Spring 2008 Issue - NIU College of Business - Northern Illinois ...

Annual Magazine Summer 2008NIU BUSINESSNorthern Illinois University College of BusinessWhere the Classroom Meets the Business WorldThe WorldAccording To…(The college’s global strategy)NIU Business College …Global strategy to include China, Egypt, SerbiaStudents …Social Entrepreneurship Class in Mexicovia NIU-Opportunity International collaborationAlumni …From DeKalb, to Ireland, Iraq, and the United Nations

Message from the DeanWWelcome to this issue of NIU Business. This year, Iwould like you to travel with me around the world toglimpse some of the creative and exciting ways we areembracing the reality of a global business environment.The world is such a big place, and yet such a smallplace. This issue of NIU Business highlights how weare teaching our NIU College of Business students thatmessage through our global programs and initiatives.As a college, we made a commitment two years agoto focus on educating students to compete in a globalbusiness environment. We have made great progress,as you will see in this issue where we highlight a sampleof our global programs. It is rewarding to see our NIUstudents take their first step on foreign soil, timid andtense, then return to NIU with the understanding thatpeople have more similarities than differences. It isrewarding to see our faculty infuse global businessprinciples throughout the curriculum as they have moreopportunities to learn and experience global businesspractices firsthand. It is rewarding to help our studentssee how they can make a real difference in others’ livesas they work directly with the world’s poor. We are trulytaking NIU’s College of Business global!DeniseSchoenbachler,dean of theNIU Collegeof Business,at China'sHuangpu Riverin front ofthe Shanghaiskyline.Despite the vastness of global, we all learned how smalland close the world is when, on February 14, 2008, NIUmade world news because of the tragic shooting oncampus. Within hours, NIU College of Business faculty,staff, and students had received offers of condolenceand offers of help…literally from around the globe. Ourfriends in such places as China, India, Brazil, Spain,England, Germany, Serbia, Mexico, and beyond hadheard of our tragedy and reached out to us. Indeed, inthe hours following these events, the world seemed verysmall to us. To all of you who reached out to us, thankyou.I do hope you enjoy this trip around the world withme, as well as catching up on news and events in theCollege of Business. As always, I invite you to visit usin Barsema Hall or at one of our College of Businessalumni events.Denise D. Schoenbachler, DeanNIU College of BusinessWhere the Classroom Meets the Business WorldFINANCIAL STAKEHOLDERSThe NIU College of Business sincerely appreciates all investments made by alumni and friends.The college thanks each and every one of you.

NIU Business2008 College MagazinePublisherDenise D. SchoenbachlerDean, NIU College of BusinessCONTENTSEditor-in-Chief and Creative DirectionMichelle M. De Jean (B.S. Marketing ’94, M.I.S. ’01)Director of MarketingGraphic DesignMary Lou Read-Dreyer (B.F.A. ’75)NIU Office of PublicationsEditorialJessica Schultz (B.A. ’98)NIU Office of PublicationsProductionNIU College of Business Marketing OfficesPrepressBetty DuMontNIU Document ServicesProduction and WritingMichelle De Jean, Director of MarketingPatricia Myers, Office Manager, Dean’s OfficeJennifer Kincaid, B.S. Marketing ’08Kelly Slattery, M.B.A. majorMary ThomasNIU College of Business AdministrationDenise D. Schoenbachler, DeanPaul R. Prabhaker, Associate DeanDaniel Wunsch, Interim Finance ChairSarah Marsh, Management ChairNancy Russo, Operations Management andInformation Systems ChairTanuja Singh, Marketing ChairJames Young, Accountancy ChairSue Braffet, Alumni DirectorAnthony D’Andrea, Development DirectorMichelle De Jean, Marketing DirectorJane Mall, Experiential Learning Center DirectorLori Marcellus, Undergraduate Programs DirectorTim Paige, Technology Resources and Facility DirectorHarry Wright, M.B.A. Program DirectorNorthern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/ affirmativeaction institution and does not discriminate on the basis ofrace, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin,disability, status based on the Victims’ Economic Security andSafety Act (VESSA) or status as a disabled or Vietnam-eraveteran. Further, the Constitution and Bylaws of NorthernIllinois University provides for equal treatment regardless ofpolitical views or affiliation, and sexual orientation.Produced by the Northern Illinois University Offices ofPublications and Document Services.Printed by the authority of the State of Illinois.www.niu.edu 6/08 41135NIU Business is published on an annual basis each spring.Postmaster, send address changes to:Office of the DeanNorthern Illinois UniversityCollege of BusinessBarsema Hall 139DeKalb, IL 60115NIU Switchboard: (815) 753-1000FEATURES4 COVER FOCUS:The World According To…Navigating a Flattened World (page 4):The college’s strategy goes globalA Rising Tide (page 10): Microfinance and the college’spartnership with Opportunity InternationalThe World According To (page 18):Alumni and undergraduates shareperspectives on the world at large16 HeadlinersDistinguished Alumnus Award Recipientand College-Level Scholarship RecipientsSECTIONSIFCDean’s Message25 Briefly Noted: College News28 Persons, Places40 Alumni Focus43 Financial Stakeholders – True North Campaign47 Events 200827, 44 In MemoriamGuadalajara, Mexico, photo by Megan Gruhn (B.S. Management 2007)Additional photography: Bob Banke, Don Butler, George Tarbay, and Scott WalstromNIU Media Imaging

Navigating a Flattened WorldTh e c o l l e ge’s s t r a t e g i c directioni n c l u d e s a f o c u s o n g l o b a l i z at i o nby Michelle De JeanThe Far East of Asia and Europe, the Middle East, and the Heartland…there might have beena time when this combination seemed unlikely, but not anymore. In the best-selling book TheWorld is Flat, author Thomas L. Friedman describeshow numerous technological and social shifts haveleveled economies, creating a flattened world. Aflat world, according to Friedman, is characterizedby “a global, web-enabled platform for multipleforms of sharing knowledge and work” that isunrestricted by time, geography, distance, and evenlanguage. He goes further to say that the flattenedworld has “accidentally made Beijing, Bangaloreand Bethesda next-door neighbors.”Now, a new “neighborhood” – one that is notaccidental – is in development. Scouted outthrough the college’s strategic planning effort,this neighborhood includes the Far East of China,Eastern Europe’s Serbia, Egypt in the Middle East,and the Northern Illinois University College of Business in the Midwest.“NIU, with its proximityto Chicago, is a logicaldestination for thesestudents because it putsthem on the doorstepof one of the few trulyinternational hotspots in theU.S.,” NIU Provost RaymondAlden said, referring toChicago’s status as a globalcrossroads, home to manyglobal corporations.4 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Cover Focus | The World According to...Inroads into the Far EastNIU’s venture into Asia began insummer 2007, when a contingentof university administratorstraveled to China to explorethe creation of graduate-levelprograms at NIU for Chinesebusiness and engineeringstudents. The NIU delegation– Provost Raymond Alden,College of Business Dean DeniseSchoenbachler, and College ofEngineering Dean Promod Vohra– visited some of the country’stop universities: Shanghai JiaoTong University, Nanjing Universityof Finance and Economics (inNanjing), and Hohai University(in Chanzhou). These, and otheruniversities across China, arecommitted to providing theirstudents with internationalexposure and have activelyrecruited educational partners inAmerica, the United Kingdom, Australia,and elsewhere.For China, a large portfolioof international partnerships is just oneaspect of a higher education systemgrowing at an explosive rate. The otheraspect involves a rapidly expanding physicalinfrastructure to accommodate one of theworld’s largest markets. Consider ShanghaiJiao Tong University, where more than 9million square feet of new buildings hasbeen built since 2000. Put another way,that’s the equivalent of building MIT inseven years.“China is a market that cannot beignored. It would be very positive forus to have Chinese students enrolled inour programs,” College of Business DeanDenise Schoenbachler said. “Not onlywould they gain valuable experience andknowledge, but our students would havean opportunity to be exposed to, andlearn from, a different culture and differentways of doing business.”Schoenbachler adds that over the pastdecade the NIU College of Business hasworked to extend its reach beyond theUnited States. These efforts range fromdiscipline-specific exchange programs(with schools in Ireland and, previously, inRussia) and annually-conducted Europeanbusiness seminars, to the increasedinternationalization of the college’sstudent and faculty bodies. “The issuehas always been one of finding the bestfit between our college and the globalbusiness experience in terms of focus,resources, strengths, opportunities, andinfrastructure,” said Schoenbachler.During the 2007 China visit, a best fitmaterialized quickly with the BeijingTechnology and Business University andresulted in a study abroad program jointlycoordinated by the Beijing university andNIU’s business college. In May 2008, 14NIU business undergraduates traveled toChina with Chang Liu, associate professorin the Department of OperationsManagement and Information Systems(OM&IS). For the NIU students, thethree-week study abroad programincluded visits to four companies, one ofwhich is a global corporation with Beijingoperations; additionally, an NIU alumnuswas instrumental in helping to set up thevisit. Inside the Beijing university classroom,the students studied information systemsapplication and practice in China throughcourse work that was taught by the NIUOM&IS professor.China’s PreferredEducational PartnerHistorically, the college’s informationsystems curriculum has consistentlyattracted interest from a large contingentof students in Asia and the Middle East.But recently, other college programs haveexperienced movement in the numbersof overseas students. Through the college’sstrategic planning process, the schoolarticulated a plan to create the necessaryinfrastructure to allow for globalizing thelearning experience on a formal, collegewidebasis. As currently envisioned by thecollege’s Strategic Planning Council, theinfrastructure may take the shape of aCenter for Global Business Education. Thecenter would foster learning opportunitiesNIU Business 2008 | 5

for targeted global corporations andacademic institutions here and abroad.For those partnerships, center servicescould take one of three forms:1) developing and deliveringcurricula for degree completion;2) compressing existing coursesinto study abroad opportunities,complete with on-site visits ofbusinesses operating abroad(possibly to include a short-termexperiential project with a firm);and/or 3) customizing businesstraining for working professionalsand government officials incountries outside of the UnitedStates. No matter the form orfunction, the idea of the Centerfor Global Business Educationis predicated upon a process todevelop and sustain relationships acrosscultures and boundaries and amongmultiple participants: students, academia,governments and governmental officials,global firms, and corporate executives.Providing significant help in that arenais newly appointed Associate DeanPaul Prabhaker. Prior to signing on withNIU in July 2007, Prabhaker had forgedinternational partnerships with more thana dozen overseas academic institutions, aswell as with high-level government officials.Take, for example, Mr. Jun Liu, chief consulof the Chinese Consulate General. Aschief consul, Liu’s duties include identifyingtraining programs in technology andbusiness. Based in Chicago, his officesrepresent China in the nine-state regionof the Midwest. Previously, Liu had workedwith Prabhaker to establish an academicexchange program with the IllinoisInstitute of Technology. But in September2007, Liu accepted an invitation to visitNIU’s College of Business. He met withSchoenbachler and Prabhaker, as well aswith faculty and staff members of theGlobal Task Force, an action team ofthe college’s Strategic Planning Council.Less than a week later, Mr. Liu namedNIU’s College of Business as China’sPreferred Educational Partner, a designationwhich promises to provide cascadingopportunities for the NIU College ofBusiness to become an important player in“Along with its excellentprograms, the strength ofthe NIU College of Businessis in its established andrespected relationshipswith many firms inChicago.”~ Mr. Jun Liu, chief consulof the Chinese Consulate Generalthe education and training realms of oneof the world’s largest markets.Some examples of these opportunities:Immediately after formalizing therelationship, Mr. Liu’s offices worked withthe college to arrange graduate trainingin management and leadership for highrankingChinese officials, many of whominclude mayors, deans, and vice chairmenof various governmental agencies.The Chinese officials arrived at NIU inDecember 2007 and stayed through thespring 2008 semester. Meanwhile, thecollege has also entered into an exclusiverelationship with the Chinese NationalBureau of Statistics, representatives ofwhich made a special trip to visit NIU’sCollege of Business to discuss graduatelevelbusiness degrees for bureauemployees, as well as for prospective hires.The Chinese National Bureau of Statisticsexpressed strong interest in NIU’s M.B.A.,Master of Accountancy Science, andMaster of Information Systems programs.So impressed were the representativeswith the college’s programs, faculty, staff,and facilities that the Chinese NationalBureau of Statistics chose to enter intoan exclusive partnership with the NIUCollege of Business, preferring NIU over allthe 30 graduate-level academic programsin the Chicago market. And on anotherfront, real potential exists for an academicalliance between the NIU College ofBusiness and NanKai University, one ofChina’s top tier universities – oftenviewed as the Harvard of the FarEast.“Mr. Liu was very impressedwith what he saw here. As therelationship with the ChineseConsulate General’s Office grows,NIU may find new opportunitiesto partner creatively with theChinese government,” said Prabhaker,referring to Mr. Liu’s interest intechnologies and managementstrategies for achieving improvedenvironmental safety, one of China’sstrategic priorities along with itsbooming economic development.Pathways intoEastern EuropeInterest in the breadth and depth ofNIU’s education services also comesfrom a newly formed university in Serbia.Slobomir P University was founded in2003 by Serbian natives Slobodan andMira Pavlovic, who wanted to help theirhomeland. Realizing that the country’sfuture prospects lay in the capabilities of itsyouth, they looked to partner with a highcaliberAmerican university that carried abroad range of well-regarded programs.“Very few universities have the completeportfolio of educational services that wehave at our disposal,” Schoenbachler said.“The fact that NIU can address such awide variety of needs and has such a highlyrespected track record provides strongappeal for institutions in many countries.”Plans for the NIU College of Businessacademic alliance with Slobomir PUniversity initially call for academicexchange programs and visiting professorprograms. Down the road, the allianceactivities could include jointly createdcurricula, the delivery of which may betechnology-enabled. But most immediately,6 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Cover Focus | The World According to...Slobomir P University graduated itsfirst generation of students in 2007, andNIU College of Business Dean DeniseSchoenbachler served as its inauguralcommencement speaker.The Road to CairoTraveling to Egypt is anything but aninaugural event for the college. In yearsprior, Ahmed Rifai, retired professor inthe Department of OM&IS, conductedannual three-week study abroad programsin the Middle East for NIU businessmajors. The trips provided approximately15 NIU students per year with accessto some of Egypt’s most influentialpetroleum businesses and governmentorganizations. Then, in fall 2007, the collegewas approached – in part because ofthose earlier activities – to deepen itsrelationship by entering into an educationalalliance with the National ManagementInstitute (NMI) of Egypt.The NMI is a relatively new organization.It supports the Egyptian governmentby providing management and businessservices to Egypt’s numerous ministries(upwards of 20) through an alliancenetwork with academic institutionsaround the world. Participating academicinstitutions – now to include the NIUCollege of Business – initially will workwith NMI to provide business trainingcourses to ministry employees. However,NMI’s long-range intention is ambitious;NMI’s overall purpose for the businesstraining is to transform ministry operationsinto those characterized by a highperformanceprivate sector firm.Moustafa Shaarawi – senior advisorto the Egyptian minister overseeingall 20 ministries – acknowledges thatmoving a number of organizations froma public sector mindset to one of aworld-class business operation is noNIU Business 2008 | 7

