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The University of Texas at Austin
McCombs Weekly Vol. 7, No. 12 May 3, 2006   
McCombs School of Business
 
  Upcoming Events
 
Video: See the CEO Exchange Introduction		 Broadcast of CEO Exchange,
PBS Broadcast, KLRU Channel 9,
“High Energy: Putting the Brakes on Fuel & Transportation Costs,” 5/7 at   2 p.m. More info
 
 

World Congress on Information Technology 5/1-5
More info

MOOT CORP® 5/3-6
More info

Staff Recognition Ceremony 5/15

Commencement 5/19-20
More info

Data Theft Update: McCombs School
Responds to Computer Breach
In the wake of the recent data theft, the McCombs School has worked hard to notify and respond to those who may have been affected. The security breach, discovered April 21, may have exposed the personal information of thousands of faculty, staff, students, alumni, corporate recruiters and applicants for admission to an external intruder. Last week, the McCombs Data Theft Web site had about 56,600 unique visitors as McCombs and University constituents learned about the data theft and what action to take.
Get the full story.

McCombs School Ranked As a Top 10 Undergraduate Business School in BusinessWeek's New Survey
The McCombs School ranked #9 in BusinessWeek magazine's first survey of the top 50 undergraduate business schools in the nation. The ranking was conducted by BusinessWeek and Boston’s Cambria Consulting, and is based on five measures of student engagement, post-graduation outcomes and academic quality.  
See the BusinessWeek rankings.
Read the Austin American-Statesman article.

Neiman Marcus CEO Discusses Success of Luxury and the Luxury of Success
By Laura Griffin
In an industry where fashion styles change more often than the seasons, it’s imperative that retail stores create a stable shopping experience for their customers. “Fashion is an industry of change, and retailing is an industry of consistency,” said Karen Katz, president and CEO of Neiman Marcus Stores. “Our customers want quality, value and luxury, and we always provide them with it.”
Get the full story.

McCombs Staff Softball Team Ends Season With Perfection
The McCombs Debits and Credits staff softball team—the first-ever co-ed staff team playing intramurals—completed this season with a perfect 4-0 record and a first place finish in its division against student teams. Although the team lost in the the first round of the playoff, they're already preparing for next season.
Check out the team photo.

In the News: Mahajan Discusses Books That Inspire Him at BusinessWeek Online
BusinessWeek Online, April 2006
In the current edition of BusinessWeek Online, McCombs Marketing Professor Vijay Mahajan discusses the six books which have influenced his studies and teaching. One of his top choices includes, “The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew” by Lee Kuan Yew. “I have read many books on how companies have been turned around but never on how a country was transformed from a Third World Nation into a developed one,” Mahajan said.
See Mahajan's reading list.

In the News: Job Market Rife With Opportunity for New Grads
The Christian Science Monitor, May 1, 2006
Good news for recent graduates: finding employment after graduation is a buyer’s market. Employment is way up, and recruiters are trying to find new ways to lure top candidates. “In a more competitive environment, companies want to sweeten the pot a little bit,” said Stacey Rudnick, director of MBA career services at the McCombs School. Rudnick is seeing more signing bonuses, and claims that the average bonus this year has been $25,000 to $30,000 for McCombs MBA graduates, compared with $20,000 to $25,000 last year.  
Get the full story.

In the News: Mesquite ISD Program to Encourage College Attendance
Dallas Morning News, April 30, 2006
FutureQuest, an ambitious new program implemented in the Mesquite Independent School District, is designed to boost the number of high school graduates who go on to seek higher education. Students will receive advice and encouragement to consider attending college, and teachers are encouraged to speak to the students about “when” they attend rather than “if.”  Shifting the students’ mindset might be difficult though, according to Pamela Haunschild, management professor at the McCombs School. She advises Mesquite ISD to saturate its students with the message. “No one has ever devised a simple formula for success,” Haunschild said. “People need to hear it in a lot of different ways from a lot of different sources.”
Get the full story.

In the News: Immigration Raids May Not Deter Employers, Says Brandl
American Public Radio’s Marketplace, April 21, 2006
Michael Brandl, senior finance lecturer at the McCombs School, discussed recent crackdowns by federal officials on businesses that employ undocumented immigrants in a “Marketplace” segment. “It’s going to be very difficult for (employers) to be able to get American citizens to do the jobs that the undocumented workers are doing,” Brandl said.
Listen to the segment.

In the News: Gas Prices Spike as Global Demand Grows
KXAN, April 26, 2006
KVUE, April 26, 2006
Although President Bush is working to bring gas prices down, some oil experts argue that eliminating the requirement for ethanol to be added to gas and halting deposits of oil to reserves are not going to alter the price much. Ehud Ronn, professor of finance at the McCombs School, noted that, for example, as China is becoming more affluent and its economy is growing, there is more demand for petroleum products, which drives up prices here in the United States. “The bottom line is that oil is an international commodity and that’s where its price is set,” Ronn said. “We can’t change that international dynamic.”
See the KXAN clip.
See the KVUE clip.

In the News: Promising Economic Outlook for Austin
KXAN, April 26, 2006
Michael Brandl, senior finance lecturer at the McCombs School, appeared on KXAN to discuss a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, which found that the Austin economy is growing significantly, and at a faster rate than the rest of Texas and the United States. Employment rate has fallen to 4.1 percent and there has been significant job growth, but not in the sectors that you might expect, said Brandl. “The high tech industry does play an important role in the Austin economy, but the growth we’re seeing is in the leisure and hospitality, construction and real estate sectors,” Brandl said. Brandl is featured every Wednesday morning on KXAN’s Firstcast.  
See featured video: “Financial Expert Gives Advice.”

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See past issues of McCombs Weekly.

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