacher’ after all.”

Shefchik, who grew up in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, earned a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater before beginning her career as an auditor at Deloitte in 2005. “It’s a great place to start your career because of the unbeatable experience you get,” she says. “But after four years, I decided I was ready for a change.”

ENTERING ACADEMIA Exploring options, she spent time talking to a lot of PhD students to figure out if academia would be a good fit. “I wanted to make sure I’d

enjoy the research before I got into it,” says Shefchik, who has published studies in the journals Accounting Horizons and Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory.

For her research, Shefchik draws inspiration from her days as an auditor. Specifically, she examines how auditor behavior is influenced by institutional and environmental factors with the aim of improving audit quality. As part of this research, she studies how new accounting regulations, such as those instituted by the SarbanesOxley Act of 2002 in the wake of major corporate accounting scandals, have influenced auditors’ judgments and decisions.

“Sarbanes-Oxley was designed to improve audit quality, but there are still a lot of effects that have gone unexplored. I think it’s important to better understand the benefits, but also to consider whether there are any unintended consequences,” Shefchik explains.

CHOOSING TECH After Shefchik decided to leave the world of auditing and enter academia, she was drawn to Scheller College of Business by the excellence and expertise of the accounting faculty here.“They’re all excellent researchers, and they all specialize in behavioral and experimental methods,” she explains.

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ALUMNI PROFILE:

Home Depot’s Kelly Barrett a Dedicated Booster of Georgia Tech When it comes to naming her favorite colors, Kelly Barrett is divided. On weekends—especially during football season—she favors Georgia Tech’s white and gold. But during the week, orange is her color of choice.

“Orange is the color of money!” she says, laughing.

Barrett, who earned her BS from Scheller in 1986, is vice president of internal audit and corporate compliance for The Home Depot at its Atlanta headquarters.

She ensures that the home-improvement retailer’s operational processes are efficient and effective and that the financial controls conform to proper accounting and financial practices. She also makes certain The Home Depot adheres to a host of regulatory and legal requirements, as well as the company’s own business code of conduct.

“It’s about making sure that people are doing the right thing,” she says.

CAREER PATH Growing up in Atlanta, Barrett originally thought she might want to become a teacher, like her parents. But in high school, she took an accounting class where she discovered her aptitude for the subject, influencing her decision to study business at tech.

With a new career path in mind, going to Tech made sense because here she could earn a business degree with a concentration in accounting. “After the first few accounting classes, I just fell completely in love with it,” she recalls.

Barrett now supervises The Home Depot’s Leadership Program. The two-year development program is “designed to bring young talent into the company and teach them about every aspect of the business,” she explains. “A lot of the young people I work with in the program went to Tech either as undergraduates in engineering and business, or they are graduates of the MBA program.”

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“Georgia Tech has played a large part in my success, and that’s why I’m so active back on campus and have stayed close to the school.”

Barrett also comes into contact with alumni and students through her involvement with the Scheller College. A longtime contributor to the College (having endowed the Kelly H. and Rick Barrett Dean’s Scholarship), she speaks to business classes frequently and serves on the Advisory Board.

“Georgia Tech has played a large part in my success, and that’s why I’m so active back on campus and have stayed close to the school,” explains Barrett, a member of the College’s Academy of Distinguished Young Alumni.

After graduating from Tech, Barrett spent more than a decade with Cousins Properties, rising to the position of chief financial officer. Then one afternoon in 2002, she received an unexpected call from an executive recruiter for The Home Depot.

“I was happy where I was, but thought I should at least listen to the opportunity,” she recalls. The interview clinched the deal for Barrett, noting that Georgia Tech and The Home Depot share many outstanding qualities.

“Both have high standards. They’re both highenergy, competitive environments, and they’re great organizations with great people.”

ALUMNI PROFILE:

North Highland CEO Says Supporting Scheller is Good for Business “Hey, Yankee boy!” called the teenage girl with a Georgia drawl. It was 14-year-old Daniel Reardon’s first day in an unfamiliar new school and state—Riverside High, in Sandy Springs, Georgia—and he thought the cute young girl’s dulcet accent was the prettiest thing he’d ever heard.