small undertaking. Even if such a changewere mandated from the top, the taskwould still be daunting. Employees atthe senior management level number9,000 professionals (classified as generalmanagers). These 9,000 employeesconstitute the executive branch across all20 ministries. To manage the project, theNMI-NIU College of Business relationshipwill first work to identify business trainingneeds within one ministry and thendevelop pilot programs around thoseneeds for a group of 25 general managers.At the same time, the NIU College ofBusiness will collaborate with NMI andits other academic partners to draw uplong-term plans to reengineer ministryoperations, as well as to introduce andinstitutionalize a culture change within theministries. The intention is to implementthese plans over the course of the nextfive to 10 years.Charting theCourse of a LevelPlaying FieldHow education goes about charting acourse in a flattened world varies acrossacademic institutions. The task is madeeven more difficult because the worldhas become both much bigger and muchsmaller at the same time. As describedin The World is Flat, author Friedman citesthe disruptive economic shift caused bythe three-billion-person market of threeemerging economies: India, China, and theformer Soviet Union. Friedman adds that– because of the velocity and the vectorof technological change – individuals invirtually every corner of the world cannow “plug and play.”In making the strategic decision to enterthe markets of Asia, Far Eastern Europe,and the Middle East, the NIU College ofBusiness has embraced the emergenceof this three-billion-plus “neighborhood.”The key difference with NIU’s approach,however, is found within the nature ofthe relationships themselves. While manyschools have entered into agreementswith Chinese organizations, the NIUCollege of Business has the distinction ofbeing one of only a few schools chosen bythe Chinesegovernmentas a PreferredEducationalPartner. Interms of itsrelationshipwith Serbia,NIU is anearly entrantinto animportantmarket that,at this pointin time, haslittle to noAmericanuniversitypresence.In the Middle East, the NIU College ofBusiness stands to collaborate withina global academic community forpurposes of using education to institutetransformational change. And while NIU’spartnering organizations around the worldstand to benefit from these relationships,“Our goal is to partnerwith universities thathave highly respectedacademic programs,”said senior advisor tothe Egyptian MinisterMoustafa Shaarawi ofNMI-Egypt’s interest inworking with the NIUCollege of Business.so, too, will students of the NIU College ofBusiness.“In whatever way onemight define personalor professional success,or even how oneviews what it meansto be an educatedperson,” Schoenbachlersaid, “that definitionmust now include theability to understanddifferent cultures,different societies. Thisability is a must-havein such an increasinglyinterconnected world.”Indeed, gone are thedays when a globalperspective in a school’seducational offerings was considered aluxury. These days, a global perspective isa necessity.MBA Program International Business Seminar8 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Cover Focus | The World According to...NIU Co l l eg e o f Business in t h e Gl o b a l Ar e n a …Ci r c a 1983The college’s efforts to provideopportunity for its students toexperience the global businessenvironment began 25 yearsago. Long-standing programs aresummarized below, followed by alisting of honorable mentions fromthe 1980s-1990s.International BusinessSeminar (Since 1983)In existence since 1983, thecollege’s International BusinessSeminar provides an opportunityfor students to study problems,issues, trends, and practicesin business within the internationalenvironment and to experiencedifferent cultures. The seminars arescheduled between the fall andspring semesters for about twoand one-half weeks and betweenthe fall semester and summersession for about three and onehalfweeks. The seminar includesvisits to usually five Europeancities. Cities visited have includedLondon, Brussels, Paris, Geneva,Lausanne, Heidelberg, Amsterdam,Cologne, Frankfurt, Rome,Florence, Milan, Innsbruck,Prague, Munich, and Budapest.Scheduled activities include visitsto foreign organizations (BMW,Lloyd’s of London, DuPont,Oracle, John Deere, SwarovskiCrystal, International Red Cross,World Trade Organization,PricewaterhouseCoopers,among others); presentationsby organizational managers andexecutives; discussions with foreignand domestic international faculty;city tours; and visits to historicalsites. The program is open toundergraduate, graduate, andvisiting students. Participatingstudents earn academiccredit, and their studies are guided byaccompanying NIU College of Businessfaculty members. This year, the numberof student participants since theprogram’s inception will surpass 500.M.B.A. Program – InternationalBusiness Seminar (Since 1992)The first M.B.A. International Seminarwas offered in 1992 to the ExecutiveM.B.A. students. The purpose wasto provide them the opportunityto experience another culture andenhance their understanding of globalbusiness. In 1992, the students traveledto Amsterdam and Brussels and metwith officials from the European Unionto hear about the formation of Europe’92. Since that inaugural trip, the M.B.A.program has arranged international tripsto all corners of the globe, includingAustralia, South America, China, Korea,and many European countries. TheM.B.A. trip has grown from one tripper year to three planned trips in 2008to accommodate student demand.Exposure to senior-level executives innational and multi-national corporationstakes the learning experience to agreater dimension. Students have hadthe opportunity to meet executivesfrom Alcatel-Lucent, BMW, Leo Burnett,McDonald’s, and Siemens, to name afew.Professional Sales Program –Ireland and Austria (Since 2000)The Department of Marketing’sProfessional Sales Program has ledall other academic sales programs inthe country in at least two ways. Itis the first collegiate program everaccredited by the Professional Societyfor Sales and Marketing Training,putting the quality of the NIU salescurriculum and instruction on parwith training provided by leadingprofessional sales units. It is alsothe first academic sales program toengage in long-term exchangeprograms specific to the study ofsales in the global environment.Since 2000, the NIU ProfessionalSales Program has conductedstudent exchanges with the DublinInstitute of Technology in Irelandand, since 2006, the University ofApplied Sciences in Austria. NIUstudents and faculty travel overseasin the winter, with students fromAustria and Ireland traveling toNIU in May of each year to joinwith NIU students. The programincludes on-site visits to firms, suchas Abbott, Hilti, AOL, and Eircomin Dublin; Murphy Brewery inCork; and CareerBuilder, Experian,and Motorola in the U.S. To date,approximately 150 students haveparticipated in this program, andall participating students earnacademic credit. In 2008, theprogram was expanded to includea visiting professor from Austriawho, for a week, will teach in thecollege’s sales program. Each year,another overseas sales faculty willparticipate in educating NIU salesstudents.Honorable Mentions –Global Activities from the1980s and 1990sAdditional NIU College of Businessefforts in the global arena fromthe mid 1980s to the mid 1990sinclude, among others: logistics andmanagement training in Finland andEgypt; a five-year, USAID-fundedeffort to revitalize the curriculum,teaching methods, and textbooksused within Poland’s universitysystem; a five-year, semester-longstudent and faculty exchangeprogram with an academicinstitution in Russia; and an annuallyconducted study-abroad programin the Middle East.NIU Business 2008 | 9

Cover Focus | The World According to...“The huts were in the desert, two miles away from any source of water,” Clark said. “The villagers walked miles everyday – several times a day – just to get water.”Memories of entire towns without the basicnecessities, including electricity, stayed with Clarkand Pascual into adulthood. So much so, thosememories compelled Pascual to travel the world.He repeatedly returned to the Philippines anddeveloping countries, where he discovered thatseeing children begging for food on the streetwas nothing out of the ordinary. “I have seenthe drastic extent of poverty in different areas ofthe world. To see this level of poverty, you reallymust leave the United States. It’s heart wrenchingto see so many starving children. It’s difficult todescribe,” Pascual said, then added, “It is trulyunimaginable.”Unimaginable for most, but not all. In his 21 years, Patricio Rodriguez Rucoba (B.S. Finance 2007) has alreadyexperienced a lifetime of change. Rucoba was born and raised as one of four children in a small village in Mexico. Thefamily’s only material comfort was providedby a patch of land and a small house, justa bit more substantial than the shacksdescribed earlier by Clark and Pascual.“The issue of putting credibility behind thenumbers, in terms of human impact, andeffectively communicating that story . . . theseare the two issues we plan to address duringour global conference,” said Steve Nelson,Opportunity International vice president ofstrategic initiatives. “They [the NIU businessstudents] nailed both those issues.”“I was one of those starving kids,” Rucobashared. “We were very poor, but we weremore fortunate than others. Most poorpeople only had a hut without land. But ourfamily had two trees near our house. I grewup eating oranges and lemons. More oftenthan not, they were the only things we ate.”Changing the World One Person at a Time . . .TThroughout the semester project, faculty coach Joe Cullinane encouraged story sharing among all of the students,including American students Anne Edwards (M.A.S. major), Lindsey Savoie (marketing major), and Katie Shanahan(B.S. Marketing 2007). Cullinane leveraged the convergence of life experiences – from impoverished, middle-class, toprosperous – realizing that these varied perspectives would cast the project into a fuller context for all of the students.That some among them directly lived in or around extreme poverty made the Opportunity International project thatmuch more tangible. Transformation really was possible even if not easily obtained. Rucoba’s life provided the mostdramatic proof. And yet, Rucoba would be the first to admit that even he finds himself dismayed by his journey: fromthat of a starving boy in Mexico with seemingly no way out of a cycle of despair, to a well-educated U.S. citizen, nowa multilingual college graduate from a nationally ranked business school. Rucoba credits his parents with achievingNIU Business 2008 | 13

this transformation. “They sacrificed everything and endured great personal hardship for their children,” Rucobasaid. “Above all, they instilled in us an almost religious belief that education provides the way out. That opportunityreally does come from being educated and using yourcapabilities,” . . . a belief that happens to mirror thephilosophy held by both Opportunity International andNIU.All of which, at the semester’s conclusion, beggedthe question: as business majors studying commerce,did they find that the Opportunity International projectaltered their world view of the role of business insociety?To a person, they said it did.“This project gives perspective,” said M.A.S. majorAnne Edwards. “Not only do I see how fortunate Ihave been, but I’ve learned the distinction betweena handout and what others might call a ‘charitable’investment. Microfinance is far more than giving outmoney and walking away. Opportunity Internationalliterally invests in others…with money and educationand the expectation that the loan will be repaid withinterest.”Anne’s answer is filled with passion, as are the stories from all the students. When asked how she might act upon whatshe has just experienced, Anne said (with no small amount of determination), “One of my goals as I progress in mycareer is to encourage the company I work for to become involved in the microfinance field. I’m quite serious aboutthis.”Pascual agreed. “In 2001, World Bank estimates found 2.7 billion people worldwide live on less than $2 a day. From abusiness standpoint, you can say that represents a huge untapped market. Personally, I feel the ultimate goal of thisproject is to increase awareness of the poverty crisis happening around the world. I’ve been telling my friends aboutmicrofinance and Opportunity International. This isn’t a passing focus for me. As I begin my career, I’m interested incompanies with a proven track record of being socially responsible. I want to know that the company I work for hasmade a commitment, on some level, to giving back.”If giving back is one of the expectations, then Pascual and fellow team members would be pleased to learn of thelong-term relationship between NIU and Opportunity International. The students would be satisfied on multiple levels:1) that the quality of their work proved to be a tipping point for future endeavors between the two organizations; 2) thatthe impoverished would continue to receive help from an outstanding organization in Opportunity International, nowbolstered by the academic prowess of NIU; and 3) that the Opportunity International–NIU partnership will provide moreNIU students with a powerful demonstration of how businesses can serve the greater good.14 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

