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The University of Texas at Austin
McCombs Weekly Vol. 7, No. 11 April 21, 2006   
McCombs School of Business
 
  Upcoming Speakers
  VIP Distinguished Speaker Series
  James T. Hackett,
Chairman, President and CEO, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, 4/27. More info
  Upcoming Events
 

Idea to Product Competition® 4/21-22 More info

UT Distinguished Speaker: Michael Dell 4/25 More info

Open Source Workshop 5/2
More info

McAlister Discusses Value of Marketing at Faculty Research Presentation
By Laura Griffin
In this year’s final installment of the Faculty Research Presentation Series sponsored by the Undergraduate Business Council, Marketing Professor Leigh McAlister discussed her research on the importance of marketing to a company’s long-term strategy. She explained that many organizations judge the success of marketing based on short-term sales figures, rather than considering its value over a long period as it helps build brand equity, decrease stock volatility and ultimately increase the worth of the company.
Watch a clip of Prof. McAlister’s presentation.
Get the full story.

Workshop to Examine Business, Legal Impact of Revolutionary Production Method
The University of Texas at Austin will host an open source workshop May 2 that will bring together top thinkers from business, legal and technical areas to discuss how business and law will be affected as the practice of open sourcing becomes more widely adopted. The workshop will coincide with the World Congress on Information Technology, a biennial conference for world leaders in information technology, business and government, held in Austin May 1-5.
Find out more about the workshop.

McCombs Employee to Receive Staff Excellence Award
Leah Miller, undergraduate program coordinator at McCombs, has been selected to receive a Staff Excellence Award. She and 32 other non-teaching university employees will be recognized for their exceptional work and dedication with a certificate and honorarium of $1,500 during the 45th annual Staff Recognition Program and President’s Reception May 2 in the Frank C. Erwin, Jr., Special Events Center. Congratulations, Leah!  
Find out more about the award.

MBAs Rise to the Toothpick Challenge
By Laura Griffin
What do a sequined purse, a broken calculator, a paperclip and a live acoustic guitar performance have in common? MBA students acquired each of these things by bartering toothpicks. Yes, toothpicks. At the MBA Toothpick Challenge, sponsored by the Plus Program March 29, about 25 MBA students had the opportunity to examine business strategy and communication techniques and apply them to real-life activities.
Get the full story.

Alec Beck, Austin Philanthropist and McCombs Alum, Dies
Alec Beck, BBA ’78, former president of Stripling-Blake Lumber Co. and donor to the McCombs School of Business undergraduate program, died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio April 14. He had been initially injured in a helicopter crash near Fredericksburg.
Find out more about Beck’s life.

In the News: Starks Discusses Encouraging Investor Activity in Mutual Funds
Money Management Executive, April 17, 2006
Recent data has sparked debate about the key to earning and keeping investors in mutual funds. Well-performing funds attract investors, but often those investors remain inactive until they cash out their funds. According to Laura Starks, chair of the department of finance and director of the AIM Investments Center at the McCombs School, positive media coverage is crucial to encouraging inflow increases. Starks also notes that advertising isn’t particularly helpful. Advertising won’t net new money, but it will help keep existing investors, she said.  
Read the full story (subscription required).

In the News: Brandl Describes Legislature's Public School Financing Options
KXAN, April 19, 2006
Michael Brandl, senior finance lecturer at the McCombs School, appeared on KXAN to discuss the legislature’s upcoming fifth special session to fix the public school financing system by June 1, as required by the Texas Supreme Court. According to Brandl, if the legislature doesn’t reach a solution by then, “the Supreme Court could stop the state from sending money to the local school districts, which means it might be difficult for those schools to open in the fall.” Brandl also described some ideas that the legislature is considering to bring in more revenue, including higher taxes on tobacco and increasing the stringency of some franchise taxes.
Click here and scroll down to view Brandl's interview.

In the News: Job Market Booming for B-Schoolers
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 3, 2006
Because so many companies are anxious to fill their entry-level positions with new business graduates, job recruiters were turned away at the McCombs School fall career fair after it reached its capacity of 150 employers. Velma Arney, director of  undergraduate career services at McCombs, said the career fair “was a sign that the market was going to be strongly on the students’ side.”  
Get the full story.

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