“It turns out she was actually poking fun at me,” laughs the Scheller College graduate (BS 1986), who grew up in the small, upstate farming community of New City, about a half hour north of New York City, and moved with his family to metro Atlanta in 1977.

“But I didn’t care so much because it sounded so nice.”

Reardon has long since shed his newcomer status of some 35 years ago to become firmly established as one of Atlanta’s top business leaders and a staunch supporter of Tech’s Scheller College of Business.

LEADING CONSULTING COMPANY As CEO of North Highland, a top-drawer consulting company headquartered in Buckhead, Reardon oversees a $650 million operation with 2,300 employees in 50 offices located in the U.S., Asia and Europe. In its most recent annual survey, Consulting magazine ranked North Highland third overall among the best firms to work for, its sixth consecutive year in the top four.

Reardon, who joined the company and became CEO in 2005, credits North Highland’s spectacular growth to several factors, beginning with the quality of the Tech graduates he recruits.

“We hire a lot of MBAs from the Scheller College, and they’re awesome,” says Reardon, who serves on the College’s Advisory Board. “In fact, we hire more people from Tech than from anywhere else in the country.”

“Tech teaches you to be tenacious and stay focused, and in this business that’s a big deal,” he explains. “I learned how to set goals, and I don’t give up until we get there—although you have to change your tactics along the way.”

“We hire more people from Tech than from anywhere else in the country.”

COMMITTED TO TECH He says that his experience with these new graduates, along with Georgia Tech’s commitment to strengthening its business education curriculum, persuaded him to support endowments to help fund the Scheller College’s MBA program and make “a good business education even stronger at Georgia Tech.”

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ALUMNI PROFILE:

Art Brannen Explains the Power of “Yes” ments, where Brannen acquired and developed a site approved by Advance, and then built the store.

Several more Advance Auto Parts stores are in various stages of completion in the Southeast, along with a dozen or so remodeling projects. Topping out Brannen’s full plate of current construction work are a pair of Dunkin Donuts stores.

“When someone asks you to do something, and you’re not sure if you should do it because you have so many demands already, say ‘Yes’ anyway.”

One of the best pieces of advice Art Brannen ever heard went like this: “When someone asks you to do something, and you’re not sure if you should do it because you have so many demands already, say ‘Yes’ anyway,” he advises.

Brannen, BS 1973, is president of Brannen Development Co., a construction firm he founded in 1981. The first years were spent building retail centers and warehouses, primarily. Then one day back in the mid-’90s a friend called

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and asked Brannen if he would be interested in doing work for Advance Auto Parts.

“I was just covered up at the time,” he remembers. “I was building four post offices and facing some tough deadlines. I should have said ‘no,’ but I said ‘yes.’“ It turned out to be a prophetic answer. To date, Brannen has completed 130 construction projects for the auto parts retailer; 70 were straight-up construction jobs and 60 were owner-builder develop-

COMMITTED TO TECH Brannen has a habit of saying “Yes” to Georgia Tech as well. A former member of the Scheller College’s Advisory Board, he was a major donor to the College’s Technology Square building. The common area here bears his name. He has also made estate provisions to endow a professorship at the College.

Brannen, who played on the freshman basketball team, is also a longtime supporter of Tech athletics —a tennis scholarship is awarded in his name—and is a life member of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund.

“I love Georgia Tech. I had a lot of good professors and received a lot of benefits from my education there. So I want to give back and help the Scheller College,” he says.

“At Tech, you have to be a hard worker, you have to be organized and you have to be able to solve problems,” he adds. “Those three characteristics have really helped me in my business.”

Select Faculty Achievements Frank Rothaermel, professor of strategic management and holder of the Russell and Nancy McDonough Chair, was named among the top 96 faculty members worldwide in the category Economics and Business

by Thomson Reuters.