“The Opportunity International–NIU relationshipcompletes the circle of transformation.”~ Dennis Barsema, member of OpportunidadMicrofinanzas, the Board of OpportunityInternational MexicoB“Because of the success of the first project with Opportunity International, the college put into place a full course inmicrofinance in the fall 2007 semester,” Schoenbachler said. “BlueLane Technologies Chairman Dennis Barsemataught the course.”Dennis Barsema (B.S. Management 1977) is no stranger totransformation, having successfully led a number of organizations intonew strategic directions. And he and his wife, Stacey, are no strangersto giving back, as evidenced by their $25 million investment in NIU’sbusiness college for its world-class academic facility, Barsema Hall.Clearly, the Barsemas embrace commitment.With typical Barsema passion, then, Dennis’s plans for themicrofinance course called for getting to the heart of the matter. Thatmeant bringing his students into the day-to-day lives of those who arefacing down extreme poverty. In fall 2007, Opportunity Internationalexecutives, NIU business faculty, and 10 students traveled withDennis and Stacey Barsema to Mexico to visit the women-ownedenterprises benefiting from Opportunity International microloans.While there, the cadre joined in the effort to provide direct businesstraining for the women entrepreneurs.NIU student in Guadalajara, MexicoAs an outcome from this visit, transformation may very well be the result, especially for the women in Mexico as theycontinue to work their way out of the cycle of poverty. But true to expectations, Barsema witnessed a mirror effect: theNIU students – benefiting from firsthand exposure to business’s broader role in society – came away with a deeperunderstanding of what it means to bea business professional in a highlycomplex global environment. (Seestudent comments in “The WorldAccording To…” on page 18.)“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed citizens can change the world.Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”~ Margaret Mead, pioneering and influential anthropologist More likely than not, this will continueto be the case as the NIU College ofBusiness furthers its commitment tostrengthening its students’ understanding of all aspects – profit maximization and societal responsibility – that comprisethe world of commerce … upholding the potential to lift all boats on the rising tide caused by a flattened world.NIU Business 2008 | 15

HeadlinersNIU College of Business2007 Distinguished Alumnus AwardDennis Dean (B.S. Finance 1973, M.B.A. 1974)Executive Vice President, Business ContinuityPlanning, Harris N.A.As executive vice president of business continuityplanning, Dennis Dean is responsible for coordinatingbusiness continuity efforts for all Bank of MontrealFinancial Group’s U.S. lines of business, including HarrisN.A. In 2006, Dean assumed additional responsibilitiesas Chicago branch manager - BMO Capital Markets.The Chicago branch focuses on sophisticated financialservices for BMO Financial Group’s growing corporateand financial institution client segments.Dean joined the Harris Bank in 1974 as a corporatecredit analyst. Dean’s prior responsibilities with Harrisinclude the areas of commercial banking, systemsdevelopment, and operations. In 1997, Dean wasnamed senior vice president of cash managementservices, Bank of Montreal. In 2001, he was appointedsenior vice president of corporate electronic services,investment, and corporate banking. In 2003, Dean wasrenamed executive managing director and co-head ofcash management services, investment, and corporatebanking.Dennis Dean has served on a variety of industrycommittees relating to the U.S. Payment System. Inaddition, he has been a frequent speaker at industryconferences in the U.S. and Canada.In the education arena, Dean remains highly activewith his alma mater on multiple levels. He is a memberof the NIU Executive Club, the first alumni club for theNIU College of Business. He serves as co-chair of thecollege’s Board of Executive Advisors, an advisory groupmade up of senior-level executives who bring their realworldbusiness expertise into the college. Additionally,Dennis Dean is an instructor in the Department ofFinance at Northern Illinois University College ofBusiness.In the education arena, DennisDean remains highly activewith his alma mater on multiplelevels. He is a member of theNIU Executive Club, the firstalumni club for the NIU Collegeof Business.16 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

NIU College of Business2007 Honorary Alumnus AwardRobert M. PfohlBusiness Support Manager, Caterpillar Inc.Robert Pfohl’s responsibilities at Caterpillar includethe financialmanagementof the 1,600employee,$300-millioncentralinformationtechnologyorganization.Prior tohis currentposition, Pfohl was IT manager for Cat Ag ProductsInc., where he was responsible for the implementationof an ERP system, their Class A program, and thestartup of two joint ventures. During his 25-year careerwith Caterpillar, he has held positions in accounting,manufacturing, and information technology at facilitiesthroughout Illinois.Before beginning work at Caterpillar in 1981, Bobgraduated cum laude from Purdue University with a B.S.in industrial engineering. In 1986, he earned his M.S. inbusiness management from Aurora University. He also isa certified consultant for The Pacific Institute’s Investmentin Excellence program.Since 1996, Pfohl has served as Caterpillar’s NorthernIllinois University campus coordinator. Pfohl is the leadrecruiter for Caterpillar’s IT division. But Pfohl’s deeprespect for the quality of NIU College of Businessprograms, faculty, and students caused him to go aboveand beyond routine interaction. Over the years, Pfohl hasbeen instrumental in establishing long-term relationshipsbetween Caterpillar and various academic departmentsof the NIU College of Business. He has championedvarious Caterpillar Foundation grant awards, includingthe $150,000 funding of a tiered classroom in the NIUCollege of Business.Bob, his wife, Lisa, and two teenage daughters currentlyreside in Peoria, Illinois.NIU College of Business 2007 RockfordArea Distinguished Alumnus AwardJim Hansberry (B.S. Management 1984,M.B.A. 1998)Senior Vice President and Private BankingManager, AMCORE Bank N.A.Jim Hansberry, senior vice president and private bankingmanager, received the 2007 Distinguished AlumnusAward from the Northern Illinois University College ofBusiness Rockford Alumni Club. The annual award isgiven to NIU alumni who have achieved outstandingsuccess in the business community, contribute to thesuccess of the college, and have a record of outstandingcommunity service.As a proud alumnus of the NIU College of Business,Hansberry remains actively involved with his alma mater.He is currently president of the board of directors for theNIU College of Business Rockford Alumni Club, whichserves the many business alumni who live and work inthe Rockford area. Previously, Hansberry was treasurerand vice president of the Rockford Alumni Club. In hiscurrent role as president, Hansberry was instrumentalin establishing and raising funds for the David andDiane Graf Rockford Endowed Scholarship. In additionto his active participation in the Rockford Alumni Club,Hansberry is a member of the NIU Executive Club,which serves all NIU business alumni irrespective ofregion. Hansberry is also an active member of theNIU College of Business Board of Executive Advisors,a group of senior-level executives who bring theirbusiness perspectives into the college. As a memberof the college’s Global Task Force (an action team ofthe school’s Strategic Planning Council), Hansberryhas provided invaluable insights for engaging in globaloutreach activities.As the private banking manager at AMCORE, Hansberryoversees the private banking team in all AMCOREregions. His team advises high net-worth clients andspecifically tailors all of AMCORE’s products andservices to the client’s individual financial needs. “Jim isa valued member of the AMCORE team, and we’re proudof his accomplishments in the community,” says KennethEdge, AMCORE chairman, president and CEO.NIU Business 2008 | 17

The World According To . . .Students in the college’s Microfinanceand Social Entrepreneurship coursePhoto by Megan Gruhn (B.S. Management 2007)Near the end of the fall 2007 semester, 10 business students –undergraduates and graduates – traveled with their professor toGuadalajara, Mexico, and visited the primarily women-ownedenterprises benefiting from Opportunity International microloans(tiny business start-up loans made to the poorest of the world’spoor). Student reflections on the experience follow.18 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Cover Focus | The World According to...“We went to visit the family of Simona Renteria Morales, a 70-year-old baker and mother of two. Simonais on her ninth loan cycle with Opportunidad Microfinanzas, with her current loan totaling 8,000 pesos, orapproximately $800. Simona, her family, and her business were impacted greatly by a recent landslide.The home was filled with almost five feet of mud, and the family had to climb out of the oven’s chimney…the oven in which she and her family bake the bread. Although it took them 22 days to dig out andOpportunidad Microfinanzas offered to assist her, Simona refused any help and did not miss a loanpayment. My classmate Ben put it best when he said ‘resilient’ was the best word to describe Simona.”~ Megan Gruhn (B.S. Management 2007)“They did not complain about their circumstances. They never ask for pity or a handout. To see thesituation – the homes the size of my bedroom where 12 people sleep and the limited amounts ofpossessions – you begin to wonder where their joy comes from. The contentment I found in them comesnot with possessions…it comes in people. In America, we take many things for granted. Great wealth isexpected and rightly so, in a sense. We are given awesome opportunities to perform well. A person cansurvive by not really working that hard. This is one of the greatest differences between the U.S. and therest of the world. In almost every other country, you must work hard to survive. So what does this meanto me? As Bob Buford would say in his book Halftime, it means moving my life-view from success tosignificance.” ~ Ben Dixon (marketing major)“This trip has affected me in many different ways. I feel more open now to the idea of going somewhereinternationally, and I look forward now to the chance to work outside the U.S. for a short while if given theopportunity. The biggest thing I took from this trip is the importance of being humble. Each one of theseclients wakes up each day and goes to work to give their children the opportunity to have better lives.Each one of them is the perfect example of hard work and dedication.” ~ Robert Bailey (finance major)“All of the clients’ stories made me think about the value of hard work. I used to think that I was anoverachiever and a hard worker. But after seeing their power and strength, I do not even deserve tobe called hard working. I could never imagine living the life of Margarito Perez Mora and his wife,for example. At age 78, they pick chayoteria vegetables at his farm, and every day, they carry thevegetables for miles back to his home. This couple was so welcoming and wonderful to us. This tripmade me rethink the way I treat the people I interact with on a daily basis. This class and experience hascaused me to make a huge change in my future plans. I hope to go to Africa in the summer to help in anorphanage. Afterwards, I hope to work with a non-profit in Chicago to do my part for my own community.”~ Margaret Kollker (marketing major, Spanish minor)“Through the class materials, speakers, clients, and the trip itself, I have learned what socialentrepreneurship and microfinance can do for others. It has inspired me to give back and encourageothers to give back as well. This class has given me the knowledge and experience to reinforce what Isay as it pertains to giving back, making me a credible source to help others understand the significanceone person can have on the world. This past Christmas instead of gifts, I asked my family and extendedfamily to donate to Opportunity International in my name. It all starts with one person to change a family,to change the world.” ~ Kelsey Lohman (marketing major, communication studies minor)NIU Business 2008 | 19

“The real pressing solution must be an even-level playingfield where the rich and the poor are not classifiedby what they wear, eat, and live in. Instead, a globalworld must stand united with small and big economiesbecoming interdependent to each other. I know thereis much to be done to achieve a poverty-free world.Nothing is impossible though. I have dreamed far enoughto become an agent of economic change and helper tosociety. I am hoping that by the dawn of summer 2008, Iwill get the prized unpaid internship at the United NationsHeadquarters in New York.”~ Francis Gallardo Enrique (M.B.A. student)Editor’s Note: Francis did, indeed, land the U.N. internship position inNew York.~ Photos provided by Megan Gruhn (B.S. Management 2007)20 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Cover Focus | The World According to...NIU Business 2008 | 21

The World According To . . .An Alumnus – from Illinois to West Africa, Iraq, and the NetherlandsIt’s common to hear business professionals talk of meetings in a“war room,” otherwise known as a large conference room used tohash-out major business concerns. What’s not as common is tolearn of a business professional whose “war room” was located inthe middle of an actual war zone. For Kendra Schoenholz (M.S.Accountancy 1998), the path from Illinois to Iraq (and beyond) wascircuitous at best, as is the case with most major life events.Kendra may hail from the small town of Mendota, Illinois, but shealways knew she would travel the world. As a high school student,Schoenholz spent two months in Australia as an exchange student.As a Boston University undergraduate student, Schoenholz completed course work in Niger, WestAfrica, living there for a year and a half. A year after returning to the U.S., she enrolled in NIU andearned a Master of Accounting Science degree. She then completed NIU’s C.P.A. Review program,sat for the comprehensive exam, and earned the C.P.A. credential. Immediately thereafter,she landed employment with Deloitte and Touche, working in the firm’s Chicago offices. ButSchoenholz – who set a goal since high school to visit all seven continents – still itched to travelthe world. She left Deloitte and Touche after a year and a half to join USAID, the United StatesAgency for International Development.Schoenholz’s first four years with USAID brought her to Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. There, sheaudited USAID-sponsored programs to ensure that funds were properly managed. Then, in August2005, Schoenholz was transferred to Iraq, where she became a member of a team that was chargedwith auditing USAID-fundedreconstruction projects. Theteam’s detailed findingsand report ultimately weresubmitted to the USAIDMission in Iraq.Global Business and NIU Business Students“Today, we are competing with people andbusinesses from around the world. Our peersin other countries have the same universitydegrees as we do and speak three to fivelanguages fluently. We need to think of whatwe can offer to a business that is unique.”For two years (August2005 through May 2007),Schoenholz lived andworked within the Baghdad~ Kendra SchoenholzInternational Zone (formerlyknown as the Green Zone).The International Zone is aheavily guarded diplomatic/government area of closed-off streets in central Baghdad. While difficultto determine, the precise boundaries of the Green Zone are believed to include the main palacesof former Iraq President Saddam Hussein. The media has often referred to the Green Zone as22 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Cover Focus | The World According to...the “Ultimate Gated Community.” This moniker no doubt reflects the area’s numerous surrounding armedcheckpoints, coils of razor wire, chain link fences, and concrete “t-walls” (heavily reinforced and blast-proofconcrete slabs).When asked of her most powerful memory in Iraq, Schoenholz said, “Of course there were some scarymoments during my tenure in Iraq, but what I remember the most are the people. The intense work andliving environment fostered such camaraderie that you developed a sense of family with your coworkers,who were from all over the world. What continuallyamazed me were the Iraqis with whom I worked.On Traveling and Lessons Learned Every day, they risked their lives; if others foundout they were working for Americans, they ortheir families were killed. You were always worriedwhen someone didn’t show up for work.”“You learn so much about theplace and the people, but you alsolearn a lot about yourself.Working in a war zone is not usually at theA smile is universal. top of a business professional’s wish-list. ForSchoenholz, her career aspirations alwaysShowing respect towardcentered on working with organizations whosethe people and the culturemissions included making a meaningful differenceas well as an openness to learn is in the world at large. In this, Schoenholz remainedalways well received. undeterred, even after the rather extraordinaryEvery experience is what you conditions in Iraq. Upon completing herassignment in Iraq, Schoenholz ended her tenuremake of it . . .you can see the goodwith USAID to begin new employment. In Mayor the bad in anything. Some of the2007, she was hired by the United Nations, wherepoorest people in the world Schoenholz is one of only a few American womenare the most giving.” to be employed.~ Kendra SchoenholzToday, Schoenholz finds herself in a completelydifferent world than the one she experienced inthe Middle East. She traded in the razor coils and“t-walls” of Iraq for the windmills and dikes of the Netherlands. Traveling remains the constant thread, withSchoenholz visiting various parts of the world in her role as U.N. auditor. But where those travels may takeSchoenholz beyond the U.N. is yet to be seen.One thing, though, has already come to pass. Schoenholz has, indeed, achieved her high school goal ofsetting foot on all seven continents.~ Michelle De JeanNIU Business 2008 | 23

The World According To…An Undergraduate – From DeKalb to Dublin“I have always been interested in Irish culture,”says Joan Dufelmeier, a senior marketing major at Northern Illinois University. Dufelmeier, who is ofIrish descent, grew up in a household where the Irish culture was strongly encouraged, from listeningto popular Irish music and reading classic Irish novels, to eating traditional dishes. For as long as shecan remember, Dufelmeier has aspired to reconnect with her heritage by visiting Ireland.In her senior year, she finally had the chance to fulfill her lifelong passion by studying abroadin Ireland. She and a group of fellow marketing students traveled to Dublin with Dan Weilbaker,McKesson Pharmaceutical Group professor of sales in the Department of Marketing. Weilbaker isalso the recipient of the university’s 2007 Outstanding International Educator designation. The twoweekstudy abroad course – Selling Strategies in Ireland – provided an opportunity for Dufelmeierto compare and contrast how business transactions occur within and outside of the United States.Dufelmeier and her peers shadowed Irish sales executives, toured famous landmarks, and tookclasses at the Dublin Institute of Technology.Dufelmeier was attracted to the study abroad program because it provided a great opportunity tolearn more about the sales industry within a global context. And it was her chance to “finally meetIrish people and observe their way of life.” From this experience, she hopes to become more adept atunderstanding the different perspectives that different cultures create. Dufelmeier hopes her careerwill include traveling, and she feels that because of this experience she will be better able to begin tounderstand what people in other cultures consider to be important.Since returning from Ireland and graduating in May 2008, Dufelmeier has continued to explorecareer opportunities. She seeks a position that draws upon the skills she learned with her marketingdegree and English minor; additionally, she aspires to work for a company with “a positive corporateculture.” Dufelmeier is currently president of both the Marketing Student Advisory Board and theStudent Alumni Association. She is also a member of the NIU College of Business Dean’s SteeringCommittee.~ Jennifer Kincaid, B.S. Marketing ’0824 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Briefly NotedBarsema Hall Five-Year AnniversaryCelebration. In fall 2007, the NIU College of Businesscelebrated the five-year anniversary of Barsema Hall.College of Business Dean Denise Schoenbachlerand student, faculty, and staff representatives madeindividual presentations on behalf of all NIU College ofBusiness stakeholders. Their presentations honored thetremendous generosity of Dennis (B.S. Management1977) and Stacey Barsema, and also acknowledgedthe profound depth of the Barsemas’ belief in the NIUCollege of Business, which prompted the original $25million investment. The evening’s celebration includeda speech by Dennis Barsema, a jazz ensembleperformance, food and festivities for students, alumni,and friends. A fantastic fireworks display capped off thecelebration.Investing in the Global Initiative. The NIU Collegeof Business received a $25,000 investment from theAbbott Fund in support of the college’s global initiative.This $25,000 investment adds to the $40,000 fund madeby an anonymous investor to support study abroadinitiatives.Investing in Endowed Scholarships. The collegehas been named in an estate for approximately$500,000 for endowed scholarships in the Departmentof Marketing, the Department of OperationsManagement and Information Systems, and the collegeoverall. Additionally, David and Diane Graf announceda challenge gift for the NIU College of Business Davidand Diane Graf Rockford Endowed Scholarship. TheGrafs have committed to giving $50,000 over five yearsto partially fund scholarships for a freshman businessstudent who enrolls at NIU’s main campus in DeKalb,and to a transfer student who enrolls in the businessadministration program at NIU Rockford.Grants for Student Projects. The McKessonFoundation donated a grant to provide funding tothe NIU College of Business Experiential LearningCenter (ELC) for market research and assistance tothe We Care Pregnancy Center in DeKalb, Illinois. TheELC consultants – junior, senior and graduate-levelbusiness students – will be coached by a Departmentof Marketing faculty member and are charged withdeveloping a marketing plan and strategy to bepresented to the We Care Pregnancy Center.Northern Illinois University College of BusinessRanks among the Best Undergraduate B-Schoolsin the Nation for the Second Consecutive Year.BusinessWeek’s 2008 ranking of best undergraduatebusiness schools continues to place the NIUbusiness college within an elite group of b-schoolsnationwide. In 2008, the NIU College of Businessranked 81st nationally out of a very small group of 96elite business schools from across the country. Of the540 AACSB-accredited business colleges worldwide,127 – NIU among them – were invited to participatein the BusinessWeek ranking survey. Based uponthe publication’s ranking criteria, NIU’s College ofBusiness ranked 81st on BusinessWeek’s final short-listof 96 programs designated as “The Best UndergradNIU Business 2008 | 25

Briefly Noted (continued)B-Schools” in the country. This year, NIU is one of onlythree Illinois schools to be included in BusinessWeek’sshort list, and NIU’s ranking beats out other nationallyknown schools such as the University of Iowa (#84),Loyola (#91), and Fox Temple (#94).NIU’s M.B.A. Program Ranks in Chicago. In fall2007, Crain’s Chicago Business ranked the college’sProfessional M.B.A program among the top five bestprograms in Chicago and the Executive M.B.A programamong the top six best programs in Chicago. Thisranking represents the second year Crain’s has rankedthe top M.B.A. programs. This is also the secondconsecutive year NIU’s M.B.A program was listed amongthe best, out of 30 total M.B.A. programs in the Chicagomarket.Accountancy Ranking. The NIU accountancyprogram was ranked 23rd best in the country byU.S.News & World Report in its ranking of bestundergraduate business specializations (2008).NIU College of Business Named China’s“Preferred Educational Partner.” The NIU Collegeof Business was named a “Preferred EducationalPartner” for the country of China by the chief consul ofthe Chinese Consulate General. The Chinese ConsulateGeneral’s office in Chicago represents China in the ninestateregion of the Midwest. The “Preferred EducationalPartner” designation promises to provide cascadingopportunities for the NIU College of Business to becomean important player in the education and training realmsof one of the world’s largest markets.Solheim Cup and the NIU Department ofMarketing. Solheim Cup representatives selectedNIU to partner on a semester-long, faculty-guidedstudent team project. The project involved developing acomprehensive marketing plan for the 2009 tournament.LPGA representatives worked with students in theDepartment of Marketing’s Sports Marketing class. The2009 Solheim Cup will be held at Rich Harvest Farms,which is owned by NIU alumni Jerry Rich (B.S. GeneralMathematics/Physics 1961) and his wife, Betty Ann Rich(B.S. Education 1961).Media Coverage. Several NIU College of Businessfaculty made press this past year. Gerald Jensen, TimMoorman, Rick Ridnour, Mark Rosenbaum, and JimYoung had either their teaching or research highlightedin numerous national media outlets, such as: The WallStreet Journal, BusinessWeek, Washington Times,Financial Times, Forbes.com, InvestmentNews,CNBC, CBS MarketWatch, and National Public Radio,among others (for details on the publicity, see “FacultyAchievements” on page 30-32).Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) “Nightly BusinessReport.” The NIU College of Business was featured onPublic Broadcasting Service’s “Nightly Business Report”on April 6, 2007. For the program, PBS filmed footagewithin Barsema Hall, which was extensively featuredin the story segment “Sarbanes-Oxley 5 Years Later.”PBS reporters interviewed Jim Young, Crowe Chizekprofessor of accountancy and chair of the Department ofAccountancy, and NIU College of Business students fortheir views on how the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation mayhave impacted the appeal of pursuing a degree, and asubsequent career, in accounting. Televised out of morethan 250 PBS media outlets, “Nightly Business Report”has a national audience of 2.6 million unduplicatedviewers weekly.~ Summarized by Michelle De Jean and Jennifer Kincaid26 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Special Message from the Parmenter FamilyIn His Family’s WordsDan was a skiing enthusiast and becamean advanced skier over the years, skiingover Christmas and New Year’s holidaysin Wisconsin and Michigan during middleand high school and then enjoyingthe black diamond runs in Coloradothe last four years at Beaver Creek,Breckenridge, Vail, Copper Mountain, andSteamboat.On a recent Saturday, Dan’s co-workersand managers at Pottery Barn in OakBrook exchanged stories and memorieswith Dan’s mom, dad, and sister during aday-long tribute to Dan with a luncheonfor all employees. Many of them saidDan was like a brother or a son to them,always pitching in to do anything theyneeded and going the extra mile. Theysaid it was a joy to work with Dan, andthat they always looked forward to whenhe returned to work a weekend shift orduring school break. The store, district,and regional managers acknowledgedDan’s many contributions to improvingstock room and inventory operations.When the shooting started on February14, Dan and the girl he was sitting withdropped to the floor between the rowsof seats for cover. Afterwards, while stillin intensive care in critical condition, shetold her parents that Dan had held herhand and had begun praying for thembefore he was shot.Daniel Parmenter was born on October 15,1987. An NIU finance major from Westchester,Illinois, Daniel was one of the five students wholost their lives in the NIU campus tragedy thatoccurred on February 14, 2008.Dan’s father noted that his son had akeen perception for comprehending howto go about doing things and handlingsituations in very practical ways, forwhich Dan would say with a smile, “That’sjust common sense.” Dan’s parents wereextremely proud of his initiative to applyhimself through hard work and dedicationto be the best at everything he did and todo it with honesty and integrity.Besides being social chairman for PiKappa Alpha, Dan ran for office on theNIU InterFraternity Council board duringelections last semester.Dan is survived by his parents, a sister,grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins,and nephews.NIU Business 2008 | 27