Sabyasachi Mitra, professor of information technology management, was appointed senior editor for the leading journal Information Systems Research, effective January 1, 2015.

Seletha Butler

Seletha Butler, assistant professor of law and ethics, won two fellowships at Harvard University for the 2014-2015 academic year: In the Women and Public Policy Program of Harvard’s Kennedy School and the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics.

Henry Sauermann, associate professor of strategic management, became advisory editor of the journal Research Policy. He also won the best paper award at the DRUID Annual Conference (Danish Research Unit on Industrial Dynamics).

Ajay Kohli

Cheol Eun, professor of finance and the Thomas R. Williams Chair, published the 7th edition of his textbook International Financial Management (McGraw Hill), now translated into Chinese, Spanish, Indonesian, and Korean.

Jeffrey Hales, associate professor of accounting, was named associate editor for Accounting Horizons, effective 2015. He serves as ad hoc editor for Contemporary Accounting Research.

Cheol Eun

Arnold Schneider, area coordinator and professor of accounting, co-authored the book Accounting for Healthcare Professionals (Bridgepoint Education).

Eric Overby, associate professor of IT Management, won the Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award at Georgia Tech.

Ajay Kohli, professor of marketing and the Gary T. and Elizabeth R. Jones Chair, was elected to the executive committee of the European Marketing Academy for 2014-15.

Frank Rothaermel

David Ku, Regents’ professor and the Lawrence P. Huang Chair of Engineering Entrepreneurship who holds a joint appointment in Scheller College, is principal investigator of the “Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium” ($3.5 million award from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration), through 2018.

Gary Jones, professor of the practice of finance, received the Charles C. Abbott Award from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, the highest honor Darden bestows upon its alumni. Jones holds an MBA from Darden and a BS from Georgia Tech.

Arnold Schneider

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College Welcomes New Faculty The Scheller College welcomed several tenured or tenure-track faculty members for the 2014-2015 academic year.

Deven Desai, associate professor of law and ethics Desai previously served on the faculty of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He also served as academic research counsel at Google and a visiting fellow at Princeton University. His research, published in many leading law reviews, examines how business interests, new technology, and economic theories shape privacy and intellectual property law.

Peter Thompson, professor of Strategic Management Thompson, who holds a PhD from the University of Florida, has served on the faculty of Emory, Florida International, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Houston. His research, published in numerous journals, focuses on endogenous growth theory, industry evolution, entrepreneurship, organizational learning, and medical decision making. He is associate editor of Management Science.

Adithya Pattabhiramaiah, assistant professor of marketing Pattabhiramaiah earned his PhD from the University of Michigan in 2014. His primary research interests lie in the areas of marketing analytics, information media, and digital/social media marketing. He has received several awards, including the 2014 Marketing Science Institute Alden G. Clayton Dissertation Proposal Competition Award.

Daniel Weagley, assistant professor of finance Weagley earned his PhD from the University of Michigan in 2014. His current research interests focus on the interaction between financial markets and government agencies, financial sector stress and asset prices and the investing ability of individual investors. Cited by the WSJ MarketWatch, his work has been presented at a National Bureau of Economic Research conference.

Scheller Remembers Professor Slaughter Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business Professor Sandra Slaughter, world-renowned for her contributions to information technology research, died unexpectedly on November 3, 2014.

Slaughter, who joined the faculty of Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business in 2007, held the Alton M. Costley Chair and was a professor of information technology management.

In addition to groundbreaking research and outstanding teaching, Slaughter is remembered by colleagues and students for her generosity with her time, talent and resources.