Persons, PlacesViews from the Top – Executives in the ClassroomDennis Barsema (B.S. Management1977), chairman of BlueLaneTechnologies; Jerry Rich (B.S.General Mathematics/Physics1961), president and CEO of RichIncorporated; and Jeff Yordon (B.S.Political Science 1970), presidentand CEO of Sagent Pharmaceuticals.October 9 presentation: “The Longand Winding Road to Success.” Thesethree successful NIU alumni discussedtheir career journeys, challenges,tough decisions, risks, sacrifices, andprofessional attributes that proved, inmany ways, to be transformative andto lead to their career successes. Thepresenters spoke before a standingroom-only crowd of well over 200students, faculty, and NIU ExecutiveClub members. The event was held atRich Harvest Farms, which is ranked#51 in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses inAmerica and which is the venue for the2009 Solheim Cup. This fall 2007 Faceto-Faceevent was sponsored by theNIU College of Business and the NIUExecutive Club.Cherilyn G. Murer, J.D., C.R.A.,president and CEO of the MurerGroup, newly appointed chair of theNIU Board of Trustees. September25 keynote: “Conversation with aCEO.” Cherilyn Murer has long beenan active voice in the advancementof quality, cost-effective healthcare.Murer spoke to more than 350 students,alumni, and faculty of both the NIUCollege of Business and NIU Collegeof Engineering and EngineeringTechnology on her leadershipexperiences within the healthcarefield. Along with her many professionalachievements,Murer receiveda Juris Doctordegree withhonors fromNorthern IllinoisUniversity andcoupled herbackground in law with her previousoperational experience as thedirector of Rehabilitation Medicine atNorthwestern Memorial Hospital inChicago. She has also co-authoredfour books on cost-effective healthcare.Murer was appointed to the NIU Boardof Trustees in May 2005 and waselected chair of the board in 2007.Cherilyn Murer’s speaking event wasco-sponsored by the NIU Collegeof Business and the NIU Collegeof Engineering and EngineeringTechnology.The Honorable Sven Erik Holmes,executive vice-chair, legal andcompliance, KPMG LLP. October 24keynote for the NIU College of BusinessEthics Day Event. During his keynotepresentation, Judge Holmes discussedthe processes instituted in KPMG toinstill a sense of personal responsibilityfor the ethical environment of theorganization. He also discussed thedistinction between rogue individualconduct and organizational conduct.The Honorable Judge Holmespossesses extensive experiencein ethics and compliance. At KPMGLLP, Judge Holmes directs the officeof general counsel, governmentaffairs, security, communications,and the firm’s ethics and complianceprograms. He is also counsel to theBoard of Directors and a member ofthe Management Committee. Priorto his KPMG tenure, Judge Holmeswas appointed by President William J.Clinton as United States district judgefor the Northern District of Oklahoma,where he served from 1995-2005, andas chief judge from 2003-2005.Janet Viane (B.S. Management 1980,M.B.A. 1983), senior vice presidentof solution delivery and operationsfor InnerWorkings. March 4, 2008,Women’s History Month keynote:“Today’s Challenges for Women inLeadership.” Janet Viane is the seniorvice president of solution deliveryand operations for InnerWorkings, amanaged print solutions firm tradingon the NASDAQ and the only firm to gopublic in Chicago in 2006. Viane leadsthe implementation and operations ofall accounts and directs the process ofintegrating all corporate acquisitions.Viane has been an active member ofthe NIU College of Business Board ofExecutive Advisors since 1997.28 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Executives in Residence.Each semester, high profile executivescome into NIU’s classrooms to sharetheir vast expertise on global businessissues, relationships, giving back, andlife. These executives possess a wealthof business and world experiences, arehighly respected within industry, andare typically CEOs, company founders/owners, or senior level executives. The2007 and 2008 roster of executives inthe classroom follows.Fall 2007Ty Ballou (B.A. CommunicationStudies 1978), president and CEOof PLB Sports Inc., October 10presentationJames Marino (B.S. Marketing 1972),president and CEO of Alberto Culver,November 2 presentationLawrence Stuenkel (B.S.Management 1965, M.S. Management1967), founder and senior partnerof Lawrence and Allen, a leadingexecutive out-placement firm,October 15 presentationSpring 2008Lyle Heidemann (B.S. Marketing1967), president, CEO, True ValueCompany, March 18 presentationTim Jerzyk (B.S. Finance 1974, M.B.A.1977), senior vice president, investorrelations/treasurer, YUM! Brands Inc.,April 1 presentationMike McGrath (B.S. Management1970), senior owner, McGrath Lexus,February 7 presentationJim Palumbo (B.S. Education andB.S. Marketing 1972), president,Plasma Display Coalition; TomHarvey (B.S. Education 1971, M.S.Education 1972), CEO, Blue ChipSports; and Tony Piazza (B.S.Marketing), sales and marketingconsultant, March 25 joint presentationMore than 100 Business Execs.The college is also grateful to the morethan 100 guest speakers last year whoshared their insights with businessstudents, faculty, and alumni, including:Bill Hillsman, president, CEO andchief creative officer, North WoodsAdvertising. October 30 M.B.A.Colloquium presentation: “IntegratedMarketing Communications: ShoppingMall to Political Strategy.” Bill Hillsmandiscussed the work his firm has donewithin the realm of political advertising.Over the last two decades, Hillsmanhas helped generate some of the mostsuccessful marketing campaigns,including Paul Wellstone’s 1990 U.S.Senate campaign and Jesse Ventura’s1998 gubernatorial campaign.Hillsman’s speaking engagementwas sponsored by the NIU College ofBusiness M.B.A. Colloquium ExecutiveLecture Series.Nicole D’Ambrosio (B.S. Marketing2003), president and CEO ofD’Ambrosio Inc. On April 17, NicoleD’Ambrosio shared lessons learnedfrom her experience on Season 6of Donald Trump’s television show,“The Apprentice.” D’Ambrosio – whomade it to the show’s finale as oneof four finalists – described how shepraised NIU’s business programs toMr. Trump. Her speaking engagementwas sponsored by the NIU Collegeof Business and the college’s YoungProfessionals Network.NIU Business 2008 | 29

Faculty and Staff AchievementsDoug Clinton, Alta Via Consultingprofessor of accountancy inthe Departmentof Accountancy,has been selectedas the first BurgeFamily Faculty Fellow.Gary Burge(B.S. Accountancy1976) and his wife, Mary, generouslypartnered with the Department of Accountancyto sponsor this fellowship,which provides research support. Thetwo-year fellowship supports Clinton’swork toward a statement on managementaccounting that he is completingfor the Institute of ManagementAccountants, the world’s leading organizationfor management accountingand finance professionals.Charles Downing, Wal-Mart professorin enterprise technology innovationin the Department of OperationsManagement and InformationSystems (OM&IS),was selected for theWal-Mart professorship.Wal-Mart partneredwith OM&ISbecause of its strongacademic program,which combines information systemswith the operations management function,unusual in an undergraduate program.As a scholar-teacher, Downingteaches, researches, and consults intopics such as information technologyas a business process integrator(supply chain and portals), businessintelligence, and measuring the effectivenessof information systems.Luis Flores, associate professor inthe Department of Management,was appointed theDSI Global M&Aglobal consultant instrategic planningand strategic managementmergers.DSI Global M&A is aprivate advisory firm that serves strategicinvestment banking transnationalneeds of business internationally.Charles Gowen, professor in management,Kathleen McFadden, professorin OM&IS, and Greg Stock,professor in OM&IS, won the “BestApplication Paper Award” at the November2007 National Meeting of theDecision Sciences Institute. Entitled“Effects of Six Sigma and KnowledgeManagement on Healthcare OrganizationalResults and CompetitiveAdvantage,” their paper was selectedAPICS – The Association forOperations Management, NIUChapterFor the third consecutive year,the NIU APICS chapter placedin its regional case competition,coming in third at the 12th AnnualRegional Student Case Competition.Congratulations to APICS studentmembers and OM&IS majors KevinFranckowiak, Ryan Jones, PhilipRaatz, and Katie Sojer.Society for Human ResourceManagement (SHRM). For twoconsecutive years (2006-2007,2007-2008), the NIU SHRM studentStudent Achievementschapter received a Superior MeritAward from the National SHRMorganization. In April of last year, theNIU SHRM student chapter hostedthe 2007 Human Resources RegionalGames during which studentteams from 16 business schoolsthroughout the Midwest competedto demonstrate their knowledgeof human resource managementprinciples and practices. This year,one of two NIU student teams placedin the top six out of 20 teams thatparticipated in the 2008 HR Gamesand Student Conference for the NorthCentral Region of SHRM.The Dean’s Student Advisory Boardhosted the first CEO Roundtableevent on April 4, 2007. NIU alumnimet with students to discuss theimportance of global business. Thepanel included Terry Horan (B.S.Marketing 1986), president and CEO,Bosch Power Tools; Robert Rothkopf(B.S. Management 1967, M.B.A1973), president and CEO, SemblexCorporation; Terry McCarthy (B.S.Sociology 1979), president and CEO,Allant Group; and Joe Cullinane (B.S.Marketing 1980), president and CEO,Cullinane Enterprises.30 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

as the best out of 484 referred paperssubmitted nationally to the conference.John Hansen and Bobby Riggle,both assistant professors in theDepartment of Marketing, won theBest Paper Award at the 2008 NationalConference in Sales Management.Their co-authored paper is entitled“The Role of Ethical Salesperson Behaviorin Relationship Selling.”Debra Hopkins, director of theNIU CPA Reviewprogram, receivedone of the four NIU2007 SupportiveProfessional StaffPresidential Awardsfor Excellence.Gerald Jensen, professor in theDepartment of Finance, co-authoreda research paper,“The PresidentialTerm: Is the ThirdYear the Charm?”,which receivednational mediacoverage in mediaoutlets that includeReuters, InvestmentNews, and Forbes.com, among others (co-authors: RobertJohnson, managing director of theCFA Institute education departmentand Scott Beyer, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh).In addition, Jensenco-authored another research paper,“Sector Rotation and Monetary Conditions,”which also received nationalmedia coverage from CNBC, InvestmentNews,Financial Times, and BusinessWeek,among others (co-authors:Robert Johnson, managing director ofthe CFA Institute education department,C. Mitchell Conover, University of Richmond,and Jeffrey Mercer, Texas TechUniversity).Chih-Chen Lee, the Michael andPatricia Strachan professor of accountancyin theDepartment ofAccountancy, wasnamed the recipientof the Michael andPatricia Strachanprofessorship.Chang Liu, associateprofessor in the Departmentof Operations Management andInformation Systems, was rankedamong the top 20 most productiveresearchers worldwidein Information& Management, apublication that is regardedas one of theleading informationsystems journals.Linda Matuszewski, assistantprofessor of accountancy, andPam Smith, KPMG professor ofaccountancy, co-authored a paperthat was awarded the Teaching andCurriculum Section Best ManuscriptAward at the 2008 Midwest RegionalMeeting of the American AccountingAssociation. Their paper describeshow the NIU business college is integratingethics into the business curriculum.Ted Moorman, assistant professorin the Department of Finance, coauthoreda research paper, “A Reexaminationof Corporate Governanceand Equity Prices,” which exploredthe relationship between how a firmgoverns itself and shares performance.The results of Moorman’s coconductedresearch were referencedin the July 2, 2007, Wall Street Journalarticle “Finding the Best Measureof ‘Corporate Citizenship.’” Moorman’sco-authors are Shane Johnson,Texas A&M University, and Sorin Sorescu,Texas A&M University.Rick Ridnour, Enterprise Rent-A-CarCorporation professor of sales inthe Department of Marketing, wasnamed the favorite business professorfor NIU students in BusinessWeek’s2007 evaluation ofbest undergraduatebusiness schools inthe nation; a componentof the BusinessWeekrankingincluded a studentsurvey that askedwho they considered to be the bestprofessors and why. Ridnour toppedthe list for students because of his“interactive and hands-on teachingstyle,” which includes putting studentsthrough several role-play assignmentsthat challenge them to execute eachstep in the sales process.Mark Rosenbaum, assistant professorin the Department of Marketing,received the David W. RaymondGrant. Created by, and named after,one of the first members of the NIUBoard of Trustees, the grant offsetscosts associatedwith introducingnew technologiesinto the classroom.Additionally, Rosenbaum’sscholarlywork on the roleof third places in consumers’ livescontinued to receive national mediacoverage, including stories in TheWashington Times (May 27, 2007),CNBC (March 21, 2007), and NationalPublic Radio-Chicago (March 21,2007). In spring 2008, Rosenbaumwas selected to be a Fulbright Scholarin Cambodia where, during summer2009, he will teach principlesNIU Business 2008 | 31

Faculty and Staff Achievements (continued)of marketing and services marketingat Cambodia’s National University ofManagement. The Fulbright ScholarProgram is highly prestigious and is theU.S. Government’s flagship program inthe international education arena.Nancy L. Russo, Department ofOperations Management andInformation Systems, was namedthe Pavlovic professor of informationsystems. The Pavlovic professorship issponsored by Mike and Mira Pavlovic.Rebecca Shortridge, the Gaylen andJoanne Larsonprofessor of accountancyin theDepartment ofAccountancy, receivedthe Gaylenand Joanne Larsonprofessorship.David Sinason, PricewaterhouseCoopersprofessor of accountancy in theDepartment of Accountancy, was appointedto the Boardof Advisors for InternalAuditing Magazine.Sinason also receivedthe PricewaterhouseCoopersprofessorship.Pam Smith, KPMG professor of accountancy,was named the IllinoisC.P.A. Society’s 2008 Educator of theYear. The Illinois C.P.A. Society (ICPAS)is a statewide, professional membershiporganization that serves students,educators, and related finance professionals.Greg Stock, professor in the Departmentof Operations Managementand Information Systems, had anarticle entitled “Hospital Operations andLength of Stay Performance” featuredin the August 2007 “Monthly Highlights”on the Emerald website. Stock’s researchstudy was one of only 10 selectedby Emerald each month, out of anaverage of 450 new research articlesand case studies. Stock’s research waspublished in the International Journal ofOperations and Production Management.Don Tidrick, Deloitteprofessor of accountancyin theDepartment of Accountancy,receivedthe 2007-2008 NationalAuthor Awardfrom the Association of Government Accountants(AGA). Tidrick was selectedto receive the award based upon hisarticle “An Interview with Elmer Staats,Former Comptroller General of theUnited States: The First in a Three-PartSeries,” which appeared in the Journalof Government Financial Management insummer 2006.Sally Webber, HSBC professor of accountancy,was one of three womenfrom the faculty and staff ranks to behonored by the NIU Presidential Commissionon the Status of Women. Thecommission gave Webber the 2008 NIUOutstanding Mentor designation for hertireless commitment over the years tomentoring students and fellow facultymembers.Dan Weilbaker,McKesson PharmaceuticalGroupprofessor of sales inthe Department ofMarketing, receivedNIU’s OutstandingInternational Educator Award for 2007.Weilbaker has worked to infuse globalbusiness experiences into the professionalsales program by engaging in ongoinginternational alliances with universities inIreland and Austria, respectively. Thesealliances – which were formed nearly fiveyears ago – have facilitated exchangeprograms between the international studentsand American students and faculty.Jim Young, Crowe Chizek professorof accountancy and chair of the Departmentof Accountancy, receivedthe NIU PresidentialTeaching Professorshipfor 2007-2011. Inthe research arena,Young’s co-conductedresearch findingswere reviewed in theWall Street Journal and AOL Money &Finance. The media story – “An Early Lookat Tax Brackets for Next Year” – ran onSeptember 26, 2007. Young’s co-authorsare George Jones of CCH and WilliamMassey, RIA tax analyst at Thomson Tax &Accounting.Shaokun Carol Yu, assistant professorof accountancy, co-authored a studywhich received Best Paper Award at the2008 Midwest Regional Meeting of theAmerican Accounting Association. Yu’sco-authors are Dana Hollie, University ofColorado at Boulder, and Robin Tarpley,George Washington University.32 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

On the MoveNew FacultyOffice of the DeanPaul Prabhaker, Associate DeanPaul Prabhaker earned an M.S. ineconometrics (1984) and his Ph.D.in marketing from the University ofRochester. An accomplished teacherscholarin the area of technologyenabledmarketing strategy,Prabhaker has published more than50 articles in leading journals such as the Journalof Marketing Research, the Journal of AdvertisingResearch, the Journal of Psychology and Marketing,the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, theInternational Journal of Technology Management, andthe Journal of Consumer Marketing, among others. Asa teacher, Prabhaker has received outstanding teacherawards from three different universities. Over the lastseven years, Prabhaker has worked as dean/associatedean with the University of North Carolina and the IllinoisInstitute of Technology. He has employed his extensivefamiliarity with AACSB standards to lead these twoschools to successful AACSB accreditation. On theglobal front, Prabhaker has utilized his relationshipbuildingskills to forge international academicpartnerships with over a dozen overseas academicinstitutions. Professionally, Prabhaker has worked withthe business community in the areas of strategy andtechnology/marketing interface. Prabhaker has beennominated and listed in Who’s Who in the East (1987),Who’s Who in Advertising (1990), and Who’s Who in theWorld (1991).Department of AccountancyMark Riley, Assistant ProfessorMark Riley earned a B.S. inaccountancy from the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign (1987),an M.S. in accountancy from NewMexico State University (2004), andhis Ph.D. at Texas Tech University(2007). Riley is a certified publicaccountant and has worked in both public accountingand industry. Mark’s most recent position in industry wasas controller of a mid-sized, publicly traded company.Carol Yu, Assistant ProfessorShaokun Carol Yu has a bachelor’s degree from JilinUniversity in China as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. inaccountancy from the University of Houston. Yu is also acertified public accountant.Department of FinanceLeonard Lundstrum (B.S. Finance 1989), AssociateProfessorLeonard Lundstrum earned a B.S. infinance and accountancy from NIU,an M.S. in finance from the Universityof Illinois, and a Ph.D. in financefrom Indiana University. Lundstrum’sresearch focuses on asset pricingand corporate finance, and has beenpublished in the Journal of Financial Intermediation, theJournal of Corporate Finance, Financial Review, andthe Journal of Portfolio Management. Prior to earninghis doctoral degree, Lundstrum worked in merchantbanking in Chicago. He also served as a consultant inthe financial industry and moderated symposia panels offinancial executives and portfolio managers.NIU Business 2008 | 33

On the Move (continued)Department of ManagementJames Burton, Assistant ProfessorJames Burton earned his Ph.D. fromthe University of Washington (2002).Burton’s research interests centeron the interaction of personality andperceptions of fairness in a person’sdecision to engage in a varietyof workplace behaviors. Burton’sresearch has been published in a variety of journals,including the Academy of Management Journal,Academy of Management Learning and Education,Journal of Business and Psychology, and the Journalof Managerial Issues. Burton has also served as aconsultant or seminar leader to a variety of organizationsincluding Boeing and Verizon.Christine Mooney, Assistant ProfessorChristine H. Mooney earned a Ph.D.from Indiana University (2005). Herresearch interests include strategicleadership, executive succession,and top executive decision-making.Mooney’s research has beenpublished in Academy of ManagementLearning and Education and Organization Dynamics.Wendy Marcinkus Murphy, Assistant ProfessorWendy Marcinkus Murphy earned aPh.D. from Boston College (2007).Her research interests focus on theintersection of careers, motivation, andrelationships, particularly in terms ofgender differences and the dynamicsof developmental networks. Murphy’sresearch has been published in Women in ManagementReview.Department of MarketingPeter Magnusson, Assistant ProfessorPeter Magnusson has a B.S. inmarketing and an M.B.A. from IndianaState University, and earned hisPh.D. from Saint Louis University(2007). Magnusson’s researchfocuses on global marketing, and hasbeen published in the InternationalMarketing Review, Multinational Business Review,the Journal of International Consumer Marketing, andthe Journal of International Management. Some ofhis scholarly work has been recognized for researchexcellence by the American Marketing Association.Department of OM&ISDaniel Wunsch, Professor, New Faculty Assignmentas Interim Chair of the Department of OM&ISIn summer 2008, Wunsch took on anew faculty role as interim chair ofthe Department of OM&IS, replacingNancy Russo. Previously, Wunschserved as interim associate dean(2005-2007), interim chair of theDepartment of Finance and chair ofthe Department of Management (1989-2005). Wunschreceived his B.S. and M.S. in business administrationfrom the University of Wisconsin; he completed hisPh.D. in education/management from the University ofCalifornia. Wunsch has been a faculty member with theNIU College of Business since 1980.34 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

RetirementsBill Cummings, a 23-year veteranof the Department of Accountancyfaculty, retired in June 2007. Aftercompleting his Ph.D. at the Universityof Missouri in 1984, Cummings joinedNIU, where he played a significantrole in the development of theDepartment of Accountancy. The impact of his effortscan be measured in many ways, but Cummings’ primarymotivation has always been his dedication to studentsand their learning. As a champion of ethics education,Cummings played a significant role on the college’sEthics Task Force and its development of the BELIEFInitiative and handbook, activities heralded as “leadingedge” by nationally known experts in the field of ethics.His impact in the academy also includes his contributionof more than 40 publications and presentations duringhis academic career. Additionally, he served on a varietyof department, college, and university committees,and served the broader academy as a journal editor.Cummings is known for his genuine kindness and acaring heart for all. Although he has officially retired, weare pleased that he continues to be involved (albeit ona much smaller scale) with the department and college,including his role as the college Ethics Champion forthe next two academic years. Thank you, Bill, for all youhave done for our students and the academy.Richard J. Dowen, professor and former chair of theDepartment of Finance, retired in June 2007. Dowencame to NIU in August 1983 as an assistant professorin finance. Immediately prior to coming to NIU, he was alecturer at State University of New York at Binghamton,where he completed his Ph.D. degree. Before that, heworked for the Internal Revenue Service. During his 24years at NIU, Dowen contributed in a variety of roles tomeet the objectives of the Department of Finance, theCollege of Business, and the university. He taught at alllevels, published regularly, and served on committeesat all levels. He was also active professionally, servingin several administrative positions with the MidwestFinance Association. Early in his career, he developed,and was a regular contributor to, “A$K NIU,” a personalfinancial advice column published in local and regionalnewspapers. Dowen finished his career at NIU aschair of the Department of Finance for the last sevenyears. Dowen and his wife, Sharon, are outdoorenthusiasts who especially enjoy hiking. They have andwill continue to travel around the world looking for theperfect trail.Sally Wakefield (B.S. Management1983, M.S. Industrial Relations1989), assistant to the dean, retiredin December 2007. Wakefield –whose involvement with NIU beganmore than 25 years ago – hasencountered nearly every aspectof the NIU College of Business experience. In 1983,Wakefield graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. inmanagement. In 1984, she was hired as an academiccounselor in the college’s Undergraduate StudiesOffice. In 1989, she earned an M.S. in personnelindustrial relations and also began employment in thecollege’s graduate program. Wakefield was namedassistant director of the college’s M.B.A. program in1990 and became director of the program in 1992. In1995, Wakefield transferred to the Dean’s Office as aproject manager, and in 2000, she took on the role ofassistant to the dean. Wakefield has been a valuedcontributor to the college’s Curriculum Committee,Strategic Planning Council, Ethics Task Force, andreaccreditation team. She also took on the dean’schallenge of developing an assessment framework formeasuring progress on desired learning outcomes asidentified by the college’s Strategic Planning Council.Not only is Wakefield known for her outstandingwork ethic and integrity, her dry wit is also highlyprized. A professional staff employee, Wakefield hasnonetheless been adopted by many college faculty asone of their own. Equally, she has endeared herself tofellow staff members, as well as many students andalumni. The effect of Wakefield’s engaging personalityand numerous contributions will live on well past herretirement. We wish her much happiness in her newadventures.NIU Business 2008 | 35

2007 NIU Executive ClubEndowed Scholarship Fund Dinner DanceNovember 3, 2007 – Hyatt Regency WoodfieldThe Ninth Annual NIU Executive Club EndowedScholarship Gala continued the tradition of celebratingthe significance of the NIU experience. From themingling and auctions to the dancing and liveorchestra, the event was filled with camaraderie andfun. But the focus and conversation for the eveningcentered on the attendees’ desire to generate additionalscholarship funds for exceptional students who aspireto stand out in business.Investment advisor Joseph Locke (B.S. Management1968) received the Executive Club’s first Founders’Award for his work to establish this endowedscholarship fund more than nine years ago. NIUExecutive Club co-founders Robert Adducci (B.S.Management 1980) and David Wilson (B.S. Marketing1980) presented the Founders’ Award to Locke.goals for the future includes earning an M.B.A. degreefrom the NIU College of Business. For the present, Erikis energized by the opportunity as a college freshmanto rub shoulders with some influential and successfulbusiness executives who are also NIU alumni. Heexpressed his gratitude for the opportunity to interactwith the NIU College of Business Executive Clubmembers.As a consequence of the festivities and because of theappeal of Erik’s presentation, the NIU Executive Clubraised nearly $64,000 in support of exceptional NIUbusiness students.During the live auction, gala attendees bid on a widerange of items, including: a golf experience at RichHarvest Farms, complete with Solheim Cup passes andlunch with Dennis Barsema; a double pave diamondbracelet, along with a private breakfast and shoppingexperience at David Yurman; a two-hour service brunchcooked and served by NIU business alumni; a threenightvacation at Keystone Colorado Resort; and, anopportunity to jump into the fray as NIU’s assistantbasketball coach for a day.In his speech, 2007 scholarship recipient Erik Calmeyershared his interests, work, and community activitiessince high school. With excitement and passion, Erikspoke of his admiration for NIU’s College of Business,which he has always known to be a school of greatrepute. He described how – as a freshman in highschool – he wanted to be part of the NIU experienceand set his sights on graduating from NIU’s businesscollege. Having achieved his goal of enrolling in NIU,Erik intends to major in management. One of his new36 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Help Outstanding NIU BusinessStudents Become Future BusinessProfessionals Who Make an Impact.Plan to participate in the 2008 Endowed Scholarship DinnerDance by saving the date now: November 1, 2008. To reserveyour participation or for detailed information, please contact SueBraffet at (815) 753-1433; email braffet@niu.edu.Joe Locke (center) receiving the Founders’ AwardNIU’s College of Business sincerely appreciates the generous commitmentdemonstrated by alumni and corporations, all of whom make this importantscholarship possible. The NIU Executive Club Dinner Dance Committee cochairsKevin Kirby (M.B.A. 2003) and Jim Locke (B.S. Accountancy 1974), andall the committee members, dedicated many hours to achieve a wonderfullysuccessful event.NIU Business 2008 | 37