Professor Steve Salbu, who helped recruit Slaughter to Georgia Tech from Carnegie Mellon during his tenure as dean, says: “Sandy was a star in her field and an inspiration to all in her dedication to service and generosity to her colleagues. She was loved by all at Scheller for her excellence and for her kindness. Sandy set the standard for collegiality and friendship toward which we all strive.�

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College Donors The following list recognizes all donors who made gifts and commitments designated to the College from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 Sarah and Henry R. Adams, Jr., IM 1949 Michelle L. and Rodney C. Adkins, EE 1981, MS EE 1983, PHD 2013 Lisa C. Allen James Ross Alter, MGT 2012 Pam and Robert A. Anclien, IM 1969, MS IM 1970 Kimia Arjmand, BC 2008, MS BC 2010 Nancy and James E. Arnett, IMGT 1973 Kaydee and Bill Bailey Karen-Melissa and Matthew H. Bain, MGT 2001, MBA 2010 Angela P. and J. Reed Baker, IMGT 1985, IE 1985 Lisa D. and Steven R. Baldwin, IM 1971 Vicki L. and CDR W. G. Ballard, ME 1973, MS MGT 1997 Kelly H. Barrett, IM 1986 and Rick Barrett, IE 1985 Pat C. Barton Kristina Baugher, MGT 2008 Charles R. Beaudrot Marshall J. Beebe, IM 1967 (deceased) Toni and Richard L. Bergmark, IMGT 1975 Keith R. Bevan, MBA 2008 Michael and Roberta A. Bienfait, MS MOT 2001 Harriet and William P. Bland, Jr. (Ret.), IM 1959 Anna Marie Blatt Connie and Roger E. Blythe, Jr., MSCI 1978 Jeni S. Bogdan, MGT 1988, MS MOT 1999 and Jeffrey P. Bogdan, MGT 1989, MS MOT 1996 Pamela P. and Hoke S. Brannen, Jr., IM 1967 Robert L. Branner, Jr., IM 1943 Kay R. Braverman Lorraine D. Bremer Karen M. and William H. Brewster William C. Britt, EE 2001, MBA 2009 Donald F. Broda, III, MS MGT 1998 Marvin E. Brooks III, MGT 2013 Jan and Edward J. Brown, III, IM 1970 Lisa D. and Paul J. Brown, MGT 1989 Teresa Brownlie Sylvia and Thomas E. Brydon, MS IMGT 1982 Mary Ellen and R. Steve Buffington, IMGT 1977 Penny M. and William C. Burgess, IM 1971 Kathrine C. Burke Nedra Byers Lynda T. and John P. Byrne, Jr. CFRE

Scott D. Casmer, MS MGT 1997, MS IE 1997 Cassidy Turley Beverly N. and Don L. Chapman, IM 1961 Sharon and Madison F. Cole, Jr., Class of 1972 Jacqueline and William R. Collins, Jr., ME 1957, MS IM 1963 Donna and C. Richard Crutchfield, IM 1969 Eliot Dash, MBA 2014 Patricia B. and Marcus J. Dash, AE 1966, MS AE 1968 Manuel S. De Gracia, MBA 2009 Lee Ann Decarlo Angel E. and Stephen M. Deedy, IMGT 1981 Susan and David W. Deiters, Jr., IMGT 1982 Shelly S. and Christopher Charles Demetree, IMGT 1986 Roberta and Steven A. Denning, IM 1970 John Dickson Monique and P. Brent Duncan, MBA 2009 Patrick F. Dye Michael L. Ely, MS MGT 2002 Cheol S. Eun Raena W. and Joseph W. Evans, IM 1971 Lori Evers Beverly B. Fanning Margaret P. Farrell Joyce Ferris Christine E. File Ellyn W. and Paul A. Foltz, Jr. Julie M. and Lesley C. Foster-Lonon, MS MGT 2002 Deborah K. Fox, MS MGT 1997 Jaqueline K. and John B. Fry, IM 1965, MS IM 1968 Robin F. Gafford Eleanor N. and Melvyn P. Galin, PhD, IM 1953 Elizabeth M. Gallant Olga Marie Oliver Gay and L. Thomas Gay, IM 1966 Soumen Ghosh Bonnie P. and Jeffrey V. Giglio, EE 1977 Cathy and Robert M. Gilson, Jr., IMGT 1973 Gail and Marion B. Glover, Jr., IM 1965 Kathryn T. Godwin Molly T. and Terry A. Graham, IM 1969 Rosemary and Gregory G. Greaves, MS MGT 1998 Robert E. Green Allyson L. and Michael D. Greene, MBA 2009 Jill S. and David R. Greer, MS MGT 2000 Henry Michael Hammond, BMGT 1975 Joan C. and Hubert L. Harris, Jr., IM 1965 Amy E. Haskins Jean and Thomas E. Hassett III, IM 1970 Patti A. and Kenneth W. Hawkins, EE 1981 Mary Helen Heaner Michele B. and W. Daniel Heidt, IM 1963 Elizabeth and Bradley P. Herring, MGT 1992, MS MGT 1997 Youel G. Hilsman, Jr., CHE 1945 Eric Hinkle Lena H. Hinton Nancy J. and Lawrence P. Huang, BMGT 1973

Carol B. and J. Robert Hudson, IM 1965 Ann W. and James D. Hunt, IMGT 1979 Christy and Gordon Hwang, IE 2001, MBA 2009 Wendy and Keith D. Jackson, MGT 1988 Molly and Dennis H. James, Jr., MGT 1992 Karen and Omar R. Janjua, IMGT 1980 Beth W. and Neil C. Johnson, IM 1967 Shannon N. Joiner, MGT 2006 Elizabeth R. and Gary T. Jones, GMGT 1971, GMGT 1972 Karen and Stephen M. Jordan, IM 1971 Carol and N. Richard Kalikow, IM 1964 Kimberly and Steven Keever, MGT 1987 Mindy S. Kenney Rebecca and Fawad A. Khan, MS ECE 1998, MBA 2007 Brenda and Jack C. Kilgore, GMGT 1972 Ajay Kumar Kohli Kevin Lei Dale and George W. Levert, MS IMGT 1974 Jennifer and Steven R. Lewis, CHBE 2006 Sandra W. and Hank P. Linginfelter, IMGT 1983 Thomas R. Long Heather Marie Louviere, MBA 2009 Renee and William J. Magee, IMGT 1985 Mary Anne and Benton J. Mathis, Jr., IMGT 1981 Rhonda J. and Michael A. McCarthy, MS MGT 1986 Patricia W. and Lawson J. McConnell, IM 1959 Carolyn M. and David J. McGill David S. McPherson, ICS 1991 Kathy T. and P. Kenneth Millen, IM 1967 Adrienne B. Miller Cindy and Cooper Newton Mills, Jr., IM 1968 Helen Gentry Kessler Morris Stuart L. Morrow John C. Murphy Douglas T. Muzik, IMGT 1978 Michael Nadal Beverly G. and Michael A. Neal, IMGT 1975 John S. Nichols Joseph L. Norsworthy Jane M. and M. Lamar Oglesby, IM 1950 Linda B. Oldham Jenna and William R. Olsen, CHE 1982 Grover C. Outland, Jr. Gail S. and David A. Owens, PA, MS MGT 1998 Cindy and Gregory J. Owens, IMGT 1982 Joan G. and Joe S. Payne, IM 1957 Sharon A. and David B. Pearce, IM 1970 John D. Pelton, Sr., IM 1962 Richard I. Penkert, ME 1982 Kendall and W. Derek Porter, MGT 1995 Sharon and Matthew R. Price, IMGT 1978 Michelle L. and Peter E. Quinones, MBA 2008 Margaret Hall Rallings Charlotte W. Ray Garnet K. and Daniel Reardon, IMGT 1986 Sandra and J. Lamar Reese, Jr., IM 1955

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College Donors continued...