Headliners (continued)NIU Executive Club 2007 Scholarship RecipientErik CalmeyerErik Calmeyer graduated from Johnsburg High School in June2007. As a high school student, Erik’s academic performance,extracurricular activities, community service, and work experienceprovided glimpses into his potential to one day become anoutstanding business leader.Academically, Erik was a member of the National Honor Society,Toastmasters International, and Link-Crew. Erik was also an IllinoisState Scholar. His extracurricular involvement included competingin the Big Northern Math Contest and serving as a student tutor andteacher assistant. Despite his rigorous schedule, Erik found time toplay soccer during high school and to take college-level classes andcollege-preparatory courses.Erik has always been an active community member. For three years,he assisted the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the Winthrop HarborYacht Club. He worked on fundraisers to support U.S. Troopsoverseas as a member of the Skokie Valley Power Squadron, and healso helped to teach computer classes for adults. Erik is an officiallycertified referee and has refereed Johnsburg White Lightening soccergames for seven years. He was also an assistant coach and mentored young refereeson game rules and professionalism. Mentoring is an activity to which Erik remainscommitted. Currently, he spends one day each week mentoring a young student fromanother school within the district. As a member of the Skokie Valley Power Squadron,Erik completed course work to obtain a boater’s and personal watercraft license.Erik currently works at the Great Lakes Yacht Sales 100 Club as a seasonal employee.He also is employed as a stockroom team member at Target and previously worked atMenards.When he began high school, Erik set the goal of obtaining a degree in business fromNorthern Illinois University. Now that he is enrolled in what has always been his businesscollege of first choice, Erik plans to major in management. And he has already set a goalof obtaining an M.B.A. degree after he earns a bachelor’s degree. With his strong workethic, great communication and people skills, and a dedication to continual learning,there is no doubt Erik possesses the winning combination required to achieve any goalhe may set for himself.38 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

2007 David and Diane GrafRockford Endowed ScholarshipRobert AndersonRobert graduated from Freeport High School in June 2007. He servedas president of the Business Professionals of America Club. Heassisted as a student worker at Freeport Junior High School and was avolunteer tutor for first graders at Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School.Robert worked through high school at a screen printing business,A&B Designs. Robert’s passion for the past few years has been dragracing. Finishing in the top 10 in points for the past two years is proofof his skill and passion to succeed in this sport. Robert envisionssuccess in his college and business career as well. He plans to obtainan accountancy degree to be able to work with a large motorsportscompany or eventually own his own CPA firm.David LoehrDavid graduated first in his class from Stockton High School inMay 2003. During his high school career, he was a member of theAcademic Team and National Honor Society. He was an IllinoisState Scholar, and received the Prairie State Achievement Award inSocial Science and the Stockton High School Science and SpanishAwards. David works full-time during the summer and weekendsduring the school year on the maintenance crew at Apple CanyonLake. After attending community college, David is now entering theB.S. in business administration program in Rockford. He plans topursue a career in law enforcement, and with his business degreewants to advance into the administration area.Ian MillsWith a dream to someday be a top executive at a major company,Ian loves learning about businesses. He is pursuing a degree infinance with plans to become an investment banker. While attendingSterling High School, Ian was a three-time member of the NCICAll Conference Academic 1st Team. He also was an Illinois StateScholar, a member of the National Honor Society, and StudentCouncil. Tutoring fourth graders and shoveling snow for a localYWCA are activities Ian performs to serve his community. He hasalso worked at Menards for over a year, where he is responsible forguest services. With his NIU business degree, Ian hopes to makethe business world more profitable and a better place for everyone.~Alumni RelationsNIU Business 2008 | 39

Alumni NewsmakersFeature NewsNicole D’Ambrosio (B.S. Marketing 2003) wasa contestant on Season 6 of Donald Trump’s “TheApprentice” television program (NBC). During acollege event sponsored by the Young ProfessionalsNetwork, D’Ambrosio discussed her experiences on theshow as well as her experience with starting her ownbusiness before finishing college. D’Ambrosio Inc. is anIllinois real estate corporation that specializes in largeacquisitions of petroleum properties.Joshua Dean (B.S. Management 2002) was featured inthe Daily Herald as one of 10 top entrepreneurs under30 in the Chicago suburbs. The article – “SuburbanEntrepreneurs Pave Their Own Path” – highlights Dean’sNaperville-based real estate company and describeshow Joshua Dean Real Estate creates videos of sellers’properties and also utilizes YouTube to introduceprospective buyers to whole neighborhoods. Forexample, he produces videos about Naperville, Aurora,and Oswego with the aim of generating interest inpeople to live in those communities. The Daily Heraldarticle ran on November 1, 2007.Crain’s Chicago BusinessScott Kluth (B.S. OM&IS 1999) started CouponCabinInc. in 2003 as an online repository of coupons forInternet purchases. In 2005, the company was featuredin a segment of “Good Morning America” where theircoupon expert explained how to use CouponCabin asa way to save money at Christmas. The high traffic onthe site was overwhelming in the beginning and thecompany restructured the website in order to servethe high level of customers. Since its inception, thecompany has earned revenues of over $4 million and iscontinuing to grow at a rate of over 100% per year.Robin VanCastle (B.S. Accountancy 1978), chieffinancial officer at Taylor Capital Group Inc. as of May 1,2007, was the lead feature in Crain’s “People Spotlight”section (June 18, 2007). VanCastle helped form theRosemont-based parent company of Cole Taylor Bankand launched the initial public offering. Her strength inmanaging complex transactions has led to approval forstock buyback and the first increase in Taylor Capital’sdividend since 1994.Fred High (B.S. Management 1971, M.S.Ed. 1972) waspictured in the April 2, 2007, issue of Chicago TribuneMagazine showing his support for the first Earth Day onApril 22, 1970.40 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Crain’s ListsChicago’s Largest Accounting firmsCraig Funkhouser (B.S. Accountancy 1979), partner at Crowe Chizek & Co. LLC (November 20, 2006).Chicago Area Web DevelopersTodd Perlman (B.S. Accountancy 1988), principal at Business Technology Partners LLC (February 26, 2007).Patricia Vanderford (B.S. OM&IS 1989), Netsource Communication Inc. (February 26, 2007).Chicago’s Largest Privately Held CompaniesLyle Heidemann (B.S. Marketing 1967), president, CEO at True Value Co. (April 16, 2007).William Jones (B.S. Finance 1979), chairman, CEO at Cummins-Allison Corp. (April 16, 2007).James Kostek (B.S. Marketing 1979), chairman, CEO at Kelso-Burnett Co. (April 16, 2007).Michael McGrath (B.S. Management 1970), president, CEO at McGrath Lexus/Acura/Honda/Hyundai (April 16,2007).Chicago’s Largest Small Business LendersJavier Placencia (M.B.A. 2002), vice president at Ridgestone Bank (November 12, 2007).Crain’s “On the Move”John Boschelli (B.S. Accountancy 1990) was promoted to vice president, and continues as treasurer at UnitrinInc. (June 11, 2007).Devin Cygnar (B.S. Marketing 2002) moved from database and direct marketing manager to vice president ofmarketing at Fifth Third Bank of Chicago (April 16, 2007).Tim Hannahs (M.B.A. 2000), previously vice president at Fifth Third Bank of Chicago, was promoted to senior vicepresident of the private client group and continues as the managing director (April 30, 2007).Kevin Hovorka (B.S. Accountancy 1988) moved from transaction services partner to executive in charge ofprivate-equity services at Crowe Chizek & Co. LLC in Oak Brook (June 11, 2007).Donald Roubitchek (B.S. Accountancy 1971), previously CFO at First Hospitality Group Inc., was promoted tochief financial officer at New Century Bank of Chicago (March 26, 2007).~Summarized by Jennifer KincaidNIU Business 2008 | 41

New Alumni Club –The Young Professionals NetworkAlmost immediately after graduating, five newly mintedNIU College of Business alumni sought to create a wayto stay connected with NIU. Not only did the five sharethe same alma mater, but they also shared a deepfriendship, much of which was formed during theircollege years. To be sure, Brian Gillet (B.S. Marketing2001, M.I.S. 2002), Matthew Kirch (B.S. OM&IS 2000),Brian Wodarski (B.S. Marketing 2001, M.I.S. 2002),Chris Barnes (B.S. Marketing 2001), and Brett Kinsfather(B.S. Marketing 2001) savored the social aspect oftheir academic years. Equally, they held – and still hold– in high esteem the college’s challenging learningenvironment. They also value the engaged faculty theycame to know along the way. As these young alumnibegan their professional careers, they wanted to createa way to take their academic experience forward withthem. Namely, they wanted to continue to combinethe importance of relationships with the importance oflearning. And they wanted other new NIU College ofBusiness graduates to have the same opportunity.In August 2006, they created a way to do just that.Collaborating with the Dean’s Office and with thecollege’s NIU Executive Club, they founded the YoungProfessionals Network (YPN). The YPN is a new Collegeof Business alumni club for NIU business graduatesin the early stages of their professional careers. Thefocus of the YPN is both social and professional. Forexample, the YPN fostersinteraction betweencurrent business studentsand alumni, in the hopesthat opportunities suchas internships, mentoringrelationships, and jobplacements will emerge.Through its affiliationwith the NIU ExecutiveClub, the YPN also strives to prepare its membersto participate in more sophisticated professionalnetworking events with senior-level executives.In 2007 during its first year of formation, theYPN held monthly events that included aSchaumburg Flyers baseball outing, hostingguest speaker Nicole D’Ambrosio (B.S.Marketing 2003) from Donald Trump’s “TheApprentice” television program, and organizinga Bacardi Rum tasting event at CARNIVALEin Chicago. Be sure to check out 2008 YPNevents at www.cob.niu.edu/ypn/eventcalendar.asp.~ Jennifer KincaidFor additional information on the NIU College of Businessalumni clubs, please visit the following web pages.Rockford Alumni Clubwww.cob.niu.edu/rockfordclub/Jeff Wallem (B.S. Management 1979), presidentNIU Executive Clubwww.cob.niu.edu/executiveclub/president.aspDan Feeley (B.S. OM&IS 1985), presidentYoung Professionals Networkwww.cob.niu.edu/ypn/Brian Gillet (B.S. Marketing 2001, M.I.S. 2002), president42 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

On May 5, 2007, President JohnG. Peters unveiled True North – thefirst major fundraising campaign inNorthern Illinois University’s history– and announced a goal of $150million. The event launched the latest,and final, phase of a campaign thathas been in the works for nearlyseven years, raising $119 million.“True North reflects everything NIUhas stood for since our founding:access, opportunity and academicexcellence. Alumni tell me on aregular basis how their NIU educationhas served them far beyond theirexpectations when they werestudents,” said College of BusinessDean Denise Schoenbachler.“True North is also about shapingthe future. I envision a College ofBusiness which will be ranked amongthe top 25 in the nation. Philanthropyis the cornerstone on which we willachieve this goal.”Some of the gifts that comprisethe total to date have transformedthe landscape of campus, makingpossible buildings such as BarsemaHall, the Jeffrey and Kimberly YordonAcademic and Athletic PerformanceCenter, and the Barsema Alumni andVisitors Center.“The final phase of the campaign isfocusing on academic excellence,student support and growingendowments,”said DennisBarsema, cochairfor theTrue Northcampaign. “Iencourageyou to beengaged withus and learnmore aboutopportunities where you can have animpact. Please join me in shapingNIU’s legacy for future generations.”A sample of funding priorities in theCollege of Business include:• Student Scholarships• Professorships• Entrepreneurship Programs• Global Business ProgramsThere are still several room-namingopportunities available in BarsemaHall. Since Dennis and StaceyBarsema funded 100% of thebuilding’sconstruction,all fundsfor roomsponsorshipsare directedtoward theCollege ofBusinessEndowment.If you’d like to learn more aboutthe True North campaign, contactAnthony D’Andrea at (815) 753-1736.NIU Business 2008 | 43