Jennifer R. Rewis, CPA and Charles B. Rewis, CPA, MGT 1992 Edward H. Rowe, CMPE 2003, BA 2014 Betty A. and Bruce F. Rutherford, IMGT 1972 Edwin S. Ryan, Jr. Christopher R. Sampson, ME 2006 Deen Day Sanders Christi L. Saylors Roberta and Ernest Scheller, Jr., IM 1952, PhD 2013 Stevie and Robert J. Schmidt, IMGT 1973 Marcy L. and Arnold Schneider M. H. Sebastian B. Jane Skelton, IM 1977 Sandra A. Slaughter (deceased) John E. Smith, II, IM 1958 Kimberly and Mark V. Smith, IMGT 1979 Anna and M. A. Smith, Jr., IMGT 1978, MS MGT 1997 Teresa M. Smith and Wayne Sellars, IMGT 1983 Tami and Richard N. Speer, Jr., GMGT 1970, GMGT 1971 Lisa N. and Philip D. Spessard Harry R. Stamper, III, IMGT 1982 Gloria and Houston W. Staton, EES 1978 Susan Jones Steele Hamilton Chip Stockton, III Kristin R. Stockton Jane H. and J. Leland Strange, IM 1965 Don Thomas Joyce Elaine Thomas Alexander Tobias James Travis Laura F. and James E. Trimble, Jr., MGT 1991 Ann S. Turner Diane and Gene L. Ussery, Jr., GMGT 1971 Karen and Chris A. Verlander, IM 1970 Alice Wagner Catherine W. and Edwin A. Wahlen, Jr., IM 1970 Violet W. and William H. Washington, Jr., MS IMGT 1953 Elizabeth A. Watts

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Jodi S. Weinkle, MGT 2005 Patricia W. and H. Oliver Welch Wendi and John R. Wells, IMGT 1984 J. Bruce Williams, Jr. Barbara T. and Frank M. Willis, Jr., IM 1953 Hope M. Wilson Clayton B. Wimberly Charity C. and Jason H. Winslow, MBA 2008 Pamela and Eric G. Zaytzeff, MGT 2004 Amelia and S. Brent Zelnak, MGT 1994 Judy D. and Stephen P. Zelnak, Jr., IM 1969 CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION DONORS: Academy of International Business - SE Acuity Brands American Endowment Foundation Amiens Corporation Association of The French Foreign Trade AT&T Foundation Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund Bank of America Corporation Bank of America Foundation Boeing Company Brooks Family Charitable Lead Annuity Trust Capital One Services, LLC Care Solutions Caterpillar Cole Charitable Trust Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Community Management Corporation Deloitte & Touche Elavon Equifax Foundation Equifax Incorporated Ernst & Young Foundation Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Fidelity Investment Charitable Gift Fund Fiserv Solutions Fortune Funding, LLC

GE Foundation Georgia Power Company Georgia Power Foundation Georgia-Pacific Financial Management, LLC Greenguard Environmental Institute Huang Family Foundation Huron Consulting Group IBM International Foundation Intel Corporation Interface Invesco Ltd. Joyce E. & Dakin B. Ferris Foundation Kalikow Realty Co. KPMG Foundation Lam Research Corporation Malik Consulting Metro Atlanta Chamber Of Commerce Microsoft Corporation Mills B. Lane Scholarship Fund Motorola Solutions Foundation National Philanthropic Trust North Highland Reese Construction Co. Rick O Inc. Siemens Energy Smith & Howard, P.C. Southern Company Services The Coca-Cola Company Foundation The Dash Family Foundation The Dow Chemical Company Foundation The Galin Family Foundation The Home Depot The Home Depot Foundation The Rich Foundation The Sage Foundation United Parcel Service Unum Group Vanguard Charitable Endowment

SCHELLER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Advisory Board Christopher S. Alexander IM 1970 Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer (Retired) Hypercom Corporation Robert A. Anclien IM 1969, MS IM 1970 Partner (Retired) Accenture, PLC Steven R. Baldwin IM 1971 Senior Partner (Retired) Deloitte Consulting, LLP Kelly H. Barrett IMGT 1986 Vice President, Internal Audit The Home Depot Richard L. Bergmark IMGT 1975 Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Core Laboratories Robin Bienfait MS-MOT 2001 Chief Enterprise Innovation Officer Samsung Electronics Roger E. Blythe Jr. MGT 1978 Vice President, Business Analysis Chick-fil-A Jeni S. Bogdan MGT 1989, MS MOT 1996 Executive Vice President (Retired) Primoris Energy Services, The Saxon Group David A. Bottoms GMGT 2001 Vice President, Benefits & Compensation The Bottoms Group, LLC R. Steve Buffington IMGT 1977 Vice President Supply Chain The Coca-Cola Company

Andrew E. Cripps IMGT 1981 President IMAX Europe, Middle East and Africa Executive Vice President IMAX Corporation

Terry A. Graham IM 1969 Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (Retired) Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

C. Richard Crutchfield IM 1969 Executive Vice President (Retired) Equifax Incorporated

Henry Michael Hammond BMGT 1975 General Motors Corporation (Retired)

Stephen M. Deedy IMGT 1981 Managing Director & Chief Administrative Officer AlixPartners, LLP Christopher C. Demetree IMGT 1986 Partner Value Plus Ventures Joseph W. Evans IM 1971 Chairman & Chief Executive Officer State Bank and Trust Company Thomas A. Fanning IMGT 1979, MS IMGT 1980 Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer The Southern Company James F. Frazier Jr. IM 1971 Partner Frazier & Deeter Robert M. Gilson Jr. IMGT 1973 President Industrial Metal Fabricators Marion B. Glover Jr. IM 1965 President & Chief Executive Officer Glover Capital

W. Daniel Heidt IM 1963 Executive Vice President (Retired) Boeing Company Lara O’Connor Hodgson AE 1993 Founder Insomnia Consulting, LLC Lawrence P. Huang BMGT 1973 Executive Chairman Unique Squared Keith D. Jackson MGT 1988 Vice President, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition AT&T Mobility Dennis H. James Jr. MGT 1992 Chief Executive Officer International Media Technologies Omar R. Janjua IMGT 1980 President Sonic Restaurants Gary T. Jones GMGT 1971 Professor of The Practice in Finance Georgia Institute of Technology Stephen M. Jordan IM 1971 Partner (Retired) Capco C. Whitney Knoll IM 1970 Principal Newmark Grubb

George W. Levert MS IMGT 1974 Founding Partner (Retired) Kinetic Ventures, LLC Henry P. Linginfelter IMGT 1983 Executive Vice President, Distribution Operations AGL Resources

Daniel Reardon IMGT 1986 Chief Executive Officer North Highland Consulting Worldwide Frances G. Rogers ECON 1983 President Checks & Balances

William J. Magee IMGT 1985 Vice President, Sales Shaw Industries Group

David P. Rowland IMGT 1983 Chief Financial Officer Accenture – Atlanta

Benton J. Mathis Jr. IMGT 1981 Managing Partner Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP

Richard N. Speer GMGT 1970 Chairman Speer & Associates

Alexander H. McGraw III MGT 1992 Vice President, Finance The Home Depot

James E. Trimble MGT 1991 Advisor Nease, Lagana, Eden & Culley

Jack O. McMillan Jr. IMGT 1977 Owner Global Drying Equipment Cooper Mills Jr. IM 1968 Partner CHILDS Advisory Partners Gregory J. Owens IMGT 1982 Chairman & Chief Executive Officer IronPlanet David B. Pearce IM 1970 Venture Partner Draper Nexus Executive Chairman Vitriflex John D. Pelton Sr. IM 1962 Chairman of the Board (Retired) The Pelton Group W. Derek Porter MGT 1995 Manager Blue Ridge Ventures

S. Brent Zelnak MGT 1994 President ZP Enterprises, LLC

EMERITUS MEMBERS Charles Brady IM 1957 Chairman Emeritus INVESCO PLC W. Mansfield Jennings Jr. IM 1956 Chairman ComSouth Corporation A. J. Land IM 1960 Chairman Pope & Land Enterprises Julian LeCraw Sr. IM 1952 President (Retired) Julian LeCraw & Co. Ernest Scheller Jr. IM 1952 Chairman Emeritus Silberline Manufacturing Company

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID

Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business 800 West Peachtree Street NW Atlanta, Georgia 30308 404.894.2600 http://scheller.gatech.edu

Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA Permit No. 3023