In Me m o r i amWilma D. Stricklin(1926-2007)In 1995, the Northern IllinoisUniversity Presidential Commissionon the Status of Women renamed itsAward for Enhancing the Climateon Campus for Women in honor ofWilma Stricklin, a retired administratorand professor of management. Heraccomplishments were so great andcontributions so many that the votewas unanimous. The only person whoseemed to question the wisdom ofcreating the Wilma D. Stricklin Awardwas Stricklin. Such modesty was typical,friends and colleagues said as theyrecalled Stricklin, who died Tuesday,August 7, 2007, at her home inWhiteville, North Carolina. She was 81.Those who knew her, however, werehappy to reminisce about how she wasinstrumental in getting the universityinto compliance with Title IX; theyrecalled how she was the first womanto serve as an associate provost andprovost at the university; and theyspoke admiringly about how shehelped establish what today is the NIUWomen’s Resource Center. They alsotold stories of how Stricklin repeatedlyreached out to mentor and encourageother talented women in academe.Much of that work was done quietly,behind the scenes.“Wilma was certainly a trailblazer,but I don’t think you could call hera crusader,” said NIU Vice Presidentfor Administration and UniversityOutreach Anne Kaplan, who countsherself as one of those lucky enoughto have been a protégé of Stricklin,working as her assistant in theprovost’s office for three years. “To bea crusader you have to be comfortablein the spotlight, and Wilma mostdefinitely was not.”While that may have been the case,Stricklin’s career choices made her standout from the crowd throughout herprofessional life. She earned her degreein accountancy from San Jose StateCollege in 1955 and attained her C.P.A.in 1958, during a time when few womenconsidered such a career path. Even moreunheard of was a woman pursuing acareer as a professor of management, butthat didn’t dissuade her from earning hermaster’s in business education from SanJose State College in 1960 and her Ph.D.in management from the University ofSouthern California in 1966. Ten yearslater – when she arrived at NIU, joiningthe College of Business as a member ofthe faculty and chair of the Department ofManagement – business schools were stilllargely the domain of men. In 1978, onlytwo years into her NIU tenure, Stricklinwas appointed associate provost foracademic affairs, becoming the first womanin university history, and one of the firstwomen from a pool of 300 schoolsnationwide, to hold such a lofty post.Stricklin briefly rose to the positionof acting provost during the summerof 1979, when she helped guide theincorporation of the recently acquiredlaw school into the university. Shortlythereafter she returned to the faculty ofthe College of Business, where she taughtuntil 1986 when she became associatedean of the college, a position she helduntil her retirement in 1989. During the1988-89 academic year, she also servedas the acting chair of the Department ofManagement.Throughout her time on campus, Stricklinbuilt a reputation as a friend to women’scauses. In the late 1970s, she was one ofthe first to recognize that women, manyof them non-traditional students, werereturning to campus in large numbers toearn degrees or enhance their academiccredentials. She chaired a task force thatinvestigated the needs unique to thatpopulation and ultimately brought aboutthe creation of the Office of UniversityResources for Women (which today isthe NIU Women’s Resource Center).Less formally, she always made timefor those who sought her out forprofessional advice. ManagementProfessor Lynn Neeley was one ofthose who benefited both fromStricklin’s encouragement andfriendship.“I came here as a brand new professor,and she helped me overcome somereal challenges,” said Neeley, whorecalled Stricklin as a generous soulwho always stood ready to help thosein need, even occasionally putting agrad student up for the night.Like all she did, Stricklin consideredsuch generosity simply the right thingto do, ducking credit and sharingpraise. However, those she touched willnever forget her.“I believe she helped more peoplethan she knew and deserved morethanks than she got,” said Kaplan. “Shewill be fondly remembered by farmore people than she would ever haveimagined.”Stricklin is survived by many nieces,nephews, and friends. Past winners ofthe Stricklin Award have suggestedthat gifts to the Mothers MemorialScholarship Fund would be a fittingtribute. There is also a scholarshipfund in Stricklin’s name (established byalumni) at Northern Arizona University,where she taught from 1967 until 1976and received the Outstanding FacultyAward in 1975. She also taught atthe University of Southern California(1966-67) and San Jose State College(1958-1965).44 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

Al u m n i Up d at e s1960John J. Prochaska (B.S. Finance 1966, M.B.A. 1970) hasretired as administrator and CFO of the Hektoen Institute ofMedicine and previously served as director of internal audit at theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago. John is involved in veteran andcivic activities through the American Legion. During his career inauditing and financial management, John earned six professionalcertifications: C.P.A., C.I.A., C.F.E., C.G.F.M., C.F.S.A., and C.B.A.He was also an adjunct faculty member at Roosevelt University,Northeastern Illinois University, and National-Louis University. Hefrequently spoke at professional meetings and conferences of theInstitute of Internal Auditors and the Association of Certified FraudExaminers on internal audit planning and conducting investigativeaudits. John has been recovering from some serious health issues.He and his wife, Cindy, live in Park Ridge, Illinois. They have threegrown children and three grandchildren.Robert E. Kleeman, Jr. (B.S. Accountancy 1969) has startedhis own firm, OnPointe Financial Valuation Group, after 30 yearsin the business valuation community. OnPointe provides financialvaluation and financial litigation expertise to the legal communityand corporate clients. Robert has authored articles and books onbusiness valuation and has served on the American Institute ofCertified Public Accountants business valuation committee. Heand his wife, Carol (B.S. Nursing 1971), live in Castle Rock,Colorado.1970Paul H. Davis (M.B.A. 1972) has earned three professionalcertifications: C.F.P., E.A., and C.P.C.U. Paul established DavisFinancial Services in 1984. In addition to managing his tax andfinancial planning firm, Paul has been director of his Chamber ofCommerce as well as Rotary Club. He and his wife, Rosella, live inEncinitas, California.Stephen Goehl (B.S. Marketing 1972) earned membershipinto Million Dollar Round Table’s (MDRT) prestigious Top of theTable. Membership is given to those who have demonstratedexceptional professional knowledge, client service, and ethicalconduct. MDRT is recognized internationally as the standard of salesexcellence in life insurance and financial service. Top of the Tablerepresents four percent of the total MDRT membership. Stephenis president of Goehl Financial Services Inc. He and his wife, Carol,reside in Geneva, Illinois.Tony Ganze (B.S. Accountancy 1979) and his firm, Ganze& Company, were featured in a story on the CPA TechnologyAdvisory website (December 3, 2007). Founded in 1983, Ganze& Company – which is located in Napa Valley – has grown from astaff of four to a staff of 18 along with interns from Pacific UnionCollege and a client-base with revenues ranging from $1 millionto $100 million. Ganze & Company was featured in the storybecause the organization is widely known in the area for being anearly adopter of accounting and workflow technologies, including“going completely paperless on its 1040 clients and using documentmanagement software and saving documents into PDF.” Tony lovesthe ocean and snow skiing, and enjoys watching hot airballoons drifting through Napa Valley, California, where heand his wife, Teresa, reside.1980Patricia Hewitt (M.B.A. 1982, Ed.D. 1995) lives in Montclair,New Jersey. She retired as vice president of Montclair StateUniversity in 2005. Patricia enjoyed a trip to Bangalore, India, for sixmonths, returning the end of December 2007.1990Kamil M. Gamal El-Din (B.S. Marketing 1995) was namedthe director of global deployment with IPSOS-North America, aglobal research marketing firm headquartered in Paris. He will workin Chicago and oversee software and project deployments to allIPSOS worldwide offices. Kamil and his wife, Kimberly, reside inChicago with their two children, Kinzie and Kameron.David Lipien (B.S. OM&IS 1998), senior managing consultantwith IBM, was named the 2007 Distinguished Alumnus from NIU’sDepartment of Operations Management and Information Systems.David and his wife, Jill, welcomed a son, Matthew James Lipien, onMarch 17, 2007.Duane J. Blank (B.S. Accountancy 1999) was promotedto finance manager of the El Rey Theatre. Duane married AmyFricilone (B.F.A. Studio Art 2002) in August 2007. They residein Los Angeles.2000Jody Jungerberg-Lundstrom (M.B.A. 2002) earned the C.F.P.designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.Jody is an advisor for Savant Capital Management of Rockford,Illinois.Shante Lubemba (B.S. Finance 2006) is enjoying her workas an accountant statistician within Northern Illinois University’sDivision of Finance and Facilities.Andrew Mikal (B.S. Management 2006) is working as anassistant manager for a Kohl’s department store. He is finding it fastpacedand a good place to practice his management skills.Eric Lindholm (B.S. Management 2007) is working on hisco-founded company, Sound Works Production Inc. The companymanages both live sound and lighting production for events likefestivals and concerts. Eric started the company after being in aband and seeing the opportunity to have venues use the publicaddress (“PA”) system. He sold his “PA” system to a bar, andwith the help of not only his business partner but a loan from hisgrandmother, he was able to start up the company while finishingup his undergraduate degree. The company has worked with bothlocal and popular acts like American English and Everclear. Sincegraduating, Eric has been able to repay his grandmother and investmore money into the company.~ Summarized by Jennifer Kincaid and Mary ThomasNIU Business 2008 | 45

Huskie-bred For SuccessJeffrey Yordon’s 37 years of pharmaceutical experience includes senior levelpositions with a number of major pharmaceutical companies, as well as his beinga founding member of Gensia Laboratories, Faulding Pharmaceuticals, LyphoMed,and American Pharmaceutical Partners.Sagent Pharmaceuticals, his most recent entrepreneurial success, is a forwardthinkingspecialty injectables company located in Schaumburg, IL.Owing much of his success to the solid foundation he built while at NIU, Jeff’sloyalty is evident by his continuing philanthropy to the university as well as hismembership on the Foundation Board, the Board of Directors of the Northern IllinoisExecutive Club, and his being an Alumni Advisor to NIU’s Athletic Department.SAGENT Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 1901 North Roselle Road, Suite 700, Schaumburg, IL 60195Jeffrey YordonFounder, Chairman and CEOSAGENT Pharmaceuticals, Inc.BA, ‘70www.SagentPharma.com1-847-908-1600SAGENT and DISCOVER INJECTABLES EXCELLENCEare trademarks of Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc.©2008 Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Discover Injectables Excellence TMShare Your News!What’s happening in your life? Have you switched jobs, beenpromoted, relocated, or received an award? What aboutother life-changing events, such as marriage, new babies,adoptions, retirements? Share the news with your fellowalumni and your alma mater.Visit www.cob.niu.edu/alumni and fill out the online form. Oremail your news and address information to braffet@niu.edu.We will publish the news you share in next year’s issue ofNIU Business.46 | NIU College of Business www.cob.niu.edu Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

UPCOMING 2008 EVENTSUnless otherwise indicated, all events are open to NIU College of Business alumni.Please note, some events have limited seating and require your RSVP.College EventsOctober 18HomecomingAlumni Club EventsJune 26YPN Networking: Chicago CubsBaseball GameChicago – 7:05 p.m.August 21YPN Skill Development: EffectiveNetworking –Building Your Personal BrandSchaumburg – 6:30 p.m.September 8Executive Club 13th Annual GolfOutingKishwaukee Country Club, DeKalb – 11a.m.September 17Executive Club B2B NetworkingBreakfastSeptember 24Rockford Alumni Club – BusinessOver Easy SeriesNIU Rockford – 7:30-9:30 a.m.October 7Executive Club/YPN Fall “Face toFace”Hilton Lisle/Naperville – 6 p.m.November 1Endowed Scholarship DinnerDanceGala and Silent AuctionNovember 13YPN Wine TastingTasting deVine, NapervilleWe share a vision. We share a commitment. We’re happy to announce...We’ll soon share a name.We are pleased to announce that LaSalle Bank Corporation is now part ofBank of America. Together we’ll create opportunities that no single bank can offer – enablingour customers, clients and communities to realize their dreams through world class retail, smallbusiness, commercial banking, investment and wealth management products and services, all withthe focus and commitment of a local bank. We’ll continue to support the communities in which welive and work through our outreach, philanthropic giving and environmental efforts. Last year,Bank of America alone was the second-largest charitable donor among U.S. corporations.There’s no doubt that together we’re not just a stronger bank, we’re a better company.bankofamerica.com/lasalleLaSalle Bank N.A., LaSalle Bank Midwest N.A., Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC © 2007 Bank of America Corporation.7.5x4.75 LasalleBAC Ad.indd 1NIU Business 11/5/2007 2008 9:58:37 AM | 47

NIU BusinessCollege of Business MagazineNorthern Illinois UniversityDeKalb, Illinois 60115-2897NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE PAIDNORTHERN ILLINOISUNIVERSITYWhere the Classroom Meets the Business WorldCongratulations to all 2007-08 Graduatesof the NIU College of Business!